The messiah’s return hasn’t gone completely to script, such was the hype on Tyneside surrounding King Kev’s second coming that you would have thought that anything was possible this season. An FA Cup win? No problem. Champions League qualification? Why not? Well after just 3 matches in charge, things aren’t looking so rosy for Special K’s Newcastle as reality has begun to finally set in. The boardroom appointment of Dennis Wise have revealed some of the cracks in the Geordie dream and what can only be perceived as a lack of faith in the talents of Kevin Keegan.

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The yoyo string that is Everton’s Premiership journey has finally snapped. No longer are they the league’s unpredictables; instead they are now a squad with pace, strength and an almost Premier 10 dead cert. Gritty rather than pretty at times, Moyes’ men have simply been getting the job done.

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This will be another major test for the Ramos revolution with the visit of the reigning Champions to the Lane this weekend just a week after United dumped them out of the FA Cup. After ending the club’s Arsenal hoodoo with a resounding Carling Cup semi-final win, Juande’s side need to end a run of 14 matches without a win against the Red Devils (12 defeats). In fact Spurs have won just 3 of the last 35 encounters between the sides, losing 26 of those games. United have also won on their last 6 visits to White Hart Lane including a 4-0 thrashing this time, last year. It could be time to perform another miracle Juande.

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Avram Grant’s Chelsea side travel to Fratton Park with their title rivals fully in their sights and face a Portsmouth side they’ve a superb record against. The Blues have won all 9 Premier League encounters with Pompey and kept 8 clean-sheets in the process. In fact Chelsea’s good run against the South-Coast club stretches back over 50 years and a total of 21 League games (14 wins & 7 draws).

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Sven Goran Eriksson’s City side remain unbeaten in the Premier League at Eastlands but if history is anything to go by, Arsenal will test that record to the full. The Gunners have a superb recent record against City with just 1 defeat in the last 21 encounters home and away (17 wins). The Citizens single victory over Wenger’s young guns in just over 16 years came last season in a rare 1-0 home win. City are certainly not the pushovers they once were as a home win over United and a draw with Liverpool would suggest. However, after 3 successive home draws, City are not looking the all-conquering outfit they were at the start of the season.

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Rafa Benitez is in serious need of a win after going over a month without picking up all 3 points in the Premier League. The club’s last win was a rather fortunate last minute 2-1 away victory at the rock bottom Rams on Boxing Day. Since then Liverpool have gone 5 League matches without a win, they’ve drawn 4 and lost once (at West Ham on Wednesday).

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The messiah’s return has not gone completely to script, such was the hype on Tyneside surrounding King Kev’s second coming that you would have thought that anything was possible this season. An FA Cup win? No problem. Champions League qualification? Why not? Well after just 3 matches in charge things aren’t looking so rosy for Special K’s Newcastle as reality has begun to finally set in.

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This will be another relegation 6-pointer between two sides that few expected to be struggling so badly at this stage of the season. The Trotters were expected to remain the perennial party poopers, upsetting the big boys this season whilst enjoying their time in the UEFA Cup. The Royals were expected to build on last season’s impressive start to life in the Premier League with another mid-table finish but this season has been a real struggle for Steve Coppell’s men.

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After an initial good start to his 2nd spell in charge of the Latics, Steve Bruce’s finds his side in the bottom 3 and out of the FA Cup after losing the last 3 games in a row. Under Bruce, Wigan have picked up 12 points from a possible 30 available. This is an improvement on the 8 points gained from a possible 42 before his arrival. He began with a draw and 2 wins from his first 3 home League games but defeats at the JJB to high-flying Aston Villa and Everton have left them in them back firmly in the mire.

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Roy Hodgson has been a busy boy in the transfer market and is pinning all his survival hopes on Scandinavian footballers by the look of it. The Cottagers have secured the signings of Danish midfielder/defender Leon Andreasen, towering Norwegian centre-half Brede Hangeland and his fellow compatriot striker Erik Nevland. There has been little transfer activity at Villa Park as Martin O’Neill looks set to sell rather than buy despite possessing the smallest squad in the Premier League.

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