Martin Lipton's Premier League preview and predictions
The Daily Mirror's chief football writer Martin Lipton will be here every Friday lunchtime to preview and predict the outcome of the weekend's Premier League fixtures. And come back the following Monday when Laptop will provide his expert analysis of what unfolded...
The Big Match: Chelsea v Everton (Saturday, 3.00pm)
English football may be friendless in the world but we all know that the games the world will be watching this weekend will be played in our green - well, white, actually - and pleasant land.
But while the astonishing stitch-ups that helped bring Roman Abramovich grinning and gurning to the stage in the Zurich Messe will be talked about for years to come, back at the Russian's club the mood of concern has to be shifted.
Four points out of 15 represents Chelsea's worst run of league results since Luca Vialli was sacked in 2000 and while the Stamford Bridge hierarchy insist they retain total faith in Carlo Ancelotti, the Italian knows what happened to Luiz Felipe Scolari two seasons ago.
It means tomorrow's home clash with an Everton side in their own mini-freefall is a massive one for Ancelotti and his players, all the more so in the likely continued absence of John Terry and Frank Lampard.
Chelsea do at least have Michael Essien back after suspension - assuming he shakes off his toe problem - but what might be harder to set aside is the doubt and fear stalking both the dressing room and the Blues fans.
Those fans are still trying to come to terms with the defeat by Sunderland which heralded the end of Chelsea's sense of invulnerability, especially on home soil, and the subsequent struggles at Birmingham and Newcastle.
To be fair to Chelsea, they carved out enough clear-cut chances at both St Andrews and St James Park to have won a dozen games, the chances that were flying in at the start of the season.
But if you cannot win these games when the pressure starts to come on, then it only serves to intensify that sense of drift.
And with Manchester United heading into the weekend top of the pile, Chelsea know they have to end the slump now.
Everton, remember, drew 3-3 at the Bridge last season, a game in which Chelsea looked vulnerable every time the ball was floated into their box and David Moyes will unleash similar tactics to test out the suddenly soft centre of Ancelotti's side.
Chelsea know that, with a win, they will leapfrog United again, if only for a few hours. But it needs Didier Drogba to score his first league goal in two months and a return of the mentality the Blues seem to have lost.
The Best of the Rest
Should Chelsea fail to do the necessary, then
Arsenal
could find themselves back on top by 5pm and despite back to back league defeats at The Emirates, the visit of
Fulham
looks like a banker three-pointer for Arsene Wenger's men.
The absence of Cesc Fabregas should not be a factor but Wenger, too, knows his team, are giving away too many goals.
Manchester United travel to Blackpool - weather and pitch permitting - in the late, late show but the afternoon's other games could help mix up the picture in the battle for the high peaks.
Manchester City , after three draws in their last five, face a Bolton side who have lost just once since September 11, proof of the fantastic job Owen Coyle is doing, and with Kevin Davies and Co fancying themselves to cause an upset.
And Spurs ' genuine title credentials will be demonstrated by their performance at Birmingham . Make it four on the spin and Harry Redknapp's men can truly count themselves as contenders, although a point might be the summit of their realistic ambitions.
Saturday's other games feature sides in trouble. Wigan need to stop their perilous descent against Stoke , while Wolves , boosted by their comeback triumph at Sunderland's expense last week need to build on that and pile on the misery for a shell-shocked Blackburn at Ewood Park.
Sunday's game are not exactly thrillers, although a win at Sunderland for West Ham could finally take Avram Grant out of the drop zone after 12 whole months in the basement with Portsmouth and the Hammers.
Newcastle 's roller-coaster season makes their trip to West Brom tough to call, too, although the Baggies are still boinging after their win at Everton .
Laptop's Premier League predictions in full (all kick-offs 3pm on Saturday, unless stated)
Arsenal v Fulham: Home win
Birmingham v Tottenham: Draw
Blackburn v Wolves: Away win
Blackpool v Manchester United (Saturday, 5.30pm): Away win
Chelsea v Everton: Home win
Manchester City v Bolton: Draw
Sunderland v West Ham (Sunday, 4pm): Away win
West Brom v Newcastle (Sunday, 1.30pm): Home
Wigan v Stoke: Away win
How do you think Laptop will do this week? Let us know by leaving a comment below...
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