Monthly Archives: November 2010

Baggies to turn screw on Keane

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West Brom (Evens in the match betting) head to Ipswich in great heart after a 4-1 win over Everton at Goodison Park – following a performance manager Roberto Di Matteo described as ‘incredible’ – and should end the Championship’s final hope of lifting the Carling Cup (Ipswich 5/2 to win, 12/5 the draw) – providing the weather holds up.

That win matched the Bagies result in the fourth round at Leicester City, ending a five-match winless run since that game in the process, and the players should have the confidence to win on their travels and book their first semi-final place since 1982.

West Brom will be without midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu as he picked up a two-match ban following his second sending-off of the season at Everton at the weekend, while Jonas Olsson and Ishmael Miller are available through injury, but that should not matter against a team struggling for form in a lower division while contending with a whole host of absentees themselves.

The Baggies have certainly made an impression on their return to the top flight, beating Arsenal and Manchester City in what was a good start to the campaign, and although they suffered a recent blip, that win over Everton was just the tonic going into the Carling Cup quarter-final, having already beaten City in the competition as well.

Ipswich have hit a wall in the Championship, suffering four consecutive losses culminating in the 4-1 defeat at arch-rivals Norwich City on Sunday, and now lie just four points above the relegation zone.

The Tractor Boys have lost eight of their last 12 games and a number of injuries are not helping under-pressure manager Roy Keane, who is having to cope without Gareth McAuley, Mark Kennedy, Connor Wickham, Luke Hyam and Tom Eastman.

Defender Damien Delaney is also suspended for the West Brom visit, while goalkeeper Marton Fulop is a doubt after picking up an ankle injury in Sunday’s debacle at Carrow Road.

Di Matteo’s men can take advantage of the injury crisis at Portman Road (4/5 Over 2.5 goals) but they have kept only one clean sheet on the road this season (7/10 Both teams to score) – and that was at Leyton Orient in round two of this competition.

There will be another West Midlands side in the semi-finals as Birmingham City (11/8 in the match betting) host arch-rivals Aston Villa (2/1 to win) also on Wednesday night, but this looks a tougher match to call.

Villa have had the better of the derby in recent times, unbeaten in seven games and winning six of them, and the 2/1 looks tempting, but they have struggled for form under new boss Gerard Houllier.

The Villans have only won one of their last nine games in the Premier League – a 3-2 win over a much-changed Blackpool side – and despite a superb performance in a 2-2 draw against Manchester United, back-to-back defeats have seen the club slip below City in the table.

The Blues have struggled for goals this term and have found it hard to win games (drawing eight) but they have made themselves tough to beat at St Andrew’s – winning three, drawing three and losing just once.

They have home advantage for the fourth time in the Carling Cup and could just make it count, particularly as boss Alex McLeish is set to field a stronger side than in previous rounds.

There will be no Alexander Hleb as he has been ruled out with a hamstring problem, not that he has set the world alight so far in his loan spell at the club, but top scorer Craig Gardner (9/1 First Goalscorer) could return following an ankle problem.

The teams have met this season and fought out a goalless draw at Villa Park and another tight encounter should be expected with under 2.5 goals a favourite at 4/6.

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Big guns look too strong

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Tuesday’s Carling Cup fixtures….

Tuesday sees the first two Carling Cup quarter-finals and both the big guns look too strong to falter, with both Arsenal and Manchester United having Wembley in their sights.

Arsenal host Wigan and after a much-needed confidence-boosting victory at Aston villa, a strong Gunners side is likely to take to the pitch at the Emirates.

In previous years, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has opted to hand his younger players and fringe squad members the chance to impress in the Carling Cup, but this year the Frenchman is taking the competition seriously.

The last time Arsenal added to their trophy cabinet was in 2005, when they secured the FA Cup and Wenger has admitted he is desperate to land a title this season, Carling Cup included.

The Gunners are the 13/8 favourites to secure the first major honour of the season, as they seek to end their trophy drought.

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez will undoubtedly name a reasonably strong side for the trip to the Emirates but, after slumping to a 3-1 defeat away at West Ham on Saturday, the Latics top priority will be to improve their league form.

The visitors are also without strike star Hugo Rodallega, who is suspended, and without the Colombian marksman it seems hard to imagine them toppling Arsenal on home soil.

Arsenal are priced at 2/7 to win the match outright, but considering the fact Wenger looks set to name his strongest starting XI possible it could well be worth backing the Gunners in the half-time/full-time market, with an Arsenal/Arsenal result paying out at 8/11.

