Monthly Archives: January 2011

Who’s next for the boot?

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Bet on the Premier LeagueRoy Hodgson has become the first Premier League managerial scalp of 2011, but you can bet there will be more before the end of the season.

It’s incredible to think that, in a league where Sir Alex Ferguson is into his 25th year of managing Manchester United and Arsene Wenger has been at Arsenal for 15 years, the life expectancy of a manager is so very short (Manchester United 4/6 to win the Premier League, Arsenal 10/3).

Hodgson came to Anfield as a hero, having led Fulham to the Europa League final in May. Yet in six short months he became a villain to the Liverpool supporters, who were chanting the name of Kenny Dalglish as long ago as November’s 2-0 defeat at Stoke.

Aside from Wenger and Ferguson, David Moyes is the only top flight boss to have been in the job for more than five years.

Tony Pulis at Stoke City will reach the five-year landmark before the end of this season as there is virtually no chance that the Potters will dispense of a manager who has taken them from the lower reaches of the Championship to being an established Premier League side (Stoke 20/1 for top six finish).

But who else in the Premier League can regard their position as safe these days, and who could be handed their P45 before the end of the season?

Harry Redknapp might be ruing his failure to land David Beckham on loan, but he has little else to feel bad about (Tottenham 28/1 to win the Premier League).

An excellent campaign in the Champions League and superb form in the Premier League make him just about the most secure manager there is. He has only been in charge for two years, but has made Spurs a real contender for the title as well as bringing exciting football back to White Hart Lane.

Gareth Bale has turned into one of the Premier League’s most outstanding players, while Redknapp’s signing of Rafael van der Vaart has proven to be inspired.

Moyes is closing in on nine years at Goodison Park, and while he is not under any real threat at the moment, he will be hoping to turn around the Toffees’ season (Everton 5/2 for top six finish).

Everton fans expect their team to be challenging for Europe, but they currently lie in the bottom half of the table and 10 points adrift of fifth-placed Chelsea. For many Blues fans, the only important stat is that they are currently above Liverpool in the table, although only by one place. However, the Reds have a game in hand over them and could become rejuvenated under Kenny Dalglish.

We can assume that, whatever happens between now and the end of the season, Alan Pardew is safe at Newcastle having been handed a long contract (Newcastle 11/1 for top six finish).

The same can be said for Steve Bruce at Sunderland, whose side have been a revelation this season and who are now bidding for a European place. The Black Cats are sixth in the Premier League table, just two points behind Chelsea, and if they can improve their away form – they have only won twice on the road – they have a chance of bringing European football to the Stadium of Light next term (Sunderland 7/2 for top six finish).

Owen Coyle at Bolton is secure in his job, with the Trotters seventh in the table and playing an attractive brand of football that has brought the good times back to the Reebok Stadium (Bolton 11/2 for top six finish).

Blackpool fans expected to be fighting a relegation scrap all season long, but Ian Holloway has made them the talk of the top flight (Blackpool 2/7 to stay up).

Holloway has taken a team struggling at the wrong end of the Championship and transformed them into a mid-table Premier League side who not only win matches but do so whilst playing entertaining football. There is more chance of The Blackpool Tower collapsing than Holloway being given the boot this season.

But let’s look at those managers who are in trouble.

Chelsea would not have to fall much further before Roman Abramovich decides to pull the plug on Carlo Ancelotti’s tenure. The Blues won the title last season, scoring goals for fun, but the last couple of months have been disastrous at Stamford Bridge.

They currently sit nine points behind leaders Manchester United, having played a game more, and Ancelotti has already all but conceded defeat in the title race. Chelsea’s home form has been good – only United have won more games at home – but away from home they are very fragile and have been beaten five times.

If Chelsea make an early exit from Europe, or suffer many more defeats to lowly teams, then expect Ancelotti to be handed his cards (Chelsea 9/1 to win the Premier League).

Having come so close to European honours last season, Fulham fans cannot be happy with the way the first half of the season has gone. Mohammed Al Fayed has backed Mark Hughes publicly, but he went into the festive programme with rumours that he had to win one of his next three games.

Fulham then beat Stoke 2-0 away from home, their first win on their travels this season, but they will need more days like that for Hughes to keep his job (Fulham 7/2 to be relegated).

Birmingham’s Alex McLeish is another man who is dining out on a reputation earned last season, when the Blues were rock-solid at home. This term they have only won three of their 10 games at St Andrews, and just once away. So far they have just about kept clear of the bottom three, but if they fall any further then McLeish’s odds of being sacked will shorten (Birmingham 3/1 to be relegated).

