EPL: Chelsea look to extend lead as neighbours QPR pay visit
The Blues drew against United in their last match
LONDON:
League leaders Chelsea will be hoping to increase their four-point lead at the top when they host struggling QPR in the West-London derby on Saturday.
The Blues missed out on the chance to move six points clear when Robin van Persie's late equaliser denied Mourinho's side victory over Manchester United at the Old Trafford last weekend.
However, on paper, this should be the ideal game for the Blues to return to winning ways in the league as 19th-placed QPR registered only their second win of the season last weekend. However, Chelsea defender Gary Cahill insists they can take nothing for granted. “I thought we played well against United but obviously there was disappointment right at the end,” he said.
“On Saturday it's another home game to look forward to, but QPR are coming off the back of a good result. It's another tough game in the Premier League.”
Chelsea striker Diego Costa is back in full training and may return to the starting line-up with Didier Drogba, who scored against United and also against Shrewsbury in midweek, expected to return to the bench.
QPR, meanwhile, will be without experienced defender Rio Ferdinand after the centre-back was suspended for three matches and fined £25,000 by the Football Association for a comment he made on social media.
Manager Harry Redknapp, however, has moved to defend the former England international. “I've not had many footballers behave better off the pitch than Rio —both on and off the pitch,” he said. “I don't have any problems with the way Rio conducts himself."
Arsenal looking for momentum
Chelsea’s London rivals Arsenal also have a similarly easy fixture as they host bottom-of-the-pile Burnley in an attempt to register their first consecutive wins of the season.
Arsene Wenger's side claimed three points for the first time in four games when an Alexis Sanchez brace secured victory at Sunderland last weekend.
Meanwhile, Burnley are yet to win a match in nine attempts so far this season, but manager Sean Dyche insists his players are still up for the fight. "It dents you, but it doesn't break you," said Dyche, whose side are the only team in the top four English divisions yet to win a match. "It's a reality. Whether it hurts or not is irrelevant.”
Arsenal eye title bounce against Burnley
Arsenal will attempt to step up their Premier League title challenge by recording back-to-back league wins for the first time this season when Burnley visit the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Arsene Wenger's side claimed three points for the first time in four games when two goals from Alexis Sanchez secured victory at Sunderland last weekend.
That moved Arsenal up to fifth in the table, nine points adrift of leaders Chelsea, and they could break into the top four if they see off bottom club Burnley and West Ham United slip up at Stoke City.
Wenger's side have struggled for consistency this season, but will be strengthened by the return of midfielder Jack Wilshere after suspension.
The England midfielder has shown signs he is returning to his best form after a succession of injuries and he will be joined by Theo Walcott, who was an unused substitute at Sunderland after a 10-month absence with a knee injury.
Wenger knows his side can ill-afford to lose any more ground on Chelsea, but Robert Pires, the former Arsenal midfielder, believes his old club can still be crowned champions if they strengthen their midfield.
"I hope we can still win the title," Pires told Sky Sports. "Of course it is going to be very difficult, but the season is very long and the Christmas period coming up will be a very important one for Arsenal.
"The good news is that Theo Walcott is coming back, but the bad news is that Mesut Ozil is out. But I still believe in Arsenal, I believe in the players, and of course I believe in Wenger."
The Frenchman added: "I think Arsene Wenger has a very good team at Arsenal, but I do think they need one player in midfield in the mould of Patrick Vieira.
"They need a tall player, a strong player, because in England you need players who are physical. That position is very important and I think that is the only missing piece."
German playmaker Ozil is a long-term absentee with a knee problem and is joined on the sidelines by the French trio of Olivier Giroud, Mathieu Debuchy and Laurent Koscielny.
Wenger has revealed that left-back Kieran Gibbs is also a doubt for this weekend.
"It is a hip problem," he said. "He came off at Sunderland with 20 minutes to go. He is a doubt, but we'll know more tomorrow [Friday]."
Burnley are yet to win a match from nine attempts so far this season, but their manager, Sean Dyche, insists his players' sprits are not broken.
"It dents you, but it doesn't break you," said Dyche, whose side are the only team in the top four English divisions yet to win a match. "It's a reality. Whether it hurts or not is irrelevant.
"It gives you the added motivation to get wins. It's important we focus on what we're about. We get the players prepared to go and achieve things."
Burnley will welcome Dean Marney back into the squad to face Arsenal after the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder recovered from a hamstring strain.
Liverpool ready to hit peak form, says Rodgers
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes his players are finally starting to gel on the pitch ahead of their Premier League clash with Newcastle at St James's Park on Saturday.
The Reds have yet to convince in the early part of the campaign following the addition of several new players after selling Uruguay forward Luis Suarez to Barcelona.
Liverpool, who were runners-up to Manchester City last season, are nine points behind leaders Chelsea in seventh place in the table after nine games.
But Rodgers claims he has seen signs in recent matches that his side is taking shape and performances will improve as a result.
