The first Manchester derby of the Barclay’s Premier League season takes place this weekend. United enters the contest on a bit of a high, while City is experiencing a run of poor form and will be chomping at the bit to end it.
Here are the five games to watch on Matchday 10.
Newcastle United vs Liverpool
Mario Balotelli scored his first goal since September in the Capital One Cup against Swansea on Tuesday. It should help motivate the Italian, whose performances have attracted some criticism from fans and media.
Balotelli and the Reds won’t find it easy to build on that midweek win when they play Newcastle. Alan Pardew’s side is undefeated in three straight games, earning back-to-back victories in the process. That mini-run has lifted them out of the relegation zone.
Liverpool could move into the top four with a win, but it’s difficult to play away to Newcastle, and with the Magpies’ recent resurgence, it might be even tougher.
Saturday programming alert: Watch Newcastle United vs Liverpool on the four main Sportsnet channels at 8:30 am ET, Chelsea vs Queens Park Rangers on the four main Sportsnet channels at 10:30 am ET, and Hull City vs Southampton on Sportsnet World at 8:30 am ET. || Also, watch Leicester City vs West Bromwich Albion at 10:30 am ET online at Sportsnet World NOW || TV schedule
Chelsea vs Queens Park Rangers
Despite dropping two points against Manchester United last Sunday, Chelsea still has a four point lead at the top of the table. They should be able to add to their point tally against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
Diego Costa may make his return to the lineup this weekend. He trained all week, so Jose Mourinho could give him the nod.
Meanwhile, QPR is coming off a solid 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Monday. Harry Redknapp may not make any changes to his starting 11 given how well they played in their last game.
The last time these two teams met it was at Stamford Bridge in January 2013. QPR nicked a 1-0 victory that day. The other win against the Blues was in 2011 when the Hoops held on for another 1-0 triumph after Chelsea had two players sent off.
Other than those two results, Chelsea has dominated this fixture. They’ve outscored QPR 8-3 in the last six meetings overall, which includes a 6-1 hammering at the Bridge.
Stoke City vs West Ham United
West Ham will still be riding high after defeating Premier League champions Manchester City last weekend. They will try to keep up their good form against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday.
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has one fitness concern in Diafra Sakho, who’s doubtful to start. If Sakho is deemed unfit, it would be a big blow to the Hammers. The Senegalese forward has scored six goals in seven appearances this season.
Stoke will be without Peter Crouch and Phil Bardsley due to suspension. Glenn Whelan and Peter Odemwingie will also be absent with injuries, so Mark Hughes will have a lot of tinkering to do.
If West Ham wins, they could be joint-second after the weekend. A Stoke victory would pull the Potters within two points of the Hammers, so it should be a hotly contested match.
Monday programming alert: Watch Crystal Palace vs Sunderland on Sportsnet World at 2:30 pm ET. || Sportsnet World NOW || TV schedule
Manchester City vs Manchester United
Some of the Manchester derbies have been lopsided in recent years, but this weekend should be one of the most balanced encounters yet.
Wayne Rooney returns from a suspension, Juan Mata will most likely be sacrificed to make room for Rooney. Radamel Falcao won’t start due to injury, which also kept him out of the Chelsea game.
Frank Lampard and David Silva are the only players ruled out for City, but Yaya Toure also picked up a knock midweek. He will be assessed leading up to the match, but he should be fit enough to play.
Man City has won the last three derbies by a combined score of 9-2. Two of those victories were at the Etihad Stadium, but United’s last triumph came in that venue, winning 3-2 in December 2012.
Crystal Palace vs Sunderland
Sunderland and Crystal Palace close out Matchday 10 on Monday. Both teams are battling relegation, with the former lying 18th in the table.
Three of the last six matches have resulted in draws, with Crystal Palace winning two others. Palace hasn’t claimed a victory in three consecutive games, while Sunderland has just one win all season.
Something’s got to give in this encounter. Sunderland has to face Everton, Chelsea and Manchester City over the coming weeks. Crystal Palace must face Man United and Liverpool, but have a reasonably simpler schedule.
A win could help keep either side out of the relegation battle for a few weeks, but with Sunderland scoring the joint-third lowest amount of goals this year, it’ll be difficult for them to keep up with Palace, who have 13 goals to the Black Cats’ eight.
