Category Archives: news-t

Everton make life tough for United

Posted on by
Reply

There was no Europa League action on Thursday which means a full Premier League programme on Saturday to get stuck into with some intriguing matches lined up, not least the opener of the day when Everton host Manchester United.

Everton v Man United 12.00

United of course will be looking to put the so-many-wrongs of last Sunday’s 6-1 humiliation on home soil to arch rivals Manchester City behind them and are 4/5 favourites in the match betting to do precisely that.

Diehard Red Devils may point to the sending off just after half-time when the score was 1-0 and the fact that three goals were scored in the dying moments as reasons not to get too carried away by the defeat, but defensive frailties have been there for all to see for some time.

Only Chelsea will know how they only managed to score one at Old Trafford while Basel will be disappointed with a 3-3 draw in Manchester after missing a hatful.

Stoke, Liverpool and Norwich may all feel they could have got more than they did as well…but Manchester City put it all together to reap the rewards.

Goodison Park has been a hard place for Unuited to go in recent seasons (not least on the back of a hammering) as Sir Alex Ferguson’s men have picked up just two points from their last three visits.

David Moyes side look a big price at 4/1 to emerge with the three points but given their struggles in front of goal, 5/2 on the draw looks a distinct possibility.

Chelsea v Arsenal 12.45

Chelsea’s good run came to an end at Loftus Road last weekend but they had been reduced to nine men, and even then Andre Villas-Boas’ side created enough chances to win, let alone draw.

Back on home soil, Chelsea will be a tough nut to crack having already won four from four and there is every chance that record will continue against the Gunners (Chelsea 8/13, Draw 14/5, Arsenal 5/1 in the match betting).

The Gunners have shown improved form of late, winning seven of the last eight, but they are yet to win away from home in the Premier League this season, while enduring the division’s joint-worst defensive record after conceding four goals in four games.

West Brom v Liverpool 17.30

Roy Hodgson’s side have started to recover from a disappointing start to the season and should have plenty of confidence going into the clash and are priced at a tempting 3/1.

Successive wins over derby rivals Wolves and Aston Villa have pushed the Baggies up to 12th in the table, and they won this fixture last season 2-1 – despite Hodgson having left Anfield.

Liverpool’s progress has faltered slightly after successive draws but they only have themselves to blame after missing a host of chances against Manchester United and Norwich.

The Reds are evens favourites in the match betting to convert opportunities into three points but given the fact they have only kept clean sheets against sides that have been reduced to ten men, West Brom may well be able at least to secure a draw, currently on offer at 12/5.

Elsewhere, Norwich have shown that they can mix it with the big boys and should be able to justify evens favouritism by recording a third straight home win over Blackburn, who have yet to win on the road this season in the top flight.

Swansea have also surprised many with their start to life in the Premier League and are the only team to have not conceded a single goal at home this season.

Whether that is enough to tempt punters in at 11/10 remains open to question as they have managed just five goals at home, while it is worth remembering that Bolton’s two wins this season have both come on the road.

Sunderland have hardly made the Stadium of Light a fortress this season which makes it tough to call the match against poor travellers Aston Villa, as it is with Wigan and Fulham, who boast just two wins between them, although Man City look to be the day’s safest bet against Wolves at the Etihad, following the second string’s 5-2 demolition job at Molineux in the Carling Cup.

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Home sweet home for Saints

Posted on by
Reply

There is a full programme of fixtures in the Championship this weekend and looking at the top five games which will have an impact on both ends of the table, none come bigger than the St Mary’s showdown between Southampton and Middlesbrough.

Southampton v Middlesbrough (3pm)

We’ll start the preview on the south coast as top-of-the-table Southampton play host to a Middlesbrough side which sits in third spot and three points off the Saints while also boasting the best away record in the Championship to date.

Saints boss Nigel Adkins will hope Adam Lallana shakes off the injury which has ruled him out of the past four games as his side look to bounce back from the 2-0 Carling up exit at Crystal Palace by recording a club record 16th consecutive win on home soil.

