Barclays Predictions League 6

Crystal Palace v Arsenal (Saturday, 12:45pm)

I feel a bit sorry for Ian Holloway but I also think he has made a very noble decision to step down as manager and the big question is obviously who will take his place. Tony Pulis has apparently been approached for the vacant post.

Steve Parish has been very understanding of Holloway's position and even said he would have been prepared to go down and come back up with him but nevertheless, we move on.

I don't really see anything here other than an Arsenal win to be honest. But Paul Merson has said in his predictions that Palace have got no chance here, which I still think is wrong to say because Arsenal could be terrible on the day and the home team could nick it.

I see Arsenal winning because they have the quality in their team and Palace, bar the 3-1 win over Sunderland in August, have lost every top flight game this season. But just because Arsenal have much more quality in their side does not mean they are automatically going to take three points away from Selhurst Park as I expect them to be made to work for it.

Score: 1-2

Aston Villa v Everton

The battle of the Belgians! Christain Benteke v Romelu Lukaku. Both sides sit in 13th and 7th in the table respectively.

Paul Lambert's side have been inconsistent but they have started this season better than last season where they were near the bottom three.

Roberto Martinez's Everton have more or less picked up where they left off under David Moyes and they still play some lovely football although Hull did give them a good run for their money last week.

I still see this being a draw and I am going to go one further and say that I think Villa will take the lead in the first half and Everton will snatch a point after the break.

Score: 1-1

Liverpool v West Brom

Liverpool's start to the season has been very good for the most part but they weren't very good in the 2-2 draw at Newcastle last weekend.

They had a man advantage for just over half of the game but I didn't think they were good enough to win the game but that, in fairness, is down to how well Newcastle played.

This game they should win though, especially in front of their home fans at Anfield so, without him getting complacent, Brendan Rodgers will be pretty confident.

Steve Clarke will also have a reason to be confident as his West Brom side did the double over Liverpool last season, winning 3-0 at the Hawthorns and 2-0 at Anfield.

Home win, but West Brom fans will be happy with the way their team have performed in recent weeks and were well structured at Stoke.

Score: 3-1

Man Utd v Stoke

David Moyes knows his team needs to win this game as, from their point of view, drawing against Southampton last week and only beating Real Sociedad via an own goal would be slightly worrying.

But they still have the quality in their team to get through the season and I expect them to beat the Potters at the weekend.

Stoke last week did not look particularly convincing in front of goal against West Brom and Mark Hughes will be concerned about their lack of goal threat.

Both teams should be fine this season but I cannot see Man Utd not winning at Old Trafford.

Score: 3-1

Norwich v Cardiff

Norwich were run riot against league leaders Arsenal last week while Cardiff suffered the same 4-1 scoreline loss at Chelsea.

I felt for Malky Mackay's team as Chelsea's equalising goal, regardless if it should have stood or not, did prove a turning point and they did not deserve to lose emphatically as they gave the Blues a good go.

The same can be said for Norwich as they had a spell at the Emirates when the score was just 2-1 and it looked like they could have nicked a point.

I am not going to say this is a must-win game for both teams but, Norwich in particular, could do with a win here.

Score: 2-1

Southampton v Fulham (Saturday, 5:30pm)

I don't think even the most optimistic Southampton fan could have dreamed of the start their team has made to this season, sitting sixth in the league, albeit it is still early days.

While they didn't have many clear cut chances at Old Trafford, they never gave up and it was a fantastic result for them.

Mauricio Pochettino has got them pressing teams high up the pitch and they take the game to the opposition, which is what Martin Jol will expect of them.

Fulham effectively ended Ian Holloway's tenure as Crystal Palace manager by gaining a welcome win at Selhurst Park on Monday night, with Pajtim Kasami and Steve Sidwell's spectacular strikes helping them along the way.

I back Southampton to win but two wins on the bounce will provide relief for Cottagers fans and they look as though they may have turned the corner.

Score: 2-1

Sunderland v Newcastle (Sunday, 1:30pm)

This, in my opinion, is the most passionate derby in the Premier League and I am glad more pundits are starting to realise it as it means so much to the fans.

Both Sunderland and Newcastle fans are some of the best fans in the country and both Gus Poyet and Alan Pardew will have that on their minds going into this one.

Based solely on form, Newcastle should win this match but, as the fans will tell you, form goes completely out of the window in these games.

