Hodgson now hopes that the win, West Brom’s first over Villa since 1985, will bring long term stability to the club.

“We’re really delighted that we’re safe with three games to go,” Hodgson told BBC Sport.

“Hopefully we can find a team that can stay up every year and not consistently have to bounce back from relegation.”

Sports tickets are available now.

Reports have suggested that players are unhappy, mainly at rules brought in by manager, Gerard Houllier, including the banning of mobile phones.

“I don’t think there’s any mutiny here,” McAllister told BBC Sport.

“There’s been little arguments here and there but nothing outside the realms of what happens at most clubs.”

Aston Villa tickets are available now.

Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam takes his place in midfield alongside Aston Villa youngster Barry Bannan. Manager Levein will be hoping for a morale boosting victory against the Brazilians.

The full Scotland squad:

Goalkeepers: Allan McGregor (Rangers), Craig Gordon (Sunderland/ENG), Iain Turner (Everton/ENG)
Defenders: Phil Bardsley (Sunderland/ENG), Christophe Berra (Wolverhampton Wanderers/ENG), Gary Caldwell (Wigan Athletic/ENG), Stephen Crainey (Blackpool/ENG), Grant Hanley (Blackburn Rovers/ENG), Alan Hutton (Tottenham Hotspur/ENG), Steven Whittaker (Rangers), Danny Wilson (Liverpool/ENG), Mark Wilson (Celtic)
Midfielders: Charlie Adam (Blackpool/ENG), Barry Bannan (Aston Villa/ENG), Scott Brown (Celtic), Kris Commons (Celtic), Don Cowie (Watford/ENG), Murray Davidson (St Johnstone), James McArthur (Wigan Athletic/ENG), James Morrison (West Bromwich Albion/ENG), Robert Snodgrass (Leeds United/ENG)
Forwards: James Maguire (Aberdeen), Kenny Miller (Bursaspor/TUR), Steven Naismith (Rangers)

Scotland vs Brazil tickets are available online

Locked together on 32 points, the winner of the game may well go into the top half of the premier league, whereas the losers will be looking nervously over their shoulders at the relegation zone.

Fulham have drawn their last three league games, but will be encouraged as two of those were aginst Manchester City and Chelsea.

Blackburn, on the other hand, were thumped 4-1 by Aston Villa in their last match, and havn’t won a game in their last five.

Tickets for Fulham v Blackburn are available now.

The match takes place at Craven Cottage on Saturday March 5th, kick off 15.00.

Tickets for the game are available online now, and whether they’re for a Christmas gift or family afternoon at the match, now is the time to compare prices and buy.

With the transfer window opening after Christmas in January, and more exciting fixtures in the New Year, the Barclays Premier League always brings action, and the annual Boxing Day game is no different.

Compare and buy Aston Villa vs Tottenham Hotspur tickets online now, and watch for more exciting fixture tickets on Tixdaq.com.

A Premier League statement read:

1. Players may be sold to other Premier League clubs but may not play first-team football for the new club before the end of the season.
2. Players may be sold to a Football League or foreign club, subject to FIFA’s approval.
3. Portsmouth FC may enter into an agreement with another Premier League, Football League or foreign club that a player will be transferred to that other club in the summer.

Given that they will be looking to sell their prime assets before the season is out in order to stay afloat, Portsmouth may have to play a selection of youth team and reserve players in their remaining fixtures. With a remaining Premier League fixture list comprised of games against Chelsea, Tottenham, Blackburn, Wigan, Aston Villa, Bolton, Wolves and Everton, Pompey could yet have a large say in many of the battles across the table. Of course, this largely depends on what players they are able to field, but if the squad continues to show the heart that they have shown this season so far, Portsmouth Football Club should not be discounted from any games.

Compare and buy Portsmouth tickets online now!

