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Spurs to continue winning streak

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After another interesting week of European action the Premier League returns on Saturday, with eight matches in total. While Manchester United v Newcastle might be the standout game, we look at three which might offer a bit more value for money, headed by in-form Tottenham.

West Brom v Tottenham (3pm)

After taking a beating at the hands of the two Manchester clubs in their opening two matches, Tottenham have been on a storming run of form which has seen them climb up to third in the table. Monday’s win over Aston Villa was as complete a performance as Harry Redknapp could have wished for on his return to the dugout. The likes of Luka Modric, Scott Parker and Gareth Bale have all be in excellent form and they look set to carry that into Saturday’s clash at the Hawthorns.

The Baggies might have won last week against Bolton, but they looked so tame before that against Arsenal and Liverpool that you can’t help but fear for them.

You know what you are going to get with Roy Hodgson’s team, a well drilled unit that will be tough to break down. However, going forward they have looked decidedly toothless without Peter Odemwingie, who looks unlikely to face Spurs.

If recent performances are anything to go by Tottenham will probably have this game wrapped up at half time, therefore the bet to go for could be Spurs HT/FT @ 15/8.

Bolton v Everton (3pm)

With six points separating 17th-placed Bolton and Aston Villa in eighth, both these clubs know a win at the Reebok Stadium could shoot them up the league and give them a bit of breathing space.

Bolton’s problems have been well documented this season, the Trotters starting the campaign with a run of results against Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea that have seriously dented their confidence.

While their last home game resulted in a 5-0 win over Stoke, Everton will be a much tougher nut to crack. Last week’s defeat to West Brom might have knocked some of the stuffing out of Owen Coyle’s men and the Toffees come into this game off the back of a win over Wolves.

Much like Bolton, Everton have had a nasty run of fixtures, which saw them play Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea all before November arrived. However, against teams in and around them David Moyes’ men have done the business, winning four out six against those sides in mid-table. With that in mind Everton to win @ 13/10 looks a good price.

Norwich v Queens Park Rangers (3pm)

These two teams have made very respectable starts to life back in the Premier League after promotion last season, Rangers picking up 15 points and the Canaries just two less. In their two meetings in the Championship last season it was Norwich who got the better of things, beating QPR 1-0 at home and picking up a point at Loftus Road.

At home this season, Norwich probably haven’t picked up as many points as they would have liked, winning just two of their six matches on their own patch so far. In contrast, Neil Warnock will be very pleased with R’s away form, aside from a 6-0 defeat to Fulham. The Hoops have won three out of six on the road, including last week’s impressive victory against Stoke.

On paper these two look fairly well matched. QPR might have a few more star names but Norwich have proven how much a club can achieve if they share a mindset and stay as a collective unit. With that in mind, it is time to sit on the fence and plump for the draw @ 23/10.

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Atletico no match for Real

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It is not too long until the first ‘El Clasico‘ of the La Liga season and both Real Madrid and Barcelona are in action on Saturday night with three points separating the two sides at the top of the table.

And, perhaps surprisingly, that difference is in the favour of the capital side despite them suffering a defeat earlier on this season, although Barcelona remain marginal favourites at 5/6 to win a fourth league title on the bounce, with Real priced at 10/11.

On the face of it, Jose Mourinho’s men would have the trickier of the two matches as they take on city rivals Atletico Madrid at 19:00 GMT, although they do have home advantage at the Santiago Bernabeu – and a rather impressive recent record.

It has been a huge 12 years since Atletico managed to overturn their illustrious city rivals, coming away from the Bernabeu with all three points following a 3-1 win in October 1999, which at the time made it back-to-back wins after victory by the same scoreline at the Vicente Calderon at the end of the previous season.

Two successive draws followed but Real have been dominant in the head-to-head record, winning 15 of the 21 games since their last defeat – and it is hard to see anything changing on Saturday.

Not withstanding the fact that there is a vast difference in the wealth of the two clubs, Real have scored 24 goals in five games at the Bernabeu in La Liga this season with their only blemishes coming on the road, drawing at Racing Santander and losing at Levante.

Their Champions League form has been equally impressive, winning five out of five, and they will go into the match on the back of a 6-2 drubbing of Dinamo Zagreb last Tuesday.

