Category Archives: news-t

The Rams plough through the snow

Posted on by
Reply

Bet on the ChampionshipThe winter chill has hit a number of games in the Championship this weekend, with ties at Doncaster, Hull, Sheffield United, Nottingham Forest and Portsmouth all falling by the wayside.

However, there are still some exciting clashes in the second tier and with the league being so close, there could be a few teams that shoot up the table this weekend.

Derby County take on a free scoring Norwich City side, who go into this game after they drubbed local rivals Ipswich Town 4-1 at Carrow Road last time out (Derby 21/20, draw 9/4, Norwich 5/2).

Canaries striker Grant Holt was in fine form in that match as he bagged a hat-trick in the East Anglia derby.

Holt has now got seven goals in the Championship this season and will be looking to continue his prolific goalscoring form at Pride Park on Saturday.

The Rams have been in mixed form of late but still find themselves in fourth place in the league despite losing two of their last three games.

Nigel Clough welcomes key playmaker Kris Commons back to the side after the Scottish international missed the 2-1 defeat at the hands of Burnley last week.

Commons has scored 10 goals for Derby this season and will prove a threat to Norwich.

With this being a fourth against fifth game it’s going to be close but with Commons back in the side the Rams could just grab a win in this one.

In the only game to go ahead in a snow struck Yorkshire, Leeds United take on Crystal Palace at Elland Road (Leeds 8/11, draw 5/2, Palace 18/5).

The Whites are unbeaten in their last six Championship games and will be confident going into this game.

Leeds have an abundance of striking options to choose from, with Luciano Becchio, Davide Somma, Max Gradel, Billy Paynter and Ross McCormack all battling for a place in the starting eleven.

Palace, who currently sit in 22nd place in the Championship, will be heading north on the back of a resurgence after a terrible start to the season.

The Eagles have won three of their last four games – against Coventry, Doncaster and Watford.

They will believe that they can get something from Elland Road on their current form but the Whites should win this one as they look to climb back into the play-off spots.

The game at Portman Road looks set to go ahead as Ipswich Town look to use the confidence boosting win over West Brom in midweek as a springboard in the league.

However, they take on high flying Swansea City, who currently sit in third place in the Championship.

The Swans lost their last game at home 2-1 to Portsmouth but Ipswich have lost their last four games in the league including that disappointing defeat to Norwich.

Swansea are full of confidence and could compound Roy Keane’s misery on Saturday (Ipswich 17/10, draw 11/5, Swansea 6/4).

Bet on the World Cup and get £200. Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Inter need win at Lazio

Posted on by
Reply

Inter (13/8 in match betting) can close the gap on rivals AC Milan at the top of Serie A tonight as they travel to the capital to face Lazio in a fixture which they have dominated recently.

The Nerazurri are undefeated when taking on Lazio at the Olimpico since December 2003 and have not conceded a goal in their last three visits, scoring seven goals in the process.

Rafael Benitez’s side bounced back to form with a convincing 5-2 home win over Parma last week – without the suspended Samuel Eto’o.

But they are going to have to cope without him again for this clash with second-placed Lazio, plus key absentees Julio Cesar, Maicon and Walter Samuel.

Wesley Sneijder (6/1 First Goalscorer) is expected to be handed the ‘Steven Gerrard’ role in the formation Benitez found moderate success with at Liverpool.

Sneijder has been pushed up to play with Goran Pandev (11/2) but it was Dejan Stankovic (15/2) who found all the space as he bagged a hat-trick last week at the San Siro.

Lazio’s Brazilian schemer Hernanes and Argentinian hitman Mauro Zarate were marked out of last week’s 1-1 home draw with lowly Catania and must have an impact on the match if the Biancoceleste are to avoid dropping points for the third straight week.

The Spanish title race continues on Saturday when Barcelona (2/9) travel to Pamplona to face struggling Osasuna and Real Madrid (1/3) entertain dangerous Valencia.

Jose Mourinho must ensure his side do not suffer another blow to their morale following the 5-0 Monday night humbling at the hands of the champions.

The Portuguese coach will bring Alvaro Arbeloa in for the suspended Sergio Ramos and bank on a much better performance from Real than the hollow showing at the Nou Camp.

Ricardo Carvalho is also suspended while Gonzalo Higuain has been ruled out for two months because of a back problem.

Lionel Messi is expected to shake off a knock picked up in the ‘Clasico’ to be fit for the trip to Pamplona, but Gabi Milito remains sidelined.

Osasuna have been unable to use their training ground due to heavy snow in the north of Spain this morning.

The pitch at the club’s Reyno de Navarra stadium was also covered in thick snow, but ground staff are working hard to clear the surface for Saturday’s game which is not thought to be under threat at the moment.

Bet on the World Cup and get £200. Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Five potential shocks…

Posted on by
Reply

Birmingham take on a Tottenham side flying high after three successive Premier League victories, including the sensational come-from-behind win away at Arsenal (Birmingham 21/20 – match betting).