However, Boro, who secured a first win in six league games against Derby last weekend, should have skipper Matthew Bates back from injury to bolster a defence which is the tightest in the division with only eight goals conceded to date.

Boro have never lost at St Mary’s but this weekend could see that run end in a close-fought encounter.

Prediction: Southampton Home 90 Minutes @ 10/11

Value Bet: Southampton To Win 2-1 Correct Score @ 7/1

West Ham v Leicester (3pm)

Sam Allardyce’s Hammers jumped above Middlesbrough into second spot on goal difference courtesy of Monday’s hard-fought 1-0 win against Brighton at the Amex Stadium.

And they will be hoping to collect a fourth win in seven league games against a manager-less Foxes side which axed Sven-Goran Eriksson in the week following their dismal 3-0 home defeat to Millwall last Saturday – a second defeat in three outings.

Leicester have not won away from home since the opening day of the season at Coventry, while they have not picked up three points at Upton Park in 11 years, although it is seven seasons since the sides last met in the league.

Allardyce is still without a host of players including Henri Lansbury, Matt Taylor, James Tomkins, Carlton Cole, Guy Demel, Gary O’Neil and goalkeeper Robert Green, but it seems he has enough to grind out results.

But with Leicester still missing defender Matt Mills due to suspension, surely the Hammers will come out on top in this one.

Prediction: West Ham Home 90 Minutes @ 5/6

Value Bet: Nolan 1s Goal West Ham 2-0 Scorecast @ 28/1

Birmingham v Brighton (3pm)

An interesting fixture is in store at St Andrew’s where the two sides have seen their respective fortunes change drastically in recent weeks.

Chris Hughton has overcome a lacklustre start to the campaign to guide the Blues to six straight wins in all competitions to move to within a point of the play-off places with two games in hand.

Brighton, on the other hand, enjoyed a six-match unbeaten start, but have now failed to win in seven which has seen them slide from top spot to 13th in the table.

They will be without Gary Dicker who fractured his fibula during Monday’s home defeat to West Ham. It could be a close game, but with Birmingham on a hot run of form it would be a surprise if they did not come out on top in this clash.

Prediction: Birmingham Home 90 Minutes @ Evens

Value Bet: Brighton/ Birmingham HT/FT @ 25/1

Doncaster v Coventry (3pm)

Looking down the Championship table and while it is relatively early in the season, this is a game that could well be billed as a relegation six-pointer at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Dean Saunders’ arrival as new Rovers boss heralded the start of a mini-revival just before and after the international break as they picked up seven points from his first three matches to jump out of the relegation places.

However, three successive defeats since have plunged the South Yorkshiremen back into the drop zone and they will hope to get back to winning ways when fourth-bottom Coventry arrive in town.

Andy Thorn’s men, who are just a point clear of the bottom three, should be boosted by the return of Gary McSheffrey and Martin Cranie for the game.

However, they have only won one in their last seven games while they have scored just three away goals in six away games to match the same paltry figure Rovers have scored so far on home soil.

It has got a low-scoring draw written all over it.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 9/4

Value Bet: 0-0 Correct Score @ 15/2

Barnsley v Bristol City (3pm)

A game of huge importance at Oakwell as new Bristol City boss Derek McInnes takes charge of his first away match having spent a first full week in charge at Ashton Gate.

It will not be an easy match for the Robins against Keith Hill’s Tykes who are aiming to register their third straight win on home soil. However, with a five-point gap between City at the foot of the Championship and fourth-bottom Coventry, McInnes will not want it to widen anymore this weekend.

City are set to have Cole Skuse back from a head injury picked up in last weekend’s home defeat against Birmingham as they chase only their second win of the season. Barnsley sit five points clear of the drop zone after their recent good run at home, although they were beaten 5-3 at Cardiff last weekend.

Bobby Hassell faces a late fitness test while Danny Haynes and Matty Done are set to miss out yet again.

There are usually goals in games between these two sides – at least five in their previous four head-to-heads – and that could be the case again on Saturday.