It is hard to see Real being overturned by Atletico at the best of times, particularly with the visitors enduring something of a transition having lost Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan last summer – so it is no surprise to see Real installed as 1/5 favourites, with Atletico on offer at 12/1 and the draw at 11/2.

That may seem like a massive price on the visitors getting something from a derby game where ‘form goes out of the window’ but Atletico have been awful on the road this year, with just one draw and four defeats from five games.

Los Colchoneros also find it nigh on impossible to find the back of the net with just two goals from those five games, with both coming in the same match, so Real winning to nil has to be considered – last year’s 2-0 home win in this fixture is priced up at 11/2.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been prolific again this season and needs to be considered in the goalscoring betting, having notched 14 in 12 in the Primera Liga this season – although that is reflected in the betting as he is the 9/4 favourite to score first.

It looks as though the pressure will be on Barcelona when they take to the field at 21:00 GMT to keep within three points of the leaders when they take on Getafe – but they are not expected to run in to trouble, priced at 1/5 in the match betting, with the hosts available at 12/1 and the draw at 11/2.

There is not much to say about Barcelona and how good they are and can be, particularly with the world’s best footballer in Lionel Messi (7/4 to open the scoring) in their ranks, but this season they have run into one or two problems on the road.

The Catalan giants remain unbeaten this season but are behind Real in the table because they have suffered four draws, three of which have come on their travels.

Scoring on the road has not been as easy either with eight away goals dwarfed by a huge unanswered 30 at the Nou Camp, with opposing teams’ game plans proving hard to break down.

It is worth noting that although Getafe are lying in 15th place in the table, they have only lost one at home this season – also picking up two wins and three draws – and have proved no easy beats at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez this term.

Messi on his own could make a mockery of the form if he has one of those days, and he is by no means the only talent in the side, but Getafe might be able to do their near-neighbours Real a favour this weekend by replicating their 2007 success.

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Rams to go under the Hammers

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Saturday’s Championship action is littered with matches where the opposing sides are closely matched and picking a winner is difficult. But here is our treble selection for the weekend’s games, headed by promotion hopefuls West Ham.

West Ham v Derby (5.20pm)

The televised game sees second-placed West Ham up against a Derby side that has slipped down the Championship table, following a disappointing run of form since the early October international break.

Sam Allardyce’s men are enjoying a good spell of late and will aim to make it three successive wins against the Rams, having already made their best start to a league campaign for 17 years. Allardyce should have Carlton Cole, Matt Taylor and Joey O?Brien available for the game at Upton Park, while Guy Demel is also fit and in contention for the Hammers.

Nigel Clough’s Derby are looking to avoid a fourth straight defeat, as they have managed just one win in nine matches since the end of September, which has seen them plummet from second position to 11th in the table – 10 points behind the Hammers.

The Rams’ injury problems have not helped their cause, with strikers Theo Robinson, Nathan Tyson and Steven Davies all absent. However, Tamas Priskin is set to make his debut having joined on loan from Ipswich.

The Hammers’ have only lost once to Derby in 15 league meetings over the last 13 years and it looks highly unlikely that the visitors will improve on that statistic this weekend.

Prediction: Home Win 90 Minutes @ 2/5

Value Bet: West Ham 3-1 Correct Score @ 10/1

Hull v Burnley (3pm)

This KC Stadium encounter has got a home banker stamped all over it, as Nicky Barmby will take charge of his first home match since taking over as caretaker boss.

The sixth-placed Tigers will look to follow up last weekend’s win at Derby with a fourth victory in six matches, to keep pressure on the teams above them in the play-off places in what has been a decent run of late.

Barmby will be without the likes of suspended Aaron McLean and injured quartet Martyn Waghorn, Martin Pusic, Seyi Olofinjana and Richard Garcia, but Andy Dawson is due back for his first game since September.

The Clarets cross the Pennines in a desperate run of form with the pressure starting to mount on boss Eddie Howe. Four successive defeats have left Burnley just one place and two points outside of the relegation places, while they have only scored one goal in those matches.

However, while you have got to look at the home win market, Burnley do have the omens on their side as they have won their last four encounters against Hull, scoring 11 goals in the process.

