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10 Football Bets This Weekend

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1) Bolton to continue their great run at home against Spurs and upset the midweek Champions League winners, who will not like it up ‘em (Bolton 19/10 to win)

2) Fulham have lost only once at home and can take the three points against Aston Villa, who have no fit strikers and have already lost four on their travels.

3) Sunderland to bounce back from their 5-1 mauling at Newcastle when they return to familiar surroundings to take on poor travellers Stoke.

4) The loan signing of David Healy can help Doncaster Rovers (Evens in the match betting) continue their impressive home form against Millwall (13/5 to win, 23/10 the draw).
5) Leicester have also delved into the loanmarket and the arrivals of Darius Vassell and Curtis Davies can earn the win at Barnsley.

6) In a real relegation battle, the last side Preston want to take on is Bristol City as the Robins have lost only one of the last 25 matches against North End.

7) Cristiano Ronaldo is on fire at the moment, scoring 10 goals in his last four games in the Primera Liga, and the former Manchester United ace can lead Real to glory in the Madrid derby.

8) Bayern Munich have turned a corner since their defeat to league leaders Borussia Dortmund and can continue their unbeaten run, winning four of the last five, against basement outfit Borussia Monchengladbach.

9) Schalke 04 have endured a disappointing start to the campaign but the side that finished second last year can still call on the likes of Raul and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and should justify favouritism against Bundesliga new boys St Pauli.

10) Bristol Rovers have made a solid start to their League One campaign and can be backed at 10/11 to prevent an FA Cup shock at Darlington, who have already lost three at home and lie mid-table in the Conference.

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Sunday’s match predictions

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Bet on the Premier LeagueArsenal v Newcastle United

Arsenal’s recent good run of form in all competitions was ended on Wednesday when they crashed to a 2-1 defeat at Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League but don’t expect the Gunners (3/10 in the match betting) to misfire when Newcastle (10/1 to win, 4/1 the draw) travel to the Emirates for the early Premier League kick-off at 13:30.

Shakhtar are no mugs and with Arsene Wenger’s men seemingly on course to make the knockout stages in Europe’s elite competition having won their first three group games, they can be forgiven for succumbing to a long trip against tough opposition, particularly when key players were missing.

Arsenal are still without Manuel Almunia, Abu Diaby, Robin van Persie and Thomas Vermaelen due to injury – while Andrei Arshavin, Denilson and Alex Song are doubtful – but captain and talisman Cesc Fabregas (5/1 to score first) is set to return to the heart of midfield.

The Spanish World Cup winner is likely to be reunited with Jack Wilshere who is available again following a three-match suspension and the pair have been forging an excellent partnership in the middle of the park.

Already five points behind Chelsea in the table, there will be no taking it easy from the north Londoners, who had won five on the bounce (the last three without conceding) since a 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge before that midweek reverse.

During that winning run, Arsenal also thumped an admittedly weakened Newcastle side at St James’ Park in the Carling Cup so the Magpies can be expected to be brought back down to earth with a bump following their 5-1 win in the Tyne-Wear derby last Sunday.

The Gunners have scored at least three goals in the last five meetings with Newcastle, who have not won at Arsenal since 2001 in a run of 10 games with only one draw.

Goals are certainly expected with over 2.5 priced at 4/9 but having won their last three against Newcastle (who have scored just once in their last seven away games against Wenger’s men) at home by a 3-0 scoreline, Arsenal with -1 on the handicap at 3/4 or to win to nil at 20/21 should be looked at.

West Brom v Man City

West Brom will be looking to replicate their recent impressive away form at The Hawthorns when the Premier League millionaires of Manchester City ride into town on Sunday afternoon.

Roberto Di Matteo’s men have shocked many football fans in recent times by going unbeaten at home, winning at the Emirates, and holding Manchester United to a draw at Old Trafford.

They will now be looking for a repeat of their Carling Cup win over Manchester City on Sunday with the two Italian managers enjoying contrasting fortunes in recent times.

