Lenny Boyle
Sundays Premier League matches
23/09/2011
Sunday’s Premier League matches are all about Champions League qualification. Or the fading hopes of Champions League qualification. Or the fading hopes of remaining in the Premier League.
Tottenham v Blackburn
Spurs have lost their last three matches to QPR, Chelsea and Norwich and the cries of Harry for England have decidedly died down of late. No longer is he the undisputed people’s choice for toughest job in the country. A run of terrible form will tend to do that.
Tottenham were happily ensconced in fourth spot in the Premier League table since November, but now find themselves in fifth. Three points behind a Newcastle team who are winning games for fun. Blowing all opponents out of the water and generally winning over neutrals with stylish expansive play. It will be a tough task to wrestle them out of fourth spot with so few games remaining.
So a visit from Blackburn could be exactly what Tottenham need to get there Champions League aspirations back on track. Blackburn won their last game against Norwich but lost their five games before that. They sit second from bottom in the Premier League table and look more and more likely to go down. To the dismay of their chicken farmer owners.
Blackburn are poor travelers. They are poor at home. In fact they are just poor. And in a season dominated by chants of “Steve Kean Out” they look almost certain to be out themselves; of the Premier League.
If Spurs cannot beat Blackburn, as they have done the last five times the teams have met, then they are in serious trouble.
Chelsea v QPR
The Premier League have wisely abandoned the ritual of the pre-match handshake as John Terry and Anton Ferdinand meet for the first time since the former allegedly racially abused the latter. Ferdinand sought legal advice about whether he should shake Terry’s hand before the game. But in the end the decision was taken out of his hands. Excuse the pun.
Chelsea will be exhilarated, if fatigued, after mid-week heroics that saw them deliver perhaps the greatest performance in the history of the club. 2-2 at the Camp Nou, with a goal of poetic justice from Fernando Torres. A goal that goes some way to repaying his enormous £50 million price tag. At least that’s how Roman Abramovich will feel. A man who buys yachts like most people buy mars bars.
Chelsea sit one point behind Tottenham in the league and it will be their aim to secure Champions League in the traditional manner, without having to rely upon winning the cup itself.
QPR like Blackburn are in a fight for survival, and they face a Chelsea side fatigued after those Catalan heroics. But we’ll see if a post Barcelona high will carry them through despite the bruises.
Remember you can watch many of these fixtures on Fox soccer TV need a USA IP address? Click Here
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