This Wednesday sees Aston Villa take on a rejuvenated Sunderland team, and both will have many points to prove. Villa are unbeaten in eight, but with five of those eight games being draws and four of those draws insipid 0-0 affairs, to label the team as in form is a tad misleading. Sunderland have had an unusual 09-10 to say the least. Having begun the season in encouraging fashion with a draw at Manchester United and victories over Liverpool and Arsenal, they looked at the very least certain to cement a mid-table position. After defeating Arsenal in November though, Sunderland went into a bizarre freefall and only achieved their next victory in March when they thrashed Bolton Wanderers 4-0. They now look safe from the relegation scrap though, with seven points between them and the bottom three, and will now be looking up the table again.

At this stage last season, fatigue caught up with Aston Villa dramatically. A rather odd statistic is that last Tuesday’s win over Wigan was their first victory in the month of March in Martin O’Neill’s entire reign at the club, and although squad depth is greater than last year, there is still a reliance on certain players – Milner, Agbonlahor and Ashley Young to name a few.

Following this match both teams have tough-looking away games; Aston Villa take on Chelsea and Sunderland go to Liverpool, which makes this game even more important. There are still a limited supply of tickets left for this tantalising clash, and Tixdaq.com has the cheapest available online!

Compare and buy Aston Villa tickets online now!

This Saturday sees two of the more ambitious teams clash; Roy Hodgson’s progressive Fulham side take on nouveau riche club Manchester City, and it looks set to be a classic. The West London side are in the middle of a hectic run which includes matches against Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham and Juventus (twice) all in the space of 25 days, and with a tepid draw against Spurs followed by two convincing losses to Manchester United and Juventus, their form looks to be stuttering.

Manchester City have been as inconsistent as anyone this season, and though their last visit to West London resulted in a barnstorming 4-2 success at Chelsea, who are notoriously strong at home, they followed it up with a rather insipid draw at Sunderland, where only the introduction of Adam Johnson brought impetus to the side. There were many damning statistics after the Sunderland match, but one that stands out is Shaun Wright-Phillips’ 47% pass completion – shocking for an England international. They still ought to be the favourites to claim the fourth Champions League place, with games in hand on all their rivals, but with Mancini seemingly unsure of his best side and prone to first half substitutions, this game looks far too difficult to call.

There are still tickets left for this mouthwatering clash, and we have the cheapest available to compare and buy from official sellers!

Compare and buy Fulham tickets online now!

The top two teams in the league face each other in less than a month, with the victor to surely become favourites for the domestic crown. It has been a topsy-turvy season with only one constant: its unpredictability. Many tipped Liverpool for the title but they are firmly locked in a battle for fourth, with Manchester City, Tottenham and Aston Villa all with points advantage or games in hand.

Many thought Arsenal would fall away as in previous years, particularly after Aaron Ramsey’s broken leg echoed memories of Eduardo’s similar injury in 2008. That year, the Gunners crumbled quite dramatically, but in the last month they have clawed back Chelsea’s nine point advantage to level with them, and are just two points behind Manchester United. A draw between the Red Devils and Chelsea could lead to Arsenal sneaking to the title as they have on paper the easiest remaining fixtures.

With so many matches in this Premier League season going against form, it is impossible to predict the final outcome, and that is why it is the most captivating in recent memory.

Manchester United vs. Chelsea tickets are still available to buy through Tixdaq.com beginning at the astonishingly good value price of just £20.

Compare and buy Manchester United vs. Chelsea tickets online now!

This season has been more open than any in recent memory when it comes to both the title race and European slots, and this may also have been a factor in the collective decision. Clubs such as Manchester City, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur have shown encouraging signs of genuine improvement, and so the prospect of being able to compete on a regular basis for the fourth spot without changing the league format may have influenced their decision.

As it is, the Barclays Premier League is arguably the most entertaining league in the world, and with more goals than at the same stage of competition last year, it is in rude health indeed.

Compare and buy Barclays Premier League tickets online now!

