Editor William Geldart and the SportEngage team would like to thank our loyal readers for their support.

It is our sad duty to inform you that The Football Blog will cease publication as of today. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, it will no longer be possible to regularly publish and edit the same high-quality and in-depth content that our readers have become accustomed to.

On behalf of myself and former editor, Richard Bourne, we’d like to thank all of our readers and contributors for their continued support throughout the history of the blog. We’ve really enjoyed promoting and facilitating football opinion and discussion, for the fans, by the fans.

From last year’s World Cup, to Champions League finals and various non-league trips, we’ve covered a plethora of news stories from across the footballing pyramid. It has been a pleasure to have been able to deliver our content to a truly global audience and to interact with fans, well-wishers and critics alike.

Even though our weekly Premier League predictions will no longer be published, The Football Blog’s SportGuru Premier League prediction pool will remain active!

We wish all of you reading this message the best for the future.

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Yours Sincerely,

William Geldart

Editor

TFB editor William Geldart takes another look at the reaction from the mainstream media and bloggers to this weekend’s Premier League action.

Manchester City’s 6-1 demolition of neighbours United has set tongues wagging after the Citizens’ blistering movement and finishing blew their main rivals away at Old Trafford yesterday.

Meanwhile, the tempestuous west London derby between QPR and Chelsea has produced a massive online reaction after allegations that Blues and England captain John Terry racially abused QPR’s Anton Ferdinand, a claim strongly denied.

United suffer worst home defeat since 1955 as City lay down their title marker

As Edin Dzeko scored his second goal of the day, just 23 minutes after coming on as a substitute, and Manchester City bagged six goals in the process, Old Trafford had already emptied significantly.

In putting Manchester United to the sword so emphatically, City were creating history in more ways than one. Their thirty-three goals scored in total over the club’s opening 9 Premier League matches equalled the all-time record over the same period, set by Everton way back in the 1894/1895 season.

TFB’s weekly Premier League review isn’t about cold, hard statistics, however. We prefer to trade in raw emotion and heartache.

The United blog 7 Cantonas certainly oozed plenty of the latter. Matthew Galea described the outcome as “undoubtedly one of the darkest days in the modern history of Manchester United.”

Mario Balotelli’s brace to match Dzeko’s contribution, besides goals from Sergio Aguero and David Silva inflicted the Red Devils’ worst-home defeat since 1955.

Darren Fletcher’s sublime consolation strike offered little comfort. Jonny Evans’ sending-off early in the second-half arguably vanquished any United hopes of getting back into the match against a rampant City team.

The BBC’s chief football writer, Phil McNulty, has taken the opportunity to describe how the result and City’s performance represents a seminal moment in Premier League history.

“Was this the most significant result in recent Premier League history? Was this the day the tide finally turned, not just in Manchester but in England?” he pondered.

McNulty added: “The significance of the result, and the manner of it, must not be questioned. The backdrop to the derby was framed in the context of Roberto Mancini’s approach and whether City had the self-belief to flex their growing muscles on their neighbours while coping with the pressure of leading the Premier League.”

City certainly didn’t freeze on one of the biggest occasions in their most recent history. Hyperbole aside, despite opening up a five-point lead at the top of the table, the Sky Blues are all too aware that the ultimate aim is to secure a maiden Premier League title.

Manager Roberto Mancini was keen to downplay talk of his side usurping their great rivals just yet: “United are still one yard above us and we can only change this if we win the title. After that it might be different but until then United are better than us” were the Italian’s sage words in his post-match press conference.

Tempestuous west London derby as Chelsea see red and Rangers take the points

A Sunday full of thrilling action continued at Loftus Road as Queens Park Rangers saw off nine-man Chelsea courtesy of a Heidar Helguson penalty.

Jose Boswinga and Dider Drogba saw red for the visitors, although Andre Villas-Boas’ side had chances to draw level despite their numerical disadvantage.

Much of the post-match discussion has focussed on the John Terry racism allegations, with videos appearing online that appear to indicate Terry launched a foul-mouthed attack on Hoops defender Anton Ferdinand.

Ultimately, the Blues’ indiscipline in the first top-flight encounter with their pumped up rivals for 15 years, cost them. David Luiz’s nudge on the back of Helguson that led to the penalty dispatched by the Icelander typified Chelsea’s lack of control and the young Brazilian’s erratic display poses massive questions regarding his defensive and positional awareness.

Take nothing away from Neil Warnock’s QPR, however. They took the game to their neighbours and should have pressed home their advantage but lacked the necessary composure in front of goal.

A packed Loftus Road raucously celebrated their side’s first win over Chelsea since 1995 and the Rangers boss beamed that “they’ll still be talking about in 30 or 40 years”.

North London advances on the top-four and Everton record smash and grab victory

North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur also managed to grab precious wins yesterday afternoon.

Gunners captain Robin van Persie came off the bench to help secure a 3-1 win over Stoke City at the Emirates. Gervinho had opened the scoring before Peter Crouch’s equaliser for the Europa League weary Potters.

The Ivorian linked up well with van Persie when he came on, helping set-up the Dutchman’s double salvo and the forward signed from Lille could prove to be an important player for Arsene Wenger’s side.

Tottenham’s 2-1 victory away at Blackburn Rovers keeps up the pressure on the top-four and piles more misery on beleaguered Rovers boss, Steve Kean.

Amidst a backdrop of more fan protests at his managing of the team, Kean saw his side downed by two Rafael van der Vaart strikes after Mauro Formica had cancelled out the Dutchman’s fifteenth-minute opener.

Blackburn hustled Spurs but two moments of quality from Van der Vaart proved to be the difference between the sides, with the home team lacking the desired quality to finish their chances.

Kean maintains an admirable optimism, as do the owners Venky’s who continue to back the Scot. However, after just six wins in 30 games in charge and sitting bottom of the Premier League, comments to local media outlets claiming that his side are not too far off a top-ten finish are making the manager look increasingly delusional.

Everton got the better of Fulham at Craven Cottage in yesterday’s other game. An exciting contest saw the Toffees triumph 3-1 although it could have been so different had Cottagers striker Bobby Zamora not blazed wide late on when the scores were level.

Royston Drenthe’s sublime long-range effort had given the away side the lead before Costa-Rican Bryan Ruiz showed the home faithful what he is capable of with an exquisite chip to restore parity.

Louis Saha and Jack Rodwell snatched victory for Everton in the final few minutes of the game and Toffees fans were rewarded with even more good news to savour last night.

The Liverpool Echo announced Saha is to return to Twitter after his micro-blogging exile following comments he made about David Moyes’ team selection. Or rather, his omission from the side. Alls well that ends well, eh?

Magpies continue to soar, Liverpool falter and a round-up of the other games…

Elsewhere this weekend, Chelsea’s slip-up has allowed the irrepressible Newcastle United to gain ground on them and the rest of the top three. A scrappy 1-0 win against a Wigan Athletic side who deserved more means the Magpies are now three points above Tottenham who sit in fifth-place.

