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Gunners set to fire at Ewood

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After a busy and somewhat disappointing week of European action, as far as the English sides were concerned, we turn our attentions back to the Premier League on Saturday with six intriguing matches. The day kicks off with Arsenal travelling to Blackburn at 12:45pm, before five 3pm matches take centre stage for what are likely to be close encounters.

Blackburn v Arsenal (12:45)

The Gunners head to Ewood Park off the back of what was a good point at Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League opener. Having been outplayed for much of the game, Arsenal were lucky to take a point against the German champions. That result will have served to boost the confidence of Arsene Wenger’s men though and they will fancy their chances of getting the better of Blackburn.

Arsenal are a decent value 10/11 for the win against bottom club Rovers, who are 10/3 with the draw 12/5. The Gunners will also be boosted by the return of Alex Song and Gervinho from suspension, the latter having looked very lively in midweek. Arsenal will still be missing a number of first team regulars through suspension, as too will Blackburn, but should have enough to see off Steve Kean’s strugglers.

Match bet – Gervinho to score at anytime @ 11/8

Aston Villa v Newcastle

After all the drama of Alex McLeish taking over at Villa Park the Midlands outfit have made a solid start to the season, maintaining their  unbeaten start with a 2-2 draw at Everton last week. They now play host to a Newcastle side who also look to have come on since last season, so this should be a tight encounter.

Traditionally the home side has come out on top in this fixture, with three points staying with the host in seven of the last eight meetings. With that in mind, it is no wonder Villa are 10/11, with Newcastle 10/3 and the draw 12/5. Given how evenly matched the two sides appear to be on paper a low scoring draw looks to be a safe bet.

Match bet – Under 2.5 goals @ 5/6

Bolton v Norwich

Bolton’s start to the season couldn’t have been much tougher and they’ll probably still be licking their wounds after the 5-0 mauling they were on the end of last week against Manchester United. However, they need to get themselves together quickly for the visit of Norwich, a game they should win if their confidence hasn’t taken too much of a blow.

Bolton’s recent home record is poor, with two wins from six, but with a fixture against a Norwich side who already look like they are going to struggle, the Trotters could have found the answer to their prayers. The Canaries have looked good in most of their games, but only have two points to show from their first four games. With Bolton’s Premier League experience you’d expect them to get the better of the newly promoted side, especially as they’ve won all seven of their previous home games against Norwich.

Match bet – Bolton to win @ 4/5

Everton v Wigan

These two have made solid yet unspectacular starts to the season, with Everton so far dealing well with a lack of investment this summer. The Latics were found wanting at Manchester City last week, but they won’t be the only team to get rolled over at Eastlands this season. Latics boss Roberto Martinez kept the majority of his squad together during the off season and they look to have picked up from where they left off at the end of the last campaign.

Wigan haven’t won at Goodison Park since 2005 and have a pretty awful record on the road, hence why they are 6/1 to claim the three points. If Everton are to avoid being sucked into a relegation battle, then this is the kind of game they need to be winning.

Match bet – Everton to win to nil @ 13/10

Swansea v West Brom

The Swans have been so unlucky not to have won a game yet this season, the Welsh outfit pushing Arsenal all the way last weekend. Brendan Rodgers’ side deserved something from their trip to north London and should be full of confidence for the visit of West Brom. The Baggies were a bit fortunate to come away with three points last weekend but with Roy Hodgson in charge, West Brom have looked a more solid outfit.

Even so Swansea’s hard work will give them just reward before too long and Saturday could be the day they finally get their reward of a first Premier League goal. The Swans are 20/21 to score first on Saturday and that could be enough to see them to their first win.

Match bet – Swansea to win @ 13/8

Wolves v QPR

Has the bubble burst for Wolves already? That will be the question on the lips of Wanderers fans after they saw their unbeaten start to the season ended by Tottenham last week. The visit of an upbeat QPR side probably isn’t the fixture they wanted after the 2-0 lose to Spurs, but Mick McCarthy won’t have let his team stay down in the dumps for too long. Wolves are traditionally tough to beat at home but have only taken maximum points twice from the last seven at Molineux.

QPR did everything but score against Newcastle on Monday and Neil Warnock was understandably pleased. With so many new additions it will take time for everyone to bed in, but Rangers should have enough about them already to at least take a point from their visit to the Black Country.

Match bets – Joey Barton – First Goalscorer @ 12/1 and draw @ 12/5

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5 weeks in – 3 key questions

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It’s the fifth weekend of the Premier League coming up and already there have been a whole host of talking points. We attempt to answer three key questions thrown up during the first month of the new campaign.

Can Manchester City maintain their flying start and win the league?

