PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH PREVIEWS: SATURDAY FEBRUARY 6 – SUNDAY FEBRUARY 7

Manchester City v Leicester City – Saturday 1245

Positions: Man City 2^nd, Leicester 1st

Form (last six matches – League only – earliest matches first):

Man City

DWDWDW (12pts)

Leicester

DDWDWW (12pts)

·         In each of the last 11 seasons, the team top of the table in February has gone on to be champions, so it may be time to take Leicester’s title claims seriously. This is nothing short of a massive match, as the leaders visit second placed City, who are also the bookies’ favourites. City are unbeaten in seven and Leicester in six, so does this make a draw most likely? Or will City’s excellent home form win out? City will be without midfielders Kevin de Bruyne and Samir Nasri, and possibly Jesus Navas.

January transfer window new signings:

Leicester – Demarai Gray (forward, Birmingham, £3.7m), Daniel Amartey (defender, Copenhagen, £6m), Daniel Iversen (goalkeeper, Esberg, £200,000)

Man City – Anthony Caceres (midfielder, Central Coast Mariners – since loaned to Melbourne City)

Aston Villa v Norwich City – Saturday 1500

Positions: Aston Villa 20^th, Norwich 17^th

Form:

Aston Villa

LLWDDL (5pts)

Norwich

WWLLLL (6pts)

·         An overhauled Norwich squad seeks to end their losing run at bottom of the table Villa. Both sides will be targeting this match as one they can win.

January transfer window new signings:

Aston Villa – None

Norwich – Ivo Pinto (defender, Dinamo Zagreb), Timm Klose (defender, Wolfsburg), Matt Jarvis (midfielder, West Ham, £2.5m), Ben Godfrey (midfielder, York City), Steven Naismith (forward, Everton, £8.5m), Patrick Bamford (forward, Chelsea, loan), James Maddison (midfielder, Coventry, £3.5m), Ebou Adams (midfielder, Dartford)

Liverpool v Sunderland – Saturday 1500

Positions: Liverpool 8^th, Sunderland 19^th

Form:

Liverpool

WLDLWL (7pts)

Sunderland

LWWLDL (7pts)

·         Sunderland’s performance in Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester City would have probably been sufficient to secure three points against many teams, so they must now try and replicate that showing against inconsistent Liverpool.

January transfer window new signings:

Liverpool – Marko Grujic (forward, Red Star Belgrade, £5.1m - loaned back for rest of season), Steven Caulker (defender, QPR, loan)

Sunderland – Dame N’Doye (forward, Trabzonspor, loan), Jan Kirchhoff (defender, Bayern Munich, £750,000), Steve Harper (goalkeeper, unattached), Wahbi Khazri (midfielder, Bordeaux, £7.5m)

Newcastle United v West Bromwich Albion – Saturday 1500

Positions: Newcastle 18^th, West Brom 14^th

Form:

Newcastle

LLDWLL (4pts)

West Brom

WWDLDD (9pts)

·         Newcastle’s new signings failed to help them get anything at Everton on Wednesday, but they may stand a better chance against an Albion side without a win in four.

January transfer window new signings:

Newcastle – Henri Saivet (midfielder, Bordeaux), Jonjo Shelvey (midfielder, Swansea, £12m), Andros Townsend (midfielder, Tottenham, £12m), Seydou Doumbia (forward, Roma, loan)

West Brom – Sandro (midfielder, Queens Park Rangers, loan), Alex Pritchard (midfielder, Tottenham, loan)

Everton v Stoke City – Saturday 1500

Positions: Everton 11^th, Stoke 10^th

Form:

Everton

LDDDLW (6pts)

Stoke

WLWDLL (7pts)

·         Everton secured their first win in six on Wednesday, and they stand a good chance of making it back to back wins given Stoke’s poor away record. Both sides have eye catching new signings in the forward department, can either get on the scoresheet here?