Yohan Cayabe’s glorious effort from just outside the area broke Wigan hearts on Saturday nine minutes from time. The Frenchman has been nicknamed ‘Dreamboat’ according to local reports and his beautiful finish earned him the adulation of the St. James’ Park faithful on Saturday.

A new half-price season ticket initiative could also ensure that the 52,143 capacity ground is full to the rafters in future as Newcastle march on.

Liverpool were made to pay for their inability to finish off Norwich City at Anfield on Saturday evening. Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll were guilty of misses, Carroll’s a poor misdirected header from close-range towards the end of the match.

Barrel-chested Canaries striker Grant Holt came off the bench to rescue a point for the impressive visitors, who had their own chances to snatch a win. Craig Bellamy had given the Reds the lead shortly before half-time against one of his former clubs.

Prior to the 1-1 draw the ‘This is Anfield’ blog had posed the question: ‘Is a Liverpool win over Norwich a formality?’ Well, they got their answer.

And finally, woe is Mick McCarthy as he continues to fight his own battle with a small contingent of Wolverhampton Wanderers fans unhappy with his team selection and decision making. Wolves did recover well though on Saturday, to salvage a point in their 2-2 draw with Swansea City.

Kevin Doyle and Jamie O’Hara both scored in the final ten minutes after first-half goals from Danny Graham and Joe Allen has put the Swans in control.

Aston Villa were left to rue the controversial sending-off of Chris Herd as they crashed to a 2-1 home defeat against neighbours West Bromwich Albion.

The defender was adjudged to have stamped on Baggies left-back Jonas Olsson, although no evidence has been brought forward to support the linesman’s decision to award a penalty that Chris Brunt sliced wide, or to substantiate Phil Dowd’s decision to brandish a red card.

Darren Bent had given the Villans a first-half lead through their own spot-kick before Olsson rubbed salt into home side’s wounds with the equaliser and Paul Scharner notched the winning goal just before the hour mark.

Tip your hat to under-fire Sunderland boss Steve Bruce. The Black Cats recorded only their sixth win in their last 25 league games at Bolton Wanderers. Stephane Sessegnon and Nicklas Bendtner provided the firepower the Wearsiders have been sorely lacking recently to consign Owen Coyle’s Bolton to a fifth straight defeat at home. Heads will inevitably roll in the next few weeks as sacking season gets under way. Bruce may have just pushed his above the parapet, for the time being at least.

How did your team get on at the weekend? Think we’ve missed something important out or you’d just like to have a rant? Please leave a comment below!

All eyes will be on Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon as Manchester City make the short trip to face rivals United for a potentially explosive encounter.

Other highlights include the west London derby between QPR and Chelsea at Loftus Road and a Midlands tussle on Saturday afternoon between Aston Villa and West Brom at Villa Park, writes William Geldart.

Our Premier League prediction pool is starting to become extremely competitive. ‘Growler’ has hung on to top spot for the second consecutive week, the first time anyone has done so this season. ‘Sitout747’, ‘dougthehead’ and ‘PedroFalcon’ are still fighting hard just behind our leader, all anxious to win the Premier League shirt of their choice while having some great fun along the way. Congratulations to last week’s Yellow Cap winner, ‘stegs73’, for an impressive performance that puts them in contention at the top of the leaderboard.

Whilst we don’t wish to brag, last week we called the Stoke v Fulham, Chelsea v Everton and Arsenal v Sunderland results bang on the money. Maybe the guys over at The Betting Blog will let us have a go at tipping…

Wolves v Swansea

Saturday lunchtime’s kick-off pits two teams together who will be both desperate to pick up a point or three.

Wolves’ five-match run of defeats, including last weekend’s Black Country derby loss at West Brom, has had critics questioning the strength of Mick McCarthy’s side since their decent early season form has petered out.

Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers will have been disappointed with last weekend’s 3-1 defeat to fellow new boys Norwich and he will be eager to see signs of improvement.

Wolves are likely to be without top scorer Steven Fletcher again as the Scot continues to struggle with a calf injury. Sylvain Ebanks-Blake could return and make his first league start of the season.

For the Swans, defender Steven Caulker is ruled out with a knee problem while Vangelis Moras could make his debut.

The Welsh side have lost all of their four matches in the Premier League when crossing the border and they have not won on their last four visits to Molineux.

They are unbeaten in their only two top-flight encounters with the hosts, however, and Wolves are on their longest losing streak in the highest division for 27 years. It could be a nervy afternoon for the home faithful, and Swansea have got to start picking up points on the road sometime.

The Football Blog prediction: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Swansea City

Aston Villa v West Brom

Another derby beckons for West Brom, and a tricky trip to face Aston Villa who will be smarting after losing their unbeaten record last week, being drubbed 4-1 by Manchester City.

Defender James Collins should return to Alex McLeish’s side and Barry Bannan could be recalled. West Brom’s Steven Reid will play after minor hand surgery and striker Peter Odemwingie could start.

The Baggies have not won at Villa Park in the league since 1979 and the home side have a decent derby record, only losing one of their last 11 local skirmishes in the Premier League.

Albion will be buoyed by last week’s victory and clean sheet, however, and in striker Shane Long, Roy Hodgson knows he has someone who will work tirelessly for the cause and chase balls forward.

The last four meetings have ended with a 2-1 scoreline, Villa triumphing in three of those encounters. We can’t see past the same outcome tomorrow.

The Football Blog prediction: Aston Villa 2-1 West Bromwich Albion

Bolton v Sunderland

Bolton manager Owen Coyle, the players and fans of the Wanderers would have been mighty relieved to see their team claim all three points in last weekend’s Lancashire derby at Wigan.

The Trotters still occupy a place in the bottom three but now they have the chance to put another fellow struggler to the sword, this time in the comfort of their own home surroundings.

Sunderland were unfortunate to lose late on at Arsenal last Sunday but that will be of little consolation to the Black Cats. They have won just four of their last 22 Premier League games.

At least they will have on-loan striker Nicklas Bendtner back after he could not play against parent club Arsenal. Phil Bardsley will also feature again after serving a six-week suspension. Bolton are likely to remain unchanged.

The Trotters have lost their last six home games in the league and Sunderland have done the double over them in the past two seasons. We don’t anticipate a classic on this occasion, or even a win for either side.

The Football Blog prediction: Bolton Wanderers 0-0 Sunderland

Newcastle v Wigan

Shola Ameobi’s late equaliser against Tottenham last Sunday preserved the Magpies’ unbeaten record. Alan Pardew’s side will be looking to pile more misery upon a Wigan team who have lost five league games in a row and who are joint-low scorers in the league so far this season.

