Chelsea face a tough match in the form of a London derby versus Fulham at home. The blues will be looking to repeat the same as they did in September when they beat Fulham by 2 clear goals and keeping a clean sheet. Frank Lampard on that day did very well and he will be captaining the side on Saturday. Fulham are in 12th position and a win at the Bridge could send them as high as 9th which would also mean a loss for the blues at home after 3 years. Chelsea still remain the only club in the league to have scored in all their games this season. Chelsea have won 7 of the 11 games the two teams have played in the premiership history.

John Terry has finally gone the surgery route and the word from the Chelsea camp is that he could be back very soon. There are reports flying around that he could be back as soon as the first week of January but I suppose that is a bit pre mature for a player who has just undergone a surgery. For the moment the defensive concerns are growing with Khalid Boulahrouz suspended for this match which means that Ferreira would almost definitely partner Carvalho in defense. Geremi is likely to start at right back with Ashley cole on the left. Makele was given a rest in the mid week fixture but is likely to play in the west London derby.

Collins John will almost definitely be back in the team this week and will replace Helguson who is suspended anyways. Luis Boa Morte will undergo a late fitness test to prove his fitness for the quest to return to the starting line-up for Fulham. Claus Jensen is out with a groin injury and it will be upto Chris Coleman to decide who to play in his place.

An Asian Handicap on Fulham (+1.5, +2.0) at 1.90 is a decent bet all around. This match could have a slow start, so a bet on a First Half draw wouldn’t be too bad. The Odds for that are 2.87. Considering the last few Chelsea matches, the team has managed to score most of its goals in the second half. The half with most goals - ‘Second half’ fetches you Odds of 2.0

A four point lead in the title race does not seem large enough but the way United are playing and Chelsea’s current problems the title could be decided or atleast be given a definite direction in the next couple of games. United have the best defensive and offensive record in the Premiership this season by conceding only 11 goals and scoring a whopping 44 goals in 20 matches.

Manchester United will be without the services of Paul Scholes and Vidic for this match as both of them will be serving their suspensions after getting 5 yellow cards. The good news for United is the return of Michael Carrick after his ankle injury. He is likely to start the match and play in Scholes position. Christiano Ronaldo could start this match after an excellent second half show against Wigan. Ryan Giggs could also be back in the line-up after getting a good Christmas holiday. Louis Saha was not even on the bench for the boxing day match which could mean that he would certainly figure in the match at some point of time.

Steve Coppell knows that facing Manchester United at Old Trafford will be a very tough prospect for his team. He has already singled out the threat of Ronaldo and how his team have to keep him out. Reading do not have any injury concerns for this match, and apart from the few players Coppell might rest for this match due to the matches coming thick and fast the same team which drew against Chelsea is expected to play. The likes of Lita, Doyle and Little did particularly well at Stamford bridge and much will be expected of them.

United to win this but its not going to be easy for the Red Devils. I expect Reading to give them a good fight and they might even win a half. Reading to win either half is at 4.50. A first half draw and second half united win is also probable at good Odds of 4.0. A bet on both teams to score in the match is pretty likely and is at the Odds of 2.10.

The down in the dumps Charlton team will play hosts to Fulham at the Valley in the actually boxing day fixture played the next day. This will be Alan Pardew’s first match incharge, and we all know what to expect from a team who has just got a new manager. West Ham did it against Manchester United in Alan Curbishley’s first match so Pardew will be hoping for the same in this match. Lets see if this match third time lucky for Charlton after changing their managers twice this season in the space of 4 months. Chris Coleman’s side will be part of successive London derbys after managing only a goalless draw versus West Ham.

For Charlton the news is not too good with Darren Ambrose doubtful for the match but could pass a late fitness test. Amdy Faye is also not certain to make the starting line-up and could feature on the bench. Dennis Rommedahl is definitely going to miss this derby with a foot injury and Luke Young is nursing an injured knee. Kevin Lisbie has been injured since a couple of weeks and will almost certainly miss out.

Fulham have Collins John, the Dutch under 21 international returning to the starting line-up and also Claus Jensen if he recovers from his hamstring injury. Helguson .Liam Rosenior is the only Fulham player to have played in every single minute of the Fulham’s Premiership campaign this season and could be the key for this match..

I am leaning towards a draw on this one only because of the new manager. A first half draw is a very strong possibility and is at the Odds of 2.10. The match to end in a draw is at the Odds of 3.2 which are pretty decent Odds to place your bet. Fulham have been very poor away from home and that will do them no good ahead of this match. An optimistic bet on Charlton at 2.37 is not too bad for a gamble!

