The New Football Pools Pundits' Predictions:
John Barnes: Home win
Tony Cascarino: Draw
Graham Poll: Home win
Mirror.co.uk Sports Editor Dan Silver: Home win
Arsenal team news
Arsenal will have midfielder Abou Diaby available following a calf problem for tomorrow's visit of Fulham, while Andrei Arshavin is set to return after he was ineligible for the midweek Champions League tie.
Defender William Gallas has recovered from a knock on his ankle and will be in the squad.
However, Theo Walcott (shoulder) and striker Eduardo (hamstring) are not yet fully match fit. Mikael Silvestre (calf), Emmanuel Adebayor (hamstring), captain Cesc Fabregas (knee) and Tomas Rosicky (hamstring tendon) remain sidelined.
Team (from): Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Arshavin, Denilson, Diaby, Nasri, van Persie, Bendtner, Fabianski, Eboue, Djourou, Gibbs, Song, Ramsey, Vela.
Fulham team news
Andy Johnson is fit to lead the line for Fulham in tomorrow's Barclays Premier League visit to Arsenal.
Advertisement - article continues below »
Get the HOTTEST Ringtone for Your Cell, RIGHT NOW!
The striker was rested for Tuesday's FA Cup win over Swansea after sustaining a knock against West Brom but will return to the side at the Emirates Stadium.
Midfielder Robert Milsom is out for the season after injuring his cruciate ligament, while Frederik Stoor will replace the suspended John Pantsil at right-back.
Provisional squad: Schwarzer, Hughes, Konchesky, Hangeland, Johnson, Zamora, Nevland, Gera, Murphy, Kamara, Gray, Zuberbuhler, Stoor, Dempsey, Davies, Brown, Smalling, Kallio, Barnes, Dacourt.
Opta match facts
Arsenal have scored 98 league goals at the Emirates.
The Gunners have scored only four goals in their last seven league matches at the Emirates.
Arsene Wenger’s side have drawn their last three league matches 0-0 – they last drew four in a row without scoring in October 1993.
Fulham have drawn more matches 0-0 than any other team in the top flight this season – 6.
Fulham’s only point away at Arsenal came in a 0-0 draw in November 2003 – they have lost the other six league games in north London, conceding at least twice on each occasion.
Arsenal have only kept two clean sheets in seven home league outings against Fulham, conceding exactly once in each of the other five.
Bobby Zamora has been on the winning side in all four of his league starts against Arsenal in the Premier League.
The former Tottenham striker has scored on each of his last two visits to play Arsenal in north London.
Robin van Persie has in all competitions scored or assisted every single Arsenal goal while he has been on the pitch in 2009.
The Gunners have only scored one first half goal in their last seven Premier League matches.
Fulham have scored just three away goals all season – fewer than any other team.
The New Football Pools Pundits' Predictions:
John Barnes: TBC
Tony Cascarino: TBC
Graham Poll: TBC
Mirror.co.uk Sports Editor Dan Silver: Home win
Everton team news
Everton's injury problems show no signs of abating with Louis Saha unlikely to feature at home to West Brom in the Barclays Premier League tomorrow.
The striker made a substitute appearance - his first for three months after hamstring trouble - at Newcastle last weekend but is now struggling with a thigh problem.
His fellow forward Victor Anichebe (knee) will be out for at least three weeks, while Mikel Arteta has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a ruptured cruciate.
Jack Rodwell has not trained all week after also sustaining an injury at St James' Park. However, midfielder Tim Cahill and right-back Tony Hibbert return after suspension.
Provisional squad: Howard, Jagielka, Lescott, Yobo, Baines, Hibbert, Gosling, Van der Meyde, Neville, Fellaini, Osman, Cahill, Jo, Saha, Nash, Castillo, Jacobsen.
West Brom team news
West Bromwich Albion are set to be boosted by the availability of midfielder Filipe Teixeira for tomorrow's trip to Everton.
Advertisement - article continues below »
Teixeira suffered a broken toe during last weekend's 2-0 defeat at Fulham but he is expected to figure at Goodison Park.
Bottom of the table Albion, who have lost their last two games, are definitely without midfielders Jonathan Greening and Youssouf Mulumbu and central defender Jonas Olsson.
Greening and Olsson are still sidelined by knee ligament problems while Mulumbu has a thigh strain.
West Bromwich Albion (from): Carson, Kiely, Zuiverloon, Hoefkens, Donk, Pele, Meite, Robinson, Cech, Koren, Teixeira, Kim, Valero, Brunt, Simpson, Fortune, Bednar, Moore, Martis, Menseguez.
