A new manager should mean a win for Hull in the battle of the bottom two, West Ham will lose again and Sunderland can get a clean sheet against Birmingham.

Team to Watch - Hull

Hull were only narrowly beaten by title-chasing Arsenal last week, despite playing a large chunk of the game with 10 men.

The encouraging performance was not enough to keep boss Phil Brown in a job though and he was relieved of his post on Monday, after just one win in 16 games.

The club wasted no time in bringing in his replacement, Iain Dowie, and the former Crystal Palace and Queens Park Rangers boss will be confident of getting off to a good start.

The new manager effect normally boosts a team, which is partly why Hull have opted for a change with just nine games remaining, but he also has a very winnable looking fixture at Portsmouth with which to begin his tenure.

Portsmouth haven't won in five games at Fratton Park and although Hull's recent record on the road isn't great, the players will be out to impress the new manager.

Dowie will be missing the key figure of George Boateng, through suspension, but he has every chance of beginning his new job with a crucial three points.

Team to Avoid - West Ham

Simply put West Ham have lost their last three games and have to play Arsenal next.

It's pretty much a no-brainer to say you should stay away from West Ham players for this game.

Gianfranco Zola's side are in the thick of a relegation dogfight and need every possible point to secure their Premier League survival.

However, they won't be leaving the Emirates with anything this weekend.

The Hammers have not won on the road since the opening day and were thrashed 4-1 by Chelsea last time out.

In contrast Arsenal are mounting a late title charge and have won their last five league games.

Banker Clean Sheet - Sunderland

Sunderland stopper Craig Gordon was in sensational form last week when the Black Cats narrowly missed out on a vital win over high flying Manchester City.

A late Adam Johnson stunner robbed the Scottish international of a fully deserved clean sheet and he'll be hoping to go one better against goal shy Birmingham this weekend.

Gordon made a string of fantastic saves and reminded everyone why Roy Keane paid £9 million to bring him to the Premier League.

Birmingham have found scoring goals on their travels difficult and have only managed to find the back of the net four times in their last six games away from St Andrew's.

Injuries and Suspensions

Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones could be back in action this weekend despite initial fears he would face a spell on the sidelines, after he limped off during the match against Manchester City last weekend.

Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge has been ruled out for a month after undergoing a hernia operation.

Blackburn have been boosted by the news that Paul Robinson's calf injury will only keep him out for a month, despite initial fears which suggested the goalkeeper could miss the rest of the season.

Bolton defender Gary Cahill could also be back in the squad for the game at Everton this weekend after making a quicker than expected recovery from a blood clot in his arm.

Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani, who impressed against Portsmouth on Monday, is a doubt for the Reds Europa League game on Thursday, and could miss the trip to Manchester United on Sunday with a virus.

Fulham defender Brede Hangeland may also miss out on midweek European action and faces a face to be fit for the visit of Manchester City on Sunday because of a chest injury.

Suspensions

Hull midfielder George Boateng will miss Saturday's trip to Portsmouth following his red card against Arsenal.

Blackburn striker Franco Di Santo and Birmingham's Teemu Tainio are ineligible to play in the respective games against Chelsea and Sunderland this weekend as Premier League rules forbid loan players from turning out against their parent clubs.

New Players

Fabio Daprela, West Ham, Full-back.