Originally Posted by Sky Sports

Premier League preview and live discussion: Survival Sunday


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Sky Sports will show THREE crucial live matches involving teams battling to remain in the Barclays Premier League on the final day: Survival Sunday.

We will be the only place to see a hat-trick of crunch clashes featuring Newcastle United, Hull and Sunderland.

Richard Keys and Jamie Redknapp will be your hosts for our live coverage - and they will be setting the scene at midday on Sky Sports 1, with Survival Sunday Final Countdown.

Then it's off to Villa Park to see Villa entertaining Newcastle from 3.00pm on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports HD1.

Over on Sky Sports 3 David Jones will be at the KC Stadium to bring you Hull's game with newly-crowned champions Manchester United from 4.00pm.

And with Sunderland's defeat at Portsmouth on Monday keeping them in the relegation picture, we will be showing their home game with Chelsea via the red button on Sky Sports 3, from 4.00pm.

The Black Cats and Hull City both know a victory will spare them from an immediate return to the Championship, while Newcastle will need a point to survive should the Tigers lose.

Middlesbrough, who travel to West Ham need a minor miracle to stay up. Only a win and defeats for Newcastle and Hull - plus a four-goal swing against the latter - will be enough

Originally Posted by SkySports

Premier League Preview: Survival Sunday


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With the Premier League title race done and dusted it seems somewhat bizarre the build-up to what could be the most dramatic final weekend of action in living memory has centred on Sir Alex Ferguson's team selection.

Sky Sports will be offering unrivalled coverage of all the action as it unfolds, with three live games available for you to choose from.

LIVE ON SKY SPORTS

Aston Villa v Newcastle 3.00pm Sun, Sky Sports 1 & HD1

Hull City v Manchester United 4.00pm Sun, Sky Sports 3 & HD3

Sunderland v Chelsea 4.00pm Sun, Sky Sports 3 (via the red button)

On Sunday two from four of Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, Sunderland and Hull City will join West Brom in contemplating life in the Championship next season; with the North East contingent of the quartet unlikely to be overly enamoured by Sir Alex Ferguson's starting XI at the KC Stadium.

United's UEFA Champions League final in Rome just three days later will be at the forefront of Ferguson's thinking, with the Scot unlikely to risk the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney against Hull, merely to satisfy the demands of those that have called for the league's integrity to be upheld.

Although Survival Sunday could not be more delicately poised at the foot of the table, it is perhaps Middlesbrough that will start the day most resigned to their fate.

Gareth Southgate's side, who face West Ham at Upton Park, need the Tigers to lose if they are to have a chance of staying up, while Newcastle travel to Aston Villa having to better the result of Phil Brown's men if they are to survive.

Sunderland could go down if they lose at Chelsea and both Newcastle and Hull win, meaning all three of the North East clubs have a vested interest in the side Ferguson sends out.

Tigers boss Brown may never have a better chance of taking three points off his United counterpart, but he'll also be astute enough to realise that a side made from those on the periphery at Old Trafford is still more than a match for most top-flight clubs.

Over at St James' Park, the return of Alan Shearer has been greeted with much fanfare and talk of rejuvenated morale in the Magpies camp. In football though it is points rather than platitudes that ensure survival and while Shearer has earned plenty of the latter, he has secured all too few of the former.

Last week's home game with Fulham, never the best of travellers, was on paper the ideal opportunity to build on their massive Tyne-Tees victory over Middlesbrough. Instead, it was Diomansy Kamara that played the party pooper to perfection as his winning goal had the Toon faithful contemplating a trip to London Road.

Aston Villa have stuttered over the finishing line but a tired finale to their campaign cannot hide monumental strides made in the Midlands. And with Villa still playing for fifth place, trailing Everton as they do by just a solitary point, there will be few favours cast in the way of Shearer by his old pal Martin O'Neill.

In the East End the contrasting fortunes of two young managers will be made crystal clear to all those present at Upton Park. West Ham's Gianfranco Zola has defied the sceptics that surfaced in the early stages of his tenure to mould a bright and inventive side built in his own image; for Southgate the spectre of relegation looms large on Teesside.

