Premier League preview: Manchester United v West Brom
All eyes will be on Wayne Rooney tomorrow afternoon as Manchester United take on high-flying West Brom at Old Trafford.
The England international, who has endured a hugely disappointing season so far, was again at the centre of unfortunate newspaper headlines earlier this week after contradicting Sir Alex Ferguson over an ankle injury. At this stage it’s unclear whether the out-of-sorts Rooney will be reprimanded by his manager - but it seems rather unlikely. In Friday’s pre-match press conference, the Scot played down his star striker’s comments, claiming that such stories are merely “water off a duck’s back”.
Meanwhile, United’s opponents West Brom are unbeaten in their last four matches and sprang one of the surprises of the campaign so far against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium – beating Arsène Wenger’s side 3-2. Manager Roberto di Matteo was awarded the Manager of the Month award for September following the club’s impressive start to their return to the top-flight, while striker Nigerian striker Peter Odemwingie landed the Player of the Month accolade.
Although their win over Arsenal was undoubtedly a massive result, victory over United at Old Trafford really would be something else. The Red Devils are favourites, but they won’t be about to underestimate their spirited opponents, who are bidding to prove that they’re now in the Premier League to stay.
Like United, another team looking to close the gap on league leaders Chelsea on Saturday afternoon are Arsenal. The Gunners take on Birmingham City at home, but will have to seal the points without influential captain Cesc Fàbregas, who has failed to overcome a hamstring injury.
However, Nicklas Bendtner is back for the north London outfit, and the striker will be eager to score against the club he spent a loan spell at during the 2006/07 campaign. Alex McLeish’s side have been below-par this season, winning just one of their first seven matches. Still looking for their first victory on the road, it seems they’ll be left waiting at least another fortnight before they stand another chance of ending their hoodoo.
Another intriguing clash in the capital will take place at Craven Cottage between Fulham and Tottenham. The Cottagers are currently unbeaten in the league – only the second team to have maintained their 100% unbeaten record, along with Manchester United – and currently sit comfortably in mid-table. Based on their recent record against Spurs, they will be hopeful of keeping their unbeaten start intact. Tottenham haven’t won at the Cottage since March 2002, and have only won one match on the road so far this season.
Also, Spurs boss Harry Redknapp will surely have one eye on Wednesday night’s huge Champions League clash against European champions Inter Milan in the San Siro, handing the onus to Fulham to take all three points from this Premier League clash.
Elsewhere, Newcastle are in action against Wigan at St James’ Park. The Magpies are looking for their second home win of the season after winning promotion from the Championship, and take on a Wigan side who have shown marked signs of improvement over recent weeks, following their dire start. The hosts will, of course, be without Hatem Ben Arfa, after the France international broke his leg against Manchester City before the international break. Wayne Routledge is expected to deputise in his absence on the right wing and could cause the Lactics’ defence all kinds of trouble.
There’s also a clash between two physically imposing sides at the Reebok Stadium as Bolton play host to Stoke City. Owen Coyle’s team are unbeaten in their last three matches, but haven’t won a league match since that 3-1 victory against West Ham back in August. As for their opponents, Stoke, they’re currently in red-hot form after winning three of their last four matches in the league. A hard-fought score draw? Don’t bet against it.
And there’s an early-season taster of a potential relegation scrap between Wolves and West Ham at Molineux. The two clubs are currently joint-bottom of the league table after picking up just five points from their first seven matches – although the Hammers have enjoyed an upturn in fortunes over the last three matches. It’s been a reverse situation for Mick McCarthy’s men, though. Wolves were unbeaten in their first few games, but have lost all of their matches since the end of August, leaving them stuck in a perilous rut.
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