An unchanged line-up from the home side is expected at St. James’ Park whereas Maynor Figueroa could replace the hapless Steve Gohouri for Wigan after the latter’s horror show performance against Bolton.

The Latics have never won on Tyneside in six attempts and this fixture is a daunting one, although Roberto Martinez’s side have been known to upset the odds, including winning at Stoke last season to preserve their top-flight status.

Raised expectancy levels could lead to Newcastle’s downfall if it’s forthcoming but we expect them to motor on and dispatch of the visitors tomorrow.

The Football Blog prediction: Newcastle United 2-1 Wigan Athletic

Liverpool v Norwich

The return of Steven Gerrard, coupled with the captain’s goal against their bitterest rivals Manchester United last weekend should lift the spirits at Anfield.

The Reds may feel they should have taken more from that match, however, they have the perfect opportunity to make more ground on the top-four when they entertain Norwich in Saturday’s evening kick-off.

Glen Johnson could return after coming through unscathed in Liverpool’s midweek friendly defeat to Rangers. Likewise, fellow defender Daniel Agger could also make a comeback.

Lucas is suspended after picking up a fifth booking of the season, whereas Norwich will be close to full-strength with Zak Whitbread, Grant Holt, Ritchie De Laet, Andrew Surman and Chris Martin all available again.

Although the home side will be looking to record a fifth successive win against the Canaries, Norwich have already shown they are not overawed when travelling to play the bigger teams in the league.

Some hope for Paul Lambert’s men might come in the statistic that Liverpool lost four of their six games against newly-promoted sides last season.

Also, the Reds have kept just two clean sheets in 10 league and cup games this season whereas Norwich are yet to record a shutout. We’re predicting an entertaining game full of goals.

The Football Blog prediction: Liverpool 3-2 Norwich City

Arsenal v Stoke

Arsene Wenger described his Arsenal team as making ‘baby steps’ of progress following their midweek Champions League win against Marseilles.

They meet a resolute Stoke side at the Emirates on Sunday, buoyant from their own European triumph this week (a 4-0 win against Maccabi Tel-Aviv), but perhaps not as fresh as manager Tony Pulis would like.

The Gunners sit just two points behind the visitors and they will be eager to continue their forward momentum.

You have to go back to August 1981 to find Stoke’s last away win against Arsenal, a slender 1-0 triumph at Highbury in the old First Division.

Arsenal only narrowly managed to beat the Potters by the same scoreline in the corresponding fixture last season, however, Stoke have started to leak goals on their travels. They’ve conceded six times in their last two trips away from the Britannia Stadium.

It’s too premature to assume Arsenal will glide back into the top-four positions in the league, but they should have enough to just about see off their possibly jaded opponents this weekend.

The Football Blog prediction: Arsenal 3-1 Stoke City

Fulham v Everton

The Cottagers will be bitterly disappointed about their Europa League defeat to Wisla Krakow last night but their domestic form is in need of desperate attention too. Fulham have only won one of their opening eight Premier League games.

Martin Jol’s side are likely to welcome back Bobby Zamora and Clint Dempsey, while they sweat on the fitness of captain Danny Murphy.

Everton re-signing James McFadden is unlikely to feature as he recovers his fitness and Victor Anichebe is a long-term absentee.

The Toffees have only won once at Craven Cottage in the Premier League, a last day of the season victory in 2009.

The visitors are looking to avoid a fourth consecutive league defeat and they will look towards Tim Cahill to provide inspiration once again, although the Aussie is yet to score for the club in 2011.

There has only been one away win in all 20 Premier League matches betweeen these two sides and we don’t expect that to change on Sunday.

The Football Blog prediction: Fulham 1-0 Everton

Manchester United v Manchester City

This weekend’s Manchester derby takes on added importance and significance with both teams fighting it out at the top of the Premier League. A win for City could extend their advantage over their rivals to five points whereas a United victory would see them at the summit once again.

Much of the pressure is on Roberto Mancini and City. Will he continue to accommodate the tempestuous Mario Balotelli in the side given that the Italian has scored three goals in his last 3 league games?

Sergio Aguero returned from injury in midweek to steal a vital three points for the club in their Champions League group-stage victory against Villarreal while Edin Dzeko has been out of sorts after a blistering start to the season. But, will either of them make way for Balotelli on Sunday?

Meanwhile, United’s recent form has been criticised, especially after their arguably fortuitous draw at Liverpool last weekend and a laboured European win over Romanian minnows Otelul Galati in midweek.

Still, you’d never bet against the Red Devils in these type of games and Sir Alex Ferguson’s side enjoy the upper hand in recent encounters.

United are unbeaten in their last six league matches against their rivals, winning five of those games.

A plethora of ex-players, pundits and commentators have their own views splashed across print publications and online. We’ll just add our twopence and plump for a high-scoring draw.

The Football Blog prediction: Manchester United 2-2 Manchester City

Blackburn v Tottenham

Under-fire Blackburn boss Steve Kean is set to face the wrath of the home fans once again, as another protest is planned to call for his dismissal. With just one league win so far this term, and sitting bottom of the table, those calls may grow louder if his team fail to beat Tottenham on Sunday.

The Scot has no new injury problems though, with David Dunn and Morten Gamst Pedersen still struggling to be fit in time for the visit of Spurs.

Harry Redknapp’s team have defensive problems with William Gallas, Ledley King, Vedran Corluka and Michael Dawson all ruled out.

There are no such difficulties up-front, however, with Jermain Defoe, Emmanuel Adebayor and Rafael van der Vaart all scoring three times each over the course of Spur’s five-match unbeaten run.

Tottenham have done the double over Blackburn in each of the last two seasons and it’s difficult to see them not notching another win at Ewood Park this weekend.

The Football Blog prediction: Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur

QPR v Chelsea

QPR will be hoping that this west London derby doesn’t have a similar outcome to the last one they contested: their 6-0 drubbing at Fulham, where Adel Taarabt left the stadium after being substituted.

Neil Warnock’s side will have to start showing some togetherness if they are to pull off a famous victory against their rivals in Sunday’s late afternoon game. Chelsea have been in rampant form of late and their new found rhythm under Andre Villas-Boas is starting to win admirers.

John Terry, Juan Mata, Daniel Sturridge and Didier Drogba are all in line to return after being rested for the Blues’ 5-0 thrashing of Genk in midweek.

Danny Gabbidon is likely to be missing for the Hoops as he battles against a knee injury while last week’s goalscorer Heidar Helguson could be preferred to Jay Bothroyd up-front.

Chelsea have lost just one of their last 14 league and cup games against QPR and the last time the home side won a London derby in the Premier League was 3-0 against West Ham on 27 April 1996.

Rangers may not get the first home win of the season they crave against their fierce rivals but they have enough to come close. Buoyed by a vociferous Loftus Road crowd, QPR will provide a stern test for their illustrious opponents.