Having missed out on a Europa League spot, which could prove to be the proverbial blessing in disguise, West Ham have precious little to play for other than to give their supporters a memorable send-off. For Southgate, only a win would give him hope of still being a Premier League manager next season.

Sunderland boss Ricky Sbragia has also endured a miserable week, with speculation over his own position rarely far from the tabloid gossip columns. Chelsea, not unlike Manchester United, have priorities elsewhere and arrive on Wearside with next week's FA Cup final likely to dictate Guus Hiddink's thinking in terms of the side he picks at the Stadium of Light.

Chelsea's Wembley opponents Everton conclude another excellent campaign with a trip to West London as Fulham, surely this season's most improved side, host the Toffees at fortress Craven Cottage.

West Brom finish the season in the position many predicted for them at the start of it; propping up the other 19 clubs.

A trip to Blackburn, who have only recently put to bed relegation fears of their own, marks the final chapter in what has been a disappointing rather than disastrous term. The Baggies have been pleasing on the eye throughout and an immediate return to the top flight should not be beyond Tony Mowbray's side next season.

Few, or more pertinently, no pundits predicted Stoke City would be in 11th place on the final day of the season. Tony Pulis has masterminded a magnificent first ever campaign in the Premier League and while he may still have to take the odd jibe about his side's style of play, it is he rather than opposite number Arsene Wenger that will be smiling on the final whistle at the Emirates.

Four trophyless years at Arsenal have seen Wenger experience the type of supporter ire normally reserved for lesser mortals, but having rejected talk of a purported move to Real Madrid, the majority in North London are likely to greet the Frenchman with the warmest of receptions.

Liverpool are another side that have fallen short of Manchester United this term but while Arsenal have been accused of going backwards, Rafa Benitez's Reds are undeniably on the up and will be desperate to finish off with a win at home to Tottenham.

The dark days of Juande Ramos, excluding last term's Carling Cup success, have long been consigned to history since Harry Redknapp swept into White Hart Lane, although it will be next season that a true gauge of the club's current standing will be made.

Manchester City host Bolton for a North West derby at Eastlands that lacks the spice of previous encounters given neither club has much to play for. Mark Hughes' side sit comfortably if unspectacularly in tenth place, which is satisfactory for this term but is unlikely to be good enough next year.

Sunday's fixture list is concluded at the JJB as Wigan host a Portsmouth outfit seemingly heading in the right direction under Paul Hart, following what has been the most unstable of campaigns on the South Coast.

Three different managers have occupied the dugout at Fratton Park this season and while Wigan have managed perfectly well with just one, it will nonetheless be another summer of rebuilding for Steve Bruce as he braces himself to lose more of his top stars.

Originally Posted by Tommy Red
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The Preview is up:



Nervous Mikk?
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Originally Posted by God
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I have literally no idea of who i want to go down. I reckon Boro will need nothing short of a miracle to stay up. Newcastle should squeeze past Villa as Villa have been woeful and Newcastle need a big performance. Hull depends on what kind of team United put out. Sunderland are in the same boat as Hull but i see Chelsea putting out a relativly strong team. Anelka will play as he still wants the golden boot.

Right now i'm thinking:
Hull 38
Newcastle 37
Sunderland 36
WBA 34
Boro 33

But that can all change if United put out a stong team and Chelsea put out a weakened team.

Originally Posted by God
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I have literally no idea of who i want to go down. I reckon Boro will need nothing short of a miracle to stay up. Newcastle should squeeze past Villa as Villa have been woeful and Newcastle need a big performance. Hull depends on what kind of team United put out. Sunderland are in the same boat as Hull but i see Chelsea putting out a relativly strong team. Anelka will play as he still wants the golden boot.

Right now i'm thinking:
Hull 38
Newcastle 37
Sunderland 36
WBA 34
Boro 33

But that can all change if United put out a stong team and Chelsea put out a weakened team.