Opta match facts
West Brom have conceded 13 headed goals – more than any other team in the Premier League.
Everton have scored 12 headed goals – more than any other team in the top flight.
West Brom’s biggest ever Premier League win came against Everton in November 2005 when they won 4-0.
All four of Everton’s wins in his fixture in the Premier League have been by a one-goal scoreline.
The Baggies have conceded 49 goals so far this season – more than any other side.
The Toffees have conceded just three goals in their last 10 Premier League matches.
West Brom have conceded 42 goals in the last 19 league games, keeping just two clean sheets in that period.
The Baggies have only taken one point from their last four games.
On the road, their record is very poor with only one point from their last 10 road trips and no clean sheets.
Everton have scored 19 goals from set plays – more than any other team this season.
The New Football Pools Pundits' Predictions:
John Barnes: Home win
Tony Cascarino: Home win
Graham Poll: Home win
Mirror.co.uk Sports Editor Dan Silver: Home win
Chelsea team news
Chelsea are without defender Ricardo Carvalho for tomorrow's home clash with Wigan.
He remains sidelined with a hamstring problem while midfielder Deco is doubtful with a similar injury.
Michael Essien is on the brink of full fitness after long-term knee ligament problems but will also miss out.
Provisional squad: Cech, Hilario, Taylor, Ferreira, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, Mancienne, Ivanovic, A Cole, Belletti, Stoch, Lampard, Obi, Ballack, Deco, Kalou, Drogba, Anelka, Malouda, Di Santo.
Wigan team news
Wigan have more injuries to contend with ahead of tomorrow's Barclays Premier League trip to Chelsea as midfielders Daniel de Ridder and Jason Koumas are both doubts.
The pair sustained thigh problems in training yesterday and look likely to be added to the list which includes winger Antonio Valencia (hamstring) and Mido (groin).
Midfielder Ben Watson is suspended for the visit to Stamford Bridge.
Provisional squad: Kirkland, Melchiot, Scharner, Bramble, Figueroa, Cattermole, N'Zogbia, Sibierski, Kapo, Zaki, Kingson, Pollitt, Edman, Brown, Boyce, Rodallega.
Opta match facts
Chelsea have won six of the seven Premier League meetings with Wigan, keeping five clean sheets.
Wigan’s only point came in the last meeting at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues have dropped 16 points at home in the league this season.
Chelsea have won only five of their last 13 league games.
The Blues have kept three clean sheets in their last four league outings.
The Latics have gone six games without a win, drawing their last four games in a row.
Wigan have failed to score in five of their last six league matches.
There have been only four goals scored in Wigan’s last six league games.
Steve Bruce’s side have conceded only one headed goal – fewer than any other team.
Wigan have the worst shooting accuracy in the Premier League, finding their target with just 36% of their attempts.
The New Football Pools Pundits' Predictions:
John Barnes: Away win
Tony Cascarino: Draw
Graham Poll: Draw
Mirror.co.uk Sports Editor Dan Silver: Away win
Middlesbrough team news
Gareth Southgate has Marlon King available as the Middlesbrough manager bids to end a run of 14 Barclays Premier League games without a win against Liverpool tomorrow.
King, on loan from Wigan until the end of the season, missed Boro's clash with the Latics last weekend due to the terms of his contract and was cup-tied for clashes with West Ham that sandwiched Saturday's goalless draw.
Southgate is likely to give fit-again Jeremie Aliadiere his first league start of 2009 following the French forward's fine display in Wednesday's 2-0 FA Cup fifth round win over the Hammers.
Chris Riggott (knee) and Didier Digard (thigh) have long-term injuries and will not feature.
Team (from): Jones, Hoyte, Pogatetz, Wheater, Huth, Arca, O'Neil, Bates, Downing, Aliadiere, Tuncay, Turnbull, McMahon, Walker, Taylor, Emnes, Johnson A, King, Alves,
Liverpool team news
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres will miss the trip to Middlesbrough tomorrow with the ankle injury he sustained in Wednesday's win over Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Advertisement - article continues below »
The Reds hope the striker will have recovered to play on Tuesday in the home league game against Sunderland.
Skipper Steven Gerrard, who played only the final few minutes in the Bernabeu following a hamstring injury, is in the squad for the Riverside clash but again a late decision will be made as to whether he can start.
Liverpool's only other injury is defender Daniel Agger, who is still out with a back problem. Boss Rafael Benitez is expected to make changes to the side which won in Madrid as the Reds face two key games in four days.
