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Premier League Week 2 Preview
1:17 PM on August 22nd, 2014 by Nathan Susanto

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With the first round of matches of the 2014-2015 English Premier League season in the books, there already appears to be a familiar look at the top of the standings. All of last season's top-4 clubs earned victories in the opening week, with Chelsea leading the way with a 3-1 win over newcomers Burnley. Champions Manchester City recorded a 2-0 victory at Newcastle, while Liverpool and Arsenal recorded 2-1 home triumphs over Southampton and Crystal Palace, respectively.

Swansea made sure there wasn't a dream start for Louis van Gaal at Manchester United, with the Swans notching a 2-1 win at Old Trafford. There were also wins for Aston Villa, Hull and Tottenham, while Everton tied 2-2 with Leicester and Sunderland shared the same scoreline with West Brom.

Week 2's feature matchup is undoubtedly between last season's champions and the runners-up. Manchester City and Liverpool recorded a home victory against each other last term and it's been six years since the away side has stolen the spoils in the league. Elsewhere, Arsenal makes the trip to Everton, while Manchester United visits Sunderland.

Remember to make your Premier League Pickem predictions before the deadline of each game. Week 2's schedule gets under way on Saturday at 7:45 AM ET, a game which is followed by four 10 AM ET kickoffs. The final match of the day is at 12:30 PM ET. There are two 8:30 AM ET Sunday fixtures, along with a 11 AM ET clash. The week concludes with a Monday fixture, starting at 3 PM ET.

Note that the Yahoo! Fantasy Premier League game's deadline is on Saturday at 6:45 AM ET.

Here we preview the ten games in the upcoming week of the English Premier League. The title of each game section is a link to pick the result of that game.





Newcastle United (20th) at Aston Villa (=6th) (Sat, 7:45 AM ET)


Last season Newcastle kicked their campaign off with a defeat against Manchester City and twelve months on they suffered the same fate. The Magpies went down 2-0 to the champions and it might be concerning that despite much effort they recorded no shots on target. Newcastle rounded out last season with five successive defeats on the road. Aston Villa's 2013-2014 campaign had the perfect start with an away victory and they repeated the trick last week in their season opener. Villa secured a 1-0 win at Stoke with a second half goal, but they'll be wary that last season's opening week victory didn't translate into a strong start; they followed that week 1 win with three defeats in a row.


Head-to-Head Stats

Last season:
Newcastle 2-1 Aston Villa
Aston Villa 0-1 Newcastle (reverse fixture)

Last 6 (all competitions):
Newcastle lead 4-0-2.

Last 3 at Aston Villa (all competitions):
Newcastle lead 2-0-1.

All-time (all competitions):
Newcastle lead 69-55-33.


Team News

Newcastle (from):
Alnwick, Elliot, Krul, Coloccini, Dummett, Ferguson, Haidara, Janmaat, Satka, Streete, Steven Taylor, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, Aarons, Abeid, Anita, Ben Arfa, Bigirimana, Cabella, Colback, De Jong, Gutierrez, Obertan, Sissoko, Vuckic, Ameobi, Armstrong, Ferreyra, Gouffran, Perez, Riviere.

Out (reason, expected return date):
Cissé (knee, Sep 29), Tioté (hamstring, Aug 30), Santon (knee, no date), R. Taylor (ACL, no date).


Aston Villa (from):
Given, Guzan, Bacuna, Baker, Clark, Donacien, Herd, Hutton, Lowton, Okore, Senderos, Stevens, Vlaar, Cole, Delph, El Ahmadi, Gardner, Grealish, N’Zogbia, Richardson, Sanchez, Westwood, Agbonalhor, Bent, Burke, Robinson, Weimann.

Out (reason, expected return date):
Benteke (Achilles, Oct 4), Kozák (broken leg, Oct 18).





Leicester City (=9th) at Chelsea (1st) (Sat, 10 AM ET)


When Leicester was last in the Premier League ten years ago they started their campaign with a 2-2 tie and history repeated itself a decade on. The Foxes had a tough opener against Everton last weekend but they fought back twice to secure a share of the honors. Leicester's away form was exemplary last term, easily the best in the Championship. Last season was the first time José Mourinho failed to deliver silverware for Chelsea after his first spell yielded six trophies in three years. This campaign began positively with a solid 3-1 victory away to promoted Burnley. As usual, Mourinho's team was strong at home last term though they faltered late on, with Sunderland inflicting a rare defeat.


