Chelsea vs West Ham / Arsenal vs Newcastle

used SG

vs

1055 LIVE ON ESPN

west ham's revival got a hiccup last week at boro. can they do to chelsea wad they did to arsenal??

used SG

vs

130 DELAYED ON ESPN

Just fresh from beating a team like pool against a team winless and scoreless in their away games (except the game against WH) . dont expect any upsets Laughing

dragg SG

i hope arsenal hammer newcastle and get roeder sacked.

a-Lost-9uY SG

very high chance indeed..
i believe the nx 1 will be him

zocoss SG

Chelsea v West Ham

Chelsea keeper Carlo Cudicini is almost certain to retain his place ahead of Hilario but new signing Magnus Hedman is not ready for a place in the squad.

Mikel John Obi is expected to figure for first time since he was sent off against Reading last month.

Didier DROGBA is the highest scoring Premiership player this season with eight League goals.

West Ham hope defender Anton Ferdinand (Achilles) will return as his deputy James Collins (abductor injury) is out.

Striker Bobby Zamora (ankle) and midfielders Yossi Benayoun and Nigel Reo-Coker should be fit.

Bobby ZAMORA is West Ham's leading scorer with five goals - all in the Premiership.

Chelsea (from): Cudicini, Hilario, Ferreira, Geremi, Bridge, A Cole, Terry, Carvalho, Boulahrouz, Lampard, Ballack, Essien, Makelele, Drogba, Shevchenko, Robben, Wright-Phillips, J Cole, Diarra, Mikel.

West Ham (from): Green, Spector, Ferdinand, Gabbidon, Konchesky, Benayoun, Mullins, Reo-Coker, Etherington, Sheringham, Harewood, Cole, Zamora, Tevez, McCartney, Mascherano, Carroll, Bowyer.

REFEREE
Mike Dean (Wirral)

zocoss SG

Arsenal v Newcastle

Arsenal are set to be without Gilberto as he has returned to Brazil to deal with a family matter.

Freddie Ljungberg and Julio Baptista are both fit again, while goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has recovered from his heavy cold.

Thierry HENRY is Arsenal's top scorer with six goals, five in the Premiership.

Newcastle duo Shay Given and Obafemi Martins could return after injury.

Emre is suspended, Shola Ameobi could play before he has a hip operation, while Stephen Carr, Titus Bramble and James Milner could be available.

Shola AMEOBI is Newcastle's top scorer with five goals.

Arsenal (from): Lehmann, Hoyte, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Fabregas, Gilberto, Hleb, Henry, van Persie, Baptista, Ljungberg, Almunia, Djourou, Senderos, Eboue, Flamini, Walcott, Aliadiere, Adebayor.

Newcastle (from): Given, Harper, Srnicek, Carr, Taylor, Moore, Bramble, Ramage, Huntington, Butt, Parker, Solano, Milner, Duff, Dyer, N'Zogbia, Pattison, Ameobi, Martins, Rossi, Sibierski, Luque.

REFEREE
Martin Atkinson (Yorkshire)

HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
Home and away
League: Arsenal 54 wins, Newcastle 61, Draws 31
Prem: Arsenal 13 wins, Newcastle 8, Draws 5

at Arsenal only
League: Arsenal 36 wins, Newcastle 21, Draws 16
Prem: Arsenal 9 wins, Newcastle 3, Draws 1

anhydrouscoppersulphate SG

ARSENAL v NEWCASTLE UNITED: TEAM NEWS

The 27-year-old could return to the starting line-up for the first time since April at Arsenal after a miserable seven months.

And with striker Obafemi Martins also available after recovering from a hamstring strain which has sidelined him for the last five games, Roeder is keeping his fingers crossed that the pair can belatedly kick-start the Magpies season.

He said: In the position we are at the moment, Kieron is going to be a massive player for us.

He has to stay fit - he deserves that luck and we deserve that luck that Kieron Dyer stays fit all year. If he does, we will get a huge benefit.

I would like to think Kieron and Oba will link up well and form a decent partnership in terms of Kieron coming from an offensive position in midfield and Oba starting from his striking position.

GALLAS: FIRST GOAL VITAL

Arsene Wenger knows all too well "quality alone does not make champions" as Arsenal enter a crucial week of their season.

The Gunners host struggling Newcastle on Saturday looking to keep within touching distance of leaders Manchester United and Chelsea, then on Tuesday night, Hamburg visit the Emirates Stadium in what will be a crucial Champions League clash.

FABREGAS v PARKER: ACTIM HEAD-TO-HEAD

But Wenger declared: "We want to show consistency.

"We have proved since the beginning of the season that we have quality - but quality alone does not make champions.

