by Nick Webster

Looking at the match-ups for this round, I'm moved to say that it looks like the most difficult of the campaign to date and if I'm honest, I'll bite your hands off if you offer me 40% right now.

Season to date: 65 from 159 = 40% (17 Bulls-eyes)

Saturday

Blackburn vs. Stoke City

Big Sam Allardyce is back having washed that nasty Magpies stain off his resume. Now if he can turnaround Rovers from what looks like certain relegation, he'll no doubt be offered another top job in that not too distance future. You just know that the players will provide the usual 'new gaffer' bounce.

Stoke remain winless away in the Premiership and Tony Pulis will be cursing his luck that his side couldn't have visited Ewood Park a week earlier. He'll be happy with a point but without his AK47, Rory Delap, they'll head home frustrated again.

Blackburn 1-0 Stoke City

Bolton vs. Portsmouth

The Trotters have defied the critics by moving up the table with a certain amount of panache. Then they ran into members of the 'Big Five.' Two consecutive defeats have knocked a little lead out of their pencil but I fancy Gary Megson will feel he can get back on track against Pompey.

I think it's worrying times for Tony Adams. He's about to lose Lassana Diarra to Real Madrid and he'd be a fool not to think that other clubs will be eyeing his other prized assets in the transfer window. Let's hope he doesn't go the way of Paul Ince but one win in seven has set alarm bells ringing and they're not the Pompey Chimes.

Bolton 1-0 Portsmouth

Fulham vs. Middlesbrough

In my opinion Roy Hodgson is the most underrated coach in the Premier League. Just look at the job he has done on the defensive end — they the fourth best defensive record overall, having conceded only 12 goals. Fulham are also mustard at the Cottage and will look at this as three valuable points in the bag.

Fifty percent of the time Boro has gained a positive result on the road. However, they'll need to breakdown the Cottagers and I don't believe they're capable of being that inventive at the moment. Gareth Southgate needs to encourage his club to be more adventurous in the latter stages of matches.

Fulham 2-0 Middlesbrough

Hull City vs. Sunderland

If Roy Hodgson has competition for Coach of the Year it has to come from Phil Brown. His club continues to astound and the reason is that they fear nobody. Liverpool, Arsenal, and United — you can almost hear the lads in the dressing room saying 'bring 'em on' before the match. I thought their bubble had popped a month ago but Brown has got them going again.

What a difference a new voice makes!

Without Roy Keane at the helm the Black Cats stuffed West Brom and resembled a club that could survive. However, the Premiership is the most unforgiving league in football. To keep any type of momentum flowing through the club they must get a positive result at the KC Stadium.

Hull City 2-1 Sunderland

West Ham vs. Aston Villa

A sensational point at Stamford Bridge is added confirmation that the Hammers have stopped the rot. But a huge problem remains. The future of the club from a financial perspective is still in doubt and that doubt will have affected the staff from top-to-bottom. The manager to the tea-lady are all looking over their shoulders and wondering if the factory is about to be shut down.

Is this the week that Villa's 'Big Four' membership is finally sealed? Martin O'Neill and company have played the best football over the last week or two, if you put aside the UEFA Cup, and they'll look for more of the same in London. In a way, they remind me of West Ham from a decade ago — young, brash, athletic and predominantly English.

West Ham 1-2 Aston Villa

Sunday

West Brom vs. Manchester City

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West Brom is in the kind of slide that will see them relegated by February. Tony Mowbray may spin it as 'sticking to his principles' but let's be honest — would you rather play football in the Championship or kick, bullock and bite your way to Premier League survival.

With Paul Ince sleeping with the fishes, the next set of hooks appears to have Mark Hughes' name engraved on them. The transfer window can't open soon enough for the Welshman. However, that feels like a cop out, as there is quality in his squad. To put it bluntly, they're not performing for him. I can't see them losing but if they did, Hughes, would be standing dangerously close to the precipice.

West Brom 1-2 Manchester City

Newcastle vs. Tottenham

The highlight for me, if I was a fly-on-the-wall, would be the pre-match banter between Joe Kinnear and Harry Redknapp as they're both cut from the same cloth.

One defeat in eight matches and nosing out of the drop zone has lifted some of the gloom in the Northeast but there is still so much to do — keeping Michael Owen would be a start. Joe Kinnear has improved the club defensively and now the next step is to beat one of the glamour teams.

Tottenham are improving every week at both ends of the park and Redknapp will have been delighted to have taken something from the United match. In fact Spurs are unbeaten against the 'Big Four' in all competitions this season, which is a testament to how good they can be — even Gomes is beginning to look the part!

Newcastle 1-1 Tottenham

Arsenal vs. Liverpool

Arsenal can officially put themselves back in the title hunt or officially wave goodbye at the Emirates. What's it going to be? I'm finding the Gunners impossible to handicap as there is no consistency in the team and this must be driving Arsene Wenger insane. I think we all know he must buy in January, the result of this match may just dictate who he unlocks the purse strings for!

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'No Torres, no problem' is the Anfield motto as of late, as they still remain top of the table despite missing their big gun. There is a whiff of unrest though and it surrounds their other big signing Robbie Keane. I'm curious as to Rafa Benitez's plan for the Irishman, as I'm sure is Robbie.

I'm hoping for a classic and given the way Arsenal play, I think we're going to get one.

Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool

Monday

Everton vs. Chelsea

In the past decade Everton have boasted one of the best home records in England, this year it is one of the worst and yet they're only six points out of the top four. They must turn this around but with the striking jinx hitting Goodison Park, David Moyes will settle for a non-scoring point.

Chelsea is a staggering 100% perfect on the road, but like Everton, they have struggled at home. If their Stamford Bridge form was half of their travels, the title would be all wrapped up. Unless a meteor hits Merseyside I can't see the Blues losing.

Everton 0-1 Chelsea

Until then, I'll see you at the far post.

Fox Soccer Channel's Nick Webster writes about English soccer for FOXSoccer.com, and contributes his blog to interact with his fans.