West Brom are no strangers to the Premier League’s drop zone, so their expectations are not high. Roberto di Matteo has put together a good squad, and the board are unlikely to make a change while the side are just about keeping their heads above water (West Brom 13/5 to be relegated).

Mick McCarthy’s side are capable of the odd shock result – take the win at Liverpool, their first away from home, as a classic example. But they have lost eight times on the road and rely too much on a home record which has seen them win five of 11 Premier League games. McCarthy is popular with Wolves supporters, but his popularity in the boardroom may be tested unless Wolves can get some breathing space between themselves and the bottom three (Wolves 8/11 to be relegated).

Gerard Houllier cannot be sleeping easily at night. Martin O’Neill may not have produced a side that was hugely entertaining, but at least they were always fighting for a place in Europe. Houllier’s side are fighting for their place in the Premier League, and the clock is ticking. Don’t expect Villa to have too much more patience with Houllier – a couple more bad results and he is surely a goner (Villa 4/1 to be relegated).

Wigan’s Roberto Martinez is a likeable guy whose side is hard working. How much more time that buys him is the key question (Wigan 3/4 to be relegated).

The Latics leak far too many goals – they have conceded 20 at home, which is four more than any other team. However, they are likely to give Martinez some cash to spend in January rather than sack him now. He must then turn their fortunes around quickly with a new-look squad or face the consequences.

Avram Grant, having battled manfully at Portsmouth at the end of last season, knows what a relegation dogfight is like and he’s been in one all season with West Ham. Every time they look like they can haul themselves clear of the bottom three, a morale-sapping defeat is just around the corner (West Ham 8/13 to be relegated).

The question now at Upton Park is will the board allow Grant to keep Scott Parker and bring in new players during the transfer window, or will a new manager be appointed and handed the cash? The odds are that Grant is only one or two defeats away from losing his job.

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Giant killers learn FA Cup fate

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The FA Cup third round may still be underway but it has already delivered the thrills and spills that epitomise the oldest club competition in the world.

There have been some notable giant-killings but in the fourth round draw, Southampton will be the happiest with what was pulled out of the hat on Sunday afternoon.

Nigel Adkins’s Saints beat Premier League surprise package Blackpool 2-0 at St Mary’s Stadium through goals from Lee Barnard and Guilherme Do Prado on Saturday. While Ian Holloway did not exactly put out his strongest line-up, the old adage is that you can only beat what is put in front of you. That is exactly what Southampton did and they have been rewarded for their shock win by drawing Manchester United (4/1 to win the FA Cup) in the fourth round.

United overcame Liverpool 1-0 on Sunday afternoon thanks to a controversial first-minute penalty won by Dimitar Berbatov. That, coupled with a sending off for Steven Gerrard, compounded a disappointing afternoon for new Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish, but United fans will fancy their chances in the next round when they travel to the South Coast.

Arguably the biggest shock of the FA Cup third round was League Two Stevenage stunning Premier League Newcastle 3-1 in a game which avenged their controversial defeat to the Magpies 13 years ago. Goals from Michael Bostwick and Peter Winn followed a Mike Williamson own goal and were enough to send the Broadhall Way crowd into delirium.

Graham Westley and the Stevenage fans will have had dreams of drawing one of the big-boys such as United, Chelsea or Arsenal in round four – but unfortunately it did not quite live up to expectations as they were paired with Reading. It will still guarantee another big crowd at Broadhall Way and added money into the club’s coffers though.

Notts County pulled off a major shock as they humbled Premier League side Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Paul Ince’s side travelled to the North-East knowing not many people gave them much chance against a side sitting sixth in the Premier League, but they ripped up the form book and pulled off a shock 2-1 win.

Goals from Craig Westcarr and Lee Hughes put them into the draw and they will face either Leicester City or Manchester City (11/2 to win FA Cup) in the next round.

It really was a dire FA Cup weekend for the North-East teams as, along with Newcastle and Sunderland going out to lower league opposition, Tony Mowbray’s Middlesbrough lost to League Two Burton Albion. Paul Peschisolido’s side’s reward is a trip to managerless Burnley in round four.

Elsewhere in the fourth round draw, there are four all-Premier League ties, with Bolton facing Wigan, Fulham taking on Spurs and Aston Villa drawn against Blackburn Rovers. Meanwhile, Chelsea (5/1 to win tournament outright), who thrashed Ipswich 7-0 on Sunday, will travel to face Everton at Goodison Park.

