Everton vs Newcastle September 30, 2013

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Everton's unbeaten Premier League record is on the line as they welcome Newcastle United to Goodison Park for Monday Night Football.

Roberto Martinez's men are the only team yet to suffer a defeat in the top flight and they have an opportunity to climb into the top four with a home win.

Everton v Newcastle
September 30, 2013 7:00pm

A 2-1 loss to Fulham last week ended their Capital One Cup hopes for another year but there has been a feel-good factor around the club since the transfer window came to an end with three eye-catching signings on deadline day.

Everton have gone on to beat Chelsea and West Ham United in September and one of those new arrivals, Gareth Barry, is now poised to become only the tenth player to make 500 Premier League appearances if he features against Newcastle.

Magpies manager Alan Pardew has admitted that Everton look stronger under Martinez and recognises that it will be a tough challenge to 'keep the back door shut'.

Goalkeeper Tim Krul has also revealed that he has had to do extra homework to prepare for the threat of Leighton Baines after the full-back scored twice from free-kicks against West Ham.

Redknapp's Everton v Newcastle Preview
Pardew has confidence in his side's attacking potential, though, and will have been pleased to see Papiss Cisse score for the first time this season in a 2-0 Capital One Cup victory over Leeds United.

Newcastle will now be determined to build on that result and bounce back from a 3-2 defeat against Hull City in their previous Premier League outing.

The shock loss to the Tigers halted Newcastle's momentum and the weekend's results have left them 16th in the standings.

Everton's home matches against Newcastle are usually close affairs that feature plenty of individual battles. This game promises to be no different, and also carries some extra weight for both teams.

For Roberto Martinez, he will be looking to rebound from defeat at Fulham, while Alan Pardew's men are seeking to reverse the ignominy of losing at home to Hull City Tigers last week.

Below are three battles that will be crucial to getting a result in this fixture.

Falcons vs Patriots September 29, 2013

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Tonight, the undefeated New England Patriots will take on the 1-2 Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta' Georgia. The game will be broadcast to a national audience on NBC at 8:30 PM ET.

For all who have questioned the credibility of the New England Patriots 3-0 start based on the strength of their opponent's, tonight's game will be a chance for the Patriots to prove those doubters wrong. While the Falcons are sitting at 1-2 with a losing record, they remain a force to be reckoned with and are fully expected to be competing for a playoff spot in the NFC South by the season's end.

When the Patriots are on defense

The Falcons maintain a high-octane passing attack led by veteran Matt Ryan and standout receiver Julio Jones. Jones figures to be the main focus of the Patriots defense, and it would be surprising if the Patriots didn't keep safety Devin McCourty over the top, shading to his side on just about every play. The Falcons are dealing with some key injuries on offense however. Roddy White is expected to play, but is dealing with a high ankle sprain that has hobbled him this season. The Falcons' running offense will also be down their lead man, as veteran running back Steven Jackson has been ruled out.

The Falcons have also had some struggles along the offensive line, where Sam Baker and second year man Lamar Holmes have struggled at tackle. Holmes in particular, has struggled, leading quarterback Matt Ryan to be one of the most pressured quarterbacks in the league. If Patriots left end Chandler Jones can win that battle, it could be key. This season, Matt Ryan has completed just 51% of his passes while under pressure while 80.9% of his passes while not under pressure, according to ProFootballFocus.com. The key to stopping Ryan hasn't been blitzing, as he's also completed 72.2% of his passes when blitzed. They key to stopping the Falcons passing attack will be for the front four to win their one-one-one battles. And the key spot where the Patriots have a chance to overwhelm the Falcons is at that right tackle spot.

Sunderland vs Liverpool September 29, 2013

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Liverpool will look to get back on track in the Premier League on Sunday when they travel to take on a reeling Sunderland squad inside Stadium of Light.

Brendan Rodgers' Reds have dropped two in a row following Wednesday's 1-0 loss to Manchester United in the third round of the Capital One Cup. While Sunderland is coming off a Capital One Cup win earlier this week, it's fair to say that the Black Cats are in complete disarray.

Sunderland axed manager Paolo Di Canio a week ago after just 13 matches, and now interim Kevin Ball is at the helm until management brings in a permanent replacement.

