Premier League Week 23

[HangTheDJ]

After a weekend of FA Cup action and with six-and-a-bit days of the winter transfer window remaining, a midweek Premier League fixture is not likely to be top of most managers' wish-lists.However, English football is never that kind and eight clubs are thrown into action on Tuesday night, with points required at the top and the bottom of the table.Portsmouth, Sunderland, Tottenham, Stoke and West Brom are scrapping for points at the wrong end of the table, while Aston Villa and Manchester United are looking to boost their credentials at the summit and Fulham will hope to continue their solid campaign.Things are also beginning to spice up in the transfer window as 2nd February draws ever closer, giving managers something else to fret about, but plans for signings and sales will need to go on hold, for 90 minutes at least, on Tuesday.League-leading United travel to rock-bottom West Brom hoping to open a three-point advantage over Liverpool, who sit second and make a difficult journey to Wigan on Wednesday.Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson admits that he can already 'smell' a title run-in and the 10-time Premier League champion will want to pile more pressure on his closest rivals by extending a run of one defeat in 20 games.InfamousWhat sort of exact odour a championship push omits is open to debate but, after watching a slightly panicky, nervous, Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez launch into his infamously strange rant a couple of weeks ago, there could be a few suggestions.West Brom, though, are just as desperate for the points as Tony Mowbray's side - who will be without captain Jonathan Greening after he was ruled out for up to six weeks with knee ligament damage - continue to earn the plaudits for style, but also appear set for an immediate return to the Championship.Villa are maintaining the pace in the top four and Martin O'Neill's men will look to prolong that form at Portsmouth, live on Sky Sports 2 and HD2, especially now that they find themselves odds on with Sky Bet to finish in the UEFA Champions League places.However, Pompey are one of the many teams from, at best, eighth to 20th position that cannot be considered safe from relegation and - after their defence of the FA Cup came to an end against Swansea on Saturday - the pressure is mounting on boss Tony Adams, who completed the double signing of Hayden Mullins and Portuguese midfielder Pele on Monday.The Fratton Park outfit are likely to be one of the clubs to watch in the closing stages of the transfer window as Adams has yet to fully invest the pot full of cash generated from the sales of Jermain Defoe and Sulley Muntari, and arrivals will be needed should results not go to plan in the latest batch of matches.Tottenham continue to flail at the wrong end of the division and now that the usual, immediate, shockwave, impact of a new managerial arrival has well and truly worn off, Harry Redknapp's Spurs are in real relegation danger.ImpactIt appears that at least one 'big' club could suffer the drop this term and it may be Redknapp's 16th-placed men, who have alarmingly not won in six games in the league ahead of the visit of fellow strugglers Stoke.Wheeler dealer Redknapp continues to be linked with pretty much every player in world football and he has admitted an interest in £20million Liverpool flop and former Spurs star Robbie Keane, while also finding himself in a war of words with Sunderland boss Ricky Sbragia regarding Black Cats striker Kenwyne Jones.But the Spurs boss' desperate focus will be on defeating Stoke, who occupy a place in the relegation zone but sit level on points with their White Hart Lane hosts.Sunderland are also struggling and are only narrowly clear of the five teams - West Brom, Stoke, Middlesbrough, Blackburn and Tottenham - who are clustered on a haul of only 21 points this season.And Sbragia's side will be slightly concerned ahead of Fulham's arrival at the Stadium of Light, where the home team have lost on six occasions.Fulham, meanwhile, have surpassed all expectations and, while Roy Hodgson's outfit are facing up to life without new Hull City midfielder Jimmy Bullard, the Cottagers will not want to undo all the hard work which has deservedly earned a place in the top half.

Tuesday 27th JanuaryBarclays Premier League19:45 Sunderland vs Fulham19:45 West Brom vs Man Utd20:00 Portsmouth vs Aston Villa - Sky Sports 220:00 Tottenham vs StokeWednesday 28th JanuaryBarclays Premier League19:45 Chelsea vs Middlesbrough19:45 Man City vs Newcastle19:45 Wigan vs Liverpool20:00 Blackburn vs Bolton20:00 Everton vs Arsenal20:00 West Ham vs Hull - Sky Sports 2

[Guest haze-e]

MOTD on tonight?

