Chelsea to hang onto lead

Swansea 1 Palace 0

A change in management is responsible for the mini-revival at Swansea. Over the last ten days, the Welsh club which dispensed with the services of Michael Laudrup, have stood toe to toe with heavyweights Liverpool and Napoli. Juggling Europa League commitment with the Premiership is extracting a big toll and Tony Pulis’ Palace play hard ball, but their inability to score on the road (they have only scored 5) means I am tipping Swansea to notch a narrow victory.

Aston Villa 1 Norwich 0

Norwich have positively responded to Chris Hughton’s urge to the team to man up in order to avoid a relegation scrap. A goalless draw with Man City was followed up with a 1-0 victory over Spurs. The fact that Aston Villa are the lowest scoring home side in the division coupled with Norwich’s notorious shyness in front of goal portends a drab affair. Paul Lambert’s Villains should atone for their late heartbreak at Newcastle by edging this tie.

Everton 2 West Ham 0

Hammers’ boss Sam Allardyce is a stone wall certainty to win the Barclays Premiership Manager of the Month award. His four straight victories are unsurpassed in the division over February, and they came after an extremely lean spell in which Big Sam got the dreaded vote of confidence from the club board. Nonetheless, I can’t see West Ham surviving a Toffees barrage, as Roberto Martinez side seek to bounce back from their unfortunate loss to Chelsea. (Live at 6pm on SS7)
Hull City 1 Newcastle 1

Newcastle have the best away record in the division outside of the title challengers. The visitors are adapting to life after Yohan Cabaye and I am tipping Alan Pardew’s side to get something from the KC Stadium. Although the Magpies don’t draw too many games, especially on their travels, they are good enough to trouble a Hull City side reaping dividends from the cash splurge that brought Shane Long and a rejuvenated Nikica Jelavic in January.

Stoke City 1 Arsenal 2

With no mid-week European matches, Arsenal should benefit from a week of rest as they aim to crank up the pressure on leaders Chelsea. Manager Arsene Wenger must cleverly juggle his squad to keep the team fresh for the title run in. Stoke City battled manfully in their 0-1 defeat to Manchester City, and they will be dangerous opponents. All the same, I can see a well-rested Olivier Giroud powering the Gunners to a narrow victory. (Live at 6pm on SS2)

Fulham 0 Chelsea 2

Jose Mourinho’s return to the basics has converted Chelsea to a lethal counter-attacking side that thrives better at away grounds where there are spaces. However, to retain freshness, like Arsene Wenger, the Portuguese tactician must make better use of fringe players Demba Ba, Andrea Schurrle and Mohammed Salah. Felix Magath will have prepared his team well for this West London derby. Nevertheless, the Europa League winners should prevail against a team they usually dismantle. (Live at 6pm on SS3/Select 2)

Southampton 1 Liverpool 1

Brendan Rodgers will be wary of the danger posed by the only team to beat Liverpool at Anfield this season. Southampton appear a pale shadow of the team that conquered all comers last September. They do, however, retain the quality to trouble a Liverpool side troubled by a leaky defense. It will be interesting to see how Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson cope with the attacking triumvirate of Adam Lallana, Jay Rodriguez and Ricky Lambert.
(Live at 8:30pm on SS3/Maximo)

Tottenham 2 Cardiff 0

I feel sorry for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Having won two Norwegian league titles with Molde, he arrived in Britain as a young manager with a burgeoning reputation. Unfortunately, he walked into an ambush when he accepted to the poisoned chalice that is the Cardiff City managerial position. The 0-4 home defeat to Hull City was a low point from which I can’t see Cardiff recovering to retain their Premiership status. (Sunday, Live at 7:30pm on SS3)

West Brom 1 Man United 1

A performing Manchester United side is good for Kampala. You should have seen the near unanimous approval when Wayne Rooney slotted in the game clincher at Crystal Palace. And while I would prefer to back the champions to continue their recovery, I don’t think they have recovered quickly enough from a demanding Champions League encounter at Olympiakos. Pepe Mel’s Brummies have morphed into the draw specialists of the Premiership and I can see them grabbing a point.

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