It has been another funny old week in the world of Football. Mike Ashley once again made Newcastle the laughing stock of the football world sacking a manager who got them promoted and was keeping them safe. Replacing him with a friend of his who has failed every time he's been in the top division. Alan Pardew always seems like a nice bloke and once too West ham to the FA cup final but one lucky run does not make a good manager.
I am not Newcastle's biggest fan, personally I think their big club attitude when they really aren't is annoying but even I feel sorry at the moment for their fans as a Impending relegation battle looms. The will stay up as there are some really bad teams this year but it will certainly have given hope to some of the teams below them that Newcastle may get dragged in.
Chelsea lost again in Marseilles in a nothing game when they had already comfortably won the group and the "Chelsea crisis" is not even slightly a crisis. They are having a sticky spell which happens to every club every season. Except maybe the "Invincibles" of a few years ago. They were never going to keep up their early season form because after all they can't only play relegation candidate teams all season which lets remember the majority of their early games were incredibly easy to win games at home. Still its December, They are only 2 points behind Arsenal and are far from being out of the title race.



If by January first they are within 3 to 6 points of the top they will be very happy indeed having Spurs, Man United and Arsenal to play in the next few weeks. Man United have Arsenal and Chelsea and Arsenal have Chelsea and Man United as well so its hardly like they have an easy run of it. By January first we may have a much clearer view of who really is going to challenge this season.
Man City have 4 winnable games and games they should win if they really want to challenge for the title so while the big three are potentially taking points off each other then City will need to capitalise.
The bottom of the table is quite tight this season with 6^th only being 8 points ahead of the relegations zone. While many people have been impressed by Blackpool's start to the season for example a bad run could easily leave them in the bottom three. Villa fans will be getting a little twitchy and although they have had a lot of injuries if they get stuck near the bottom they might find it difficult to climb out of it. Likewise with Everton who are struggling at the wrong end of the table for them. The 2 clubs who really should be worried are West ham and Wolves, both are three points behind safety and have considerably worse goal difference.
So anyway here are this weekends predictions
Saturday 11^th December
Aston Villa2 - 1WBA
Everton1 - 0Wigan
Fulham1 - 2Sunderland
Stoke City1 - 0Blackpool
West Ham1 - 3Man City
Newcastle1 - 2Liverpool
Sunday 12^th December
Bolton1 - 0Blackburn
Wolves1 - 1Birmingham
Tottenham2 - 1Chelsea


Monday 13^th December
Man Utd3 - 1Arsenal