Two for the Weekend

Two for the Weekend

As any football fan will know, as soon as the footballing calendar passes the halfway mark and the January transfer window shuts, the ante of each and every single match is well and truly upped, both for the players, and the managers. This weekend presents the neutral with many a reason to be excited. So, here are my picks for the two most interesting match-ups of the weekend.

F.A. Cup - Stoke City Vs Brighton and Hove Albion

For me, regardless of the hype surround the supposed ultimate David Vs Goliath tie of Manchester United Vs Crawley Town, the most interesting match of this week's F.A. Cup fifth round is the one taking place at the Britannia Stadium. Firstly because I believe that the match-up at Old Trafford will be a fairly anti-climactic one, but secondly, and more importantly, I see there being a, not so farfetched, possibility of Gus Poyet's men turning over the Potters, or at least taking them to a replay.



The Thorn in Stoke's Side?

Of course, the odds are firmly stacked against Brighton, however in the past two rounds of the competition, the Seagulls have seen off stronger opposition in Portsmouth, and, more recently, Watford with English-born Austrian striker, Ashley Barnes, proving clinical on both occasions. Another factor that may work in Gus Poyet's favour is that on several occasions this season, Stoke have faltered against weaker opposition at home including a 1-0 loss to Blackpool and a 1-1 draw with Cardiff.

Key Man - Elliott Bennett

Gus Poyet has this week stressed that he will not stray too far from the side's usual attractive passing blueprint, so Brighton's efficiency of ball retention is going to be key, and I see Elliott Bennett as being pivotal to the outcome of Saturday's match. In Bennett, the Seagulls possess a player that has everything in his locker, goals, flair, pace to burn and Premier League potential. Regardless of their stature, Stoke are renowned for having a rather sluggish back-four and I'm sure the twenty-two year-old midfielder will fancy his chances up against them.

My Prediction - Stoke City 2-1 Brighton and Hove Albion
Although they're very much the underdogs in this tie, I wouldn't rule out Brighton getting a result this weekend. The main worry for the side, currently top of League 1, is that they may be prone to tiring after the hour mark, as with many lower league teams.

npower Championship - Nottingham Forest Vs Cardiff City

If other results in the division work in favour of these opposing teams on Saturday, then either Billy Davies' men or Dave Jones' can expect to be sitting pretty in second position in the npower Championship, come Sunday morning. With the prize of promotion to the Premier League being the most lucrative in world football, it's arguably one of the most crucial games left on any domestic fixutre list, but I'm not expecting a cagey affair.

A Familiar Sight at the City Ground

With Cardiff possessing Premier League talent within their ranks such as loanees Aaron Ramsay and Craig Bellamy, and Saturday's opposition having been beaten by lowly Scunthorpe United in the week, it'd be all too easy to write off the Reds. However, Forest haven't been beaten at the City Ground all season, and hold onto an astonishing record of not having lost having scored the first goal in a league match in little over four years. So, on this occasion more than ever, the first goal is going to be crucial to the outcome of this weekend's clash in Nottingham.

Key Man - Robert Earnshaw

As I said, the first goal is going to be crucial to this match. If Forest's stalwart centre-half pairing of Wes Morgan and Luke Chambers can stem the threat of Jay Bothroyd for long enough, then whether he starts or not, the role that Robert Earnshaw plays in this fixture could be vital. His truly explosive nature as a player, and his keen taste for the bigger games may prove to be a combination too lethal for Cardiff to deal with. 

My Prediction - Nottingham Forest 2-1 Cardiff City
The Bluebirds are yet to score against Forest at the last three times of asking, and, although I think they'll bring an end to the goal drought, I believe that Dave Jones will find his side on the wrong end of a 2-1 result.

Obviously I haven't decided to pick out the Black Country derby on here, but that's because I was going to do a feature on it for tomorrow if anyone wanted me to. So, let me know. I'll be back next week with my best of the week's music on Thursday. Have a great weekend