With nearly a quarter of the season left, this weekend’s fixtures kick off with a feisty West Midlands derby between Birmingham and West Brom and the fixture of the week is undoubtedly the mouth-watering clash between Liverpool and Manchester United. Who will be the biggest winners and losers this weekend?

**Birmingham v West Brom**

Fresh from their superb Carling Cup victory against Arsenal, Birmingham play host to their relegation rivals West Brom who haven’t won at St Andrews since November 2001. Under Roy Hodgson, the Baggies are becoming difficult to beat while Birmingham aren’t blessed with the most prolific of strikers. Both teams will be desperate not to lose ground against each other as they fight relegation, so we predict both sides would leave St. Andrews sharing the points.
Capstone Prediction: 0-0

**Arsenal v Sunderland**

Despite Arsenal’s injury worries and Carling Cup woes, they bounced back in style by thumping Leyton Orient in the FA Cup. Although they have been on a great run in the Premier League, they will also have one eye on the mouth-watering Champions League tie against Barcelona. Sunderland will hope to capitalise on this but seen as they have lost four games in a row coinciding with the departure of Darren Bent to Aston Villa. We think it will be a tight game but surely Arsenal would not waste the opportunity of exerting some pressure on Manchester United.
Capstone Prediction: 1-0

Bolton v Aston Villa

How much effect will the drubbing City gave Villa in the FA Cup affect them as they go to the Reebok Stadium to face an in-form Bolton team? Bolton Wanderers have looked very strong at home this year and with the astute loan signing of Dean Sturridge, they look like a team with plenty of goals and attacking options in them. However, Villa have only lost one game in seven and that was away to Manchester United while Bolton have lost in their last three visits to Villa Park.
Capstone Prediction: 2-2

**Fulham v Blackburn**

Since the surprise appointment of Steve Kean to the Blackburn hot-seat, they have been thrilling to watch at home but absolutely woeful in their away performances and with only four points off the relegation zone, this is a must-win game for them. Fulham on the other hand are beginning to improve under Mark Hughes; buoyed by their draw away to Manchester City last week and accumulating ten points from their last four games, we cannot see Blackburn getting anything out of this game.
Capstone Prediction:  3-1

**Newcastle v Everton**

Everton have produced some of the strangest results in this season’s Premier League. Their inability to maintain any sort of consistent form has cost them dear and their loss to Reading in the FA Cup must have been the last straw for the Toffees faithful. In their last five away games, Everton have lost three and drawn two. Newcastle on the other hand are proving to everyone that they can handle life in the Premier League. Despite the loss of their talismanic striker, Andy Carroll, they continue to punch well above their weight and with Joey Barton revelling as their conductor-in-chief; we predict a great evening for the Toon Army.
Capstone Prediction:  2-1

**West Ham v Stoke**

Who would have thought West Ham were capable of giving a Liverpool a footballing lesson as they beat them 3-1 last week. They should be buoyed by this confidence and impose themselves on Stoke but like most of the teams around them, they just seem incapable of stringing good results together. Stoke have proved difficult to beat on the road this season but it’s their inability to kill teams off that has been their undoing. This fixture is a rehearsal for the FA Cup quarter final meeting between these two sides at the Britannia Stadium a week later.
Capstone Prediction:  2-2

**Manchester City v Wigan**

Which Manchester City side we will see today is anyone’s guess? But you have to fancy Manchester City at home against Wigan who resemble a team resigned to the fact that they will be playing Championship football next season. With their recent victory against Villa in the FA Cup coupled with the fact that their strikers seem to be in a rich vein of form, I just worry for the Wigan defence. But with the shocking news of the Kolo Toure drug ban, you hope this will have a galvanising effect on a squad which somehow revels being fragmented. Wigan have gone four games without a win on the road and we predict that run will stretch to five games.
Capstone Prediction:  4-1

**Liverpool v Manchester United (playing Sunday)**

Everyone will have their eyed glued to this fixture with so many intriguing battles: Fergie v Dalglish; Rooney v Carragher; Gerrard v Fletcher. If Arsenal beat Sunderland, United would be keen not to lose any more ground in the race for the title but with Liverpool eager to stop United taking the title for a record 19th time, this is a tie that makes every football fan salivates. Even though lunch time kick-offs rarely sizzle on the pitch, we predict this will be a firecracker of a game. United have already beaten Liverpool at home twice this season, but have lost on their last two visits to Anfield.
Capstone Prediction:  2-1

**Wolves v Tottenham**

Remembering the late Dean Richards, who played for both clubs, will be high on the agenda, as it should be. And fresh from their warm weather training in Dubai, Tottenham would be keen to show everyone they have the stomach for the fight for the race for fourth place. With Chelsea’s victory over United and the tantalising Champions League tie against the mighty AC Milan, Spurs really need a victory. But Mick McCarthy’s men have won three out of four games at home while Tottenham have won on their last four successive visits to Moulineux until they lost 1-0 last season.
Capstone Prediction:  2-2

** Go to our FANZONE page and play/comment/upload and have fun with EPL football on us: http://www.capstonesport.com/fanzone **

** Add us as a friend on facebook http://www.facebook.com/capstone.sport for a chance to play along with world football quiz questions and WIN Premier League tickets/trips and merchandise including signed Chelsea/Manchester United/Arsenal and Liverpool memorabilia and official EPL shirts!**

**Check out our new show to hit Nigeria soon: http://www.youtube.com/user/SportCapstone?feature=mhum#p/a/u/0/g9iv6nyPbL4**