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Barmby set for Blues battle

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barmby smallHull City caretaker manager Nick Barmby claimed his first home win on Saturday since taking charge of the Tigers and will now be looking to get another good result in midweek when promotion hopefuls Birmingham City visit (Hull 11/8, draw 9/4, Birmingham 2/1 – match betting).

The former midfielder has thrust himself into the managerial arena following the departure of Nigel Pearson from the KC Stadium to Leicester City (14/1 Championship outright).

And it was against the Foxes that Barmby secured a memorable win on Saturday, with Slovenia skipper Robert Koren bagging a late winner to give his side all three points in a 2-1 win.

It was a big win for the Humberside outfit, who were looking to avoid a third straight defeat, in what yet again is a closely-contested Championship this season.

Now Barmby will have his eyes firmly set on another home clash against Blues, who seem to be struggling to balance their Europa League and the domestic duties this term.

Manager Chris Hughton and his side were desperately unlucky not to secure at least a point in their last outing in Europe against Braga, with only a deflected goal being the difference between the two sides in Portugal.

Birmingham followed that up with a 1-0 defeat at Cardiff City at the weekend and they will have to start questioning where their priorities are this term.

Hughton’s men have three games in hand over some teams above them in the Championship and are still well in the promotion chase this season, as they hope to make a swift return to the top flight.

However, they are going to have to start winning games like this one on Wednesday night at the KC Stadium, which has proved a tough destination for teams to go in the past.

The Tigers (33/1 Championship outright) remain just two points off the play-off places themselves and, with the likes of Koren and the talented Matty Fryatt in their ranks, they should give Hughton plenty to think about.

As for the Blues (25/1 Championship outright), they have only managed one win in their last six outings in the Championship, with the Europa League clearly distracting the West Midlands outfit.

They too have dangermen in their side, with Chris Burke and Wade Elliott causing problems for teams out wide as they try to provide the service for the likes of Chris Wood, who scored nine goals in eight games earlier in the season.

However, after their win over Leicester and with Barmby still enjoying his honeymoon period at the KC, a travel-weary Birmingham are unlikely to get anything from this game on Wednesday.

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Gunners will find it hard

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Arsenal may have already secured top spot in Champions League Group F but there is still plenty to play for on match-day six with Marseille, Olympiacos and even a remote chance Borussia Dortmund can qualify in second place.

Olympiacos v Arsenal

The Gunners go to Greece to take on Olympiacos safe in the knowledge they are already through to the last 16 but their opponents on Tuesday can still qualify as runners-up if Marseille fail to win at Dortmund. The Greek side will also progress if the Bundesliga outfit win by win by four goals or fewer so it’s no surprise to see the home side 20/21 favourites in the match odds.

The Gunners (3/1 to win) claimed a hard-fought 2-1 victory in the corresponding fixture at the Emirates earlier in the group but it likely to be a much-changed Arsenal side on Tuesday.

The very best the Londoners could hope for from this game is a draw, on offer at 5/2, but even that looks optimistic given the context of the game.

Boss Arsene Wenger will rest plenty of his top stars with qualification assured so expect a young Gunners side to get beat in Greece.

Wenger’s men are on a fine run of form in the Premier League, with the 4-0 win at Wigan on Saturday their seventh in eight league games, and it’s fair to say this clash is not the Frenchman’s priority – even though he is bound to talk up the benefits of maintaining momentum and form with a win beforehand.

Olympiacos to win 2-0 looks tasty at 13/2 while it is also worth taking them at 7/2 in the half-time/full-time market.

Borussia Dortmund v Marseille

The French giants head to Dortmund knowing second place and qualification for the knock-out stage is in their hands and they will be looking for the victory that assures them of second spot in the group on Tuesday.

Even a draw could be enough if Olympiacos fail to beat Arsenal in the other game as they prepare to take on the Bundesliga side – who know qualification for them is possible – but extremely unlikely.

