Barclays Premier League Preview

The Premier League rarely lacks entertainment at the conclusion of a week which has not included European commitments and this Saturday and Sunday look set to be the latest engrossing instalments. Chelsea and Arsenal meet on Saturday lunchtime in a London derby at Stamford Bridge. The home side are engulfed by off-field controversy following the Football Association's charges in the wake of last Sunday's foul-tempered defeat by QPR, while captain John Terry has also been accused of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand. Arsenal, in comparison, is in a relative state of stability after what had been a turbulent start to the season. Arsene Wenger will hope to extend a record as the most successful visiting team at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League, but his team has won none of their last eight away matches in the top flight.

By the time Chelsea and Arsenal kick-off, Manchester United will be approaching half-time in their match at Everton. The reigning Premier League champions will be licking their wounds after the staggering 6-1 derby humiliation against Manchester City. But Sir Alex Ferguson's squad did salvage a molecule of pride as they matched Chelsea and Arsenal in midweek by successfully reaching the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup. Wayne Rooney's participation, or not, as the case may be, is likely to be a significant talking point at Goodison Park. The England international has in the past been taken out of the line of fire against his former club and has struggled to deal with the anticipation and hostile reception on other occasions. United will want a match-winning performance from their star man against David Moyes' Everton, who have remarkably lost on 28 occasions against United in the Premier League.

After hammering Wolves in the Carling Cup, league leaders Manchester City will be in confident mood when they welcome Mick McCarthy's struggling side to Etihad Stadium for a 3pm kick-off. Roberto Mancini's millionaires continued their blistering goalscoring form with a 5-2 win at Molineux on Wednesday and they will now aim to follow the thrashing of United with another convincing league win. If United were to lose at Everton, City could start the game against Wolves with the opportunity to open an eight-point lead over their neighbours, which would obviously underline their new-found status as title favourites. Wolves ended a run of five successive defeats by fighting back for a draw against Swansea, but McCarthy, who has been at his deadpan best during the week, remains under pressure.

Liverpool also booked a place in an unusually exciting looking last eight of the Carling Cup with a rare win at Stoke and now Kenny Dalglish will hope to carry the winning feeling into a reunion with Roy Hodgson. There was a sense of inevitability about the West Brom manager's victory over his former club at The Hawthorns in April. Hodgson had been sacked by Liverpool three months previously and he therefore earned a piece of karma against his former club. But the Reds will take on West Brom on Saturday evening having been frustrated by Norwich last weekend. As a result, winning a 10th Premier League match out of 11 against the Baggies is essential in their quest to return to the UEFA Champions League.

Paul Lambert's Norwich have been impressing pundits upon their return to the top flight and the draw at Anfield was arguably the highlight of their campaign to date. Brave yet unsuccessful performances against United and Chelsea before holding Liverpool earned praise, but Lambert will know points will be all that matter come May. The Carrow Road boss will as a consequence want to continue momentum when rock-bottom Blackburn visits on Saturday afternoon. Steve Kean's side broke Newcastle's unbeaten start to the season with a midweek victory in the Carling Cup, but the league remains a priority. The meeting with Norwich could well prove to be significant in the relegation fight come the end of the campaign.

Steve Bruce has not found himself the subject of fans' protest, as in the case of Kean, but the Sunderland boss is under pressure. A win at struggling Bolton last weekend was only a second of the season for the Black Cats in the league and there have been plenty of reports of discontent after a shabby return on a multi-million pound squad overhaul in the summer. Bruce will as a result be eager to inflict a third successive defeat on Alex McLeish's Aston Villa, who had been unbeaten before losses to Manchester City and West Brom, when they meet at the Stadium of Light.

The loss to Sunderland inflicted a seventh defeat in eight league matches on Bolton and Owen Coyle has been moaning about his side's lack of fortune. Lady Luck again deserted the Reebok Stadium outfit in their Carling Cup loss to Arsenal, according to Coyle, and it is difficult to disagree with the Bolton boss after an impressive performance at Emirates Stadium. Coyle will be desperate for a return to providence against Swansea, but Brendan Rodgers' Premier League new-boys are unbeaten in 12 successive matches at the Liberty Stadium.

Wigan's form has been even worse than that of Bolton and as a result Roberto Martinez's team sit one place below their North West rivals in the relegation zone. Critics suggested a three-match unbeaten run at the start of the season was nothing more than an anomaly for a team who only dodged relegation on the final day of the last campaign and they have been proved correct. Ahead of the arrival of Fulham at the DW Stadium, Martinez will be demanding a win which would see his side overtake that of Martin Jol. But a record of just 18 goals in 12 Premier League matches between the two clubs does not suggest a classic is in store.

