Sunderland's Halloween horror show in the 5-1 hammering by Newcastle seems to have been a watershed moment for Steve Bruce and his side as they go into Monday night's clash at home to Everton in vastly improved form.

Monday 22nd November

Sunderland v Everton

Sunderland's Halloween horror show in the 5-1 hammering by Newcastle seems to have been a watershed moment for Steve Bruce and his side as they go into Monday night's clash at home to Everton in vastly improved form.

Seven points from nine in three matches since has seen them storm into the top eight of the table with the highlight a devastating 3-0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The Black Cats showed tremendous attacking intent and self belief throughout and were in no way flattered by the outcome - a result achieved without striker Darren Bent, who has been troubled by a hamstring problem of late.

He will be a late decision as to whether he will make a return to action on Monday with Danny Welbeck most likely to stand aside if he his fit.

Now that Asamoah Gyan has found his feet in the Premier League, (four goals in his last three games) the World Cup star is much more likely to retain his place up front having earned the praise of boss Steve Bruce: "The impact he's had has been fantastic just at the right time," he observed.

But Bruce has also stressed that what has been achieved - and the Chelsea victory in particular - is in the past and more improvement will be needed as the expectations on Wearside rise.

Everton set them a good examination and boast an excellent record against their rivals having gone 11 unbeaten and won five of the last six encounters.

But they do arrive on the back of three games without a win that means they are now in the bottom half of the table.

But it is not panic stations just yet for David Moyes with so many teams bunched together and a couple of wins would see them back in the thick of action at the right end of affairs.

There doesn't look a lot between this pair and the key could be how well Sunderland live up to the promise shown of late - that may not be quite so easy.

So on balance I prefer to go with both teams to score at 1.90 despite Sunderland's proven ability to keep clean sheets at home (three in a row).

There is plenty of flair on show and importantly some in-form strikers with the likes of Tim Cahill, Yakubu, Louis Saha and an improving Darren Beckford more than capable of matching their counterparts on the home team.
Verdict: Sunderland 2 Everton 2

PICK:
Both teams to score in Sunderland v Everton at 1.90 at Bet365.

Sunday 21st November

Blackburn v Aston Villa
Gerard Houllier's young Aston Villa side were so close to a famous triumph over Manchester United last time out as they let slip a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 - but at least the performance showed the encouraging potential they have in their ranks. With injuries have ruling out experienced stars such as Emile Heskey, John Carew, Stiliyan Petrov and Nigel Reo-Coker you can understand why Houllier has moved for veteran Robert Pires on a free this week - and the 37-year-old Frenchman could play some part in Sunday's clash at Blackburn. Pires has been training with Arsenal for the past two months but having been a free agent since being released by Villarreal in the summer, we doubt if he'll be sharp enough for a tough battle at Ewood Park. Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor - if fit - will of course be the key men going forward while much will also depend on youngsters including Barry Bannan and Marc Albrighton to cope with Rovers' physical style of play. Aston Villa aren't good travellers though having lost four times on the road this season from six league games while Ewood Park has generally been something of a fortress for Blackburn under Sam Allardyce. Rovers only lost three at home during the last campaign and although they've already lost twice this time round, those reverses were against Arsenal and Chelsea. Recent wins over Wigan and Newcastle helped them climb clear of the drop zone although they were ripped to shreds by Tottenham's Gareth Bale at White Hart Lane last weekend as they lost 4-2. Big Sam described their defending as "diabolical" and will demand a response against Villa. We feel the hosts might be too strong for their under-strength and inexperienced opponents so if pushed we would take them at 2.37 with Bet365 to triumph. But it's not an outcome we're entirely convinced over due to Rovers having a few injury problems themselves. Instead we're heading to the anytime goalscorer market, where Morten Gamst Pedersen has caught our eye at 4.50 with  Bet365. The Norwegian is currently enjoying a purple patch for both club and country and Blackburn will certainly look to him once again to take a prominent role in proceedings on Sunday. Pedersen found the net in both those two victories against Wigan and Newcastle while his superb free-kick helped inspire Norway to a 2-1 victory over Republic of Ireland on Wednesday night.
Verdict: Blackburn 2 Aston Villa 1

 