“Following the intense media speculation overnight, we can confirm that a group of high net worth individuals, who support Manchester United met in London yesterday. This group is supportive of current management but are looking at the feasibility of putting together a proposal to be put to the Glazer Family regarding the ownership of Manchester United. These discussions are in early stages and no contact has been made with the Glazer Family.”

United are currently owned by the Glazer’s, but revelations of the club’s enormous debt, a reported £716.5million, has left much unrest amongst the supporters.

The group of potential investors, led by Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O’Neill, also said that for their potential takeover to be successful, they would need the support of Manchester United fans.

Despite events off the field, Manchester United recently overcame Aston Villa in an entertaining Carling Cup final, and will be looking to take their form into the remainder of the season. 

Compare and buy Manchester United tickets online now!

The Reds have been without Johnson since late December, leaving them short of options on the right-hand side of defence.

Unfortunately for Liverpool, this news coincides with the confirmation that Martin Skrtel will be out for up to eight weeks with a broken metatarsal suffered in the 3-1 win at Unirea last week.

With yet another defensive shake-up on the horizon for Rafa, it remains to be seen whether Liverpool will be able to push on for fourth spot in the Premier League. With Tottenham, Manchester City and Aston Villa all aiming for the coveted final Champions League place as well, it looks to be a fascinating next few months in the Premier League.

Compare and buy Liverpool tickets online now!

Since then however, they have struggled for form in a dramatic way, and after over three months after their last win they are in danger of being dragged into a relegation battle. The phrase that is used far too often is “too good to go down”, and Sunderland may have some gifted players, but unless they get themselves out of this rut they are by no means safe.

Sunderland’s fixture list for the remainder of the season begins with some tough games against Aston Villa, Manchester City, Birmingham, Liverpool and Tottenham, and were they to come away from those matches pointless their situation could be approaching dire. This would make their final run of games against fellow-strugglers West Ham, Burnley, Hull and Wolves (with the small matter of Manchester United in between the last two) all vital six-pointers.

Tickets to Sunderland’s remaining fixtures are available at the cheapest price going on Tixdaq.com. Support the Black Cats and help them climb the table!

Compare and buy Sunderland tickets online now!

Last year, Aston Villa fell away quite dramatically, but they will be hoping that an additional strength in depth will keep them in the hunt for that much-sought after fourth place in the league after missing out on the first silverware of the season. With local derbies against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham to come, as well as difficult matches against Chelsea and Manchester City, their fate is in their own hands and it is up to Martin O’Neill’s side to prove their worth.

Compare and buy Aston Villa tickets online now!

Chelsea have tough games against Manchester City, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool to play. Manchester United are yet to play Liverpool, the aforementioned game against against Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham. Arsenal’s biggest tests come against a physical Stoke Side at the Britannia Stadium where they have been beaten in their last two meetings, Birmingham away, and Tottenham and Manchester City. They are currently six points behind leaders Chelsea and five behind Manchester United, but the fact that at least one of the teams has to drop points in their clash will inspire the Gunners.

This Barclays Premier League title race is still a three-way battle, and could go right down to the wire in the closest it has been in years.

Compare and buy Arsenal tickets now!

The England left back’s stance is understandable but still, quite a surprise, and perhaps a more focused Wayne Bridge will help Manchester City in their push for fourth place, as their fixture list to end the season includes tough games against Tottenham, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Aston Villa. As well as that, Tixdaq can reveal that there are tickets available for Saturday’s huge game against Chelsea.

Compare and buy Manchester City tickets online now!

There is further concern for the Old Trafford side after Brazilian starlet Anderson was ruled out of action for the rest of the season after rupturing his cruciate ligament against West Ham on Wednesday night. Anderson had only just returned to the United side after being dropped for an unsanctioned trip home to Brazil, but could only last 19 minutes of the match. In a double blow for the midfielder, he will also miss this summer’s World Cup in South Africa.

The Barclays Premier League is in the final third of the season, and tension is mounting as the title race heats up. Manchester United at least are boosted by the return of Serbian central defender Nemanja Vidic, who will probably line up alongside Jonny Evans until Ferdinand’s return to fitness.