Meanwhile, Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson saw his side move to the top of the Premier League table after this weekend’s fixtures. Chelsea stumbled at Newcastle, managing a 1-1 draw, while United hammered Blackburn and secured a 7-1 victory over the Rovers.

Ferguson’s priorities remains the Premier League and the Champions League and as such the United boss has allowed his fringe players the chance to shine in the Carling Cup.

Gabriel Obertan, Federico Macheda, Tiago Bebe and young goalkeeper Ben Amos all featured in the win over Wolves in the last round and Ferguson should keep the faith with his youngsters and squad players for the trip to Upton Park.

Hammers boss Avram Grant, like Wigan counterpart Martinez, will have Premier League survival as his top target for the season but the pressure has been eased somewhat on the Israeli boss, after the victory over Latics on Saturday.

Hammers talisman Scott Parker returned from injury at the weekend and could be involved on Tuesday night, with goalkeeper Rob Green also impressing in the win over Wigan.

United could well be in for a battle at Upton Park but Ferguson will probably name a reasonably strong bench, so United should have options if things aren’t going quite to plan.

Despite the fact Ferguson will rotate his squad for the trip to East London, United should still be too strong for West Ham and Ferguson’s men are 3/4 to win the tie outright.

Mexican striker Javier Hernandez starred for United in the last round with a late substitute appearance against Wolves and if the youngster plays against the Hammers, he could well be a good candidate to back to find the net, with the United striker evens to score at any time, or 4/1 to be the last goalscorer on the night.

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Forget the snow, its raining goals!

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10 things we’ve learned from this weekend’s football……..

1) Premier League defenders need to learn how to defend again. It was a Premier League record with 36 goals and no goalless draws, but it was evident at some games that people do not know how to defend as not one side kept a clean sheet.

2) Dimitar Berbatov is awesome, when he can be bothered. He may be criticised as lazy from some quarters, but when he does turn up the Bulgarian is one of the best forwards in the Premier League. He had not scored since his hat-trick against Liverpool on September 19th, but went on to equal the Premier League record with five goals in one game.

3) While Berbatov (7/2 to be top Premier League goalscorer) will get all the headlines, it has to be noted that Wayne Rooney was also impressive. He set up the Bulgarian early on, set up Park Ji-sung and also scared Pascal Chimbonda witless, which resulted in him producing the awful backpass that presented Berbatov with his third. Sir Alex Ferguson described Rooney and Berbatov as “a good combination” and if they continue to click like this then Chelsea’s hold on the title may not last long (United 7/4 to win title).

4) Sol Campbell has not lost it and is still a very good defender – who knew? He may be 36 and seen as somewhat of a mercenary by a section of fans, but he performed heroics against Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka with tackles, blocks and near-perfect positioning. Chris Hughton could not wish for any more from him.

5) Mick McCarthy will not let his side’s give up (Wolves 10/11 to stay up). Firstly, he must have been delighted to not see his side concede in the first minute like they have twice recently, and their spirited fightback in a classic game against Sunderland showed a side that are going to fight until the last ball of the season is kicked. You would expect nothing less from a team managed the brash Yorkshire man.

6) Bolton are an adjusted side now who are capable of finishing in the Premier League top four – that is according to Zat Knight. It is true that Bolton (33/1 to finish in top four) have gone four games unbeaten, but now face a huge challenge of their top credentials when they face Manchester City next weekend. We will wait and see if Knight’s bold predictions are correct but I can imagine most football fans had to hide a smirk when hearing what the defender had to say.

7) Avram Grant seems safe for another week after the win over Wigan, but Paolo Di Canio was watching from the stands on the “Save Our Season” day and has spoken about wanting some involvement in the club.

8) FA Cup miracles still seem to exist. FC United had performed miracles to overcome Rochdale in the last round and led Brighton (600/1 to win FA Cup) for a long period. But it looked like their story would be over for this season as they went down to 10 men on 69 minutes, conceded with five minutes to go and then conceded a stoppage-time penalty. But Sam Ashton pulled out a wonder save to keep them in the FA Cup – where they will play last year’s FA Cup finalists Portsmouth in the third round if they can win the replay.

9) Foreign officials are not as bad as everyone feared. No major catastrophes or controversies in any of the Scottish games refereed by imported replacements. Though I bet many were not prepared for the weather when they agreed to stand in.

10) Fans will still turn up and shovel snow off the pitch just as long as they are given a warm drink and a bacon roll. It is tradition to see fans down the football ladder desperately clearing pitches and one that should never end!