Having earned just one point through five league matches this season, Sunderland is the only Premier League club without a win this season and have conceded a league-worst 11 goals over that time.

Will the Reds bounce back and pick up three points on the road, or will the Black Cats rally and earn their first win of the season on Sunday?

Read on to find out as we get you set with everything you need to know for this weekend's Premier League showdown.

Where: Stadium of Light, Sunderland, England

Date: Sunday, September 29, 2013

Time: 11 a.m. ET, 4 p.m. BST

Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid September 28, 2013

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Real Madrid enter the match two points behind Atletico in the table and looking to vault over their rivals with a victory at home. Carlo Ancelotti expects to have new signing Gareth Bale back in the lineup after the Welsh winger missed the last two matches with a thigh injury. It would be Bale's first start at the Bernabéu since signing for Madrid at the end of the summer transfer window.

Diego Simeone and Los Rojiblancos meanwhile hope to open up a gap between themselves and 3rd place Madrid. Atletico have won all six of their first league matches this season and are behind Barcelona only on goal differential at the moment.

This will be the first meeting between the two teams since last season's Copa Del Rey final which was won by Atletico, their first victory over their local rivals since 1999.

Real Madrid injuries and suspensions

Out: Xabi Alonso (foot), Raphaël Varane (knee), Marcelo (thigh).

Atletico Madrid injuries and suspensions

Out: Adrian (fractured cheekbone).

Both teams are mostly healthy with Xabi Alonso being Madrid's only sidelined player as he continues to recover from foot surgery. Varane and Marcelo are both training and nearing their returns to the lineup. For Atletico, Adrian remains out with a fractured bone in his face.

Projected lineups

Real Madrid: Diego López, Álvaro Arbeloa, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Fábio Coentrão, Sami Khedira, Asier Illarramendi, Gareth Bale, Isco, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema.

Atletico Madrid: Thibaut Courtois, Juanfran, João Miranda, Diego Godín, Emilano Insúa, Mario Suárez, Tiago Mendes, Arda Turan, Koke, Diego Costa, David Villa.

Match Date/Time: 10 p.m. local, 4:00 p.m. ET

Venue: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain

Almeria vs Barcelona September 28, 2013

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The reigning champions have taken 18 points from their six fixtures so far in the top flight, scoring 22 goals and conceding just five in the process.

Barcelona will look to maintain their 100 percent record when they travel to Almeria in the La Liga on Saturday.

The defending champions have got off to the now customary perfect start and with Lionel Messi and Neymar in sparkling form are clicking into top gear.

They enjoyed a comfortable win over Real Sociedad on Tuesday to make it six wins out of six in La Liga, and with Almeria struggling to make an impression, having picked up just three points all season, there really looks like being only one winner.

"They have lost a lot of late points, but they have good players, like the four strikers," Barcelona manager Gerardo Martino said of Almeria. "All teams are demanding in their own way and we have to be careful, but we clearly have a much better chance of winning if we can play our own way."
2/11 Barca are 2/11 with Bet365 to beat Almeria.
This follows on from five straight wins at the end of last season and means the Catalan side have now dropped just four points in their last 16 La Liga games.

On Tuesday, they swept Real Sociedad aside at Camp Nou, with Neymar, Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Marc Bartra all scoring in a comprehensive 4-1 win.

Messi has begun the season in typical fashion, netting 10 goals in all competitions, but Brazil star Neymar has also enjoyed an impressive start to life in Barcelona after his move from Santos.

However, Dani Alves is not shocked by his compatriot's adaption to Spanish football.

"I knew of Neymar’s abilities and I knew that he’d fit in at Barca. I’m not surprised by his good start," he told Barcelona's official website.

Almeria’s start to the campaign is in stark contrast to Barca's, as they have failed to pick up a win - earning just three points from their six games.

And they look unlikely to improve on that record this weekend, having taken just two points from their last 10 matches against the Catalans.

Their last four meetings have seen Barca rack up an aggregate scoreline of 19-1, including an 8-0 away victory in 2010.

lmeria: Esteban; Nelson, Pellerano, Trujillo, Dubarbier; Tebar, Verza, Vidal, Suso, Rafita; Soriano.

Barcelona: Valdes; Alves, Pique, Bartra, Adriano; Xavi, Busquets, Fabregas; Sanchez, Messi, Iniesta.