Gus Poyet has admitted this game would be the perfect one to start a winning run and I think he is right. If, and it is a big if, Sunderland win on Sunday then it could kick start their season. Even a draw may be a decent result for them at the moment.

On the other hand, a win will do Alan Pardew the world of good. In fairness to them, I didn't think Newcastle played as badly as the 3-0 score suggested at St James' Park back in April. They still had their chances to score; they just didn't take them and I don't think Sunderland would have won if the Toon hadn't had three previous fixtures in the space of 10 days.

Both sides I think will be determined not to lose, especially Sunderland, who capitulated in the second half at Swansea last week. Newcastle, meanwhile, can take heart from their deserved 2-2 draw at home to Liverpool, especially with playing with 10 men for just over half of the game.

For the third time in a row, I am predicting a draw. BUT I literally can see either team winning and I think it is the most open Tyne-Wear derby in years.

Score: 1-1

Chelsea v Man City (Sunday, 4:00pm)

This game will be one of the biggest so far this season for both teams. Jose Mourinho and Manuel Pellegrini will approach this game cautiously and a win will be a big result for either of these two.

There is debate about Chelsea's equalising goal against Cardiff but they still went on to win despite not playing at their best.

Man City won at West Ham last Saturday and won at CSKA Moscow in midweek in the Champions League. So that will do them a world of good going into this.

I can see Chelsea going for the win more considering it is at Stamford Bridge but City's defence usually holds firm.

Score: 2-2

Swansea v West Ham (Sunday, 4:00pm)

Michael Laudrup's side got a much-needed home win over bottom-club Sunderland last week and followed that up with a draw against Kuban Krasnodar in the Europa League to remain top of the group even though they will be frustrated to concede a last-gap penalty.

This is another game where I expect Swansea to edge despite playing Thursday-Sunday again.

West Ham were outplayed in the majority of the game against Man City last Saturday but they have eight points from eight games and there is still a large majority of the season to go.

Score: 1-0

Tottenham v Hull (Sunday, 4:00pm)

This is the first of two meetings between these two at White Hart Lane, the second coming in the Capital One Cup next week.

Tottenham won 2-0 in Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League which followed a victory at Aston Villa last Sunday.

So Andre Villas Boas' team are making steady strides and only sit outside the top four on goal difference. So they will be a Chelsea fan on Sunday because if they at least draw and Spurs win then they will be back in the top four.

But Hull have given a good account of themselves in the Premier League and they only just lost to Everton last week.

If Tottenham start well and capitalise on that period then it can be a long way back for Steve Bruce's team. In the past they have been dominant while not scoring and they have been punished for it.

Score: 2-0

Barclays Predictions League 5

Newcastle v Liverpool (Saturday, 12:45pm)

Newcastle fans will not want reminding of what happened the last time Liverpool came to Tyneside other than they will be determined to make sure it doesn't happen again.

The bright side of things, however, is the previous two visits of the Reds Newcastle did run out 3-1 and 2-0 winners respectively so that could be a sign of encouragement.

Newcastle fans should be reasonably pleased with their start to the season and they currently sit 11th in the league table.

Liverpool sit second in the league and could go top for a couple of hours if they avoid defeat. Brendan Rodgers' side I think will be in for a tough match.

Alan Pardew has won two of three at home against Liverpool but he will have to be aware of the partnership between England goalscorer Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez.

But, at the same time, the visitors will need to be aware of the threat Loic Remy is likely to provide.

Score: 1-1

Arsenal v Norwich

Even Arsenal fans were probably not expecting the start their team has made this season, sitting top of the league, allbeit on goal difference.

I think everyone associated with the Gunners will be cheering on Newcastle in the early kick-off at St James' Park but they, as well as I, expect them to beat Norwich.

Last season the home team won and the season before Arsenal took four points off Norwich.

Chris Hughton's team were very unlucky I feel to lose to Chelsea two weeks ago as they more than matched them and probably deserved a draw but they are only in the bottom three on goal difference.

I honestly think they will be fine as they have more than enough players to keep them up but I don't obviously see them getting anything on Saturday.

Score: 3-1

Chelsea v Cardiff

Chelsea were rather fortuitous in their 3-1 win at Carrow Road as they were played off the park in stages of that game.

But they won it which is what matters for them. Broken record moment may occur here but I still feel Jose Mourinho's team have enough quality to win the Premier League title.

