Gästebereich » by a Premier League player.Mersons predictionT

FORT WORTH, Texas -- After the rain, Carl Edwards will be racing for a championship in NASCARs season finale.Jimmie Johnson was already locked into one of the title-contending spots at Homestead.So that leaves two spots for the final four in the deciding Sprint Cup race Nov. 20. And there are six drivers -- half of them Edwards teammates with Joe Gibbs Racing -- with one more chance to claim them next Sunday at Phoenix.Edwards got the victory he so desperately needed to advance when he won a rain-shortened race at Texas. It was cut by 41 laps because of rain late Sunday night after the start was delayed nearly six hours.I feel like this is what we needed to do. We were able to do that. Theres a lot of pride in that, Edwards said. To be able to run like we did tonight, for the pit crew to perform the way they did, its really great. I think its a testament to the team that Coach Gibbs put together.Gibbs drivers Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin are still in contention for the final spots. They go to Phoenix third through fifth in the points standings, though separated by only two points.Next week will be super competitive, Gibbs said. For us and our guys, I know all three of them want this. They really want it bad.Team Penske driver Joey Logano, who led a race-high 178 laps at Texas before finishing second, is listed second in the points with a tiebreaker over Kyle Bush. Kenseth is only one point back, with Hamlin one behind him.Kevin Harvick is sixth in points, 18 back, but goes to Phoenix where he won his track-record eighth race in March and has won six of the last eight.We will just go there and do what we always do and race as hard as we can, Harvick said.If one of the remaining six contenders doesnt win at Phoenix, the final two spots will be determined by points.Harvick and Kurt Busch, his Stewart-Haas teammate who is 34 points back in eighth, are both likely in the position of needing a victory at Phoenix for a title chance.That is pretty much the situation Edwards faced when he got to Texas eighth in points among the drivers still eligible for the championship, a week after a cut tire and crash led to a 36th-place finish at Martinsville.Winning a rain-shortened race provided a bit of vindication for Edwards.Last years race at Phoenix was delayed nearly seven hours as a series of storms passed through the area, and then once it started at night, it was called after 218 laps. Edwards finished fifth, leaving him five points out of the final spot for the Chase finale.This rain was a lot more welcome than that rain, Edwards said. That was frustrating.Edwards took the lead on lap 258 after beating Martin Truex Jr.?off pit road, and led the rest of the way.Light rain was already falling and plenty more was on the radar around the track, when the caution came out with 45 laps remaining of the originally scheduled 334-lap race.All cars were brought to pit road four laps later, and it was only a few more minutes before NASCAR declared the race over and official after 293 laps. It could have taken two hours or more to dry to track, even though it ended up being only a brief shower.Some other things from Texas:DRIVE FOR FIVE SHORT: Johnson had won the previous four fall races at Texas, but finished 11th after starting 19th.LONG GAP: Edwards had last won at Texas in 2008, when he swept both Cup races at the track. Those were among his nine wins overall that season when he finished second in points. Three years later, Edwards was the season runner-up again even though he matched Tony Stewart for the most points. Stewart won the championship on a tiebreaker since he had five wins to Edwards one.UP NEXT: An elimination race Sunday at Phoenix. Assuming Harvick wins again, the playoff picture is realistically five drivers racing for the final slot in the finale. Brendan Shanahan Red Wings Jersey Bob Probert Red Wings Jersey . LOUIS -- Cardinals cleanup hitter Allen Craig says hes recovered from a foot injury and ready to be put on St. http://www.redwingshockeyauthentic.com/ted-lindsay-jersey/ . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings. Gordie Howe Red Wings Jersey .