In a word, yes (City 2/1 – Premier League Outright). There were many who questioned City’s apparent defensive-minded approach under Roberto Mancini last season, when they often appeared to win ugly.

However, this season – so far at least – some of their attacking play has been mesmerising.

Plenty of fans and pundits alike will say it’s easy to look so good considering the amount of money lavished on the side by the club’s super-rich owners and, of course, spending nearly £70million on Sergio Aguero and Samir Nasri is bound to make them look easy on the eye.

But City were often difficult to watch last term despite the millions spent 12 months ago, so there seems to have been a sea-change in the tactics at the Etihad Stadium.

Aguero has been the real difference so far and the Argentinian has enjoyed surely one of the best starts to life in the Premier League for a foreign player (7/2 – Premier League Top Goalscorer).

Can he keep it going? The rest of the league will hope not, but if he does, then the league title could be City’s to throw away.

Are Liverpool good enough to break back into the top four?

Seven points from 12 is a solid enough start for the Reds, but Kenny Dalglish’s side could arguably be mixing it with the Manchester clubs at the top with a perfect record so far if it wasn’t for some poor finishing and debatable refereeing over the past month (Liverpool 20/1 – Premier League Outright).

They began well against Sunderland on the opening day and were a Luis Suarez penalty miss away from being 2-0 up at half time, before a disappointing second-half display let the Black Cats back into the match.

Impressive victories over Arsenal and Bolton swiftly followed though, with Liverpool looking every inch a top-four side.

Defeat at Stoke last weekend has dampened down expectations somewhat, despite the fact they missed a hatful of chances to win the game, while Dalglish was very vocal in his insistence they should have had at least one penalty at the Britannia Stadium.

Those decisions tend to even themselves out over the season and, provided the Reds bounce back, Liverpool do appear to have enough strength in depth once again to secure a top-four berth.

Can Swansea, Norwich and QPR survive?

Well, Swansea need to score first before they can even begin to think about staying up (8/13 to be relegated). Four games without a goal is poor by anyone’s standards and, although they have faced Manchester City and Arsenal in that opening period, Brendan Rodgers’ side need to improve up front…..and soon.

Admittedly they have managed two goalless draws so far as well, but it’s not looking good for the Welsh outfit at the minute.

Norwich (8/13 to be relegated) have begun the campaign slowly as well and many people’s tips to finish bottom are sitting just outside the relegation zone after four games. Draws against Wigan and Stoke have been overshadowed by defeats against West Brom and Chelsea, but Paul Lambert’s side have shown signs they can hold their own among the big-boys.

A lack of top-flight experience in the Canaries’ squad is used as the reason to suggest they will not survive, and the fear among the Carrow Road faithful is that that prediction will ring true.

QPR look the most likely out of the promoted trio to keep hold of their top-flight status come next May (6/4 to be relegated).

Neil Warnock now has the backing of an owner prepared to give him funds to strengthen his squad and the transfer-window purchases of Joey Barton, Anton Ferdinand and Shaun Wright-Phillips have added considerable Premier League experience to his ranks at Loftus Road.

Provided these three can inspire the rest, then Rangers should accrue enough points over the course of the season to stay up.

So, to answer the question to this one – no, no and probably!

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City and United turn to Europe

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If you are looking for two genuine Champions League contenders aside from Barcelona or Real Madrid then you don’t have to look much further than the city of Manchester this year. Both City and United have flown out of the traps in the Premier League and now they are about to show the rest of Europe what they are capable of.

Manchester City v Napoli

Four years after the Abu Dhabi United Group bought Manchester City they are finally dining with the big boys at Europe’s top table. Roberto Mancini managed to deal with the pressure put him on by the club’s mega-rich owners to secure Champions League football and is now looking to show what his star studded squad is capable of. If their Premier League form is anything to go by they should be more than a match for Napoli in a game they are 2/5 to win, with the Italians 8/1 and the draw 7/2.

Mancini’s summer editions have given City that extra bit of creativity they were lacking last season, with Samir Nasri and David Silva showing how deadly they can be together in their 5-1 rout of Tottenham. Up front they have added one of Europe’s deadliest strikers in Sergio Aguero, the Argentine having scored six goals in four appearances thus far. Mancini has an embarrassment of riches but these three look as though they will be key to City’s success in Europe.

Despite this being City’s maiden season in the Champions League you’d expect them to at least reach the knock out stages given the amount of experienced campaigners they have in their squad, with Yaya Toure and Carlos Tevez having won the competition.