Roberto Mancini is under increasing scrutiny after three defeats in a row both domestically and in Europe, but he is set to benefit from the return of Carlos Tevez, who has been at the root of all things good for City so far this season.

A win for West Brom could leapfrog them over Sunday’s more illustrious visitors and their attacking power will be boosted at the Hawthorns by the return to fitness of Peter Odemwingie, who has impressed with his pace and goals since arriving in England over the summer.

With the poor form, low confidence and reports of in-fighting that has plagued City in recent weeks, there could not be a better time for West Brom to get another win over one of the teams regarded as title challengers.

Di Matteo has built a side capable of playing swift attacking football, and unless City’s defenders start to play as a unit, which they have not shown in recent weeks, it could be a long afternoon in the West Midlands, particularly as the Baggies (13/5 in the match betting) have not lost at the Hawthorns in 11 months.

Liverpool v Chelsea

Liverpool’s 3-1 victory over Napoli may have improved the mood at Anfield but Chelsea’s visit on Sunday could bring the Reds crashing down again.

The victory over the Serie A side was impressive, but a hat-trick from Steven Gerrard essentially spared Liverpool’s blushes with the Italians the better of the two sides until the midfielder’s introduction.

The Liverpool captain is always capable of scoring and he does tend to raise his game in high-profile encounters. Gerrard is 5/2 to score anytime but at 9/1 the England international is worth some consideration in the enhanced first goalscorers’ market.

However, while I expect Gerrard to have a good game against the reigning champions, the rest of the Liverpool squad have done little to impress this season and Chelsea should prove too strong for Roy Hodgson’s side.

Fernando Torres is struggling for both form and fitness, while Joe Cole is unavailable as he is suffering with a hamstring problem.

Chelsea could be without Jose Bosingwa (illness) and Michael Essien (toe), while midfield duo Frank Lampard and Yossi Benayoun are definitely ruled out.

Even without Lampard and Essien, Chelsea should still be too strong for Liverpool and at evens, the league-leaders are good value to take all three points from their trip to Anfield.

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Premier League Preview

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Bolton will be quaking in their boots at the prospect of facing a Gareth Bale-inspired Tottenham at the Reebok Stadium as the youngster is currently on fire.

Bale was an unused substitute in the same fixture 13 months ago but has now been mentioned in the same breath as Lionel Messi.

Spurs should bounce back here after the defeat at Manchester United – as long as the officials let them! (Spurs 13/10 to beat Bolton)

West Ham have not won since beating Spurs on September 25 and I would not hold your breath if you are expecting an away win against Birmingham.

The Blues are solid at home and the Hammers have scored just twice away from home all season and the points should stay in the West Midlands (Birmingham 10/11 to beat West Ham).

The north-west derby between Blackburn and Wigan is usually spicy but with the sides separated by just one point near the foot of the table, a draw must be on the cards with neither side prepared to give anything away at Ewood Park, and with goals at a premium (draw 12/5).

Blackpool have surprised many in the early part of the season but they face an improving Everton and it is high time the Seasiders received another Premier League spanking.

David Moyes’ men were never as bad as their league position suggested and, with 10 points out of a possible 12, they will surely be too good for Ian Holloway’s side (Everton 4/5 to win).

Fulham and Aston Villa have both garnered 12 points so far in a tight division but the Cottagers are tipped to win this one, as the Villans have no experience up front with Heskey, Agbonlahor and Carew all out, and 19-year-old Nathan Delfouneso set to make a rare start.

Fulham are much better by the Thames while Villa have already lost four times away from home (Fulham 5/4 to win).

Manchester United will be without Wayne Rooney for three weeks as he has been sent to the USA for conditioning but it should not matter as they are tipped to easily beat a Wolves side who cannot win on their travels and have only taken one point away from Molineux all season.

The Red Devils seem to have cured their draw-itis which threatened to leave them lagging behind Chelsea at the top of the table and they have won their last five matches in all competitions.

Despite Rooney’s continued absence they will have far too much ammunition for Mick McCarthy’s men at Old Trafford.

