Fashion news: the 3pm kick-off is making a comeback

None of tomorrow’s five Premier League games are on TV!

With the Manchester derby and Chelsea/Arsenal both televised on Sunday and Liverpool held off until Monday, there are no games deemed worthy of the hallowed lunchtime or early evening slots taking place on Saturday, meaning that all five fixtures will kick off at the once-fashionable time of 3pm. Rather than leaving you confused about what to expect from tomorrow’s games, chickendinner has previewed every game to help you decide who to put on your accumulators:

Aston Villa v Fulham
It would be typical of Villa to go from beating Arsenal and drawing with Manchester United to losing at home to Fulham so victory in this game would go a long way to establishing their credentials for sustaining a top-four push. However, Martin O’Neill’s side have won none of their four home games against top-half sides this season, drawing three and losing one. Fulham are no longer pushovers away from home as last weekend’s draw at Anfield showed and they have lost just one of their last seven Premier League games. Last season, the home side won both of these encounters but before that they drew five successive clashes and a draw (11/4 with Paddy Power) could be on the cards again.

Middlesbrough v Newcastle
Despite only two losses in eight games under Joe Kinnear, Newcastle still find themselves in the relegation zone ahead of the trip to local rivals Middlesbrough. The Magpies are still waiting for their first away win of the season but took a step forward last weekend by drawing at Stamford Bridge and have taken more points from their last eight away games with Middlesbrough than they have the home ones. Boro are unbeaten in four meetings with Newcastle but have won just one of their last five games at the Riverside.

Stoke v Hull
The Potters have the fourth-best home record in the Premier League this season, above both Arsenal and Chelsea, and have won their last five home games but they collide with Hull, who have the third-best away record in the league, above both Arsenal and Manchester United. Hull are on a run of five games without a win but can take heart from the fact that the home side haven’t won this fixture in any of the last three seasons, with the last three finishing level and the three prior to that being won by the away team. Stoke are yet to draw a home game this season though…

Sunderland v Bolton
With seven wins and two draws from nine games, Sunderland had the fourth best points average in home games against bottom-half teams in the Premier League last season, better than Liverpool and Chelsea, and it was a major reason they survived. That record isn’t so strong this season and the Black Cats have lost two of their three home games with bottom-half sides, winning just two of seven in general. Bolton haven’t drawn away from home in this campaign, winning three and losing four but those three wins have come from their last four on the road.

Wigan v West Brom
West Brom’s problem isn’t that Tony Mowbray has attempted playing attacking football straight after winning promotion, a policy which worked well for West Ham and Reading in recent years, but that they don’t score enough goals*. They have gone three games without a goal and have scored just twice in seven away games - the consequence being a run of six defeats in seven games, with the one reprieve coming in a draw against ten-man Blackburn. Wigan are unbeaten in four games and look good value at 4/5 with most bookmakers.

*Incidentally, Kevin Phillips, who left West Brom in the summer, has scored four goals in his last 126 minutes of football.

Posted: November 28th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn |