Sunderland is the venue for our late kick off this Saturday as the Black Cats host a Liverpool team who desperately need a win to kick start their season after a hugely disappointing start to Brendon Rodgers' reign and a massively emotional week.
Despite sitting 13th in the Premier League Sunderland are actually unbeaten having picked up draws against both Arsenal (0-0) and high flying Swansea (2-2) as they showed both defensive toughness (against Arsenal) and a serious offensive threat through Steven Fletcher. They will certainly be looking to pick up their first league win against a very nervous looking Liverpool.
Whilst the quality of Martin O'Neill is well known the fact that Sunderland's squad is also strong is something that appears to often be over-looked. With international players littered throughout the team they really don't have any glaring weaknesses, although they may struggle to score a huge number of goals, despite the threat of Fletcher. This was an issue last season as well with just 45 Premier League goals (tied 13th best). This is somewhat countered however by the strong defensive line of John O'Shea, Carlos Cuellar and Belgian Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
Having finished 13th in the Premier League last season Sunderland will be looking to build on a successful mid-table finish. The Sunderland fans will be hoping that, like last season, their team will be strong at home (where they picked up 28 of their 45 points) and if they are, they will hoping to secure another win at home against Liverpool.
For Liverpool fans this past week has been about much, much more than just football, it's been about justice. Having finally had the truth about the Hillsborough tragedy more than 20 years ago they will be hoping their team start to show the form that they remember from that era. Sadly however Liverpool have really struggled on the pitch this season having only picked up a single point from their 3 games so far.
Brendon Rodgers has got Liverpool playing some genuinely gorgeous football, with some beautiful passing and movement but the results sadly hadn't followed their performances, most notable their 2-2 draw with Manchester City. Sadly for Liverpool they have shown a knack of making really major errors in games, giving away goals and penalties at an alarming rate and undoing all their good work.
Whilst Liverpool have a solid and experienced team they just need to start getting results sooner rather than later or they will find themselves questioning their own ability, a real problem at Liverpool in recent years. Whilst we all know last season was disappointing (with an 8th placed finish) it sadly followed finishes of 6th and 7th in the previous 2 years and has seen them going through a number of managers one after the other, a real issue.
I wouldn't write Liverpool off here as the team hopefully will react positively after the news of this previous week, however unless they really start to click they will struggle with a solid Sunderland team.
Kick-Off: 17:30
Prediction: 1-0
Expected Line Ups:
Sunderland-
Mignolet, Gardner, O'Shea, Cuellar, Rose, Johnson, Cattermole, Colback, McClean, Sessegnon, Fletcher (4-4-2)
Liverpool-
Reina, Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Enrique, Gerrard, Sahin, Allen, Borini, Suarez, Sterling (4-4-2)
Notes:Sunderland have won 2 of the last 3 games against Liverpool at the Stadium of Light
A loss for Liverpool would signify their worst start to a league season in over 100 years.
Players to watch out for-
Sunderland:
Adam Johnson-The former Manchester City attacker adds a real level of class to the Sunderland squad and will be looking to force himself into the England mix after having rarely played for City last year. Whilst he is considered a doubt for the match, his inclusion will play a big part in whether or not Sunderland will be able to win the Midfield battle.
Steven Fletcher-Sunderland's major goal threat will be given a tough match by the Liverpool defense but he'll be a continual threat throughout the game, especially in the air. Whilst Fletcher isn't quick he is able to show his strength and bully defenders who are questioning themselves like the Liverpool defense will be.
Liverpool:
Raheem Sterling-There has been little to really celebrate on the pitch for Liverpool however the emergence of youngster Raheem Sterling has been one of those few things. The very promising youngster has looked sensational against both Manchester City and Arsenal and seems likely to be a threat to the Sunderland defense here. Keep an eye out for another out standing performance from this youngster.
Luis Suarez-The every controversial Uruguayan appears to be Liverpool's only proven attacker at the moment and a lot is resting on his shoulders. Sadly for Liverpool Suarez has so far been less than successful at finding the back of the goal, despite having had a number of great chances. If Suarez can't get his shooting boots on sooner, rather than later, Liverpool will seriously struggle.
Showing posts with label Preview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Preview. Show all posts
Friday, 14 September 2012
Thursday, 13 September 2012
Premier League Week 4-Preview and prediction (Norwich v West Ham)
With the recent international games the Premier League has been on a bit of a hiatus though returns this weekend as Norwich host West Ham in the early kick off. Whilst it's not a headline game it will likely be seen as a huge 6 pointer with both teams expected to be battling relegation and one that is almost certainly worth some interest from football fans.
Whilst expectation at Norwich was low, following the loss of manager Paul Lambert (who went to Villa) it's fair to say that the Canaries haven't actually done that badly. Whilst they were slaughtered on the opening day (losing 5-0 at Fulham) they have held their own with both QPR and most recently Tottenham (drawing both of those games 1-1) as they have earned both their first home and away points of the season.
Despite having conceded 7 goals so far this season Norwich's big problem seems to be up front where they lack a true goal scorer, instead having an attack built up of various threats as opposed to an out and out threat. The likes of Grant Holt will bag goals but will struggle to find the target on a regular basis however Robert Snodgrass (who looked sensational in his last match for the club) will create chances for the attacking line.
With Chris Hughton looking to hit the ground running following the internationals Norwich could pose a threat here, but only if they can get in the goals against a West Ham team that look unwilling to give many away (with only Swansea having scored against West Ham this season). This is the problem, Norwich can't score and West Ham don't really concede, in Norwich win it'll only be by a single goal.
Last year Norwich were very average at home, but they were an average team. Their Premier League position of 12th overall was a solid mid-table finish and their home form was reflective of that with 27 home points from their 19 home games (surprisingly the same as Liverpool).
Last time out (a fortnight ago!) West Ham looked excellent in defeating Fulham 3-0 with the Fulham defensive lining looking completely unable to cope with the West Ham attack. Sadly however the forefront of that attack was Andy Carroll who will be absent (due to injury) from this game leaving the West Ham attack looking like a bit of a rag-tag collection. Whilst Kevin Nolan will get goals he's not a pure goal scorer, Ricardo Vaz Te has goals in him but seems to lack Premier League class and Carlton Cole is a joke even amongst West Ham fans. The loss of Carroll (after just 1 game) is genuinely huge.
At the back West Ham have been solid conceding just 3 goals so far this season (in 3 Premier League games) though notably all 3 goals came in their only previous away fixture. This is a stark contract to their form last season where defensively they were rock solid away from home (conceding just 22 away goals in 23 games) and slightly less secure at home (29 goals conceded). If we were to look at last season's numbers however we'd have to favour West Ham here on the back of 13 away wins however was that in the championship, not in the Premier League.
Whilst there is Premier League quality running through the West Ham squad there are questions about the depth of the squad and the absence of Carroll really does bring that issue up. Players like Nolan, Matt Jarvis and Yossi Benayoun can all grab goals and show sparks of something extra but the squad looks like it's only ever going to be 2 injuries away from a crisis.
Kick-Off: 12:45
Prediction: 1-1
Expected Line Ups:
Norwich-Ruddy, Bassong, Garrido, R.Martin, Barnett, Johnson, Howson, Snodgrass, Holt, Morrison (4-4-2)
West Ham-
Jääskeläinen, Demel, Reid, Collins, Tomkins, Diamé, Benayoun, Nolan, Vaz Te, Taylor, Cole (4-3-3)
Notes:Norwich have the same amount of points (2) as they had after the same amount of games (3) last season.
West Ham have only lost 2 of their last 24 competitive fixtures (one of those being their 3-0 loss to Swansea)
Players to watch out for-
Norwich:
Robert Snodgrass-Talented Scot Robert Snodgrass looked very out of sorts on the opening day of the season though has looked like the key to everything Norwich have done in their most recent Premier League matches. He looks like he's going to be the driving force going forward for the Canaries and whilst he may not be an out and out goalscorer himself he will create chances for others as well as bagging a fair few himself. He really is the key to the attack.
John Ruddy-Goalkeeper John Rudd started the season with a nightmare at Fulham however he has been very good since then. Whilst he hasn't kept a clean sheet this season he's a very under-rated keeper and is doing a fine job behind a weak defense. He may not have a lot to do here, but he will need to keep his concentration.
West Ham:
Kevin Nolan-The West Ham Captain is their key player and most of what they do goes through him. Nolan is the driving force behind West Ham so the Norwich defense and Midfield will look to keep Nolan from exerting his force on the game. Whilst he's the West Ham Midfield general he's also a threat in front of goal and has already bagged himself some goals this season and will be high on confidence going into this match.
Matt Jarvis-The former Wolves Winger Matt Jarvis has that level of of class that sees him not only able to open up the defense but also create a shed load of chances. Whilst Andy Carroll will be missing Jarvis will be able to look up and find either Carlton Cole or Kevin Nolan in the penalty area giving him some solid targets to aim for in attack.
Whilst expectation at Norwich was low, following the loss of manager Paul Lambert (who went to Villa) it's fair to say that the Canaries haven't actually done that badly. Whilst they were slaughtered on the opening day (losing 5-0 at Fulham) they have held their own with both QPR and most recently Tottenham (drawing both of those games 1-1) as they have earned both their first home and away points of the season.
Despite having conceded 7 goals so far this season Norwich's big problem seems to be up front where they lack a true goal scorer, instead having an attack built up of various threats as opposed to an out and out threat. The likes of Grant Holt will bag goals but will struggle to find the target on a regular basis however Robert Snodgrass (who looked sensational in his last match for the club) will create chances for the attacking line.
With Chris Hughton looking to hit the ground running following the internationals Norwich could pose a threat here, but only if they can get in the goals against a West Ham team that look unwilling to give many away (with only Swansea having scored against West Ham this season). This is the problem, Norwich can't score and West Ham don't really concede, in Norwich win it'll only be by a single goal.
Last year Norwich were very average at home, but they were an average team. Their Premier League position of 12th overall was a solid mid-table finish and their home form was reflective of that with 27 home points from their 19 home games (surprisingly the same as Liverpool).
Last time out (a fortnight ago!) West Ham looked excellent in defeating Fulham 3-0 with the Fulham defensive lining looking completely unable to cope with the West Ham attack. Sadly however the forefront of that attack was Andy Carroll who will be absent (due to injury) from this game leaving the West Ham attack looking like a bit of a rag-tag collection. Whilst Kevin Nolan will get goals he's not a pure goal scorer, Ricardo Vaz Te has goals in him but seems to lack Premier League class and Carlton Cole is a joke even amongst West Ham fans. The loss of Carroll (after just 1 game) is genuinely huge.
At the back West Ham have been solid conceding just 3 goals so far this season (in 3 Premier League games) though notably all 3 goals came in their only previous away fixture. This is a stark contract to their form last season where defensively they were rock solid away from home (conceding just 22 away goals in 23 games) and slightly less secure at home (29 goals conceded). If we were to look at last season's numbers however we'd have to favour West Ham here on the back of 13 away wins however was that in the championship, not in the Premier League.
Whilst there is Premier League quality running through the West Ham squad there are questions about the depth of the squad and the absence of Carroll really does bring that issue up. Players like Nolan, Matt Jarvis and Yossi Benayoun can all grab goals and show sparks of something extra but the squad looks like it's only ever going to be 2 injuries away from a crisis.
Kick-Off: 12:45
Prediction: 1-1
Expected Line Ups:
Norwich-Ruddy, Bassong, Garrido, R.Martin, Barnett, Johnson, Howson, Snodgrass, Holt, Morrison (4-4-2)
West Ham-
Jääskeläinen, Demel, Reid, Collins, Tomkins, Diamé, Benayoun, Nolan, Vaz Te, Taylor, Cole (4-3-3)
Notes:Norwich have the same amount of points (2) as they had after the same amount of games (3) last season.
West Ham have only lost 2 of their last 24 competitive fixtures (one of those being their 3-0 loss to Swansea)
Players to watch out for-
Norwich:
Robert Snodgrass-Talented Scot Robert Snodgrass looked very out of sorts on the opening day of the season though has looked like the key to everything Norwich have done in their most recent Premier League matches. He looks like he's going to be the driving force going forward for the Canaries and whilst he may not be an out and out goalscorer himself he will create chances for others as well as bagging a fair few himself. He really is the key to the attack.
John Ruddy-Goalkeeper John Rudd started the season with a nightmare at Fulham however he has been very good since then. Whilst he hasn't kept a clean sheet this season he's a very under-rated keeper and is doing a fine job behind a weak defense. He may not have a lot to do here, but he will need to keep his concentration.
West Ham:
Kevin Nolan-The West Ham Captain is their key player and most of what they do goes through him. Nolan is the driving force behind West Ham so the Norwich defense and Midfield will look to keep Nolan from exerting his force on the game. Whilst he's the West Ham Midfield general he's also a threat in front of goal and has already bagged himself some goals this season and will be high on confidence going into this match.
Matt Jarvis-The former Wolves Winger Matt Jarvis has that level of of class that sees him not only able to open up the defense but also create a shed load of chances. Whilst Andy Carroll will be missing Jarvis will be able to look up and find either Carlton Cole or Kevin Nolan in the penalty area giving him some solid targets to aim for in attack.
Friday, 31 August 2012
Premier League Week 3-Preview and prediction (West Ham v Fulham)
For the second week running the newly promoted West Ham will get the weekend off to a start featuring in Saturday's early kick off as they host fellow London rivals Fulham. Despite both teams winning their opening league fixtures, both lost last time out and will be looking to get back on the winning path at the others expense.
West Ham's opening day victory over Aston Villa seems to have flattered to deceive with Villa taking a 3-1 drubbing last weekend to Everton whilst the Hammers were rolled over by Michael Laudrup's exceptional Swansea team. Despite the loss to Swansea however West Ham did show some promise, especially from set pieces where they came close a number of times and they do appear to have goals in them.
Having won 2-0 in a mid-week League Cup match (against Crewe) West Ham may go into this match with some momentum however it appears one of those goal scorers, Nicky Maynard, is on his way out (expected to go to Cardiff). Though hopefully, regardless of whether Maynard moves or not West Ham will have rebuilt some of their confidence or Big Sam may find his players really doubting themselves, especially in front of goal.
With Matt Jarvis having made his Premier League debut for the Hammers and looking excellent it does appear that West Ham will create chances, but the bigger question is have they got someone to finish the chances? It seems as though this is biggest issue with the Hammers and although they scored freely in the Championship last year (81 goals, 2nd most) with Ricardo Vaz Te and Carlton Cole they do appear to be struggling this season. Vaz Te, an excellent Championship player, has struggled to score in the Premier League in the past and Cole's Premier League record is around 1 goal in every 5 appearances.
Despite having a number of Premier League level players they really do lack an out and out Premier League goalscorer, something that could really comeback to haunt them. It's the same problem that saw West Ham relegated 2 years ago when they scored a mere 43 Premier League goals (the 3rd worst) with their top League scorer being Demba Ba with just 7 goals. In fact West Ham's attack was so toothless that only 4 players scored 5 or more goals in their 38 League games.
Whilst West Ham are struggling for goals Fulham on the other hand are one of the Premier League's highest scoring teams with 7 goals from their 2 games far. They opened their league season with an excellent 5-0 over Norwich and were unlucky not to steal a point in their 3-2 loss to Manchester United weekend. Whilst they did lose in midweek (1-0 to Sheffield Wednesday) in the League Cup Martin Jol's intention will be for a successful Premier League campaign, not a League Cup one.
Like West Ham it doesn't appear that Fulham are done with the transfer market and whilst they have recently lost Mousa Dembele (selling him to Tottenham) it appears as if Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov is on his way to raven Cottage. Rumours are also circulating that Keiran Richardson could also join Fulham before the transfer window closes in just over a day. If Jol can secure both of these signings than it will be a major coup for the Dutchman.
Despite selling Dembele (who gave Manchester United a headache last weekend) Fulham have a really promising team. Not only is Damien Duff looking close to his best but Mladen Petric looks deadly in front of goal and Alexander Kačaniklić looks like a very shrewd signing. Fulham could be a handful for anyone in the Premier League.
Going into this match both teams will be wanting to show they are a good team though out of the two only Fulham appear to be a good team, I'll be expecting an away win.
Kick-Off: 12:45
Prediction: 0-2
Expected Line Ups:
West Ham-
Jääskeläinen, Demel, Reid, Collins, McCartney, Diamé, Noble, Nolan, Vaz Te, Taylor, Cole (4-3-3)
Fulham-
Schwarzer, Hangeland, Hughes, Kelly, Briggs, Duff, Diarra, Kacaniklic, Sidwell, Petric, Ruiz (4-4-2)
Notes:The summer signings haven't yet finished for either team and it looks likely that Andy Carroll will be loaned to West Ham for the season whilst Dimitar Berbatov is set to sign for Fulham (note this preview is being written on Thursday) however it's unlikely either will be registered in time to play.