United do have one injury doubt – Sir Alex Ferguson – as the boss has been struck down by a virus and is currently bed-ridden (United 1/6 to win).

Finally Sunderland play host to Stoke City on what will probably be the last game showed on Match of the Day.

A low-scoring or goalless draw could be on the cards here despite the fact that the Black Cats’ newest signing, Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan, is tipped for his first starting appearance in the top flight.

In the four Premier League meetings between Stoke and Sunderland no goals have been scored by the away team, so do not expect too much goal-mouth drama on Wearside at the weekend (0-0 draw 8/1).

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10 Best Football Bets This Weekend

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1) Bolton to continue their great run at home against Spurs and upset the midweek Champions League winners, who will not like it up ‘em (Bolton 19/10 to win)

2) Fulham have lost only once at home and can take the three points against Aston Villa, who have no fit strikers and have already lost four on their travels.

3) Sunderland to bounce back from their 5-1 mauling at Newcastle when they return to familiar surroundings to take on poor travellers Stoke.

4) The loan signing of David Healy can help Doncaster Rovers (Evens in the match betting) continue their impressive home form against Millwall (13/5 to win, 23/10 the draw).
5) Leicester have also delved into the loanmarket and the arrivals of Darius Vassell and Curtis Davies can earn the win at Barnsley.

6) In a real relegation battle, the last side Preston want to take on is Bristol City as the Robins have lost only one of the last 25 matches against North End.

7) Cristiano Ronaldo is on fire at the moment, scoring 10 goals in his last four games in the Primera Liga, and the former Manchester United ace can lead Real to glory in the Madrid derby.

8) Bayern Munich have turned a corner since their defeat to league leaders Borussia Dortmund and can continue their unbeaten run, winning four of the last five, against basement outfit Borussia Monchengladbach.

9) Schalke 04 have endured a disappointing start to the campaign but the side that finished second last year can still call on the likes of Raul and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and should justify favouritism against Bundesliga new boys St Pauli.

10) Bristol Rovers have made a solid start to their League One campaign and can be backed at 10/11 to prevent an FA Cup shock at Darlington, who have already lost three at home and lie mid-table in the Conference.

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Rampaging Real too hot for Atletico

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It might not be the biggest derby for Real Madrid this weekend, particularly with ‘El Clasico’ coming up at the end of the month, but Atletico (17/2 in the match betting) will be looking to upset their more illustrious neighbours to earn the bragging rights in the Spanish capital and reignite their bid for Champions League football next year.

That will be the plan anyway but Real (2/7 favourites) have turned a corner under Jose Mourinho following a slow start to the campaign and are now beginning to look like a team, rather than a collection of individuals.

The goals have started to flow as well of late, certainly domestically, with 19 scored in the last four games as Los Merengues have moved to the top of the table with a minimum of fuss.

They hold a one-point advantage over arch-rivals Barcelona (both 10/11 to win Primera Liga) and will not be wanting to let that advantage slip, with the Catalans given the perceived easier task this weekend of a trip to Getafe.

Of course, Barcelona do kick off earlier on Sunday but that will have no bearing on the Atletico clash as Real will either want to regain the lead or pull further clear ahead of ‘El Casico’ on November 28.

The attacking trio of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Angel Di Maria have started to gel and all have got amongst the goals, with Ronaldo leading the way with 10 goals in the last four games to take his season’s tally so far in the league to 12.

The former Manchester United ace is an obvious candidate in the goalscoring markets as he also takes the penalties, and will no doubt have a number of opportunities to add to his collection and is available at 5/2 to be first or last goalscorer, 4/7 anytime or 11/4 to score 2 or more.

With a dominant home record of four wins from four, scoring 16 goals and conceding just two, it is no surprise to see Real strong 2/7 favourites in the match betting, and it may be worth taking them to do complete the Half-time/Full-time result at 8/11.

Being a derby match, there will be no easing into the game and with Atletico seemingly struggling on their travels, Real will waste little time in setting about their neighbours.

Hercules were not handed the easiest of starts on their return to the top flight in Spain but they wasted little time in making a name for themselves with a 2-0 win over Barcelona at the Nou Camp on the second weekend.