[the_one]

No matches on Setanta then?

[The King]

Really intrested who we gonna put out. Should be similar to Saturday's line up I imagine. Hopfully 2 goal cushion by half time and get Tosic some minutes. He looked a bit too eager too please on Saturday.

[HangTheDJ]

nah no MOTD haze-e, they gonna have a big one tomorrow i think

Pompey v Villa

Carew and Bouma could return to the bench, unlikely though.NRC (thigh), Laursen (knee), Ashley Young (suspension) all missing, L.Young expected to return after suspension.Heskey set to make debut.Expected line up:Friedel,Cuellar, Knight, Davies, Young,Sidwell, Petrov, Barry,Gabby, Heskey, Milnercould become 4-4-2 with Barry left side and Milner right, or a 4-3-1-2 like we played for the last few months of last season with Ashley in a free role, but Milner in it obviously.MON may leave out Knight, put Cuellar at centre half, Young right back and leave Shorey in the side, hope not though. Or leave out Knight, Gardner at RB, Cuellar in the middle.Heskey may not even start, and keep the team as close to the side that won at Pompey, but I doubt it.There is also talk Heskey may play left wing and we continue with the counter-attacking 4-5-1, but I doubt that as Gabby has looked isolated at times.Pompey (possible):James,Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Belhadj,Pennant, Mullins, Davis, Traore,Crouch, Nugent.Dunno about Pompeys injuries etc, but I'd guess they'd line up like that.Prediction:Portsmouth 2 - 1 Villa.Pennant assisting Crouch and Nugent and Heskey in the air for us.

[Guest Medic]

Didnt even know there was matches today. Bonus

[Mr Q]

Some good fixtures 2moro. On a side note, one good thing did come out of our replay with the bluenoses, United have to play them on Saturday now.

[HangTheDJ]

SIDWELL DROPPEDGARDNER INHESKEY STARTS

[Guest haze-e]

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea, Park, Carrick, Giggs, Ronaldo, Berbatov, Tevez.Subs: Kuszczak, Brown, Tosic, Scholes, Fletcher, Gibson, EckersleyFerdinand back. Tosic will probably come on for Park later.

[Guest haze-e]

Cudicini is starting for Tottenham.

[HangTheDJ]

THERES ONLY ONE EMILE HESKEYONE EMILE HESKEYHE USED TO BE SHITEBUT NOW HE'S ALRIGHTWALKING IN A HESKEY WONDERLANDDION AND MAGIC MERSONCOME ON LADS

[Agony]

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea, Park, Carrick, Giggs, Ronaldo, Berbatov, Tevez.Subs: Kuszczak, Brown, Tosic, Scholes, Fletcher, Gibson, EckersleyFerdinand back. Tosic will probably come on for Park later.

Good to see Rio and Brown backHope Tosic does well if he comes off the bench

[Guest haze-e]

Man u v WBrom delayed.Kick off at 8:15 now.

[Aquaman]

man u stream?

[The King]

strong side. Gonna f*ck*ng miss kick off. Traffic round city ground is f*cked

[Ephren Taylor]

Gwaaan... new punditry team for us now..Carlton Palmer and Trevor Sinclair...Rob Lee was good tho still, but Trev is a decent replacement

[Mr. Gayle]

And the changes begin, Villa playing a 442 nowWe will see how this pans out"Not broke dont fix it" springs to mind

[Snoop]

Anyone got a link for the villa game?

[The King]

Spurs winning 1-0. Lennon.

[BATTY BOY BUM BANDIT]

Any links for our game??

[Bruno Di Gradi]

1-0 spurslennon nutmeg

[Lurker]

Any links for our game??

http://www.iraqgoals.com/en/ch2.htmlpretty sh*t tbhanyone got a better 1?

[The King]

I got a sh*t one. Found it in the live channels on SopCast.

[Black.]

My spurs links down