FA Cup fourth round draw in full:

Torquay v Crawley Town or Derby
Watford v Brighton
Bolton v Wigan
Arsenal or Leeds v Huddersfield
Fulham v Tottenham
Everton v Chelsea
Southampton v Manchester United
Swansea v Leyton Orient
Burnley v Burton
Birmingham v Coventry
Doncaster Rovers or Wolves v Stoke or Cardiff
Notts County v Leicester or Man City
Stevenage v Reading
Aston Villa v Blackburn Rovers
West Ham v Nottingham Forest
Sheffield Wednesday v Wycombe or Hereford

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Surprises in store in Europe

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It certainly is a tale of two teams in La Liga with Barcelona and Real Madrid head and shoulders above the rest and after a 5-0 win in the first ‘Clasico’ of the season, the Catalans look worthy 8/15 favourites to successfully defend their Primera Liga title.

The gap at the top though is only two points so it is up to Real to keep up the pressure in their pursuit of their fierce rivals, although they face a tough test this weekend when they take on Villarreal, who may have aspirations of sneaking second place.

On the face of it, Jose Mourinho has enjoyed a successful start to the season having garnered 44 points from 17 games, while also leading the club through the Copa del Rey and Champions League group stages.

The capital club have a perfect home record and have suffered just one defeat all season – but they are always going to be compared to their arch rivals and at the moment are playing second fiddle, while that one defeat was a hammering at the Nou Camp.

Real have meted out some punishment in eight home wins out of eight but the Yellow Submarines have only been beaten three times this season, look a massive price at 17/2 to pull off a shock win.

Villarreal are currently third in the league and have a five-point cushion over fourth-placed Valencia, who themselves are three clear of the chasing pack, so there is less pressure on the visitors at the Bernabeu on Sunday and they may be able to take advantage.

Real’s home record does look imposing, particularly with Cristiano Ronaldo in fine scoring form this season, but Villarreal are worth backing with a goal start at 11/4.

Getafe probably did not want the winter break to come as they went into it as a form side in the division, on a five-match unbeaten streak including four wins on the bounce.

The Madrid minnows did lose on their return to action but there is no disgrace in coming off second best against their more illustrious neighbours, going down 3-2 at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez.

Defeat at the hands of Real Betis in the Copa del Rey in midweek can work in their favour as they can now focus on an improving league campaign, which sees the club occupy seventh place in the table just one point off European qualification.

The recent good run also saw some notable scalps in Sevilla away and Villarreal and the Dark Blues can take the three points on Sunday against a struggling Osasuna side.

Jose Antonio Camacho’s men have struggled for goals this season, lie in 16th place just four points above the drop zone and Getafe can take advantage at 17/10 for the win.

Over recent seasons, Inter Milan have ruled the roost in Italy but Rafa Benitez has failed to fill the shoes of Jose Mourinho and the club lie in seventh, a massive 13 points behind arch rivals AC Milan.

The Nerazzurri have struggled on the road in particular and Catania, who have lost just once at the Stadio Angelo Massimino, can spring a surprise at 13/5 to make home advantage count on Sunday.

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Sunday’s FA Cup previews

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Wayne Rooney will face a fitness test on an ankle knock ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup third-round tie between Manchester United and bitter rivals Liverpool (see FA Cup betting on totesport.com).

Rooney missed the midweek victory over Stoke and is one of two concerns for Sir Alex Ferguson (United 8/13 – match betting).

Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has been suffering from flu, so United may opt to give new signing Anders Lindegaard at least a place on the bench.

Lindegaard has just arrived at Old Trafford after transferring from Danish side Aalesund on a three-and-a-half year contract.

Paul Scholes, with a groin strain, and John O’Shea, with a calf injury, are both ruled out of the encounter.

Liverpool – who on Saturday dismissed manager Roy Hodgson – are set to recall Dirk Kuyt and are likely to axe either Joe Cole or Maxi Rodriguez (Liverpool 9/2 – match betting), while Sotirios Kyrgiakos and Daniel Agger could also be dropped.

United go into the game 11 places ahead of Liverpool in the Premier League, having already seen off the Reds in the league at home when they won 3-2 in September.

Liverpool have won only one of their last seven visits to Old Trafford, losing all the rest.

