There’s no rest for the wicked in the English Premier League this week.
Some topflight teams are still reeling from this past weekend’s slate of FA Cup games. But they won’t have time to recuperate with midweek league matches on Tuesday and Wednesday, and more league encounters again this coming weekend.
Here are a few things to consider ahead of Tuesday’s tilt of games.
Tuesday programming alert: Watch Queens Park Rangers v Manchester City (on Sportsnet), Sunderland v Swansea City (on Sportsnet ONE), and Aston Villa v Newcastle United (on Sportsnet World). Live coverage begins at 2:30 pm ET/11:30 am PT. Also, watch Stoke City v Wigan Athletic exclusively on Sportsnet World Online
Wednesday programming alert: Watch Arsenal v Liverpool (on Sportsnet), Everton v West Brom (on Sportsnet ONE), and Reading v Chelsea (on Sportsnet World). Live coverage begins at 2:30 pm ET/11:30 am PT. Also, watch Norwich City v Tottenham and Fulham v West Ham United exclusively on Sportsnet World Online
Nelsen’s last stand at QPR
Manchester City visits Queens Park Rangers in a battle of second-best vs. last place.
It also marks the end of the career of New Zealand defender Ryan Nelsen, who plans to retire after this match in order to take over as coach of Toronto FC.
Last week, Nelsen told local reporters in Toronto that he plans to join the Reds in Florida on Feb. 1 for its pre-season training, leaving no doubt that he was calling it a career after Tuesday’s visit to the league champions.
But QPR boss Harry Redknapp seemed to have other ideas, telling the English media he wanted Nelsen to delay his retirement so he could play for the Hoops against visiting Norwich City on Saturday.
"I need to speak to Ryan, I need him here for the Norwich game," Redknapp said. "I thought we were talking March 1 when I spoke to Ryan last. Suddenly this has all changed. I’m hoping we can put it back a few days."
Fletcher on fire for Sunderland
Take a gander at the upper echelons of the Premiership scoring race. There is a name that might surprise you.
With 10 goals in 21 league appearances, Sunderland’s Steven Fletcher is tied for fifth and he has some pretty illustrious company (Jermain Defoe, Edin Dzeko, Theo Walcott and Rickie Lambert all have 10 goals, too).
Needless to say Swansea City will have to keep close tabs on Fletcher when they pay a visit to the Stadium of Light on Tuesday.
Fletcher is a big reason why Sunderland sits comfortably above the drop zone and why the Black Cats will likely avoid relegation.
Just how valuable is Fletcher to Sunderland? Consider that the second leading scorer on the team is Adam Johnson with four goals. Or that Fletcher’s 10 goals accounts for 37 per cent of Sunderland’s offence.
And it’s not just the number of goals he’s scored, but when he’s scored them. Fletcher has bagged the first goal of Premiership games more often than any other player this season. His six opening goals have given Sunderland a decided advantage, forcing their opponents to chase the game more often than not.
Al-Habsi under fire
Don’t be surprised if first-choice goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi doesn’t get the start for Wigan away to Stoke on Tuesday.
Wigan recently signed Joel Robles on loan from Atletico Madrid until the end of the season to provide competition for Al-Habsi and understudy Mike Pollitt.
Al-Habsi has started all 23 league matches this season for Wigan, and while he can be a brilliant shot stopper, he’s also error prone. The Oman goalkeeper has made more errors leading to goals by the opposition (five) than any other Premiership player this season.
His most famous gaffe was this beauty in a 3-2 win over Reading last November:
Owen a big fan of Benteke
Count Michael Owen among Christian Benteke’s biggest admirers.
The Belgian striker scored with a nifty finish in the second leg of the League Cup semifinal last week, but it wasn’t enough to see Aston Villa win the tie against fourth-tier Bradford City.
Still, Owen was impressed enough with Benteke that he tweeted the following:
I’m seriously impressed with Benteke. What a player. Michu, Van Persie and Benteke are the signings of the season so far in my opinion.
— michael owen (@themichaelowen) January 22, 2013
Benteke has been a revelation this season, scoring a team-leading seven goal for Aston Villa, a total he’ll be looking to add to when the Birmingham club hosts Newcastle United on Tuesday.
Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert is likely to recall Benteke after he missed the FA Cup defeat at Millwall last Friday
Pack of facts
Here are some numbers to keep in mind, for all you statistical nerds out there (you know who you are):
— Twenty-one points after 23 games represents Newcastle’s worst ever start to a Premier League season.
— With a pair of goals and pair of assists, Adel Taarabt has had a hand in four of QPR’s last five Premier League goals.
— Stoke is winless in seven Premier League games against Wigan (five losses and two draws) since Roberto Martinez took charge as manager of the Latics in 2009.
— Michu has just one goal in his last 511 minutes of Premier League action for Swansea. Before this drought, he averaged one goal every 115 minutes.
— Newcastle has won just three of their 18 league matches (with four draws and 11 losses) since Alan Pardew signed an eight-year contract extension.
— If QPR loses to Manchester City, it’ll be their 100th loss in the Premier League.
— The last three matches between Stoke and Wigan have produced four goals from the penalty spot.
— Swansea has only one win in 12 trips to Sunderland in all competitions: in February of 1982.
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