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Saturday 21 March 2009

Stoke to Stay Up!

Stoke City won a must-win game against Middlesboro today, winning 1-0 and taking them 3 points clear. Here's a list of their remaining fixtures: (in brackets I have put their league position as of writing. Newcastle play Arsenal tonight:

Saturday, 04 April 2009
Barclays Premier League
West Brom (20th) v Stoke, 15:00

Saturday, 11 April 2009
Barclays Premier League
Stoke v Newcastle (18th), 15:00

Saturday, 18 April 2009
Barclays Premier League
Stoke v Blackburn (17th), 15:00

Saturday, 25 April 2009
Barclays Premier League
Fulham (8th) v Stoke, 15:00

Saturday, 02 May 2009
Barclays Premier League
Stoke v West Ham (7th), 15:00

Saturday, 09 May 2009
Barclays Premier League
Hull (13th) v Stoke, 15:00

Saturday, 16 May 2009
Barclays Premier League
Stoke v Wigan (9th), 15:00

Sunday, 24 May 2009
Barclays Premier League
Arsenal (4th) v Stoke, 16:00

Barclays Premier League : Table 21 Mar 17:01
| Home | Away
Team P W D L F A W D L F A GD PTS
1 Man Utd 29 12 1 1 31 9 8 4 3 18 9 31 65
2 Chelsea 29 8 5 2 24 8 10 2 2 25 8 33 61
3 Liverpool 29 8 6 0 22 8 9 4 2 27 13 28 61
4 Arsenal 29 8 5 2 22 11 6 5 3 23 15 19 52

5 Aston Villa 29 5 7 3 21 17 10 0 4 22 14 12 52
6 Everton 30 6 5 4 23 17 7 4 4 17 14 9 48

7 West Ham 30 7 2 6 19 17 4 6 5 16 18 0 41
8 Fulham 30 9 3 3 24 12 1 7 7 6 14 4 40
9 Wigan 29 6 4 4 13 12 4 4 7 16 16 1 38
10 Man City 29 9 0 5 30 12 1 5 9 15 25 8 35
11 Tottenham 29 5 5 4 15 9 4 3 8 20 25 1 35
12 Bolton 30 6 2 7 15 18 4 2 9 17 26 -12 34
13 Hull 29 3 4 8 16 30 5 5 4 19 21 -16 33
14 Sunderland 29 5 3 7 17 18 3 5 6 12 20 -9 32
15 Portsmouth 29 6 2 7 20 23 2 6 6 12 23 -14 32
16 Stoke 30 8 4 3 18 13 0 4 11 11 34 -18 32
17 Blackburn 30 3 6 6 16 22 4 4 7 17 27 -16 31

18 Newcastle 29 4 6 4 20 22 2 5 8 15 24 -11 29
19 Middlesbrough 30 4 7 4 13 16 2 2 11 8 26 -21 27
20 West Brom 30 5 3 7 20 28 1 3 11 6 27 -29 24

Of the remaining 8 or 9 games left in the season, it appears that any team below 35 points could get suckered in and be facing relegation.

Stoke are soon to face West Brom, Newcastle and then Blackburn - win all 3 and they should stay up. You wouldn't bet against it. West Brom drew today 1-1 with Bolton and you could just see on the looks of the players at the final whistle that they have consigned themselves to relegation.

Middlesbrough, having lost at Stoke are on a downward spiral as of late and their remaining games include Villa, Manchester United and Arsenal - so they look certain for relegation now too.

All leaves that magical 3rd spot. Who is it going to be? Too close to call perhaps but I'm going to put my neck on the line and nominate 3 teams - Newcastle, Hull and Blackburn to be fighting on the last day. And the one to go down? Hull.

At the other end, United lost a shocking 2-0 to Fulham (away) today with Rooney and Scholes both sent off - now along with Nemandja Vidic facing suspension. They more than have the squad to cope you would feel but they seem to be cracking under pressure. A big big game next against Villa which could turn the title on it's head.

Villa could, as I predicted have a real say in the title race this season