Head-to-Head Stats

Last season:
Last met in 2012

Last 6 (all competitions):
Chelsea lead 6-0-0 (includes 1 FA Cup game and 1 League Cup game).

Last 3 at Chelsea (all competitions):
Chelsea lead 3-0-0 (includes 1 FA Cup game and 1 League Cup game).

All-time (all competitions):
Chelsea lead 49-24-29.


Team News

Leicester (from):
Hamer, Schmeichel, Smith, Bakayogo, De Laet, Konchesky, Moore, Morgan, Schlupp, Wasilewski, Albrighton, Hammond, King, Knockaert, Mahrez, Hopper, Nugent, Taylor-Fletcher, Ulloa, Vardy, Wood.

Out (reason, expected return date):
Drinkwater (hamstring, Aug 31), James (shin, Aug 31), Upson (foot, no date).


Chelsea (from):
Cech, Courtois, Schwarzer; Ake, Azpilicueta, Cahill, Christensen, Ivanovic, Luis, Terry, Zouma, Fabregas, Hazard, Matic, Mikel, Oscar, Ramires, Salah, Van Ginkel, Willian, Costa, Drogba, Schurrle, Torres.





West Ham United (=16th) at Crystal Palace (=13th) (Sat, 10 AM ET)


West Ham's only success in their final six games of last term was a win against Tottenham but they failed to transfer that form into their opening fixture of this season. The Hammers were beaten 1-0 by Spurs, but Mark Noble had the chance to put them in front from the penalty spot. West Ham ended last season with five away defeats in six outings. Crystal Palace will go into their second game of the season still without a permanent manager after former Cardiff boss Malky Mackay suddenly fell out of contention. So caretaker manager Keith Millen will continue in his role for now and will hope for better luck this weekend. In their week 1 encounter, Palace succumbed 2-1 to Arsenal after a late goal.


Head-to-Head Stats

Last season:
West Ham 0-1 Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace 1-0 West Ham (reverse fixture)

Last 6 (all competitions):
Crystal Palace lead 4-0-2.

Last 3 at Crystal Palace (all competitions):
Crystal Palace lead 2-0-1.

All-time (all competitions):
West Ham lead 13-6-11.


Team News

West Ham (from):
Adrian, Jaaskelainen, Cresswell, Demel, Jenkinson, Kouyate, O’Brien, Potts, Reid, Tomkins, Diame, Downing, Jarvis, Morrison, Noble, Nolan, Poyet, Cole, Vaz Te, Valencia, Zarate.

Doubts:
Tomkins (hamstring, major doubt), Valencia (fitness), Sakho (fitness).

Out (reason, expected return date):
Carroll (foot, Oct).

Suspended:
Collins (one-match ban).


Crystal Palace (from):
Hennessey, Kettings, Price, Speroni, Binnon-Williams, Dann, Delaney, Hangeland, Mariappa, McCarthy, Ramage, Ward, Bannan, Boateng, Bolasie, De Silva, Garvan, Guedioura, Jedinak, Kebe, Ledley, O’Keefe, Thomas, Williams, Campbell, Chamakh, Gayle, Murray.

Doubts:
Dann (thigh, late fitness test), Mariappa (ribs, late fitness test).

Suspended:
Puncheon (one-match ban).





West Bromwich Albion (=9th) at Southampton (=13th) (Sat, 10 AM ET)


West Brom's new manager Alan Irvine nearly saw his charges give him the perfect start to his tenure but they were denied late on. Saido Berahino gave the Baggies the lead twice last weekend but they were pegged back on each occasion by Sunderland. West Brom won't want to repeat last term, where they didn't win in their first four matches. Southampton's new lineup put in a good performance in week 1 but they were eventually undone by Liverpool. The Saints drew level with their hosts in the second half but they succumbed 2-1. Southampton's home form last season was a little up and down but they finished the campaign off with just one defeat in their final five home encounters.


Head-to-Head Stats

Last season:
West Brom 0-1 Southampton
Southampton 1-0 West Brom (reverse fixture)

Last 6 (all competitions):
Southampton lead 3-2-1.