The factor with him being here will give Chelsea a lift and I found it hilarious how he criticised their start to the season before the Fulham home game yet they were top by the end of that day.

Cardiff have gone through a transitional period since their home defeat to Newcastle, with their head of recruitment leaving the club but that all seems to be settled now.

Malky Mackay's side left it rather too late against the Toon even though they played well in the second-half.

Chelsea win here though, very unlikely to be otherwise.

Score: 2-0

Everton v Hull

Both teams have made an excellent start this year, Everton currently sitting in seventh while Hull sit in eighth.

Everton fans must still be pinching themselves as to how they have managed to sign Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea.

He has been one of the steals of the season and there is no reason why he cannot top his goals scored last season, which was 17 for West Brom.

Speaking of loan strikers, Danny Graham has had rather opposite fortunes as he has not found the back of the net since January 2013.

Steve Bruce may hope this is the game that record breaks. Hull have goals in the team and they can match anyone when on their best day.

Everton should win this one but it may not be an easy ride for Roberto Martinez's team.

Score: 2-1

Man Utd v Southampton

Manchester United were rather lucky in their 2-1 win at Sunderland as they were played off the park in the first-half but to give them credit they picked it up in the second-half.

David Moyes really has to thank Adnan Januzaj for his two well taken goals. Utd fans will hope that win will help kick-off their push for the top four.

I think if you offered a majority of the fans a top four finish and a cup win they may take it all of a sudden. As I have said before, having one manager for over two decades and then having to change to the style of another manager does take time.

I still think they will finish in the top four but they do need to strengthen in January.

Southampton, on the other hand, have started brilliantly and will take confidence from the way they only lost to the Red Devils by the odd goal last year and give them a run for their money in both matches.

Knowing how the Saints like to play, they should give the Premier League champions a good go.

Score: 2-1

Stoke v West Brom

Mark Hughes enjoyed his return to West London didn't he? It must have hurt after conceding in the final 10 minutes of the match but Stoke could win this one.

West Brom themselves have picked up a bit of form as of late, they beat Sunderland, beat Man Utd and drew with Arsenal so they won't be short on confidence themselves.

Being at the Britannia, I expect Stoke to pick up at least a point if not all three. But they need to look more threatening in front of goal, as they have failed to score in three out of the last four matches.

West Brom will provide a threat and Steve Clarke deserves credit for the way his team have responded in the last three matches to get them into a respectable position in the table.

Score: 2-1

Swansea v Sunderland

Life as a Sunderland fan is never boring is it? All that has happened is Gus Poyet taking over the reigns on Wearside.

I thought he did very well at Brighton as he got them from League One to the Championship and almost to the Premier League before they lost to Crystal Palace in the semi-final play-offs.

And something Black Cats fans must not forget but also must not take for granted - he has had a very good recent record against Newcastle, twice knocking them out of the FA Cup.

The whole Phil Bardsley debate has gone overboard I think. Mocking the club's opening day defeat was easily a step too far but as far as the whole casino issue goes he should be able to do whatever he wants with HIS money.

However, Poyet has decided to give him a chance. I think he could be forgiven if he apologised and scored the winner against Newcastle.

But they have Swansea to face first. I don't personally see anything other than a Swansea win as Laudrup has them playing good football but I think it will be a tight game.

Score: 1-0

West Ham v Man City (Saturday, 5:30pm)

I have been slightly disappointed by West Ham's start to the season but their 3-0 win at Tottenham last time out was a fantastic result.

Although this fixture doesn't get any easier for Sam Allardyce at least it is at Upton Park where they usually do well against the big teams. Last time here they drew 0-0 with City even though Kevin Nolan scored what looked like a legitimate goal which was ruled out for offside.

Manuel Pellegrini has a lot of talent at his disposal and although West Ham's recent home record is not particularly great they have only lost three times at home in 2013.

I feel a draw is on the cards. Man City have not won away from home in the league this season but West Ham are usually tough to break down.

Score: 1-1

Aston Villa v Tottenham (Saturday, 4:00pm)

I predict 4-0 Tottenham! Seriously, I expect this tie to be a lot closer this time. Aston Villa have took seven points out of a possible nine over the last three league games.

Paul Lambert could be in two minds about facing Andre Villas-Boas. On the one hand, Tottenham will be down from their shock 3-0 defeat at the hands of West Ham but they could be determined to bounce back from that.