Fulham v Man City
The pressure continues to mount on Roberto Mancini ahead of Manchester City's visit to Fulham following two successive goalless draws and you sense the Italian desperately needs of a run of wins to keep his job. Big-spending City have only picked up one victory in their last five Premier League outings and although the point earned against Manchester United wasn't regarded a bad result, the stalemate with struggling Birmingham at Eastlands last weekend most certainly was. Mancini's men are still on track for a Champions League spot as they sit fourth but considering they beat leaders Chelsea back in September, they really ought to be closer than six points off the pace. The fans have been critical of Mancini for being too negative and voiced their disapproval when he opted to replace Carlos Tevez with Gareth Barry towards the end of City's 0-0 draw with Birmingham. He must surely be more committed to attack at Craven Cottage in an effort to win round some of the doubters while their away form in the league this season also needs improvement. Last time out on the road they beat West Brom 2-0 but defeats at Sunderland and more recently Wolves have added fuel to the speculation surrounding Mancini's future at Eastlands. It would be ironic if Fulham boss Mark Hughes delivered the final nail in his opposite number's coffin on Sunday after he was sacked by City around this time last season and we reckon his side are decent value for victory at 3.20 Bwin. Hughes claims he holds no grudges, but he did admit: "Whenever a player goes up against a team he was employed by, or a manager in my circumstances, there is always an extra incentive to try to win the game. I'm no different from any individual in similar circumstances." His side have proved to be a tough nut to crack this season despite languishing just one point above the relegation zone. It's the Cottagers' failure to win away that has prevented them climbing the ladder but they've only lost three times - including just once on home soil - so they should give City a stern test on Sunday. They caused Chelsea problems in a rather unfortunate 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge earlier this month and last weekend they displayed gutsy defensive backbone to hold out for a 0-0 draw at Newcastle. They will be happy to be back at Craven Cottage and fired up to help their manager prove a point.
Verdict: Fulham 1 Manchester City 0

PICKS:
Morten Gamst Pedersen to score anytime v Villa at 4.50 at Bet365.
Fulham to beat Man City at 3.20 at Bwin.

Saturday 20th November

Arsenal v Tottenham
Arsenal will go top of the Premier League table - for the time being at least - if they win the north London derby on Saturday lunchtime and they'll certainly be keen to exploit Tottenham's leaky defence. The Gunners have already netted 49 goals in all competitions so far this season and they're also the joint second top scorers behind Chelsea in the Premier League with 26. By contrast, Spurs' campaign has been riddled with lapses of concentration at the back, causing them to slip three points behind Manchester City in the race for fourth. Harry Redknapp's men have kept just one clean sheet - a goalless draw with City on the opening day - while they've shipped eight goals in their last three games, including four away at Bolton. This is obviously not to say they don't pose a threat at the other end, especially when star names such as Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart are wreaking havoc, so it's fair to assume it'll be a pretty lively encounter at the Emirates Stadium. Tottenham head into the clash on the back of a 4-2 win over Blackburn, while Arsenal are full of confidence following to victories on the road over Wolves and Everton. Our bet for this one is to go over 3.5 goals at 2.60 with Bwin and Bet365.
Verdict: Arsenal 3 Tottenham 1



Birmingham v Chelsea
Chelsea's wheels are starting to wobble following a storming start to the defence of their Premier League title and we reckon it might be worth backing a battling Birmingham side to frustrate them at St Andrews on Saturday. Carlo Ancelotti's men were stunned by Sunderland at the weekend, the Black Cats romping to a well deserved 3-0 victory to inflict Chelsea's first home defeat since March while also ending their 100% league record at Stamford Bridge this season. The Blues suffered a 2-0 defeat at Liverpool a week earlier while they hardly looked convincing in the narrow 1-0 triumph over neighbours Fulham the following Wednesday night. Birmingham have struggled to recapture the same kind of form that helped them finish in the top half last term but they are generally hard to beat, home or away. Alex McLeish's men are one of the league's draw specialists, sharing the spoils in seven out of 13 games, and they managed to hold big-spending Manchester City to a creditable goalless draw at Eastlands last weekend. They've lost just once at home and we just feel they've got enough steel to get a point - available at 3.60 with Bet365 and Bwin.
Verdict: Birmingham 1 Chelsea 1



Blackpool v Wolves
This looks like being an interesting clash of styles with the hosts still keen to play some bright, attacking football regardless while Wolves could well revert to a tighter formation in a bid to snap a three-match losing slide. Ian Holloway remains full of praise for his side despite having secured just two points from three matches last week. I doubt he will change his tactics too much in a bid to break down a side that will put the emphasis on staying in the game having conceded early goals recently against Arsenal and Bolton of late. The 4-5-1 approach they employed in the second half of last season served them well and I reckon it could have the biggest influence on the outcome this weekend. With that in mind, under 2.5 goals looks a fairly safe bet considering Blackpool failed to break down bottom club West Ham in their most recent outing, albeit away from home. I feel more confident suggesting the 2.20 about that outcome although a narrow Wolves win is not totally out of the question.
Verdict: Blackpool 0 Wolves 1