January transfer window new signings:

Everton - Shani Tarashaj (forward, Grasshoppers, £3m - loaned back for rest of season), Matthew Foulds (defender, Bury), Oumar Niasse (forward, Lokomotiv Moscow, £13.5m)

Stoke – Gianelli Imbula (midfielder, Porto, £18.3m)

Swansea City v Crystal Palace – Saturday 1500

Positions: Swansea 16^th, Crystal Palace 12^th

Form:

Swansea

DLLWWD (9pts)

Crystal Palace

DLLLLL (1pt)

·         Crystal Palace are on a wretched run, having briefly reached the top four only a short time. They will be looking to this match as an opportunity to get back to winning ways, but expect Swansea’s better recent form to prevail. Palace’s forwards have still scored only one league goal between them this season!

January transfer window new signings:

Swansea – Alberto Paloschi (forward, Chievo, £8m), Leroy Fer (midfielder, Queen’s Park Rangers, loan), Ryan Blair (midfielder, Falkirk)

Crystal Palace – Emmanuel Adebayor (forward, unattached), Randall Williams (midfielder, Tower Hamlets)

Tottenham Hotspur v Watford – Saturday 1500

Positions: Tottenham 3^rd, Watford 9^th

Form:

Tottenham

WDLWWW (13pts)

Watford

LLLLWD (4pts)

·         Tottenham have scored 10 goals in winning their last three matches, and they now have the best goal difference in the league, as well as the best defensive record. At some point Spurs may feel the loss of Jan Vertonghen – the Belgian centre back has been in superb form but is now sidelined for around two months. However, expect the North London side to win here.

January transfer window new signings:

Watford – Nordin Amrabat (forward, Malaga, £6.1m), Costel Pantilimon (goalkeeper, Sunderland), Abdoulaye Doucoure (midfielder, Rennes, £8m – since loaned to Granada), Adalberto Penaranda (forward, Granada – loaned back), Mario Suarez (midfielder, Fiorentina, £4m)

Tottenham – Shilow Tracey (midfielder, Ebbsfleet)

Southampton v West Ham United – Saturday 1730

Positions: Southampton 7^th, West Ham 6^th

Form:

Southampton

LLWWWD (10pts)

West Ham

WWWLDW (13pts)

·         A potentially very exciting contest between two in-form teams

January transfer window new signings:

Southampton – Charlie Austin (forward, Queen’s Park Rangers, £4m)

West Ham – Sam Byram (defender, Leeds, £3.7m), Emmanuel Emenike (forward, Fenerbahce, loan)

Bournemouth v Arsenal – Sunday 1330

Positions: Bournemouth 15^th, Arsenal 4^th

Form:

Bournemouth

LDLWDW (8pts)

Arsenal

WWDDLD (9pts)

·         Benik Afobe is in excellent form, and this match gives the Bournemouth forward a chance to make a point to the club who sold him last year. Arsenal are now four without a win and three matches without a goal, and have slipped five points off the pace and behind local rivals Tottenham on goal difference. Another defeat here could be very damaging to their title hopes.

January transfer window new signings:

Bournemouth – Benik Afobe (forward, Wolverhampton, £9m), Lewis Grabban (forward, Norwich, £7m), Juan Iturbe (forward, Roma, loan), Marius Adamonis (goalkeeper, FK Atlantas, loan), Rhoys Wiggins (defender, Sheffield Wednesday, £200,000)

Arsenal – Mohammed Elneny (midfielder, FC Basel, £5m)

Chelsea v Manchester United – Sunday 1600

Positions: Chelsea 13^th, Man Utd 5th

Form:

Man Utd

DWDWLW (11pts)

Chelsea

DWDDWD (10pts)

·         This is sure to be a keenly fought game despite the two sides’ league positions. With both sides difficult to beat of late, this could be a draw? United have one defeat in six and Chelsea are seven unbeaten.

January transfer window new signings:

Man Utd – None

Chelsea – Alexandre Pato (forward, Corinthians, loan), Matt Miazga (defender, New York Red Bulls, £3.5m)