Photo by Ronnie Macdonald
Seven is such a lovely number. We have 7 Premier League matches on deck today beginning with the Birmingham against West Brom derby at 7:30am ET (ESPN2 for our U.S. readers). Whatever you do, don’t underestimate this match. Both teams have survival to play for. Carlos Vela has been an inspiration for West Brom and has given the Baggies another dangerous firing weapon up front (other than Peter Odemwingie) that Arsenal fans wish they still had instead of him being on loan. And it’ll be fascinating to see how Birmingham plays after their heroic performance in last weekend’s Carling Cup Final.
It’s definitely at that point in the season where every match matters. So the rest of the fare on Saturday features some delectable games such as Arsenal versus Sunderland (can the Gunners keep knocking on Manchester United’s door?), West Ham versus Stoke (can the Hammers continue their push out of the relegation zone?), Bolton against Aston Villa (will we see Stuart Holden versus Michael Bradley), Newcastle against Everton (can the Toffees get two wins in a row to push away from the bottom?) and Fulham against Blackburn (where it’s crucial that either side gets three points).
Last but not least on Saturday we have the 12:30PM ET game between Manchester City and Wigan Athletic, a derby of sorts. Wigan, bottom of the table, will be desperate for any points while Manchester City will try to kick on after the Kolo Toure scandal. Will we see the return to goalscoring form of Carlos Tevez, or can Roberto Martinez’s men grab a point like Fulham did last week?
By now, you probably know the drill. Either before, during or after matches, feel free to use this open thread as a place to vent, rant or make observations. Post in the comments section below.
