Premier League: Five things to look out for

JOE looks ahead to this weekend in the Premier League and considers what matches to watch and avoid, who might surprise and the Irish players to keep an eye on.

By Conor Hogan

Surprise Package: Blackpool

Ian Holloway’s Tangerine dream have been the undoubted surprise of the season. The minnows have already managed wins against Liverpool, Newcastle and Stoke this season and are unbeaten in their last five matches.

They currently sit in the top ten of the Premier League, a feat all the more impressive when you consider they’ve played ten of their 16 games away from home. This week they’ll be at Bloomfield Road hosting Tottenham, who are on a pretty exceptional run themselves. Despite this, Tottenham are a team partial to the odd freak loss. See Wigan, see West Ham.

Both teams play nice attacking progressive football, so it promises to be fantastic game whatever happens.

Game not to miss: Chelsea v Manchester United

Is Chelsea’s slump officially over? Carlo Ancelotti’s side performed admirably in the second half to reclaim a point against Tottenham, but then again, they didn’t win. They haven’t won for five matches now, and lie 16th in the Premier League form guide.

Manchester United, meanwhile, are unbeaten in the league and have won their last five matches at home. They comfortably saw off Arsenal in their last match, and a league title seems almost inevitable at this stage.

Despite their slump, Chelsea seem the team best equipped to prevent the Red Devils picking up the trophy come the end of the year. And they have won the last three league meetings between the two sides.

Game to miss: Blackburn v West Ham

Sam Allardyce was mercilessly sacked last week by the Venky Chicken people, and there has since been speculation that he could end up taking the reins at West Ham, as the two Davids may be losing patience with Avram Grant.

If it wasn’t for that subtext, this match would be totally uninteresting. Blackburn's style of football, to say the least, is unattractive, and while strugglers West Ham try to play football ‘the right way,’ they aren’t particularly good at it.

Irish interest: Aston Villa v Wigan

Two Irish players have been making the headlines in Birmingham lately – Richard Dunne and Stephen Ireland. Dunne, who made the PFA team of the year last season, has been in shocking form and reportedly had a bust-up with manager Gerard Houllier which caused the Dubliner to be dropped from the team.

Ireland, meanwhile, has struggled for form since his move from Manchester City and his relationship with Houllier has also broken down. “If I can¹t get a move in January then I need to look at the summer and playing for Ireland will at least put me in the shop window,” said the strange Corkonian said in a recent interview.

Read JOE's take on the Stephen Ireland situation here.

What about the rest:

Liverpool take on Fulham at Anfield this weekend, and the match is likely to give Roy Hodgson and the fans of his old club flashbacks of when their lives were better. It is safe to say that the move hasn’t worked out for either party – Liverpool struggling in the middle of the table and draw-happy Fulham under the tutelage of Mark Hughes fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table.

In a battle of the Ws, Wolverhampton will hope to build on last weekend’s win over Birmingham away to in-form West Brom. Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton will be attempting to preserve Alan Pardew’s 100 per cent record as Newcastle manager, as the Toon battle Birmingham.

Meanwhile, Rory Delap will be firing his patented long range throws in the direction of rookie keeper Wojciech Szcz?sny at the Emirates, highflying Sunderland and Bolton will clash and Manchester City will play Everton on Monday night.

Fixtures:

Saturday, 18 December 2010

Sunderland v Bolton, 12:45

Arsenal v Stoke, 15:00

Birmingham v Newcastle, 15:00

Blackburn v West Ham, 15:00

Wigan v Aston Villa, 15:00

Liverpool v Fulham, 17:30

Sunday, 19 December 2010

West Brom v Wolverhampton, 12:00

Blackpool v Tottenham, 13:30

Chelsea v Man Utd, 16:00

Monday, 20 December 2010

Man City v Everton, 20:00