Tottenham caused a bit of a shock in midweek with a 3-1 win over holders Inter Milan in the Champions League, with Gareth Bale putting in another impressive display against the Italians to become the reported subject of potential bids by the so-called giants of the game.
However, Spurs could be on the end of a shock this weekend when they return to Premier League duty as they face a tricky trip north to take on party-poopers Bolton (19/10 in the match betting).
It is one thing taking on the defending champions in Europe’s elite competition in front of a packed home stadium, but now the players have to come down from that feeling of euphoria for more ‘mundane’ domestic matters.
Spurs have an awful record at Bolton, never having won at the Reebok Stadium in the top-flight while the last league away win came way back in 1996.
Bolton have made themselves hard to beat this season, with just one narrow defeat at home to Liverpool last weekend spurring them on, while they have the added incentive of joining fifth-placed Spurs on 15 points, and can continue their 11-match unbeaten run.
West Ham United may be staring up at the rest of the Premier League table but they can have cause for optimism going into Saturday’s clash at Birmingham City.
Avram Grant’s men have lost their last two top-flight matches but a good win at home against Stoke booked their place in the Carling Cup quarter-finals and the players can take heart from their performance at the Emirates, going down 1-0 to an 88th-minute winner.
The Hammers (11/4 in the match betting) seem to enjoy the trip to St Andrews, having won five and drawing one of their last seven matches there, and could upset the odds again.
Taking a bit of a chance on which side will turn up at the weekend but Wigan (10/3 to beat Rovers) could potentially cause a surprise when they travel to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, despite having a pretty awful record at Ewood Park.
The Latics’ six-match unbeaten streak came to an end last weekend but any side which can win at White Hart Lane this season has got to have a chance of taking the three points from a club that has registered just one home win this season, and taken just one point from a possible 12.
West Bromwich Albion have surprised all on their return to the top-flight, particularly after suffering a 6-0 hammering at Chelsea on the opening day of the season, but now lie sixth in the table after an impressive run of form.
The Baggies (14/5 in the match betting) have made the Hawthorns a fortress this season, having won three and drawn two of five in the league, while they have also marched into the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup.
An eight-match unbeaten streak, which included wins over Arsenal and City as well as a draw at Old Trafford, only came to an end on Monday because the side was reduced to nine men – and even then they only lost 2-1 to Blackpool.
City have suffered back-to-back defeats in the Premier League, the second of which was at West Brom’s Black Country rivals Wolves despite taking the lead, while there remains constant talk of a rift in the visiting camp.
And finally a big shock it would be but Wolves (16/1 to win, 5/1 the draw) may have enough to get something out of a trip to Old Trafford when they take on Manchester United.
Mick McCarthy’s men can only have taken confidence from coming from behind to beat big-spending Man City, while they gave United a real run for their money in the Carling Cup, only to lose 3-2 to a last-minute Javier Hernandez strike.
United on the face of it have turned a corner, winning their last five matches in all competitions, but have yet to really hit their straps this season and have a number of injuries to contend with, after Luis Nani and Darren Fletcher joined the casualty list in midweek.
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