SATURDAY

There have been a lot of games at 12.45 this season which haven't been great and I can't see this being a thriller either.

Stoke have started to concede a lot of goals but they have not had to play in the Europa League this week which will help them.

I fancy Stoke at home, Tony Pulis will have read the riot act to them this week and they will be well drilled.

Blackburn showed against Wigan that they will always keep coming back at you but they just suffer from a lack of quality all over the pitch.

Prediction: 2-1

After beating Stoke 5-0 the other week Bolton fans will have thought that they were ready to kick on but they were defeated at West Brom last weekend and they were fairly meek and mild. West Brom won comfortably.

Bolton are in the mire and they need to start picking up as many points as possible. Losing games knocks everyone's confidence and all of a sudden mistakes start to flow and individual errors can kill you.

Everton are looking like a mid-table team this season and unless they find a sugar daddy with hundreds of millions of pounds then any sort of deal to take the club over is not going to happen.

Everton won against Wolves last week and I see this being a draw, which is not much good to either team to be honest.

Prediction: 1-1

The thing with Chelsea is that everyone is drawing attention to the high line that they are trying to play under Andre Villas-Boas but if you don't put any pressure on the ball in midfield then it doesn't matter what sort of line you try to take in defence.

I was in Leverkusen in midweek and they again conceded poor goals. Chelsea's midfield in their halcyon days was awesome in every way but there are too many players living off past glories in there at the minute.

It is an average midfield and they are not helping themselves. They are not pressing anywhere near enough and if you are doing that then you need to defend deeper if anything.

They are too easy to play against and are lacking in pace in areas.

But it's Wolves at home and Chelsea have not become a bad team all of a sudden, they are just not as good as they were. Chelsea are at home and I expect them to win.

Mick McCarthy will have his team ready and will hound them like Liverpool did last week, but have Wolves got the quality to hurt them?

Prediction: 2-0

Another tough game for Newcastle after they were beaten at Manchester City last weekend and another test for Manchester United's defence.

After they were thrashed by Manchester City, Sir Alex Ferguson locked up the back four and they managed a run of clean sheets but the mistakes returned in the midweek draw with Benfica.

Rio Ferdinand was poor again and David de Gea made a bad decision with his feet which is the first time we've seen that - he's only made handling errors in the past.

So that is a worry and I wonder if Ferguson is considering giving Anders Lindegaard a run in goal, who has looked a very solid keeper.

But I expect Wayne Rooney to be fit to play and United to get the job done.

Prediction: 2-0

Both clubs have surprised people by starting very well and QPR keep coming up with these away wins.

Norwich have generally looked very good at home and they didn't disgrace themselves against an Arsenal side last weekend who are in top form.

Both clubs have given themselves every chance of staying up and they have grasped the concept that if you can score goals in the Premier League you are halfway there.

Prediction: 2-1

I said last week that Steve Bruce is coming under real pressure and after failing to beat Fulham at home this is a real must-win game.

I hate to use that phrase but you just feel that this is three points that Bruce has to pick up. Another bad result and he may not be in charge much longer.

A win would put Wigan even further out of reach which is the way Sunderland are having to look at the moment.

Since Roberto Martinez has been in charge at Wigan they have played some great football but defensively they are too easy to score against.

They are the type of team who can play really well for half an hour and leave you wondering how they are bottom of the league, and then they capitulate in a few minutes to leave it blatantly obvious.

It's a defining game for Sunderland and I think they will win.

Prediction: 2-1

Is there a better midfield than Tottenham's at the moment?

They take some stopping and the team is geared up to go forwards but the thing with Roy Hodgson is that he likes to plot the downfall of teams who play attacking football.

Tottenham played on Monday night but I don't see that as an issue at all as they are playing really well at the moment.

But West Brom will make it difficult for Spurs to play and I see this as a draw.

Prediction: 1-1

At the moment if Robin van Persie is fit then Arsenal win and you can't see anyone stopping him.

He cannot do anything wrong, the ball is following him at the moment and he is getting all sorts of goals.

Fulham are not great away from home and will make it hard for Arsenal but the Gunners will win this at a canter.

Arsene Wenger was getting grief two months ago but look at how quickly football can change. All the pressure is on Chelsea now.

Prediction: 2-0

SUNDAY

If we look at Aston Villa first, there is no way that they can set up like they did at Tottenham on Monday night, where the intention was just to stop Spurs from scoring.

They played very few players who could win them the game so Alex McLeish has to pick a different team.

Swansea had lots of the ball against Manchester United last week but didn't really look like scoring too much.

But they don't change the way they play, there are no grey areas with them and they do possess real pace.

Prediction: 2-1

A biggie at Anfield.

Everyone now knows that Liverpool's away form has been better than their home form and they were excellent in winning at Chelsea last weekend.

I would play the same against City, invite them on to you and try and hit them on the break with pace. Liverpool are more than capable if everyone is fit of picking them off.

City lost in Naples but they have so many players that Roberto Mancini will be able to field his best XI, and he should find a place for Sergio Aguero.

Aguero is a top, top player and can cause all manners of problems.

It has all the makings of a draw - which is par for the course for Liverpool at home these days.

Prediction: 1-1

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