Tixdaq can reveal that there are tickets available to crucial Manchester United games on the horizon, which includes huge games against Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

Compare and buy Manchester United tickets now!

Jagielka’s return to fitness could not have been better timed, as with Sylvain Distin’s European suspension and Tony Hibbert’s injury he could be needed for defensive cover. In a similar vein to Aston Villa’s James Milner, it is Jagielka’s ability to play in a number of positions effectively that could prove useful for both Everton and England. Marouane Fellaini, Everton’s Belgian defensive midfield star, is now out for the season, while Tim Cahill will not recover from his calf injury in time to play Sporting.

Everton’s form over the last eight games is equal to that of Chelsea, and 19 points from a possible 24 is title-winning form. Could Everton maintain their charge and overtake Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham to finish fourth, as they did in 2005?

Everton tickets available now!

While a result against Villa would normally prove unlikely, Martin O’Neill’s men have suffered of late. Beating Manchester United at Old Trafford in mid-December looked to cement their place in the top 4 but defeats against Arsenal and Liverpool since then have dropped them down the table. O’Neill will be keen to see an improved performance from his team, especially in light of Man City’s resurgence under Roberto Mancini.

All in all it’s shaping up to be a key clash for two teams at opposite ends of the table, and with Villa’s recent bad results, it looks to be one that will be keenly contested.

Compare and buy Wigan vs. Aston Villa tickets now!

Manchester United face Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Saturday evening with one aim in mind – three points.

A win for the Red Devils is essential to keep up the pressure on Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea going into the hectic Christmas schedule and if the Blues slip up at home to Everton earlier in the day then the champions could even snatch top spot.

One sticking point is the injury crisis that has beset their back five with no less than eight defensive players in the Manchester United squad either ruled out or labelled as doubtful for the clash.

On the plus side is the fact that they swept past West Ham 4-0 at Upton Park last weekend with a makeshirt back four and then secured an excellent 3-1 win away at Wolfsburg in the Champions League with a similarly fragile-looking line-up.

United will also welcome back Nemanja Vidic, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov to the matchday squad though Michael Owen will be keen to retain his place after his goal-poaching hat-trick in Germany.

To say Manchester United are Aston Villa’s bogey side might be a bit selective as Sir Alex Ferguson has a pretty good record against every Premier League side but with no wins in their last 27 league meetings, recent history is not on the visitor’s side.

However, with United’s injury list reading like a telephone directory O’Neill might just fancy his team’s chances.

Villa are the third highest scorers in the league – behind only Chelsea and Arsenal – and they know a win could propel them up to third place in the table.

That might be wishful thinking but the form of James Milner has been electric and Stewart Downing seems to be finding his feet quickly after a long injury lay-off. The key to a positive result for the midlanders will be to use the ball wisely and economically and to have be disciplined and organised when they cede possession.

With United’s never say die attitude a home win might seem the likeliest result but a share of the points woulkd be no surprise.

Compare and buy Barclays Premier League tickets online now.

Two titans of European football clash on Tuesday night in the UEFA Champions League as Juventus host Bayern Munich in a ‘winner takes all’ encounter.

The teams lie second and third respectively in Group A and with Bordeaux having already qualified for the next stage as group winners, the final spot is up for grabs in Turin.

The pressure is certainly on Bayern who have endured a torrid season both domestically and abroad and the inus will be oin them to get the victory seeing as they currently trail their rivals by a single point.

Juventus need just a draw to go through to the second round but know that playing for such a result can be extremely risky and manager Ciro Ferrara – a seasoned veteran in European competition – will be well aware of the pitfalls.

The Turin club will be full of confidence going into the game after beating Serie A leaders Inter Milan 2-1 at the weekend to put themselves back in the title race. Bayern will also take to the field on the back of a win after defeating Borussia Monchengladbach 2-1 at the Allianz Arena.