They have been drawn in a tough group, with Bayern Munich and Villarreal to come, but City start with, on paper, the easiest game they will have in Napoli at home. The Azzuri might have won at Cesena at the weekend but traditionally don’t travel well in Europe, managing one win in five Europa League matches last season. City should win this game, but they will have to keep Edison Cavani, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marek Hamsik quite if they are to assure three points. Aguero is on fire and at 4/1 to score first might be worth a look.

Benfica v Manchester United

United fans must have been laughing when they discovered who they would face in the group stages of this season’s Champions League. With games against Benfica, Otelul Galati and Basel to come you’d be forgiven for thinking they’d virtually been given a bye, hence why they are 2/7 to win Group C.

United will probably be happy to get their toughest group match out of the way first because Benfica are no mugs on their own ground. United know how dangerous Benfica can be having been knocked out by them in the group stages in 2005. However, with Chelsea to come on Sunday in the league and five more matches after Wednesday in the Champions League, Sir Alex Ferguson has hedged his bets for this one and will rotate his squad.

Rio Ferdinand has been left behind, while Darren Fletcher, Park ji-Sung, Ryan Giggs and Dimitar Berbatov are poised to come into the starting XI. United are 10/11 for the win, which seems short when you consider Benfica’s home form – two defeats in 24 matches at the Estádio da Luz.

The Portuguese giants are 10/3 to cause an upset, with the draw 12/5. The Águias might have lost a couple of big names but they recruited well this summer and still have Oscar Cardozo on the books. A draw looks to be a safe bet, a result which will probably suit United.

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Gunners face German test

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Arsenal have a huge European test on their hands on Tuesday when they face Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park in their first Champions League group clash of the season (Dortmund 6/5, draw 23/10, Arsenal 12/5).

The Gunners have endured a slow start to their Premier League campaign with just four points from their first four games in the top flight so far.

Arsenal (16/1 Champions League outright) head to Germany with a win under their belts but it was a less than convincing 1-0 victory over newly promoted Swansea City last weekend that will not fill Gunners fans with confidence.

Having finished in fourth place in the Premier League last term, manager Arsene Wenger and his men have already played in the qualifying rounds of this competition and were able to overcome Italian outfit Udinese over two legs.

That success will have been a good experience for a somewhat new look Arsenal side who will need to draw on that when they take on the current Bundesliga champions.

Dortmund have not made the best start to the defence of their domestic crown, as they currently sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table and this could be a promising sign for the Gunners.

Arsenal’s new signings Per Mertesacker, Mikel Arteta and Yossi Benayoun could all feature for the Gunners but Aaron Ramsey will miss out through injury in what will be a fiery clash.

Wenger’s side will have their work cut out for them but they might just be able to nick a draw to take back to the Emirates.

Tuesday’s other game with British interest sees Chelsea host German opposition of their own in the form of Bayer 04 Leverkusen (Chelsea 2/5, draw 7/2, Leverkusen 15/2).

This will be the first game for manager Andre Villas-Boas with the Blues in the Champions League and the Portuguese coach will be looking to continue his unbeaten record with the London outfit.

Chelsea (8/1 Champions League outright) midfielder Frank Lampard has admitted there is extra pressure on his side to win this lucrative European competition from the club’s owner Roman Abramovich, who has made no secret of his desire to win the tournament.

The Blues have come close in the past, most notably their final appearance against Manchester United back in 2008, but the club are yet to lift the prestigious European Cup.

With Chelsea looking like they are starting to settle under Villas-Boas, they will be full of confidence going into this game, however it won’t be easy against a Leverkusen side who are only two points off the top of the Bundesliga.

Tuesday’s game will see a welcome return for Germany international midfielder Michael Ballack, who helped the Blues secure the first domestic double in their history.

The 34-year-old has plenty of European experience but not even that is likely to stop Chelsea picking up all three points in front of their home fans at Stamford Bridge.

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Eagles to fly at the Palace

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The remaining two Carling Cup second-round ties take place on Tuesday evening with Premier League side Wigan facing a tricky trip to Championship outfit Crystal Palace aiming to bounce back from Saturday’s 3-0 drubbing at Manchester City, while League One rivals Charlton and Preston go head-to-head at the Valley (Carling Cup – totesport).

Crystal Palace v Wigan (8pm)

This is the stand-out contest from the two Tuesday evening fixtures as it throws up the possibility of a lower league outfit dispatching a top-flight side from the competition.

Sunderland, Norwich, QPR and Swansea were notable scalps for Football League sides in the second round and Dougie Freedman’s Eagles have the potential to see off Roberto Martinez’s Latics in south London this week (21/10 Home 90 Minutes).