Tottenham v Charlton

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp must ponder whether to give new signing Bongani Khumalo his debut against Charlton (Spurs 1/5 – match betting).

Khumalo starred at the World Cup and has been brought in to bolster Tottenham’s defence. With the pressure off somewhat away from the Premier League, this might be the perfect opportunity for Redknapp to see what Khumalo has to offer at this level.

Spurs will rest several first-team regulars, including Gareth Bale who picked up a minor back injury in midweek against Everton.

Among the players likely to start the game for Tottenham are Vedran Corluka, Sebastien Bassong, Niko Kranjcar, Sandro and Wilson Palacios.

Jermain Defoe is set to return after completing a three-game suspension, but Younes Kaboul is banned for the tie.

Charlton’s Paul Benson begins his three match suspension in a game where Keith Peacock starts his caretaker reign (Charlton 11/1 – match betting).

Young defender Matt Fry is available after he extended his loan from West Ham for another month.

Peacock has the job of lifting the players after Phil Parkinson was axed following the 4-2 defeat to Swindon.

Chelsea v Ipswich

Chelsea’s Didier Drogba may be forced to miss the third-round tie after picking up a knock in training (Chelsea 1/5 – match betting).

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti will give late fitness tests to the Ivorian international, as well as Ashely Cole and Michael Essien.

Cole and Essien were injured in the shock defeat at Wolves in midweek, and have been unable to train since.

Ipswich go into the game on the back of a poor run of form which saw the end of Roy Keane’s time in charge at Portman Road (Ipswich 11/1 – match betting).

Caretaker boss Ian McParland is without three key men at Stamford Bridge. Sunderland midfielder Jack Colback has been recalled from his loan spell, striker Rory Fallon is cup-tied and Grant Leadbitter is suspended.

Ipswich go into the tie 34 places lower than Chelsea on the league ladder, having not won in their last nine meetings with the Blues.

The most recent meeting between the sides was in the fourth round in January 2009 at Stamford Bridge, with Michael Ballack scoring twice in a 3-1 win for Chelsea. Ipswich have lost all three FA Cup meetings with Chelsea.

Leicester City v Manchester City

Leicester have been working hard to register Kyle Naughton in time to face Manchester City at the Walkers Stadium (Leicester 5/1 – match betting).

The Spurs player has been locked in talks with manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, who hopes to have him available.

Leicester have had a double blow with news that Roman Bednar and Curtis Davies have returned to West Brom and Aston Villa respectively following loan deals.

Manchester City have not registered Edin Dzeko in time to face the Foxes, the Wolfsburg striker being restricted to watching this tie from the stands (Manchester City 4/6 – match betting).

Pablo Zabaleta is available after the FA overturned a three-match ban for the red card he was given at Arsenal on Wednesday.

Mancini’s men go into the tie 30 places higher than Leicester in league standings, and with the weight of history against them.

It is the 10th time the two clubs have been paired together in the FA Cup, and Manchester City have won seven of the ties. They have not been beaten in this competition since 1968, when Leicester won a fourth round replay 4-3.

Leicester have not lost in seven league and cup games at the Walkers Stadium, but they have a poor FA Cup record in recent times and last year was the first time in four seasons they got past the third round.

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Five potential FA Cup shocks

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Every football fan loves the excitement of the FA Cup third round and there is always a shock result somwhere. Several Premier League teams face possible banana skins and here are five potential surprise results………

Millwall v Birmingham

Kenny Jackett has got Millwall riding high in the Championship table and they are proving many doubters wrong this season. They are unbeaten in their last eight games and he seems to have found the perfect combination, as the Lions are scoring goals and not conceding.

Things are not looking so rosey for Alex McLeish, with Birmingham’s win over Blackpool in midweek their first victory on the road this season, lifting them out of the Premier League relegation places. They have only kept two clean sheets in 19 games in all competitions and that could be their downfall when they enter the Lions’ Den on Saturday.

Prediction: Millwall will add to Blues woes @ 11/8 for the win

Arsenal v Leeds

On paper this may not seem a likely shock, but this is a Leeds side that defied all the odds to knock Manchester United out of the FA Cup last season. Add into the equation the fact Arsene Wenger has already admitted he will rest a number of players for the clash, and Leeds’ chances do not seem quite as slim.

Arsenal have already lost three of their nine home league games this season, but the statistics show they come into the game in much better form. They are unbeaten in four, while Leeds have drawn three and lost one in the same period. It could all depend what side Wenger puts out and especially how his reserve defence copes with a dangerous Leeds attack.