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Fergie hails Rooney’s role

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Bet on the Premier LeagueSir Alex Ferguson hailed Wayne Rooney for the part he played in helping Dimitar Berbatov score five goals as Manchester United went top of the Premier League (United 15/8 Outright) thanks to a thumping 7-1 win against Blackburn Rovers at Old Trafford.

Bulgarian hitman Berbatov, who is now 7/2 joint favourite to finish top Premier League Goalscorer, was the star of the show as he ended a run of 10 matches without a goal by smashing five past a hapless Rovers outfit.

And, while Ferguson was delighted with his goals glut, he felt Rooney’s overall game played a huge part in the impressive win.

“Berbatov and Rooney were a good combination today – they interchanged brilliantly today. Wayne was fantastic,” said Ferguson.

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce apologised to the travelling fans who witnessed the mauling, although he is not too worried about his side’s long-term prospects (Rovers 10/1 Relegation) given that he had a host of regulars absent, while he also felt United were on top of their game.

Allardyce said: “We had seven first-team players missing from the start. However, I did expect more from the players who did start.

“Unfortunately we caught United at their best. At half time we were 3-0 down and I told the players to protect that scoreline but they’d lost it by then.”

Arsenal, who are 19/5 to win the Premier League, maintained their title aspirations having briefly taken over top spot earlier on Saturday thanks to an impressive 4-2 win at Aston Villa.

And boss Arsene Wenger felt his side showed great character to bounce back from defeats to Tottenham and at Braga in midweek, and then stave off a Villa comeback after the home side had reduced the two-goal deficit to 2-1 and 3-2 during the second half at Villa Park.

“At 2-0, at half-time, you could feel what happened [against Tottenham] had an impact in their head,” said Wenger.

“We could have crumbled or we could score again – and we did the latter. We got a good mental response.”

Villa manager Gerard Houllier, whose team is 9/2 for a Top Six Premier League finish, blamed his side’s poor first half showing for the defeat against the Gunners.

“We were poor in the first half. Whether it was because we showed them too much respect, or lacked experience, I don’t know,” said the Frenchman.

“We never got started. We were a different team in the second half, showed more energy and took more risks.”

Meanwhile, West Ham boss Avram Grant is confident that he can guide his side into a mid-table finish (21/20 To Stay Up) following their 3-1 win against fellow strugglers Wigan in the ‘Save Our Season’ billed game at Upton Park.

Valon Behrami, Victor Obinna and Scott Parker were on target for the Hammers and, despite Grant’s men staying bottom and three points adrift of safety, the Israeli is backing himself to steer the Londoners to safety.

He said: “We are only nine points from the middle. That’s (a gap) you can close with more than 20 games to go.

“We have played only 15 games, so at the moment it does not really matter if Wolves win or the others do – we need to do our job.”

Meanwhile, Wigan boss Roberto Martinez was disappointed with the manner of the goals his side conceded in a crucial game against the Hammers which has left them in trouble in third-bottom spot and 8/11 for Relegation.

He said: “It was a day of a real test of character, and that was there, but in football you cannot concede cheap goals, otherwise you are making things very difficult.

“We just weren’t ourselves, and that is where the work is going to be.”

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Blues and Reds have it all to do

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Newcastle host a Chelsea side on Sunday who are in unfamiliar territory and looking to get their season back on track after three defeats in four Premier League matches (Newcastle 4/1 to beat Chelsea).

It seems almost impossible to talk of this fixture being pivotal in the Blues season after the start they made to the campaign, but recent results and performances mean that, although they are still top of the table, the chasing pack have closed right in and a runway league success now seems just a pipe dream.

It is true that Carlo Ancelotti has had to deal with the loss of the likes of Frank Lampard and John Terry but such an expensively-assembled squad should be able to cope with injuries.

However, they are still capable of tearing teams apart on their day and should be good enough to get a draw at St James’ Park against a Newcastle side who have surprised many people this term.

Chris Hughton has got the Magpies playing as a unit and their 1-0 victory at Arsenal proved that they deserve their place back in the Premier League.

They will have to do without regular centre-backs Mike Williamson and Fabricio Coloccini, both of whom are beginning three-match suspensions, while Joey Barton still has one game of his own ban to serve.

Chelsea have already lost three times away from Stamford Bridge this term but we predict they will come away from the north east with a point on Sunday.

The other Sunday fixture sees Liverpool travel to Tottenham and the same applies to the Reds as to the Blues.