On a rare quiet Sunday in England's top division, Tottenham host London rivals Queens Park Rangers. Harry Redknapp's men could overtake Newcastle, who travel to Stoke on Monday, in the coveted fourth place, if they defeat Neil Warnock's men by more than four goals. QPR will make the short trip to North London on the back of victory over Chelsea and with Manchester City next on a difficult fixture list. And the omens do not bode well for Warnock, with Spurs boasting an admirable record of a 16-game unbeaten home record in capital derbies.

Spanish Primera Liga Preview

Levante are revelling in their unlikely status as Primera Division leaders with midweek hero Ruben Suarez declaring: "We are the team to beat." Ruben lashed home a stunning 93rd-minute winner as Levante edged out Real Sociedad 3-2 on Wednesday night to move back to the top of the table after being briefly usurped by Barcelona. The win saw Levante re-establish their one-point lead at the summit over Real Madrid, who won later in the evening, an advantage they will try to preserve at Osasuna on Sunday afternoon.

Valencia-based Levante avoided relegation last season by just two points and were among the favourites to suffer the fate in 2011/12. The lack of expectation means the players are currently enjoying their new-found fame. Ruben said: "Right now, we are the team to beat.”We have another short week to enjoy the moment. After nine rounds we are first and people want to beat us." Levante will have little trepidation ahead of the trip to Pamplona after thrashing local rivals Villarreal 3-0 in their last away game last Sunday. By the time they take the field at the Estadio Reyno de Navarra, Levante could be down in third, however, with the big two playing on Saturday.

European champions Barca are first up with a home game against Real Mallorca. Cesc Fabregas has backed Lionel Messi to get back on the goal trail after a three-game scoreless run - a drought by his prolific standards - which included him missing a penalty in injury-time of the 0-0 draw with Sevilla on Sunday night. The former Arsenal man said of the Argentinian: "Messi is the best and a born winner.”Messi always wants to score goals, but that did not happen on Wednesday (against Granada). "However, the great thing about football is that the best players take no time in getting back on their feet.”On Saturday he will have another chance to prove that he is the best."

Madrid kick-off at Real Sociedad minutes after the Barca game concludes. Jose Mourinho's men continued their phenomenal scoring streak last night by crushing Villarreal 3-0 at the Bernabeu. Madrid has scored 28 goals in their last seven games in all competitions with their attacking ranks bolstered by the return to full fitness of playmaker Kaka. The Brazil international played the full game against Villarreal, netting the second goal. He said: "Things are turning out well for me. I had not played 90 minutes for a long time. I feel well both physically and personally, and I use that to help the team. I'm gradually growing more confident. I'm happy for everything. "We continue to take points in a championship that will prove to be very difficult. We constantly grow stronger. "This is a long championship and the quality of the squad will be important and help us face it with guarantees."

Saturday's other game sees struggling Villarreal host Rayo Vallecano. The Yellow Submarine has not won in seven games and the pressure is starting to mount on coach Juan Carlos Garrido. Another man feeling the heat is Atletico Madrid boss Gregorio Manzano, whose side were booed during the 1-1 home draw against Mallorca last weekend. Prior to the clash with Athletic Bilbao, Manzano said: "I have watched the game against Mallorca and I don't think we did too much wrong.”This is a good team with good players but we live in a society of instant success. "I respect all opinions but surely they (the fans) want the best for Atletico." After the trip to San Mames, Atletico return to the Vicente Calderon to meet Real Zaragoza on Sunday.

Three successive defeats has seen Malaga's promising start to the season come to a shuddering halt and they will be looking to get back on track at home to Espanyol while Racing Santander go in search of their first win when they host Real Betis. Sporting Gijon also occupy a place in the relegation zone. They meet Athletic on Sunday. The weekend program is completed by Monday night's clash between Sevilla and Granada.

Italian Serie-A Preview

Claudio Ranieri is confident Inter Milan's players can make life difficult for his former club Juventus when the two sides meet at the San Siro on Saturday. Last season's runners-up Inter have struggled in attack and defence and head into the contest with just two wins from eight games. Inter were held to a 1-1 draw at Atalanta on Wednesday and are 16th in the standings, just two points above the relegation zone.

"I would be lying if I said that I was happy with the point taken at Atalanta," Inter manager Ranieri told his club's official website. "But I am certain we will face Juventus with the right spirit.” They are in good form and this will be a good test for us." Ranieri guided Juventus for two seasons before being sacked in May 2009. He then had successful spells with Parma and Roma.

Juventus, coached by Antonio Conte, beat Fiorentina 2-1 on Tuesday to take over sole leadership of Serie A. The Turin giants are the only unbeaten side in the league and have an eight-point advantage over Inter. Udinese and Lazio trail Juventus by a point after disappointing midweek results.