Dortmund need to beat Marseille by four goals or more and hope Olympiacos lose, or by five goals or more should Olympiacos draw – but those scenarios look remote bearing in mind the Greek side entertain the already-qualified Gunners.

Dortmund’s Mats Hummels has admitted his side’s chances of securing second are “nearly impossible” and they have underperformed in the Champions League so far – picking up just four points from their first five matches.

With what’s at stake, Marseille look great value at 9/2 to win the game while draw/Marseille – HT/FT at 8/1 is also very tempting.

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Chelsea to hold Euro nerve

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Tuesday marks the start of final round of matches in the group stages in the Champions League and there is still plenty to play for with qualifying positions as well as top spots up for grabs, not least in Group E which sees a make-or-break clash at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea host Valencia.

Bayer Leverkusen have already made sure of their place in the knockout stages with a last-gasp, come-from-behind win over the Blues, which has really piled the pressure on Andre Villas-Boas ahead of a do-or-die clash, particularly with Valencia cruising to a 7-0 win on the same night.

Chelsea do of course have destiny in their own hands, as well as home advantage, and will book a knockout place for the ninth-year running with a victory, which is anticipated in the match betting – Chelsea 8/11, Draw 11/4, Valencia 4/1.

The Blues have never lost to the Spanish outfit in five previous encounters although worryingly for the Blues, both previous meetings at Stamford Bridge have resulted in draws.

A goalless draw would be good enough for Chelsea to progress but a scoring draw will be in favour of Los Che and with Roberto Soldado in fine fettle, the home side will do well to keep tabs on the former Real Madrid striker.

Soldado (13/2 First/Last Goalscorer) scored the equaliser in the 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture, netted a 26-minute hat-trick in the rout of Genk and bagged the winner on Saturday to help Valencia maintain their pursuit of Real and Barcelona in La Liga.

Chelsea certainly have had plenty of defensive problems of late, losing five of the last 10 games and three of the last four at home, but did pick up a morale-boosting 3-0 win over Newcastle at the weekend.

That result was thanks to a large piece of luck as David Luiz somehow escaped a red card early in the game, while Newcastle were denied on a number of occasions by the woodwork.

The change of style under Villas-Boas has exposed the back four so far this season, but they still possess plenty of fire power and on another day might well have wrapped up Saturday’s game long before they did.

Didier Drogba grabbed what is only his third goal of the season last weekend, following on from his goal in Leverkusen, and is 4/1 favourite First/Last Goalscorer, although Daniel Sturridge is in fine form and can be backed at 9/2, and Frank Lampard, the club’s second top goalscorer so far this season, is on offer at 6/1.

It would be amazing to see Fernando Torres in the starting line-up given his form since arriving at Stamford Bridge last January, while he has only scored two goals in eight previous appearances against Valencia – and picked up a red card.

It is hard to see the game being an open attacking shoot out given what is at stake, although an early goal may well shake things up – but Chelsea have the strength to put recent problems behind them and seal a knockout berth.

A win of course may be good enough to see the Blues take top spot in the group (Bayer 1/3, Chelsea 3/1, Valencia 8/1 – Group E Winner) as Bayer would need to achieve what neither Chelsea or Valencia did – and that is win in Genk.

They may have only picked up two points so far in the group but are undefeated at home having held the Spaniards to a goalless draw, and Chelsea 1-1.

Bayer of course, have won all three home games but have yet to pick up even a point on their travels but with the carrot of being group winners to play for, the Germans are strongly fancied at 8/15 in the match betting, with Genk on offer at 11/2 and the draw at 16/5.

That seems a short price on a team that has lost both times on their travels, but they were a little unlucky in Valencia – and now Genk do not even have Europa League qualification to play for.

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Navas to guide Sevilla home

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After another spectacular weekend of La Liga action, Monday sees the conclusion of week 14 with a mouth-watering tie as in-form Getafe travel to Andalucía to take on Sevilla (Sevilla 8/13, Draw 11/4, Getafe 9/2 Match Betting) at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

Both teams have had up and down seasons so far but go into the game in decent form and will see the match as the perfect opportunity to continue their good runs.