Defeat here and the knives will once again be out for Roy Hodgson, who has overseen a mini-revival in Liverpool’s season after the worst start in their Premier League history.

Four wins and a draw from their last six games has seen the Anfield outfit reach ninth spot and they are only three points behind Spurs and six points off  a Champions League spot.

But Harry Redknapp has got something going at White Hart Lane and there appears to be an air of confidence among the Tottenham players that they can beat anyone at present, and the European victory over Inter Milan will have gone a long way to instilling that belief in the players.

Rafael van der Vaart is a major doubt with an ankle problem while Jermaine Jenas could miss out with a calf injury, but Spurs have plenty of cover and look good in all areas of the pitch.

They also have the ‘Gareth Bale factor’ with opponents up and down the country now aware of just what the Welshman can achieve.

It is all right knowing what to expect – stopping him is another matter.

Joe Cole looks set to return for Liverpool after a hamstring injury but Steven Gerrard is still injured and a home win by at least two goals is forecast for this fixture in north London (Spurs 7/1 to win 2-0).

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Patched up Gunners seek response

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Saturday Premier League match predictions……
There will be an old face awaiting Arsene Wenger at Villa Park on Saturday, in the shape of Robert Pires, but an injury-hit Arsenal (11/10 to win the game) will be in determined mood to end a terrible run, that has seen his side lose four of their last six games in all competitions.

The Gunners are without their inspirational captain Cesc Fabregas, after he was hit with a hamstring injury during the Champions League defeat to Braga in midweek.

They face a tough challenge of their title credentials against an Aston Villa side who are unbeaten on home turf so far this season.

But goals have been hard to come by for Villa and the loss of three-goal midfielder Marc Albrighton will be a big miss, against a Gunners side that still have huge quality in the final third.

Manchester United (1/4 to beat Rovers) can go top of the Premier League if they beat Blackburn and Wayne Rooney is set to play the full 90 minutes at Old Trafford.

With Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand both set to return, Blackburn are likely to sit back against United and look to him them on the break. If United get ahead though, there is only going to be one outcome as Rovers do not score many goals on their travels.

Bolton were very impressive last weekend and ripped Newcastle’s defence to shreds at times. The form of Johan Elmander and Kevin Davies upfront is likely to give a torrid time to a Blackpool defence that has leaked goals on their travels. All the form and statistics around this game suggest a win for Bolton at 4/7, but Blackpool have shown more than once this season they can spring a real surprise – beware!

Roberto Di Matteo needs to turn things around at West Brom….and quickly. They have lost four out of their last five Premier League matches and could now even drop into the relegation places if they lose at Goodison Park and Wigan beat rock-bottom West Ham. Everton (4/7 to win, WBA 9/2, draw 11/4 – Match Betting) have been drawing too many games, seven out of their 14 so far, but you would expect David Moyes’ side to be too strong in this one.

Fulham have won only two of their 14 matches all season, while Birmingham City are coming into the game on the back of a draw with Manchester City and their surprise win over Chelsea last weekend. Alex McLeish’s men are in good form and have lost only one of their last six matches in all competitions, so the form definitely favours the visitors (Birmingham 13/5 to win at Craven Cottage).

West Ham are really struggling, they have won only one Premier League game all season and were very poor in the defeat to Liverpool last time out. The axe could come down on Avram Grant if they lose this six-pointer and although Wigan’s form has been patchy, they are not terrible and Latics (5/2 to take all three points) have looked capable of getting wins in recent weeks.

Wolves are on a run of four games without a win, while Sunderland are unbeaten in their last four and have drawn four of their last six games on the road. Asamoah Gyan is back for the Black Cats and Steve Bruce is missing key defenders Titus Bramble and Michael Turner. This game screams a draw at 23/10 – a result that would probably suit both teams.

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Celtic wary of Caley threat

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Bet on the SPLSaturday’s SPL match predictions…..
All the news building up to this weekend’s Scottish Premier League games has covered who would officiate the matches given the referees’ strike, but it seems like the Scottish Football Association has managed to save the full card of top-flights games.

If everything does go ahead, there are five matches in the SPL on Saturday and Celtic can go top of the league if they beat Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Celtic Park. Terry Butcher’s side are the surprise package of the SPL so far this season and go into this daunting trip having won their last three games.

Celtic fell three points behind Rangers after they conceded an injury-time equaliser last weekend against Dundee United, and Neil Lennon cannot underestimate the challenge posed by an Inverness side, who have somehow not lost on their travels in almost a year.