The two teams met this season in October and Arsenal wont the match easily at the Emirates stadium by three goals to nil. Watford have never beaten Arsenal at Vicarage road in the premiership. To score 3 goals in 5 minutes is no mean feat, and Arsenal showed they can bounce back from any situation after their last two matches. We have not seen any sign of good football from Watford, and this could be a very dull Christmas for the team from Vicarage road.

No fresh injury worries for Arsene Wenger for this clash. Emmanuel Eboue will miss out again, he did not feature in the weekend too. The injury is not too serious so he is expected to play in the coming weeks. Theo Walcott and Julio Baptista could in this match if Wenger decided to rest his other first team players. Mathieu Flamini is also expected to figure in the match, but could well start from the bench. Cesc Fabregas has not been at his best in Arsenals last few matches and that might be of some concern for the manager. He could be given a rest for this match. Adebayor is likely to start this match, and probably play the role of the lone striker.

Watford have managed to win only 1 match, which was a 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough in November. They will start this match at the foot of the table and if they are to survive relegation, it will be only the second time after West Brom that a team bottom of the table at Christmas has survived the drop.

After coming off a great 6-2 victory over Blackburn Rovers, I really fancy the Gunners to score heavily against a weak Watford side. So a bet on ‘Over 2.5 goals’ in the match at 1.90 is a safe bet for sure. A more aggressive bet would be Arsenal to win by 2 or more goals at 2.20.

Liverpool are coming off 4 consecutive wins in the premiership and that too winning with style. The Reds have not lost in their last seven matches and are yet to be scored against in their last 600+ minutes of football. They travel to Ewood Park looking for their 3rd successive away victory after beating Wigan and Charlton away from home. Mark Hughes will be pretty disappointed with the scoreline of their last weeks match versus Arsenal. Blackburn started the season pretty okay, but since then they have managed to win only 2 of their last 11 league games.

Last year the match ended in Liverpool’s favor although only with a 1 goal margin. Blackburn would have been pretty pleased with the way they played at Anfield this season to get a point from the match.

The good news for Rovers fans is the return of Benni Mccarthy after serving a suspension at the weekend. Shabani Nonda is doubtful for this match with a hip injury, but is due a fitness test just before the match. For Liverpool, Steven Gerrard is a slight concern along with team mate Craig Bellamy who has been in great form. Although both are expected to be fit we are not sure if any of them would be given a rest by the manager. Peter Crouch could start in Bellamy’s place if the latter is not fit. Other long term injuries still remain with Kewell and Zenden both out.

A Liverpool win at 1.83 is a very probable outcome and my money is definitely with the Merseyside outfit. A goal ‘After 28th Minute’ is at 1.90 is also a good bet. Liverpool to keep a clean sheet is at 2.20, so even if its a no score draw you will win your money.

Jose Mourinho will be grinning away after the last two fixtures as Chelsea were very lucky to pick up 6 points after looking like they wouldn’t win any of those games. Last week they were very lucky against Wigan, with Arjen Robben’s very late goal from 20 yards got them the 3 points. Reading start the Christmas period versus Chelsea before they go to Old Trafford on the 30th. The match could become an explosive encounter after what happened to Petr Cech at Reading in the previous meeting the two teams had.

Chelsea will be without their captain John Terry for the this game too. He would have now missed 4 matches for the Champions and is certainly not likely to feature tomorrow. There are reports doing the rounds that Terry might well be out for a further 3 weeks which means he will miss over 7 more matches. Carlo Cudicini has failed to recover from a thigh injury, which means Hilario will keep his place in the starting line up. It will be interesting to see if Jose Mourinho plays Andriy Shevchenko or not. After the late goal by Robben away from home, he would feel he has done enough to guarantee himself a place in the team. Shaun Wright Phillips will still not make it to the all star Chelsea team. Kalou could well start on the right with Robben on the left along with Didier Drogba playing the lone striker.

We can expect Stephen Hunt to be jittery for this match especially since he has just come off an injury. Sonko who suffered a leg injury in the last match is expected to play against the Champions.

After two lucky matches, we should all expect Chelsea to respond in kind for their supporters. A good thumping win over the newly promoted Reading would be a good Christmas gift for all. An Asian Handicap bet on Chelsea ( -1.5, -2.0 ) at 1.875 is a decent bet. This could be a feisty match, and we could see a lot of cards come out. Over 3.5 cards in the match is at 2.20 which is a strong bet.