The Football Blog prediction: Queens Park Rangers 1-1 Chelsea

Also, check out Ginx TV’s Premier League Playthrough, where Anthony Richardson simulates this weekend’s fixtures on Fifa 12 and gives his own analysis. Watch here.

Manchester City are preparing for two important games this week against Villarreal and Manchester United respectively. Carlos Tevez won’t be involved, but that’s hardly surprising.

Never has a shake of the head provoked such outrage, writes Will Carpenter.

When Carlos Tevez refused to come on as a second-half substitute during Manchester City’s Champions League match against Bayurn Munich, the Argentine’s career at Eastlands was all but over.

It was an act that shocked the world of football. But should we really be that surprised? In the modern game, where the player possesses as much power as the club, Tevez’s shameful refusal to play was the next logical step. We must have seen it coming, for the previous few seasons we’ve sat and watched high profile players throw their toys out of the pram when things haven’t gone their way. Whether it be contracts, transfer requests or a touch-line tantrum after being substituted, it appears that the saying ‘no player is bigger than the club’ doesn’t quite wash with some of the games’ biggest names.

Tevez has made no secret of his desire to leave the club, so is Manchester City’s inability to grant the striker’s wish a valid excuse for his actions? Of course it isn’t. From the minute Carlos Tevez scribbled on that multi-million pound dotted line, he was contracted to play football for Manchester City come rain, shine or two nil down in Munich.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision to let Tevez leave Old Trafford may well have been another of the United manager’s shrewd dealings. His twenty league goals last season would suggest otherwise, but Sir Alex’s decision could be based more on character than ability. If Tevez is a bad egg, the last thing Ferguson would have wanted was a contamination of his fresh young crop.

The only pertinent conclusion to this saga is for Tevez to leave the club at the next opportunity. Any other outcome would undermine Roberto Mancini’s authority and the exceptional progress City have made under his leadership.

An exit during the January transfer window seems the most probable outcome; however, the termination of his contract remains a very realistic possibility.

Manchester City have the unenviable task of setting a worldwide benchmark with their punishment of Tevez, one that discourages the ego-driven personnel of the footballing world from a repeat performance.

Football has been drained of passion and replaced by greed. A players’ club once represented a source of affection and devotion, nowadays it is merely an employer. As ‘player power’ increases, this is unlikely to be the last act of rebellion that we see.

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Manchester City leapfrogged neighbours United to reach the summit of the Barclays Premier League on Saturday. Here’s our weekly review of all the weekend’s action.

Chelsea keep reminding everyone that they are still very much involved in this season’s title race, dispatching of traditional bogey team, Everton, 3-1 at Stamford Bridge, writes William Geldart.

Newcastle preserved their unbeaten record by snatching a late draw against Tottenham and Bolton climbed off the bottom of the table courtesy of their 3-1 away win at Wigan.

Fergie’s tactics and rotation scrutinised as City show off the strength of their squad

Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision to name a defensive looking starting line-up for Manchester United’s trip to face Liverpool at Anfield has dominated much of the weekend’s post-match discussion. After the match, news of alleged racist comments made by Liverpool striker Luis Suarez towards United left-back Patrice Evra also came to light. Suarez denies the claims.

The omissions of creative talents Wayne Rooney and Nani, coupled with Phil Jones’ deployment to shackle Charlie Adam, appeared to display a willingness to merely capture a point. The Red Devils duly did just that, thanks to substitute Javier Hernandez’s close range effort after returning Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard had opened the scoring with his free-kick through the wall on 68 minutes.

The BBC’s chief football writer, Phil McNulty, described Ferguson’s risky strategy:

“If it was designed to ensure United, above all, did not lose their unbeaten Premier League record this season at the home of their arch-rivals it worked – but it was a mighty close thing because Ferguson got away with one here.”

Indeed, Liverpool had numerous chances throughout the match to seal all three points, including a late Dirk Kuyt effort that was saved by the impressive David de Gea.

At the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City easily defended their unbeaten record and ended Aston Villa’s in the process, running out comfortable 4-1 winners.

Manager Roberto Mancini decided to leave David Silva, Edin Dzeko and Samir Nasri on the bench. However, bad boy Mario Balotelli, Adam Johnson and James Milner were able to provide the spark needed to dispatch of their visitors and move top of the Barclays Premier League ahead of next week’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford.

Balotelli’s overhead kick opened the scoring just before the half hour mark before Adam Johnson added a second shortly after half-time. Vincent Kompany then headed home from a Johnson corner and a fine curling finish from James Milner put the seal on the victory after Stephen Warnock’s consolation for Villa.

Mancini was beaming following another impressive win and singed out Balotelli for praise. He told the Manchester Evening News:

“He played well, has scored four goals in a row and works for the team. Mario can change in a moment but I am happy because it is now 40, 50 days (when he has) played and worked well.

“He is motivated because he is playing and scoring. It is important moment for him. I think that for a player on the bench with me it is not easy to watch the game and not play in a team playing well and scoring goals.”

Chelsea the only other side to make significant ground on the Manchester clubs

Chelsea’s only defeat of the season may have come against Manchester United, however, they now sit just a point behind the Red Devils following their 3-1 home win against Everton.

Daniel Sturridge’s fourth league goal of the season put the Blues on their way to their first home victory against the Toffees in six attempts.

John Terry’s header before the break doubled the advantage before Ramires made the points safe midway through the second-half. Young Greek striker Apostolos Vellios reduced the arrears for Everton nine minutes from time, just seconds after coming on for Louis Saha.

Spanish midfielder Juan Mata is beginning to develop into the arch-schemer the Blues needed to vary their sometimes stilted attacking play. He had a hand in his side’s first and third goals, setting Ashley Cole on his way to deliver for Sturridge, and then picking out Ramires with a perfect cross to easily convert.

Goalscorer Sturridge summed up the key behind Chelsea’s recent success and change in style. He told BBC Sport:

“It was important for us to move the ball quickly. It takes time to get used to how the manager likes football to be played but we’ve got used to it quickly.

“Ever since then, we’ve played attractive, attacking football.”

Bolton climb off the bottom and add to Wigan’s woes

Under-fire boss Owen Coyle saw his Bolton Wanderers side register their first points since the opening day of the season, as the Trotters won 3-1 away at Wigan Athletic.

The win could have been even more emphatic had captain Kevin Davies not seen his second-half penalty saved by former Wanderers goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi.

A series of sloppy errors gifted the away side victory in a match where Wigan more than matched their opponents. Latics manager Roberto Martinez was left to rue his team’s mistakes.

He said after the game: “I feel really disappointed because we gifted Bolton the three points. The hardest thing is to score goals and we made it very easy for them.

“Apart from that I saw my team working very hard and if we had gone in level at half-time we could have won the game.”

As it was, goals from Nigel Reo-Coker and David N’Gog put the visitors 2-1 up at the break, after Mohammed Diame had equalised for Wigan. Chris Eagles’ cool finish late on put the result beyond doubt.