Prediction: Home Win 90 Minutes @ 10/11

Value Bet: Fryatt 1st goal / Hull 1-0 Scorecast @ 22/1

Portsmouth v Leicester (3pm)

It’s the clash of the two new boys at Fratton Park on Saturday, as Michael Appleton will take charge of his first home game in charge of Pompey and Nigel Pearson will preside over his first away game since his recent return to the King Power Stadium.

The two managers had very different first games in charge as Appleton watched his side lose 2-0 at Watford, while Pearson’s Foxes romped to a 3-0 win against Crystal Palace last Sunday.

It is a tricky fixture to call because Portsmouth might be struggling and currently sit just three points above the dreaded drop zone, but their home form is pretty good as they boast three successive league wins ahead of this match.

Appleton has also drafted in loan reinforcements to strengthen his side, in the shape of Joe Mattock and George Thorne from his former club West Brom. Abdul Razak is set to start in place of ankle injury victim, skipper Liam Lawrence, while Hermann Hreidarsson also misses out.

Pearson could bring Sol Bamba back in his defence for the match following a one-match ban and Lee Peltier is also fit, as Leicester go in search of a fourth win in six league games at Fratton Park and a fifth win in nine Championship outings.

Don’t be fooled by those encouraging stats, though, as Pompey ran out convincing 6-1 winners in the corresponding fixture last season. But the clincher is that Leicester have already drawn half of their eight away games to date and, with Appleton desperate not to lose his first match in charge in front of the home fans, back both teams to take a share of the spoils.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 12/5

Value Bet: Leicester/Draw HT/FT @ 16/1

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AVB out to stop the rot

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Despite being at the early stage of his tenure with Chelsea, under pressure manager Andre Villas-Boas has described their Champions League encounter with Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday as a ‘massive game’ (Bayer Leverkusen 5/2, draw 12/5, Chelsea 23/20).

The Portuguese boss has been on the losing side in three of his last four Premier League outings with the Blues, who now find themselves 12 points off the pace from frontrunners Manchester City.

A 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge to Liverpool has heightened pressure on the 34-year-old but his side have a chance to get back to winning ways against their Bundesliga opponents.

Chelsea travel to the BayArena with an unbeaten record in the Champions League this term and a victory over Bayer Leverkusen would put them in a strong position at the top of Group E.

The Blues ran out comfortable 2-0 winners in the game at Stamford Bridge between these two sides and the German outfit never really looked like causing Chelsea too many problems.

It will be a different challenge to take on Leverkusen in their own back-yard but despite their poor form, AVB’s side is still packed with quality and have plenty of experience of playing on the continent.

Striker Daniel Sturridge (11/2 first goalscorer) bagged himself another Premier League goal on the weekend and it will be interesting to see if he has done enough to earn himself a starting role on Wednesday night.

Fernando Torres continues to struggle for goals, whilst Didier Drogba has not looked like the same player that has lit up the competition in the past.

Chelsea are struggling for goals and one of these players will need to take their chances if the Premier League outfit are to get a result at the BayArena.

Leverkusen are unbeaten in their last three games in the Bundesliga and Blues old boy Michael Ballack has been knocking the goals in for them in recent weeks, and will be keen to get one over on his former employers.

However, judging by their first encounter, Chelsea should have enough to win this game and all but seal their place in the knockout stages of the competition and relieve the pressure on AVB.

Arsenal also continue their journey in Europe as they host German opponents of their own in the form of Borussia Dortmund (Arsenal Evs, draw 13/5, Dortmund 11/4).

The Gunners would also take great strides towards reaching the latter stages of the Champions League if they can pick up three points at the Emirates.

Arsenal managed to squeeze out a 1-1 draw in the previous meeting between these two sides, when they were denied all three points by a late equaliser.

The north London side were dominated for much of the game but at home they should be able to keep hold of the ball more and create more chances.

Skipper Robin Van Persie (7/2 first goalscorer) has scored 10 goals in his last five outings in the Premier League but has only bagged one goal in the Champions League group. The Dutch international is carrying the team at the moment and he will have to have another big game for Arsenal to win this one.