But Blues have already beaten Chelsea and held Liverpool to a goalless draw at St Andrew’s and they could pull off a shock victory against Harry Redknapp’s men on Saturday.

Alex McLeish’s side rarely lose at home and they will be buoyed by their Carling Cup derby victory over Aston Villa on Wednesday night.

Spurs wins tend to come in clusters and, although they are capable of beating anyone on their day, this could be where the current run comes to an end.

Bolton are unbeaten in five top-flight games, with three wins and two draws, and Owen Coyle’s men are tipped to take all three points from their clash with Manchester City at Eastlands (Bolton 11/2 – match betting).

City have yet to find the consistency that wins titles and they appear vulnerable at times and Bolton currently have the wind in their sales with 15 goals in their last five Premier League matches.

This one could be tight but momentum is key in any sport and a narrow win for the visitors could be on the cards.

Before the start of the season, tipping Blackpool to beat Manchester United would have seemed a ridiculous thing to do but the Seasiders have been the surprise team of the campaign to date while the Red Devils just cannot win away from home (Blackpool 7/1 – match betting).

Ian Holloway’s men have won two and drawn one of the past three home games while United have already recorded six away draws.

The wintry conditions look set to continue this weekend and it might just be the perfect time for the Premier League minnows to pull off one of the biggest results in their recent history.

Ipswich began the season well but have plummeted down the table in recent weeks with four successive Championship defeats.

But Wednesday night’s Carling Cup victory over West Brom will have given the club a boost and they are tipped to finally take three league points with a narrow victory over high-flying Swansea (Ipswich 6/4 – match betting).

The Swans have hit a rocky patch with just one win in four but they are still just three points off an automatic promotion place and well-placed to challenge for a spot in the big time.

However Roy Keane’s men should take this one and begin their ascent towards the right end of the standings.

Charlton are favourites to travel to Rochdale and return with the spoils but Dale have only lost twice at Spotland this term and could cause an upset against the League One second-place team.

The hosts have drawn their last three league games but are tipped to go one better and shock a Charlton side looking to get back in the Premier League after three years away from the limelight (Rochdale 17/10 – match betting).

Bet on the World Cup and get £200. Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

England lose out to Russia

Posted on by
Reply

Despite having the strongest bid and putting together the best presentation, England (9/1 to win Euro 2012) have lost out to Russia in the bid to host the 2018 World Cup – and the strength of the Premier League could be the reason why we missed out!

For the size of the country, England has the best stadia and infrastructure to host such a major event but FIFA, in their wisdom, looked elsewhere.

The world governing body suggest they want the hosts to leave a legacy and with Russia (1/3 to win Euro 2012 Qualifying Group B) having to build a dozen new stadiums and transport links, they got the nod.

Sections of the media suggest Chelsea (11/8f to win 2010-11 Premier League) owner Roman Abramovich had a big part to play in the Russian success and his reception at Premier League grounds may now be rather frosty!

England must now fear that they will never again host the world’s biggest football event – can we now even be bothered to bid for it when it’s Europe’s turn again in, probably, 2034?

The frustration is only increased by the comments of Sepp Blatter, who described the presentation as “outstanding” and described England as the “football motherland”.

The sceptics have already questioned whether money talks and the decision to give Qatar the 2022 tournament will only heighten their beliefs.

As for England, we must console ourselves with the fact that we will host the Olympics in two years and there’s also the Champions League final (England 11/8 Winning Nation) at Wembley next May.

We should also stand proud and say we have the best and most exciting league in the world, with the biggest crowds and the most passionate fans – it still hurts though!

Bet on the World Cup and get £200. Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Tigers ready to tame R’s

Posted on by
Reply

QPR are the team of the moment in the Championship but their unbeaten run can come to an end this weekend when they face a Hull City side (21/10 – match betting) making big strides.

Neil Warnock’s men have gone 19 league games without defeat, including a 2-1 win over closest rivals Cardiff last Saturday.

But the R’s home form is more impressive than their away run and Hull pose another big test of their promotion credentials.

The Tigers are unbeaten in five games and showing signs of waking from their early season slumber, while history is also on their side – QPR have not won at Hull in the league since 1970 (six matches).

Meanwhile, second placed Cardiff have suffered a disappointing run in recent weeks, with just one win in their last five games, but should get back on track this Saturday.

The Bluebirds welcome bottom club Preston, who have won just four of their 19 league games to date. Darren Ferguson is under immense pressure at Deepdale and defeat could see the end of his reign.

It may be a case of ‘after the Lord Mayor’s show’ at Portman Road, as Roy Keane’s Ipswich entertain high-flying Swansea (17/10 – match betting).

The Tractor Boys sealed a place in the Carling Cup semi-finals this week, but the league is proving a struggle for the East Anglians, who are currently just four points and five places outside the dropzone.

Swansea could cause more concerns for Keane on Saturday, with Brendan Rodgers’ men seeking a fifth win of the season on their travels.

Derby suffered a late defeat at Burnley last weekend, but the Rams can bounce back this week against a Norwich side on the same points as Nigel Clough’s men and just one place behind.