Understandably, Coyle was happy with his side’s progress, and the fact their second win of the season lifts them up the table to third from bottom. However, the manager is eager for Wanderers to continue in the same vein.

He told Sky Sports: “We’ve got the three points and what we have to do now is kick on. We want to give our home fans something to smile about against Sunderland next week and continue to progress up the league.”

West Brom take Black Country bragging rights, Newcastle and Spurs share the spoils and more…

Goals from Chris Brunt and Peter Odemwingie gave West Bromwich Albion a precious victory over arch-rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday. However, it was the tenacious running of striker Shane Long that earned most of the plaudits as he put in an industrious display.

The home side took the chances presented to them and made Wolves pay for failing to do likewise, consigning Mick McCarthy’s side to their fifth straight defeat.

Roy Hodgson’s Baggies recorded their first home win in the process, leaving the majority of fans at the Hawthorns ecstatic.

West Brom blogger Jarrod Hill predicted before the game that the losing manager could find themselves under pressure. While many won’t be calling for McCarthy’s head just yet, the Irishman will be desperate for all three points when Swansea visit Molineux next weekend.

Elsewhere yesterday, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur were forced to share the spoils at St. James’ Park. Shola Ameobi came off the bench to rescue a point for the Magpies and preserve their unbeaten record as the game finished 2-2.

Rafael van der Vaart’s first-half penalty gave Spurs the lead after Steven Taylor brought down Emmanuel Adebayor. Demba Ba equalised from close-range shortly after the restart before substitute Jermain Defoe rifled in to restore the north Londoner’s lead.

Ameobi’s equaliser four minutes from time keeps the Toon Army in fourth position while Spurs stay sixth.

The talk on the terraces at St. James’ also centred on the club’s newly issued mission statement, which outlines a commitment to responsible spending.

Robin van Persie rescued Arsenal with a two-goal salvo that saw the Gunners narrowly defeat Sunderland 2-1 at the Emirates.

The skipper put the home side 1-0 up after just 27 seconds and his superb late free-kick means Arsenal have reached double points figures after eight games played.

Despite Arsenal’s early dominance, they were pegged back by former midfielder Sebastian Larsson, who fired in his own stunning free-kick to restore parity in the first-half.

The Black Cats could have been ahead minutes later, were it not for Wojciech Szczesny’s brilliant save from Lee Cattermole’s header when just a few yards from goal.

Van Persie could have put Arsenal ahead again earlier, but after an inspired piece of skill where he received the ball and turned sharply, his lofted finish came back off the inside of a post and into the grateful arms of Sunderland goalkeeper Simone Mignolet.

The Salut! Sunderland blog lamented: “It’s just a shame that [Robin] Van Persie, a world-class player, came up with piece of magic at the end. He is worth the entrance fee alone. “

Norwich City continue to go about their business quietly and effectively. Paul Lambert’s cheaply assembled squad defeated fellow promoted side Swansea City 3-1 at Carrow Road on Saturday.

Anthony Pilkington’s brace and a Russell Martin header gave the Canaries the points, with Swans striker Danny Graham grabbing what turned out to be nothing more than a consolation goal.

Pilkington’s double elevated him to becoming Norwich’s top-scorer so far this season, although as Canaries blogger Rick Waghorn is quick to point out, the former Huddersfield Town star won’t be getting carried away.

Waghorn commented that “running out at Anfield next Saturday will be a million miles from where it all began for the Canary winger – at Atherton Colleries. He, like so many of his team-mates, knows all-too well what the other side of life is like.”

Queens Park Rangers are still searching for their first home win of the season as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Loftus Road by bottom-side Blackburn Rovers.

Heidar Helguson’s chip across goal found the back of the net to give the Hoops the lead, however, Blackburn’s Christopher Samba rose highest to power home the equaliser just minutes later.

And finally, kudos to Stoke City for wrestling another three points from visitors to the Britannia Stadium. The Potters beat Fulham 2-0 and they’re still riding high in seventh position.

Jon Walters reacted quickly to turn in Matthew Etherington’s shot after John Arne Riise had smacked the crossbar for the visitors.

Rory Delap’s pinpoint header from a an Etherington free-kick sealed the victory, with both goals coming in the last ten minutes as the hosts ground down the Cottagers who sit just a point above the bottom three.

The Football Blog have teamed up with publishers Bloomsbury to offer our readers the chance to win a copy of esteemed football journalist Ian Ridley’s new book!

‘There’s a Golden Sky: How twenty years of the Premier League has changed football forever’ is available now in hardback or as an e-book and we’re priviledged to also be able to host an extract from Ridley’s latest fine piece of football writing.

Ian Ridley took a long hard look at the game back in the early 1990s when it was beset by problems both on and off the pitch and seen as the epitome of all that was wrong with our society. There’s a Golden Sky examines just how far the game has come since those dark days, sucking in players and money from around the globe and providing fame, fortune and hours of pleasure in return.

Examining the changes that have occurred over the last 20 years, Ridley seeks to discover if the soul of the game still exists. Through interviews with larger-than-life characters from around the game-managers, referees, administrators, players and fans-he has woven together a rich and fascinating story of football’s metamorphosis from social outcast to favourite child.

To view an extract from the book, please click here!

We’ll be offering a more in-depth review of the text in the coming weeks.

To be in with a chance of winning one of two copies of the book we have to give away, all you have to do is answer this simple question:

Which of the following was the inaugural season of the Premier League?

a) 1991-1992

b) 1992-1993

c) 1993-1994

Please email your answers to will@the-football-blog.co.uk. The closing date for this competition will be midnight on Tuesday 18 October 2011. All entries received after then will not be considered for entry. Winning entrants will be contacted via email and chosen at random.

The Premier League returns this weekend and so do our predictions. Manchester United’s trip to Liverpool tops the bill; will Wayne Rooney banish his international demons?

Elsewhere, Manchester City welcome Aston Villa to the Etihad Stadium, hoping to take advantage of any potential slip-up by their neighbours and blemish their visitors’ unbeaten record, writes William Geldart.

There’s a spicy local derby on Sunday at the Hawthorns, where West Brom take on Wolves. Meanwhile, our leftfield pick of the week is for Tottenham to overcome Newcastle at St. James’ Park.

Over at SportGuru, our prediction league is hotting up with ‘Growler’ regaining top-spot and winning round seven’s yellow cap in the process.

‘Sitout747’ has emerged as the nearest contender, with ‘gabbi’ and ‘Miles’ chasing ahead of one of the other early-season pacesetters, ‘PedroFalcon’. To get involved, please click here.

Liverpool v Manchester United

Tomorrow’s lunchtime kick-off at Anfield promises to be another classic tie between these two giants of the English game.