It promises to be a night of high drama in northern Italy.

Compare and buy football tickets online now.

Avram Grant had already conceded it would take an extraordinary turnaround to salvage Portsmouth‘s season before it emerged some players are still waiting to receive their November wages.

Grant, who is still working under the title of director of football until his new work permit is approved, has shown no regrets at accepting the offer to succeed Paul Hart.

“I knew what I was coming into,” he said. “I knew that I was coming to a team in a very bad situation, at the bottom of the league with not easy fixtures – especially in December.

“I could have said ‘no’ and not taken the job. The challenge is big and even if some people think that the chances are very low of avoiding relegation, I think it is possible.

“I really believe that we can do it, even though it will be very, very difficult. But I knew that from the first moment that I took the job.”

If Grant’s side, currently seven points adrift of safety, are to become genuine survival candidates, three points against visitors such as Burnley are a must.

Had Grant’s side made more of a string of first half chances against Manchester United last weekend, they could have surprised the champions. The reality, however, was they didn’t capitalise on those opportunities – and that has been the story of their season.

Grant rested a number of senior players for the Aston Villa midweek game in the Carling Cup and will restore Aruna Dindane and Frederic Piquionne to the attack while keeper David James faces a late fitness test on a calf injury. Full back Steve Finnan has a slim chance of returning after a groin problem.

Burnley manager Owen Coyle, meanwhile, is confident his side’s poor away form will eventually change. In stunning contrast to their results at Turf Moor, Burnley have yet to win on the road in seven matches away from Turf Moor and their inability to defend has been their downfall. They have already conceded an astonishing 25 goals on their travels but Coyle insists that playing positive football is the only solution to their concerns.

“The players we have at this football club have been brought here because they are football players and that’s what we will continue to do,” he said. “We will continue to try and win matches at home and away. It suits the players I have and certainly suits the way I want to play. I want to play and I we will win games and it will be sooner rather than later.

Burnley need a clean sheet against Portsmouth like never before. A win against the Premier League’s bottom club would do even more to stabilise the Lancashire side’s impressive start to life in England’s top flight but it all has to start at the back and they must simply stop conceding if they are not going to throw away all the hard work they are building up at home.

Clarke Carlisle, Tyrone Mears and Andre Bikey need huge games at Fratton Park to stop Portsmouth and give Coyle’s men a base to work from going forward. Robbie Blake will need to be his typically mischievous self in and around the box while Coyle will also be hoping Chris Eagles can build on his brilliant performance at Upton Park last Saturday.

Burnley will be without skipper Steven Caldwell after his late dismissal against West Ham United last weekend but apart from that they have no new injury concerns, with Chris McCann, Jay Rodriguez and Martin Paterson still their only doubts.

Compare and buy Barclays Premier League tickets online now.

Goals from Carlos Tevez, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Vladimir Weiss in the second half  guaranteed Manchester City a place in the 2009-2010 Carling Cup semi-finals.

Manchester City dominated the game and could have easily been a goal up through Craig Bellamy in the first half. Arsenal had a couple of chances, but once Carlos Tevez and Shaun Wright-Phillips had put City two goals ahead, the game was as good as finished.

Manchester City will play their fierce local rivals, Manchester United, in what will no doubt be a classic Carling Cup semi-final encounter.

The other semi-final sees Blackburn take on Aston Villa.

Compare and buy football tickets online.

Aston Villa booked their place in the last four of the Carling Cup with a 4-2 win at Premier League strugglers Portsmouth.

The home side took an earlyt lead when Stilian Petrov guided the ball into his own net but the lead was only fleeting as Emile Heskey equalised almost immediately. The hard working James Milner then got on the scoresheet to give Villa a 2-1 lead at half-time and when Stewart Downing scored his first goal for the club on his first start to make it 3-1 the game looked up for Pompey.

