So is that it then? Do we already know the Premier League champions before we’ve even got stuck into December? Having brushed aside Arsenal and Liverpool, and overcome Man.United even on an off-day in terms of their performance, Chelsea seem to have put themselves in an almost unassailable position mainly due to the quality of their squad. While the youngsters and reserves of their rivals have proven themselves eminently incapable of taking advantage of their opportunities when they have arisen, Chelsea have almost an entire team of proven internationals in reserve, and that is what should see them through the next possible obstacle to their ambitions, the African Cup of Nations in January. Among the notable absentees for the Blues for up to four weeks will be Didier Drogba, but other clubs will possibly suffer to a greater extent given their lack of quality replacements. There is one club, however, who may be pleased at the tournament’s imminent kick-off, and that is Portsmouth, who should be glad to see the back of Drogba’s Ivory Coast teammate, the incompetent Aruna Dindane, and his ever more inventive methods of missing simple chances.

It is with Dindane’s long-suffering colleagues at Fratton Park that the coming weekend’s fixtures kick off:

1) Portsmouth v Burnley: With just eleven goals in fourteen games, it is clear where Portsmouth’s problems lie, whereas Burnley’s failings are quite different. I find it incredible that any team can score eight goals in three away matches and yet come away with just a single point, but that is exactly what Burnley have achieved in recent weeks due to their incompetence at the back. Having had a full week to prepare his new charges, Avram Grant should be able to come up with ways to exploit Burnley’s frailties before they have a chance to address their defensive issues in the transfer window. Three points for Pompey.

2) Arsenal v Stoke: Four draws and just four goals from seven away matches so far indicates clearly Tony Pulis’s tactics this season, so as always in this type of match, much will depend on how early Arsenal can make the initial breakthrough, if at all. A 10th minute opener in this fixture last season served to disrupt Stoke’s stifling tactics, and by half-time, a thumping 4-1 scoreline had been achieved. Forget last Sunday’s major setback for the Gunners. I expect them to come out firing from the start and dismiss Stoke accordingly.

3) Aston Villa v Hull: Not only was last Saturday’s goal celebration at Eastlands absolutely hilarious, it was good to see Phil Brown take it in the spirit that the players intended, and the whole episode can now be used to further enhance the improved spirit that has resulted in the Tigers gaining eight points from their last four matches. Last season, this fixture came in early May at a time when Hull were in a desperate struggle to avoid slipping into the bottom three, but a determined defensive performance failed to save Hull from a 1-0 defeat. With Villa on a frustrating run of five draws from their last seven matches in League and Cup, a rejuvenated City side may well be able to increase their hosts’ anxiety by taking a point from them here.

4) Blackburn v Liverpool: Rafa Benitez will undoubtedly try to encourage his players to see last Sunday’s Merseyside derby win as a turning point for their season, but until the underlying problems with his squad are tackled in the transfer market, the Reds may still struggle to impose themselves on many of their Premier league rivals. I wouldn’t necessarily include Blackburn in that category though, and last weekend’s struggle against Stoke merely served to confirm that Rovers will be looking over their shoulders for most, if not all, of this season. They have, however, only lost once at home so far, and it may take Liverpool some time to make the breakthrough, but a narrow away win would be the call for me.

5) West Ham v Man.United: Well, I said Upton Park would be the place for goals last week, but even I didn’t imagine that we would witness eight of them. Despite their best efforts, West Ham couldn’t quite manage to throw away a five goal lead against Burnley, and not for the first time this season, what should have been a cause for celebration and anticipating a climb up the table turned into a nervy afternoon that brought many concerns to the surface. One of the biggest concerns is that only once in their last eleven matches in League and Cup have West Ham managed to prevent their opponents from scoring at least twice. Another is the possible absence of Carlton Cole following his injury sustained against Burnley. The main concern in the immediate future is the quality of their opponents on Saturday. Away win.

6) Wigan v Birmingham: Well done to Roberto Martinez for ensuring that the White Hart Lane calamity is already a distant memory, and he is quite fortunate that his side now face another home match against mediocre opposition to follow on from Sunderland last week. Goal scoring remains a serious issue for both of these sides, with only Birmingham and Wolves having scored fewer goals at home than Wigan, and Birmingham’s leading goal scorer being, yes, you’ve guessed it, ace striker Lee Bowyer with four League goals so far. Wigan will surely test the Blues rather more than a poor Wolves side managed on Sunday, and one goal may well settle the match. Birmingham have never won at Wigan, although they have only made five previous visits, and I don’t see them winning this one either.

7) Wolves v Bolton: What a chance Wolves had last Sunday to give themselves a real boost against modest visitors, but they rarely threatened throughout the whole match, and got exactly what they deserved to leave themselves firmly in the relegation zone. Just five goals scored in seven home games is a terrible return, and I can’t imagine them breaching Bolton’s defence more than once in this match either. Bolton gained a valuable point at Fulham last Saturday, even though they can probably count themselves a little fortunate on the balance of play, but victories earlier this season at Birmingham and Portsmouth are the sort of formlines that will serve them well in this match, and I think they can gain a welcome victory that would take them five points clear of their hosts.

8) Man.City v Chelsea: Mark Hughes probably envisaged that his side’s unimpressive run of draws would end with a win against Burnley or Hull. Unfortunately, it will come to an end with defeat against Chelsea. The last four renewals of this fixture have been won by the visitors, and following their performance at Arsenal last weekend, there is no reason to believe that a fifth won’t follow.

9) Fulham v Sunderland: What a strange side Sunderland are at the moment. They can beat Liverpool and then lose to Birmingham in their next match. They can beat Arsenal and then lose to Wigan in their next match. Looking at the League table, it is plain that their home form is saving them from the lower reaches at the moment, and they have managed just five goals on their travels all season. Fulham disappointingly dropped a couple of points against Bolton last week, and also still have injury concerns over two or three of their best players, but they are still able to give most teams a stern test at Craven Cottage, where only Arsenal and Chelsea have prevailed so far this season. I don’t expect many goals, and a repeat of last year’s 0-0 draw is certainly not out of the question.

10) Everton v Spurs: A draw was the least Spurs deserved from last week’s match at Villa Park, and they may well be able to make up for it on Sunday at the home of a side extremely low on confidence following just one win in eleven matches in all competitions (prior to Thursday’s visit to Athens). A defeat here could even take Everton into the relegation zone, and I have to sympathise with David Moyes, who has the potential to become one of the best managers in the country if only he wasn’t suffering with a small squad depleted by injuries to key players, and no substantial funds with which to replace them. I was surprised to note that the last two renewals of this fixture have been goalless, but Spurs haven’t lost at Goodison on their last five visits, and I think they can take advantage of the general malaise in the Everton camp by snatching a victory.

Five selections for you this week. If you combine Arsenal, Man.United, Newcastle, East Stirling and Livingston in a £10 accumulator, the potential return is £63.69 with skybet.com if all of them win their matches.

Good Luck!