Five to watch: Azpilicueta aiding Chelsea's battle for title
Ahead of Matchweek 31 a look at Chelsea defender and four other key BPL players
Every team in the Barclays Premier League has its noted goalscorers and high profile superstars, but ahead of Matchweek 31 premierleague.com picks out five players who might not enjoy as much recognition despite excelling on the pitch
Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
The Spain defender was perhaps destined to be away from the limelight from the start of his Chelsea career, joining alongside stellar names Eden Hazard and Oscar before the 2012/13 campaign. He broke into the first team as a right-back but his performances at left-back were a factor in Ashley Cole seeking pastures new, while Filipe Luis has been cast in a supporting role to Azpilicueta since joining during last summer.
Across 22 Barclays Premier League matches this term, Azpilicueta has made 66 tackles, winning 54 - numbers that place him inside the division's top 10 in both categories and his battling qualities will be required when Stoke City travel to Stamford Bridge in the late televised match on Saturday.
Scott Arfield (Burnley)
When he lashed home an emphatic 14th-minute opener against Chelsea in their first match of the season, Arfield gave Burnley a dream start on their Barclays Premier League return. Sean Dyche's men went down to a 3-1 loss and have largely found the going in the top flight tough, but this midfielder typifies their battling qualities.
Having missed only one of Burnley's 30 league matches to date, he has covered 332.2km, a tally beaten by only three players. While largely tasked with supplying the ammunition to striker Danny Ings, Arfield showed he can pop up with a crucial goal by breaking the deadlock in January's important 2-1 win over fellow promoted club Queens Park Rangers. Burnley will be hoping for more starting with the visit of Tottenham Hotspur in Sunday's televised match.
Mile Jedinak (Crystal Palace)
Direct, speedy attacking play has defined Crystal Palace's most memorable successes since their return to the Barclays Premier League in 2013/14. But captain Mile Jedinak provides the team's beating heart with his all-action displays from central midfield.
This season, the Australian's 70 interceptions is a league-high number for midfielders, while he sits inside the top 10 midfielders in terms of tackles won and tackle success rate. These qualities will be required when Jedinak comes up against a star-studded Manchester City midfield on Monday night.
He has also chipped in with five goals and Palace have won three and drawn two this term when Jedinak has found the net, most memorably with a brilliant free-kick in November's 3-1 triumph over Liverpool at Selhurst Park.
James Ward-Prowse (Southampton)
Southampton have established themselves as a club to nurture and develop English talent over recent seasons. Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana (Liverpool), Luke Shaw (Manchester United) and Calum Chambers (Arsenal) have all played for England since playing key roles in Saints' success over the last two top flight seasons.
Right-back Nathaniel Clyne has also represented his country, while James Ward-Prowse could yet prove himself to be the best of the bunch. Equally at home in central, attacking or wide midfield roles, Ward-Prowse has seven assists in 18 Barclays Premier League appearances, during a season interrupted by a fractured foot. If the 20-year-old can add regular goals to his game, such as the one he scored for England Under-21s that beat Germany in midweek, he could be one of the division's hottest properties. Ward-Prowse will be looking to continue this form when Southampton travel to Everton on Saturday.
Nabil Bentaleb (Tottenham Hotspur)
Having started Tottenham Hotspur's first three Barclays Premier League matches of the season, Bentaleb had to wait until Everton's visit to White Hart Lane on 30 November to regain his place in the first XI.
That 2-1 victory is one of nine in the 20-year-old Algeria midfielder's 14 starts from that date, during which time he has only finished on the losing side three times. Bentaleb's central midfield partnership with Ryan Mason has been an important factor in head coach Mauricio Pochettino being able to implement the high-tempo, pressing style he used to great success at Southampton.
Spurs' season might be defined by Harry Kane's goalscoring heroics but there is now a solid base behind him that will be required when up against Burnley's hard-running style on Sunday.
Tyne-Wear derby history bodes well for Advocaat
Dutchman could be third new Sunderland head coach to get first win against Newcastle
Sunderland and Newcastle United renew acquaintances at the Stadium of Light on Sunday aiming to turn the tide on their respective disappointing campaigns this season. While Newcastle find themselves poised in the relative safety of 12th, new Sunderland head coach Dick Advocaat and his team are in need of a victory as they hover a point above the relegation zone.