"The players that are available are working very, very hard and we're still learning about each other," he said.
"I think that sometimes goes amiss — you get new players in and with not as much preparation time, you're learning about them in games.
"I can see each day the relationship growing within the players and the connection.
"That's what we've been trying to do and gradually as each day goes by, I sense and feel we are getting better.
"Rickie Lambert, who hasn't had many opportunities, his goals will come. He's working tirelessly every day and had some nice touches against Swansea the other night.
"Young Lazar Markovic playing on the left hasn't featured so much, but we brought him in for the longer term. He'll get games in this period because we've got confidence he'll be a big player for us.
"Those players will get a chance and hopefully they can take that chance."
Rodgers also claims he does not have to shield Mario Balotelli from players in opposition teams who try to wind him up during games.
The Italy striker, who is set to start against Newcastle, had a confrontation with Swansea midfielder Jonjo Shelvey during their League Cup clash in the week.
"I don't have to protect Mario," said Rodgers. "He's fine. There's no concern."
Liverpool will be without striker Daniel Sturridge who is still recovering from a calf problem that is also likely to force him to miss their trip to Real Madrid in the Champions League and next weekend's clash with Chelsea at Anfield.
Defenders Jose Enrique (knee), Mamadou Sakho (hip) and Jon Flanagan (knee) are all absent along with midfield playmaker Suso (groin).
Meanwhile, Newcastle approach the game with their confidence restored after three successive victories that have tempered the criticism of their manager Alan Pardew.
Pardew looked certain to be dismissed only a month ago, but an impressive sequence of results in October have made his position secure, at least for the time being — although the 53-year-old seems reluctant to take credit for the transformation.
"I don't think it's that important, if I'm honest," he said.
"What is important is that we're winning games again and that's what the fans want to see.
"I think we have a group that could excite them this year. There is a lot of pace in the squad and it's about getting it on the pitch and using it in the right manner, which we are doing at the moment.
"It's a nice transitional period for us. We have had a couple of very good teams here in my time, but last year it kind of fell away for us and we are trying to build a new side.
"It takes time to bed in, but we are starting to find our feet."
Pardew will give a fitness test to striker Papiss Cisse (knee) and midfielder Cheick Tiote (shin), while defender Davide Santon (knee) and midfielder Siem de Jong (thigh) are still some way short of a return.
Today’s fixtures
Newcastle v Liverpool
Arsenal v Burnley
Chelsea v QPR
Everton v Swansea
Hull v Soton
Leicester v West Brom
Stoke v West Ham
League leaders Chelsea will be hoping to increase their four-point lead at the top when they host struggling QPR in the West-London derby on Saturday.
The Blues missed out on the chance to move six points clear when Robin van Persie's late equaliser denied Mourinho's side victory over Manchester United at the Old Trafford last weekend.
However, on paper, this should be the ideal game for the Blues to return to winning ways in the league as 19th-placed QPR registered only their second win of the season last weekend. However, Chelsea defender Gary Cahill insists they can take nothing for granted. “I thought we played well against United but obviously there was disappointment right at the end,” he said.
“On Saturday it's another home game to look forward to, but QPR are coming off the back of a good result. It's another tough game in the Premier League.”
Chelsea striker Diego Costa is back in full training and may return to the starting line-up with Didier Drogba, who scored against United and also against Shrewsbury in midweek, expected to return to the bench.
QPR, meanwhile, will be without experienced defender Rio Ferdinand after the centre-back was suspended for three matches and fined £25,000 by the Football Association for a comment he made on social media.
Manager Harry Redknapp, however, has moved to defend the former England international. “I've not had many footballers behave better off the pitch than Rio —both on and off the pitch,” he said. “I don't have any problems with the way Rio conducts himself."
Arsenal looking for momentum
Chelsea’s London rivals Arsenal also have a similarly easy fixture as they host bottom-of-the-pile Burnley in an attempt to register their first consecutive wins of the season.
Arsene Wenger's side claimed three points for the first time in four games when an Alexis Sanchez brace secured victory at Sunderland last weekend.
Meanwhile, Burnley are yet to win a match in nine attempts so far this season, but manager Sean Dyche insists his players are still up for the fight. "It dents you, but it doesn't break you," said Dyche, whose side are the only team in the top four English divisions yet to win a match. "It's a reality. Whether it hurts or not is irrelevant.”
Arsenal eye title bounce against Burnley
Arsenal will attempt to step up their Premier League title challenge by recording back-to-back league wins for the first time this season when Burnley visit the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Arsene Wenger's side claimed three points for the first time in four games when two goals from Alexis Sanchez secured victory at Sunderland last weekend.
That moved Arsenal up to fifth in the table, nine points adrift of leaders Chelsea, and they could break into the top four if they see off bottom club Burnley and West Ham United slip up at Stoke City.
Wenger's side have struggled for consistency this season, but will be strengthened by the return of midfielder Jack Wilshere after suspension.
