PREM LG

If Burnley are to avoid an immediate return to the Championship, victory against hapless Portsmouth at Turf Moor on Saturday would appear to be a necessity.
The Clarets have only taken one point from a possible 42 on offer away from home but still have hopes of staying up thanks to a home record that has seen them lose only twice in 12 matches.

Pompey's move into administration has effectively consigned them to the drop so there are now only two relegation places to be filled and Burnley will be confident that they could still survive.

Sunday's 5-2 defeat at Aston Villa showed all their frailties away from Turf Moor as they competed well with Martin O'Neill's team for long periods only to be undone by a dreadful 12-minute second-half spell when they conceded four goals.

The Villa Park loss followed on from a 3-0 humbling at Fulham but they can take heart from the fact that only Chelsea and Wigan Athletic have beaten them on home soil.

In December at Fratton Park, second-half goals by Hermann Hreidarsson and Aruna Dindane helped Pompey beat Saturday's opponents 2-0, one of only four victories they have secured in a disastrous campaign both on and off the pitch.

Although the decision to move into administration would appear to have saved the club, the south coast side could now head into freefall with stabilisation in the Championship next term a necessity.

Despite reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, and winning through the same stage of the Carling Cup earlier in the season before being beaten by Aston Villa, Pompey have not won in the league since Christmas.

They beat Liverpool in mid-December but have taken only two points, against West Ham United and Sunderland, from their next eight league matches.

Veteran Graham Alexander was influential earlier in the season but is out of favour with Brian Laws after missing a couple of games through injury. Burnley miss him and we can see this basement battle going Pompey's way. Burnley are a lay in our book at around 6/5.

Elsewhere, Bolton v Wolves is one to leave alone as is Birmingham v Wigan. The home side are odds-on, but Wigan are so unpredicatable they can always cause an upset.

All eyes will naturally be on the Chelsea v Man City game, where Wayne Bridge will come across his nemisis, John Terry. There's never been more media hype on a single handshake before. But, don't be put off the actual game. City are not playing well and Chelsea look a decent bet at 1/2 with Boyles to pile more misery on Mancini.

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Published 27-02-2010

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