Prediction: Leeds can get a draw @ 9/2

Blackburn v QPR

Blackburn are a difficult club to predict in recent times, whether it is the surprise sacking of Sam Allardyce, their swings from good wins to big defeats or their chase of Ronaldinho! QPR have had a much more basic season, just notching win after win, both at home or on the road. Neil Warnock has blended grit and determination with skill and flair and the Hoops look more than capable of giving any Premier League side a real game.

Prediction: QPR’s flair @ 5/2 to overcome Blackburn’s steely determination

Leicester v Man City

Sven Goran Eriksson is unbeaten at the Walkers Stadium during his time as Leicester manager and will be looking to get one over on the club that harshly sacked him after he led them to the top of the Premier League. The Swede also has another ex-City man in Darius Vassell leading his attack and the Foxes are becoming an increasingly effective force in the Championship.

It remains to be seen exactly what side Roberto Mancini will put out at the Walkers Stadium, but most football fans would expect even a City reserve team to be too good for Leicester. This season City have impressed and shocked in equal measure, so it is hard to predict exactly what they will do in the FA Cup.

If Sven can motivate his side and get the frustrating City, then their millionaire visitors could implode and the former England man could get an unlikely result.

Prediction: Leicester to hold City to a draw @ 14/5

Stevenage v Newcastle

This clash brings back great memories of the 1998 competition, where the home side – then non-league and still being called Stevenage Borough – held Kenny Dalglish’s Premier League Newcastle to a 1-1 draw at Broadhall Way, thanks to a goal from Giuliano Grazioli.

Stevenage are sitting mid-table in League Two under Graham Westley, but that controversial replay defeat to Newcastle still sits hard in the throats of Stevenage fans. Newcastle boss Alan Pardew will not want the same bad memories of this clash that predecessor Dalglish had, and his side come into the game on the back of a morale-boosting 5-0 win over West Ham.

Prediction: For nostalgia’s sake, another draw @ 3/1

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Rivals line up for relegation scrap

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Following the key Christmas and New Year period, the Premier League relegation scrap looks as tight as it’s ever been as we look ahead to what may lie ahead for the teams struggling at the wrong end of the top flight in the second half of the season.

In what looks like being one of the closest-fought battles to avoid the drop in years, just 10 points separates bottom club West Ham (8/13 to go down) and Bolton in seventh so, realistically, any three from 13 or 14 clubs could end up in the Championship next term.

And with the likes of Liverpool, Everton (33/1) and Aston Villa (4/1) on that list, could 2011 see a real shock with one of those three slipping into the second tier?

The Hammers appeared to have turned a corner following wins over Fulham and Wolves and a draw against Everton, but their 5-0 drubbing at the hands of rejuvenated Newcastle (9/1) has landed Avram Grant’s men right back in it.

Wolves were bottom ahead of Wednesday’s games but they have given themselves a huge lift with two wholly unexpected victories over Liverpool and Chelsea over the festive period to leave Mick McCarthy’s side in 17th but still level on points with Wigan and Aston Villa below them.

Gerard Houllier still apparently retains the backing of owner Randy Lerner at Villa Park but results have generally been dire since the Frenchman took over and the fans are growing restless as they view what appears to be a sinking ship under the former Liverpool boss’ tutelage.

Which brings us nicely on to the Reds. If Houllier is under pressure then Roy Hodgson must be suffocating with the weight of expectation and strain currently being felt at Anfield.

The dismal home defeat against Wolves was followed up by a morale-boosting win over Bolton on New Year’s Day, but that good work was swiftly undone by a shocking performance and 3-1 defeat at Blackburn on Wednesday.

Surely the experienced coach is on borrowed time? Now only a fine run of results will save him from the sack and, quite possibly, Liverpool from being caught up in their first-ever relegation scrap in the Premier League.

Everton’s 2-1 win over Spurs has given David Moyes’ side (33/1) a four-point cushion from the drop zone but the Blues’ inconsistency this season means they could easily get dragged into a dog fight come April as well, while West Brom (13/5), Fulham (7/2), Birmingham and Wigan (3/4) will need to call on all their experience of previous survival battles to ensure safety.

Blackpool (13/5) have been one of the stories of the campaign but a 2-1 reverse at home to Birmingham (3/1) last time out means Ian Holloway’s men are also just four points off the bottom three and they could yet get dragged into trouble despite their eye-catching performances and results in 2010.