Sevilla appear to be a team in transition and have had a difficult few years since the glory days of the last decade which saw them win consecutive UEFA Cups and become a regular fixture in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

This year they have been their typically inconsistent selves but currently sit sixth in the league and many are tipping them for possible European qualification.

Despite the difficulties of the last few years, they still have a number of top class players and pivotal to their cause on Monday will undoubtedly be winger Jesus Navas. The 26-year-old has long been seen as one of the continents premier widemen but has remained loyal to the ‘Sevillistas’ and is undoubtedly their star man.

Navas will be hoping to produce a big performance as he looks to secure his place in the Spain squad for next summer’s European Championships.

Getafe currently sit 13th in the league and will go into the match full of confidence after beating Barcelona last weekend. The ‘Azulones’ are one of the smallest clubs in the league and it’s a minor miracle how they continue to compete due to their lack of financial resources.

After struggling last term, many predicted they would once again struggle but have confounded their critics and look as if they could finish in a steady mid-table position.

Their lack of finances means they very rarely boast star names but one man in their side to look out for is certainly youngster Abdelaziz Barrada. In a team known for their work rate rather than their creativity, the attacking midfielder often stands out as he looks to unlock opposition defences and was a star of their recent win against Atletico Madrid. Despite being rather raw, he has the talent to unlock any defence on his day so lookout for him to be one of the stars of the game.

Despite Getafe’s good form, home advantage could play a major part and Sevilla should take the points. With Navas pulling the strings, they are a mighty prospect at home and will go into the game expecting a comfortable victory (Sevilla 11/1 to win 3-0).

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Reds’ depth faces Fulham test

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Liverpool (6/5 in Match Betting) are without stricken midfielder Lucas Leiva while Fulham (5/2, Draw 23/10) are expected to make several changes after their Europa League defeat to FC Twente for Monday night’s Premier League clash at Craven Cottage.

Kenny Dalglish’s side are on a run of four straight away victories and have twice enjoyed success in Fulham’s south west London neighbourhood recently – against rivals Chelsea.

But Liverpool paid a high price for last week’s 2-0 Carling Cup quarter-final win at Stamford Bridge when Brazilian star Lucas sustained a serious knee injury which has ruled him out for the rest of the season.

The Anfield club’s midfield resources are already stretched due to Steven Gerrard’s injury so Jay Spearing must now prove himself an able deputy while Maxi Rodriguez, who scored a hat-trick in last season’s corresponding fixture, may also come in (8/1 First Goalscorer).

Rodriguez, who scored in both recent wins over Chelsea, looks like he could be a big price to grab another judging by his record of eleven goals from his last 25 Premier League starts for the club – but ten in his last eight in all competitions (9/4 Anytime).

Fulham picked up knocks to Stephen Kelly and Damien Duff in Holland but have quality in reserve with Chris Baird and Brian Ruiz their likely replacements.

Moussa Dembele (7/1 First Goalscorer) could be fit and Clint Dempsey (8/1) should return from a thigh complaint with Martin Jol determined to see his side improve their goal tally after a series of blanks.

Liverpool can equal a long-standing club record with a win – which would be their seventh consecutive victory on the road in all competitions – while Fulham have won just one of six Premier League games at Craven Cottage this season.

Dalglish’s side have scored two goals in each of those last six away wins – beating Everton, West Brom and Chelsea by a 2-0 margin (9/1 Liverpool 2-0 Correct Score) and Brighton, Stoke and Chelsea by 2-1 (8/1 in Correct Score).

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Wolves hungry for vital win

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Sunday throws up potentially the first ’six-pointer’ of the Premier League season as Wolves welcome Sunderland to Molineux. Both teams are in rotten runs of form and are in desperate need for three points. Elsewhere, Everton will be hoping Stoke have another European hangover when they head to Goodison Park for what should be a physical encounter.

