Match-Ups Preview – Dec. 28th (Part 1)

By Taylor Fisher | 27th December 2008

Match-Ups Preview - Dec. 28th (Part 1) | read this item

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Newcastle United

We’ve only had one day of rest, and now it is time for more football. There is nothing better than 20 matches over a 5 day span. With that said, let’s get started on another bunch of matches.

Sunday, December 28th

Newcastle v. Liverpool (12:00): Boxing Day treated Newcastle and Liverpool very differently. Newcastle’s 6 game unbeaten streak was snapped by Wigan in a 2-1 defeat on the road. Meanwhile, Liverpool was playing in the friendly confines of Anfield, securing a 3-0 over Bolton, a team that has been playing well over the whole season. Nonetheless, Liverpool took back over the top spot on the table after Chelsea took over for a mere 2 hours, since their game finished before the Liverpool match. After losing to Wigan, I don’t see how Newcastle can beat Liverpool. Although it is never easy to play at St. James’ Park for the road team, I don’t see it bothering Liverpool all that much. Newcastle will definitely put up a fight, but certainly not enough to stave off the constant attack that Liverpool has. Liverpool will win this one, putting pressure on the rest of the contenders to win their respective matches.

Arsenal v. Portsmouth (14:00): If you could pick any of the Big Four to blow a 2-0 second half lead, who would you pick? I know that I would immediately pick Arsenal. That is exactly what they did on Boxing Day, folks. They ended up drawing 2-2 after leading 2-0 with 25 minutes left in the game. A 65th minute penalty, and a dramatic 90th minute equalizer got Aston Villa a well deserved draw. Arsenal should not have gotten any points out of this match seeing they were being dominated the entire game by an Aston Villa side that is hungry to stay a part of the title chase. As bad as Arsenal looked on Friday, I don’t think they have anything to worry about come Sunday. Portsmouth, although very talented, does not have what it takes to match the Gunners, especially since the game will be played at The Emirates. Arsenal should win this game, but you really never know these days. I’m picking Arsenal to win it nonetheless.

Bolton v. Wigan (14:00): Bolton may have lost their match to Liverpool, but I don’t see it affecting them in a negative way. Bolton has been very consistent this season, so I feel as though that match will be erased from their minds for the time being. Wigan got a huge win over a Newcastle team that has been making their move up the table. It will certainly help their confidence going into this match. I don’t see a clear winner coming out of this match. I’m leaning toward picking Bolton just because they have been more consistent, while Wigan has been more of a streak riding team. I’m going to pick a draw from this match-up.

Everton v. Sunderland (14:00): David Moyes does it again! I am done writing Everton off. Everton’s title chances are slim to none, but they are a solid team. It is because of the genius who they have managing their team they have been doing to well. If Everton keeps this up, and I certainly believe that they will now, they definitely have it takes to even surpass Arsenal. They have been playing well on a more consistent basis, whereas Arsenal really only shows up in big games. Arsenal always plays at their competition’s level, while Everton is always ready to play above their opponent. Sunderland only drew Blackburn on Friday, so I think Everton will win another one to keep them up near the top of the table. Being at home certainly will help them out as well. Everton with the victory.

Don’t forget that you can follow all the matches by using our Live Scores feature!

Also, make sure to listen to our LIVE Premiership Talk Podcast after you watch all the matches! The discussion and match recaps begin at 1:00PM EST (6:00PM GMT)!