Manchester City vs West Ham United
Manchester City are in tremendous form, as the Citizens have won their last six in all competitions after their 2-0 win against Brentford in midweek in the EFL Cup. The home side for this game are only two points behind Arsenal in the league, following four straight wins against Crystal Palace (0-3), Sunderland (3-0), Fulham (4-5) & Leeds United (3-2). West Ham United are coming into this game with no wins in their last five league games, with three draws and two defeats to Aston Villa (2-3) & Liverpool (0-2).
Bournemouth vs Burnley
Bournemouth's home record should give them enough standing against Burnley in this fixture, and end the Cherries winless run of seven matches. The home side have lost only once at the Vitality Stadium all season, and in retrospect have shown signs of improvement with their two recent draws against Manchester United (4-4) & Chelsea (0-0). Burnley are one of the poorest-performing sides in the league, and the Clarets have now lost seven matches in a row following their 3-2 home defeat against Fulham.
Bristol City vs Middlesbrough
Bristol City are without a win in their previous three games, having also conceded first in four of their last five games. The Robins have lost two of their previous three games, with defeats to Coventry City (1-0) & Millwall (0-1). New Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg has made a fantastic start to life at Teeside, as the newly appointed boss has masterminded three successful victories in three games, with victories against QPR (3-1), Charlton Athletic (1-2) & Hull City (1-4).
Ipswich vs Sheffield Wednesday
Ipswich Town’s recent home form has been excellent as the Tractor Boys have won their last two home matches against Stoke City (1-0) & Coventry City (3-0), while remaining unbeaten in five at Portman Road. Sheffield Wednesday have ultimately accepted their league position this season, as the Owls have remained without a win in their previous 14 matches and have failed to keep a clean sheet in their previous 11.
Lincoln City vs Cardiff City
League leaders Cardiff City are in slightly better shape than their visiting opponents who sit third in the league standings. The Bluebirds have won their last five league matches coming into this game, scoring three or more in four of those victories and they have beaten a fellow contender in Stevenage (0-1) in their recent away fixture.
Port Vale vs Peterborough United
Port Vale are the worst performing side in the division, as after 19 games played the home side led by Darren Moore are bottom of the league table with 15 points from 19 matches, making them the only side to achieve less than a point per game in the Premier League. Peterborough United finally escaped the relegation zone at the weekend with a valuable 2-1 victory at home to Northampton Town. The Posh have now won their last two games against teams around their place in the league table with victories over Reading and Northampton Town (2-1).
Swindon Town vs Crawley Town
Third-placed Swindon Town, have suffered only one league defeat in their previous five matches, with that being a home defeat to Cheltenham Town (0-1). The Robins have won two of their previous three games, with victories against Bristol Rovers (0-3) & Chesterfield (1-2). Swindon manager Ian Holloway, will be delighted to see that his side has scored first in eight of their last nine matches in all competitions. As for Crawley Town, the Red Devils are without a win in their previous six matches in all competitions, having drawn three and lost two of their last five league games against Crawley Town (3-1) & Salford City (4-3). Crawley Town’s defensive issues have plagued them this season, with the visitors failing to keep a clean sheet in their previous eight matches.
Harrogate Town vs MK Dons
Harrogate Town are one of the worst performing sides in the division, especially when it comes to their home form. The Sulphurites have won only twice on home soil this season and their league form has been horrendous, with no wins in the league since the 27th of September. MK Dons have the fourth best away record in the division, with four wins, four draws and two defeats from 10 matches on the road. In this fixture, MK Dons have had Harrogate Town’s number, with the away side having won the last three meetings between the two sides.