With the knowledge they can put the pressure on their rivals and bounce back from last weekend’s disappointment, Celtic are priced at 2/9 to win and look likely to end Caley’s impressive away record.

It is a case of two teams looking to kick-start their season as rock-bottom Hamilton welcome another struggling side in St Mirren to New Douglas Park.

Their home ground has not been a happy place for Hamilton this season, they have not won in six in front of their home fans, but will be buoyed by the fact St Mirren have only tasted success once on the road and have conceded 15 goals in six games.

The distinct lack of form shown by both teams going into this game suggests it is likely to be a cagey affair, but St Mirren just have the edge and have improved enough in recent weeks to get the win – which is priced at 23/10.

Hibs and St Johnstone are only separated by goal difference in the SPL table and a win for either side could create some valuable breathing space between them and the wrong end of the league. Colin Calderwood has recovered from a poor start to guide Hibs to some impressive wins, but that came to an end when they were beaten 4-2 by Inverness last weekend.

St Johnstone’s win over beleaguered Aberdeen ended a run of four losses in a row, but they are struggling for away form and Hibs (20/21 to win the game) will be too strong for them, even without the suspended duo of Derek Riordan and Paul Hanlon.

Kilmarnock were only narrowly defeated by Rangers last weekend and put on an impressive showing, and they welcome an Aberdeen side that have lost their last five matches. Killie’s loss to the leaders was their first defeat in five games and the form gives the advantage squarely to the home side, so Kilmarnock – 3/4 to win the Rugby Park clash – look like piling more misery of Mark McGhee.

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Ten best football bets this weekend

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There have been some big-price winners in the Premier League in recent times and, with another weekend of football upon us, it is time to look for some more value, starting at Villa Park (draw 23/10).

Arsenal will still be smarting from last weekend’s 3-2 defeat to Tottenham and the midweek reverse at Braga but Villa have already held both Chelsea and Manchester United at home and will not fear Arsene Wenger’s men, despite a lack of fit strikers at the club.

Bolton have impressed at home, scoring 15 goals already, while Blackpool have hit 10 on their travels and appear determined to attack their way to Premier League safety. Four or more goals in this one (11/8) could be worth a punt.

Manchester United keep finding a way to win and, with Wayne Rooney back in the side, they should be too good for an improved Blackburn side. A win by the popular score of 2-0 looks a tasty price at 11/2, with Rovers very rarely getting a real spanking in the top flight.

Manchester City showed what they can do when it all clicks into place with last week’s 4-1 drubbing of Fulham but Saturday’s opponents, Stoke City, have shown great resilience in recent times, with three consecutive victories seeing them rise to eighth place in the table. Tony Pulis will fancy his side’s chances but the draw at 11/5 looks a real eye-catcher for this fixture.

West Ham United and Wigan are both desperately in need of points from their clash in the East End but, with so much at stake, this must be the draw banker of the weekend (9/4). The Hammers have won only once at home and the Latics only once on their travels, so stalemate should be the order of the day at Upton Park.

Sunderland’s recent form has seen boss Steve Bruce talk about getting into Europe and they will need to win games against the likes of Wolves if they are to achieve this. But the Black Cats do not win many away from the Stadium of Light and this could finally be the weekend when Wolves’ luck changes. Victory over the men from the North East is an inviting 7/5.

Chelsea would expect to travel to St James’ Park and beat Newcastle eight times out of 10 but not in their current form. Carlo Ancelotti’s men confirmed their current malaise with a lacklustre performance in midweek in the Champions League and the Magpies should be able to hold the champions to a draw on Sunday (13/5).

Liverpool have been going in the wrong direction in recent weeks after a mini-revival, despite last week’s 3-0 victory over basement boys West Ham. They can expect no favours from an in-form Tottenham side on Sunday and Tottenham to win to nil (11/5) could be worth a punt as the Reds have scored just four goals away from Anfield this term.

The Championship sees top play second with Cardiff travelling to Loftus Road to face QPR. Rangers have been draw specialists in recent times and a stalemate in west London could be worth looking at, with neither club prepared to give ground in the race for the title (draw 23/10).

Finally, Crystal Palace entertain Doncaster and could be good value to get all three points (13/8) as they have won four games at Selhurst Park this season. The Eagles’ away form has been the problem – with seven defeats already – but they are tipped to send Donny back up the M1 empty handed on Saturday evening.