"Consistency, how much we can gather our resources in every game, that is our target now.

"We are now at the stage where it is down to how much we can get up to our best in every game, and that will make the difference in the next three month

anhydrouscoppersulphate SG

CHELSEA v WEST HAM UNITED: TEAM NEWS

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho feels proud to have rescued Magnus Hedman from premature retirement and refused to rule out handing the former Celtic stopper a new deal at the end of the season.

Unveiled on Friday, as the Blues prepare to face West Ham United, Hedman has signed a contract until the end of the season as cover for injured Petr Cech, Hilario and Carlo Cudicini.

Mourinho said: I am very happy with our choice - with all respect to the other keepers we had at the club for a period of trial.

I am happy because we brought him back to football. I think he is too young and too good to be out of football so soon and I feel very happy because I have some responsibility for bringing him back to the game.

His contract is to the end of the season but nobody can say he will not have an extension of his contract and stay at Chelsea.

I am very confident again and so is the team. In the next couple of weeks, he will be ready to challenge the other two goalkeepers.

We have many matches in December and January and we couldnt have faced them with only two goalkeepers. It was too dangerous.

WEEKEND FIXTURES: HEAD-TO-HEAD

West Ham boss Alan Pardew believes keeping Chelseas superstars happy is Mourinhos greatest attribute as he plots to upset the form book against the Barclays Premiership champions.

Pardew has had his own selection issues with the arrival of Argentina duo Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez, but he believes maintaining motivation at Stamford Bridge is a far harder task.

His team carry lots of superstars and are always highly motivated, Pardew said.

Its difficult to say hes underrated - Jose will certainly say that, Im sure - but you cant manage a team like Chelsea and have all those superstars unless you are a great manager.

Its very difficult to manage players with large egos, fantastic ability and huge salaries. And he motivates them and gets them into a team structure that wins most games.

When you are at those top clubs thats your role.

anhydrouscoppersulphate SG

Do make your predictions before the start of the whistle.. good luck have fun Wink

http://www.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=220556

anhydrouscoppersulphate SG

Chelsea 1-0 West Ham: Geremi punishes Hammers
PA

Geremi found the top corner with a delicious free-kick as Barclays Premiership champions Chelsea defeated London rivals West Ham 1-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Jose Mourinho's men knew even a big win would probably not take them to the top of the league this weekend, but they maintained the pressure on leaders Manchester United with their victory.

The winner came midway through the opening half as Geremi curled home from 25 yards following a foul on Didier Drogba by Danny Gabbidon, and Mourinho's men closed out another comfortable and efficient win.

Carlos Tevez had been handed a rare start - West Ham have still not scored with him on the pitch since his arrival before the August transfer window closed - but he struggled against an in-form Ashley Cole.

The tone was set in the opening minute when he fouled the England full-back, and Cole was on top from then on.

Tevez, who can play as a centre forward, was on the right flank and Yossi Benayoun, who skippered Israel in midweek, was not in the matchday squad.

The visitors did have their share of the possession in the opening stages, Benayoun's replacement Lee Bowyer wasting a cross from a good position.

But Chelsea remained a threat despite failing to find their top gear. John Terry was off target twice early on from corners on each flank, although the first effort would have been ruled out for a push.

Blues boss Mourinho, who had embraced his counterpart Alan Pardew before kick-off, had outlined in his programme notes that the home fans needed to get behind former Hammer Frank Lampard.

The England midfielder, jeered throughout by away supporters, was in the thick of the action as Chelsea seized control of the game.

He earned a free-kick in the 16th minute when he was tripped by Bowyer, who then deflected Lampard's set-piece wide.

Lampard forced goalkeeper Robert Green to save with a volley and then was booked for a sending Jonathan Spector flying.

The hosts were ahead in the 22nd minute after in-form striker Drogba was hauled down by Gabbidon, earning the Hammers centre-back a booking.

Geremi's 25-yard free-kick curled around the wall and into Green's top corner, with the full-back dashing over to the dug-out where he shook Mourinho's hand.

Encouraged by the opener, Andriy Shevchenko wasted a good opportunity when he made ground down the right, as did Robben soon after.

Robben also fired wide towards the end of the first half but, despite Chelsea being on top, the Hammers were still a threat.

Cole had to throw himself at a Nigel Reo-Coker effort to block when the midfielder was on the end of a deep cross, while Matthew Etherington volleyed just wide.

Referee Mike Dean had to address a simmering feud between Reo-Coker and Drogba to keep the derby atmosphere on the boil.

Mourinho took off Ricardo Carvalho, who appeared to pick up a knock in the opening half, for Khalid Boulahrouz at the break.

