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[V] V Man City – Where to even begin? They aim to change the face of the Premier League and they aim to do it this season. Hell, Mark Hughes’ job and reputation as a manager depends on it. I for one find it tough to believe he is still in a job. His active pursuit of a top class central defender while he still has Richard Dunne in the fold bewilders me, but there is no doubt they will be at least pushing the top four this season. Blackburn is never an easy place to go and they may struggle here. Plus Points: Talent to burn, money to fix problems in January. Doubts: A bad start would lead to unbelievable pressure on the players and manager, can they handle it?
Blackburn – Big Sam will have his Rovers as dogged and tough to beat as ever but will look for more this time out – from the likes of Pedersen for creativity – to lift them from the mid table mire. His first full season in charge should be a good one and I reckon Blackburn may be a dark horse this year, expect top 10 if they can get their strikers into good form. I can also see them picking up at least a point here against their rich visitors. Plus Points: Big Sam has had a full pre season with his side and held on to the powerhouse Samba, and the addition of Kacinic. Doubts: Can they score enough goals to compete seriously for Europe?
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Chelsea – Having retained Drogba and Terry, The Blues should be fairly comfortable in terms of preparation here and retain pride in the fact that they’re the only one of the top four not to lose a key player. New signings were few and far between but regardless of whether Zhirkov is fit or not, a newly reborn Malouda will more than suffice. I fully expect Chelsea to win this one by at least two goals thus laying foundations for a serious title challenge. Plus points: Strong squad with quality and depth, Terry’s stay should boost fan morale. Doubts: Ancelotti’s willingness to learn from Scolari’s mistakes, Petr Cech’s form.