It looks a home banker but the outcome could well depend on how well McInnes has got his ideas across to the Bristol City players over the past five days.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 12/5
Value Bet: 2-2 Draw Correct Score @ 14/1

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Palermo lead Euro treble

Posted on by
Reply

There are three top-flight European games taking place on Thursday, with the focus on Italy and Spain and the teams chasing Europe. Those punters who suffered loses on Tuesday and Wednesday may look to salvage some success with a Thursday treble.

Palermo v Lecce (7:45pm)

The home side are currently ninth in Serie A after a solid start to the season, but they are looking to bounce back from two consecutive defeats. Those losses though came away at Roma and AC Milan and a return to home comforts should see the Rosanero get back to winning ways.

Devis Mangia’s men have won both of their league matches at the Stadio Renzo Barbera, scoring five and conceeding just two in the process. Thursday’s opponents will head to Palermo with just one point from their opening five games and low in confidence.

The Giallorossi were leading 3-0 at half-time in their previous game at home to Milan, but crashed to a 4-3 defeat. Prior to that game, Lecce had scored just one goal in their opening four matches.

Suggested Bet – Palermo to win @ 8/15

Espanyol v Real Betis (7pm)

The teams currently seventh and eighth in La Liga meet at Estadi Cornella-El Prat, with nothing to seperate the two sides.

Espanyol are one place below their opponents but only by one goal and are going into Thursday’s game off the back of two impressive wins.

The Barcelona-based outfit picked up 1-0 away wins at Rayo Vallecano and Racing Santander and look to be on the up.

Betis, in contrast, have lost their last four games and have scored just one goal and conceeded eight in that spell.

Suggested Bet – Espanyol to win 2-0 @ 9/1

Athletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (9pm)

These two teams look pretty evenly matched, with Bilbao struggling at home and Atletico poor away from Madrid. One point seperates 11th-placed Bilbao and ninth-placed Atletico and it could remain that way after Thursday’s meeting.

Bilbao have won just one of their four home matches, a 3-1 success over Osasuna, but are unbeaten in their last four games.

Meanwhile, Atletico, expected to challenge for a place in Europe, have yet to lose at home this term but have collected just one point from three away matches.

Suggest Bet – Draw @ 23/10

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Leeds could suffer Blues

Posted on by
Reply

Punters should get Birmingham City onside to continue their good run of form when they entertain Leeds United in the Championship on Wednesday (Birmingham City 11/8, draw 12/5, Leeds United 15/8 – match prices).

A sluggish start to the season has been quickly forgotten about and a run of five wins in all competitions means it is something of a surprise to see Blues trading at favourable odds to pick up maximum points against Simon Grayson’s fellow Premier League promotion hopefuls (16/1 Leeds – Championship Outright).

Chris Hughton’s side showed guts when coming from behind to beat Maribor before collecting back-to-back Championship wins against Nottingham Forest and Leicester City.

Again, they turned defeat around when beating FC Bruges in their own back yard and a double from the in-form Chris Burke yielded another three points from an awkward assignment against basement dwellers Bristol City at the weekend.

Blues have only conceded one goal at St Andrew’s in the Championship in four games so far but will be given a stern test by the potent attacking threat of Leeds.

The West Yorkshire side have scored 13 goals in six Championship away games so far this season but needed a 96th-minute winner to see off 10-man Peterborough at the weekend.

The burning issue for Grayson has to be tightening up his defence on the road – the Whites have conceded 12 goals – because any shortcomings could be exposed by a Birmingham side seemingly adept at retaining possession.

Blues have won all four previous meeting between these two sides at St Andrew’s since the turn of the century – the most recent 2-0 – and should not be dismissed lightly to make it six consecutive wins in all competitions.

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Celtic to come through Hibs test

Posted on by
Reply

It’s been a difficult campaign for Neil Lennon and Celtic (8/15 in the match betting) so far, but things could be looking up and they should see off Hibernian (5/1) on Wednesday to book their place in the last four of the Scottish Communities League Cup.

