Liverpool and Arsenal lead the table after victories against Derby and Portsmouth respectively, the Reds hammering Billy Davies’ Rams side 6-0 with Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso scoring twice apiece as Liverpool indicated for the first time in a long, long time that they will sustain a challenge for the league. Arsenal recorded their most convincing victory of the campaign, 3-1 winners against Portsmouth, and despite the lack of transfer activity and departure of Henry, Arsène Wenger’s side also appear ready to contest for the title. While Liverpool and Arsenal have ten points after four matches, Chelsea stayed on that number following their fifth game and first defeat of the season. They fell to a 2-0 defeat against an impressive Aston Villa side with Zat Knight doing more than he did in eight years at Fulham by scoring the opener and keeping a clean sheet.

Everton also lie on ten points after Joleon Lescott netted in the 90th minute to give David Moyes’ outfit a 2-1 victory at struggling Bolton, who now reside in 19th position. The most exciting game of the weekend came from Craven Cottage as Tottenham threw away a 3-1 lead with 12 minutes remaining to draw against Fulham, Diomansy Kamara netting a brilliant overhead kick in the final minute to ensure the points were shared, although the visitors dominated throughout. Martin Jol’s position as coach has become even more precarious. Manchester United beat Sunderland by a single goal from Louis Saha as they continued to flounder in front of goal, and there were wins for Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Blackburn and West Ham too. Reading, after losing 3-0 at home to the Hammers, lie in the relegation zone and second season syndrome is hitting them hard.

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West Ham continued their slow start to the new season with a tame 1-1 draw with third-placed Wigan, as Chris Hutchings continues to prove his critics wrong. Bolton also got off the mark by hammering Reading, and there were wins for Aston Villa and Birmingham while a draw was played out at Goodison Park between Everton and Blackburn as Roque Santa Cruz continued to impress for the visitors. Sam Allardyce says he wants to bring in new faces before the transfer window closes on Friday after watching another draw for his Newcastle side. A visit to the Riverside saw them lead twice only to allow Middlesbrough to level almost immediately on both occasions.

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Defending champions Manchester United already have a big mountain to climb if they are to retain their crown after falling 1-0 at Manchester City, thanks to a Geovanni effort. United dominated but lacked a cutting edge, leaving them on just two points after three matches having scored only one goal in that period and they lie five points off favourites Chelsea, who benefited from a stroke of luck to earn a 1-1 draw at Anfield against Liverpool. Fernando Torres scored a brilliant opener, but Frank Lampard levelled when referee Rob Styles incorrectly ruled that Florent Malouda had been fouled in the box. Both sides remain unbeaten and look set to battle it out for top spot over the next few months, especially after Arsenal failed to take advantage of their rivals’ results. A 1-1 draw at Blackburn offered little indication that the Gunners would compete any better this season than they did in the last.
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Portsmouth v Bolton (1245 UK)
A relegation struggle is looming for Sammy Lee’s Bolton after defeats to Newcastle and Fulham, but while their own defence is struggling, they face a Portsmouth side potentially without Sol Campbell, Noe Pamarot, Gary O’Neil, Dejan Stefanovic and Lauren, while Sulley Muntari’s suspension could leave Harry Redknapp with just 16 senior players.

It already seems imperative that Bolton take at least a point from this encounter as Lee struggles to work his 4-4-2 formation, a change from Sam Allardyce’s successful 4-3-3 tactic. Portsmouth’s half-time adjustments versus Manchester United triggered a much-improved performance, which gained them their second point of the season, and eyes will be on goalscorer Benjani and expensive new striker signing David Nugent to provide the impetus.

Prediction: 1-1

Birmingham v West Ham
An early relegation ‘six-pointer’ against Sunderland yielded only one point following a stoppage time equaliser from old boy Stern John and while their fellow promoted club have picked up four points, Steve Bruce’s side look set for a difficult campaign. They will have midfielder Olivier Kapo and central defender Johan Djourou back, and after West Ham’s sluggish start to the new campaign, there is hope and expectation that Birmingham will pick up their first victory.

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Somewhat belatedly, Keane appears to have mastered the art of self-control. The days of him spectacularly losing control, and falling victim of ill discipline, have ended with his seamless entrance into management. Though the old fire still remains, he has mellowed somewhat, and is immeasurably better at controlling himself under pressure.

Upon him becoming manager of Sunderland, many remarked that he was motivated solely by footballing one-upmanship – an urge to prove himself a better manager than Mick McCarthy. McCarthy was the victim of the most spectacular – and self-destructive – of Keane’s tirades; he was also a recent former manager of Sunderland, and had been at the helm as they fell ignominiously to relegation with a record Premiership low of 2005/06. The suspicion was that Keane’s desire was simply to prove himself McCarthy’s superior.

Regardless of his initial motivation, he has long since proved himself an inspired choice. Sunderland had lost their first four games in the Championship, and it is no exaggeration to suggest they were facing a serious footballing crisis. Yet Niall Quinn, to his great credit, recognised that Keane’s force of personality and intolerance of mediocrity made him the perfect man to life the club. Both men were stunningly vindicated as Sunderland won 17 of their last 20 games en route to finishing as champions.