Bolton v Newcastle
Few would have predicted Bolton and Newcastle to be sitting in the top eight a third of the way into the season - but both sides deserve to be there on merit ahead of their meeting at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday. Owen Coyle is rapidly changing the public perception of the Trotters and you won't find many pundits dismissing them as just a physical long ball side anymore. Of course, the strength of influential frontman Kevin Davies does ensure Bolton's opponents are still in for a real battle, but they have far more dimensions to their game than in previous years. Stuart Holden is proving to be a revelation in midfield while the born-again Johan Elmander is finally scoring goals after two most barren campaigns. Anyone who watched them race into 3-0 leads against Tottenham and Wolves will no doubt have been impressed with their attacking style - although they must learn to keep it tighter at the back if they're to avoid more nervy finishes. Newcastle are only a point behind Bolton but they're not so consistent having lost three more games. On the one hand they can produce stunning results such as winning at Arsenal, thrashing Sunderland 5-1 and Aston Villa 6-0 - as well as knocking Chelsea out of the Carling Cup - but on the other they've suffered disappointing results to teams in the lower half including defeats to Blackpool and Blackburn at home. They might struggle to live with a vibrant Bolton, who look a pretty safe bet to us at 6/5 with totesport to pick up all three points.
Verdict: Bolton 2 Newcastle 0



Manchester United v Wigan
Manchester United remain the only undefeated side in the Premier League this season and we don't expect that statistic to change on Saturday when they host struggling Wigan. The Red Devils are currently third in the table, three points behind leaders Chelsea, but it's their away form of six draws from seven games which has so far cost them top spot. At Old Trafford, they're far more convincing in terms of results having chalked up five victories out of six, while Wigan's record here is grim. The Latics have lost all five of their previous visits to this venue since winning promotion in 2006, conceding 17 goals and scoring just once. Roberto Martinez's men are just one place outside the relegation zone and although they've picked up a couple of decent results along the way such as a 1-0 win at Tottenham, we've seen little to suggest a shock could be on the cards. Wayne Rooney could come back into the starting line up and is 4.33 with bet365 to score the first goal of the game - but we recommend you wait and see before placing that particular bet. The England international has returned from the United States after spending a week in Oregon to aid his recovery from an ankle injury that has kept him out of action for three weeks and he'll be keen to make an instant impact.
Verdict: Manchester United 2 Wigan 0



West Brom v Stoke
The Potters have a remarkable record against West Brom which they will be hoping to extend on Saturday afternoon. They have suffered just one defeat in their last 25 league counters and won six of the last seven. Punters looked to have latched on to those statistics and there has already been money for the visitors - 3.50 is the best price that remains for the away win. And Stoke look to be in the ascendency too heading into this fixture - back-to-back wins over Birmingham and Liverpool after five straight losses has them back on an even keel and on-loan winger Jermaine Pennant admits they are currently "full of confidence". Roberto Di Matteo is rueing the midweek international schedule and with six players on duty, he will be faced with limited time to prepare for this match. Those away will only be able to train on Friday so scheming for the physical challenge posed by Stoke will be at the minimum for some of his squad. Three defeats and a draw from their last four starts would hardly you have you rushing to back them either. However, just one loss at home in all competitions this season makes fair reading and ending that awful record against Stoke should ensure there is no lack of motivation. It looks pretty even-stevens so a share of the spoils could well be the outcome.
Verdict: West Brom 1 Stoke 1



Liverpool v West Ham
Liverpool will be without Steven Gerrard for up to a month due to the hamstring injury picked up during England's 2-1 defeat against France and this will surely give West Ham hope of picking up a point at Anfield on Saturday evening. Had the influential skipper been available, it would have been hard to see the rock bottom Hammers get anything from this game but his absence makes a huge difference. Liverpool have obviously not had the easiest of seasons so far and without Gerrard, we think Liverpool will struggle to break down a side who will be desperate to sit back as they fight for their lives at the wrong end of the table. Although Avram Grant's strugglers have won just once in the Premier League this season, they have drawn their last three games and so nearly earned a point at Arsenal until Alex Song struck a heartbreaking 88th-minute winner. It's 3/1 with Sky Bet for them to pick up a fourth straight draw and we reckon it's worth taking.
Verdict: Liverpool 0 West Ham 0

PICKS:
Over 3.5 goals between Arsenal and Spurs at 2.60 at Bet365 and Bwin.
Birmingham and Chelsea to draw at 3.60 at Bet365 and Bwin.
Under 2.5 goals in Blackpool v Wolves at 2.20 at Bet365.
WBA and Stoke to draw 1-1 at 6.75 at Bwin.
Liverpool and West Ham to draw at 3.80 at Bet365.