English Premier League Round 19 (26/12 - 27/12)

Birmingham City v Chelsea
Fulham v Tottenham
West Ham United v Portsmouth
Burnley v Bolton
Manchester City v Stoke City
Sunderland v Everton
Wigan Athletic v Blackburn
Liverpool v Wolverhampton
Arsenal v Aston Villa
Hull City v Manchester United


Saturday, December 26

Birmingham City v Chelsea
Team news: Birmingham City - R.Johnson (doubtful), Ridgewell (doubtful) -- Chelsea - Anelka (OUT)

Verdict: Birmingham City clung onto their impressive undefeated run last weekend with a hard fought 1-1 draw at Everton, whereas
Chelsea were frustrated at London rivals, West Ham, by the same score line. Birmingham City can consider themselves lucky to escape
Goodison Park with anything after having a goal in their net incorrectly chalked for offside and in general, giving away possession very cheaply. In their respective Round 18 clash, Chelsea had opportunities to open the scoring in a dominant first half display but fell behind to a Diamanti penalty, only to claw their way back with a penalty of their own from Lampard.

Chelsea's African contingent, Drogba and Kalou, are unlikely to play in their Round 20 fixture against Fulham as they prepare for the African Nations Cup so it is important that the Londoners make the most of this fixture. Birmingham City have conceded a miserly 5 goals at home this season (against generally poor opposition) but in the opposite end have scored only 8, the worst scoring record in the league. With defensive stalwards in Johnson and Ridgewell picking up knocks at Everton, I expect Birmingham's backline to be severely tested as the league's 2nd highest goal scorers come to town.

Pick: Chelsea -0.75@1.80 (10bet, 8 units)
Birmingham City 0 - 0 Chelsea

Sunderland v Everton
Team news: Sunderland - Turner (susp.), Ferdinand (OUT), Malbranque (doubtful) -- Everton - Jo (doubtful), Distin (doubtful), Rodwell (OUT)

Verdict: Both sides find themselves in similar situations as they try and break a winless spell. Sunderland's brave performance at Manchester City counted for nothing in a 4-3 loss while Everton's wasteful finishing was only good enough for a 1-1 draw against Birmingham City. Everton though can vouch for the fact that they are undefeated in three with fine draws against high flying Chelsea and Tottenham in the last month. Sunderland have been terribly inconsistent at the Stadium of Light, dropping points against the like of West Ham and Portsmouth while beating Liverpool and Arsenal. Another problem for the Black Cats is the absence of their first choice central defensive pairing in Turner and Ferdinand. With the returning Leon Osman now available, Everton's David Moyes now has a wealth of choice in his midfield ranks in which to supply the dangerous Saha, and consequently test a reshuffled Sunderland back line. Everton have done well at The Stadium of Light in recent years and I expect them to continue the trend.

Pick: Everton +0.25@1.83 (sbobet, 10 units)
Sunderland 1 - 1 Everton

Arsenal v Aston Villa
Team news: Arsenal - Fabregas (doubtful), Traore (IN) -- Aston Villa - Heskey (doubtful)

Verdict: In the game of the round, Arsenal will look for some breathing space on their rivals today as they are both locked on 35 points for the season. It won't be easy though as Aston Villa are the form side of the competition, undefeated in 7 and
having won their last 4 while keeping clean sheets in the process. Arsenal's football is very sporadic at the moment despite their recent run of results suggesting other wise. For example, their recent 3-0 win over Hull City was perhaps a little flattering as the visitors were their equal in the first half and also missed a penalty to make it 1-1. In addition, their performances against Liverpool and Burnley were not entirely convincing.

Aston Villa have enjoyed wins over Liverpool, Chelsea and most recently at Manchester United this season so a visit to The Emirates will not frighten the visitors. Villa manager, Martin O'neill, has had the luxury of fielding relatively unchanged sides week in week out, something that Arsene Wenger and his Arsenal team have not been afforded. With perhaps Heskey missing out, a ready made replacement in Carew lies in waiting so Villa will not lose any continuity in their play. Fabregas is a huge doubt for the home side with a hamstring strain but I'm sure Wenger will risk him in for this key game. His influence though will be questionable. All in all, the visitors have the form and the luxury of a full strength side to cause an upset here, making the handicap even more appealing.

Pick: Aston Villa +0.75AH @1.98 (sbobet, 8 units)
Arsenal 3 - 0 Aston Villa