So it’s shaping up to be a real battle for several sides hoping to retain their top-flight status over the coming months, while one or two of the so-called big boys may just be beginning to ponder the unthinkable.

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Scramble starts for Promised Land

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Bet on the ChampionshipSir Alex Ferguson recently waxed lyrical about the prospect of a ‘dream’ Premier League title race between up to five clubs this season. But this is nothing new in the Championship as not many campaigns go by when the automatic promotion race does not go down to the wire.

Throw the battle for the play-offs into the mix and there is still the potential for over half of the division to find themselves in the Premier League Promised Land come the end of May.

The Championship is hailed for its unpredictability so I have the difficult task of assessing which sides are capable of breaking into the big time as we embark on the second half of the season.

QPR

Neil Warnock’s side have led from the front in the first half of the campaign and were unbeaten right up until the middle of December.

However, some cracks have started to appear in the Hoops’ armour with a reverse at the hands of Watford at Loftus Road starting a run of three defeats in five games, while Bristol City snatched a late draw on Monday.

Despite dropping points, the inability of QPR’s (20/23 Championship Outright) rivals to capitalise leaves them five points clear at the top and teams that lead at this stage of the season usually have enough to make it all the way to the top-flight.

Cardiff

Dave Jones’s men just missed out on promotion last term when Blackpool defeated them 3-2 in the play-off final and they looked a good bet to achieve their ambitions this time around.

With a potent forward line, including Jay Bothroyd and Michael Chopra, being added to with Premier League-class in Craig Bellamy on loan, it was hard to look past the Bluebirds for the title (4/1 Outright), let alone promotion.

However, following a strong start, the Welshmen have endured a rough spell of three wins in 11 league games, before defeating promotion rivals Leeds 2-1 on Tuesday evening.

If Cardiff can tighten up at the back and rediscover that early season form, they could make it to the Premier League without the need of the play-offs.

Leeds United

Simon Grayson’s side were promoted from League One last term and the aim was to consolidate in the Championship this season.

However, following an inconsistent start, they responded to a 4-0 home defeat against Cardiff in late October by embarking on a 12-match unbeaten run which ironically ended against the same time in South Wales on Tuesday.

Despite that setback, the Whites have improved on their home form and still look impressive away from Elland Road so a play-off place (7/2 Championship Promotion) is certainly not beyond them.

Norwich

The Canaries won League One last term but, like Leeds, they have adapted to Championship football like a duck to water. Their away form – the joint best in the division – has fired them into automatic promotion contention (13/5 Promotion).

Paul Lambert’s side have only lost one of their last 11 outings and defeated league leaders QPR on Saturday. They are level on points with second-placed Cardiff and could push the Welshmen all the way for Premier League football.

Swansea

Cardiff’s south Wales rivals suffered the agony of missing out on the play-offs by the skin of their teeth last season, having occupied a top-six spot for most of the campaign.

However, a late run of poor form saw them miss out as Blackpool stole the final place and the rest is history!

Under Brendan Rodgers, the Swans have responded well to that disappointment and they have added more wins away from home – five so far – to complement their strong record at the Liberty Stadium to put them right in the mix (3/1 Promotion).

Regarded as one of the best footballing teams in the division, Swansea need to keep picking up points on the road – they have lost their last three in succession – or face more promotion heartache.

Nottingham Forest

Forest made it to the play-offs last season under Billy Davies and were expected to be amongst the frontrunners again this term.

Their home form has never deserted them – they are unbeaten at the City Ground in 31 matches – although their fans could argue they have drawn too many games this term (six wins and six draws).

Away from home, they started shakily but have improved, with Forest’s win at Ipswich on Monday their second in the last three. They are now two points off the play-off places with games in hand on all the sides above them so only a fool would rule Forest out of the running (14/5 Promotion).

(Surprise Package) Watford

Malky Mackay is developing a team spirit at Vicarage Road which mirrors what Ian Holloway successfully generated at Blackpool last season.

The Scot has no funds to play with but has blended youth with experienced heads and loan players to get the Hornets buzzing.

They are unbeaten in seven and have won five successive matches, including convincing victories at QPR and at home to Cardiff and Portsmouth, before grinding out a win at lowly Scunthorpe on Monday.

Striker Danny Graham has been an inspiration in attack for Watford and he could fire them into the play-offs.

The only thing standing in their way would be injuries and suspensions to key players as the season drags on. But if Mackay gets an element of luck in keeping his main men in the side on a regular basis then who knows where they could go (8/1 Promotion).

