Premier League preview

Watch three of this weekend's games live on Sky Sports HD1 & 1

By James Dall   Last updated: 13th March 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Premier League preview

Redknapp: Tense run-in

Click below for individual match previews and statistics
Saturday
Tottenham v Blackburn
Birmingham v Everton
Bolton v Wigan
Burnley v Wolves
Chelsea v West Ham
Stoke v Aston Villa
Hull v Arsenal
Sunday
Man Utd v Fulham
Sunderland v Man City

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Tottenham Hotspur continue their pursuit of fourth place as they kick-off this weekend's action against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday lunchtime, in a game that can be seen live on Sky Sports HD1 & 1.

Elsewhere, Chelsea will be aiming to climb back to the top of the table when they host West Ham, Burnley and Wolves lock horns while Bolton take on Wigan in two relegation six-pointers, and Arsenal make the trip to Phil Brown's Hull City.

Harry Redknapp's Tottenham currently occupy the much-coveted final UEFA Champions League berth above Manchester City on goal difference, although the latter do boast a game in hand. Spurs head into this fixture boosted by Liverpool's loss to Wigan on Monday, with the encounter a chance to put pressure on their rivals as City play Sunday and Liverpool on Monday. Blackburn are no longer considered genuine relegation candidates following a decent run of form, but their results away from home have left a lot to be desired. Indeed, Rovers head to White Hart Lane having not won on their travels in the league since 22nd November 2009.

Chelsea welcome London neighbours West Ham to Stamford Bridge in one of five 3pm kick-offs on Saturday. Victory for the Blues would take them back to first position, a point above United, who at present have played a game more than their title foes. Chelsea are looking to bounce back from a second loss in three games after they were stunned by City in their last league outing. Three points separate Gianfranco Zola's West Ham from lying in the bottom three, while they have suffered defeat in their previous two fixtures. Furthermore, it gets no easier for West Ham as their trip to Chelsea is followed by a visit to Arsenal the weekend after.

Despite a midweek home draw with Stoke, Burnley remain in the relegation zone on goal difference, with Saturday's opponents Wolverhampton Wanderers a place above them in 17th. The Clarets have failed to win any of their last five matches while Wolves' form is hardly that much better, with Mick McCarthy's men heading into the game off the back of three straight losses. The clash sees the league's lowest scorers (Wolves, with 21 goals scored in 28 games) tackle the league's worst defence (Burnley, with 61 goals conceded in 29 matches). With matters so tight at the foot of the table, a win for either side would make a tangible difference.

Another relegation dogfight will occur when Wigan Athletic make the trip to Bolton Wanderers. The Latics should head into the encounter on a high after their shock scalp against Liverpool on Monday. Yet Wigan's inconsistency is well-documented this season, with their previous results rendered rather useless indicators for when predicting how they will perform next time out. Bolton will be aiming to return to winning ways after their search for a third straight win ended with a 4-0 loss at Sunderland on Tuesday. Just a point separates Bolton and Wigan, so again the incentive is there to inflict a significant scalp.

On Saturday evening, third-positioned Arsenal face Hull City at the KC Stadium. The Gunners boast the best form in the division at present, having won their last four matches. Furthermore, with United not playing until Sunday, the opportunity is there for them to leapfrog the champions, who hold a two-point advantage. Hull are second from bottom in the table while they have slipped to defeat in each of their previous three encounters. Brown, who has endured a frosty rapport with Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger, will be looking for a positive performance ahead of the club's crunch clash with Portsmouth next weekend.

Aston Villa travel to Stoke City aiming to extend their unbeaten run to seven league matches. Due to their various cup commitments, Villa have played three less games than a number of their Premier League rivals. Should they win their games in hand, then Martin O'Neill's men will be well within the hunt for fourth place. The Potters stand in their way, a club that have enjoyed a decent 2010 to date. Tony Pulis' men have lost just once in the league this year while their target will likely be to beat last season's 12th-placed finish - the club currently 11th in the table.

Birmingham City meet Everton at St Andrews seeking a third league triumph on the spin. The Blues exited the FA Cup at the weekend but bounced back against Portsmouth on Tuesday to help them reclaim eighth position. Yet manager Alex McLeish has tempered suggestions that they could catch seventh-placed Villa. Despite Everton trailing Birmingham by two points, it has been suggested David Moyes' charges are better equipped to mount a late charge and enter the battle currently underway between Tottenham, City, Liverpool and Villa. Birmingham and Everton have already met twice this season, with the former enjoying a draw followed by a three-point haul.

On Sunday, Manchester United go head-to-head with Fulham, live on Sky Sports HD1 & 1. The Red Devils, particularly Wayne Rooney, should be buzzing from their midweek hammering of AC Milan in the Champions League. Although they will be wary of facing a side that defeated them 3-0 earlier this campaign. For the Cottagers, who lost 3-1 to Juventus in the Europa League on Thursday, this is the second of six games in the space of 16 days. That run will be a severe test of Roy Hodgson's squad, which has so far impressed this term, with the team 10th in the table, shining in Europe and set to meet Spurs in an FA Cup quarter-final replay.

Sky Sports HD1 & 1 also brings you live action from Sunderland's clash against Manchester City. The Black Cats ended a rotten run of form after they picked up a first win in 15 attempts by beating Bolton on Tuesday. Manager Steve Bruce will have no doubt breathed a huge sigh of relief as that overdue victory put six points between them and the bottom three. At present, City are the best placed to achieve fourth spot, with the club bragging a game in hand over Spurs and two over Liverpool. Their emphatic win at Chelsea last time out helped to relieve some growing pressure on boss Roberto Mancini, and they will now be looking to push on from here.