Saturday football

[Coffee]

"CHELSEA vs BRENTFORD (1230) Two-nil up against Arsenal and seemingly coasting to victory Arsenal, the Blues ended up sharing the points. How unfortunate. The Bees will present another tough assignment although their season hasn’t yet shifted into top gear. There’s little to choose between these two – on paper anyway. Home win. ARSENAL vs SHEFFIELD UNITED (1500) Second from top but for goal difference versus deservedly bottom. Not even Lord Griffith can extricate the Blades from their sad predicament, which is set to become sadder still this afternoon. There should be some goals in this that could take Arsenal above City for a week. Arteta will be well aware of that. Home win. BOURNEMOUTH vs BURNLEY (1500) Two of the current favourites for the drop. Nineteenth and eighteenth respectively, which makes this a genuine six-pointer. It’s hard to pick a likely winner, so home advantage gets the nod. Home win. WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS vs NEWCASTLE UNITED (1730) For all their lofty aspirations, the Barcodes’ lead today’s hosts by just five points. A portion of midweek humble pie may cause them to vomit it belatedly all over their hosts, but could equally result in seconds. Still, you’d expect them to be too good for a resurgent Wolves. Away win. *SUNDAY* WEST HAM UNITED vs EVERTON (1300) Northwest football is in mourning, but in Everton’s case that mourning is perhaps not insurmountably deep. The tenants of the London Stadium may not be mourning, but will certainly be pissed off at the far from encouraging performance and result in Athens on Thursday. The Toffees are in familiar territory near the foot of the table and whatever their off-field woes they should be there for the taking. We have to recover from the journey and exertion, which hasn’t always been readily achievable. Still, victory could catapult us back into the European places. Home win. ASTON VILLA vs LUTON TOWN (1400) Villa’s star is shining brighter than it has for many a year. Luton’s star sits one place above the dotted line – the lower one – and they’ll be more than delighted if it finishes there when the whistle finally blows on this season. By the final whistle today, however, it will probably be back below it. A dead cert of a result if ever there was one. Home win. BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION vs FULHAM (1400) The Seagulls continued their astonishing flight with their first ever win in Europe on Thursday. Will that affect them against thirteenth-placed Fulham? No. Home win. LIVERPOOL vs NOTTINGHAM FOREST (1400) Another dead cert in the offing at Anfield, although Forest won’t make it easy for their hosts. Home win. MANCHESTER UNITED vs MANCHESTER CITY (1530) This should be a really good game. Man U still look unconvincing, while City have slipped up recently. Bobby Charlton’s death will certainly raise the self-belief of the home fans, but to what extent will that transfer to the players? It won’t be a walkover for City. Draw. *CHAMPIONSHIP* Under Pep Guardiola’s former assistant, Enzo Maresca, Leicester have become a Championship phenomenon. They’ve dropped just three points all season, at home to Hull in early September. Like Man City, the Foxes’ hallmarks are patient possession and build-up. Although still early in the season, it will take a turnaround of catastrophic proportions for them not to get promoted at the first attempt and, probably, win the title with time – a lot of time – to spare. Not so far behind them, Ipswich have been accumulating points becoming of runners-up. Then there’s a gap of nine points to Leeds in third, which is where the table gets truly constipated, with just another four points from there to Bristol City in 13th spot. A very late equaliser at former leaders Preston (now fourth) saw Southampton return to the play-off zone, with West Brom completing that group of four on goal difference. The big game of the day, also the early kick-off, sees Leeds host Huddersfield – ee by gum – while Middlesboro who, as predicted and as anyone who actually reads this will recall, have shot up the table from bottom to within goal difference from the play-off places. They take on Stoke today. Coventry, another prediction for achievement this season, are faring less well, having lost to lowly Rotherham in midweek and now occupying 20th place. There is, as ever, much to play for in this excellent division."

[happygilmore]

"Cheers Coffee Well done getting this posted on the creaking site. Bournemouth don't look good enough to me to me to win a game, even against Burnley. Everton always seemed like a bogey team for us up until recent times. Wouldn't be surprised if it ends up a draw. Man city I think will beat man utd with ease. 10hag has scaped some wins undeservingly against lower teams, hope they get torn apart"