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Manchester City
Stuart Pearce’s uninventive spell ended amidst anger and despondency from City’s support but following a hectic summer, the new owners have instilled fresh belief that a sleeping giant can be raised. Sven Goran Eriksson is the high-profile manager so many have craved, and his spending has reached £40m. A host of exotic foreign imports have wetted the appetite, but such extensive changes will take time to bear an impact and hopes of reaching Europe might have to be put on hold for another season.
Prediction: 9th

Manchester United
The great entertainers of last season, most neutrals were backing Sir Alex Ferguson’s side over Chelsea to capture the league title and his close season purchases indicate the battle of style will continue into 2008. Yet Nani and Anderson are unlikely to play regularly and Owen Hargreaves fits perfectly into Michael Carrick’s current role, so Ferguson will attempt to retain the Premier League crown with much the same squad as from the last 12 months. A lot depends on Carlos Tévez scoring with regularity; the hole left by Ruud van Nistelrooy’s exit has yet to be filled, and it is essential to have a 20 goal per season striker. The defence remains a worry and United’s gung-ho approach may not work for a second time against the brutal Chelsea machine.
Prediction: 3rd

PREDICTION TABLE 1 Chelsea 2 Liverpool 3 Manchester United 4 Arsenal 5 Tottenham 6 Newcastle 7 Portsmouth 8 Everton 9 Manchester City 10 Blackburn 11 West Ham 12 Aston Villa 13 Reading 14 Bolton 15 Fulham 16 Middlesbrough 17 Birmingham 18 Sunderland 19 Wigan 20 Derby

Middlesbrough
Gareth Southgate found his first season arduous as Middlesbrough flirted with relegation and the departure of Mark Viduka could be critical as the club face another season near the bottom. Jeremie Aliadiere and Tuncay Sanli have arrived on the cheap to cover for the Australian, the purchase of Jonathan Woodgate was a coup, and the squad does have depth – probably enough to avoid demotion, though with an inexperienced manager and discontented players in the squad, Middlesbrough are walking a tightrope.
Prediction: 16th

Newcastle
Glenn Roeder’s magic was short-lived and now it’s down to Sam Allardyce to meet lofty expectations. A marvellous job with Bolton with little money has made Allardyce’s reputation and with a £20m kitty at Newcastle, many anticipate immediate success whether with a top six finish or a piece of silverware. Alan Smith and Mark Viduka have joined an impressive front line that includes Michael Owen, Obafemi Martins and the talented Albert Luque while the often-problematic defence has been boosted by Villarreal’s Jose Enrique and PSG’s David Rozehnal. A strong squad might at last fulfil the hopes of Newcastle’s loyal and ambitious support.
Prediction: 6th

Portsmouth
A hectic summer at Fratton Park has seen more than £20m worth of players come in, though their calibre is subject to scrutiny. David Nugent was much sought-after and has the attributes to succeed in Premier league football, but Sulley Muntari and John Utaka are unknowns and may take some time to adjust to top-flight football. Pompey’s Russian owner might expect more of a return on his spending this season in the form of European football and with such a capable and well-balanced squad, it is up to Harry Redknapp to provide it.
Prediction: 7th

Reading
Perhaps Steve Coppell’s lack of interest in qualifying for the Uefa Cup will be vindicated over the coming ten months as second season syndrome is predicted by the very best in the medical profession. Teams like Ipswich have all suffered from this fatal condition, though the ever down-to-earth Coppell looks to be the right man to steady a ship about to sink despite a dearth of transfer activity. The exit of Steve Sidwell might have more of an affect on the squad than first thought and there is a worrying lack of depth – particularly if injuries strike – as the new campaign approaches.
Prediction: 13th

Sunderland
Roy Keane is a promising manager, but he alone cannot preserve Sunderland’s status as a top-flight club. Sent down in shame at the end of the 2005/6 season, Keane has much work to do if Sunderland are to avoid the drop again and signings like Kieran Richardson, Michael Chopra and Greg Halford do not immediately evoke thoughts of safety come May. Missing out on Leighton Baines and numerous other targets haven’t helped Keane’s plans, and though a good work ethic and team spirit is guaranteed, it isn’t enough to survive in a hugely competitive environment.
Prediction: 18th

Tottenham
Having spent more than £40m in the summer, Martin Jol can have few excuses for another slow start. Spurs eventually scraped into fifth position for the second year running, but the Champions League tops the objectives list and after splurging the cash while their main rivals for fourth spot, Arsenal, have sold their captain and spent little, this season presents an ideal opportunity to join Europe’s elite. Darren Bent is a proven goalscorer and joins Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov in a strong line of attack and Spurs’ squad looks sufficient to challenge Arsenal and the traditional top-four line-up. Yet questions remain over Jol as a manager and the team’s consistency, and they again might fall short.
Prediction: 5th

West Ham
Fortunate to remain in the Premier League, the Hammers have since lost their saviour, Carlos Tévez, and failed to sign Darren Bent, leaving hopes of breaking into the top six in tatters. Many West Ham fans remain sceptical about Alan Curbishley and the signings of Craig Bellamy and Scott Parker have failed to set the pulses racing. Yet the return of Dean Ashton, a defence that includes Lucas Neill and Matthew Upson, and experience of Freddie Ljungberg will ensure there are no relegation worries. The destructive influences of Nigel Reo-Coker, Marlon Harewood and Teddy Sheringham have gone, though so has the outstanding Yossi Benayoun, meaning 2007/8 is set to be one of regrouping and transition. With Magnusson’s millions though, another bash at the Uefa Cup is on the cards for 2009.
Prediction: 11th

Wigan
Paul Jewell wore his magic hat and achieved the impossible on the final day of the 2006/7 season, but Wigan’s reprieve looks short-lived with greenhorn Chris Hutchings taking over. Short on experience, he doesn’t have much time to adjust to the severity of Premier League management and he inherits a squad short on quality while his summer signings do not inspire confidence, apart from the skilful Jason Koumas. There is no cutting edge about Wigan and Hutchings is favourite to receive the boot first – perhaps only his exit can keep the club up.
Prediction: 19th

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