Last 3 at Southampton (all competitions):
Southampton lead 2-1-0.

All-time (all competitions):
Southampton lead 26-22-22.


Team News

West Brom (from):
Foster, Myhill, Baird, Davidson, Dawson, Garmston, Jones, Lescott, McAuley, Olsson, Pocognoli, Wisdom, Brunt, Dorrans, Gardner, Morrison, Mulumbu, O’Neil, O’Sullivan, Sessegnon, Roofe, Yacob, Anichebe, Berahino, Ideye, Nabi.

Out (reason, expected return date):
Gamboa (fitness, no date).


Southampton (from):
Boruc, K. Davis, Forster, Gazzaniga, Bertrand, Clyne, Fonte, Hooiveld, Stephens, Targett, Yoshida, Cork, S. Davis, McQueen, Taider, Ramirez, Reed, Schneiderlin, Tadic, Wanyama, Ward-Prowse, Gallagher, Long, Pelle.

Out (reason, expected return date):
Rodriguez (ACL, no date), Gardos (hamstring, no date).





Burnley (19th) at Swansea City (=3rd) (Sat, 10 AM ET)


When Burnley was in the Premier League five years ago, they enjoyed surprise victories early on against Manchester United and Everton. However, they couldn't rediscover that form on Monday and they succumbed to Chelsea, despite taking the lead. The Clarets had a strong away record last term, going undefeated in their final 12 road encounters. Swansea got last season underway with a defeat against Manchester United but they used the opening fixture of this campaign to exact revenge. The Swans traveled to Old Trafford and despite their hosts fighting back they secured an away victory. Swansea's home form last season was relatively poor and inconsistent, ranking only 15th in the league.


Head-to-Head Stats

Last season:
Last met in 2011

Last 6 (all competitions):
Burnley lead 3-2-1.

Last 3 at Swansea (all competitions):
Tied 1-1-1.

All-time (all competitions):
Burnley lead 17-12-13.


Team News

Burnley (from):
Cisak, Gilks, Heaton, Duff, Dummigan, Lafferty, Long, Mee, Shackell, Trippier, Ward, Arfield, Howieson, Jones, Kightly, Marney, Reid, Taylor, Wallace, Barnes, Ings, Jutkiewicz, Sordell.

Out (reason, expected return date):
Vokes (ACL, no date).


Swansea (from):
Cornell, Fabianski, Tremmel, Amat, Bartley, Fernandez, Kingsley, Rangel, Taylor, Tiendalli, Williams, Britton, Canas, Dyer, Fulton, Ki, Montero, Richards, Routledge, Sigurdsson, Shelvey, Bony, Emnes, Gomis.

Doubts:
Britton (knee), Emnes (knee cartilage), Fulton (knee).

Out (reason, expected return date):
Donnelly (ankle, Nov).





Arsenal (=3rd) at Everton (=9th) (Sat, 12:30 PM ET)


Having lost on the first day last season, Arsenal will be delighted they came through their opening test this time. It looked as if the Gunners would be held to a tie but a last minute Aaron Ramsey strike helped them collect maximum points. However, Ramsey was sent-off in Arsenal's 0-0 tie away at Beşiktaş in the Champions League on Tuesday. Everton kicked off last season with a 2-2 tie away to an unfancied team and it happened once again in their opening encounter of the 2014-2015 campaign. The Toffees twice headed promoted club Leicester but they had to settle for a point. Everton's home form was excellent for much of last term but they lost two of their last three at Goodison Park.


Head-to-Head Stats

Last season:
Arsenal 0-3 Everton
Everton 1-1 Arsenal (reverse fixture)
Everton 1-4 Arsenal (FA Cup)

Last 6 (all competitions):
Arsenal lead 2-1-3 (includes 1 FA Cup game).

Last 3 at Everton (all competitions):
Tied 1-1-1.

All-time (all competitions):
Arsenal lead 99-59-44.


Team News

Arsenal (from):
Martinez; Szczesny, Chambers, Debuchy, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Monreal, Cazorla, Coquelin, Flamini, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil, Ramsey, Rosicky, Wilshere, Zelalem, Campbell, Giroud, Podolski, Sanchez, Sanogo.

Doubts:
Mertesacker (fitness), Özil (fitness), Podolski (fitness), Sanogo (hamstring).

