[slick]

Ehhm this weeks set of fixtures looks pretty easy on paper but as we know things rarely turn out that way so heres hoping things run to form.

Blackburn v Fulham
Blackburn should see off the cottagers here as they push for a UEFA place and allthough they don't seem to be playing in the same vane of form as they were before christmas they have found their scoring touch again and are picking up results and points.

Mcarthy as mentioned last week is hitting similar form to last season and knocking them in again which is just aswell seeing Santa Cruz seems to have gone off the boil but you have to feel a goal for him will spark him back into life again as he's always there or thereabouts.

Blackburn from there lineup look more than capable of scoring against a pish poor Fulham side at the moment who look doomed for the drop, thye have only kept one clean sheet in the last 4 or 5 months and against an offensive side like Blackburn i fear the writing is on the wall for them with Blackburn more than capable of scoring at least a couple, whereas on the other hand you can't see where a Fulham goal will be coming from.

Blackburn win

Liverpool v Newcastle
Bit of a quandry here for Benitez with the Champs league match against Inter coming a week later than expected, so does he rest a few players or play his strongest side as he has done lately as they need that 4th Prem spot to guarantee a Champions League spot for next season.

Either way mind i can see them beating Newcastle and depending on Benitez's selection it should just be about by how many.

Liverpool have had a rough ride this season at anfield but since their cup FA exit to Barnsley they seem to have woke up and are now beginning to get there house in order, betaing teams a lot more capable than Newcastle.

Newcastle on the otherhand have been shocking this term , even more so since Keegan has took the helm and with there only away wins coming early on against Bolton and Fulham this is a totally different proposition.

Liverpool seem to have regained there confidence as they shown against both Bolton and West Ham over the last week and they will know they have nothing to fear against the Magpies.

Liverpool win +2.5 goals.

Reading v Man City
Well after the last few weeks showings from City I'm glad this wont be on the telly this weekend as it has the makings of another dire affair.

City will be wanting the points for a Euro push and Reading will know a win will probably push them out of the relegation zone if only this week for now, Can't make out the Lita affair mind as Reading can't score for toffee but Coppell insisted in not playing him this season and has now loaned him out to Charlton, very strange indeed.

I'm going to edge my bets with City though as Reading have a very leaky defence and it will suit City if Reading come out and play as the recent home games at City have seen teams just setting up shop and defending hoping to catch them on the break.
City defensively are solid and should be more than capable of keeping out a pretty meek Reading attack while at the other end City have a pretty offensive outfit with plenty of strikers who still need to prove their worth and there will be no better match than this for them to show what they are capable of with Castillo, Caicedo and Benjani all needing to put on a show as the younsgters Sturridge and Evans at Norwich both looking to impress for a team shirt next year.

Man City win 0-1, 0-2

Sunderland v Everton
This has to be a match Everton will be looking to win to keep on Liverpools tail and the way they are currently playing in the Premiership i'd expect them to do so.

Defensively Everton have come on leaps and bounds this year with Jagielka looking a completey different player in his new defensive role at centre half, I never did think he was cut out to be a Premiership player after watching him at Sheffield maybe because he used to get skinned so many times and skew wiff so may sitters when he pushed up from midfield but in defence he looks a different player and getting a good partnership going with Lescott.
Overall I like the way Everton defend as the midfielders all come back and help out and the opposing team usually struggles to break down so many players behind the ball , being able to do a quick release enabling yakubu to hold up the ball or just go off on one of his run and bang it in the net, Pienaar is also looking a decent player giving Everton width down the left and linking up well with Yakubu.

Sunderland on the other hand are now looking just to consolidate and keeping themselves in the Prem by concentrating on wining there home games allthough Kenwyn Jones seems to have gone a bit quiet recently after a lively start to the season, they will need him for that final push to steer clear of relegation otherwise the last few weeks of the season will be nail biting stuff for Cats fans.

Richardson being back and fully fit will give Sunderland at least half a chance here but it will take more than one or two good players to beat a team Like Everton who have them in every position.

Everton Win

Tottenham v West Ham
This is a game i wouldent touch with a bargepole at the moment as Spurs seem to have lost that spark since winning the Carling cup and West Ham hitting a pretty poor patch of form probbaly due to a large injury list, allthough it has to be said they have played some decent teams in that patch.

No bet for me as neither side fills me with confidence at the moment.

Wigan v Arsenal
Looks like a straight Gunners win here but everytime i say that they seem to come unstuck so i'm in two minds, more so because of the state of the Wigan pitch, if Wenger blamed the pitch for the poor peformance against United then they have seen nothing yet as it looked cut up to hell when Wigan Rugby played on it last weekend and a quagmire after the match, if the groundsman can make that pitch ship shape in seven days then he's a miracle worker.

Its so tempting to go for the Arsenal win after that emphatic win against Milan midweek but they do seem to slip up in the bread and butter matches like this one when they are not allowed that slick passing game due to the nature of the opposition and the pitch.

I'm gonna chance my arm and take Wigan on the asian handicap

Wigan +0.5, +1 @2.25