The Premier League is starting to enter the closing stages for the season. The various run-ins of the teams in battle at the top and bottom are being analysed as people decide who looks in the best spot to win the title or avoid the drop.
On Saturday there are some big games between teams needing points for various reasons; some in desperation and others to keep a strong run of form going. Here, Sports Mole picks out some battles on the pitch that could decide the points.
1. Fabio Borini vs. Scott Dann - Sunderland vs. Crystal Palace
With both these sides much improved from their respective dreadful starts to the Premier League season, this fixture represents the chance for one of the two to take a huge step towards safety. Sunderland are in the relegation zone but do have three games in hand. However, they will need points on the board from winnable home games considering some of their upcoming games.
On-loan from Liverpool striker Fabio Borini has been a key player in Sunderland's resurgence under Gus Poyet. The Italian had a point to prove after failing to impress for the Reds, and perhaps key is that he has now adapted to the speed of thinking and physicality that the Premier League requires compared to some other leagues.
Tasked with stopping him - and maintaining his side's ability to grind out results - will be Scott Dann. The centre-back is the player that Tony Pulis believes has the strength and discipline to keep the Eagles afloat this year, and he has shown plenty since his January signing. Not only will Dann need to win the physical battle, but Borini roams and how well he is tracked could prove decisive on Saturday.
2. Steve Sidwell vs. Cheick Tiote - Fulham vs. Newcastle United
Of course, not every team has a lot to play for. Already Newcastle look as though they will finish eighth or ninth in the Premier League this season with 10 games still to go. They have an outside shot at a top-seven finish, but are 12 points clear of the bottom half of the table. Fulham, on the other hand, know that nothing less than a win will help them on Saturday and even then their chances would remain slim.
Steve Sidwell has, for long periods of this season, been Fulham's standout performer. He is not regarded as one of the most technically gifted players in the league, but the former Aston Villa man has scored a number of important goals already and leads the club's scoring charts. As well as this he works incredibly hard in the midfield, getting back to tackle and forward to help attacks whenever he can. If he has a good game against Newcastle on Saturday his team will have much more of a chance.
Stopping him and looking to take control of the midfield for the away side will be Cheick Tiote. He is predominantly used in the midfield holding role, which means he will not roam as much as Sidwell, but instead will be tasked with tracking the runs of the Fulham midfield. In this game it will be vital for the Whites to attack, so Tiote has a very important role.
3. Tom Huddlestone vs. Yaya Toure - Hull City vs. Manchester City
Manchester City travel to the KC Stadium on Saturday looking to close the gap to Chelsea at the top of the Premier League. They are currently nine points behind with three games in hand and so need to keep winning if they are to maintain the pace at the top. Hull has proved a difficult place to go this season with only five teams winning there in the league and just the 14 goals going in the home net.
If there is one thing that City have been adept at this season it is scoring goals. They have managed 26 in 13 games away from home and many more at the Etihad. However, despite their free-scoring strikers perhaps their most important player is Yaya Toure in the midfield. On his day - which it so regularly is - he is unplayable, getting back to win the ball, bringing it forward and chipping in with plenty of goals. If he is allowed freedom he will surely punish Hull.
If Yaya is City's string-puller then Tom Huddlestone is Hull's. He is perhaps not as consistent as Toure, but on several occasions this season has almost single-handedly taken control of games. He is a different kind of midfielder to Toure, one who spreads play with accurate long passes, but he will need to keep an eye on his opposite number on Saturday. He must be disciplined enough to try to stop Toure otherwise it will be an uphill task for Steve Bruce's team.