Lennon’s Bhoys sit 10 points behind Old Firm rivals Rangers in the SPL with the 4-2 defeat at Ibrox in September the low point of the season so far. They do have a game in hand and will hope to claw back that deficit as the season goes on but they can forget about their league woes in midweek when they travel to Edinburgh for the Hibs clash.

A 2-0 win over Ross County in the last round has set up the Easter Road meeting and, while Lennon is expected to make changes for the game, the Northern Irishman insists he is taking the competition seriously and is focused on securing a semi-final spot.

Lennon’s side got a much-needed 2-1 win over Aberdeen on Sunday thanks to Charlie Mulgrew’s winner. He has been a rock at the back and is expected to play in Edinburgh alongside first-team regulars Beram Kayal and Joe Ledley, who all featured against County in September in the last round.

Kayal, in particular, was impressive in the win over the Dons after it was announced last week he had agreed a new, long-term contract at Celtic Park. He has yet to score this season but might be worth a a punt at 4/1 to score anytime in this one.

Looking at the goalscorer markets more closely, Gary Hooper is the 7/2 favourite to score first – as he looks to repeat the feat he managed against Ross County – but better value can be had elsewhere. Ivan Sproule (Hibs) looks tempting at 10/1 to open the scoring while Ledley at 9/1 is attractive for the visitors.

Hibernian will be without on-loan Richie Towell as he can’t face his parent club so that means manager Colin Calderwood must change the side which beat St Mirren 3-2 in the SPL on Saturday.

Mark Brown should start in place of Graham Stack, continuing as goalkeeper for the League Cup campaign, while Calum Booth could return.

Calderwood’s side will be revved up for the clash and will fancy their chances of at least taking the game to extra time but we expect Celtic to come through without too many problems – with the draw/Celtic – HT/FT at 10/3 well worth a bet.

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Potters to rock Reds again

Posted on by
Reply

The round of last-16 of the Carling Cup continues on Wednesday night with four all-Premier League ties. Stoke play host to Liverpool in what could turn out to be a torrid night for the Reds, while Everton will be out for revenge against Chelsea. Wolves face Man City and Blackburn host Newcastle to complete the night.

Stoke v Liverpool 7:45pm

The Potters have had a mixed season thus far, enjoying great success in the Europa League but struggling somewhat in the Premier League. Their best result to date came in the league meeting against the Reds when a Jonathan Walters penalty secured victory for Stoke.

Since being promoted back to the top flight Stoke have not lost to Liverpool at home, picking up two wins and two draws in the four meetings. However, the last time they played host to Liverpool in the League Cup Stoke were hammered 8-0, although that was 11 years ago.

Both managers are likely to makes changes for the clash and while Liverpool’s team might have a few more stars in it on the night, Tony Pulis has recruited wisely and should field a side capable of challenging Kenny Dalglish’s team. Stoke are 11/5 for the win, a great price given Liverpool’s recent form and record in Staffordshire, with the Reds 5/4 and the draw 23/10.

Everton v Chelsea

Up until two weeks ago Everton had a very good recent record against the Blues, avoiding defeat in the last six encounters, a run which included dumping them out of the FA Cup last season on penalties. However, a 3-1 loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge 10 days ago brought an end to that positive sequence, although Wednesday’s meeting gives them a quick chance for revenge.

While Blues manager Andre Villas-Boas has the option of rotating his squad David Moyes finds his hands are tied to a certain extent and will be forced to field a strong team. While the Toffees were somewhat fortunate to get to this stage of the competition, the chance to take the scalp of Chelsea should certainly help to raise their game. Villas-Boas will have a tough job to pick his team up after Sunday, when they played so well with nine men but got nothing from the trip to QPR.

While Everton have never beaten Chelsea in the Carling Cup Wednesday’s game will be as good a chance as any to break that duck. Everton are 9/4 in the match betting, with Chelsea 6/5 and the draw 12/5.

