Weapon selection

Dmitry LONGICH

MATCH TOUR

Arsenal - Bolton. Sam Allardyce's team has been dreaming of the Champions League for a long time. On Saturday, the “trotters” will have a great chance to get instructions for integrating dreams into the real world. To do this, just “Emirates” beat “Arsenal” - a direct competitor in the battle for fourth place. However, the “gunners” are now evil. Four of their previous shots turned out to be single: only one point out of twelve possible - the worst result of the team in the last five years. You can’t roll back the guns anymore - it’s time to show not only an elegant game, but also a character. The fourth match of the season, “Arsenal” and “Bolton” is bound to be the most stubborn. In conditions of suboptimal gaming conditions, both those and others, the result will be determined by non-material factors such as mood, support of the stands, or even in case of emergency.

UNEXPECTED INTrigue

Sheffield United - West Ham. The intrigue here is as simple as Sheffield itself - the classic six-point player in the struggle for survival. “Hammers” won the last three matches, “blades” - lost, and now there is almost no difference between them. For “Sheffield” - his field and two points of handicap, but is West Ham afraid of this, which had recently seemed hopeless, and who won against Arsenal in the last match ?! Having heroically survived the battle against nuclear gunner’s weapons, Alan Kerbisley’s militias will be saved from the cold Sheffield.

DO NOT LOSE FROM THE VIEW

In a week, the third in a season the London club decided to change the coach - Fulham, who had fallen into the wrong track, parted with Chris Coleman, who worked for the team manager for exactly four years. The secret weapon of the club of Mohamed Al-Fayed in the inevitable battle for survival in the Premier League was Lori Sanchez , head coach of the sensational team of Northern Ireland. Until the end of the championship, a Briton with Ecuadorian roots will serve as the manager of Fulham, combining two posts, but if he keeps the club a place in the elite, he will move to London on an ongoing basis. The first test awaits Sanchez on Saturday - his new team goes to visit the “Reading”, in which Lawrence once started a player’s career.

IMPORTANT WORDS

“From the British point of view, it’s just amazing to see three of your teams in the semi-finals of the Champions League. We have long said that the Premier League is the best in the world, and now Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea have proved it. I hope English clubs will dominate both the Champions League and the UEFA Cup for the next five years or more, "- BBC Sport blogger and part-time captain of Bolton Kevin Nolan shares the national football-patriotic euphoria.

BEAUTIFUL NUMBERS

For goalkeeper, “Tottenham” Paul Robinson Sunday meeting with “Wigan” will be the 200th game in the starting lineup in the English championships. This season, the Spurs goalkeeper and England have played all 32 Premier League matches without replacements, in which he conceded 45 goals and scored 1 .

ARSENAL - BOLTON

14th of April. Emirates Stadium, 18.00.
Judge: Mike Riley (Yorkshire).
Injuries: Henry, Van Persie, Walcott / O'Brien, Fortune.
Disqualifications: no.
Arsenal (Sport Today version): Lehmann - Ebouet, Gallas, Kolo Toure, Clichy - Gleb, Fabregas, Gilberto Silva, Rosicki, Jungberg - Adebayor.
“Bolton” (version of “Sport Today”): Yaaskelainen - Hunt, Meite, Dian Faye, Ben Haim - Ivan Campo, Speed, Nolan - Diouf, K. Davis, Anelka.
Last five matches: + - - - = / - - + + =
First round match: 1: 3.
Quotes William Hill: the victory of Arsenal - 1.61, the draw - 3.3, the victory of Bolton - 5.0.
Broadcast: NTV-Plus Football, 20.10 (record).

MANCHESTER CITY - LIVERPOOL

14th of April. City of Manchester, 18.00.
Judge: Jurai Rainey (Yorkshire).
Injuries: Dickov, Richards / Kewell, Luis Garcia, Fabio Aurelio, Bellamy.
Disqualifications: no.
Manchester City (Sport Today version): Isaksson - Onuoha, Disten, R. Dunn, Ball - Ireland, Song Jihai, Barton, Beasley - Wassell, Mpenza.
Liverpool (Sport Today version): Reina - Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Arbeloa - Gerard, Mascherano, Xabi Alonso, Riise - Kate, Crouch.
Last five matches: - + + = + / + - = + +
First round match: 0: 1.
Quotes William Hill: the victory of Manchester City - 4.33, the draw - 3.3, the victory of Liverpool - 1.7.

MIDDLESBRO - ASTON VILLA

14th of April. Riverside, 18.00.
Judge: Dermot Gallagher (Oxfordshire).
Injuries: Bates, Arch / Sutton, Delaney, Carew, Ridgwell.
Disqualifications: Pogatets, Morrison / Macken.
Middlesbrough (Sport Today version): Schwarzer - Abel Xavier, Woodgate, Hoot, E. Taylor - Cattermole, Boateng, Rochemback, Downing - Viduka, Yakubu.
Aston Villa (Sport Today version): Sorensen - Bardsley, Mellberg, Laursen, Bouma - Agbonlahor, Petrov, Gardner, Barry - Maloney, Young.
Last five matches: + = - - + / - = = + =
First round match: 1: 1.
Quotes William Hill: Middlesbrough victory - 2.2, draw - 3.0, victory of Aston Villa - 3.0.

