Two Sunday matches adorn this week’s English Premier League fixture list, but because of mid-week Champions League action, most teams at the top of the league saw action on Saturday. That’s not to say the two matches on Sunday’s schedule should be overlooked, as each will have a significant effect on how the table sits come Monday.
English Premier League Sunday: Aston Villa At Blackburn, Manchester City Visits Fulham
In the day's first match, Aston Villa has a chance to put early season malaise behind them and jump into seventh with a win over Blackburn at Ewood Park. Later, a loss by Manchester City at Fulham will leave Bolton in fourth place.
Villa and Blackburn have met once this season, September's League Cup meeting at Villa Park, a match which saw a brace by Ashley Young lead the Villans to a 3-1 win. Today the squads will look different, each side having rested a number of starters on September 20. The likes of Christopher Samba, El-Hadji Diouf and Paul Robinson will return for a Blackburn team trying to move more than one point above the drop, while Villa will see Gabriel Agbonlahor, held out of England's mid-week friendly, get his second consecutive start.
The day’s second match sees Manchester City at Fulham, the first time former City manager Mark Hughes will face the Citizens as Cottagers’ boss. At first blush, this match has draw written all over it, when you consider tactics and previous results. If you’re hopeful of avoiding a ‘sister kisser,” there are a couple of factors that could unsettle the match-up. Fulham’s unlikely to see injured attacker Moussa Dembélé, while City may rest a number of players who were away on international duty mid-week.
When you consider the teams’ talent, City should continue the Cottagers’ slow start, with the Citizens have won this fixture 2-1 in March.
The first match starts at 8:30 a.m. Eastern when they kick-off at Ewood Park. SB Nation Soccer will provide updates throughout the day.
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