It is week 2 in the Premier League and fans already looking forward to some of the top games of the season. This week, Fulham will host Arsenal in a great London derby and Chelsea FC can make their first mark this season when they face Manchester United.
Fulham vs. Arsenal on Saturday, August 24th
Week two of the Premier League gets underway at Craven Cottage on Saturday lunch time with Fulham FC taking on Arsenal in a London derby. Arsenal bounced back from an opening day shock defeat to Aston Villa with an impressive 3-0 win at Fenerbahce on Wednesday night however pressure is still on Arsene Wenger’s side to claim all three points against the Cottagers. Due to lack of summer signings, Arsenal’s squad remains thin and the midweek trip to Turkey could result in fatigue for some players, an area Fulham could exploit. Martin Jol’s Fulham began their campaign with a narrow away win over Sunderland and will now be looking to build on that win with a good performance against the Gunners.
Manchester United vs. Chelsea on Monday, August 26th
The pick of the round’s matches will be held at Old Trafford on Monday night where an early meeting between two title contenders takes place; Manchester United versus Chelsea. Both teams have started the season impressively; Manchester United beat Swansea 4-1 at the Liberty Stadium with Robin Van Persie in inspiring form whereas Chelsea have already accumulated two home victories against Hull City and Aston Villa. This upcoming contest between two heavyweights of English football could give an early indication of where the 2013/14 Premier League title will end up come May. Manchester United’s attack looked particularly potent in week one with Robin Van Persie and Danny Welbeck each scoring a brace something Chelsea will need to deal with on Monday. It remains to be seen whether Wayne Rooney will play any part against the team who have had bids rejected for the England striker’s services. This match looks like it could be very close; it may require a moment of brilliance to separate the two teams.
Cardiff City vs. Manchester City on Sunday, August 25th
Super Sunday will see Cardiff City play their first ever home game in the Premier League against Manchester City. Manuel Pellegrini’s team will be confident going into this match after they scored four goals past Newcastle on Monday however the atmosphere at the Cardiff City Stadium will be electric. Cardiff have not made the greatest start to life in the Premier League losing their first match 2-0 to West Ham however, with the attacking talents of Craig Bellamy and Kim Bo-Kyung, Malky Mackay’s side could cause Manchester City problems. It will be fascinating to see who Pellegrini selects in attack for his team with new signings Alvaro Negredo and Stevan Jovetic both pushing for starts in place of Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko who both scored in the win over Newcastle. Despite the anticipation from the Welsh crowd it is likely Manchester City will have too much quality for Cardiff to deal with.
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Swansea City on Sunday, August 25th
Sunday’s other Premier League match sees Tottenham Hotspur face Swansea City at White Hart Lane. Both sides are in action on Thursday in the UEFA Europa League with Tottenham away at Dinamo Tbilisi and Swansea facing Astra Ploiesti at the Liberty Stadium. After winning 1-0 at Crystal Palace last Sunday, Tottenham will be hoping to get their home campaign off to a similar start and keep pace with teams at the top of the table. Swansea on the other hand were put to the sword on the opening day by some world class finishing from Manchester United although the 4-1 score line was perhaps harsh on the Welsh side. New Spurs signing Roberto Soldado scored on his debut at Palace last weekend and the Spanish forward will be hoping to remain among the goals especially while the North London club are still without star man Gareth Bale who is expected to join Real Madrid in the coming days. Tottenham will be strong favourites for this encounter but don’t expect Swansea to be pushovers.
