The Saturday lunchtime kick off serves up two teams, Stoke and Blackburn, who are both out of sorts, 18^th versus 19^th in the form table. Both sides need points badly.

Stoke are on a run of four league defeats, scoring 4 goals and conceding a massive 14, almost twice as many goals as they conceded in their first 8 league games of the season. Stoke only conceded one goal in their first four matches. What has happened to Stoke’s defence? Is it the Europa effect, where Stoke have lost each Premier league match following a Europa tie?

And what has happened to Fortress Britannia? Stoke have lost their last two home matches, conceding 3 goals in each. Last season Stoke only lost 5 home matches all season, and averaged less than one goal conceded per home game.

Stoke have won the last three meetings with Blackburn in the league, won four of the last 5 with one draw, Blackburn failing to score in any of these 5 matches, and Blackburn have only won one of their last 6 league encounters, back in December 2008.

Blackburn have not won in 7 league matches, their last victory, their memorable 4-3 home win over Arsenal, this the only league match they have won in their last 12. Blackburn have only managed 3 wins in their last 26 league matches!

Blackburn along with bottom of the table Wigan, and Swansea, have failed to win an away game this season. Blackburn have drawn their last 3 away matches, and impressed last time out at Wigan with their never say die attitude, coming from behind twice and down to 10 men, to draw 3-3.

David Dunn serves a one match suspension for his red card in the Wigan game.  Woodgate and Palacios return for Stoke.

Weekend Football prediction – Draw, correct score 1-1

Best odds for the draw, are currently 3.60 with Victor Chandler and for the correct score of 1-1 the best odds are 7.50 at Ladbrokes

Laith Amiry, weekendfootball

Monday night football sees Villa visit Tottenham at White Hart Lane and a potential welcome back for Harry Redknapp following his minor heart surgery.

Tottenham are in great form, third in the 6 game form table and 2^nd in the 8 game form table undefeated in their last 8, only dropping two points in their 2-2 away draw at third in the league Newcastle United last month.

Villa, 8^th in the league, are the only team with the exception of the bottom two (Blackburn and Wigan) who have failed to win a single game away from home this season. They have drawn four of their five aways so far, but all four draws were against bottom half opposition.

Villa have drawn more than half of their league matches this season (6 draws) more than any other Premier League team; however of Villa’s 11 games to date, only 3 matches have been against top half opposition, so their 8^th position status looks a little fragile.

Tottenham only lost one home game last season, and will be aiming to achieve the same feat this season, unfortunately they still have to play United, Newcastle and Chelsea, but have already beaten Liverpool and Arsenal at home.

Villa have only won four of their last 21 league meetings against Tottenham and only one league match at White Hart Lane in the past 10 years.

Rafael van der Vaart should recover from his hamstring injury, and Tottenham are confident that Corluka will also return, but Huddlestone and Dawson are still out. Petrov is not fit, but Jermain Jenas will not face his parent club.

Weekend Football prediction – Tottenham Home win, correct score 3-1

Best odds for the home win, are currently 1.60 with William Hill and for the correct score of 3-1 the best odds are 11.00 with Bet365

Laith Amiry, weekendfootball

Chelsea play Liverpool at Stamford Bridge at 4pm in the only Premier League match on Sunday. Chelsea will want to put the memory of their last home game behind them, in which Arsenal put 5 goals past them a couple of weeks ago.

Chelsea are now sixth in the form table, following their defeats away to QPR and at home to Arsenal. Liverpool are one place above in the form table, undefeated in their last six, with three wins and three draws.

Over the last six games, Liverpool have the best defence in the Premier League only conceding 3 goals in their last six games (8:3 goal ratio). Newcastle, who have the best defensive record this season, conceded twice as many, but have only conceded 8 goals in their 11 games this season.

Chelsea lost their last two league meetings against Liverpool without scoring, and have only won two of their last nine league encounters.

Across the last 5 seasons, the average total goals scored in league matches at Stamford Bridge was 1 goal per game, but at Anfield the average goals scored per game was exactly 2 goals per game.

Off pitch distractions for both sides, with Villas-Boas’s conduct charge following his verbal attack on Chris Foy at the end of the QPR match and Liverpool’s Suarez has now been charged with racially abusing Patrice Evra. Suarez still denies any abuse and Dalgleish supports him – go figure!

Fernando Torres meets his ex employer and old team mates with 2 league goals to his credit this season, John Terry has scored more league goals than their £50m man purchased from Liverpool.

Suarez may get a lengthy ban following his racial abuse charge and Liverpool will miss him, so they better get what they can from this match before Suarez takes his mini break; that is if he shakes off his international injury in time to take part.

Chelsea won’t be overflowing with confidence following their 3-5 home defeat to Arsenal, their 1-0 away defeat at QPR and their unconvincing 1-0 victory at Blackburn two weeks ago. Liverpool have the lowest goals scored, goals conceded total (14:10) in the Premier League. I don’t expect to see many goals in this match, a tight affair likely to end in a draw.

Weekend Football prediction - Draw, correct score 1-1

Best odds for the draw, are currently 3.60 with Victor Chandler and for the correct score of 1-1 the best odds are 7.50 at Ladbrokes

Laith Amiry, weekendfootball