QPR V Swansea
Swansea City will not abandon their football principles in search of points in the countdown to the end of the season.
The Swans have lost their last three league games to drop to 14th place on 39 points.
They travel to Loftus Road to face struggling Queens Park Rangers on Wednesday looking to return to winning ways.
Brendan Rodgers’ men will look to put the disappointment of the 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle on Good Friday behind them.
Swansea assistant manager Colin Pascoe said the players will continue to play their attractive brand of football and not chance their style for points.
“We’ve passed the ball well, been brave and its paid dividends for us this season,” Pascoe said.
“But that’s the way we go about things – that’s our philosophy. We came up from the Championship as a team and the players that have come in have gelled really well and shown what they can do.
“As a club, we are always looking at players who want the ball and who are comfortable in possession because that’s the way we want to play and we believe that’s the right way to play football.”
Pascoe also confirmed no fresh injury concerns with both Scott Sinclair and Danny Graham pushing for recalls after starting on the bench against Newcastle.
Relegation-haunted QPR are in the precarious 17th position on the table with 28 points, level with Blackburn and Wigan but with a better goal difference.
Mark Hughes will have spent every opportunity since Sunday’s 2-0 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford reinforcing the need for points against the Welsh side.
Hughes believes QPR’s three home games – against Swansea, Tottenham and Stoke – will dictate whether they survive. The Loftus Road manager is also hoping that the appeal against captain Shaun Derry’s red card at Old Trafford will be successful.
QPR are likely to recall Heidar Helguson and DJ Campbell to the starting line-up after prolonged absences through injury.
Both strikers had been sidelined for more than two months, top scorer Helguson with a groin injury and summer signing Campbell with a hamstring problem. Djibril Cisse has three games of a four-match ban still to serve.
Hughes admitted his thoughts turned to protecting his team’s goal difference (minus 21) following United’s opener.
“We were conscious of the fact that we couldn’t concede a shedload of goals because goal difference is importance to us,” Hughes said.
“We didn’t capitulate, so I’m pleased with what we produced despite the game being pretty much over after 15 minutes. We will have fresh legs for Swansea on Wednesday but we’re still disappointed with what we were able to produce.”
Manchester City v West Brom
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini faces a selection headache ahead of his side’s clash with West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday.
With Mario Balotelli suspended thanks to his red card from Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Arsenal, Mancini will have to reform his attacking structure.
But with Yaya Toure and David Silva doubtful starters due to injury, it will not be easy for City’s boss. Toure limped off against Arsenal with a knee injury and Silva missed out altogether, also with a knee problem.
For Mancini, the solution may be Carlos Tevez. The Argentine has yet to start a game since his mid-season exile but with City trailing Manchester United by eight points in the race for the Premier League title with six games to go, it may be time for Mancini to roll the dice and put his faith in Tevez.
City have won just once in their past five Premier League games and desperately need to get back on track against West Brom.
Roy Hodgson’s side ended a four-game winless streak on Saturday, triumphing 3-0 over Blackburn.
That win included a welcome clean sheet as well, after Hodgson’s men conceded eight goals in their four games without victory. Defence has been a problem for West Brom this season with just seven clean sheets managed.
That defensive record could allow City’s misfiring striker Edin Dzeko to break his scoring drought. Dzeko has not scored in six Premier League matches and has just three goals in the league in 2012.
But the Bosnia and Herzegovina international will almost certainly play some role at home due to Balotelli’s absence.
West Brom head into Wednesday’s match 13th on the table and 11 points clear of the relegation zone.
With safety pretty much secured, Hodgson’s side could provide City with the easy win they so desperately need.
Wigan v Manchester United
Manchester United will continue the push towards their 20th top flight title on Wednesday when they journey to DW Stadium to take on Wigan.
United’s 2-0 win over Queens Park Rangers on Sunday, and City’s 1-0 defeat at Arsenal, leaves Sir Alex Ferguson’s team within touching distance of the trophy – leading by eight points with six games remaining.
United have been helped by the influence of veteran Paul Scholes, who came out of retirement in January to lend a hand to a depleted midfield.
The 37-year-old – who scored with a long-range drive in the QPR match – has been instrumental in United’s title push, with the club claiming 34 of a possible 36 points since he returned to the fold.
Wigan’s desires, meanwhile, are far more humble – with boss Roberto Martinez’s chief concern being securing Premier League football for another season.
Wigan are second from the bottom of the table on 28 points, the same as the two teams directly above them – Blackburn and QPR.
With a tough run home against United, Arsenal and Newcastle among others, points are at a premium for Wigan, who suffered their first loss in five matches with a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
But they will need a dramatic turnaround in fortunes if they are to claim a point against United – they have never beaten Ferguson’s side in the Premier League, losing all 13 matches they have played in the competition, conceding 42 goals and scoring just four.
Wigan’s squad is in good health for this stage of the campaign, with only Hugo Rodallega in doubt with a knee complaint.
Ferguson’s team, however, has fitness concerns, with Anderson (hamstring) and Michael Owen (thigh) likely miss the match, while Darren Fletcher (bowel condition) and Nemanja Vidic (knee) are long-term casualties.
At this stage of proceedings, even a lengthy injury list does not seem to be able to derail the champions’ title defence.
Wolves v Arsenal
Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie will hope to break a streak of four games without a goal when his side take on Wolverhampton on Wednesday.
Van Persie has not scored in 435 minutes of football with his last goal coming in Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Newcastle on March 12.
It is an unfamiliar position for the Dutch striker. His goal against Newcastle was his 32nd for the season in just 34 games and although his goal-per-game ratio has worsened since, Van Persie is still one of the best-performing strikers in Europe this season.
Wolves could be the perfect opportunity for Van Persie to get back in goal-scoring form. Terry Connor’s side have lost six straight matches, conceding 19 goals in the process.
Wolves lost 2-1 to Stoke on Saturday and remain bottom of the Premier League with just 22 points, six points behind Wigan, Blackburn and Queens Park Rangers.
While Van Persie will be expected to break his scoring drought sooner rather than later (were it not for Vermaelen’s intervention he would have scored on Sunday), Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will be happy with how the rest of his squad have shouldered the goal-scoring burden.
Arsenal have won three and lost one of their past four games, hitting the back of the net seven times since Van Persie’s last goal.
Theo Walcott, Thomas Vermaelen and Mikel Arteta have all scored twice in that period. Wenger will have to plug a hole in his defence for the trip to Wolves with Laurent Koscielny suspended after the French defender picked up his 10th yellow card of the season in Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Manchester City on Saturday.
That win was Arsenal’s seventh in eight Premier League matches and puts them on 61 points, two points clear of fourth-placed Tottenham with six games to go in the season.
The two London clubs are chasing the third automatic Champions League berth in the Premier League, with Newcastle also in the hunt, level with Tottenham on 59 points.