(Dark Horses) Hull and Leicester

There was an element of uncertainty over both of these clubs before the season started in August.

Hull had financial problems to deal with following relegation from the Premier League, while Leicester had to deal with losing to Cardiff in the play-offs followed by Nigel Pearson’s shock departure to Hull.

However, following disappointingly slow starts, there have been signs of life from both camps to suggest a rally is possible in the second half of the season.

Both clubs have new owners willing to fund some signings in this January transfer window which could help them mount respective promotion pushes.

Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is in charge at Leicester and he has helped drag them up to 12th spot – just four points off the top-six places thanks to two successive wins.

However, the main problem is that they have lost nine on the road to date. But if the Swede can remedy that away form, the Foxes (13/2 Promotion) could well be in the hunt for play-off glory.

Meanwhile Pearson’s Tigers bounced back from defeat against Leicester with an impressive 3-2 win at Portsmouth on Monday.

Hull looked in danger of being in a relegation battle at one point, but they are now just six points of the top-six.

And, with the prolific Matty Fryatt already on board and more cash to spend on players this month, could Hull (14/1 Promotion) be the side that comes from nowhere to sneak into the play-offs at the death?

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All eyes on Emirates

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There is a full Premier League fixture list across Tuesday and Wednesday evening and there are some cracking games to look forward to, perhaps the highlight being Manchester City’s trip to Arsenal on Wednesday evening.

The FA Cup takes centre stage at the weekend so these are the last Premier League fixtures for a short period so here is a little look at Wednesday night’s games:

Manchester City look to be on the verge of capturing Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko but the Bosnian will not be available for their trip to Arsenal, meaning City will again have to rely on the talents of Carlos Tevez to come up with the goals.

Tevez struggled against Blackpool last time out but on another day he could have had a hat-trick, and the Argentine astonishingly missed from the spot to boot.  Arsenal are finally starting to look like a team who can challenge for the title and their impressive 3-1 win against Chelsea demonstrated that they can take points off the teams around them.

Arsenal enjoy home advantage but City have only lost twice on their travels this season, and with the teams so evenly matched this game could easily end in a draw, which is priced at 11/5.  For the braver punter a 2-2 draw pays out at 12/1 and with both sides capable of finding the net this could well be worth some consideration.

Everton have endured a difficult start to the campaign and despite some exciting approach play the Merseyside outfit just don’t seem to be able to score.  David Moyes’ men will need to add at least one striker to their ranks in January and Wednesday’s game with Spurs will be a big test despite the fact they are the home side.

Tottenham have continued to improve over the course of the campaign and in Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart they boast some of the most exciting players in the Premier League and Spurs could be just too strong for an out-of-sorts Everton at Goodison Park.

The Blues tend to up their game against top opposition but they’ve only won twice on home soil so far in the league and with Spurs looking to stay ahead of Chelsea in the table they could well emerge with all three points, which is priced at 8/5.

Bolton have stuttered of late but the Wanderers can count themselves unlucky to have lost to both Chelsea and Liverpool in recent fixtures, with debateable decisions going against Owen Coyle’s high-flying side in both matches.

Bolton entertain Wigan on Wednesday and Coyle will be boosted by the return of Paul Robinson at left-back after he missed the game with Liverpool through suspension.  The Latics looked woeful when they slipped to a home defeat against Newcastle and Roberto Martinez’s men could be set for another difficult contest against their local rivals, with Bolton priced at 8/11 to take all three points and continue their unlikely push for European football.

Aston Villa managed to secure a great 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge in their last fixture and they face an in-form Sunderland, who are enjoying a decent campaign and like Bolton could be surprise candidates for a spot in Europe (Aston Villa 5/4, draw 9/4, Sunderland 11/5).

Newcastle, who will be without key man Andy Carroll again, face a resurgent West Ham side who have managed to climb out of the relegation place in what could be an interesting tie at St James’ Park (Newcastle 4/5, draw 12/5, West Ham 14/5).

Carlo Ancelotti’s stuttering Chelsea side have a great chance to pick up three points away at Wolves (Wolves 6/1, draw 10/3, Chelsea 4/9).

The final game on Wednesday sees Blackburn host Liverpool, who showed glimpses of a return to form last time out against Bolton (Blackburn 23/10, draw 23/10, Liverpool 6/5).

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United hope to increase gap

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Sir Alex Ferguson must not be able to believe his luck that Manchester United are at the top of the Premier League after the half way point of the season.

