woooo two posts in one day!
i'm either very bored or you're...
alright, i'm very bored.
so, the premiership! it actually looks genuinely good this weekend, with two legitimate crucial games and the end of the transfer window.
the biggest game is undoubtedly chelsea vs spurs. not only is this a london derby involving two fanbases that pretty much hate each other, it is a hugely significant match up for tottenham. having lost two in a row already, you expect them to make it three against last year's runners up. but the problem is, this would be a mild disaster - they have a dangerous game against villa the following weekend, and a third defeat in a row would put their aspirations of a top 5 finish in genuine danger. but to do anything but lose (and the likelihood is that would be a heavy loss), they will need a performance completely at odds with anything produced so far - one of grit, determination and skill. as much as it pains me, i just don't see it: spurs have been so completely hopeless thus far that losing to chelsea, such a habit anyway, is almost inevitable.
elsewhere, villa are at home to liverpool. no more needs to be said about liverpool (although i said that last time); but villa are an enigma. in ashley young they have probably the most outstanding young english attacker, excepting wayne rooney, in the premier league - last year he essentially carried the villa attack on his own, getting the highest amount of assists in the league last year whilst also picking up 8 goals himself - and the combination of him with gabriel agbonlahor and the man-beast himself, john carew, is a potent triumvirate. however, gareth barry hasn't looked like his old self yet (i wonder why), and they've been woefully inconsistent, winning just 4 of their last 13 premier league games. you can probably write off their poor end to last season, which was almost certainly the product of a thin squad stretched to breaking point, but losing to stoke (i don't care what anyone says, they're going down) is unacceptable. that carlos cuellar may be available will presumably help (i've never seen him play, so you're guess is as good as mine), but given that liverpool are playing so badly i have no idea what is going to happen here. i'll be watching it, so i hope its a good match, but god knows, frankly.
finally, arsenal newcastle. i was chatting with my brother, a newcastle fan, about them yesterday - i concluded that they're possibly a top 9 side if they keep the majority of their first xi fit. this would be a definite result for keegan, and i don't see why it can't happen, especially with everton, blackburn and pompey all potentially getting worse. they look solid at the back, with taylor and coloccini forming what is probably the most effective centre back partnership they've had in a while. habib beye was quietly excellent last year, and charles n'zogbia looks is becoming a decent left back. in front of the back four they have danny guthrie (a rough diamond), nicky butt is enjoying an inexplicable renaissance (i'm assured he was brilliant last season by said brother) and they've got two penetrative wingers in jonas and milner (if he stays), with damien duff looking, well, less worse than he did a few months ago. up front, michael owen (who might be the topic of his own post soon) remains dangerous against lesser sides and obafemi martins has an incredible combination of power and pace, although it is one he utilises all too infrequently. its a decent looking team, potentially, but one that doesn't really have much depth - injuries could quickly put joey barton and alan smith (a championship striker masquerading as a premier league midfielder) into the team, and i don't think anyone wants that to happen.
as for arsenal, it is suddenly a big game, as they really need a win after last week's calamitous performance at craven cottage. fabregas will presumably be back, which is crucial, and i expect them to win - narrowly. hopefully with a goal from samir nasri, if only because he's in my dream team and that currently isn't going too well.
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