Kenny Dalglish is unbeaten as Liverpool manager in his last five league games at Anfield against United. The champions have lost on their last three visits to Liverpool, although they do have the upper-hand in terms of the overall head-to-head record between the two sides.

United have beaten the Reds 71 times in the league, whereas Liverpool have notched 61 victories against their rivals.

There promises to be a number of rich sub-plots, including the possible return of United captain Nemanja Vidic and Steven Gerrard looks set to make his first start for the home side since 6 March after suffering with a groin problem.

The combustible nature of these matches in recent times will also make for enthralling viewing. There have been four red cards in the last four Premier League meetings at Anfield-three for Manchester United, one for Liverpool.

United make the trip up the East Lancashire Road unbeaten in 11 league and cup games so far this season. Liverpool have won six of their nine matches in all competitions so far this season and draws between these two rivals have been rare in recent times, with the last one coming 12 matches ago in 2005. Can Liverpool halt United’s assault on an unprecedented 20th league title?

The Football Blog prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United

Manchester City v Aston Villa

The home side will be looking to keep up with their more illustrious neighbours and dispatch of Alex McLeish’s unbeaten Villa team.

City’s own unbeaten record will be on the line and Roberto Mancini’s men showed no ill-effects from the continuing Carlos Tevez saga on their last outing; they ran riot at Ewood Park, thrashing Blackburn Rovers 4-0.

Mancini will also be without the services of his other Argentine super striker, Sergio Aguero, who is ruled out with an abductor strain. Mario Balotelli could deputise after recovering from a back problem.

Villa’s in-form striker Gabby Agbonlahor will aim to trouble a City defence that is yet to concede in the league at home so far this season. McLeish’s side have suffered just one defeat in their last 15 Premier League games and will provide a stern test for the free-flowing home team, who could include the league’s highest assist-maker so far this term, Samir Nasri, in their starting line-up.

The Football Blog prediction: Manchester City 2-0 Aston Villa

Norwich  v Swansea

Norwich will view this fixture as a home ‘six-pointer’ in their bid to avoid demotion from the top-flight, with the Swans only ever recording four away wins against the Canaries in 20 all-time league encounters.

Paul Lambert’s side performed well in their recent 2-0 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford whereas Swansea picked up three points in their last game, beating Stoke by the same scoreline at the Liberty Stadium.

The Welsh side are targeting their first away win of the season tomorrow, with manager Brendan Rodgers sensing the importance of achieving a maiden victory on the road:

“Getting an away win in the Premier League is tough and you need the confidence of getting points away from home, but we have players that have improved both tactically and mentally from last season.

“We have started this season a little bit like last year-we have been formidable at home but we are yet to pick up any points on the road”, he said.

Norwich have an enviable home record, however, losing just one of their last 15 league games at Carrow Road against any opposition.

The visitors should have enough to trouble Norwich’s sometimes suspect backline, although they have defensive problems of their own with Ashley Williams and captain Garry Monk their only available centre-halves.

The Football Blog prediction: Norwich City 1-1 Swansea City

QPR v Blackburn

Hoops boss Neil Warnock will be anxious to quickly eradicate the painful 6-0 west London derby defeat to Fulham in their last league game.

QPR’s tumultuous season so far continues with the visit of struggling Blackburn Rovers to Loftus Road tomorrow, and Warnock will be eager to see his team record their first home win of the Premier League campaign.

Rovers boss Steve Kean is under immense pressure to turn things around at the club, with even co-owner Venkatesh Rao recently stating that ‘results must improve’.

A decent recent record against this weekend’s opponents provides some cause for optimism for fans of the Lancashire club. They have lost just one of their last 11 games against QPR, winning the last three Premier League games by a 1-0 scoreline.

QPR are likely to be without defender Danny Gabbidon because of a knee injury, as well as long-term absentee Kieron Dyer.

Armand Traore will return to action though after serving his one-game suspension.

Blackburn could welcome back Michel Salgado after a hamstring injury and David Dunn should be declared fit to play.

Defensively frail and largely impotent up-front, if QPR return to form you fear another defeat is on the cards for Rovers, and maybe a possible sacking too.

The Football Blog prediction: Queens Park Rangers 3-1 Blackburn Rovers

Stoke v Fulham

Stoke remain unbeaten at their Britannia Stadium fortress this season while last week’s thumping of QPR helped Fulham climb away from the bottom of the table. What kind of match can we expect between these two sides this weekend?

Successive away defeats to Sunderland and Swansea City respectively have seen Stoke fall away from their previous lofty position in the top-four, and Tony Pulis’ men will be looking to bounce back against the Cottagers.

Fulham did the double over Stoke last season, defeating them 2-0 home and away, and in Andy Johnson, they certainly possess a striker in form-epitomised by his 57-minute hat-trick against QPR.

The away side are unbeaten in their last four league games, although they have only taken one point from nine on their travels.

Peter Crouch has scored two goals in three games for his new club and is likely to lead the line for Stoke. Pulis will be sweating on the fitness of a number of players, including Matthew Etherington, Kenwyne Jones, Jermaine Pennant and Marc Wilson. A host of others, including Wilson Palacios and Danny Higginbotham are definitely ruled out.

Fulham manager Martin Jol has his own injury problems to contend with; Aaron Hughes should return but Phillipe Senderos, Bryan Ruiz and Simon Davies are all likely to miss out.

The west London side struggle on the road and despite their victory in the Potteries last season, they may well fall short on this occasion.

The Football Blog prediction: Stoke City 2-0 Fulham

Wigan v Bolton

Both of these teams sit in the bottom three at present and they will be desperate to pick up points in tomorrow’s Lancashire derby at the DW Stadium.

For Roberto Martinez and Wigan, they may well be in familiar territory but for Owen Coyle and Bolton fans; the Premier League table makes for especially uncomfortable viewing.

The Trotters are on a six-match losing streak and their only points have come from their 4-0 opening day win at QPR as they sit at the foot of the table.

Meanwhile, Wigan have lost their last three league games to Manchester City, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur respectively.

The omens don’t look too good for one of these sides to claim all of the spoils, with four of the last five matches between them ending in a draw and just three goals scored in their last four meetings at the home of the Latics.

James McCarthy, Steve Gohouri and Albert Crusat could return for Martinez’s men, however, Hugo Rodallega is still out with a knee injury.

Owen Coyle can welcome back David Wheater and Ivan Klasnic from suspensions and Gael Kakuta and goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen as his team look to improve upon a dismal recent record of eleven defeats in their last 12 domestic matches.

Wigan are an unpredictable force, whereas Bolton should be fighting for their lives. The points could be shared but we hope it’ll be an entertaining ride along the way.

The Football Blog prediction: Wigan Athletic 2-2 Bolton Wanderers

Chelsea v Everton

The Blues will want to keep up the pressure on the two Manchester clubs and claim another vital win when they entertain Everton at Stamford Bridge in Saturday’s late kick-off.