Los Blanquiazules (11/5 in the match betting) can become the first team this season to win at the Reyno de Navarra when they take on Osasuna (21/20 to win, 11/5 the draw) on Sunday as they have proved they certainly can be a match for the big boys in the top flight.

Following the Barca win, Hercules have already held Sevilla and Villarreal this term and although they lost last weekend, two of Real Madrid’s three goals came in the last eight minutes.

Although Osasuna have not been beaten at home, two wins and two draws, Los Rojillos have had a much easier start to the campaign on paper, only facing Real in the opening nine games, while they were hammered 4-1 at Racing Santander last weekend, who moved out of the bottom three with the win.

Meanwhile in Germany, Bayern Munich (7/4 to win the Bundesliga) seemingly have turned things around after a slow start to the campaign and look ready to pick up three points on their travels.

Since a 2-0 defeat at league leaders Borussia Dortmund, the Bavarian giants (4/7 in the match betting) have gone a five-match unbeaten streak, winning four of them, and can claim the win at lowly Borussia Monchengladbach (19/5 to win, 11/4 the draw) on Saturday.

Bayern have banged in 14 goals in those five games and look to have far too much ammunition for the basement side who have yet to win at home and have lost three of their five games, while they have only mustered six goals all season.

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SPL Preview

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Celtic responded well to the Old Firm defeat and put three past St Johnstone last time out, cutting Rangers’ lead at the top to just one point.

They now face an Aberdeen side who have already lost three times away from home this season and the Dons are not fancied to end the Hoops’ record of having won all their SPL games this season – bar the clash with their Glasgow rivals.

A point for Aberdeen would represent a great result, which just emphasises the gulf in class between the top two and everyone else north of the border, in what has become effectively a race for third.

Bhoys legend Henrik Larsson trained with the squad on Friday but we are reliably informed that he will not be in the starting line-up on Saturday afternoon (Celtic 7/1 to win 2-1).

Hamilton host Dundee United and the market suggests this is too close to call (Hamilton 7/4 to win, Dundee United 7/5 to win).

United are five points better off but, with the SPL tight, apart from the Glasgow clubs, punters should not read too much in league positions at present.

David Goodwillie and Barry Douglas could miss out after their part in the incident which saw Danny Swanson receive a facial injury in Glasgow this week.

Hamilton are yet to win at home, while the Terrors have won just once away from Tannadice.

Although it is the obvious prediction, this could be the banker draw of the weekend in Scotland (goalless draw 8/1).

Inverness will welcome Motherwell to the Caledonian Stadium full of confidence after holding Rangers to a 1-1 draw last time out at Ibrox.

Indeed, Terry Butcher’s outfit have taken 11 out of a possible 15 points since their last SPL defeat to Hearts and, with home advantage, they are tipped to beat the team just one place above them in the standings (Inverness 13/8 to beat Motherwell).

Their current unbeaten run includes away wins at St Mirren and Kilmarnock and they are one of the form teams in the league at present.

Midfielder Lee Cox is pushing for a return to the squad following an ankle injury but Gil Blumenshtein, David Proctor, Chris Innes and Kenny Gillet remain on the sidelines.

Well lost at home to Hamilton last week but could have Jamie Murphy and Keith Lasley back if they have no adverse reaction to training on Friday.

Finally, St Johnstone entertain Kilmarnock at McDiarmid Park in another contest which could fall into the category of a ‘toss of a coin’.

Derek McInnes’ side, as expected, lost heavily to Celtic last time out but, away from the Old Firm, they can be a match for anyone on their day and had run into some decent form before the visit of Neil Lennon’s men.

Wins at home to Hibs and away at Hamilton, plus a draw with Inverness, have seen them move up to seventh in the table, with 11 points from 10 games, with Killie just one point behind in ninth.

St Johnstone will look to bounce back from their Celtic reverse and are tipped to take all three points from this one (St Johnstone 11/10 to win).