West Ham have only lost 2 of their last 23 competitive fixtures (one of those being their 3-0 loss to Swansea)
Fulham have only beaten West Ham once at Upton Park in the Premier League
Players to watch out for-
West Ham:
Kevin Nolan-The West Ham Captain is their key player and most of what they do goes through him. Nolan is the driving force behind West Ham so the Fulham defense and Midfield will look to keep Nolan from exerting his force on the game. Whilst he's the West Ham Midfield general he's also a threat in front of goal and acts not only as a poacher but also as a solid threat in the air meaning that he will need to be marked well at set pieces.
Ricardo Vaz Te-The Portuguese forward was one of, if not the, Player of the Season for West Ham after signing from Barnsley mid way through the season. His goal record for the club is tremendous and his work rate is through the roof, he will always pose a threat to defenses and he will be looking to open his scoring sooner rather than later for the season.
Fulham:
Mladen Petric-The new Striker Mladen Petric has looked a star since signing for Fulham and with 2 goals already this he looks like an excellent threat. He gave the Manchester United defense a head ache at times last time out and was unlucky not to have scored past David De Gea. Expect the West Ham defense to be given a real nightmare against him.
Damien Duff-The Irish Winger retired from international football at the start of the new season though has proven that there is still life in the old dog with a goal in both Premier League games that he has played in so far, giving him the same return as he had in the entire of last season. Duff will give the Hammers fits if he gets the ball.
West Ham's opening day victory over Aston Villa seems to have flattered to deceive with Villa taking a 3-1 drubbing last weekend to Everton whilst the Hammers were rolled over by Michael Laudrup's exceptional Swansea team. Despite the loss to Swansea however West Ham did show some promise, especially from set pieces where they came close a number of times and they do appear to have goals in them.
Having won 2-0 in a mid-week League Cup match (against Crewe) West Ham may go into this match with some momentum however it appears one of those goal scorers, Nicky Maynard, is on his way out (expected to go to Cardiff). Though hopefully, regardless of whether Maynard moves or not West Ham will have rebuilt some of their confidence or Big Sam may find his players really doubting themselves, especially in front of goal.
With Matt Jarvis having made his Premier League debut for the Hammers and looking excellent it does appear that West Ham will create chances, but the bigger question is have they got someone to finish the chances? It seems as though this is biggest issue with the Hammers and although they scored freely in the Championship last year (81 goals, 2nd most) with Ricardo Vaz Te and Carlton Cole they do appear to be struggling this season. Vaz Te, an excellent Championship player, has struggled to score in the Premier League in the past and Cole's Premier League record is around 1 goal in every 5 appearances.
Despite having a number of Premier League level players they really do lack an out and out Premier League goalscorer, something that could really comeback to haunt them. It's the same problem that saw West Ham relegated 2 years ago when they scored a mere 43 Premier League goals (the 3rd worst) with their top League scorer being Demba Ba with just 7 goals. In fact West Ham's attack was so toothless that only 4 players scored 5 or more goals in their 38 League games.
Whilst West Ham are struggling for goals Fulham on the other hand are one of the Premier League's highest scoring teams with 7 goals from their 2 games far. They opened their league season with an excellent 5-0 over Norwich and were unlucky not to steal a point in their 3-2 loss to Manchester United weekend. Whilst they did lose in midweek (1-0 to Sheffield Wednesday) in the League Cup Martin Jol's intention will be for a successful Premier League campaign, not a League Cup one.
Like West Ham it doesn't appear that Fulham are done with the transfer market and whilst they have recently lost Mousa Dembele (selling him to Tottenham) it appears as if Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov is on his way to raven Cottage. Rumours are also circulating that Keiran Richardson could also join Fulham before the transfer window closes in just over a day. If Jol can secure both of these signings than it will be a major coup for the Dutchman.
Despite selling Dembele (who gave Manchester United a headache last weekend) Fulham have a really promising team. Not only is Damien Duff looking close to his best but Mladen Petric looks deadly in front of goal and Alexander Kačaniklić looks like a very shrewd signing. Fulham could be a handful for anyone in the Premier League.
Going into this match both teams will be wanting to show they are a good team though out of the two only Fulham appear to be a good team, I'll be expecting an away win.