Chelsea manager Andre Villas Boas will be mindful that despite his side’s formidable recent home record, winning nine and losing none of their last 10 games at the Bridge, Everton remain a bogey side that will carry a threat.

Indeed, the Toffees have taken a point from each of their last five visits to the home of Saturday’s opponents and they have suffered just one defeat in their last nine Premier League games against the Pensioners.

The home side have been scoring goals for fun lately, aided by the return to form of Frank Lampard, with nine goals in their last two league games. For all of the excitement generated by seeing the net bulge so often, Villas-Boas will also want to address the fact that his team have not kept a clean sheet at home for five league games.

Chelsea will be without the suspended Fernando Torres and David Luiz could be rested after playing twice for Brazil in a week. The Blues should have enough to see off an Everton side who are likely to be without key players Tim Cahill and Jonny Heitinga.

The Football Blog prediction: Chelsea 3-1 Everton

West Brom v Wolves

Sunday lunchtime’s Black Country derby is guaranteed to be a feisty affair with both sides eager to pick up points to avoid being sucked into a relegation dogfight later in the season.

Wolves have had marginally the better of the last six meetings, winning two games compared to West Brom’s one victory. They have not beaten Albion on home turf, however, since a 4-2 win in September 1996.

Roy Hodgson’s men are aiming for their first home win of the season, whereas Mick McCarthy’s Wolves are hoping to end a four-game losing streak.

The Baggies could be without star striker Peter Odemwingie who is a doubt for the clash, with Simon Cox and Somen Tchoyi in contention to replace the Nigerian.

Ronald Zubar, Jody Craddock and Sylvain Ebanks-Blake will miss out for Wolves who will look towards Steven Fletcher and Kevin Doyle to trouble their rivals’ defence.

The Football Blog prediction: West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Arsenal v Sunderland

Arsenal will be desperate to start salvaging their floundering season, whereas if some rumours are to be believed, Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is anxious just to keep hold of his job.

The Black Cats’ collection of summer signings are yet to spark into life and more ominous is the fact that Sunderland have yet to win at the Emirates, losing seven and drawing three of their last 10 trips to Arsenal.

The Gunners have won their last four games at home in all competitions, scoring nine goals and conceding just two.

Both teams are struggling with injuries and absentees. Arsenal are without long-term victims Jack Wilshere, Bacary Sagna and Thomas Vermaelen. Abou Diaby will also be missing, but Tomas Rosicky, Laurent Koscielny and Johann Djourou should all return.

Sunderland’s on-loan striker Nicklas Bendtner is not allowed to play against his parent club and fellow frontmen Frazier Campbell and Connor Wickham are also sidelined along with goalkeeper Craig Gordon.

Defender Phil Bardlsey is suspended and Titus Bramble is unavailable following his recent arrest.

The Football Blog prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Sunderland

Newcastle v Tottenham

These two resurgent teams meet at St. James’ Park on Sunday afternoon to conclude the weekend’s Premier League action.

The Magpies are unbeaten this season while Spurs have won their last four, making for a tasty match-up on paper.

Newcastle hit-man Demba Ba has scored four goals in his last two games and will look to punish any defensive mistakes from a Tottenham backline that will be missing Vedran Corluka, William Gallas and Michael Dawson.

Alan Pardew is likely to name an unchanged line-up from his side’s 2-1 win at Wolves. Spurs boss Harry Redknapp will give on-loan striker Emmanuel Adebayor a late fitness test after he suffered a hamstring injury in the 2-1 win over former club Arsenal.

Tottenham have not won on Tyneside since 2004, however, we’re going to stick our necks out and say that something has to give.

The Football Blog prediction: Newcastle United 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Do you agree with our predictions? Why not leave a comment below and let us know what you think!

‘Welcome to Manchester’-that was the best the fans could do to welcome Carlos Tevez and irritate his former club Manchester United upon his £25 million arrival at the then City Of Manchester Stadium-now Etihad Stadium.

Tevez was part of the £130 million recruitment of new talents that City made when Sheikh Mansour took over. His dazzling performances during his debut season earned him the captain’s armband. And hardly has he failed since his arrival as he bagged 20 Premier League goals to be joint-top scorer alongside neighbors Manchester United’s record signing Dimitar Berbatov and to earn Manchester City their first ever Champions League spot.

Carlos Tevez‘s extended summer break due to his participation at the Copa America made him miss City’s preseason tour but  Edin Dzeko’s form made certain City never missed their talisman. Tevez and Sergio Aguero-who was signed due to Tevez’s persistence to leave Roberto Mancini’s side in the summer- joined the 2011 FA Cup winners from their summer break  before their Premier League season began and for the former West Ham and Manchester United striker to think he had a permanent place in the Italian’s starting line-up was exceedingly delusional.

The extremely vast wealth of Man City saw them make some recruitments in the summer that had restricted  Tevez’s participation for Manchester City this season  and had seen him  used mainly as a substitute. The frustrations of Tevez augmented as he was stripped off his captaincy days after revealing he was the representation of the club  and to look from the sidelines as boss Roberto Mancini turned to Mario Balotelli on the bench for a goal against Everton couldn’t have made life any easier for the Argentine.

Champions League matchday two saw Tevez’s dissatisfaction at Man City erupt in full view of the watching football world after he refused to come on as a sub against German giants Bayern Munchen.

Not that Tevez’s decision was apprehensible, no, it’s an ignominy in football but would this have happened without Sheikh Mansour ‘s megabucks? Carlos Tevez hadn’t started either of Manchester City’s opening two Champions League games because the super rich owner of Man City gave Roberto Mancini the luxury to bench the man whose immense contribution aided in securing the Champions League spot, and paved the way for a glut of new talent to be purchased.

Tevez was bound to be on the sidelines for long even before his incident and now faces a tough huddle to be a City favourite – that’s if he’s kept at the club –after his row with his Italian manager.

If Carlos Tevez, after his enormous contribution last season could be relegated to the bench due to the arrival of new recruits, then Sergio Arguero, Samir Nasri, Edin Dzeko , Stefan Savic  and Gael Clichy should be vigilant because when the next piece of footballing cake is lured to the Etihad Stadium, they might turn into the next Emmanuel Adebayor-Manchester City’s ambassador to needy clubs.

You can follow Kwame on Twitter @Chicharootov

There are no fewer than three local derbies this weekend in the Barclays Premier League, besides a host of other tantalising fixtures, writes William Geldart.

In our SportGuru prediction league pool, ‘PedroFalcon’ has taken top spot ahead of ‘Growler’ and last week’s leader, ‘ciano’.

If you want to get involved and be in with the chance of winning a Premier League shirt of your choice, click here!

Everton v Liverpool

-Everton welcome their neighbours from across Stanley Park, hoping to put last week’s disappointing 2-0 defeat to Manchester City behind them. The match is likely to come too soon for Liverpool defender Glen Johnson, who has been suffering from a persistent hamstring injury.