Dortmund will more than likely look to attack Arsenal on the break, which is where manager Arsene Wenger’s side look vulnerable.

This is set to be another close encounter between to fairly matched teams but Arsenal might have the edge to win this one and continue their decent run.

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Bluebirds set to soar at the Ricoh

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There are two Championship fixtures on Tuesday evening which could have ramifications at both ends of the table as Birmingham host Burnley, while Cardiff can go third if they avoid defeat at a Coventry side entrenched in the relegation zone (totesport – Championship).

Coventry v Cardiff (7.45pm)

The Sky Blues host the Bluebirds at the Ricoh Arena with the two sides desperate to secure three points for very different reasons.

Andy Thorn’s Coventry side threw away a lead on Saturday to go down 2-1 against high-flying West Ham on home soil and remain in second-bottom spot  – but six points behind Burnley in the final position of safety with a far inferior goal difference.

However, their hopes of securing a much-needed win will not be helped by the arrival of Malky Mackay’s in-form Welsh outfit, who arrive on the back of a 2-1 victory at Reading on Saturday – a third successive win.

Coventry were very unfortunate to lose against the Hammers at the weekend as Sam Allardyce’s men came from behind with two lucky goals.

Therefore, Thorn is looking for a similar performance from his players, whilst hoping Lady Luck shows here face for his charges as they bid for a first win in seven attempts.

However, Cardiff are one of the in-form teams of the division at the moment and they know even a draw at the Ricoh Arena will take them above Middlesbrough and into third place, while a win will see them move to within a point of West Ham, albeit having played a game more.

On that basis it is difficult to see anything other than an away win, but don’t expect Coventry to roll over without a fight. And, if they do get the rub of the green, it would not be a massive surprise if they nicked a point.

Prediction: Away Win 90 Minutes @ 21/20
Value Bet: Coventry/Cardiff HT/FT @ 25/1

Birmingham v Burnley (7.45pm)

Chris Hughton’s Blues continue to play catch-up in the Championship in terms of the number of games played due to their Europa League involvement and in making ground on the play-off places.

And, they have a perfect chance to move within two points of the top-six, whilst still possessing two games in hand over the majority of teams above them, when playing host to struggling Burnley on Tuesday at St Andrew’s.

Blues blew two points at the weekend when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Peterborough on home soil despite dominating the entire game.

Hughton admitted it felt like a defeat, while goal scorer Marlon King stressed that the side must be more clinical in front of goal in future matches if they are going to achieve their aim of returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

The point for City means they have now gone three games without a league win and they will be desperate to put things right this week.

Burnley arrive in a desperate run of form having slipped to a last-gasp 2-1 defeat against Leeds at Turf Moor at the weekend – a third straight Championship defeat.

It leaves the increasingly under-pressure Eddie Howe’s men just outside the relegation places – two points ahead of third-bottom Bristol City – and in dire need of a result.

However, their plight has not been helped by the loss of striker Charlie Austin to a dislocated shoulder injury suffered against Leeds which could sideline him for a spell.

So, with both sides in need of the points, the outcome will be determined by the quality on the pitch and, if Birmingham can produce a similar display to the Posh encounter on Saturday, they will certainly not be denied the win on this occasion.

Prediction: Home Win 90 Minutes @ 4/5
Value Bet: Birmingham 3-1 Correct Score @ 14/1

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Manchester duo in for tough night

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Champions League action returns this week and with the group stages reaching a climax, the top two clubs in England will be looking to confirm their places in the knockout stages on Tuesday.

Manchester City made a slow start to what was seen as the group of death but have now been cut into 5/1 to win Group A after back-to-back wins over whipping boys Villarreal.

The Premier League big spenders have dominated domestically so far, opening up a five-point lead in the table, but have failed to transfer that free-scoring form onto the European stage.

The match betting suggests City will fight Bayern Munich for top honours in the group in the final round of matches, with Roberto Mancini’s men priced at 21/20 to win in 90 minutes.

However, Napoli have a tremendous record at the Stadio San Paolo in European competition and look the value bet at 11/4 to make home advantage count, while the draw is on offer at 12/5.