Everton v Stoke City 3pm

The afternoon kicks off with Everton, who have won the last two, taking on the travel-sick Stoke. The Potters were dealt a rotten hand when it came to fixtures after Europa League matches, being forced to play away after all six of their group stage contests. So far, after European matches, its four games and four defeats, going down 5-0 at Bolton in their last away fixture.

Thursday’s 1-1 draw with Dynamo Kiev was a hard fought encounter and is likely to have taken something out of Tony Pulis’s men. With that in mind it is no surprise Everton are installed as 8/11 favourites for the win in the match betting, with Stoke at 9/2 and the draw at 5/2.

Stoke did stop the league rot with a win over Blackburn last weekend but Everton are seemingly a team on the up after a horrible run of fixtures. David Moyes’s team look like they are beginning to build a bit of momentum and, with the exception of next week’s trip to Arsenal, will view the next five fixtures as very winnable. The Toffees have been boosted the news Phil Neville, Sylvain Distin and Jack Rodwell could be fit for the clash – the latter having been in good form since his impressive run out with England.

The game is unlikely to be one for the purists or feature a boat-load of goals, but that should suit Everton as they look to pick up a third win on the bounce.

Wolves v Sunderland 4pm

The late kick-off on Sunday is arguably the most intriguing fixture of the day given what has happened at the Stadium of Light this week. Sunderland fans have suffered a torrid 2011 and finally lost patience with Steve Bruce last Saturday following the defeat to Wigan. Black Cats owner Ellis Short has heard their cries and Martin O’Neill looks set to takeover on Wearside in the not too distant future. The new man could be there on Sunday to see what his new team are made of as they look to get a positive result from the trip to Molineux.

Wolves have picked up four points from their last two at home and have a habit of picking up the points when they need to. Having won just one of their last 11, the pressure is on Wolves to take the three points and they’ll view Sunderland as the perfect opponents. The Black Cats have won twice all season and look a team in desperate need of a confidence boost. The news that O’Neill is on his way will help but it might not save them on Sunday.

Sunderland have lost on their last three visits to Wolves and, with the home side welcoming back Stephen Hunt and Jamie O’Hara, it looks like they could return to the north-east empty handed once more. Wolves are 11/8 in the match betting, with the draw 23/10 and Sunderland 21/10.

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Blues to make point in Cardiff

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Cardiff host Birmingham City on Sunday looking to consolidate their position in the Championship play-off zone. The two clubs experienced differing fortunes in midweek as we take a look at who might come out on top this weekend (Cardiff Evens, Birmingham 13/5, draw 5/2 Match Prices).

Cardiff’s 2-0 victory over Premier League strugglers Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday night has put them into the semi-finals of the Carling Cup for the first time since 1966 and they will face Crystal Palace for a place at Wembley.

Although a trip to north London would be a fantastic occasion for the Welsh club, boss Malky Mackay would surely trade that one day of glory for a season or two in the English top-flight after the club’s recent near misses.

Cardiff will head into Sunday’s clash with high hopes of taking the spoils as they have won four of their past five Championship games, with just a draw away at Coventry on November 22 preventing a clean sweep in recent times.

Home form has been solid with six wins, two draws and just one defeat at the Cardiff City Stadium and they have averaged two goals per game on their own patch.

But they have also conceded 10, and that will give Blues hope that they can add to the 12 goals that they have scored on their travels this term.

History is not on the hosts’ side as Cardiff have won only one of their last 16 league and cup matches against the midlanders and that was back in 2006.

But they are the in-form team of the pair and have rightly been installed as favourites.

Mark Hudson and Rudy Gestede could return to the squad after recovering from hamstring injuries but may have to settle for a place on the bench.

Birmingham may well be in mid-table at present but they have ‘owned’ Cardiff away from home in recent times, with six wins from their last seven league visits to the Welsh capital.