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Mourinho can outwit Barca

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Jose Mourinho returns to the Nou Camp on Monday night (Barcelona 21/20, draw 5/2, Real Madrid 9/4 – Match Betting) to try and spoil the party once again for Barcelona fans, as arguably the two best club teams in the world go head to head in El Classico.

The ‘Special One’ worked as a translator for former Barca boss Sir Bobby Robson, before being promoted to assistant manager under Louis van Gaal.

Since then, Barca fans have been sick of the sight of the Portuguese mastermind with his latest insult to the Nou Camp faithful being the way he helped Inter Milan deny the Catalan club the chance of winning the Champions League in the Santiago Bernabeu.

Barcelona are just one point behind league leaders Real Madrid and go into this mouth watering clash on the back a 8-0 demolition of poor old Almeria in La Liga and an impressive 3-0 away performance against Panathinaikos in the Champions League.

You cannot help but match up two of the world’s superstars for this clash, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi looking to outdo each other in this massive game.

Messi is in scintillating form for Barca, bagging himself 23 goals in 18 games in all competitions this season. Ronaldo is also enjoying a dazzling season, with 18 goals in 19 games, as his tricks continue to baffle defenders in La Liga and the Champions League.

Obviously this game will not just come down to these two superstars with the likes of David Villa, Gonzalo Higuain, Xabi Alonso and Andres Iniesta all capable of stealing the headlines.

With the game at the Nou Camp, Barca will be favourites but with Real in their current form and Mourinho’s abilities to mastermind the most unlikely of wins, the team from the capital might just nick this one.

In the Serie A, table toppers AC Milan are on the road as they take on Sampdoria on Saturday (Sampdoria 19/10, draw 21/10, AC Milan 5/4 – Match Betting).

Milan sit just three points ahead of Lazio, who are chasing hard, whilst city rivals Inter trail the leaders by nine points.

Sampdoria had a strong start to the season but have dropped points in recent months and currently find themselves in eight place in the league.

They go into this one after a 3-2 win over Serie A strugglers Lecce, but will come up against tough opposition as they face a Milan side that have lost only one of their last eleven games in the league.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been in fine form for Milan since he joined the Italian side on loan from Barcelona and he could be the star of the show, with the Brazilian tricksters Robinho and Ronaldinho providing the service.

This should be another three away points for AC Milan, as they look to win their first Serie A title since 2004.

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Potters primed for another scalp

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Five potential shocks this weekend……

It has been a season of shocks so far and there are sure to be plenty more in another exciting weekend of football, with Stoke (5/2 to beat Manchester City) looking a decent bet to dent another team’s title hopes.

The Potters have won their last three top-flight games and have an excellent record at the Britannia Stadium, while Manchester City had won just once in five Premier League matches before last Sunday’s 4-1 hammering of Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Tony Pulis’ side have shown that there is more to them than just Rory Delap’s long throws and they are more than capable of beating a City side who have yet to gel as a unit and are there for the taking.

Newcastle have not won in three Premier League matches but have shown their pedigree already this term with a 5-1 hammering of Sunderland and victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium (Newcastle 19/5 to beat Chelsea).

Chelsea continue to disappoint during this current slump, and have shown themselves to be brittle away from Stamford Bridge.

Birmingham proved that Carlo Anelotti’s can be beaten by the so-called lesser teams and MSK Zilina almost took a point from the Blues in Europe on Tuesday night and the Magpies will fancy their chances in this one, roared on by the vociferous Toon Army.

If you are looking for a potential shock north of the border then Inverness’ trip to Celtic (Caley Thistle 9/1 to win at Parkhead) could be the one to target.

The Bhoys have won just one of their last three SPL game and could only manage a 1-1 draw with Dundee United last time out.

Meanwhile, Caley go into the game with three straight top-flight victories, including two away from home, and they will be full of confidence of causing an upset, having won five times on their travels already this season.

Nottingham Forest are currently in the play-off zone while Leicester struggle for consistency in mid-table, but Sven Goran Eriksson’s men (21/10 to beat Forest) are tipped to shock the former European champions this weekend.

The Foxes have been solid at home this term while Forest are not the same outfit away from the City Ground and Leicester could overturn their east Midlands rivals in a low-scoring affair at the Walkers Stadium.

Crystal Palace may be languishing in the Championship relegation zone but do not rule out a victory over a Doncaster side just one place outside the play-off picture (Palace 13/8 to beat Doncaster).

The Londoners have won as many games at home as Doncaster and the hosts are tipped to beat a Rovers side who have already lost four times away from the Keepmoat this season.

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