PORTSMOUTH - NEWcastle

14th of April. Fratton Park, 18.00.
Judge: Chris Foy (Merseyside).
Injuries: Pedro Mendes, Campbell, Johnson, Todorov / Ameobi, Owen, Given.
Disqualifications: no.
“Portsmouth” (version of “Sport Today”): James - Lauren, Primus, Stefanovich, Pamaro - O'Neill, R. Hughes, N. Kranjčar, M. Taylor - Lua-Lua, Canu.
Newcastle (Sport Today version): Given - Solano, S. Taylor, Onevu, Carr - Milner, Emre, Butt, Duff, N'Zogbia - Martins.
Last five matches: - = = + - / = - - + =
First round match: 0: 1.
Quotes William Hill: Portsmouth win - 1.9, draw - 3.2, Newcastle victory - 3.5.

RADING - FULHAM

14th of April. "Madeisky Stadium", 18.00.
Judge: Lee Mason (Lancashire).
Injuries: Conwy, Sonko, Mate, Little, Brown / Ballard, Elliott, Pambridge.
Disqualifications: Lita / no.
"Reading" (version of "Sport Today"): Hahnemann - Marty, Bickey, Ingimarsson, Shori - Seoul Key Hyon, Gunnarson, Harper, Hunt - Doyle, Kitson.
“Fulham” (version of “Sport Today”): Niemi - Rosenor, Bocanegra, J. Piers, Kedru - S. Davis, Brown, Smertin, Buba Diop, Radzinsky - McBride.
Last five matches: - = - - = / = = = - -
First round match : 1-0.
Quotes William Hill: victory of Reading - 1.83, draw - 3.3, victory of Fulham - 3.6.
Broadcast: RTR-Sport, 21.35 (recording).

SHEFFIELD UNITED - WEST HAM

14th of April. The Brammell Lane, 6 p.m.
Judge: Steve Bennett (Kent).
Injuries: Hals / Upson, Ashton, Gabbidon.
Disqualifications: no.
Sheffield United (Sport Today version): Kenny - Bromby, Lucetti, Morgan, Armstrong - Gillespie, Tonj, Jagelka, S. Quinn - Stead, Kazim-Richards.
West Ham (Sport Today version): Green - Nill, Ferdinand, Collins, Konnicheski - Boyer, Reo-Cocker, Noble, Etherington - Tevez, Zamora.
Last five matches: - = - - - / - - + + +
First round match: 0: 1.
Quotes William Hill: the victory of Sheffield United - 2.3, the draw - 3.3, the victory of West Ham - 2.6.

WIGAN - TOTTENHAM

April 15th. JJ Stadium, 16.30.
Judge: Graham Pull (Hertfordshire).
Injuries: Kirkland, Boyce, Hall, Unsworth / Dervit, Assu-Ekotto, E. Gardner, Huddlestone, Lee Yoon Pio.
Disqualifications: Valencia / no.
“Wigan” (version of “Sport Today”): Filan - R. Taylor, Jackson, de Zeuw, Baines - Sharner, Landzat, Skoko, McCallough - Heskey, Folan.
Tottenham Hotspur (Sport Today version): Robinson - Starteri, Dawson, L. King, Shimbonda - Lennon, Zokora, Jenas, Mulbranck - Keene, Berbatov.
Last five matches: + = - - = / + + + + -
First round match: 1: 3.
Quotes from William Hill: Wigan's lunch at 2.7, draw at 3.25, Tottenham's victory at 2.25.
Broadcast: NTV-Plus Football, 16.25 (direct).

Everton - Charlton

April 15th. Goodison Park, 6 p.m.
Judge: Mark Halsey (Lancashire).
Injuries: Boyle, T. Cahill, Anichebe, Vaughan / Gibbs, E. Reed.
Disqualifications: no.
Everton (Sport Today version): Howard - Hibbert, Yobo, Stubbs, Lescott - Arteta, Carsley, Neville, Manuel Fernandes, Osman - Johnson.
"Charlton" (version of "Sport Today"): Carson - Young, El-Karkuri, S. Diavara, Thatcher - Ambrose, Cheng, Song, Holland, Thomas - D. Bent.
Last five matches: = + = + = / = + + = =
First round match: 1: 1.
Quotes William Hill: the victory of Everton - 1.61, the draw - 3.5, the victory of Charlton - 4.5.
Broadcast: RTR-Sport, 20.00 (recording).

NOTE: match start time is Moscow time.

TOURNAMENT TABLE

SNIPERS: Drogba (Chelsea) - 18, Cristiano Ronaldo (Man. United) - 16, McCarthy (Blackburn) - 13, Rooney (Man. United), Yakubu (Middlesbrough) - 12, van Persie (Arsenal), Lampard (Chelsea), Johnson (Everton ), Martins (Newcastle) - 11, Doyle (Reading), Henry (Arsenal), Canu (Portsmouth), D. Bent (Charlton), Zamora (West Ham), Kate (Liverpool), Anelka (Bolton) - 10.

04.17. Arsenal - Manchester City (deferred match of the 25th round). Manchester United - Sheffield United (deferred match of the 33rd round). 04/18 . Blackburn - Watford (deferred match of the 34th round). Liverpool - Middlesbrough. West Ham - Chelsea (deferred matches of the 33rd round).

35th round. 04/21. Bolton - Reading. Charlton - Sheffield United. Fulham - Blackburn. Liverpool - Wigan. Manchester United - Middlesbrough. Tottenham Hotspur - Arsenal. Watford - Manchester City. West Ham - Everton. 04/22. Aston Villa - Portsmouth. Newcastle - Chelsea.