But a late rally saw Kanu nudge the ball over the line in the 87th minute and a comeback looked on. That was until a minute from time when Ashley Young finally quitened the Fratton Park crowd as he made it 4-2 to send his team into the semi-finals of the Carling Cup.

Compare and buy football tickets online now.

Sunderland tickets are available to compare and buy at tixdaq.com.

Burnley 5th December 12.45pm – tickets are on general sale. Special offers apply:
Apollo Stand – Adult £20, accompanied children (max of 2) £5 each, Senior £15, unaccompanied children £10
North Stand Upper E & G Wings – Adult £30, accompanied children (max 2) £15 each, Senior £22, unaccompanied children £20
South Stand Extension (D section only) all tickets £40 – there are no concession prices

Liverpool 19th December 12.45pm – tickets are on general sale.

Arsenal 30th December 7.45pm – tickets are on general sale.

Birmingham 16th January 3pm – tickets are on general sale. Special offers apply:
Apollo Stand – Adult £20, accompanied children (max of 2) £5 each, Senior £15, unaccompanied children £10
North Stand Upper E & G Wings – Adult £30, accompanied children(max 2) £15 each, Senior £22, unaccompanied children £20
South Stand Extension (D section only) all tickets £40 – there are no concession prices.

Portsmouth FC are pleased to announce the reintroduction of Student tickets.
Apollo Stand = £15 but for Liverpool, Arsenal & Chelsea £25
North Upper E & G Wings = £22 but for Liverpool, Arsenal & Chelsea £27

Terms & conditions that apply are:
Students must be aged between 17 and 21 at the time of booking. Students must be in full time education. Proof of age and a valid official University/College student card will be required at the time of booking. Students may purchase these tickets once tickets are on general sale.

Bookings can only be made in person at the ticket office at the Club`s Headquarters in Rodney Road. One ticket per Student only.

Match date and times are subject to change. Tickets are subject to availability.

Away League Ticket Sales

Sunderland 12th December 3pm – Tickets are on general sale
Match Prices: Adult £27, Senior (65+) £17, Junior(U16) £10

Chelsea 16th December 7.45pm – Tickets on general sale
Match Prices: Upper Tier Adult £47, Lower Tier Adult £44 (limited availability)
Upper& Lower Tier Senior(65+) / Junior(U16) £19.50

West Ham 26th December 1pm – Tickets are on general sale
Match Prices: Adult £35, Senior (65+) £17.50, Junior £17

Please Note: For any Away game, anyone purchasing concession rate tickets are strongly advised to take proof of age. Failure to do so may mean they will have to upgrade to adult or may not be admitted into the ground.

Carling Cup 5th Round Ticket Sales

Aston Villa 1st December 7.45pm.
Any customer purchasing for this game will be issued with paper tickets – Season cards and members cards will not be loaded with this game.

Tickets can be collected from the ticket office Tuesday next week.

Ticket sales from the ticket office will cease 5.45pm Tuesday. The office will then be open for collections only. The marquee in Anson Road will commence ticket sales from 6pm CASH ONLY.

Apollo stand will be taken by Aston Villa – there will not be any sales in this area for Pompey fans.

Match prices: Adult £20, Senior/Young Person/Student (with valid NUS card) £10, Junior £5

Half-Season Tickets

Half-Season Tickets are now available. They will be active from the Arsenal game (30th December) and will guarantee a seat for the last 10 league games of the season.

Prices vary, please check Portsmouth FC official website or phone 0844 8471898 option 6 for details.

Half-Season Memberships

Now on sale priced Adult £20 and Junior £10.

Portsmouth tickets are available at tixdaq.com.

Good news off the pitch has been rare in recent months, so manager Gianfranco Zola knows there could be no better time than to ease the West Ham‘s relegation worries with a home victory over a Burnley side that has yet to win away this season.

The players are making slow progress in their journey away from the relegation zone however. Though they have lost only one of their last five Premier League games three of those have been drawn, including the 3-3 thriller at Hull last weekend.

