Man Utd 1 Man City 1

Champions’ elects United battle it out with the outgoing title winners at Old Trafford. Sir Alex Ferguson has publicly stated that there will be no let up in intensity. Expect a tightly contested thriller in which City throw the kitchen sink and see it repulsed by well-organised Red Devils.

Norwich 0 Swansea 0 `
These are two teams in a rut. Norwich can’t buy a goal which Swansea have lost three on the trot. The hangover of such a stellar season in which they won the Capital One Cup has caught up with them. I fully expect the two teams to cancel each other out.

Stoke City 1 Aston Villa 0
Regardless of what happens to Villa, Christian Benteke has confirmed his place at an elite Premier League striker. Robert Huth and Ryan Shawcross should take care of the giant Belgian as Stoke wrap up the points at their Brittania fortress. However, I am still tipping the Villains to survive the drop.

QPR 3 Wigan 2
The phrase relegation six-pointer was coined for this kind of tie. This game is an absolute must-win for Rangers if Harry Redknapp is to perform the Houdini act. The moneybags face a Wigan side that has been buzzing in recent weeks, so it should be a slugfest but I am tipping Rangers to nick it.

Newcastle 2 Fulham 0
Newcastle are probably still tired from their tough Europa League tie away to Portuguese giants Benfica. That should however not stop them from thriving against an in-form Fulham side that is notoriously poor on the road. Yohan Cabaye, Yohan Gouffran and Moussa Sissoko look a class act.

Reading 2 Southampton 2
Nigel Adkins welcomes a side he helped to two promotions hoping to inflict a body blow. His replacement, Mauricio Pochettino, is working wonders and had led the Saints to victory over Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool. So I expect both teams to be operating at full-throttle but to cancel each other out.

West Brom 1 Arsenal 2
Manager Arsene Wenger’s decision to drop keeper Wojciech Szeczensy and hitherto defensive lynchpin Thomas Vermalaen is yielding dividends. The Gunners have put together a run that has taken them within two points of a Champions League position. Spanish geniuses Santi Carzola and Mikel Arteta are providing the inspiration.

Spurs 1 Everton 1
Spurs are finding it hard to balance their Europa League challenge with qualifying for the Champions League. However, their 2-1 victory away to Swansea will have calmed jangled nerves. Well rested Everton will be seeking to stave off marauding central defender Jan Vertoghen and undisputed star Gareth Bale.

Chelsea 2 Sunderland 0
Sunderland caused massive shockwaves by sacking manager Martin O’Neill and replacing him with maverick Paolo di Canio. His principal job is to put an end to an eight-match winless streak. Chelsea will be desperate for the three points to cement their Champions League place. The European champions are playing good football.

Liverpool 2 West Ham 0
I would have loved to see the in-form Andy Carroll up against his parent club. Liverpool tore Aston Villa apart in 15 second half minutes but they remain a work in process. The attacking threat of Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge and Phillipe Coutinho should be too much for the Hammers.

Match Forecast
Sunderland 0 Man Utd 1
The Black Cats’ wretched form has sucked them into the relegation zone. United will be strong favourites to nick the three points and get closer to recapturing the title they lost to their noisy neighbours. The champions’ elects have won 45 out of 48 available points against teams in the bottom half.

Arsenal 3 Reading 1 `
Arsenal normally pick up form at this time of the season to shut up Arsene Wenger’s detractors. Reading are without a manager and have lost five games in a row. This is a must-win tie for the Gunners and they are sure to crank up the pressure on the top four.

Southampton 1 Chelsea 2

Chelsea need to be firing on all cylinders if they are to gather points at St Mary’s Stadium. Mauricio Pochettino’s side claimed a creditable 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge and will fancy their chances today. But I fancy the European champions to continue their push for automatic Champions League qualification.

Swansea 1 Spurs 1

Tottenham fans must be fearing the worst after seeing their team lose three games in a row, having previously been unbeaten in twelve. Expect a tight encounter especially since Spurs’ talisman Gareth Bale hobbled off injured while featuring for Wales.

Man City 2 Newcastle 0

Alan Pardew’s Europa League quarter-finalists like to keep it tight in away games, so they will trouble City. The champions will however be in an uncompromising mood as they aim to stave off Chelsea’s challenge for second place. Ivorian midfield star Yaya Toure’s contract impasse is an unwelcome distraction.

Fulham 1 QPR 1
Rangers have been a mixed bag in recent weeks, with brilliant results interspersed with that massive setback against Aston Villa. Fulham have meanwhile rediscovered their oomph, with Dimitar Berbatov wreaking havoc week in, week out. I can see shared spoils at Craven Cottage as Rangers continue to struggle.

Aston Villa 1 Liverpool 1
The Kop are still reeling from their 1-3 setback at the hands of Southampton. The league’s leading scorer Luis Suarez will fancy his chances of scoring against Villa’s young defenders despite air fatigue from World Cup qualifiers in South America. Cristian Benteke will be equally dangerous.

Everton 1 Stoke 0

Hosts Everton come into this fixture buoyed by their massive victory over the champions Man City. Although they retain a Jerkyll and Hyde element about them, Stoke do not offer enough of an attacking threat to deny them victory. Marouane Fellaini will be involved in a few aerial battles.
Wigan 1 Norwich 0

This is Roberto Martinez time. Wigan’s last gasp victory over Newcastle underlined their survival credentials. The Canaries should offer them a tough test as they are hard nuts to crack. Their principal undoing has however been indifference in front of goal. Norwich are draw specialists but I will go with a Wigan victory.

West Ham 1 West Brom 1

Newly promoted West Ham United have fallen on hard times in recent weeks. A solitary victory in eight outings means Sam Allardyce’s side are not yet safe from relegation. The Brummies should brush aside enfant terrible Peter Odemingwe’s shenanigans to claim a point as they continue their recovery.

Strange that one of Rafa Benitez’s most derided policies – rotation – could be the trump card in his Chelsea career if he handles it well

Stalemates in derbies

West Ham 1 Chelsea 1

Strange that one of Rafa Benitez’s most derided policies – rotation – could be the trump card in his Chelsea career if he handles it well. Chelsea released way too many senior players, so the gaffer must keep the young team fresh to extract the required results and ward off fans’ pressure.

Arsenal 2 Swansea 1 `

Michael Laudrup has the Welsh club playing even better football than they did under Brendan Rodgers as they are solid away from home. Albeit, the Gunners will be trying to atone for their insipid display at Villa Park which saw them drop two valuable points.

Fulham 1 Tottenham 1

Spurs old boy Dimitar Berbatov will be a key figure as the Cottagers try to overcome the North Londoners in a local derby. Martin Jol’s side have stuttered of late so they are keen to return to winning ways. Their vast array of attacking talent in both sides guarantees goals.

Liverpool 2 Southampton 1

Nigel Adkins’ side is enjoying a mini revival and doing it while playing an attractive brand of football. The Kop are however in imperious form and should take care of business against a team that was tipped for relegation before the season’s commencement.

Man City 2 Everton 1

Roberto Mancini survived the managerial upheavals that accounted for two of his colleagues last week precisely because of his strong home record. I expect the champions to continue with their imperious home form against a Toffees outfit eager to show they can live with the big boys. Being Everton, it will be a hardly fought contest.

QPR 1 Aston Villa 0

Queen’s Park Rangers are due a win. Their battling performances in recent weeks and Harry Redknapp’s lucky charm are a lethal combination that is enough to propel them to their first victory of the season. Adel Taraabt is a player that doesn’t deserve to be mired in such a relegation mess.

West Brom 1 Stoke City 0

Who would have believed the Brummies can challenge for European football? Sometimes belief is more important than ability and Steven Clarke has West Brom living in the clouds. It goes without saying that he has instilled a spirit of self belief in journeyman footballers and they are rewarding him abundantly.

Match Forecast

Chelsea 2 Man Utd 2
Twice I have called draws for Roberto Di Matteo’s Chelsea at difficult away grounds, and twice they have won at a canter. Wins at the Emirates and White Hart Lane suggest the European champions are genuine title contenders. Sir Alex’s Red Devils will be their sternest test yet.

Everton 2 Liverpool 1 `
Although the Reds have traditionally bossed the derby, I can’t fathom them winning this one. The Toffees are energetic, inventive and combative; attributes that are not yet in abundance at Anfield. Steven Pienaar and Marouane Fellaini will be sorely missed but I still fancy the Toffees to nick it.

Man City 3 Swansea 1
As is usually the case when a team is floundering, word on the gravepine points to dressing room anarchy at the Liberty Stadium over Michael Laudrup’s unorthordox training methods. Victory over Wigan calmed the storm, but I can’t see a team with such a poor defensive record taking anything from the Ettihad.

Arsenal 2 QPR 0
Mark Hughes’ Rangers are doomed for a relegation slugfest. They are creating enough chances to win games, but are profligate and cannot keep a clean sheet. They come up against an Arsenal outfit that will be determined to erase a 0-1 defeat to Norwich from their system.

