As Written By HITC SPORT
Source: HITC SPORT
Manchester United, QPR, Norwich City, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool,
Wigan Athletic, Aston Villa and Southampton all suffered defeats. Who
will make it two in a row?
Here is a look at the eight 'losers' from the first week of Premier
League action, and their prospects going into the weekend's fixtures.
Manchester United
United were surprise losers in their opening game, the first time they
had done so in eight years, when they were toppled at Goodison Park by
an excellent Everton side. Everton were deserving winners and United's
defensive issues were one of the root causes of them. Jonny Evans is
tipped to return for the visit of Fulham, which will allow Michael
Carrick to take his place in the centre of midfield. Robin van Persie
making his home debut will be hungry for a goal, but United have to
figure out how to get the best out of him. Fulham will not roll over
easily, and only lost 1-0 at Old Trafford last season. They will be full
of confidence after their 5-0 victory over Fulham, and could spring an
upset by claiming a draw. Even so a win is a long shot, and the chances
of United losing their first two are slim, but at the same time still
possible.
QPR
QPR had visions of easily dispatching Swansea in their opener,
especially after beating them comfortably at the end of last season.
They had a huge shock when Michael Laudrup's side cruised to a 5-0 win,
and the confidence seemed to sap out of their players. They have been
busy ever since trying to recruit new signings, and Jose Bosingwa could
make his debut at right-back. They face Norwich, who are a tough team to
beat at Carrow Road, but are coming off the back of their own heavy
defeat. QPR will not want to lose two in a row but it is very possible,
especially if the Canaries score first and get the crowd behind them.
Norwich City
Norwich turned in a limp showing away to Fulham, and Chris
Hughton's side will be hoping to simply write it off as 'one of those
days'. A home fixture against QPR gives them a chance to draw a line
under it, but avoiding defeat is essential. They have a tough run of
fixtures after this, beginning with Spurs away the following week, and
they do not want to go into that on zero points at the bottom of the
table. A draw here might suit both sides, but neither can afford to play
for one.
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs gave it their all against Newcastle last weekend, but did
not have enough to claim a draw, conceding a penalty shortly after
equalising. There were good signs, they were unfortunate to hit the
woodwork in the first half and could have taken the lead. Jermain Defoe
looked bright, and he will hope to keep his place against West Brom.
Spurs beat the Baggies last season home and away, and Emmanuel Adebayor
played a key part in that. He could feature after sealing a permanent
move. Steve Clarke's side will be full of confidence after beating
Liverpool, and will fancy their chances of coming away with a draw or
springing an upset, but we expect Spurs to put some points on the
board.
Liverpool
Liverpool rested their key players for last night's Europa League
trip top Hearts, ensuring Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard are fit for
Sunday's visit of Manchester City. Brendan Rodgers side were criticised
after their 3-0 defeat to West Brom, but they suffered their share of
misfortune with the sending off and did create chances. City though are
another proposition, and are a slick well-oiled machine at the moment
full of confidence. Even without Sergio Aguero, they will be confident
of taking three points. Rodgers first Premier League game at Anfield
will be a testing one, and it could be an unhappy one, but his side are a
work in progress, and if they put up a good performance there will be
no shame in losing the champions even if it means two defeats out of
two.
Wigan Athletic
Wigan did not give themselves much of a chance against Chelsea,
going 1-0 down after two minutes and 2-0 down after 10. That is how the
game finished, and Roberto Martinez' side will be looking to keep it
tight especially early on against Southampton. The Saints will be a
tough proposition at home, and looked bright last weekend. However last
season the Latics traveled to newly promoted Swansea in their second
game and came away with a goalless draw, and Wigan might just take that
result here.
Southampton
Southampton showed real promise against Manchester City, and at
one stage looked good for a sensational win. So it would be a real step
backwards if they were to suffer a home defeat to Wigan. There was
plenty for the Saints to be positive about after their opening game, and
Rickie Lambert will be pushing for a start after his goal coming off
the bench. Southampton should be good for a victory, meaning it will be
Wigan instead who end up rooted on zero points after their opening two
matches.
Aston Villa
Villa fans had been positive all summer, so to suffer a 1-0 loss
to West Ham was particularly disappointing. They could have taken a 4-3
defeat, but their side was particularly goal shy last year and
supporters want to see evidence of a new attacking approach. Against
Everton they face a tricky task. The Toffees showed just how mean their
own defence can be against Manchester United, and Villa will find it
tough to break them down. The positives are Villa Park should be packed
and supporters will be aiming to create a good atmosphere to get behind
the players and new manager. Villa will not be transformed overnight and
supporters are realistic about this, but they will also expect to have
points on the board after this weekend, whether it be one or three.Source: HITC SPORT
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