Leeds have gone six games without defeat and are likely to move into the play-off positions this weekend. Simon Grayson’s team will face an improving Crystal Palace (Leeds 8/11, Draw 5/2, C Palace 18/5 – Match Betting), but the Eagles face a massive test of their progress in front of an intimidating Elland Road atmosphere.

Coventry are the surprise package of the season so far and they will expect to take the points against a struggling Middlesbrough. But Boro are moving forward under Tony Mowbray and are good enough to take a point from the Ricoh Arena.

There’s a South Yorkshire derby at the Keepmoat Stadium and it would be a big surprise if the home team didn’t take maximum points. Doncaster (5/6 – match betting) have lost just once at home and welcome a Barnsley team that have taken just eight points from a possible 27 on the road.

Nottingham Forest have struggled for goals this season and after suffering defeat at Leicester, they face another potential banana skin this weekend. Bristol City have moved out of the bottom three with back-to-back wins, but it looks like Forest will end their hopes of three on the bounce.

Portsmouth’s form this season has pretty much summed up the unpredictable Championship, but they will be boosted by the visit of Burnley this Saturday (Pompey 7/5, Draw 12/5, Burnley 17/10 – Match Betting). The Clarets are the only team in the division not to have won away from home and those woes are likely to continue with a long journey to the south coast.

Sheffield United’s presence in the bottom five is a big shock to many, but they are struggling and have won just three of their nine home games to date. Reading are the visitors to Bramall Lane and the Royals are capable of causing more frustration for the Blades fans.

It was a massive surprise to look at the table and see Watford have won just twice at home and that column may look the same coming Saturday evening, as in-form Leicester visit Vicarage Road. Sven Goran Eriksson looks to have inspired the Foxes, who are now up to mid-table and expect on-loan Roman Bednar (7/4 to score anytime) to get on the scoresheet soon.

The evening match sees two teams who are likely to be scrapping to survive at the end of the season, go head-to-head. Scunthorpe’s away form has been impressive, with five wins on their travels, but they’re lack of form at Glanford Park will eventually dent confidence and Millwall are a decent bet to add to the Iron’s woes.

Bet on the World Cup and get £200. Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Hodgson to rely on young guns

Posted on by
Reply

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson appears to be ready to gamble on his side’s home form to seal their place in the knockout stage of the Europa League as group winners as he will send out a shadow side for Thursday’s Group K trip to Steaua Bucharest (15/8 to beat Liverpool).

The Reds currently lead Group K (1/16 Group Winner) by three points from Thursday’s opponents following two wins and two draws with just two matches remaining and Hodgson feels it will be a worthwhile exercise to give some youngsters such as Danny Wilson, Daniel Pacheco and Nathan Eccleston a chance to shine in Romania and hand some key men a rest.

“I have faith in the young players and whatever happens on Thursday night I won’t lose faith in them,” said Hodgson.

“But it’s an opportunity for them to force their way into my attention even more.”

As for experience Joe Cole (11/4 Anytime Goal scorer) could be back in the fold after travelling for the game following his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger are all unavailable through injury, while Hodgson has confirmed that Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt, Raul Meireles, Glen Johnson and Paul Konchesky will also stay at home to prepare for the Premier League game against Aston Villa (Liverpool 4/7, Villa 5/1, 13/5 the draw).

In the other game in Group K winless duo, Italian outfit Napoli and Dutch side Utrecht, will meet in the Netherlands with both knowing they must win to have any chance of pipping either Liverpool or Steaua Bucharest to a qualification place and I expect the Italians to do a job on away soil at 11/8.

Thursday’s other crunch games in the Europa League sees Spanish La Liga outfit Villarreal look good to defeat Group D leaders Dinamo Zagreb (4/11 Villarreal To Win) as one point separates the top three sides in a close battle for the knockout stages with two games remaining.

In a Spain versus France battle, Group J leaders Sevilla travel to face Paris Saint Germain in a game that could determine who will top the table ahead of the knockout stage draw.

A win for Sevilla would seal the group leadership, while PSG require three points to take it to the final match, but I feel a draw will be the likely outcome at 23/10.

Italian outfit Palermo must defeat Sparta Prague to keep alive their qualification hopes from Group F and (at 7/10 To Win) I am backing them to see off the Czech Republic side on home soil.

A big game also beckons in Group L as Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia can move to within a point of second-placed Besiktas if they come out on top their encounter on home soil – and (at 2/1 To Win) they look good for some delight against their Turkish opponents.

Bet on the World Cup and get £200. Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Baggies to turn screw on Keane

Posted on by
Reply

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.

Bet on the World Cup and get £200. Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Big guns look too strong

Posted on by
Reply

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.

Bet on the World Cup and get £200. Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Forget the snow, its raining goals!

Posted on by
Reply

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!

Bet on the World Cup and get £200. Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Fergie hails Rooney’s role

Posted on by
Reply

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.”

Bet on the World Cup and get £200. Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.