The England midfielder has shown signs he is returning to his best form after a succession of injuries and he will be joined by Theo Walcott, who was an unused substitute at Sunderland after a 10-month absence with a knee injury.
Wenger knows his side can ill-afford to lose any more ground on Chelsea, but Robert Pires, the former Arsenal midfielder, believes his old club can still be crowned champions if they strengthen their midfield.
"I hope we can still win the title," Pires told Sky Sports. "Of course it is going to be very difficult, but the season is very long and the Christmas period coming up will be a very important one for Arsenal.
"The good news is that Theo Walcott is coming back, but the bad news is that Mesut Ozil is out. But I still believe in Arsenal, I believe in the players, and of course I believe in Wenger."
The Frenchman added: "I think Arsene Wenger has a very good team at Arsenal, but I do think they need one player in midfield in the mould of Patrick Vieira.
"They need a tall player, a strong player, because in England you need players who are physical. That position is very important and I think that is the only missing piece."
German playmaker Ozil is a long-term absentee with a knee problem and is joined on the sidelines by the French trio of Olivier Giroud, Mathieu Debuchy and Laurent Koscielny.
Wenger has revealed that left-back Kieran Gibbs is also a doubt for this weekend.
"It is a hip problem," he said. "He came off at Sunderland with 20 minutes to go. He is a doubt, but we'll know more tomorrow [Friday]."
Burnley are yet to win a match from nine attempts so far this season, but their manager, Sean Dyche, insists his players' sprits are not broken.
"It dents you, but it doesn't break you," said Dyche, whose side are the only team in the top four English divisions yet to win a match. "It's a reality. Whether it hurts or not is irrelevant.
"It gives you the added motivation to get wins. It's important we focus on what we're about. We get the players prepared to go and achieve things."
Burnley will welcome Dean Marney back into the squad to face Arsenal after the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder recovered from a hamstring strain.
Liverpool ready to hit peak form, says Rodgers
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes his players are finally starting to gel on the pitch ahead of their Premier League clash with Newcastle at St James's Park on Saturday.
The Reds have yet to convince in the early part of the campaign following the addition of several new players after selling Uruguay forward Luis Suarez to Barcelona.
Liverpool, who were runners-up to Manchester City last season, are nine points behind leaders Chelsea in seventh place in the table after nine games.
But Rodgers claims he has seen signs in recent matches that his side is taking shape and performances will improve as a result.
"The players that are available are working very, very hard and we're still learning about each other," he said.
"I think that sometimes goes amiss — you get new players in and with not as much preparation time, you're learning about them in games.
"I can see each day the relationship growing within the players and the connection.
"That's what we've been trying to do and gradually as each day goes by, I sense and feel we are getting better.
"Rickie Lambert, who hasn't had many opportunities, his goals will come. He's working tirelessly every day and had some nice touches against Swansea the other night.
"Young Lazar Markovic playing on the left hasn't featured so much, but we brought him in for the longer term. He'll get games in this period because we've got confidence he'll be a big player for us.
"Those players will get a chance and hopefully they can take that chance."
Rodgers also claims he does not have to shield Mario Balotelli from players in opposition teams who try to wind him up during games.
The Italy striker, who is set to start against Newcastle, had a confrontation with Swansea midfielder Jonjo Shelvey during their League Cup clash in the week.
"I don't have to protect Mario," said Rodgers. "He's fine. There's no concern."
Liverpool will be without striker Daniel Sturridge who is still recovering from a calf problem that is also likely to force him to miss their trip to Real Madrid in the Champions League and next weekend's clash with Chelsea at Anfield.
Defenders Jose Enrique (knee), Mamadou Sakho (hip) and Jon Flanagan (knee) are all absent along with midfield playmaker Suso (groin).
Meanwhile, Newcastle approach the game with their confidence restored after three successive victories that have tempered the criticism of their manager Alan Pardew.
Pardew looked certain to be dismissed only a month ago, but an impressive sequence of results in October have made his position secure, at least for the time being — although the 53-year-old seems reluctant to take credit for the transformation.
"I don't think it's that important, if I'm honest," he said.
"What is important is that we're winning games again and that's what the fans want to see.
"I think we have a group that could excite them this year. There is a lot of pace in the squad and it's about getting it on the pitch and using it in the right manner, which we are doing at the moment.
"It's a nice transitional period for us. We have had a couple of very good teams here in my time, but last year it kind of fell away for us and we are trying to build a new side.
"It takes time to bed in, but we are starting to find our feet."
Pardew will give a fitness test to striker Papiss Cisse (knee) and midfielder Cheick Tiote (shin), while defender Davide Santon (knee) and midfielder Siem de Jong (thigh) are still some way short of a return.
Today’s fixtures
Newcastle v Liverpool
Arsenal v Burnley
Chelsea v QPR
Everton v Swansea
Hull v Soton
Leicester v West Brom
Stoke v West Ham