Out (reason, expected return date):
Walcott (ACL, Sep 20), Ospina (thigh, Aug 31), Arteta (ankle, no date), Gibbs (hamstring, no date), Diaby (hip, no date), Gnabry (knee, no date).


Everton (from):
Howard, Robles, Stanek, Alcaraz, Baines, Browning, Coleman, Distin, Duffy, Galloway, Garbutt, Hibbert, Jagielka, Stones, Pennington, Atsu, Barry, Besic, Grant, Gibson, Kennedy, McCarthy, McGeady, Osman, Pienaar, Byrne, Hope, Long, Lukaku, McAleny, Mirallas, Naismith.

Out (reason, expected return date):
Barkley (MCL, no date), Oviedo (broken leg, no date), Koné (knee, Sep).





Stoke City (=16th) at Hull City (=6th) (Sun, 8:30 AM ET)


Stoke ended last season with two wins on the bounce but they failed to extend the streak into the new campaign last week. The Potters were at home to Aston Villa and they didn't break down the visitors, eventually losing 1-0. Stoke's away record last season was poor despite it improving in the last two months; they only managed three away wins. European duties were on the agenda for Hull on Thursday, where they faced Dutch club KSC Lokeren. They'll go into the second leg of the Europa League playoff with a 1-0 deficit after conceding a second half goal. It was in contrast to their fortunes last weekend when they beat QPR 1-0, where they scored after halftime and survived a late penalty.


Head-to-Head Stats

Last season:
Stoke 0-0 Hull
Hull 0-1 Stoke (reverse fixture)

Last 6 (all competitions):
Stoke lead 3-1-2.

Last 3 at Hull (all competitions):
Tied 1-1-1.

All-time (all competitions):
Hull lead 26-17-18.


Team News

Stoke (from):
Begovic, Butland, Eve, Sorensen, Bardsley, Cameron, Huth, Muniesa, Pieters, Shawcross, Shotton, Teixeira, Wilkinson, Wilson, Adam, Ireland, Moses, N'Zonzi, Palacios, Sidwell, Shea, Ward, Wheeler, Whelan, Arnautovic, Biram Diouf, Bojan, Crouch, Jerome, Odemwingie, Walters.

Doubts:
Moses (fitness).

Out (reason, expected return date):
Ireland (rib, Sep 13).


Hull (from):
McGregor, Harper, Chester, Davies, Bruce, Figueroa, Rosenior, McShane, Boyd, Elmohamady, Huddlestone, Livermore, Ince, Brady, Jelavic, Aluko, Quinn, Robertson.

Out (reason, expected return date):
Snodgrass (knee, no date).

Suspended:
Sagbo (final game of two-match ban).





Queens Park Rangers (=16th) at Tottenham Hotspur (=6th) (Sun, 8:30 AM ET)


When Queens Park Rangers was last in the Premier League two seasons ago, they failed to record a single victory in their first 16 games of the campaign; they had their opportunities at the weekend against Hull, but Rangers suffered another losing start to the term. Their away form was below par last season, with QPR losing ten times on the road. Just one of Tottenham's first 11 matches last season had more than two goals, with six of those fixtures resulting in narrow wins. Spurs began this campaign with another 1-0 victory, with debutant Eric Dier scoring late on. Tottenham followed that on Thursday with a 2-1 triumph over Cypriot club AEL Limassol in a Europa League playoff encounter.


Head-to-Head Stats

Last season:
Last met in 2013

Last 6 (all competitions):
Tottenham lead 4-1-1.

Last 3 at Tottenham (all competitions):
Tottenham lead 3-0-0.

All-time (all competitions):
Tottenham lead 20-14-17.


Team News

QPR (from):
Green, Murphy, Hill, Dunne, Ferdinand, Onuoha, Caulker, Yun, Simpson, Traore, Isla, Henry, Barton, Fer, Mutch, Faurlin, Hoilett, Phillips, Wright-Phillips, Austin, Remy, Zamora.


Tottenham (from):
Friedel, Lloris, Vorm, Assou-Ekotto, Chiriches, Davies, Dawson, Dier, Fryers, Kaboul, Rose, Vertonghen, Walker, Bentaleb, Capoue, Chadli, Dembele, Eriksen, Lamela, Lennon, Mason, Holtby, Paulinho, Sandro, Townsend, Adebayor, Kane, Soldado.