Birmingham have picked up five points from their past three games and have avoided defeat in nine of their last 10 league games and so it could well be a tight affair on Sunday.

Stephen Carr has a sore knee while Liam Ridgewell has a thigh problem and both face late fitness tests ahead of the clash, with boss Chris Hughton keen to have both available to play some part in proceedings.

It is obvious that Birmingham are are stronger unit at St Andrew’s as they have yet to be beaten at home but they managed a creditable 2-2 draw away at Blackpool last time out and will look to build on that.

Their midweek defeat to Braga in the Europa League has left qualification out of their hands and it would probably aid their promotion push if they did crash out of that competition (Birmingham 150/1 Europa League Outright).

The Championship table is tight and it looks like it will a tough race for play-off places this term and it would surprise nobody if Birmingham were right in the mix during the run-in to the end of the season.

Victory on Sunday would be a great boost but this one looks like it could be a draw with Cardiff flying at present.

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Totton and Sutton eye Cup shocks

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Bet on the FA CupWhile the focus of media attention is trained on the Premier League for most of the year, the FA Cup is the usually the competition where lower league sides can have their chance to make headlines and rub shoulders with the big boys.

Every side playing in the second round this weekend will be desperate to earn a place in the hat for the third round draw, where they will be joined by teams from the Premier League and Championship.

On Sunday the final four teams will be vying for a spot in the third round, with AFC Totton taking on League Two Bristol Rovers while Sutton United play League One Notts County.

Southern Premier League side AFC Totton will be playing their first ever FA Cup second tie, despite their history spanning 125 years (AFC Totton 4/1 draw 11/4 Bristol Rovers 4/6).

They have had to play five games just to get this far, beating the likes of Fleet Town, Clevedon Town, Weymouth and Bradford Park Avenue.

The game caps an exciting year for the Stags, whose momentum in the Cup has been matched in the league. They are currently in second place and are eyeing a third promotion in seven years since manager Stuart Ritchie and his assistant Sean New took over in 2004.

The club also moved into a brand new 3,000 capacity Testwood Stadium earlier this year, with all tickets unsurprisingly sold out for their clash with Rovers (Totton to win 1-0 11/1).

The fact that Bristol Rovers are also in poor form – taking just four points from their last 18 – increases expectation for an upset. The Pirates began this season among the favourites for promotion but a stuttering start currently sees them down in 18th place in the table.

They received a further blow this week with the news that captain Matt Gill has been ruled out for two months following knee surgery, the latest in a number of injuries to key first-team players that has dogged their season.

Top-scorer Matt Harrold should be fit, though. The striker is 4/1 to net first for Rovers.

Unlike Totton, Sutton United do have some pedigree in the FA Cup. Back in 1989 they defeated then first division Coventry in the third round in one of the most memorable shocks in the FA Cup’s long history.

To this day they remain the last non-league team to knock out a top-flight side and will be eager to have the chance for a repeat should they nudge past Notts County (Sutton 5/1 draw 14/5 Notts County 4/7).

They began their FA Cup adventure with a 5-1 win over Dulwich Hamlet at the start of October and have progressed a further four rounds to get this far.

The two sides last met just four years ago at the first-round stage, Richard Butcher with the only goal on that occasion for the Magpies. A repeat 1-0 win for Notts County is priced at 6/1.

Sutton are a rising force under manager Paul Doswell though. Since moving to Gander Green Lane in 2008 he has led them to two FA Cup first round appearances, the Ryman Premier League title and two Ryman Premier League play-off appearances.

They are also in the middle of a 10 match unbeaten run that sees them riding high in third place in the Blue Square South table – though they haven’t won a game since securing their place in the FA Cup second round against Kettering Town last month.

Notts County, meanwhile, are right in the hunt for a play-off place in League One but have contrasting home and away form. They are unbeaten in their past eight games at Meadow Lane but on their travels they have lost three out of their last five.