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Five fantasy team selections

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Although it is an obvious choice in-form Tottenham starlet Gareth Bale should be in everyone’s fantasy team at the moment after his two demolition jobs on Champions League holders Internazionale FC (check out Premier League 2010/11 markets and match prices).

The 21-year-old has always looked a class act but propelled himself to the forefront of world football by making a very good Inter defence look like statues over the two legs.

Bale should feature in a Spurs side looking for their first Premier League victory since beating Fulham on October 16 and, with the youngster on fire, they look a good bet to take the points from a Bolton side who have only won once at home this season (Spurs 13/10 – 90 minutes betting v Bolton).

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti believes Nicolas Anelka is in the form of his career and who are we to argue, as the Frenchman bagged his fifth Champions League goal in four matches on Wednesday night.

Labelled ‘le sulk’ at various clubs, the former Arsenal star appears settled at Stamford Bridge and is combining well with Didier Drogba up front for the Blues.

The 31-year-old spent time on-loan at Liverpool and will be looking to add to his three Premier League goals this term when he faces his old side at Anfield.

Ancelotti says Anelka is happy at the club and that can only mean good things as he is undoubtedly one of the best strikers in the top-flight when his mood is right (Anelka 25/1 – Premier League goal-scorer).

Cesc Fabregas had the night off as Arsenal lost 2-1 to Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday but he should be fine for the visit of Newcastle on Sunday.

The Gunners skipper has only bagged on Premier League goal this season but scored 15 last term and it is high time the talented midfielder got back on the scoresheet.

Newcastle are in the habit of winning one then losing one and so, following last weeks 5-1 hammering of Sunderland, they will need to be wary of what the Londoners are capable of at home.

Fabregas was rested for the European tie as a precaution with a sore hamstring so expect him to be raring to go at the Emirates this weekend (Arsenal 2/7 – 90 minutes betting v Newcastle).

Darren Bent has a phenomenal scoring record for Sunderland, with 33 in 51 appearances for the Black Cats in all competitions, and six from 10 Premier League outings this term.

Boss Steve Bruce will demand an immediate response from his men following the 5-1 drubbing at Newcastle and Bent will be the man they look to to score the goals against a Stoke side who have lost their last three top-flight games.

This game may not whet the appetite as much others over the weekend but Bent’s goal-scoring prowess could be the difference in a low-scoring encounter at the Stadium of Light (Sunderland Evens – 90 minutes betting v Stoke).

Finally, Birmingham goalkeeper Ben Foster will probably not be the busiest man on Saturday as bottom-of-the-table West Ham travel to St Andrew’s (Birmingham 10/11 – 90 minutes betting v West Ham).

With no away wins and just two goals on their travels, the Hammers appear little threat away from Upton Park and Birmingham have only conceded three Premier League goals at home this season.

Foster has kept four clean sheets in the Premier League so far this campaign and surely will never get a better chance of making it five than against a side shorn of confidence and tipped for relegation.

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Potential weekend shocks

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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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Stubborn Reds set to march on

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Liverpool (11/1 Europa League Outright) may have struggled domestically this season but still look as solid as ever in Europe and should prove too strong for Napoli in the Europa League this week.

The two sides do battle again on Thursday having been involved in a closely fought contest two weeks ago, with a goalless draw in Italy.

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson could be tempted to play a stronger side for this clash, having fielded a number of youngsters for the away game in Naples.

Jonjo Shelvey, Jay Spearing,  Martin Kelly  and David Ngog all played at the San Paolo Stadium, but the likes of Christian Poulsen and Milan Jovanovic could come into the starting eleven.

Liverpool are dealing with a number of injuries including England winger Joe Cole, who is expected to be sidelined for two weeks, and Greek defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos, who is also a doubt.

With a Premier League clash with defending champions Chelsea on Sunday and Liverpool still in the bottom half, several key players could still be rested.

The Reds have only conceded a single goal in the competition and they look a decent bet to win in front of their home fans without conceding a goal (Napoli 10/3 to score an away goal).

As for big spenders Manchester City, they travel to Poland to face Lech Poznan in what looks another tough test for Roberto Mancini’s men.