Elsewhere, you’d expect Man City to have a comfortable night at the office when they face Wolves, with Wanderes boss Mick McCarthy having made it clear he doesn’t think the Carling Cup is a priority. The Wolves manager is likely to field a second string and that should be no match for whoever Roberto Mancini sends out. City’s squad will be on a huge high after the weekend and Wednesday could be a long night for the Molineux faithful.

The final match pits struggling Blackburn against high-flying Newcastle in a tough-to-call encounter. The Toon are unbeaten so far this season but showed signs on Saturday that maybe their remarkable start might be coming to a close. Rovers boss Steve Kean could look at this game as a distraction or as a chance for his players to play without the pressure of battling against relegation. Rovers played well against Tottenham on Sunday and it shouldn’t come as a big surprise if they manage to end Newcastle’s unbeaten start.

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Fringe men to lead response

Posted on by
Reply

The Carling Cup last-16 games get underway with four matches taking place on Tuesday evening with the pick being League Two Aldershot attempting to heap more misery on Manchester United just two days after their 6-1 Old Trafford thumping against Manchester City.

A rejuvenated Arsenal face Premier League strugglers Bolton at the Emirates Stadium, while there are two all Championship encounters as Cardiff host Burnley and Crystal Palace face Southampton at Selhurst Park.

However, we will start Tuesday’s preview at the EBB Stadium – also known as the Recreation Ground.

ALDERSHOT v MAN UNITED (7.45pm)

Sir Alex Ferguson will take his shell-shocked side down to face Dean Holdsworth’s League Two outfit looking for an immediate response to Sunday’s derby massacre.

However, the chances are that not many of the players who were battered by City will be on the pitch as the Red Devils (7/2 Favourites Outright) look to progress to the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup.

United eased to a 3-0 win at Leeds in the previous round and Fergie is likely to resort to using his fringe players and youngsters in front of the Sky TV cameras.

Ben Amos could get the nod in goal, while Fabio, Zeki Fryers, Michael Carrick, Antonio Valencia, Ryan Giggs, Ji-Sung Park, Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov could all feature having missed the City debacle.

Paul Pogba is in line for a start, Federico Macheda and Mame Biram Diouf will hope to be involved while youngsters Michael Keane, Reece Brown and Tom Thorpe should be in the squad too.

Holdsworth faces a selection dilemma as the Shots ended a four-match losing streak in the league with a 5-2 win at Dagenham and Redbridge on Saturday.

That side saw five changes made to the usual starting XI as Anthony Pulis, Bradley Bubb, Jermaine McGlashan, Aaron Brown and Adam Smith came in and they will all feel they deserve a crack at facing United.

It should be a moral boosting win for United, but it might not be a stroll in the park if the Shots can find their ‘A’ game in front of a small, but vociferous support at their 7,300-capacity home.

Prediction: Man United Away 90 Minutes @ 1/4
Value Bet: Man United 3-1 Correct Score @ 10/1

ARSENAL V BOLTON (7.45pm)

The only all-Premier League encounter on Tuesday will see changes made by both managers as the bread and butter of league football remains a priority in both camps.

Gunners’ boss Arsene Wenger has witnessed an up-turn in fortunes from his side following a poor start to the campaign and they moved up to seventh in the table thanks to Sunday’s 3-1 win against Stoke.

They go into the game with a psychological edge over the Trotters having defeated them 3-0 at the Emirates last month.

Wenger is set to bring Sebastien Squillaci into the Gunners’ starting XI, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Yossi Benayoun should feature having both been on target in the third round victory against Shrewsbury, although Robin van Persie will be rested following his two-goal heroics on Sunday.

Bolton boss Owen Coyle, whose side won at Aston Villa in the last round, will ring the changes as the likes of Adam Bogdan, Zat Knight, Gretar Steinsson, Fabrice Muamba, Mark Davies, Ricardo Gardner, Gael Kakuta, Ivan Klasnic and Tuncay Sanli are set to come into the team, while youngster Joe Riley will feature in the squad.

