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Focus falls on Fratton Park

Author: Lynda Collins
Date: 28/11/2009
Football betting

The undoubted focus of Saturday's Premier League fixtures will be at Fratton Park, where Portsmouth host second-placed Manchester United under the guidance of Avram Grant.

Paul Hart was shown the door earlier this week despite Pompey showing signs of improvement in the last month, ending October with back-to-back 4-0 wins, before suffering frustrating defeats to Blackburn and Stoke.

The reverse at the Britannia Stadium was too much for the Fratton Park board, with Grant stepping across from his director of football role to take charge of team affairs.

Chief executive officer Peter Storrie told the club's official website: "Avram is a very experienced and respected manager who has managed at the highest level.

"The board believes he is the man to help steer the club out of the relegation zone. He knows the club, the players and the set-up at Fratton Park."

Can Avram Grant mastermind an escape from relegation? - Latest Football Betting

Meanwhile, former Pompey boss Harry Redknapp takes his Tottenham Hotspur side to Villa Park to take on fellow top-four hopefuls Aston Villa.

Spurs currently occupy fourth spot and their morale could hardly be higher after an amazing 9-1 victory over Wigan Athletic last weekend.

Jermain Defoe netted five times in the demolition of the Latics and will be hoping to continue in the same vein in the Midlands.

Villa could hand a first start to summer signing Stewart Downing, who has finally recovered from a foot injury sustained before he left Middlesbrough.

Next up for humiliated Wigan are Sunderland, who are managed by former Latics boss Steve Bruce.

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has stoked the fires ahead of the game by suggesting that Bruce made a number of dodgy signings before he left for the Stadium of Light.

However, with the Black Cats in eighth place in the table and having beaten Arsenal last weekend, the pressure will again be on the Latics, despite the probable absence of Sunderland's leading scorer Darren Bent.

Manchester City seek to end a run of six straight league draws when they play host to Hull City, but they will need to be on their guard with the Tigers having taken seven points from a possible nine in their last three games.

That run has eased the pressure on manager Phil Brown and lifted Hull four points clear of the drop zone.

It's an all-Claret affair at Upton Park, where West Ham face Burnley knowing that they are only outside the relegation places on goal difference going into the game.

Fulham meet an out-of-sorts Bolton Wanderers side at Craven Cottage, while Stoke city make the short trip to Ewood Park to take on Blackburn Rovers.

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