Head-to-head record
Sunderland have dominated the fixture in recent years, winning the past four Tyne-Wear derbies. Newcastle's latest win came seven matches ago when Ryan Taylor scored the only goal at the Stadium of Light in August 2011. Away wins have been something of a feature during Barclays Premier League meetings between the pair, with both sides faring better at their rivals than on their own patch. The Black Cats' 2-1 win at the Stadium of Light last term was just their second home win over Newcastle in the BPL.
BPL head-to-heads
| Venue | Played | Sunderland wins | Draws | Newcastle wins |
| At Sunderland | 12 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| At Newcastle | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Total | 25 | 7 | 9 | 9 |
Famous meeting: Sunderland 1-4 Newcastle United, April 2006
Alan Shearer bowed out of professional football in near-fairytale fashion, scoring a penalty as Newcastle cruised to victory in their rivals' backyard.
Justin Hoyte had fired Sunderland into the lead at the break, but Michael Chopra and Shearer netted within a minute of each other to turn the match on its head. Charles N'Zogbia made it 3-1 just five minutes after Shearer's effort, but a whirlwind 10-minute period ended on a sour note as Shearer, who was due to retire at the end of the season, was forced from the field with a torn knee ligament, ending his career prematurely but in a blaze of glory.
Emre Belozoglu's wondrous free-kick had settled the season's contest at St JAmes' Park earlier in the reason and the Tyneside fans were in raptures once again as Albert Luque rounded off the victory late on.
Played for both clubs
Given the fierce rivalry between the two clubs, a surprisingly high number of players, eight, have represented Newcastle and Sunderland over recent years. Boyhood Newcastle fanJack Colback is set to line up in the United midfield having made a switch from Sunderland last summer. Steven Caldwell and Michael Chopra both came through the ranks on Tyneside before later moving to Wearside. Andrew Cole began his run as one of the Barclays Premier League's most prolific strikers at Newcastle but closed out his top-flight career with a brief, goalless stint at the Stadium of Light. Others to play for both were Michael Bridges, Paul Bracewell, Louis Saha.
New head coach syndrome
Newcastle's players could have been forgiven for fearing the worst when Gus Poyet left as Sunderland head coach to be replaced by Advocaat last month. Poyet and his predecessor Paolo Di Canio both recorded their first win with the Black Cats in their second matches at the helm, both times against Newcastle. Defeat at West Ham United last time out gives the veteran Dutchman the chance to continue this unlikely sequence.
What is at stake
Aside from the obvious desire to claim local bragging rights, Sunderland dearly need to improve upon four wins this season - only bottom side Leicester City have as few - to ease their relegation fears.
Newcastle have fared little better of late, winning two of 11 Barclays Premier League matches in 2015 and losing their previous three. Interim head coach John Carver knows all about the passions roused by the Tyne-Wear derby and will be keen to secure the boost to morale a victory in this showpiece fixture would bring.
| Position | Team | Played | GoalDifference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | 29 | 36 | 67 |
| 2 | Man City | 30 | 34 | 61 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 30 | 27 | 60 |
| 4 | Man Utd | 30 | 25 | 59 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 30 | 12 | 54 |
| 6 | Southampton | 30 | 21 | 53 |
| 7 | Tottenham | 30 | 5 | 53 |
| 8 | Swansea | 30 | -4 | 43 |
| 9 | West Ham | 30 | 3 | 42 |
| 10 | Stoke | 30 | -3 | 42 |
| 11 | Crystal Palace | 30 | -5 | 36 |
| 12 | Newcastle | 30 | -15 | 35 |
| 13 | Everton | 30 | -4 | 34 |
| 14 | West Brom | 30 | -12 | 33 |
| 15 | Hull | 30 | -12 | 28 |
| 16 | Aston Villa | 30 | -20 | 28 |
| 17 | Sunderland | 30 | -21 | 26 |
| 18 | Burnley | 30 | -23 | 25 |
| 19 | QPR | 30 | -23 | 22 |
| 20 | Leicester | 29 | -21 | 19 |
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