The Trotters have lost seven of their nine league games this season so will look to get a confidence boost with a win in north London, but they will have their work cut out.

Prediction: Arsenal Home 90 Minutes @ 8/15
Value Bet: Oxlade-Chamberlain First Goalscorer @ 13/2

Elsewhere, Championship leaders Southampton travel to face high-flying Crystal Palace with changes planned by both managers given the hectic run of league matches the sides are embroiled in.

Saints chief Nigel Adkins will shuffle his pack given that they have a top-of-the-table clash against Middlesbrough coming on Saturday, while Eagles chief Dougie Freedman has used his squad to the full in previous rounds.

With Palace strong on home turf and the Saints on a great run it is difficult to pick a winner and this tie could go the distance (Draw 90 Minutes @ 12/5).

Meanwhile, at the Cardiff City Stadium the hosts will face Burnley looking for a place in the last eight.

The Bluebirds won 5-3 against Barnsley on Saturday, while Eddie Howe’s Clarets ended a poor run of form with a 2-1 win at struggling Coventry so both teams will be in a positive frame of mind.

However, with home advantage, expect the Welshmen to come out on top in this one (4/5 Cardiff Home 90 Minutes).

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Hammers set for Seagulls test

Posted on by
Reply

West Ham United have had to learn the hard way that they will not be walking away with the Championship title this season and the London outfit face another tough test as they go on the road again to face Brighton and Hove Albion on Monday (Brighton 15/8, draw 12/5, West Ham 11/8 in the match betting).

The Hammers will have spent plenty of time on the south coast in recent days, after they were beaten 1-0 in a hard-fought contest against high flying Southampton in their last outing.

Manager Sam Allardyce and his men came away from St Mary’s Stadium with not a point to their name, after Jos Hooiveld headed home from a simple set-piece for Southampton, leaving West Ham in fourth place in the Championship table.

A win over Brighton on Monday would push the Hammers (2/1 Championship outright) up into the automatic promotion places just behind the Saints, who were held by Reading to a 1-1 draw at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday.

Considering the injury problems at Upton Park this term, it has been a credit to Allardyce’s men for sticking to their task and continuing to pick up points.

James Tomkins, Carlton Cole, Guy Demel, Gary O’Neil and keeper Robert Green have been joined by Henri Lansbury and Matt Taylor on the extensive injury list that the Hammer’s boss has had to deal with.

A trip to the AMEX Stadium has been no easy task as many sides have found in the Championship so far, and with West Ham struggling for personnel, it poses a big challenge for the Londoners.

After a storming start to their campaign in England’s second tier, when the Seagulls were continuing their impressive form from last season, they have gone off the boil in recent outings.

Brighton have failed to pick up a win in their last six matches and now find themselves out of the playoff places in 12th position.

The south coast outfit only lost two games at home last season and have tasted defeat just once at the AMEX Stadium this term, while they have played some attractive football in front of their fans.

Scotland international striker Craig Mackail-Smith (6/1 first goalscorer) has carried on where he left off last season with Peterborough and has proved to be an exciting player to watch.

With five league goals to his name so far, the gifted forward will be someone the West Ham defence will have to look out for if they want to head back to the capital with any points.

Brighton boss Gus Poyet could be tempted to give a debut to Gonzalo Jara Reyes, who has joined the club on loan from Premier League outfit West Brom and may add some extra quality into the starting XI.

The Seagulls may have struggled in recent weeks but, at home and with West Ham struggling with injuries, Brighton might just edge this one and push up the Championship table.

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Sunday Premier League Preview

Posted on by
Reply

While much of the attention this week has been on a certain local tussle at Old Trafford, thanks to Thursday’s Europa League encounters there are also four other Premier League games to entertain us on Sunday, featuring teams from the top, middle and bottom of the table.

Arsenal v Stoke

Arsenal will be looking to arrest an alarming trend of European hangovers when they clash with Stoke at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday lunchtime. The Gunners have lost all four of their games that have immediately followed Champions League matches this season.

