Martin Downer: 5 English Premier League games to catch this weekend

Match to catch

Manchester City’s exemplary home form continued with a 6-0 rout of ailing West Ham in midweek, but their away form remains a concern — as evidenced by their unconvincing draw at second-tier Blackburn in the FA Cup last weekend — and Newcastle will provide a far sterner test than either of their last two opponents. Alan Pardew’s side have lost two in a row in the league but have been quietly impressive in establishing themselves in eighth place. They will have little to lose against City and Loic Remy, Hatem Ben Arfa and Yohan Cabaye are all capable of troubling the Blues.
Prediction: Newcastle 1 Man City 3.

Keep an eye on

Hull City have been by far the pick of the promoted teams so far this season and even their fans’ rebellion against their chairman (Assem Allam, who is threatening to change the club’s name to Hull Tigers) now pales into insignificance compared to the mutiny going on down at Cardiff. Steve Bruce’s side enjoyed two excellent home wins in December — 3-1 against Liverpool and 6-0 against Fulham — and will be out to repeat the trick against Chelsea on Saturday. Jose Mourinho’s side have been a little inconsistent on the road as they rely so heavily for goals on mercurial midfielders Eden Hazard and Oscar.
Prediction: Hull 1 Chelsea 2.

For the purists

Talented forward Clint Dempsey rejoined Fulham on loan this week, but the American will have to go some to make the Cottagers’ home clash with Sunderland on Saturday anything more than a footnote to the weekend’s Premier League action.
Prediction: Fulham 1 Sunderland 1.

Showing form

Swansea City piled the pressure on Manchester United boss David Moyes with a shock 2-1 victory at Old Trafford in the FA Cup last weekend and, with the fixture computer feeling in particularly vindictive mood, the teams will meet again at the same venue on Saturday evening. Swans striker Wilfried Bony, who has shown only glimpses of potential since his summer arrival, has three goals in his last two games and will be looking to exploit the gaps left by this makeshift, injury-hit United side.
Prediction: United 2 Swansea 1.

Need a win

Sam Allardyce’s reign at West Ham is hanging by a thread after last weekend’s 5-0 FA Cup humiliation at lower-league Nottingham Forest was followed by their six-goal midweek mauling at Manchester City in the League Cup. Those horrific defeats effectively used up what little credit the former Bolton boss had left with the Boleyn Ground fans and they made their feelings known at The Etihad. But as if the results weren’t bad enough, it’s been the manner of their capitulations that is most worrying and it’s difficult to see how any confidence could be instilled into the players in time for Saturday’s trip to Cardiff. The Bluebirds earned an impressive win at Newcastle on new manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s debut and they will be rightly hopeful of a much-needed league victory.
Prediction: Cardiff 2 West Ham 0.

Get involved

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