Kop, Gunners will share spoils

West Ham 1 Fulham 1
These are two teams with contrasting styles. Sam Alladyce’s Hammers like to exert their physicality while Martin Jol’s Cottagers fancy themselves as a ball playing side.

Liverpool 1 Arsenal 1
Liverpool are buzzing after dominating champions Man City in last Sunday’s 2-2 draw. Teenage prodigy Raheem Sterling caught the eye with his boundless energy and free dribbling. Conversely, Arsenal will be looking to exploit the defensive frailties that gifted City two goals.

Southampton 2 Man Utd 3
Nemanja Vidic’s long lay off and the absence of a recognized centre-back to partner him has made United vulnerable. Still, they should have enough to shake off the Saints.

Swansea 2 Sunderland 1
Michael Laudrup is building an exciting team on a shoestring budget. Maximum points and eight goals in two games while playing free-flowing football has won Swansea hordes of fans. The Swans’ three-goal hero Miguel Perez Cuesta ‘Michu’ pits his wits against Sunderland’s new boys.

Spurs 3 Norwich 1
Andre Villa Boas has Spurs playing the high octane, high line, pressing, expansive game that he preached but couldn’t get Chelsea to practice. Signing Dembele is a masterstroke.

West Brom 2 Everton 2
The manner in which they disposed of Liverpool 3-0 and dug in to pick a point at White Hart Lane suggests Steven Clarke has given the Baggies real bite. Nevertheless, in Everton they come up against a good away side that is being powered by the form of Marouane Fellaini and Nikica Jelavic.

Wigan 2 Stoke City 0
Roberto Martinez scored a major coup when he bought Arouna Kone. Road wins at Southampton and Nottingham Forest should be complimented by a victory over a tired Stoke City.

Man City 3 QPR 1
Roberto Mancini will be hoping there is no repeat of the laissez faire defending that has seen the champions concede two goals in each of their last three games. QPR are at sixes and sevens and I don’t expect Brazilian shot stopper Julio Cesar to arrive in time to stem the rot.

Newcastle 4 Aston Villa 1
Paul Lambert took a poisoned chalice when he accepted to take over at Villa Park. Newcastle’s attacking pair of Demba Ba and Papiss Demba Cisse should be too good for Villa side.

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