Premier League weekend Preview – Part 1
It is a pivotal period in the Barclays Premier League. The top five teams will be battling it out over the weekend to stake their claim for the Premier League crown. Let us take a look at the entire schedule.
Chelsea vs Blackburn – Stamford Bridge (Saturday, 15 January, 2011)
Stamford Bridge is not the fortress it once was, but is still a daunting venue for any team to go to. Steve Kean faces the toughest test of his managerial career so far as he prepares his unsettled Blackburn side to take on http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786 at their home turf.
If history is to be believed, the Blues should cruise easily to victory. Chelsea have won twelve of their last 20 games against Blackburn, while six of those matches have resulted in draws.
However, the champions are currently in the midst of their worst run of form in the league for over 15 years. Carlo Ancelotti’s struggling side has managed only two wins in eleven attempts in the Barclays Premier League. Their poor form over the past two
months appears to have cost them dearly, as they gave up their five-point lead at the summit of table to drop down into fifth place.
Blackburn have the perfect opportunity to capitalise on Chelsea’s lack of confidence. The Riversiders are going through a transitional phase at the moment. New owners and a new manager in the space of two months have had a negative impact on their results.
But Blackburn are steadily getting back on track.
Steve Kean’s men have won three of their last four matches, showing that they are adjusting quickly to life without Sam Allardyce. If the new Blackburn manager plays his cards right, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Rovers-c40385 might just be able to break their dismal record against the Blues
and walk away with all three points from Stamford Bridge.
Manchester City vs Wolverhampton Wolves – Eastlands (Saturday, 15 January, 2011)
Many have written this off as a contest already, saying that Manchester City’s class will be too much for the struggling Wolves to deal with.
However, Mick McCarthy’s men are not to be underestimated. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Liverpool-c39809 and Chelsea in the space of two weeks, ensuring that City manager Roberto Mancini will not be taking this encounter
lightly.
Manchester City will be looking for nothing less than a win as they look to keep up the pressure on League leaders Manchester United. Italian striker http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Mario-Balotelli-c23937 is still sidelined due to a recent knee problem. But Mancini has got a backup plan in the
form of the 27-million-pound Edin Dzeko.
The Bosnian goal-scoring machine is all set to make his debut in Saturday’s game. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Mancini-c23323 has already said that Dzeko is the kind of player that can take them to the Premier League crown. Let us see whether the striker can make the impact his manager is
hoping for.
Continued in part 2…
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