LONDON (Sporting Alert) — The busy day of English Premier League action is almost set to get underway and we have all the team news heading into the contest – including the live clash between Arsenal and Cardiff City.
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Cardiff v Arsenal
Premier League leaders Arsenal and manager Arsene Wenger have made no adjustment to the team that defeat Southampton last week for the game at Cardiff City today. This means left-back Kieran Gibbs returns from illness from midweek after missing the Champions League win, but holding midfielder Mikel Arteta misses out.
Meanwhile, Cardiff made just one change to the side that played to a 2-2 draw with Manchester United last week, with Kim Bo-Kyung, who scored the late equaliser, coming in for winger Peter Odemwingie.
Cardiff: Marshall, Taylor, Caulker, Turner, Whittingham, Medel, Campbell, Kim, Mutch, Cowie, Theophile-Catherine.
Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Arteta, Wilshere, Ramsey, Ozil, Cazorla, Giroud
Norwich v Crystal Palace
Norwich City manager Chris Hughton in need of three points this afternoon, has recalled back Sebastien Bassong, Johan Elmander and Wes Hoolahan for the clash with Crystal Palace, following the defeat away to Newcastle United last week. Anthony Pilkington (hamstring), Robert Snodgrass, Elliott Bennett (both knee), Alex Tettey (ankle) and Ricky van Wolfswinkel (foot) are all out of the clash at Carrow Road.
Picking his first EPL side since taking over at Crystal Palace, manager Tony Pulis make two changes from the last outing, as Yannick Bolasie, who was sent off at Hull last week and striker Dwight Gayle make way for Jason Puncheon and Cameron Jerome, who are two on loan players.
Norwich: Ruddy; Martin, R Bennett, Bassong, Olsson; Fer, Howson, Redmond, Hoolahan, Elmander, Hooper
Palace: Speroni, Ward, Gabbidon, Delaney, Moxey, Jedinak, Dikgacoi, Bannan, Puncheon, Chamakh, Jerome
Everton v Stoke
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has made three adjustments to side that figured in the last outing, which was a 3-3 draw with Liverpool for today’s game against Stoke City. The injured Leighton Baines, Ross Barkley and Kevin Mirallas are all out of that starting XI from last weekend.
Meanwhile, Stoke City boss Mark Hughes come into the game without the injured Robert Huth and Marko Arnautovic.
Everton: Howard, Coleman, Oviedo, Distin, Jagielka, Deulofeu, Pienaar, Barry, McCarthy, Osman, Lukaku
Stoke: Begovic; Cameron, Shawcross, Muniesa, Pieters; Walters, Whelan, Nzonzi, Adam, Assaidi; Crouch.
Aston v Sunderland
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has decided to recall attackers Gabby Agbonlahor and Andreas Weimann in his starting team for the clash with Sunderland at Villa Park. The pair will link up with Belgian forward Christian Benteke, who scored a 17-minute hat-trick against this team last season. Weimann and Agbonlahor, as well as Ron Vlaar, who also start today, were also scorers on that day.
Sunderland boss Gus Poyet make three changes from the team that was beaten 2-0 by Stoke City last week, with forward Fabio Borini coming back to join Steven Fletcher. Winger Adam Johnson doesn’t start today.
Aston Villa: Guzan, Bacuna, Vlaar, Clark, Luna, Delph, Westwood, El Ahmadi, Agbonlahor, Benteke, Weimann
Sunderland: Mannone, Bardsley, Dossena, Brown, O’Shea, Ki, Gardner, Larsson, Borini, Giaccherini, Fletcher
West Ham v Fulham
Sam Allardyce has opted to drop both Joe Cole and Ravel Morrison from his West Ham United starting XI against Fulham, while Carlton Cole is on the bench for the clash. Allardyce, on the hunt for points, makes four changes from the side that lost at home to Chelsea last weekend, as Jack Collison and Joey O’Brien were also dropped. In comes George McCartney, Mohamed Diame, Modibo Maiga and Matt Jarvis.
Martin Jol is without forward Dimitar Berbatov, who is ill and is not even on the bench for Fulham, which means England attacker Darren Bent leads the forward line.
West Ham: Jaaskelainen, McCartney, Nolan, Tomkins, Jarvis, Maiga, Noble, Collins, Demel, Diame, Downing.
Fulham: Stekelenburg; Zverotic, Hughes, Amorebieta, Richardson; Duff, Sidwell, Parker, Kasami; Taarabt; Bent.