Jamie Carragher said that Tottenham would struggle to reach the top four this season and even though I predicted them to finish fifth, they are only three points behind Arsenal in first and only one point off the top four.

Yet another draw for me.

Score: 1-1

Crystal Palace v Fulham (Monday, 8:00pm)

Palace striker Kevin Phillips has stated the importance of Monday's clash with Fulham especially with it being a derby.

Apart from the victory over Sunderland, Palace have lost every single game in the top flight this season.

I would want them to stay up but I do not feel they have the quality, as stated before.

They do, however, have enough in them to beat Fulham in my opinion who are not great away from home I must say.

Despite beating Stoke, Fulham do not have much confidence at the moment and do not usually look like scoring goals which is a big worry for them. They should be ok but I just see Ian Holloway triumphing over Martin Jol.

Score: 2-1

The Dark Knight Movie Review

Before football became the most central interest in my life, films were my passion. My uncle once expressed that films are made for the purpose of enterainment and it's up to the viewer to decide if they like a movie or not. While to an extent he has a point, I still feel that is a very simplistic statement to make about films. To me, some films are made for escapism; people can forget reality for a couple of hours and be drawn into an alerternate world that is shown to you on a television or cinema screen.

The Dark Knight was the movie that made me realise just how special some films are and even though I'm nowhere near the film enthusiast I once was, I will never forget the impact this movie had on me and how it opened my eyes to the beauty of cinema when at it's best. In this review I am going to go a bit of detail as to why I love it. Needless to say, this review will contain spoilers so if you wish to avoid me ruining the film for you, go no further.

The Dark Knight (dir, Nolan, 2008) is the second installment of the The Dark Knight trilogy. The film revolves around Batman (Christian Bale) who, since the events of the previous film, Batman Begins (dir, Nolan, 2005), has reduced the amount of organised crime in Gotham City. He is aided by the newly promoted Lt Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Araon Eckhart) when the Joker (Heath Ledger) arrives and terrorises the City. The three men are pushed to the limits to try and stop the Joker. That is the primary plot in a nutshell but there is much more to the film that what people might think going to see it for the first time.

When I went to see The Dark Knight for the first time in the cinema, I actually didn't go for the movie. I went to see if they had a trailer for  the next Harry Potter movie (at the time Half-Blood Prince) as I am a massive Harry Potter fan. To my disappointment they didn't show a trailer but then the film followed. On first viewing I didn't particularly pay attention to the story as I was just in awe at the action and the special effects.

I then went to see it four more times at the cinema and the film has since grown on me massively. Now I realised that the film had so much packed into the screenplay that you might have to watch it a few times to understand it all.

I hate it when people refer to The Dark Knight as a superhero movie. If people asked me what my favourite superhero film was, I would respond with Batman Begins because, to me, The Dark Knight is too good to be just a comic book film. Batman Begins and the third and final film, The Dark Knight Rises (dir, Nolan, 2012) were very good at developing the characters and the story, which is something I felt the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher movies lacked. But this one is just above the other two because it has so much more to it.

The Dark Knight starts with men in clown masks robbing a bank and follow the orders of the Joker. After killing each other one by one, the Joker himself is the last man standing. During the robbery the Joker reveals himself to a man who he shot and injured. When asked what he (as a criminal) believes in he then replies "I believe whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you stranger." He then puts a grenade in the man's mouth and drives away in a school bus. As he drives away you could be forgiven in assuming he is going to trigger the grenade and kill him. Instead, a wire is pulled out of the grenade and a little smoke issues out.

Here is the first of many things in this film that still impresses me to this day. The Joker is the best movie villain I have ever seen in my life and not just because Heath Ledger delivers a truly outstanding and memorable performance. On first viewing he may seem crazy and illogical but after multiple viewings  I since learned that his primary goal in the film is to create confusion and destruction; he even describes himself as "an agent of chaos". He doesn't really have a definitive plan and isn't interested in control and order as he likes to mess everything up. As Alfred explains to Bruce in the middle of the film, there are men who cannot be "bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with" as "some men just wanna watch the world burn." The unpredictability of the Joker is what makes him so fascinating to me. The Joker also may seem like a terrorist, but what he is doing is creating scenarios or "social experiments" to try and bring out the worst in Gotham's citizens, and indeed, humanity.