Doubts:
Walker (pelvis), Chiriches (back).

Suspended:
Naughton (one-match ban).





Manchester United (=13th) at Sunderland (=9th) (Sun, 11 AM ET)


A home fixture as the opening game is normally guaranteed points for Manchester United but Louis van Gaal's reign at Old Trafford didn't begin happily. United struggled to adapt to their new formation and Swansea inflicted the hosts' first opening week home defeat in 42 years. United was better away than at home last term, ranking fourth overall. Sunderland began last season in terrible form, losing seven of their first eight, and it looked like they would lose in their season opener at the weekend before they salvaged a 2-2 tie away to West Brom. Sunderland's record at home last season was the major reason why they flirted with relegation, picking up just 18 points on their travels in 19 contests.


Head-to-Head Stats

Last season:
Manchester United 2-0 Sunderland
Sunderland 1-0 Manchester United (reverse fixture)
Manchester United 1-2 Sunderland (League Cup)
Sunderland 1-2 Manchester United (League Cup)

Last 6 (all competitions):
Tied 3-3-0 (includes 2 League Cup games).

Last 3 at Sunderland (all competitions):
Manchester United lead 2-1-0 (includes 1 League Cup game).

All-time (all competitions):
Manchester United lead 62-41-36.


Team News

Manchester United (from):
Amos, De Gea, Johnstone, Lindegaard, Evans, Jones, M. Keane, Rafael, Smalling, Varela, Vermijl, Anderson, Cleverley, Fletcher, Januzaj, Kagawa, Lawrence, Mata, Powell, Valencia, Young, Hernandez, W. Keane, Rooney, Van Persie, Welbeck, Wilson, Zaha.

Out (reason, expected return date):
Carrick (ankle, Oct 5), Shaw (hamstring, Sep 14), Herrara (knock, no date), Fellaini (ankle, no date), Lindgard (knee, no date).


Sunderland (from):
Mannone, Pantilimon, Jones, Van Aanholt, Brown, O'Shea, Vergini, Roberge, Cattermole, Bridcutt, Rodwell, Gomez, Larsson, Johnson, Buckley, Mavrias, Wickham, Fletcher, Altidore, Graham.

Out (reason, expected return date):
Giaccherini (groin, Sep 13).





Liverpool (=3rd) at Manchester City (2nd) (Mon, 3 PM ET)


Liverpool ended last term disappointingly but they ensured they got this campaign off to a good start by notching the full complement of points in week 1. Last season's runners-up were made to work hard but they beat Southampton 2-1. Liverpool had the league's best away record last season, including seven victories in their last nine road matches. Manchester City's defence began without a hitch last week with a sound victory away to Newcastle. While their form often stuttered on the road, the Citizens were close to flawless in the familiar surroundings of the Etihad Stadium. In 19 home fixtures, City recorded a league-leading 17 wins, with only Chelsea and Sunderland denying them victory.


Head-to-Head Stats

Last season:
Liverpool 1-2 Manchester City
Manchester City 2-3 Liverpool (reverse fixture)

Last 6 (all competitions):
Liverpool lead 2-1-3 (includes 2 League Cup games).

Last 3 at Manchester City (all competitions):
Tied 1-1-1 (includes 1 League Cup game).

All-time (all competitions):
Liverpool lead 82-43-44.


Team News

Liverpool (from):
Mignolet, Johnson, Lovren, Skrtel, Enrique, Gerrard, Henderson, Allen, Coutinho, Sterling, Sturridge, Jones, Manquillo, Toure, Sakho, Lucas, Can, Lambert, Ibe, Markovic.

Doubts:
Enrique (knock).

Out (reason, expected return date):
Lallana (LCL, Aug 31), Flanagan (knee, Aug 31), Agger (calf, no date).


Manchester City (from):
Hart, Caballero, Zabaleta, Sagna, Kompany, Demichelis, Nastasic, Boyata, Clichy, Kolarov, Silva, Milner, Nasri, Navas, Toure, Fernandinho, Fernando, Aguero, Jovetic, Dzeko.

Doubts:
Mangala (fitness).

Out (reason, expected return date):
Negredo (foot, Sep 21).

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