Boss Martin Allen has already described the televised game as “like back in the old days when they used to meet up in the market square and put someone in the stocks and throw stones at them or chop their head off.

“We’re lined up, we’re going in on that horse and cart, on that trailer, being led out in front of the nation.”

His side will need to be at their best if they are to avoid a medieval humiliation come Sunday evening.

Value bets: Sutton win @ 5/1
Totton 1-1 Bristol Rovers 1 @ 6/1.

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Whites set for emotional clash

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It’s set to be an emotionally-charged day at Elland Road on Saturday as Leeds United get ready to take on rivals Millwall in another exciting weekend of Championship football (Leeds Utd Evs, draw 12/5, Millwall 11/4 in the Match Betting).

The clash in West Yorkshire will be the first home game for the Whites since the sad passing of former player Gary Speed.

Tributes have been flooding in for the star who helped Leeds win the First Division title in 1992 and there will be plenty more for the midfielder on Saturday.

The Whites head into the game on the back of a 4-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in midweek and there is a big question regarding what formation manager Simon Grayson will go for.

With Jonny Howson being given a more attacking role against Forest in a 4-5-1 formation, there have been calls for Grayson to continue with Luciano Becchio up front and have the likes of Robert Snodgrass and Howson in support.

Leeds were on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline against Barnsley in their last home outing and Millwall will be looking to cause a similar upset on Saturday.

The Lions have not been able to continue their decent form from last season and the London outfit sit in 17th place in the Championship table.

Millwall have been a bogey team for Leeds in the past, having won four of their last five regular league games against the Yorkshire outfit.

However, backed by a packed out Elland Road and with plenty of confidence from that win over Forest, Leeds should come away with the three points.

In another standout fixture on Saturday, Hull City host Leicester City at the KC Stadium in what will be a return to Humberside for Nigel Pearson (Match Betting – Hull 13/8, draw 23/10, Leicester 13/8).

The Foxes boss returned to the East Midlands after making a decent start to the season with the Tigers, who currently sit just two points off the play-off places.

Leicester have looked strong since Pearson’s comeback and go into this one on the back of a 2-0 victory over Blackpool with an impressive performance.

As for Hull they will be looking to avoid a three-game losing run, following defeats to Southampton and Burnley.

Leicester have seemed to have turned a corner under Pearson and considering the strength of their squad, they should edge this clash.

West Ham are unbeaten in their last seven games and it’s up to Burnley to put an end to their run at Upton Park on Saturday (West Ham 4/7, draw 14/5, Burnley 5/1 in the Match Betting).

Under manager Sam Allardyce, the Hammers are starting to look a formidable force with the likes of Kevin Nolan and Carlton Cole in fine form.

Burnley look like they have been able to get their act together in recent weeks with decent wins over Ipswich and Hull, scoring seven goals in the process.

However, Upton Park is a tough place for any side in the Championship to get a result and, despite their recent improvement, Burnley will be lucky if they can get a point in the capital.

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Blues to make a point on Tyneside

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There are seven Premier League matches on Saturday with league leaders Manchester City likely to secure three points against Norwich at the Etihad Stadium, but the stand-out games in our treble sees the under-fire Andre Villas-Boas take his Chelsea side to Newcastle, rock-bottom Blackburn host Swansea and Manchester United travel to Aston Villa.

NEWCASTLE V CHELSEA (12.45pm)

It is set to be an emotional afternoon on Tyneside as the Magpies play their first game since the sad and untimely death of former midfielder Gary Speed.

And, while the club’s planned tribute has been put back until the visit of Swansea on December 17 at the request of Speed’s widow Louise, there will still be a highly-charged atmosphere at St James’ Park with a 50,000-plus sell-out crowd guaranteed earlier in the week.

On paper it is possibly the last place Villas-Boas will want to take his embattled Chelsea side following a dismal run of form which has raised question marks over his future at Stamford Bridge only a few months after he replaced Carlo Ancelotti.