City have lost their last two league games and although they beat Lech 3-1 at home, the Polish outfit created several chances in the Eastlands clash.

The visitors will be without top goalscorer Carlos Tevez, who is not likely to return to action until his side’s derby clash with Manchester United on November 10.

Emanuel Adebayor is likely to start for City, after scoring a hat-trick in the last meeting, while Mario Balotelli is also available.

A fiery atmosphere at the Stadion Miejski will certainly aid the home side, who will feel they can cause a major upset (Poznan 9/2 to win) on Thursday.

The other stand-out fixtures this week see Italian giants Juventus taking on Salzburg at the Stadio Olimpico in City’s group. With the home side sitting fourth in the Serie A, they look too strong on paper for the Austrians.

Meanwhile, defending champions Athletico Madrid face Rosenburg and after a poor 1-1 draw with Almeria in La Liga, a difficult trip to Norway could see the Spanish side struggle (Rosenburg 13/5 to win).

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‘Amazing’ Bale vital for Spurs

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Spurs managed to secure a famous Champions League victory over reigning champions Inter Milan at White Hart Lane last night and boss Harry Redknapp was quick to praise the performance of one of his players in particular – Gareth Bale (Spurs 5/6 to win Champions League Group A).

Two weeks ago the north London club suffered a 4-3 defeat at the San Siro, after Inter had raced into a 4-0 first-half lead.

A second-half hat-trick from Bale did nothing for Spurs other than claw back a bit of pride but the talented left-footer was crucial for Spurs on Tuesday night as they avenged their defeat in Italy (Spurs 25/1 to win the Champions League).

Bale did not find the net himself at White Hart Lane, but the youngster turned provider for both Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko, as Spurs enjoyed a European night to savour.

Redknapp hailed Bale as “amazing” and claimed the 21-year-old has “everything”.

“Maicon is rated as the best right-back in the world and what he’s done to him in the two games is amazing,” explained the Spurs boss.

“He can cross, his left foot is great on the run, he can shoot, dribble, head it, he’s got everything.”

Spurs may be enjoying life in Europe’s top competition, but if the north London side want to compete in the Champions League next season they will need to finish in the Premier League’s top four.

Spurs are currently fifth in the league, two points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, and remain in contention to finish in the top four for a second successive season.

Chelsea are currently 1/200 with totesport.com to finish in the top four and after the reigning champions’ fine start to the season  – they’re already 10 points clear of Spurs – few would suggest the Stamford Bridge side could fail to land a Champions League spot.

The form of Manchester United has been questioned by many but Sir Alex Ferguson’s men remain the only unbeaten side in the Premier League.

United’s star man Wayne Rooney has failed to hit the heights he achieved last season and is currently injured, but the Old Trafford side have still managed to grind out results and you get the feeling that when they do find top form, and when Rooney is firing on all cylinders, they will mount a serious title threat.

United are 1/14 to finish in the top four and, although not completely out of the question, it seems safe to suggest Old Trafford will be hosting Champions League football next season.

Arsenal and Manchester City complete the top four at present (Arsenal 1/7, City 2/5 to secure a top-four finish) and given the Gunners’ Champions League pedigree and current form, a top-four finish appears to be on the cards for the Emirates side.

The most likely scenario is that Spurs will again battle with City for the right to appear in Europe’s premier tournament next season.

The London club won the battle last time out but City, once again, spent some serious money in the summer transfer window.

Eastlands boss Roberto Mancini is under pressure to deliver a top-four finish, at the very least, and Spurs will face a serious battle to secure the final Champions League spot.

However, with the talented midfield Redknapp has at his disposal, at 5/2 Spurs appear good value to land a Premier League top-four finish.

Rafael van der Vaart arrived in a last-minute deal from Real Madrid on transfer deadline day and the Dutchman has managed to adapt quickly to life in England.

Luka Modric and Aaron Lennon have also produced impressive displays but it could well b Bale who provides the ingenuity and guile to secure a second successive season in the Champions League for Spurs.

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