Team (from): Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Skrtel, Dossena, Aurelio, Babel, Benayoun, Mascherano, Alonso, Gerrard, Riera, Kuyt, Ngog, El Zhar, Cavalieri, Lucas, Spearing.
Opta match facts
Jose Mourinho is being lined up as the next manager of Liverpool if Rafa Benitez refuses to sign his new contract.
The former Chelsea manager, now at Inter Milan, is top of an Anfield shortlist in case Benitez’s dispute with the club leads to him walking out.
Liverpool’s American owners are increasingly alarmed at the refusal of the Spaniard to sign a new deal after months of negotiations.
And associates of co-owner Tom Hicks have made contact, through a third party, with Mourinho’s agent Jorge Mendes to explore the possibility of a summer move. Frank Rijkaard, AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti and former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson are also being checked out.
Benitez has consistently moved the goalposts during negotiations even though the Americans have met most of his demands.
That has led to a frenzy of speculation which reached its peak this week, with bookies making him favourite to be the next boss to leave a Premier League club.
It is thought that Benitez is keen to see chief executive Rick Parry moved aside, and the manager has also indicated that he finds it difficult working with co-owner George Gillett.
Advertisement - article continues below »
He also wants assurances in the event of the club being sold.
Hicks is a staunch supporter of the Spaniard but Gillett is less committed and questioned if Benitez should be offered a deal that runs until 2013.
Both men are standing by their offer but they also realise they could be left in a desperate position if Benitez stalls until the end of the season and then decides not to renew - paving the way for his departure.
That is a position that becomes more likely with each day that passes without agreement.
And the owners have acted in the past, interviewing Jurgen Klinsmann for the manager’s job a year ago.
Mourinho clearly fits the bill if a replacement is needed. He has repeatedly stated in recent weeks that, despite success in taking Inter Milan to the top of the Italian League, he would love a return to England.
And he makes no secret of his admiration for Liverpool and the history of the club.
Brede Hangeland admits he must stoop to conquer at Arsenal tomorrow - after hitting the woodwork in the last two games.
The Fulham star, 27, hit the bar against West Brom and Swansea to continue a goal drought stretching back to August.
Advertisement - article continues below »
And the 6ft 5in Houston-born defender joked: "I'm going to talk to the groundsman about lifting the crossbar a few inches!
"I should be on a crossbar bonus because I'd be a rich man. I've hit the bar four times in my Fulham career and only scored once so that's a bit disappointing."
Salomon Kalou has revealed that his dream is to play for Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.
The
“Arsene Wenger said he thought of signing me? That’s an honour for me, an honour," Kalou revealed after the Blues' 1-0 Champions League victory over Juventus last night.
“He is a very great coach and I know that every single player in the world dreams of playing for Arsene Wenger,” he added.
“I have a lot of respect for him, he is one of the best coaches in the world so why not?
Advertisement - article continues below »
“I am still under contract with
“They are achieving huge things at Arsenal and watching them play is just beautiful.”
He added: “You are never guaranteed to be in the
“At the present time I’m happy at
Kolo Toure has ended his feud with William Gallas to help keep Arsenal's season alive.
Toure asked for a transfer in January after a row with Gallas which threatened to tear the dressing room apart. But they have buried the hatchet and formed an unlikely defensive partnership which has kept five clean sheets in a row.
And Toure believes their new-found strength at the back can help Arsenal keep a clean sheet in Rome and reach the Champions League quarterfinals after their 1-0 victory over the Italians in the first leg.
Advertisement - article continues below »
SAVE $77! Altec Lansing T612 Digital Speaker System for iPod and iPhone ONLY $122.97 (was $199.99)
Toure said: "Everything is at the end now between us. I'm delighted to be at the club.
"We will go to Rome and try to impose our game and play like we played in the first leg."
A late strike by Fernandinho earned FC Shakhtar Donetsk a draw on the night at Tottenham Hotspur FC, cancelling out Giovani Dos Santos's opener and lining up a last-16 meeting with PFC CSKA Moskva.
Shakhtar threaten
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp rested several first-team players ahead of their League Cup final against Manchester United FC on Sunday, with only Wilson Palacios remaining from the side that defeated Hull City AFC on Monday. Teenage striker Jonathan Obika was given his first senior start and the 18-year-old enjoyed a promising full debut, shaving the post on the half-hour mark and then stabbing narrowly wide just before the break as Spurs chased the tie. Initially it looked like Shakhtar were going to dominate as they did in the first leg. Jadson, helped by a fortunate ricochet off the referee, flashed a drive wide before crossing for fellow Brazilian Willian, who had a shot blocked as Spurs scrambled clear.
Posts
All Comments