As a result, the Hammers will kick off with only their goal difference tally keeping them out of the bottom three but Wigan, one place and three points ahead, are also in their sights.

Burnley have picked up just one point away fromTurf Moor so far so Zola will not have to ponder too long on his tactics, which will revolve around putting as strong an attacking side as possible on to the pitch. Danny Gabbidon is back after a two-month lay-off and did well at left back at Hull, so previous first choice Herita Ilunga is likely to remain on the bench.

Long-term absentees Dean Ashton and Luis Boa Morte remain off the radar but defensive duo James Tomkins and Alessandro Da Costa face tests. Midfielder Kieron Dyer is back in contention following a hamstring problem.

Burnley manager Owen Coyle wants his side to continue playing an attacking brand of football. The Clarets’ manager has earned huge praise this season for the attractive football his side is producing in their first season in the Premier League.

He said: “We do try and entertain in games and we believe that the best thing for us to do is play attacking football so that is what we will try and do.

“We will have to be on our guard because they are a quality team but we want to impose ourselves on the match.”

Coyle’s side are currently in 11th spot in the Premier League and look comfortable at English football’s highest level.

Pundits had backed them to be guaranteed relegation favourites but Coyle has engineered six wins out of seven at home to ensure they are in a perfectly safe position as Christmas approaches.

Coyle added: “I think everyone in the Premier League, or they certainly did at the start of the season, thought that ‘here comes Burnley, here is a great chance for three points’ and I don’t mind that. It up to them how they view us. My concentration is on my players and getting the most out of them.

“We have proved that we can get points in this division, the best league in the world, and that is what we need to keep on doing.”

Coyle needs to send his side out full of self-belief against Hammers side that has won just once on home soil all term. A 4-3-3 formation would help Burnley highlight that they will not be bullied by West Ham as well as give Graham Alexander, Andre Bikey and full-backs Stephen Jordan and Tyrone Mears the opportunity to get forward and help forwards Stephen Fletcher and Robbie Blake.

A weak goal conceded to Aston Villa towards the end of last week’s match proves that Burnley’s defence can be breached at times so captain Steven Caldwell and fellow central defender Clarke Carlisle will be looking to return to peak form to ensure the Villa goal does not become a habit.

Martin Paterson, Chris McCann and Jay Rodriguez all remain long-term absentees for Burnley but apart from those problems, they are likely to name the same team that drew 1-1 with Aston Villa last weekend.

Compare and buy Barclays Premier League tickets online now.

Match previews are supplied by Fanhouse UK

Tottenham are on cloud nine after dispatching Wigan Athletic with the second largest margin of victory in Barclays Premier League history.

Only Manchester United’s 9-0 demolition of Ipswich Town in 1995 is greater than the thrashing handed out by the north London team on Sunday. The hero of the day was Jermain Defoe. The England striker bagged a remarkable five goals in a mere 36 minutes to take home the match ball and shoot to the top of the goalscoring charts.

In all, nine goals were scored in the second-half as Peter Crouch’s headed opener was all that separated the sides at half-time and three goals were scored in the last three minutes of the match alone.

Wigan have had an erratic campaign so far under new coach Roberto Martinez. They opened the season with a win away at Aston Villa and destroyed Chelsea’s 100% record by betting the leaders 3-1 at the DW Stadium. Conversely they also gave Portsmouth their first win of the season when they got hammered 4-0 at Fratton Park and this latest annihilation will certainly leave the coaching staff scratching their heads.

The players are so embarrasses by the heavy defeat that they have offered to refund their travelling supporters for the cost of their tickets – a remarkably generous gesture in this era of greed

The Latics have two home games – against Sunderland and Birmingham respectively – to steady the ship while Spurs will be looking to carry on their deadly form all the way to their London derby against Fulham on Boxing Day.

Compare and buy football tickets.

