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the times | Tuesday December 2 2014
71
2GM
Football Sport
Premier League preview
Kick-off 7.45pm unless stated
Words by Bill Edgar
Burnley v Newcastle
Swansea v QPR
TV Highlights, Sky Sports 2, 10pm
TV Highlights, Sky Sports 2, 10pm
Michael Duff is a doubt for Burnley,
who are without the injured Sam
Vokes and Matt Taylor. Newcastle
have Moussa Sissoko and Jack
Colback suspended, while Tim Krul
and Fabricio Coloccini are injured.
Mike Williamson, Daryl Janmaat and
Massadio Haïdara are doubts.
Swansea have Federico Fernández
injured. Richard Dunne is back from
suspension for QPR, who also expect
Bobby Zamora and Yun Suk Young to
be fit. Only 16 per cent of Swansea’s
throw-ins have gone long (23 yards or
more) this season, the smallest
percentage in the Premier League.
Burnley (4-4-2)
T Heaton — K Trippier, M Keane, J Shackell, S Ward —
M Kightly, D Marney, D Jones, G Boyd — A Barnes,
D Ings
Swansea City (4-2-3-1)
L Fabianski — Á Rangel, K Bartley, A Williams, N Taylor
— Ki Sung Yueng, J Shelvey — W Routledge,
G Sigurdsson, J Montero — W Bony
Newcastle United (4-2-3-1)
R Elliot — S Taylor, M Williamson, P Dummett,
M Haïdara — C Tioté, V Anita — Y Gouffran, M Sissoko,
S Ameobi — A Pérez
Queens Park Rangers (4-4-2)
R Green — M Isla, R Dunne, S Caulker, Yun Suk Young —
N Kranjcar, J Barton, K Henry, L Fer — E Vargas,
C Austin
Referee P Dowd
Referee K Friend
7
32
Predictions
Newcastle red
cards in 2014 — all
when playing
away from home
31
27
H
D
42
Age gap between
Garry Monk, 35,
and Harry
Redknapp, 67
A
Predictions
61
H
23
16
D
A
Leicester v Liverpool
C Palace v Aston Villa
TV Live, BT Sport 1, 7pm
TV Highlights, Sky Sports 2, 10pm
David Nugent is a doubt for Leicester
City and Dean Hammond is unlikely
to return in time to play after a calf
injury. Liverpool have Mamadou
Sakho back in training but Mario
Balotelli has a groin injury. Simon
Mignolet has played 91 consecutive
league games in goal for Sunderland
and Liverpool.
Dwight Gayle is a Palace doubt.
Damien Delaney and Adrian
Mariappa are out. Villa have
Christian Benteke back from
suspension. Ciaran Clark should play
despite suffering blurred vision on
Saturday. In the past ten months,
Palace have had more league defeats
at home than away (six to five).
Leicester City (4-4-2)
K Schmeichel — R De Laet, M Wasilewski, W Morgan,
P Konchesky — R Mahrez, E Cambiasso, M James,
J Schlupp — L Ulloa, J Vardy
Crystal Palace (4-4-1-1)
J Speroni — J Ward, S Dann, B Hangeland, M Kelly —
J Puncheon, J Ledley, M Jedinak, Y Bolasie —
M Chamakh — F Campbell
Liverpool (4-1-4-1)
S Mignolet — G Johnson, M Skrtel, K Touré, J Enrique —
Lucas Leiva — J Henderson, S Gerrard, P Coutinho,
R Sterling — R Lambert
Aston Villa (4-3-3)
B Guzan — A Hutton, J Okore, C Clark, A Cissokho —
A Westwood, C Sánchez, T Cleverley — J Cole,
C Benteke, G Agbonlahor
Referee L Mason
Referee M Oliver
17
Predictions
54
Games in row for
Raheem Sterling
with no goal for
club and country
24
22
H
D
A
Bojan
Stoke City
0
League starts in
2014 by Joe Cole
before starting for
Villa at weekend
Kick-off
8pm
Predictions
49
H
27
24
D
A
Man United v Stoke
West Brom v West Ham
TV Highlights, Sky Sports 2, 10pm
TV Highlights, Sky Sports 2, 10pm
Manchester United are without Ángel
Di María because of a hamstring
injury but Wayne Rooney should play
despite suffering a knock to the knee.
Stoke City have Phil Bardsley back
after illness but will miss the injured
pair of Steve Sidwell and Glenn
Whelan.
Sébastien Pocognoli and James
Morrison are West Brom doubts and
Claudio Yacob is suspended. Mark
Noble is a West Ham doubt and
Diafra Sakho is out injured but Enner
Valencia is fit. West Ham’s past two
goals have been scored in the 56th
minute.
Manchester United (4-1-3-2)
D De Gea — A Valencia, C Smalling, M Rojo, A Young —
M Carrick — A Herrera, M Fellaini, J Mata — W Rooney,
R van Persie
Stoke City (4-2-3-1)
A Begovic — P Bardsley, R Shawcross, M Wilson,
E Pieters — C Adam, S N’Zonzi — J Walters, Bojan,
O Assaidi — M B Diouf
Referee J Moss
86
Predictions
54
Years ago since
United hosted first
midweek action
in December
H
26
20
D
A
Touchline Tony
Tony Cascarino
Manchester United v Stoke City
Stoke are a better side away than at home at present,
and perhaps that will suit Bojan Krkic this evening at
Old Trafford, where the onus may be on quick breaks.
If you are a defender and the Spaniard is running at
you, you are in trouble because he has great feet.
You would much rather he gets the ball when you are
close to him and he has his back to goal. He offers
something different for Stoke compared with the likes
of Peter Crouch and Jonathan Walters. Manchester
United’s win on Saturday was hard to assess because
Hull City let them ease through the match without
any trouble. We will not know where United stand
under Louis van Gaal until after Christmas.
Kick-off
8pm
West Bromwich Albion (4-4-1-1)
B Foster — A Wisdom, C Dawson, J Lescott, S Pocognoli
— G Dorrans, C Gardner, Y Mulumbu, C Brunt —
S Sessègnon — S Berahino
West Ham United (4-4-1-1)
Adrián — C Jenkinson, J Collins, J Tomkins, A Cresswell
— M Amalfitano, M Noble, C Kouyaté, M Jarvis —
S Downing — A Carroll
Referee M Jones
5
West Brom wins
in past 30 home
league games
Predictions
41
H
26
33
D
A
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