Kick-Off: 12:45
Prediction: 0-2
Expected Line Ups:
West Ham-
Jääskeläinen, Demel, Reid, Collins, McCartney, Diamé, Noble, Nolan, Vaz Te, Taylor, Cole (4-3-3)
Fulham-
Schwarzer, Hangeland, Hughes, Kelly, Briggs, Duff, Diarra, Kacaniklic, Sidwell, Petric, Ruiz (4-4-2)
Notes:The summer signings haven't yet finished for either team and it looks likely that Andy Carroll will be loaned to West Ham for the season whilst Dimitar Berbatov is set to sign for Fulham (note this preview is being written on Thursday) however it's unlikely either will be registered in time to play.
West Ham have only lost 2 of their last 23 competitive fixtures (one of those being their 3-0 loss to Swansea)
Fulham have only beaten West Ham once at Upton Park in the Premier League
Players to watch out for-
West Ham:
Kevin Nolan-The West Ham Captain is their key player and most of what they do goes through him. Nolan is the driving force behind West Ham so the Fulham defense and Midfield will look to keep Nolan from exerting his force on the game. Whilst he's the West Ham Midfield general he's also a threat in front of goal and acts not only as a poacher but also as a solid threat in the air meaning that he will need to be marked well at set pieces.
Ricardo Vaz Te-The Portuguese forward was one of, if not the, Player of the Season for West Ham after signing from Barnsley mid way through the season. His goal record for the club is tremendous and his work rate is through the roof, he will always pose a threat to defenses and he will be looking to open his scoring sooner rather than later for the season.
Fulham:
Mladen Petric-The new Striker Mladen Petric has looked a star since signing for Fulham and with 2 goals already this he looks like an excellent threat. He gave the Manchester United defense a head ache at times last time out and was unlucky not to have scored past David De Gea. Expect the West Ham defense to be given a real nightmare against him.
Damien Duff-The Irish Winger retired from international football at the start of the new season though has proven that there is still life in the old dog with a goal in both Premier League games that he has played in so far, giving him the same return as he had in the entire of last season. Duff will give the Hammers fits if he gets the ball.
Tuesday, 21 August 2012
Premier League Week 1-Preview and prediction (Wednesday)
The Premier League season may just have kicked off but we're already on the eve of our first midweek game as prospective title contenders Chelsea face off against the recently promoted Reading, with both teams knowing a win will take them to the top of the table.
On the opening day of the season Reading looked rather toothless for much of their game as they struggled to a 1-1 draw with Stoke, thanks in part to Dean Whitehead getting sent off and conceding a penalty late. The extra man advantage suddenly seemed to charge Reading up and despite their being only minutes of the match left they looked to be a team who had cast of the shackles.
Just a day later Chelsea managed to earn three 3 points away to Wigan after an excellent start going 1-0 up inside 2 minutes before bagging a second just minutes later as they looked almost certain to rout the Latics. Instead of bagging more goals however Chelsea went into their shells and just sat back allowing Wigan to play themselves into the game. Despite their timid performance after taking an early lead Chelsea did have positives to take from the match, mainly the showing by new signing Eden Hazard who worried the Wigan defense every time he had the ball.
Despite having had an extra days rest however it'll be very hard to favour Reading who will be going into the lions den against a Chelsea team who will almost certainly want to not only climb to the top of the league but put on a performance for their own fans at Stamford Bridge in their first home fixture of the season.
At the home last year Chelsea were defensively poor conceding 24 home goals (11th worst home defence) though they often found ways to win by simply out scoring their opponents racking up an impressive 41 home goals (3rd most) to give them 39 home points (5th most). In fact the combined 65 goals scored at Stamford Bridge was the 3rd most goals at a single ground in the Premier League last season (behind only Old Trafford-71 and the Etihad-67) giving fans plenty of action to watch.
Against Reading I don't see the Chelsea defense being pushed too hard, the performance against stoke was less than threatening and on last years form Reading really aren't a great threat away from home. Despite scoring 33 away goals (5th most in the Championship) last season they netted 14 of those in 4 games (with 4 against West Ham, 4 against Barnsley, 3 against Southampton and 3 against Bristol City) meaning in the other 19 away games they netted an average of once per game. Though Reading's strong point away from home, and what helped win them 13 away games (tied most with West Ham in the Champion) was their away defence which conceded just 23 goals in 23 games (the 2nd best behind West Ham).
