Five Premier League clubs under pressure this weekend

QPR, West Brom, Aston Villa, Southampton and Chelsea all need big wins, and here's why...

A lot has happened and even changed since the last set of Premier League fixtures so which teams are under pressure this weekend?

Queens Park Rangers

It may seem a little harsh to put QPR as one of the sides under pressure as they are away to Manchester United but they very much are in a big way. Mark Hugheshas been sacked, sp the players are under pressure to impress their next boss. Even though it is United, there is no excuse for a limp performance.

West Brom

West Brom make the list because they need to follow up their win at home over Chelsea. They have won six out of seven games at home this season and only one out of five away from home. This means they have to start picking up the points on the road if they want to maintain their fourth place and Sunderland is a good place to start.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa are under immense pressure because they have dropped into the bottom three in the league. They are playing at home against an Arsenal side that have won only 33 per cent of their matches on the road meaning they may never have a better chance to beat the Gunners. A repeat performance of the first half against Manchester United is required.

Chelsea

Chelsea were always going to be on this list because they sacked Roberto Di Matteo for no apparent reason. Rafael Benitez takes his first game in charge of the team and Chelsea fans will have the magnifying glass on their new boss and the team in general. Expect Chelsea to go back to basics in terms of formation and tactics but they haven’t exactly got it easy as Manchester City are the visitors.

Southampton

Southampton face a Newcastle United team yet to win a match away from home. The win over Queens Park Rangers has given the Saints a little bit of momentum and they are under pressure to carry that forward in a big way with a win which could see them hit 16^th place if results go their way. The fact they are at home is a big plus and means they can give in to their natural attacking urges.

images: Tom Cuppens

Lewis Doe

@doelewis Google+more stories from Lewis Doe

Lewis Doe is a freelance writer and editor who seeks to bring you the biggest, smallest and most interesting stories from the football world. Lewis has previously written for some of the biggest football news and opinion sites in the world including FootballFanCast and Goal.com International. Lewis is also experienced writing in the betting industry and aims to deliver his stories with up to date factual and statistical information. He hopes to sum up stories for the site and provide an angle on the issue moving forward.