-The Reds lost this fixture 2-0 last season while Roy Hodgson was still in charge. Tim Cahill and the now departed Mikel Arteta scored the decisive goals.

-Liverpool have lost three of their last four away games in the Premier League, conceding six goals.

-Everton are just three points behind their Merseyside rivals, having played a game less.

-Liverpool have won on four of their last six visits to Goodison Park.

The Football Blog prediction: Everton 1-2 Liverpool

Aston Villa v Wigan

-Villa remain unbeaten so far this season however they have drawn five out of the six games played, with their solitary win coming against Blackburn.

-Wigan have the same number of points (5) this season that they had at this stage in the last campaign. The Latics won their seventh league game last term, 2-0 against Wolves.

-Villa have won two of their last six games at home while Wigan have only won one of their last six away games, a crucial victory against Stoke on the final day of last season.

-The home side have dominated the past six meetings between these two clubs. The Villans have only lost once to Saturday’s opponents in that period. Their record against the Latics is pretty poor in the Midlands though, having never beaten Wigan at Villa Park in the Premier League.

The Football Blog prediction: Aston Villa 1-1 Wigan Athletic

Blackburn v Manchester City

-All eyes will be on Manchester City to see if they can recover and maintain a united front following ‘The Tevez Incident’.

-Blackburn are looking to climb out of the bottom three, however, an average recent home record of just 2 wins in their last six games at Ewood Park needs improving upon.

-City’s away form over the last six games has been impressive, taking fifteen points out of a possible 18. In the corresponding fixture last season, a goal from Edin Dzeko secured a narrow 1-0 win for the Sky Blues.

-Sadly for Rovers, they have an abject recent record against tomorrow’s visitors. The Citizens haven’t lost to Blackburn since 2007 when Benni McCarthy’ effort secured all three points for the home side at Ewood Park.

The Football Blog prediction: Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Manchester City

Manchester United v Norwich

-United top the Premier League and are unbeaten at home since they lost to 2-1 to Chelsea, over 17 months ago.

-Norwich had the second-best away record in the Championship last season and they’ll be looking to build on their recent success on the road. Their 2-0 victory against Bolton two weeks ago was the Canaries’ first away victory in the top flight for 17 years after not winning on their travels in the 2004/2005 season.

-Norwich put in a battling performance on their last league visit to Old Trafford, going down 2-1 in an early season game in 2004.

-The Canaries last won away at Manchester United in 1989, when they recorded a memorable 2-0 victory against a Red Devils line-up that included Bryan Robson, Mark Hughes and Lee Sharpe.

The Football Blog prediction: Manchester United 4-2 Norwich City

Sunderland v West Brom

-The Black Cats are under pressure following a run of just seven wins in the 24 Premier League games they’ve played in 2011.

-Roy Hodgson’s West Brom are also in a rut, with just one win in their last seven league games. The Baggies recorded four victories away from home last season, although they did not keep any clean sheets.

-One of those away wins for West Brom was in the corresponding fixture in April. A 3-2 win for Hodgson’s team edged them towards safety and into mid-table.

-In a head-to-head comparison over the last six meetings at the Stadium of Light, West Brom have won three times, Sunderland twice and there has been one draw.

The Football Blog prediction: Sunderland 2-2 West Bromwich Albion

Wolves v Newcastle

-Wolves will want to halt a run of three straight defeats while Newcastle travel to Molinuex protecting their unbeaten record.

-Newcastle have only suffered one defeat in their last six away games, a 3-0 reverse against Liverpool in May.

-Mick McCarthy’s Wolves were reliant on their home form last season, winning eight times in front of their own fans.

-Wolves last defeated Newcastle in 1993. Kevin Keegan’s Magpies were promoted to the Premier League at the end of that particular season. In their four top flight encounters since then, three have ended in 1-1 draws, with Newcastle winning the other contest 4-1 in April.

The Football Blog prediction: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 Newcastle United

Bolton v Chelsea

-Bolton have made their joint-worst ever start to a Premier League season and face a Chelsea team who have won two of their last six away games.

-The Trotters had the best home record during 2010/2011 of any club outside of last season’s top six teams, winning ten times at the Reebok Stadium.

-Owen Coyle’s men also had the joint-fifth best attack at home, but they have only managed to score 6 goals in their last six home games, conceding 15 times.

-Bolton have failed to beat Chelsea in their last 15 meetings, stretching back to a 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge in 2003.

The Football Blog prediction: Bolton Wanderers 1-3 Chelsea

Fulham v QPR

-This will be the first west London derby between these two sides since the 2000/2001 season. Fulham were promoted to the Premier League at the end of that campaign whereas QPR were relegated to what is now called League One. The Cottagers did the double over Rangers on their way to promotion.

-Martin Jol’s Fulham are badly out of form though, registering just one win at home in their last six games at Craven Cottage. They have accrued just four points from their opening 6 league games, scoring the same number of goals in the process.

-Neil Warnock’s QPR are unbeaten in three Premier League matches. The Hoops had the best away record in the Championship last season, recording 13 clean sheets on the road from 23 games.

-Fulham haven’t lost to QPR in a league game since a 2-0 reverse in an old Division Two game at Craven Cottage in 1980.

The Football Blog prediction: Fulham 2-1 Queens Park Rangers

Swansea v Stoke

-Swansea had the best home form in the Championship last season, averaging over two points a game at the Liberty Stadium. They have lost only one league game in south Wales in 2011, and that was to rivals Cardiff City in February.

-Stoke have already played 13 competitive matches this season, owing to their Europa League commitments. They have lost only once, their 4-0 defeat at Sunderland two weeks ago.

-This will be the sides’ first league meeting since the Swans won 2-1 at the Britannia Stadium in a Division Two contest. Even though Swansea did the double over Stoke that season, they were relegated while the Potters were losing play-off semi-finalists.

-The visitors should be wary. Swansea have an imperious home record against Stoke, losing just once in 14 games on their own patch, dating back to 1955.

The Football Blog prediction: Swansea City 1-0 Stoke City

Tottenham v Arsenal

-The north London derby is guaranteed to be a fiery affair. Last season’s 3-3 goalfest at White Hart Lane had fans salivating at the excitement on show.

-Only two points but 7 positions in the Barclays Premier League table separate the two sides with Spurs currently in the loftier position of sixth-place.

-Arsenal have only won four of their 19 league games at Tottenham in the Premier League era. Spurs have beaten the Gunners on five of these occasions with the remaining ten games ending in a stalemate.

-Tottenham have only lost once in the last six north London derbies whereas Arsenal have only won once.

The Football Blog prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Arsenal

Please accept our apologies for this condensed version of our Premier League predictions series. Unfortunately, circumstances beyond our control have dictated this but we hope to bring you more in-depth previews again next week.