FOOTBALL: WEEKEND GUIDE TO THE PREMIERSHIP

Saturday 05 February 2005 01:02 GMT
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Norwich City v West brom

Kick off: Today 3pm. Last season: 0-0 (First Division). TV: Highlights BBC1 10.30pm

Norwich City

Form: DLLDL

Leading scorer: Francis 6.

Subs from: Gallacher, Shackell, Brennan, Drury, Safri, Mulryne, McVeigh, McKenzie.

Injured: Ward (knee, three weeks), Svensson (knee, two weeks), Helveg (calf, two weeks), Bentley (knee, three months).

Doubtful: Drury (hamstring), Mulryne (calf), Safri (ankle).

Killer fact: Have let in 23 goals at Carrow Road - the most home goals conceded in the Premiership.

West Brom

Form: DDLWD

Leading scorer: Earnshaw 6.

Subs from: Kuszczak, Richardson, Kanu, Moore, Gaardsoe, O'Connor, Horsfield, Hulse, Dyer.

Injured: Johnson (knee, two weeks), Marshall (leg, four weeks).

Doubtful: Koumas (foot), Albrechtsen (hamstring).

Killer fact: Have conceded 25 goals away from home in the Premiership. Only Palace (27) have let in more on their travels.

Tickets: Limited availablity at the ground

Aston Villa v Arsenal

Kick off: Today 5.15pm. Last season: 0-2. TV: Live PPV; Highlights: BBC1 10.30pm

Tickets: Sold out

Aston Villa

Form: WLWLD

Leading scorer: Solano 6.

Subs from: Postma, Laursen, Berson, Cole, Davis, Whittingham.

Injured: Vassell (ankle, three weeks), McCann (knee, three months), Hendrie (virus, week), Delaney (knee, three weeks).

Killer fact: Last Premiership victory over Arsenal was in December 1998 when they came back from 2-0 down at half-time, Dion Dublin scoring the winner.

Arsenal

Form: WDLWL

Leading scorer: Henry 16.

Subs from: Lehmann, Eboue, Clichy, Flamini, Reyes, Van Persie, Edu, Hoyte.

Injured: Campbell (ankle, two weeks), Gilberto (back, two months).

Suspended: Toure (third of three matches).

Killer fact: Since that reverse in 1998 Arsenal have won nine Premiership games with Villa.

Crystal Palace v Bolton

Kick off: Today 12.45pm. Last season: N/A. TV: Live PPV, Highlights: BBC1 10.30pm

Tickets: Available (0871 200 0071)

Crystal Palace

Form: LWLWD

Leading scorer: Johnson 15.

Subs from: Speroni, Riihilahti, Lakis, Andrews, Hudson, Torghelle.

Injured: Kolkka (ribs, one week), Ventola (ankle, three weeks), Granville (back, two weeks), Black (leg, four weeks).

Doubtful: Powell (hamstring).

Suspended: Sorondo (one match).

Killer fact: Looking for their third consecutive home victory.

Bolton Wanderers

Form: DWWWW

Leading scorer: Davies 7.

Subs from: Poole, Hierro, Fadiga, Okocha, Kaku, Laville, Pedersen, Vaz Te, Candela.

Injured: Cesar (foot, four weeks), Hunt (ankle, four weeks).

Doubtful: Okocha (knee).

Suspended: None

Killer fact: Looking for their third consecutive away Premiership victory.

Liverpool v Fulham

Kick off: Today 3pm. Last season: 0-0. TV: Highlights BBC1 10.30pm

Tickets: Sold out

Liverpool

Form: LWLLW

Leading scorer: Baros 8.

Subs from: Carson, Pellegrino, Potter, Warnock, Smicer, Mellor, Josemi, Nunez, Biscan.

Injured: Cisse (leg, season), Kewell (hamstring, one week), Kirkland (back, ten weeks), Alonso (leg, season), Sinama-Pongolle (knee, season).

Killer fact: Have lost both Premiership games at Anfield this year - to Chelsea and Manchester United.

Fulham

Form: WDWWD

Leading scorer: Cole 9.

Subs from: Crossley, Radzinski, Jensen, Pearce, Goma, Legwinski, McBride.

Injured: Malbranque (ankle, three weeks).

Doubtful: None.

Killer fact: Fulham have yet to score in three Premiership visits to Liverpool - in fact they have never won at Anfield and down the years have suffered 10-0 and 7-0 defeats there.

Man Utd v Birmingham

Kick off: Today 3pm. Last season: 3-0. TV: Highlights BBC1 10.30pm

Tickets: Sold out

Manchester United

Form: WDWWW

Leading scorer: Scholes 8.

Subs from: Howard, P Neville Bellion, Miller, O'Shea, Fortune.

Injured: Fletcher (ankle, one week), Van Nistelrooy (achilles/calf, three weeks), Smith (ankle, two weeks).

Suspended: Silvestre (first of three matches).

Killer fact: Unbeaten this season at Old Trafford in the Premiership.

Birmingham City

Form: LLLLW

Leading scorer: Heskey 6.

Subs from: Vaesen, Morrison, Tebily, Yorke, Carter, Martin Taylor.

Injured: Diao (calf, two weeks), Dunn (back, three months), Izzet (knee, week), Lazaridis (thigh, week), Anderton (groin, two weeks), Heskey (achilles, week).