The Joker tells two conflicting stories early on about how he got his scars:

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrIc1SlA7O8&list=PL3DFB501B327AFD24, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm_Z34Fyww8&list=PL3DFB501B327AFD24)

Because he tells two different stories, we are confused as to which one could be true. My assumption is  both stories have no truth in them. This is another way which Nolan emphasises the idea of unpredictability and we are left questioning who the Joker actually is and so are the characters. At one point, the Joker is described as a "mad dog", meaning he is random and uncivilised.

Sometimes the biggest fear among people is the feeling of the unknown and the notion of uncertainty i.e. not knowing what question will come up in an exam or the uncertainty if you have succeeded in getting a job or not. These are issues which are very relatable and the protagonists of The Dark Knight are literally pushed to their limits by the Joker. To give one example, the Joker wants to prove that Batman is not the incorruptable force that he seems to be. At the end of a chase scene in the middle act of the movie, the Joker deliberately stands in the way of Batman, who is driving a motorcycle directly towards him. He continously shouts at Batman to hit him, even if he kills him. The idea is that if Gotham discovered Batman can be corrupted, then the criminals of Gotham mightn't be so afraid of him and then what hope has the city got if it's best chance of elimating criminalty is can be just as corrupt as its criminals. Harvey Dent is an example of this when he gets turned into Two-Face.

Harvey Dent is a very developed character in the film and the screenwriters as well as Aaron Eckhart deserve full credit for that. At the start of the film Dent is shown as a true District Attorney as he wants the best for Gotham and despises crime and corruption. At one stage in the film, he succeeds in locking up 549 criminals at the same time through the use of a Rico Case, which demonstrates his desire for justice. But in Dent's storyline, Nolan very cleverly uses two devices: foreshadowing and representation.

In one early scene in the film when Dent first meets Jim Gordon, Gordon says "We all know that you're Gotham's White Knight." Dent then responds: "I hear they have a different name for me down at MCU." Gordon, after stating he knows nothing about it, turns his head away awkwardly, not making eye contact with Dent. That "different name" is Two-Face and it is key as far as Dent's story is concerned. The representation is Dent's two headed coin, which he uses constantly throughout the movie. Many times there are subtle hints at Dent leaving decisions purely to chance, even if someone's life is in question but if viewers pay attention, Dent often says "heads" to make things work in his favour. He cannot lose if the coin is two-headed and, as we find out, Dent literally makes his own luck. Later on the coin is burned on one side and arguably a metaphor for both Dent and Gotham itself.

Batman and Gordon stand over Dent/Two-Face's body in the final scene of the film before Batman accepts responsibility for the murders committed and runs off from the cops, which sets up the next film. However, before hand he repeats the line "You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." This same line was used towards the beginning of the film when Dent and his girlfriend Rachel Dawes are having dinner at a restaurant, Bruce Wayne and a ballerina named Natasha sit with them and they begin discussing the Batman.

The line of dying a hero or living long enough to see yourself become the villain cleverly sums up Dent's story. When Dent and Rachel are kidnapped and Batman and Gordon are forced to choose which one to save, Dent is saved and Rachel is killed. Aside from the fact that Dent and Rachel were a couple and her death hits him extremely hard, the choice of who to save was purely a 50-50 chance.

So Dent could have died when Rachel did and he would certainly have died a hero. But because he was physically and emotionally scarred by what happened he lived long enough to see himself become the villain. Batman uses this line again at the end, both referring to what has happened to Dent and referring to how he is seen as the villain because he has Gordon create a lie. This lie is that Batman killed all of those who Dent murdered and killed Dent himself. This, again, uses the line to good effect because it makes it out like Dent died the hero and Batman became the villain.

Another thing which I love about this movie is that the heroes in the story are all flawed in some way or another. Batman is looked up to by many as an ideal, but he and Gordon do not make the right decision in every curcumstance they face. Corruption is a theme here and I'm sure people in real life can relate to it. Politics and athourity can be corrupt and considering we, the public, look up to these people to make the right decisions, that is quite a worrying fact. But even David Cameron and Barack Obama make mistakes and that is simply a human trait, nobody is perfect, no matter however many people may wish themselves to be.

Not to mention I love how the special effects look very genuine and look like actual explosions, not just something lazily created by a computer. For example in the scene with the Joker trying to convince Batman to hit him with his motorcycle, a huge truck was flipped over in the process and it was actually done so it looks and sounds far more convincing.