Stoke were in European action of their own, beating Maccabi Tel-Aviv 3-0 at the Britannia Stadium, and know a win in north London could take them into the top six. Arsenal’s worries this season have mainly been restricted to matches on the road and after winning their last five home games in all competitions, they should sneak this one.

Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Stoke @ 7/1

Fulham v Everton

Fulham boss Martin Jol was left frustrated on Thursday after a controversial red card for Moussa Dembele hampered their attempts to beat Wisla Krakow, David Biton’s second-half goal eventually condemning the Cottagers to a 1-0 defeat.

They do, however, have fond memories of their last home league match – a 6-0 romp against QPR. Everton will be desperate to arrest of run of three straight defeats but have a poor record by the Thames – they have won just one of their last 10 league matches away at Fulham.

Prediction: Fulham 1-1 Everton @ 11/2

Blackburn v Tottenham

The natives are restless at Ewood Park. A run of just one win in eight league games has left the Lancashire club bottom of the pile and a supporter protest is planned for the third home game in succession.

The contrast couldn’t be more stark between Rovers and Sunday’s opponents Spurs. Only a late Newcastle equaliser prevented Harry Redknapp’s men from winning a fifth league game on the bounce last weekend and they once again find themselves within touching distance of the top four with a game hand.

Prediction: Blackburn 1-3 Tottenham @ 14/1

QPR v Chelsea

The lack of a home victory is spoiling what has otherwise been a solid return to the Premier League for QPR. But how the fans would dearly love to break that particular duck against their west London rivals Chelsea.

However, they will be taking on a Blues side in fine form having won six of their last seven league games, scoring 23 goals in the process. The Stamford Bridge outfit have also lost just one of their last 14 league and cup games against QPR and that statistic won’t be changing on Sunday.

Prediction: QPR 0-3 Chelsea @ 8/1

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

United to edge City thriller

Posted on by
Reply

It has been described as the most eagerly anticipated Manchester derby for many years, with the top two in the Premier League going head-to-head with both sides undefeated so far in the league.

Regardless of the opposition, it is not often you get odds against on Manchester United at Old Trafford, so we are going to take advantage by going with the home side to prevail against their city rivals at 21/20.

United have been ruthless so far, scoring 25 goals in eight games. Sir Alex Ferguson will be delighted with the way his summer purchases have settled into the side. Phil Jones looks like he has over 500 league appearances under his belt, whilst goalkeeper David De Gea is getting better with every game and was excellent in United’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield last weekend.

There is no question that this will be the Reds’ biggest challenge of the season so far, but they are likely to respond to the big-game status, as they have done so often in the past. They are unbeaten in their last 25 Premier League home fixtures, with 19 victories coming in those games.

City have almost been as impressive. They do currently sit two points above their rivals at the top of the table and have scored 27 goals in their opening eight games.

Nobody can question that Roberto Mancini’s side are genuine title challengers this season, but their league charge may depend on their progression in Europe though.

The big difference between these two sides is the unity they have inside their camps.

Ferguson is a genius at creating a family at Manchester United, where every player plays for each other – if they don’t he is quick to show them the door.

However, on the other hand, Mancini has had problems dealing with morale amongst his squad this season. Carlos Tevez apparently refused to come off the bench against Bayern Munich last month, whilst both Edin Dzeko and Adam Johnson showed dissent recently after being substituted.

Usually in these types of fixtures it takes one star player to light up the game with a special piece of play, let’s not forget it was this fixture last season where Wayne Rooney scored the goal of the season with his spectacular overhead kick to win the match.

We are going with Rooney once again to score the opening goal of the game at 4/1. He was left out against Liverpool last week and will feel he has a point to prove on his return. The 25-year-old thrives on these kind of games and often saves his best form for the big fixtures.

It is unlikely that both sides will be able to keep clean sheets, considering the attacking quality that is on show in both line-ups.

Take Manchester United to edge the game by 2-1 at odds of 7/1 to lift them back to the top of the Premier League and inflict City’s first league defeat of the season.

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.