Beating Villarreal has not been a problem for any of the other three sides so far so two wins on the bounce is little to write home about for City, especially as they needed an injury-time winner to secure a win at the Etihad in the first of those meetings.

Although flying high in the Premier League, Roberto Mancini’s men were well-beaten by Bayern Munich in September – and are still dealing with the fallout to a degree in the sense that Carlos Tevez has gone AWOL – while the Citizens were held by Napoli in Manchester in the opening game of the group.

The Azzurri’s counter-attacking style posed plenty of problems for City that day and with the FA Cup holders facing group leaders Bayern in the final round of matches, they are likely to be going for the win rather than relying on getting something out of their finale to make the knockout stages.

That could leave their defence, which has struggled to keep clean sheets, exposed again while Walter Mazzarri’s men have already proved they are no easy-beats having held Bayern in Italy to a 1-1 draw.

Napoli, who beat Villarreal 2-0 in their home opener, are actually unbeaten in 10 home matches since returning to European competitions in 2008 after 13 years, while Tony Kroos’s early strike for Bayern ended a run of 573 minutes in without conceding a goal at home in Europe.

City have yet to win away against a Serie A side, with their last three matches all ending 1-1, but this is not your average side and Mancini has of course got a wealth of options at his disposal.

Still given Napoli’s home record it is hard to see value in City’s price so the Italians at 11/4 offers plenty of value, with the draw next best at 12/5.

Group C is perhaps a lot tighter than many people had envisioned with Manchester United and Benfica topping the group on eight points, while there is a distinct possibility that Basel could make it three teams on 11 points come the end of the group stage.

These two played out a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture in the opening round of matches with Benfica having the best of the game, but United are 8/15 favourites in the match betting to make home advantage count.

The 2011 beaten finalists do have a tremendous home record in the competition, having tasted defeat just once in their last 34 matches, with Benfica available at 6/1 to upset that run and the odds, while the draw is on offer at 3/1.

United have never lost at home to Portuguese opposition either but there has been a change in attitude in Sir Alex Ferguson’s side since they suffered the embarrassing 6-1 defeat at home to arch rivals City.

The defence had been living a charmed life up to that point – Basel were unlucky to only get a point after scoring three at Old Trafford – and the City humiliation has changed the thinking at the club.

United have not conceded a goal in the five matches since the derby nightmare so do not expect a gung-ho approach, particularly with Benfica yet to taste defeat on their travels in Europe this season.

United have been grinding out narrow wins without impressing anyone other than for the fact that they are winning without playing well, but Benfica are perhaps not in the best nick either – having been held by Basel at home last time out.

The Portuguese giants have been relying heavily on the goal-scoring talents of Rodrigo so if United can keep him quiet, another narrow win is on the cards.

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Malaga to cash-in on Santander

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In Monday evening’s only Spanish Primera Liga clash Malaga will look to secure maximum points at Racing Santander at the fourth time of asking in recent meetings.

Manuel Pellegrini’s Malaga side occupy sixth position in the standings at the time of writing and can move to within four points of current third-placed side Valencia with a victory against Racing.

The Chilean coach’s options are limited due to the loss of key men such as Julio Baptista and Kris Stadsgaard due to respective injury problems, while he could also be tempted to make some changes as several of his players have returned from international duty over the past few days.

Ruud van Nistelrooy, Enzo Maresca and Sergio Sanchez could all gain a start in the game.

Malaga’s target of a top-four finish and Champions League qualification this season was hindered by a draw against Real Betis in the Andalucian derby last time out. Therefore three points are the target on this occasion in order to keep pressure on the teams above them.

However, that mission will not be helped by the fact that Racing have a decent record against them and they will be hoping to continue that at the Estadio El Sardinero as they need points for very different reasons.

Hector Cuper’s side currently occupy third-bottom spot and could find themselves in deeper trouble should Sunday’s results go against them.

They go into the match without the suspended striker Ariel Nahuelpan, whilst Lautaro Acosta, Kennedy Bakircioglu and Jairo Samperio are all out due to injury.

However, Cuper is boosted by the return of Papakouli Diop from suspension and veteran midfielder Gonzalo Colsa is set to play for the first time this season after surgery as they look to go one better than the goalless draw with fellow strugglers Granada a fortnight ago.