Another thing which I feel The Dark Knight does well is expand upon the story set by Batman Begins. The first film was about Bruce deciding to become Batman but the first half or so of the film is about him creating the caped crusader. I think it worked brilliantly because not only did Christian Bale steal the show as Bruce Wayne, but there was a lot of thought as to how Bruce wanted Batman to be perceived, as a symbol, who could be incorruptable. That was mixed really well with all of the themes at play in that film.

The Dark Knight is not only a continuation from that story but it everyone else's reaction to Batman as an ideal. Obviously there is great debate about if what the Batman is doing is right. The restaurant scene explains everything better than I could. But another thing this scene serves is establishing Dent's character at this stage in the movie and makes the final third of the story all the more tragic.

As mentioned once or twice in this incredibly LOOOOOONNNNNGG review the acting here is of the highest quality. Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart in particular are the standout performers, both portraying their roles so convincingly that you forget actors are playing the Joker and Harvey Dent. It is such a big shame that Ledger is no longer with us to realise his performance got an oscar.

In conclusion, this movie was totally overlooked at the Oscars and there really needs to be variety in the judges. Arguably the biggest thing this movie does right is that it appeals to non-comic-book fans and can be seen as a great film free of the limitations of this genre. The characters are well written, the story refreshingly unpredictable and suspenseful and the action is kick-ass to say the least. As Confused Matthew says in his review: "The Dark Knight not only proves my rule, that a good film can come from anywhere, but a great film can come from anywhere. This movie, will stand, simply as a great film."

Confused Matthew on The Dark Knight:

http://confusedmatthew.com/The-Dark-Knight-Review.php

Superhero Rewind Review of The Dark Knight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCJdFLry3do


Barclays Predictions League 4

Man City v Everton (12:45pm)

Fair play to Manuel Pellegrini for admitting that Manchester City were poor in their home loss against the impressive Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.

The Champions of Europe were very impressive but it is only two games into the Champions League group stages and anything can still happen.

Man City's form in the Premier League has been up and down in recent games for me. They have not won away from home in the league so far this season but their home form is excellent.

Joe Hart never seems to hear the end of all this stick does he? Whether he was at fault for Munich's first goal or not, people need to stick by him especially as he has once again been called up to the England squad.

But at the same time, maybe Roy Hodgson dropping him and playing either Norwich's John Ruddy or Celtic's Fraser Forster could improve his form.

Roberto Martinez' team are not exactly who you want to come up against either. Lukaku's double against Newcastle on Monday night proves what a genius move it was by Martinez to sign him and all the more baffling why Chelsea let him go out on loan again.

I still think City will win this one. Not many teams have got results here, although it is worth pointing out Everton took four points of Man City last season.

Score: 2-1

Cardiff v Newcastle

Cardiff were outstanding in their 2-1 win at Fulham last week. Not only did they deservedly take the lead but they did not drop their heads when Fulham levelled and got a spectacular late winner.

In contrast, Newcastle were 50-50 in their loss at Everton where in the first half they were outplayed in every aspect. To be fair they did make a game of it in the second half but Alan Pardew will be annoyed at their first half display otherwise they could have easily got a point.

Malky Mackay has done very well to get Cardiff in the Premier League and they have made a better start than I expected. They can win this game for sure but Newcastle are not a bad side and I think this could be a close match to call.

Score: 1-1

Fulham v Stoke

Martin Jol is really under pressure at this point. Losing at home to a newly promoted team, irrespective of how good Cardiff were on the day, is not usually a good sign for your season.

They have to win here otherwise they could be in trouble. I say could be as, again, it is still early in the season to tell but they could do with three points.

They haven't won a game since the opening weekend of the season and this could mean Mark Hughes could take advantage of this on his return to West London.

Stoke were poor in their home defeat to Norwich on Sunday but they have at least made a decent start to the season.

Stoke are adapting to a different style under Hughes, who admitted it he may have made the wrong decision to leave the Cottagers in 2011, but they are showing signs of improvement.

Score: 2-1

Hull v Aston Villa

Who would have thought this would happen? Hull City higher in the Premier League than Manchester United?!

It probably won't last but they have started this campaign really well and I think Steve Bruce could not have expected this kind of start.

They have taken seven points out of a possible nine from their games at the KC Stadium, beating Norwich and West Ham and drawing with Cardiff.

Paul Lambert's side sit just below them in the league table by one place and one point and they are on the back of a 3-2 shock but impressive home win against Manchester City.