Lazio were held to a 1-1 home draw by Catania while Udinese conceded their first defeat of the campaign, a 2-0 loss at Napoli. Lazio travel to Sardinia this weekend to face Cagliari while Udinese take on Palermo at the Friuli stadium, having won all of their home games so far. Defending champions AC Milan travel to the capital to face Roma, and Milan are riding a three-match winning streak. Massimiliano Allegri's side has struck eight goals in their last two league games and is two points adrift of Juventus.

Fourth-placed Napoli will look to end Catania's five-match unbeaten run when the two teams square off at the Angelo Massimino stadium. Fiorentina coach Sinisa Mihajlovic will be under pressure heading into Sunday's game against Genoa, with his side having failed to win any of its last five games. Bologna coach Stefano Pioli is hoping his team will build on Wednesday's 1-0 triumph at Chievo when they welcome Atalanta to the Renato Dall' Ara stadium.

Siena take on Chievo on Sunday looking for their third straight victory at home in Tuscany. Novara travel to Lecce looking for their first win on the road this season. The promoted outfit has clinched just one point in four games away from home. Bottom-side Cesena will go to Parma trying to end their winless run. The Emilia-Romagna club has claimed just three points - all from draws.

German Bundesliga Preview

Hoffenheim coach Holger Stanislawski wants to cut a rejuvenated Schalke down to size when the sides meet in Gelsenkirchen this weekend.

The Royal Blues have moved up to third in the table since Huub Stevens took charge, but Hoffenheim have won their last two games and Stanislawski sees no reason why they cannot throw their hats into the ring for a place in the Champions League next season with a win at the Arena AufSchalke.

"The wins in the cup against Cologne and previously in the league against Monchengladbach have given us the self-confidence to be able to win there," said Stanislawski in quotes reported by Kicker magazine.

"We want to continue our positive trend."

A win on Saturday could take Hoffenheim from eighth in the table to as high as second while Bayern Munich's defeat at Hannover last weekend means the title race is wide open once again.

Even defending champions Borussia Dortmund - labelled a 'crisis club' just a few weeks ago - are now just one win away from the summit.

They travel to fifth-placed Stuttgart on Saturday with both sides currently in a rich vein of form.

Fourth-placed Hannover is also on course for another successful season, despite being knocked out of the DFB-Pokal in midweek.

They can move a step closer to the knockout stages of the Europa League next Thursday, but before their trip to Copenhagen, they travel to Borussia Monchengladbach, who are just one point but three positions behind them in a very tight top eight.

Elsewhere, Bayern entertain Nurnberg in a Bavarian derby and Wolfsburg host Hertha Berlin.

Saturday evening's game is between Mainz and Werder Bremen while Cologne's clash with Augsburg and Hamburg's first home game under their new coach Thorsten Fink against Kaiserslautern are scheduled for Sunday.

The weekend commences with Bayer Leverkusen coach Robin Dutt's return to his former club Freiburg on Friday night.

"This game has an importance from my Leverkusen point of view and a significance from my Freiburg past, but the importance outweighs the significance by a mile," said Dutt.

"I have never had so little contact with Freiburg as I have had this week."

Manchester United Attempt To Hijack Arsenal's Move For Argentina Ace

Manchester United has emerged as surprise contenders to sign Anderlecht midfielder Lucas Biglia who has been attracting plenty of interest from Premier League rivals Arsenal.

According to The Telegraph, United are monitoring the situation of the Argentina international who declared during the summer that he felt his time in Holland had come to an end and he was looking for a move.

Biglia has emerged as a regular for Argentina in recent months and earned rave reviews in Holland, alerting a number of European clubs with Arsenal said to be leading the race.

The north London club was strongly linked with Biglia during the summer months as manager Arsene Wenger attempts to find a defensive midfielder capable of shielding his often fragile defence.

The 25-year-old has played more than 150 league games for the Dutch club and Manchester United are keen to add that experience to their squad in January when the transfer window re-opens.

While United are still in the market for an attacking midfielder, boss Sir Alex Ferguson is also ken to bring an experienced defensive midfielder to the squad as the likes of Anderson, Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher have all struggled in recent weeks.

Arsenal Set To Complete Deal To Sign Italian International

Some sources have stated that Arsenal is very close to agreeing a deal to sign Fiorentina midfielder Riccardo Montolivo and for a cut price fee to boot. The 26 year old will be available on a free transfer in the summer and the cash strapped Serie A side are keen to get some sort of return on the Italian international and the North London club are believed to have agreed a deal in the region of £8m.

The former Atalanta man will give Wenger’s side some added steel and the multi purpose holding midfielder is also adept at linking midfield and attack as well as his ability to score crucial goals. Montolivo is thought to be ready to leave his Florence side after seven seasons of relative mediocrity.