Unavailable: Clemence.

Killer fact: First four Premiership meetings with United ended in defeat.

Middlesbrough v Blackburn

Kick off: Today 3pm. Last season: 0-1. TV: Highlights BBC1 10.30pm

Tickets: Available (0870 421 1986)

Middlesbrough

Form: LLDDL

Leading scorer: Hasselbaink 10.

Subs from: Nash, Nemeth, Taylor, Graham, Bates, Wheater.

Injured: Boateng (toe, two weeks), Viduka (hamstring, two weeks), Ehiogu (knee, three months), Riggott (hamstring, two weeks).

Doubtful: Hasselbaink (flu), McMahon (ankle), Cooper (thigh).

Suspended: Zenden (one match).

Killer fact: No Premiership wins so far this year.

Blackburn Rovers

Form: LWWLL

Leading scorer: Dickov 7.

Subs from: Enckelman, Douglas, McEveley, Jansen, Stead, Reid, Gallagher, Tugay, Thompson, Short, Amoruso, Flitcroft, Johansson, Johnson.

Injured: Gresko (knee, six months).

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.

Killer fact: Two victories for Rovers in their last three visits to the Riverside.

Newcastle v Charlton

Kick off: Today 3pm.Last season: 3-1. TV: Highlights BBC1 10.30pm

Tickets: Sold out

Newcastle United

Form: WDWLD

Leading scorer: Shearer 7.

Subs from: Harper, Hughes, Butt, Kluivert, Robert, Milner, Ambrose, N'Zogbia, Boumsong, Taylor.

Injured: Elliott (knee, two months).

Doubtful: Butt (ankle), Boumsong (hamstring).

Killer fact: On a run of three consecutive wins over Charlton at St James' Park.

Charlton Athletic

Form: LDDWL

Leading scorers: El Karkouri 5.

Subs from: Andersen, Perry, Kishishev, Rommedahl, Euell, Jeffers, Lisbie, Johansson.

Injured: None.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.

Killer fact: Have not beaten Newcastle home and away in seven Premiership tries since the 2000-01 season when Charlton did the double over the Magpies.

Tottenham v Portsmouth

Kick off: Today 3pm. Last season: 4-3. TV: Highlights BBC1 10.30pm

Tickets: Sold out

Tottenham Hotspur

Form: WDLLL

Leading scorer: Defoe 11.

Subs from: Cerny, Pamarot, Bunjevcevic, Richards, Reid, Marney, Yeates, Ricketts.

Injured: Mido (one week), Mendes (groin, two weeks), Dawson (shin, two weeks), Davis (knee, one week), Gardner (nose, two weeks).

Suspended: Kanoute (match).

Killer fact: Have claimed more points away so far this season.

Portsmouth

Form: DLLLW

Leading scorer: Earnshaw 6.

Subs from: Ashdown, Griffin, Skopelitis, Fuller, Rodic, Mezague

Injured: Stone (hamstring, one week), Foxe (foot, two months), Todorov (knee, two months), Pericard (knee, season).

Doubtful: Griffin (hamstring).

Suspended: LuaLua (last of four matches).

Killer fact: Last win at White Hart Lane was in April 1988.

Southampton v Everton

Kick off: Tomorrow 2pm. Last season: 3-3. TV: Live Sky Sports1; Highlights BBC2 10.30pm

Tickets: Available (0870 777 1000)

Southampton

Form: LDLWL

Leading scorer: Phillips 7.

Subs from: Smith, A Svensson, Higginbotham, Delap, Van Damme, Oakley, Nilsson, Dodd, Best.

Injured: Phillips (ankle, one week), Fernandes (hamstring, one week), Pahars (ankle, three weeks), M Svensson (knee, four months)

Doubtful: Quashie (knee).

Killer fact: Have not lost at St Mary's since September, nine home games ago.

Everton

Form: WLWLD

Leading scorers: Bent 5, Cahill 5.

Subs from: Turner, Ferguson, Naysmith, Chadwick, McFadden.

Injured: Osman (knee, one week), Watson (stomach, four weeks)

Doubtful: Arteta (knee).

Killer fact: A James Beattie penalty started Southampton's late fightback from 3-1 down to draw with Everton at St Mary's last season.

Chelsea v Man City

Kick off: Tomorrow 4.05pm. Last season: 1-0. TV: Live Sky Sports1; Highlights BBC2 10.30pm

Tickets: Sold out

Chelsea

Form: WWWWW

Leading scorer: Drogba 8.

Subs from: Cudicini, Johnson, Kezman, Smertin, Geremi, Jarosik.

Injured: Parker (foot, five weeks), Carvalho (toe, one week), Huth (knee, two weeks), Drogba (groin, one week), Robben (foot, unknown).

Suspended: None.

Killer fact: Two years ago Chelsea won this fixture 5-0.

Manchester City

Form: WDWLD

Leading scorer: S Wright-Phillips 9.

Subs from: Weaver, Stuhr-Ellegaard, McCarthy, Sommeil, Flood, Onuoha, McManaman, Sibierski, Jordan, B Wright-Phillips.

Injured: Sun Jihai (knee, season), Sinclair (knee, season), Reyna (thigh, two weeks).

Killer fact: Only Premiership side who can do the double over Chelsea this season.

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