Portsmouth and Manchester City battle in a crucial Barclay's fixture

Manchester City travel to take on a rejuvenated Portsmouth team this Sunday, where the pace will be fast, the fans frantic and the managers keen to keep the winning feeling going.

Portsmouth has been the competition bolters this year, largely via the performance of classy forward Benjani, who is currently leading the EPL golden boot, and some stylish feats away from home. They play a free-wheeling style of game, trying to open teams up with attacking play, clinical finishing and a well marshaled defence. Teams have struggled to score goals, even as the Pompey faithful are celebrating their team's new lease of life as a more attack-minded lineup.

The other success story of the year is the Citizens of Manchester. Perennial under-achievers and with a squad falling apart at the seams, Thakshin Shinawatra has come in and totally changed the outlook of the club with immediate results. They lie 3rd in the Premiership, showing they can do it with style, and at times with a gritty determination. The star of the team is Elano, a playmaker of prodigious talent and often featuring for the current Brazil national lineup. However, he can't do it all on his own, and when it is left too to few, results like the one at Stamford Bridge (0-6) will arise.

I think this will be a highly attacking match, fought out by two first-class managers with superb teams at their disposal. If City can find a forward to put adequate pressure on the Pompey defence it could decide the match for mine. Odds can be found at Sportsbet.com.au of up to $3.70 for Manchester City and this appears value.

The other value match of the week is the Magpies of Newcastle taking on the Black Cats of Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

The feisty Black Cat's will need to be on their toes to keep out the attacking threat of Newcastle as they try to atone for their past two disappointing results home and away. Roy Keane has left a mark on the squad, but will it be enough to see off their more talented foes? Sunderland have played it dangerously this year, scoring five goals in the last five minutes of play which has enabled them to grab points they perhaps otherwise did not deserve. The surprise packet of the team in Kenwyne Jones leads the scoring with four goals and will need to have a good game for Sunderland to have a chance.

Newcastle has been disappointing this year. In the off-season they poached Sammy Allardyce from Bolton, picked up Mark Viduka on a free transfer. Combine that with Michael Owen showing promising signs of a full recovery from his nightmare run of injuries they were predicted as the ones to step up and challenge for a UEFA spot. Up and running they are an exciting team, full of tenacity and zeal, but at the moment they are only a mere shadow of their potential.

Newcastle have the goods on the park, and a tactically astute manager who is capable of getting the best out of players, I think this is a value match with Newcastle paying $2.55 at Sportsbet Australia.

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