Aston Villa 1 Norwich 0
Paul Lambert is feeling the heat, as Aston Villa have won just one of their last 18 Premier League games going back to last season. He needs to bury the hatchet with Darren Bent, and pair him with Christian Benteke if he is to overcome his rejuvenated former side.

Reading 1 Fulham 1
Brian McDermott’s Championship winners are one of only two sides – the other is QPR – that is yet to win a Premiership game. Bulky front runner Pavel Pogbrenyak must attack the ball better since Reading are the best crossers in the league. Fulham will relish exploiting their defensive frailties.

Stoke City 1 Sunderland 0
Expect a war of attrition at the Brittania Stadium. Stoke are the thoroughbreds of the league but they do not score enough goals and neither do Sunderland. I can’t see the Black Cats getting onto the score sheet when they average just one and a half shots on target per game.

Wigan 2 West Ham 2
Roberto Martinez’s side is back in the slumber that almost cost them their Premiership status last season. They play good football, but must find a way of getting strikers Franco di Santo and Arouna Kone more involved. West Ham will provide a stern examination of their survival credentials.

Newcastle 1 West Brom 0
Steve Clarke has the Brummies playing the football of their lives but they showed naivety in conceding two late goals against ten-man Manchester City. Newcastle are equipped to provide a further reality check for what is arguably the team of the season so far. A Papiss Demba Cisse goal is long overdue.

S’thampton 2 Spurs 3
It is time for Southampton to grow up to the realities of Premiership football. Their expansive game is routinely being creamed off by experienced campaigners like old boy Gareth Bale. The Saints are leaking an average of three goals per game, which makes them cannon fodder for a team like Spurs.

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Arsenal 2 Chelsea 1
Arsenal start as favourites in this mouthwatering London derby. Roberto Di Matteo is struggling to handle the transition in the absence of departees Raul Meireles, Michael Essien, Jose Bosingwa, Didier Drogba and Solomon Kalou. Conversely, Arsenal look stronger even in the absence of Robin Van Persie and Alexander Song.

Everton 3 Southampton 1 `
Nigel Adkins must be cursing his fixture list. The Saints have already faced and lost to the top three from last season. Just when they are supposed to be gaining momentum following a 4-1 win over Villa, they come up against an Everton that is full of goals despite Nikica Jelavic’s injury.

Fulham 1 Man City 1
Champions City are out of sorts. The decision to sell Nigel De Jong was ill-advised as Javi Garcia and Jack Rodwell are both struggling to find their feet. Fulham have meanwhile been energized by new signings Dimitar Berbatov and Hugo Rodallega. Expect a thoroughly engrossing encounter at Craven Cottage.

Norwich 0 Liverpool 1
The club’s worst start in over a century has piled the pressure on Brendan Rodgers. The Kop only have two points to show despite dominating both Man City and Man United. But they have bottomed out. The law of averages dictates that they will put their first three points on board.

QPR 1 West Ham 0

Rangers surprised many a pundit with their boundless energy against Spurs last weekend. Mark Hughes will have earmarked this as the fixture to get his side off the mark. Many of QPR’s top signings have previously played for big clubs, which should hold them in good stead against the fired up Hammers.

Reading 1 Newcastle 2

Defensive lynchpin Fabricio Coloccini and midfield enforcer Chiekh Tiote should return to make life difficult for a Reading side that simply cannot win a game. Form has deserted Papiss Demba Cisse but his indifference in front of goal is more than compensated by Demba Ba’s return to prolific form.

Stoke 2 Swansea 0

For all their attacking flair, Michael Laudrup’s Swansea are weak defensively. Stoke are not a high scoring team, so don’t expect a goals deluge at the Brittania. Tony Pulis’ charges pushed European champions Chelsea all the way and should take full advantage of their considerable physical prowess.

Aston Villa 1 West Brom 1

Can someone tell me why it took so long for any team to offer Steve Clarke a full managerial job. His impact on the Brummies is clear for all to see. Villa need the points and will throw the kitchen sink at West Brom, but I expect them to emerge unscathed.

Sunderland 2 Wigan 1

This is Martin O’Neil’s opportunity to put three points on board. Four straight draws, including ones against Arsenal and Liverpool are a good foundation for victory. Marquee summer signing Steven Fletcher is good for a goal a game, and should punish a Wigan side not noted for their travel phobia.

Man Utd 1 Tottenham 1