United have drawn eight of their 19 games so far this season, which has not been like them in the past. However in recent weeks the Red Devils have started to grind out the results that have won them Premier League titles in the recent years.

On Tuesday United welcome Stoke City who have not troubled them at Old Trafford since they gained promotion to the top flight (United 1/4, draw 4/1, Stoke 11/1).

The Potters were hammered 4-0 at the Theatre of Dreams last season but will be boosted by some injury doubts for United. Nani looks like he will sit out yet another game on the sideline with a hip injury but the main worry for Ferguson will be the possible absence of Wayne Rooney. The England striker picked up an ankle injury during United 2-1 away win against West Brom at the Hawthorns on New Year’s Day.

Although Rooney has clearly not been in his best form this season, he got a goal against the Baggies and will be desperate to get on the scoresheet against the Potters.

Stoke have crept up into eighth place in the Premier League and have had a strong start to their third season in the top flight. However they may not have come far enough to mount a serious challenge against United on Wednesday.

Former United star Mark Hughes is finding life difficult as manager of Fulham as the Cottagers sit in the relegation zone having been a top half table side for the last few seasons.

Fulham have a massive game against West Brom on Wednesday as they look to climb up the table (Fulham 6/5, draw 23/10 West Brom 23/10).

The West London side have struggled without their star striker Bobby Zamora this season but they could welcome back forward Moussa Dembele who has been out for the last seven weeks with an ankle injury.

After a thrashing by Chelsea on the opening day of the season West Brom got stronger and stronger throughout the first part of the season. However the Baggies have been on the end of some unlucky results and now find themselves just three points above the relegation zone.

They were unlucky not to get anything out of their clash with United last week as Peter Odemwingie missed from the penalty spot. This will be a tight affair but the Baggies might be able to get all three points from this one and compound Hughes’ misery.

Surprise package Blackpool keep plodding along in the Premier League picking up points when nobody expects them to.

The Tangerines host Birmingham on Wednesday as they look to consolidate their place in the top half of the table (Blackpool 13/10, draw 23/10, Birmingham 21/10).

Birmingham however have slipped into the three despite a win over Chelsea and a draw against United. Alex McLeish will be desperate to get an important away win and they should get something from this game.

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Carlo can’t hide from cracks

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The unedifying sight of John Terry and Didier Drogba arguing as they left the pitch at Stamford Bridge on Sunday could be viewed one of two ways by onlookers (9/2 Chelsea – Premier League outright).

It could be, as Carlo Ancelotti attempted to explain in his best broken English, construed as two senior players letting off a bit of steam at the end of a frustrating 3-3 draw against Aston Villa in which the double winners had trailed 2-1 before being within touching distance of back-to-back Premier League wins.

Instead, it could be more evidence that all is not well on board the good ship Chelsea.

The champions remain in fifth place but are six points behind the leaders Manchester United, who have a game in hand over them and have yet to visit west London. Ancelotti’s team have taken just ten points from an available 30 to slip from the summit of English football ahead of their midweek trip to Wolves (Wolves 6/1 draw 10/3 Chelsea 4/9 – match betting).

Sir Alex Ferguson suggested before the weekend the open nature of the race for the title was a “dream” for fans and players alike – but whether Chelsea will be part of it on current form is now open to debate.

Manchester City could again flex their financial muscle in the January window, Arsenal appear on the cusp of finally realising their potential and Tottenham’s all-out-attack approach could see them go close.

One area of obvious concern for Ancelotti has to be a leaking defence which has shipped in 17 goals in all competitions going back to, and including, the 2-0 defeat by Liverpool at the start of November last year.

“Defensively, we lost something, obviously,” Ancelotti said, when reflecting on Sunday’s stalemate.

Another concern, highlighted on Sunday, was the lack of cohesion and zip between principal goal threats Nicolas Anelka and Drogba, who scored against Villa but was otherwise anonymous (9/2 Drogba – Premier League top goalscorer).

“They have difficulty in this moment but Drogba scored today and for a striker, that’s very important,” added the Italian.

Ancelotti said the visit to the capital of United in March would determine whether or not Chelsea will retain their domestic crown and he can take heart from the affection afforded to him by the players when Terry put the Blues in front.

It sparked memories of when they did the same for former manager Luiz Felipe Scolari after a late winner by Frank Lampard against Stoke City in January 2009.

Scolari was sacked three weeks later.

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