It looks like the scene is set for Malaga to secure three points at Racing Santander, although the recent form guide suggests it will be a tricky test for Pellegrini’s men.

Racing have picked up five points from their last three games, including a win against Real Betis and draw at Seville, while Malaga have been rocked by the loss of Baptiste to a foot injury which will sideline him for another month.

And, Pellegrini summed up how difficult it will be for his Malaga side to come out on top when he said: “They’re not an easy opponent, we’re prepared for a difficult, close game tomorrow, where the difference will be minimal.”

With that in mind, we feel the likely outcome will be another share of the spoils in this Monday night showdown.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 9/4
Value Bet: Draw 1-1 Correct Score @ 11/2

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Goals galore on Redknapp return

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Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp looks set to return to the dugout for his side’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa on Monday, with the Londoners hoping to extend their unbeaten league run to nine games.

Redknapp has been absent for the past three weeks following minor heart surgery but that hasn’t stopped his team from picking up points. They have won seven of their last eight in the league, meaning they have made their best start since 1990.

With memories of last season’s Champions League adventure still fresh in the mind, Tottenham are desperate for a return to Europe’s premier competition.

They currently sit in fifth place, on the cusp of that magical fourth spot, but with six points separating Newcastle in third and Liverpool in seventh, competition for the Champions League places is set to be intense.

Villa boss Alex McLeish, meanwhile, will be quietly satisfied with his start to life in the Villa Park hot seat. The Scot knew he needed a decent start following his controversial move from city rivals Birmingham over the summer, so eighth place after 11 games represents a respectable opening.

However, the trip to White Hart Lane – a ground where they have won just once in ten years – sees the start of a tough run of fixtures from now until Christmas. Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea all lie on the horizon, meaning those early season points could prove more valuable than first thought.

Tottenham will be hoping that Rafael van der Vaart will recover from a hamstring injury in time to play. The Dutchman has scored six goals in his last six games and is understandably 4/1 joint favourite to net first. If van der Vaart doesn’t make it then Jermain Defoe may get a rare start. Defoe has hit three goals in Tottenham’s last four home games against Villa and is 9/2 to do so again.

Unsurprisingly, with their dazzling array for forwards, goalscoring has not been a problem for Redknapp’s men. They have hit 20 goals in their past eight league games – so over 2.5 goals at 8/13 looks a good option while four or more goals is priced at 7/4.

Villa meanwhile will again be relying on Darren Bent and Gabriel Agbonlahor to supply them with goals. Former Sunderland hit man Bent – now an England regular – has five goals this season and has scored four in six league matches against Spurs. Agbonlahor also has five goals and earned recall to Fabio Capello’s squad for last week’s friendly double header with Spain and Sweden, only for a hamstring injury forcing him to pull out. Villa will hope he has recovered in time for Monday. Bent is priced at 15/2 to score first, while strike partner Agbonlahor is 10/1.

Despite being unbeaten against London clubs in 2011, Villa have yet to win away this season and their price of 6/1 reflects this. The draw is priced at 3/1, with a Tottenham victory 8/15. Value bets may be found in Spurs scorecasts, with Tottenham 2-1 Aston Villa priced at 18/1.

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Eagles test for returning Pearson

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Having spent 17 months away from Leicester City with Hull City, Nigel Pearson has now made a return to the King Power Stadium and his first challenge will be to take all three points against Crystal Palace on Sunday (Leicester City 8/11, draw 5/2, Crystal Palace 4/1).

Pearson was confirmed as the Foxes boss earlier this week following the departure of former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson after a less than convincing start to the Championship campaign.

Leicester currently sit in mid-table and will be eager to close down the gap on the automatic and play-off places before they get too far away in what is once again a very competitive league.

However, three points won’t be easy to come by against a Palace side who have surprised many under their relatively inexperienced manager Dougie Freedman this term.

The Eagles narrowly avoided relegation last season on the final day, however they now find themselves battling in the play-off places and a win over the Foxes would be another big step forward for the London outfit.

Palace will be boosted by the loan signing of Chris Martin, who could make his debut for the club having joined from Norwich City earlier in the week.

