Fulham v Arsenal
Saturday, January 19th 2008 15:00This season’s wisdom insists that to sit back and defend against Arsenal is to invite catastrophe. But Birmingham showed it can be done, and Championship-bound Fulham may not have much choice anyway.
Form:
FULHAM
Last six (all competitions, most recent first): LDLDLD
Last six home league games: LDLDWD
Unavailable: Elliott (achilles); Pearce (shin); McBride (knee, very doubtful); Christanval (knee, very doubtful); Cook (knee, very doubtful); Keller (arm, very doubtful); Bouazza (shoulder, doubtful); Kamara (African Cup of Nations)
Suspensions: None
ARSENAL
Last six (all competitions, most recent first): DDWWWD
Last six home league games: WDLDWW
Injuries: Van Persie (virus, doubtful); Djourou (groin, doubtful); Touré, Eboué, Song (all African Cup of Nations)
Suspensions: None
A stroll by the river for Arsenal
- Arsenal have won eleven of the thirteen Premier League meetings between the sides.
- Wenger’s side have never failed to score at Fulham in the Premier League and average 2.17 goals a game from their last six visits to the Cottage/ Loftus Road.
- Fulham have lost four and drawn one (a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge) of their five contests with the ‘top four’ this season and have only managed to score twice in the process.
- The last time Arsenal drew successive matches they responded with a 3-1 win at Reading. They have not gone three games without a win since February 2007.
- Fulham have only won twice at home this season (and once in their last 20 Premier League games), both against sides in the bottom half of the table – Bolton and Reading. The Cottagers are yet to a beat top ten side home or away this season.
Microscopic glimmers of hope for Fulham
- Fulham won this fixture for the very first time in the Premier League last season, and also beat Liverpool at home last year.
- Arsenal have only won half of their ten league fixtures on the road.
- Arsenal’s only league defeat of the season was a 2-1 reverse at Middlesbrough, who are almost as bad as Fulham.
The draw...
- Fulham have already drawn on nine occasions in the league this season, which together with Liverpool is the most of any Premiership club.
- Wenger’s young side have been held four times on the road this season and have drawn both of their last two domestic fixtures.
Or maybe not...
- There has only been one draw in this fixture in thirteen Premiership meetings – a goalless draw at Highbury in 2003.
Reading v Manchester United
Saturday, January 19th 2008 15:00Last year, Reading's masterplan was to take as many points as possible off bottom half teams, especially at home. A glimpse at the table finds Manchester United in the other half.
Form:
READING
Last six (all tournaments, most recent listed first): LDLLDW
Last six home league games: LWWDLW
Unavailable: Duberry (knee, doubtful); Oster (ankle, very doubtful); Little (achilles, no return date) Bikey, Faé, Sonko (African Cup)
Suspensions: None
MANCHESTER UTD
Last six (all tournaments, most recent listed first): WWWLWW
Last six away league games: LWWLDW
Unavailable: Scholes (knee); Foster (knee); Silvestre (knee)
Suspensions: None
Chances of Reading making Sir Alex glow with rage
- Reading have a decent home record in the league this season – six wins out of 11.
- The Royals have already taken four points off the ‘big four’ this season with a home win against Liverpool and a goalless draw at Old Trafford, and also beat fifth placed Everton.
- Manchester United have lost 3 league games away this season, all against sides outside of the top four.
- Reading’s dismal streak against United is long overdue – they haven’t beaten them since 1927.
Chances of Reading making Sir Alex glow with satisfaction
- Only Liverpool have conceded fewer away goals than United in the Premiership this season.
- Reading have never beaten United in the league.
- Not since the 2002/03 season have United lost four times away from home in the league by January 19th. In last season’s title-winning campaign United only lost three times on the road all season.
- The Royals have lost their last three Premier League fixtures and conceded an alarming 11 goals in the process.
The draw...
- Of the five most recent league and cup clashes between the sides, three have ended all square, including the last Premiership meeting at the Madejski in September ’06 which ended 1-1.
- The last time United scored six in the league (also against Newcastle, in 2003) they drew their next game (at Arsenal 2-2).
- A 0-0 draw between the teams at Reading is long overdue – there has never been one in the Premiership (there have been five score draws). There have only been three 0-0 draws in their last 50 meetings.
Or maybe not...
- Only one of Reading’s 11 league fixtures at the Madejski this season has ended all square – a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough.
- United don’t really do draws. They have joint fewest (three, with Everton) of any Premier League club.
Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid
Sunday, January 20th 2008 18:00 (Live on Sky Sports 1)The Madrid derby doesn’t have anything like the spice of Madrid/Barca, although while blue collar "Atleti" traditionally go over like cardboard, occasionally they deviate from the script enough to give their neighbours a nasty shock.
Form:
ATLETICO MADRID
Last six (all tournaments, most recent listed first): WDWDLW
Last six home league games: WLWWLW
Unavailable: Castro; Jurado
Suspensions: None
REAL MADRID
Last six (all tournaments, most recent listed first): LWWWDW
Last six away league games: WWDLWL
Unavailable: Robben, Soldado (injured), Diarra (African Cup of Nations).
Suspensions: None
Real Madrid to hand out a traditional thrashing?
- Real Madrid have not lost to Atletico Madrid since 1999. Of the intervening 12 league meetings, Real have won seven and drawn five.
- Real Madrid have won four and drawn two of their last six visits to the Calderon, including successive 3-0 wins and an emphatic 4-0 win in 2003.
- From their ten away league fixtures to date this season, Real have only conceded seven times.
- Real have won each of their last six in La Liga and have only conceded a solitary goal in the process.
- The last six meetings of the sides at the Calderon have seen Real score 14 times, an impressive average of 2.33 goals a game. In comparison, Atletico Madrid only managed to find the net three times in these six matches.
- Fourth placed Atletico Madrid have already lost to each of the sides occupying the top three spots in La Liga this season – Real Madrid, Barcelona and Espanyol.
- At the halfway point of the season, Real Madrid have the best ever points total.
Or some impudence from “the mattress makers”?
- Currently in third place in La Liga, Atletico Madrid have an impressive home record, having won seven of ten.
- Real Madrid’s only two league defeats this season have both been away from home, against Seville and Espanyol.
- Atletico Madrid have an unrivalled scoring rate in their home matches, with 25 goals from ten home La Liga fixtures.
- Atletico Madrid have scored at least once in every single home league game to date this season and have already scored four on four separate occasions at the Calderon.
The draw...
- Three of the last six meetings between the sides have ended all square, including the most recent meeting at Atletico Madrid – a 1-1 draw in Feb ’07.
Or maybe not...
- Atletico Madrid have only drawn once at home this season whilst only two of Real Madrid’s away clashes to date in La Liga have ended in a draw.
Liverpool vs Aston Villa
Monday, January 21st 2008 20:00 (Live on Setanta Sports)Liverpool’s grip on a top four spot is weakening dramatically, and Martin O’Neill is currently coaxing far stronger performances from his team than Rafa Benitez, whose managerial skills seem to have abandoned him.
Form:
LIVERPOOL
Last six (all tournaments, most recent listed first): DDDDWW
Last six home league games: DWLWWD
Unavailable: Agger (foot,doubtful); Momo Sissoko (African Cup of Nations).
Suspensions: None
ASTON VILLA
Last six (all tournaments, most recent listed first): WLWWDD
Last six away league games: WDDWWW
Unavailable: None
Suspensions: None
Liverpool to dodge a bullet
- In the previous five seasons, Aston Villa's record against the 'big four' away from home in the league has been awful - played twenty, lost sixteen, drawn four, WON NONE.
- Liverpool have won this fixture in the previous four seasons, winning both the previous two games 3-1.
- A bad result against Middlesbrough last season was a wake-up call for Liverpool. After drawing 0-0 at the Riverside, they went on to win three and draw one of their next four competitive games.
- Liverpool have not conceded more than two goals in any of their home games this season, and only Manchester United have a meaner defence in the league.
- In the last three seasons, no team outside the top three has won at Anfield, and in the last two, only the champions have won there.
- Liverpool are unbeaten this season against teams with ambitions on “their” fourth place (Everton, Villa, Man City, Portsmouth and Blackburn).
O’Neill to demonstrate his superiority to Benitez
- Liverpool have a very poor home record for a supposedly title-chasing team, managing to only win four of their ten home games this season.
- Aston Villa are unbeaten away from home in all competitions since September 16th.
- Aston Villa's away record is equal to the home record of Liverpool – they have won four, drawn five and lost just one away league game all season.
The draw...
- Liverpool are into home draws in a big way this season, with five in the league. Only Portsmouth (six) have more.
- Aston Villa are into away draws in a big way this season, with five in the league. No one has more.
- Aston Villa have not been involved in a scoreless draw in 19 league games, a streak that is long overdue to end. Liverpool have already drawn 0-0 four times in the league.