What we have here then is a very strong offensive team in Chelsea who will attack, especially at home, against a strong defensive team in Reading who will likely only play with one out and out attacker giving them little threat up front. Though the bigger point isn't about last years stats but more about the mentality of the Reading players. We know Chelsea's players, on the whole, have international pedigree, with the technical ability to really play Reading off the pitch. With the likes of Lampard and Hazard pulling the strings behind Torres it could well be a difficult night for Reading who will find themselves under a lot of pressure. How will Reading cope with not getting much of the ball? How well drilled are they? And most importantly, are they capable of taking a chance if they get one?
For me the key here is whether or not Reading can shut down the service Chelsea will try to provide to Torres. If they can stop the likes of Hazard, Lampard, Ivanovic and Cole from playing in the Chelsea hitman it could prove to be a fruitless night for the Blues. Sadly for the Royals I genuinely can't see them holding out for 90 minutes against a very threatening Chelsea attack which despite only playing a single Striker has goal threats from every where on the pitch. Lampard, as we know can bang them in, Ivanaovic, as he showed on Sunday is a threat, Torres, Hazard and Oscar are all solid in front of goal and Terry is a serious threat from set Pieces.
Whilst Reading do have goals in them through Adam le Fondre and Pavel Pogrebyank in open play and Ian Harte from set pieces I don't imagine they will have enough of the ball to threaten Petr Cech in what could be a steep learning curve.
Kick off-19:45
Prediction 3-0
Expected Line Ups:
Chelsea-
Cech, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Cole, Mikel, Lampard, Bertrand, Hazard, Oscar, Torres (4-2-3-1)
Reading-
Federici, Gunter, Harte, Gorkss, Pearce, Guthrie, Leigertwood, McAnuff, McCleary, Le Fondre, Pogrebnyak (4-4-1-1)
Notes:
Chelsea's new signings Eden Hazard and Oscar are expected to both make their home debut's for the Blues who are expected to start Mata on the bench so as to start Oscar.
Whilst no new injury worries have come up for Reading Jimmy Kebe still hasn't returned to the team and isn't expected back for several weeks.
This will be Chelsea's 2nd game of 3 inside a week as they start the Premier League with a relatively hectic schedule.
As a sub story to the game expect the comparisons between Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and Reading's owner Anton Zingarevich to at least get a mention on TV and Radio
Players to watch out for-
Chelsea:
Fernando Torres-The Spanish Striker looked like he was slowly getting back to his best at the end of last season and again at Euro 2010 where he claimed the Golden Boot. Whilst not at his most impressive against Wigan he is a serious threat and seems to be getting more confident. With the service he is likely to get it's hard to imagine him not getting at least one chance here.
Eden Hazard-New signing Eden Hazard look excellent on the ball against Wigan and whilst he went down far too easily he seems to have the innate ability to open defenses up at will. Against Reading I can can imagine him creating chances left right and centre as he looks to justify his hefty price tag.
Reading-
Adam Federici-Despite effectively giving Stoke their goal on Saturday the Australian Keeper is a very reliable keeper and will be looking to put the blunder behind him as he faces Chelsea's fearsome attacking line. Whether Reading fan's like it or not Federici will be a busy man in goal.
Kaspars Gorkšs-The defensive stalwart will need to show why he is so highly rated by Reading fans as he attempts to organise the Reading defense as well as neutralise the Chelsea task. The Latvian was incredible in the Championship last year and will need to step up here. If Gorkšs has a bad game this could be hugely embarrassing for Reading.
On the opening day of the season Reading looked rather toothless for much of their game as they struggled to a 1-1 draw with Stoke, thanks in part to Dean Whitehead getting sent off and conceding a penalty late. The extra man advantage suddenly seemed to charge Reading up and despite their being only minutes of the match left they looked to be a team who had cast of the shackles.
Just a day later Chelsea managed to earn three 3 points away to Wigan after an excellent start going 1-0 up inside 2 minutes before bagging a second just minutes later as they looked almost certain to rout the Latics. Instead of bagging more goals however Chelsea went into their shells and just sat back allowing Wigan to play themselves into the game. Despite their timid performance after taking an early lead Chelsea did have positives to take from the match, mainly the showing by new signing Eden Hazard who worried the Wigan defense every time he had the ball.
Despite having had an extra days rest however it'll be very hard to favour Reading who will be going into the lions den against a Chelsea team who will almost certainly want to not only climb to the top of the league but put on a performance for their own fans at Stamford Bridge in their first home fixture of the season.