Lampard lashed over the crossbar six minutes after the restart when Shevchenko had threaded the ball through Gabbidon's legs to find his team-mate on the edge of the area.

As the champions started to assert pressure, Paul Konchesky was forced to hack away in his own six-yard box as Drogba looked to finish from close range, with the home fans calling for a penalty for handball.

Just before the hour mark it was Spector who was forced to block, this time Michael Essien connecting with a fierce volley.

Getting close to Chelsea's goal was proving difficult for the visitors, Bobby Zamora firing over from long distance with a wild volley, their best offering after the break.

Reo-Coker was booked for a foul as Chelsea broke, while Joe Cole was brought on with 22 minutes remaining for Shevchenko.

Hayden Mullins was booked for fouling Essien with 20 minutes remaining as the needle expected in a London derby was maintained. Tevez also received a yellow card for a foul on the same player.

Essien hit the post with a powerful drive as the hosts looked likely to add a second, and Drogba had an effort chalked off for offside.

Mikel John Obi, back in the matchday squad, was given a run-out but struggled to make an impact.

anhydrouscoppersulphate SG

Arsenal 1-1 Newcastle: Magpies hold on
PA

Thierry Henry once again proved Arsenal's talisman as he grabbed their equaliser in a 1-1 home draw with Newcastle.

The Gunners skipper had been left on the bench, with manager Arsene Wenger concerned about burn-out following his midweek international duty with France.

But the brilliant Frenchman was introduced as a second-half substitute when his team were trailing 1-0 - and promptly smashed in a free-kick to level on 70 minutes.

Arsenal pressed, but were denied by some resolute defending and an inspired display by Newcastle keeper Shay Given, fit again following an injury lay-off.

The point, hard-fought as it was, meant Arsenal lost ground on Barclays Premiership pacesetters Manchester United and Chelsea, although with a match in hand they are still not out of the title race.

For Newcastle, results elsewhere mean they are at least out of the relegation zone - although still deep in trouble at the wrong end of the table.

Wenger had again stressed the need for his side to take the lead and so force Newcastle to make a game of it, rather than sit back as many visitors had done at the Emirates Stadium.

Those directives were not transferred onto the field, however, as after a positive start and decent chances for Emmanuel Adebayor and Cesc Fabregas, the Magpies stole the lead on the half-hour.

Arsenal were left light at the back following a free-kick, and were caught on the break, a flick-on from Obafemi Martins putting Kieron Dyer into space on the edge of the area.

Emmanuel Eboue was tracking him - but the England midfielder took control of the ball, turned and coolly dispatched a low strike into the bottom right corner.

Arsenal were clearly incensed by again falling behind at home, despite dominating for large spells of the match.

The danger was now, of course, Newcastle would sit back on their lead, getting plenty of men behind the ball.

With the visitors indeed sitting deep, Robin van Persie tried his luck from 25 yards, but his well-struck shot was straight at Given.

Arsenal remained patient, knocking the ball around waiting for an opening as half-time approached.

Adebayor sent a looping header over from Fabregas' chip into area, before van Persie curled an angled shot-on-the-turn just wide of the far post after darting in down the right.

Scott Parker escaped with what looked like a clear handball after Hleb's shot ricocheted up from Duff.

Dutchman Van Persie had to go for treatment on his ankle following a heavy block on the edge of the area.

It was no surprise when he did not reappear at the start of the second half, replaced by Henry.

Arsenal created an opening inside the first few moments. The ball broke to Adebayor and his snap-shot from close range was drilled straight at Given, who made a smart reaction save.

There was a determination about the Gunners, who produced several slick passing moves, if without the final telling ball.

Nevertheless, there were still moments of concern at the other end. On 55 minutes Dyer again found space at the edge of the area and sent a curling effort from the Newcastle left just wide of the far post.

Henry was slipped into the left side of the area and his angled shot was deflected away acrobatically by Given.

The home side continued to dominate as the hour mark approached. Fabregas was next to be found in space in the danger zone - and his snap-shot was superbly beaten clear one-handed by Given.

It was all Arsenal now, the hosts forcing a succession of corners.

With 20 minutes left, Steven Taylor was cautioned when he bundled over Henry, who was looking to get away on an angled ball down the left.

The Arsenal captain dusted himself down and took the free-kick himself, whipping it up over the wall - and in off the underside of the crossbar for his seventh goal of the season.

Defender Craig Moore almost put through his own net and Henry had an effort deflected onto the post before Given pulled off another fine flying save from the Arsenal skipper.

Four minutes of stoppage time were shown and the Gunners continued to press - but crucially once again failed to find a winner.