Wolves v Swansea
Key Battle: Wolves have been in poor form recently and Matt Jarvis will have to provide some creative spark to get the goals coming again. Ashley Williams will have to be on form for Swansea to keep him out.
Player to Watch: Wolves will hope to take the game to their opponents, but the threat of Scott Sinclair on the break will be a danger throughout.
Talking Point: Can Swansea take a first away win in the Premier League?
Prediction: 0-0
Aston Villa v West Brom
Key Battle: Chris Brunt provides much of West Brom’s creative spark, and his battle with Villa youngster Barry Bannan will be crucial to deciding which way this game goes.
Player to Watch: Villa are reliant on Darren Bent and will need his goals to help them to victory once more.
Talking Point: A local derby is always a close game, but West Brom are the better team and they can take the game to their defensive rivals.
Prediction: 1-2
Bolton v Sunderland
Key Battle: Who controls the midfield in this game will be vital to decide which way it may go. Fabrice Muamba will face Lee Cattermole in the centre, but who will come out on top?
Player to Watch: Sunderland’s defence has looked weak this season and Ivan Klasnic has been in good goalscoring form.
Talking Point: Two teams who have been poor this season and who need a win to kick start their campaigns.
Prediction: 1-0
Newcastle v Wigan
Key Battle: Newcastle have looked solid and impressive so far this season, and Demba Ba has been in good goalscoring form. Gary Caldwell will have to be at his best to keep him at bay.
Player to Watch: Yohan Cabaye has been superb this season, demonstrating the same skills which helped Lille to the French title last year.
Talking Point: Unbeaten so far this season, surely Wigan won’t end Newcastle’s fine early run?
Prediction: 0-1
Liverpool v Norwich
Key Battle: Luis Suarez will be looking to shrug off the allegations thrown at him by Patrice Evra to lead his team to victory against the newly promoted Norwich, for whom Leon Barnett will have to be sharp to keep quiet.
Player to Watch: Steven Gerrard is on the comeback trail from injury – will he be back to his best?
Talking Point: Norwich were mightily impressive at Old Trafford last month. Can they steal a point from Anfield?
Prediction: 0-0
Arsenal v Stoke
Key Battle: Arsenal are slowly finding some form with five wins in six, though their traditional passing style has yet to reach its previous heights. Mikel Arteta will have to dictate the game on Sunday against the ever battling Dean Whitehead.
Player to Watch: Robin van Persie has been in superb goalscoring form, and Stoke will have to keep him quiet.
Talking Point: The league’s long ball battlers have proven a difficult opponent for Arsenal in the past, but can they do so once more or will their European travails exhaust them?
Prediction: 2-1
Fulham v Everton
Key Battle: Tim Cahill has yet to spark to life for Everton so far this season but will hope to do so against a Fulham side returning from a long European trip. Dickson Etuhu will have a busy afternoon.
Player to Watch: Fulham’s hopes will rest on their ability to get Danny Murphy on the ball in space and supply their forward line.
Talking Point: After a disappointing defeat in Poland, how will Fulham recover by Sunday against a strong Everton side?
Prediction: 0-2
Man Utd v Man City
Key Battle: Arguably the best player in the league this season has been David Silva, for whom Man City have been reliant upon this campaign. He comes up against Darren Fletcher, United’s tenacious midfielder, and their battle could be crucial to the whole game.
Player to Watch: Manchester United’s threat often comes from the wings, and Ashley Young has been superb this season.
Talking Point: Cagey encounters in recent times, will Roberto Mancini revert to a more defensive mindset for the crucial derby game?
Prediction: 0-0
Blackburn v Tottenham
Key Battle: Emmanuel Adebayor comes up against Chris Samba on Sunday in a tough clash. Who comes out of this physical duel the better could swing the direction of this clash.
Player to Watch: Scott Parker has been superb this season, and whether he can control the midfield battle could be key.
Talking Point: The pressure is mounting on Steve Kean, and a game against Harry Redknapp’s fresh Tottenham is not ideal.
Prediction: 0-3
QPR v Chelsea
Key Battle: Anton Ferdinand was atrocious as QPR were thrashed by west London rivals Fulham recently. Can he do better against Fernando Torres?
Player to Watch: Neil Warnock has expressed his disdain for passing football recently, and he could be feeling sick after seeing Juan Mata run rings around his hapless side.
Talking Point: QPR conceded six against Fulham, so how will they cope against Chelsea?
Prediction: 0-7
