Well it’s certainly been an eventful Premier League season so far this year that has thrown up lots of interesting sub-plots and results. So bearing in mind it’s the start of January it’s time for my ‘jokey’ predictions for what I think will ‘go down’ this month in the Premier League.
Manchester City will be aiming for maximum points from their remaining fixtures this month after they lost Martin O’Neill’s Sunderland on New Year’s Day. It was a bad result for Roberto Mancini’s side who should have enough about them to beat Liverpool and Spurs at home. Wigan away is a game I can be slipping up in and they may have to take a draw at the DW Stadium.
Manchester United meanwhile will be looking to click into gear and they face arguably a tougher month than City. Newcastle United away at the start of month is a real banana skin and whilst Bolton at home is a ‘’home-banker’ Arsenal at the Emirates will not be easy. After losing 8-2 at Old Trafford at the start of the season, Wenger’s side will be out for revenge and they’re pull of a famous victory I fear.
December ended nicely for Steve Kean with his Blackburn Rovers side picking up a highly surprising 4 points from their final two games at Anfield and at Old Trafford. After losing to two Peter Crouch goals at the start of the month, they face a crunch game at home to Fulham who are not great travellers. Yakubu will come good in the fixture giving Rovers only their third home win of the season.
Another crunch game down at the bottom coming up this month see’s Wigan travel to Loftus Road to face QPR. Rangers appear to have have slumped over the last two months and Neil Warnock certainly has a real challenge on his hands to turn things back around again. Federico Macheda has signed on-loan though and will be looking to impress. Expect him to bag the winner in this one.
Robin van Persie may have fallen short in beating Alan Shearer’s goal record in a calendar year, but the Dutchman is on fire and after starting the year by bagging Arsenal’s winner at home to QPR will probably score 2-3 more goals by the end of the month. He should enjoy his first trip to the Liberty Stadium when the Gunners face Swansea and will probably bag a brace in the match.
Norwich City have arguably been the surprise team of the season and right now sit 9th in the division with 25 points. Paul Lambert probably only needs his side to pick up 15 points to stay in the division and whilst they should pick up a point against West Brom, I can see them getting tonked at home to Chelsea. Expect Fernando Torres to score in this fixture or at least start the game.
With Luis Suarez likely to see no action this month due to his ban, it’s a big moth for Andy Carroll. He now needs to go on arguably the goalscoring run of his career if he’s going to even give himself a chance of getting into Fabio Capello’s England squad for Euro 2012. He’s due a break and as mad as it sounds I am backing him to score against Stoke City and Bolton this month.
Lastly with the Transfer Window due to shut at the end of the month, there’s bound to be one or two panic buys this month. As per usual expect Harry Redknapp to deny rumours that he will be busy this month only to see the man everybody wants to be the next England manager make 1 major signing on deadline day with Jermain Defoe leaving the club for pastures new.
By Adam Dennehey @ADennehey87
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