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Terry Sawchuk Red Wings Jersey . -- Claudio Bieler hadnt scored since early September, and not from the run of play since mid-July.Theo Walcott, Nacho Monreal and Santi Cazorla must prove their fitness ahead of Arsenals Premier League visit to Sunderland on Saturday, live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 11.30am. The Gunners trio will undergo late tests ahead of the match at the Stadium of Light, with Arsene Wenger already without Lucas Perez following his ankle injury.The Arsenal boss was boosted by the return of Olivier Giroud in midweek and the French striker is in contention to face David Moyes struggling side. Sland vs Arsenal October 29, 2016, 11:30am Live on Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass Sunderland, the only side in the top four divisions of English football without a league win, slipped to their eight defeat of the season in all competitions in the EFL Cup at Southampton on Wednesday.Jermain Defoe has scored four of their six league goals this campaign, and Wenger insists his side are well aware of the forwards threat. Goalkeeper Petr Cech believes Arsenal are in a great position to end their wait for a first league title since 2004 Their main danger is Defoe, and they are good on set-pieces with Wahbi Khazri, Wenger said. They are dangerous on set-pieces. Overall, they are a team who is in a bad position but its very tight at the top and very tight at the bottom. Watch a preview of Saturdays Premier League fixtures, including Sunderlands match against Arsenal and Crystal Palaces clash with Liverpool Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just ￡6.99. No contract. Team newsSunderland boss David Moyes will make late decisions on Adnan Januzaj and Jason Denayer.Winger Januzaj (ankle ligaments) and defender Denayer (adductor) are both back in training, but the game might come too soon, with the Manchester United loanee the more likely to make it.Midfielder Lee Cattermole is back running as he attempts to shake off a back problem, but he remains a doubt, while keeper Vito Mannone (fractured elbow), midfielders Jan Kirchhoff (hamstring) and Sebastian Larsson (knee) and striker Fabio Borini (groin) are still out. Highlights of Sunderlands 1-0 EFL Cup defeat at Southampton Arsenal forward Perez has been ruled out for up to two months with an ankle problem.The summer signing was forced off in the EFL Cup win over Reading and faces a spell on the sidelines along with long-term absentees Per Mertesacker and Danny Welbeck (both knee). Highlights of Arsenals 2-0 EFL Cup win over Reading in midweek Granit Xhaka is still banned, while Walcott (hamstring), Monreal (muscular) and Cazorla (Achilles) must prove their fitness to be considered.ddddddddddddAaron Ramsey could be back after recovering from a hamstring injury. Theo Walcott faces a late fitness test before the match against Sunderland Opta statsSunderland have won just one of their last 25 Premier League matches against Arsenal, a 1-0 win for Steve Bruces side in November 2009 (D9 L15).Arsenal have conceded just eight times in 15 visits to Sunderland in the league (including one game at Roker Park). The Gunners have kept a clean sheet in three of their last four at the Stadium of Light. Arsenal striker Lucas Perez will be out for up to eight weeks with an ankle injury The Black Cats have never managed to score more than twice in a Premier League game against Arsenal, and in the two games they have scored twice theyve failed to win either match.Defoe has faced Arsenal 21 times in the top flight but has only scored twice - once at Highbury for West Ham in January 2003 and again for Spurs in their 5-4 loss to the Gunners in November 2004. Paul Merson selects his Fantasy Six-a-Side team ahead of Sunderland v Arsenal Sunderland have made the worst start to a Premier League season (two points after nine games) since Sheffield Wednesday had one point after nine games in 1999/2000.Jack Rodwell has not won any of his last 34 Premier League games he has started, the longest run ever by a Premier League player.Mersons predictionThis is a terrible game for Sunderland, who are struggling big time. I just cant see where that first win is going to come from and I really doubt it will be against Arsenal this weekend.Middlesbrough caused them a few problems at the Emirates, but the Gunners were poor and I dont think theyll be that bad again.I know Olivier Giroud came back in the midweek EFL Cup win, but I wouldnt be tempted to throw him in from the start.PAUL PREDICTS: 0-3 (Sky Bet odds 17/2) Jermain Defoe has been identified as Sunderlands main danger man BettingArsenal are the odds-on favourites at 2/5 with Sky Bet to claim three points on the road.The bottom-of-the-table Black Cats are on offer at 13/2 to get a much-needed win and the draw can be found at 19/5 with the online bookmaker.Six of Arsenals last seven victories have come without conceding a goal and Sky Bet offer 11/8 for the Gunners to win this contest to nil.Defoe provides Sunderlands main goalscoring threat and he is the Black Cats top option at 8/1 in Sky Bets first goalscorer odds. Gunners duo Giroud and Alexis Sanchez cant be split at the head of that market at 7/2. ' ' '