The Blues have lost five of their last nine games in all competitions, although they did thrash Wolves 3-0 at home in the league last weekend to remain 10 points behind leaders Manchester City.

Villas-Boas, who will have his skipper John Terry back from suspension for the game, will be encouraged by Chelsea’s good form against Newcastle as they have gone eight games unbeaten against them stretching back to May 2006.

However, Alan Pardew will feel it is the right time for his Newcastle side to take maximum points off the Londoners, despite again being without injured midfield talisman Cheick Tiote.

A point at Manchester United last Saturday means the Magpies have lost only once in 16 Premier League games and they are also formidable at home with just one defeat in front of their own fans so far in 2011.

A close game is in store and with the two sides sharing the spoils in both league fixtures last season, we expect that trend to continue on Saturday.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 12/5
Value Bet: Ba 1st Goal 1-1 Scorecast @ 33/1

BLACKBURN V SWANSEA (3pm)

A game of massive importance for Steve Kean’s Blackburn at the wrong end of the Premier League sees Swansea arrive at Ewood Park on Saturday.

The Rovers boss has pin-pointed this game as his side’s ‘Cup Final’ following their Carling Cup exit at the hands of Swansea’s South Wales neighbours Cardiff on Tuesday as he bids to drag the team off the foot of the Premier League.

Kean opted to keep defensive trio Christopher Samba, Martin Olsson and Michel Salgado fresh for the game following their recovery from respective hamstring problems and he will no doubt hope they can make the difference.

Rovers, who are four points adrift of safety, have only won one game in 13 league outings to date; they have lost their last three games at Ewood Park and have gone 16 games without keeping a clean sheet.

However, Kean can take heart from the fact that Brendan Rodgers’ side arrives with the worst away record in the Premier League, with just two points from a possible 18, while they have failed to score in their last three winless games.

Striker Danny Graham and full-back Angel Rangel are notable absentees as the Swans aim for a first win at Ewood Park since September 1971.

Rovers have won 13 of the 16 previous home games against Swansea, who have remained unbeaten against teams in the bottom-half of the Premier League this term.

There are pros and cons for both sides which makes it difficult to pick anything between them.

However, we’ll give Kean the benefit of the doubt to rally his troops to pull out a result in what he has virtually admitted is a must-win encounter – but don’t expect it to be pretty!

Prediction: Home Win 90 Minutes @ 6/5
Value Bet: Yakubu 1st Goal 1-0 Blackburn Scorecast @ 25/1

ASTON VILLA V MAN UNITED (5.20pm)

The late Premier League game is historically an away-day banker for Sir Alex Ferguson’s United at Villa Park, where they have not lost since the opening day of the 1995-96 season.

However, the Red Devils go into this latest game on the back of some suspect results at Old Trafford with draws against Benfica and Newcastle followed up by Wednesday’s shock 2-1 Carling Cup exit at the hands of Crystal Palace.

United fans will argue that the team which was defeated by the Eagles contained 10 changes, but the first-choice players have hardly been firing on all cylinders despite them suffering only one defeat in 16 league games.

They have scored just one goal in each of their last six league games, while Wayne Rooney (7/2 First /Last Goalscorer) has not found the target in the last seven.

Villa boss Alex McLeish will look to put one over on his former Aberdeen manager and improve a league record of just one win in 29 matches against United.

However, his side are not in the greatest form going into the match with just five points taken from their last six outings.

Skipper Stiliyan Petrov is set to return to the midfield engine room, whilst McLeish will hope Darren Bent (7/4 Anytime Goalscorer) can add to the five goals he has scored at Villa Park so far this season.

The last three games at Villa have ended in draws, but we fancy United to nick the three points given that the match kicks off later and they will have the incentive of trying to stay within five points of neighbours Manchester City who are well fancied at 2/11 with Totesport to defeat Norwich in the 3pm kick-off.

Prediction: Away Win 90 Minutes @ 8/11
Value Bet: Man United To Win 2-1 Correct Score @ 6/1

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