At the home last year Chelsea were defensively poor conceding 24 home goals (11th worst home defence) though they often found ways to win by simply out scoring their opponents racking up an impressive 41 home goals (3rd most) to give them 39 home points (5th most). In fact the combined 65 goals scored at Stamford Bridge was the 3rd most goals at a single ground in the Premier League last season (behind only Old Trafford-71 and the Etihad-67) giving fans plenty of action to watch.
Against Reading I don't see the Chelsea defense being pushed too hard, the performance against stoke was less than threatening and on last years form Reading really aren't a great threat away from home. Despite scoring 33 away goals (5th most in the Championship) last season they netted 14 of those in 4 games (with 4 against West Ham, 4 against Barnsley, 3 against Southampton and 3 against Bristol City) meaning in the other 19 away games they netted an average of once per game. Though Reading's strong point away from home, and what helped win them 13 away games (tied most with West Ham in the Champion) was their away defence which conceded just 23 goals in 23 games (the 2nd best behind West Ham).
What we have here then is a very strong offensive team in Chelsea who will attack, especially at home, against a strong defensive team in Reading who will likely only play with one out and out attacker giving them little threat up front. Though the bigger point isn't about last years stats but more about the mentality of the Reading players. We know Chelsea's players, on the whole, have international pedigree, with the technical ability to really play Reading off the pitch. With the likes of Lampard and Hazard pulling the strings behind Torres it could well be a difficult night for Reading who will find themselves under a lot of pressure. How will Reading cope with not getting much of the ball? How well drilled are they? And most importantly, are they capable of taking a chance if they get one?
For me the key here is whether or not Reading can shut down the service Chelsea will try to provide to Torres. If they can stop the likes of Hazard, Lampard, Ivanovic and Cole from playing in the Chelsea hitman it could prove to be a fruitless night for the Blues. Sadly for the Royals I genuinely can't see them holding out for 90 minutes against a very threatening Chelsea attack which despite only playing a single Striker has goal threats from every where on the pitch. Lampard, as we know can bang them in, Ivanaovic, as he showed on Sunday is a threat, Torres, Hazard and Oscar are all solid in front of goal and Terry is a serious threat from set Pieces.
Whilst Reading do have goals in them through Adam le Fondre and Pavel Pogrebyank in open play and Ian Harte from set pieces I don't imagine they will have enough of the ball to threaten Petr Cech in what could be a steep learning curve.
Kick off-19:45
Prediction 3-0
Expected Line Ups:
Chelsea-
Cech, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Cole, Mikel, Lampard, Bertrand, Hazard, Oscar, Torres (4-2-3-1)
Reading-
Federici, Gunter, Harte, Gorkss, Pearce, Guthrie, Leigertwood, McAnuff, McCleary, Le Fondre, Pogrebnyak (4-4-1-1)
Notes:
Chelsea's new signings Eden Hazard and Oscar are expected to both make their home debut's for the Blues who are expected to start Mata on the bench so as to start Oscar.
Whilst no new injury worries have come up for Reading Jimmy Kebe still hasn't returned to the team and isn't expected back for several weeks.
This will be Chelsea's 2nd game of 3 inside a week as they start the Premier League with a relatively hectic schedule.
As a sub story to the game expect the comparisons between Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and Reading's owner Anton Zingarevich to at least get a mention on TV and Radio
Players to watch out for-
Chelsea:
Fernando Torres-The Spanish Striker looked like he was slowly getting back to his best at the end of last season and again at Euro 2010 where he claimed the Golden Boot. Whilst not at his most impressive against Wigan he is a serious threat and seems to be getting more confident. With the service he is likely to get it's hard to imagine him not getting at least one chance here.
Eden Hazard-New signing Eden Hazard look excellent on the ball against Wigan and whilst he went down far too easily he seems to have the innate ability to open defenses up at will. Against Reading I can can imagine him creating chances left right and centre as he looks to justify his hefty price tag.
Reading-
Adam Federici-Despite effectively giving Stoke their goal on Saturday the Australian Keeper is a very reliable keeper and will be looking to put the blunder behind him as he faces Chelsea's fearsome attacking line. Whether Reading fan's like it or not Federici will be a busy man in goal.
Kaspars Gorkšs-The defensive stalwart will need to show why he is so highly rated by Reading fans as he attempts to organise the Reading defense as well as neutralise the Chelsea task. The Latvian was incredible in the Championship last year and will need to step up here. If Gorkšs has a bad game this could be hugely embarrassing for Reading.
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