Siniša Mihajlovic’s side have experienced back to back mid table finishes and the Viola are faring no better this term, finding themselves in 13th spot after eight games.

Wenger is keen to boost his midfield options following the sale of Cesc Fabregas. Alex Song is providing the muscle and the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Mikel Arteta give the Gunners guile but Montolivo offers a bit of both and could be a very handy player to bring in.

The Arsenal boss is keen to bring in new additions in January to help secure a top four finish, which is believed to be the very least the club desires this term after a poor start to the campaign, which has improved of late after some woeful opening results.

Manchester United Scouts Sent To Watch Ezequiel Lavezzi

Manchester United have reportedly joined the race to sign striker Ezequiel Lavezzi.

Clubcall reports that a Red Devils scout was represented at the Serie 'A' clash between Napoli and Udinese on Wednesday night, with the 26-year-old striker netting in-front of the watching scout.

Liverpool have been heavily linked with a move for 'El Pocho' in the past, with Kenny Dalglish reportedly interested in a move during the summer transfer window.

The Reds spent big on strikers in January, with Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll moving to Anfield for a combined fee of close to £60 million as Liverpool looked to make a statement following the departure of Roy Hodgson.

American owners supplemented further purchases in January, with Charlie Adam, Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing swelling the ranks on Merseyside, but a lack of depth in the forward position has led to Liverpool being linked with another striker.

Manchester United, meanwhile, have a plethora of strikers at their disposal.

Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, Javier Hernandez, Michael Owen and Danny Welbeck are the current top five at Old Trafford, with youngsters Federico Macheda and Mame Biram Diouf also looking to force their way into the Manchester United senior fold.

Lavezzi would further add to the club's attacking options, but after losing the derby to 'noisy neighbours' City 6-1, Sir Alex Ferguson is tipped to raid the January transfer market in an effort to further strengthen his Manchester United side.

Everton And Sunderland After Swedish Youngsters

Everton and Sunderland will go head-to-head to sign Swedish youngsters Nikola Laden and Emilio Rossi.

BK Hacken pair Laden, 18, and Rossi, 19, are attacking midfielders who have been outstanding for Sweden Under-18s, alerting a host of Premier League clubs to their availability.

Everton and Sunderland are keen to bring the youngsters, who are regarded as the two hottest young prospects in Scandinavia, to England - while Championship sides West Ham and free-spending Leicester are monitoring the situation.

Both will feature in the national Under-19s final against Kalmar this Sunday, where some of Europe’s elite clubs will run the rule over the youngsters, and BK Hacken, who play in the Swedish Premier League, are resigned to losing the pair.

Sunderland are understood to be keen on bringing them both to the North East within the next 14 days to beat off competition from the European big boys.

Aston Villa Plot Swoop For Under-Performing Man United Star

Aston Villa is contemplating an £8million January offer for Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick.

The 30-year-old has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford after a string of disappointing displays.

The England international has fallen behind Anderson, Darren Fletcher, Park Ji Sung, Ryan Giggs and Tom Cleverley in the United pecking order.

Sir Alex Ferguson will listen to offers for Carrick as he wants the money – and the wages – to reinvest in his own transfer targets.

Javi Martinez, Javier Mascherano and Christian Eriksen have all been linked with a move to the Theatre of Dreams.

Villa will be first in-line to sign Carrick as they could desperately use his ability on the ball and experience to give the team a boost.

Manager Alex Mcleish is a huge fan of the former Tottenham player and would love to have Carrick’s passing range in his team.

With England manager Fabio Capello only going to pick players for Euro 2012 on form, it will be essential for Carrick to be playing regularly.

A move to Villa Park will be tempting otherwise he will be spending a lot of time on the United bench.

Swansea To Talk To Chelsea Over McEachran Loan

Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed his interest in Chelsea youngster Josh McEachran, should the Blues decide to make the midfielder available for loan.

Rodgers, who worked as youth and reserve team coach at Stamford Bridge under former manager Jose Mourinho, has been linked with returning to his former club for McEachran, 18, and while he has not held detailed discussions with Chelsea, he would be keen to bring McEachran to the Liberty Stadium in January.

Rodgers said: "I need to have a conversation at length [with Chelsea]. Josh is not playing at the moment, he is on the bench, although he played [against Everton] last night.

"He is a wonderful talent and the positive thing is that clubs see Swansea as a club that can develop such talents. He has a big future, he played in the same team as my son right through the system at Chelsea and has kicked on since he turned 14.

"He has got great vision, he is a terrific footballer and he needs to play in a certain system. I think Andre [Villas-Boas] and [sporting director] Michael Emenolo understand he will need to get some games and when that moment comes he is certainly a player who would do terrific here.''

But Rodgers does not believe Swansea would be favourites to seal a loan move for the England Under-21 international, despite his links with the club.