The Shin Guardian 22 players, 1 ball, high quality commentary

Nearly forgot about the Premiership match-ups midweek today. All about to go down.

As good as he is, this is not a face you want to put on program guides

 

Villa v. Tevezchester City

Nothing like sending a message of cluelessness to your egregiously overpriced team like making Carlos Tevez the captain last week after he flip-flopped on a homesickness claim to remain at City.

That said, what does the fact that Tevez is so invaluable to the team say about your wild spending on other players over the past more than two years. Where have you gone Joleon Lescott, Roque Santa Cruz and Emmanuel Adebayor? Buyer beware should these names come across your transfer sheet in January.

Meanwhile Americans will be hoping for an encore performance from Eric Lichaj? After containing Gareth Bale this past weekend though, Lichaj gets the start against promising England youngster Adam Johnson. Another audition.

Omar Cummings arrives shortly.

The Boredom Bowl: Stoke City vs. Fulham

Precisely what this game would be for US fans if it didn’t include Clint Dempsey.

Fulham are fighting relegation. Surprised?

Stoke City…okay forget it, next.

Spurs v. Newcastle

Now this will be a good match-up. This one previews like an NFL match-up.

Tottenham Hotspur are doing a good job of spreading the field and incising the opponent with checkdowns (Alan Huttons crosses), fly routes (Gareth Bale barreling down the left) and screen passes (scatback Rafael Van Der Vaart finding defensive holes you didn’t know your team had.)

Newcastle’s defense batters you all day long and then it’s “hike it up to Andy Carroll from a Joey Barton bomb or pray for rain.” Did you know all of Carroll’s goals have been assisted by Barton. You hear that ‘Arry?

West Brom vs. The Remnants of the Artist Formerly Known as Big Sam

Chris Brunt, most underrated player in the Premiership. Bears repeating.

Onward as the left winger is not in the line-up today due to a knock. (Can’t do a proper preview here…I’ve got like 4 West Brom games on DVR…for some reason I really like watching that team.)

Birmingham vs. Manchester United

The Blues are notoriously stingy up at St. Andrews. This will be a good game. I can’t say it will be pretty to watch, but it’ll be a close one.

Alex McLeish’s crew–after having their Everton game postponed–are also well rested coming into this one. It’s got the making of, potentially, Manchester United’s first loss of the season.

Birmingham however will need to something, anything out of striker Cameron Jerome– the biggest disappointment of the EPL season thus far–to keep Manchester United’s defense honest.

Arsenal vanquished Chelsea at the Emirates on Monday, 3-1, marking the first time that Arsene Wenger left the pitch with a smile on his face in more than 2 years against the Blues.

Arsenal pressured high up the pitch, using surprise starter Theo Walcott, to expose Chelsea poor ball management out of the back. Two of Arsenal’s three goals came on gaffes in their central third, but that might have been a chain reaction as Chelsea missing Nicolas Anelka due to a bum knee and Didier Drogba, due to playing defense continually in his own defensive third, had no outlet over the top.

By the time Chelsea inserted Gael Kakuta to attempt to stretch Arsenal defense vertically it was too late, despite an Drogba-to-Ivanovic set play score. It didn’t help that Kakuta looked very much his 19-years-of-age.

The game was not without some questionable play from Arsenal who saw Robin Van Persie dispossessed in his few possessions and Jack Wilshere continue his uneven play. However, stellar play from the captain Cesc Fabregas and stand-in center back Johan Djourou far outweighed the few subpar home time performances by Arsenal as they dominated possession and the rest of the score sheet.