It’s a long weekend thanks to the Easter break, but that just means there’s more time for a bit of extra football action, so we’ve got a bumper edition of things to watch
By Adrian Collins
Sunderland will hope to face a weakened Manchester United side
Sunderland suffered two huge blows this week with the news that both Lee Cattermole and Steven Fletcher were going to miss the rest of the season.
The news couldn’t have come at a worse time, given that Sunderland have been going through a poor run of form, and although they may have thought they would be well clear of relegation, it looks like they might start slipping into that mire.
While the Premier League might be a safer place without Cattermole’s tackling for a few weeks, it certainly won’t help Sunderland any, and the sheen on the glistening career of Martin O’Neill is beginning to dull a little after the decline of Aston Villa’s fortunes after his departure and his uneventful tenure at the Stadium of Light.
Manchester United may not be paying full attention to this game however, with a huge FA Cup tie against Chelsea on Monday. With a handsome lead in the table, Ferguson may opt to rest a few key players and get them firing against the Blues in a few days’ time.
The double would be sweeter than lifting just the Premier League title on its own, and there is still an intense rivalry between himself and Benitez, so Sunderland may be able to grab a shock win here against a weakened side, or possibly even draw, which they would certainly see as a point earned at home rather than two lost.
International duty may prove costy for Liverpool
Hovering above the relegation zone, Aston Villa need a win, and they may well get it against a Liverpool side who looked truly second best against Villa’s fellow strugglers Southampton.
The Anfield side were completely outplayed and will need to up their game significantly against a Villa side who also humbled them earlier in the season.
If there’s one thing that Liverpool don’t react well to, it’s closing their space when they’re on the ball, and Aston Villa’s young squad will have the energy to do that.
Christian Benteke terrified their defence last time, and we highly doubt that he’ll do anything different this time. With the home crowd behind Villa, this is probably a tie that will be much more difficult than Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers would have thought a few weeks ago when his side were in great form.
All that said, Liverpool could still pull a surprise out of the bag, but they also have a much greater contingent of players who would have started for their national teams than Villa. Luis Suarez had a long trip to South America under his belt too, so may not be very sharp come Sunday.
Is Nigel Adkins making plans for Reading’s miracle escape?
Bouncing back from the managerial scrapheap, Nigel Adkins takes charge of Reading, and hopes to pull off some form of miracle to get them out of trouble.
His influence may just be enough to get that little bit extra out of the players to make one last desperate push. If there’s one thing Adkins will be looking to get from the squad, he’ll aim to get them scoring before the 80th minute instead of giving their fans heart-attacks with late comebacks.
Injury worries are becoming a constant theme at Arsenal, and while they’ll see this as a game they should win, they’re without Walcott, Wilshere, Diaby and possibly Gibbs.
However, they are gaining ground on Tottenham, whose form is falling away slightly, and will play an expansive Swansea side away on Saturday, which is no easy task.
If things go to plan for Wenger, they may well make it a very interesting run in as they chase that lucrative Champions League spot.
Can Chelsea bring the FA Cup to the Bridge?
The FA Cup tie of the round without question, this game promises something seriously spicy. The two managers are not exactly best mates, but there haven’t been many mind games this time round, as Benitez’s side pose no real danger to Ferguson in the league.
Still, let’s look at “the facts”, as the Spaniard once said: both teams are playing just a few days before this fixture, and it’s Chelsea who need to get the win more than United, so won’t be able to rest players.
Whatever happens, all eyes will be on this tie as an old rivalry might well get some new life breathed into it, but don’t expect an increasingly frustrated Rafa to go easy on this one. He loves winning trophies, and defines his time at a team by what silverware he collects. This is the only trophy that Chelsea can realistically win, and defeating Ferguson always motivates the Spaniard that extra bit more.