The striker proved with the Canaries last season that he is more than capable at Championship level and he will certainly be a danger.

Martins’ introduction will compensate for the loss of talented midfielder Jonathan Williams who sustained a broken leg on international duty with the Wales Under-21 team.

As for the Foxes, they welcome back David Nugent (9/2 – First Goalscorer) following his recovery from a hamstring injury, however Pearson will have to do without the services of suspended Sol Bamba and injured Darius Vassell.

With the return of Pearson, the Foxes should have enough quality to secure all three points this weekend.

Sunday’s other fixture in the Championship sees Bristol City make the tough trip to the New Den to take on Millwall (Millwall 4/5, draw 5/2, Bristol 7/2).

Until their 1-0 defeat to Blackpool in their last outing, the Lions looked like one of the most dangerous sides in the division, with a 3-0 and a 4-1 victory over Coventry City and Ipswich Town respectively.

Darius Henderson (4/1 – First Goalscorer) and Jay Simpson have been in decent goalscoring form and Bristol City’s defence will certainly have their work cut out for them.

Millwall will also welcome Josh Wright into their ranks after he did enough on a recent trial and will be looking to impress if he is given an opportunity by Kenny Jackett.

Bristol City will be looking for their first back-to-back win of the season following their victory of Burnley. Under manager Derek McInnes the club have turned a corner but still have not won a league game at Millwall since 1997 and they may have to wait a bit longer.

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Torres still to silence doubters

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There is much more to Sunday’s big Premier League clash between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge than Fernando Torres with plenty at stake for both sides as they look to fulfill their ambitions this season.

Three defeats so far for the Blues is hardly the start that fans were hoping for under new boss Andre Villas-Boas, with his side in danger of getting left behind the two Manchester clubs as they are already nine points behind the leaders going into the weekend’s round of matches.

There is, of course, still plenty of time to go in the title race but Chelsea cannot afford too many more slip-ups, with Carlo Ancelotti’s second place last year not enough to save him from the axe.

Liverpool themselves were reinvigorated by Kenny Dalglish’s appointment last January but expectations have risen following the huge outlay on players, which so far have not been met.

The Reds have lost just twice this season but are lying in sixth place in the table, three points behind Spurs in fifth who have a game in hand, although a victory on Sunday would see them draw level with currently fourth-placed Chelsea.

The Reds spent big up front in January on Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll, while Craig Bellamy was a summer acquisition, but goals have been a problem with just 14 from their opening 11 games.

This is particularly the case at Anfield with the unbeaten run masking the fact that they have won only two of six games in front of their own fans.

According to the stats, Suarez has had 51 shots in the Premier League this season but only found the back of the net on four occasions – although he has been unlucky in the sense that Liverpool have hit the woodwork a league-high of 10 times.

A current race-row involving Patrice Evra may not be the ideal situation for Suarez at the moment, although he will be going into the game on the back of becoming the first player to score four goals in an international for Uruguay – and is priced at 7/1 to open the scoring, 15/8 anytime.

On the other side is former Liverpool golden boy Torres – who is still trying to justify the £50m that Chelsea splashed out in acquiring his services on transfer deadline day last January – scoring just five goals in 30 appearances.

He failed to score on his debut for the Blues in this fixture last year but has hardly done himself any favours with his comments about his departure from Anfield earlier in the week.

Torres is a 5/1 chance to open the scoring in the match, although Didier Drogba is available again after recovering from an arm operation and the Ivorian is the 9/2 favourite.

Chelsea will not find it easy going as, despite their problems in front of goal, Liverpool have been miserly in defence with just 10 goals conceded and just 38 shots allowed on target, while goals have been hard to come by in this fixture as a whole as well – Under 2.5 goals in the Total Goals betting looks good value at 5/6.

Chelsea have failed to find the net in five of the last seven Premier League games and three of the last four at home against Liverpool, while one of the teams has kept a clean sheet in 10 of the last 11 meetings.

These two sides have met a whopping 28 times in all competitions since 2004, with Chelsea holding the edge with 12 wins to nine, but they have struggled of late and may fail to justify 5/6 favouritism – with Liverpool priced at 7/2 to upset the odds, and the draw on offer at 5/2.

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