You remember when I said Hull had taken seven points from a possible nine? Well, make that 10 out of a possible 12.

Score: 2-1

Liverpool v Crystal Palace

After beating Sunderland 3-1 Liverpool have seemingly got themselves back on track. Brendan Rodgers will have been happy with the response shown by his players after losing against Southampton and Manchester United both 1-0.

Defensively they have been very good this year and as I have stated before, Rodgers has strengthened the team and they are definitely contenders for at least a top six finish this season.

Ian Holloway, meanwhile, will want his side to tighten up defensively after adding two more to the collection of conceded goals at Southampton.

They have added to their squad in the summer and while they have one or two players arguably Premier League quality, their squad as a whole screams out Championship quality to me. I hope they stay up but I just don't feel their squad is strong enough.

Score: 2-0

Sunderland v Man Utd (Saturday, 5:30pm)

Sunderland were rather unlucky in their game against Liverpool as they did actually start brilliantly in the first 20 minutes. The problem they encountered as the game went on is they didn't really trouble the Reds that much.

Apart from the goal they scored, which was in some respects was a tap in, they didn't look much like scoring, especially in the second-half.

Manchester United's fortunes as hardly any better as they lost at home to West Brom which followed a Manchester derby defeat.

I still think David Moyes is a very good manager and deserves the chance for success at Old Trafford. It will just take time to develop the squad and adapt things to his style which, in fairness, is going to be hard for them to do considering they have had Sir Alex Ferguson for the past 27 years.

Look at Liverpool last season, it took a while to adapt to Brendan Rodgers' style of play but they are now used to it.

I honestly do not see why Sunderland cannot get a point here. I am not saying it because of recent form but because they can turn things up a notch when they want to. The question is; if or when will they turn up?

Score: 1-1

Norwich v Chelsea (Sunday, 1:30pm)

Winning at Stoke provided some much needed breathing space for manager Chris Houghton as Norwich's start to the season has been mixed.

But the positives he will take out of that game is that the Canaries dominated most of the game and that is saying something considering they were playing away from home.

But this game will be tough in itself for obvious reasons; it is Chelsea they are playing. Norwich do have players who can hurt the Blues such as Gary Hooper, Ricky Van Wolfswinkel and Nathan Redmond to name a few.

But Chelsea also have the quality to potentially stroll past Norwich and Jose Mourinho will expect the best from his players.

Score: 1-2

Southampton v Swansea (Sunday, 1:30pm)

With Michael Laudrup's team making it two wins out of two in the Europa League, Southampton may have their work cut out for them at St Mary's.

The advantage they may have is the fixtures taking their toll on Swansea and not to mention the Saints always play attractive attacking football.

Southampton will also be full of confidence after their terrific start to the season.

I fancy the home side to edge this one simply for that reason. It should still be tight but Mauricio's Pochettino's team will definitely be the fresher going into this.

Score: 2-1

Tottenham v West Ham (Sunday, 4:00pm)

Winning at Anzhi in the Europa League should set a nice platform for Andre Villas-Boas' team to get another Premier League win here. Their start to the season has been really good so far but they were held to a draw last time around by Chelsea at White Hart Lane.

West Ham's start to the new season has been somewhat underwhelming compared to how they started last season. Their most recent outing was a 1-0 defeat at Hull where, to be fair to Sam Allardyce, some crazy decisions did not go their way.

But their away days blues are very likely to continue here as Tottenham have been very good this year and are starting to prove to me they can live without the world's most expensive player - Gareth Bale.

Score: 2-0

West Brom v Arsenal (Sunday, 4:00pm)

Round two at the Hawthorns after the game in the Capital One Cup. Arsenal won that game on penalties and will be confident of winning there again after the start they have made to the season, sitting top of the league.

But playing West Brom seems a much harder prospect than it did a few weeks ago. Back-to-back wins against Sunderland and Manchester United will give Steve Clarke's side much more confidence. Problem for them is Arsene Wenger will be equally full of confidence.

Ex-Sunderland man Stephane Sessegnon in particular has had a good start to his midlands career and ran riot at Old Trafford last week.

But another man currently having a good time in the Premier League is Aaron Ramsey who seems to be the form player at the moment.

He pretty much scored the winner at Swansea and is playing really well but I fancy Arsenal to just edge this one because of the quality they have got on the field and when they play well they are unstoppable.

Score: 1-2