News of Barrie Rutter’s adaptation drew sharp intakes of breath when Henry was announced as the player to take the role of Othello himself.  Some viewed it as a cynical piece of marketing, a two-worlds-colliding attempt to shock and tittilate audiences used to seeing Henry lampooning around on television.  But the casting was inspired by two factors: one, Henry developed a late fascination for Shakespeare whilst completing his Open University degree in English literature at the tender age of 48, and two, get under the skin of Othello the character and you might recognise a little of Henry in there, too.

Othello the general is a north African Moor, a brooding soldier quite out of place in the geteel European society populated by his Venetian wife Desdemona and her Senator father, Brabantio.  Combine jealousy and treachery from Othello’s supposed nearest and dearest, and you can see how this play is often regarded as the pinnacle of Shakespeare’s tragic dramas, building in the themes of racism, betrayal, envy and love.  The casting of Lenny Henry has imitated art in at least one of these respects; typecast as a slightly buffoonish comedy character, he has found it difficult to gain acceptance as an actor of any serious intent.  His tough upbringing in the West Midlands in the 1970s brought racism to his front door, but drawing on these difficulties has resulted in one of the most astonishing stage debuts in recent years.

Reviews of the play have applauded the way Henry has demonstrated a complete understanding of the role of Othello, one of Shakespeare’s most challenging characters, and has brought his own degree gravitas and authenticity.  The casting as a whole is inspired; Jessica Harris plays his fragile – and comparatively tiny – wife with delicacy and vulnerability ad Conrad Nelson portrays a suitable villain in the guise of the back-stabbing Iago.  Rutter’s casting has paid off; the run continues to sell out at the Trafalgar, and Henry seems set for a new career as an actor of serious dramatic ability.

Tickets to Othello are selling out fast – but are available to compare and buy at tixdaq.com.

The Barclays Premier League returns to action after a two week break to accommodate the playoffs for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and there are plenty of tickets available to some very big matches.

November 28^th sees Aston Villa play host to Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham with both teams keen to muscle in on a top four finish.

The following day (29^th) sees a titanic clash between two of the title favourites at the Emirates Stadium when Arsenal face Chelsea. When this fixture took place last year the Blues ran out 4-1 winners though expect it to be a much closer affair this time round.

December 5^th sees a real grudge match take place in east London as Manchester United travel to West Ham United. While they may currently be at opposite ends of the table there is no love lost between the two clubs and these encounters are always fiery.

On the south coast that day there is what might prove to be a relegation six-pointer between Portsmouth and Burnley. That might be a bit harsh on the Lancastrians looking at their excellent start to the season but their away form is desperately poor and they will need to improve in that area if they are to survive in the Barclays Premier League.

There’s a repeat of last season’s FA Cup final on December 12^th as Chelsea welcome Everton to Stamford Bridge. While the Londoners lifted the famous old trophy in May both their league meetings with the Liverpudlians in the last campaign ended in closely contested draws.

Boxing Day sees a compelling capital clash as Fulham face Tottenham at Craven Cottage. As both teams like to play football in the proper way it promises to serve up a real festive treat.

December finishes with a local derby as Roy Hodgson takes his Fulham side across SW6 to face Chelsea in another mouth-watering affair.

Remember tickets are still available for all these matches and many, many more.

Compare and buy Barclays Premier League tickets online now.

Begin from the beginning: Blur kick off reunion tour with two intimate homecoming shows

The homecoming will then continue with a return to Alex James and Graham Coxon’s old university, Londons Goldsmiths College on June 22 with proceeds again donated to charity, this time to The Teenage Cancer Trust.

Tickets to these warm up shows have been made available to the Blur fan club this morning (April 17).

The Brit pop legends will perform these exclusive gigs ahead of their summer tour which will see them perform shows at Manchester MEN Arena (June 26) and London’s Hyde Park (July 2 and 3). Blur will also make several festival appearances this summer including Glastonbury, T In The Park and Oxegen.

Fans hoping to catch Blur’s reunion tour will have many opportunities with tickets still available to compare from £25