Palace have made a decent start to their Championship campaign, but things have just started to slide with Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at Leeds following on from a 1-1 draw against Blackpool at Selhurst Park before the international break.

Therefore, they will be looking to get a confidence-boosting win under their belts ahead of Saturday’s league visit of Middlesbrough – who, ironically, they will also face at Selhurst Park next Tuesday in the third round if they progress past Wigan.

Freedman is not expected to make too many changes from the side that lost the five-goal thriller at Elland Road so midfielder Darren Ambrose will possibly start on the bench, while defender Anthony Gardner could be in the squad.

Latics boss Martinez is expected to make wholesale changes to his squad for the long trip to London with James McCarthy poised to return from a knee injury, new signings Shaun Maloney and Patrick van Aanholt could play.

Conor Sammon and former Wolves midfielder David Jones are also set to be handed starting roles, while former Palace trio Ben Watson, Victor Moses and Emmerson Boyce could be denied a reunion with old friends by being handed the night off with Martinez having one eye on Saturday’s game against Everton.

It looks like being a close encounter as Palace have won three and drawn one of their four home games this season, while Wigan’s (5/4 Away 90 Minutes) defeat at Manchester City being their first reverse since April.

Extra-time could well be on the cards while an under-strength Wigan could be the key for Palace to edge them out and progress to round three.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 12/5
Value Bet: 1-1 Correct Score 90 Minutes @ 6/1

Charlton v Preston (7.45pm)

An all-League One affair at the Valley sees high-flying Charlton face an improving Preston side, who sit just outside the play-off places.

Chris Powell’s Addicks have looked all the better for their summer overhaul as the vast number of new faces have gelled in well with the remaining players to see them sit unbeaten in second spot, level on 17 points with leaders Sheffield United.

However, it is on the road where Charlton have excelled as they have a 100 per cent record from three games, while points have been dropped against Scunthorpe and Sheffield Wednesday on home turf.

But, with a trip to Championship high-fliers Southampton awaiting in round three, Charlton can point to the fact they defeated second tier side Reading 2-1 in the first round at home and also recorded a comfortable 2-0 win against Exeter at the weekend.

Bradley Wright-Phillips has again been the key man for the Addicks with five goals in the bag already this season, but with Powell promising “one or two changes” for the game there is no guarantee he will be in the starting XI.

Preston chief Phil Brown has also hinted at some changes for the game with promotion back to the Championship also his top priority for this season.

As a result striker Iain Hume, who played in Friday evening’s 4-3 win against Yeovil despite featuring for Canada on international duty 48 hours earlier, could get the night off to prepare for Saturday’s league tussle at Brentford.

North End (5/2 Away 90 Minutes) are also on a decent run after remaining unbeaten in the five games following a disappointing opening day 4-2 defeat against Colchester at Deepdale, while they came from behind to defeat Crewe 3-2 at home in round one.

As with the first game, it is difficult to call (5/2 Draw 90 Minutes), as both managers are clearly looking to give a several key men a break from the action.

However, Charlton have the strength in depth to cope with a myriad changes and that should be enough to get them marching through to face the Saints at St Mary’s next Wednesday.

Prediction: Charlton Home 90 Minutes @ 21/20
Value Bet: Charlton 2-1 90 Minutes Correct Score @ 7/1

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Toon to extend unbeaten record

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Bet on the Premier LeagueNewcastle United travel to QPR for the Monday night fixture and expect them to extend their unbeaten record against the newly promoted Londoners (QPR 11/8, draw 23/10, Newcastle 21/10 – Match Betting).

Toon boss Alan Pardew will be delighted with his side’s start in the league despite not managing to land any big name signings before the transfer window closed.

They come into the game on the back of a 2-1 victory over Fulham at St James’ Park and have been good value for the points they have picked up so far.

Their most impressive performance this season came against North-East rivals Sunderland in the Wear-Tyne derby. They continued their fine record in the fixture despite going into the game as underdogs, winning 1-0 at The Stadium of Light.

Davide Santon is set to make his debut for the Toon at Loftus Road. The Italian full-back has played seven times for his country and was once regarded as one of the most exciting prospects in the world. The 20-year-old now has the opportunity to express his talents in the Premier League in Newcastle colours. It could turn out to be a real scoop for Pardew who signed the player on a five-year contract.

Leon Best has got off to a flyer this season and the in-form striker should be backed to score the first goal at 6/1. The 24-year-old looked a real threat against Fulham and added two goals to his account on that afternoon. Best is blooming with the quality of service he has received so far and can be trusted to continue his rich vein of form.

The last time Newcastle won at Loftus Road was with a 3-2 victory and the same result is a good bet at 28/1 to occur again. Both sides are capable of scoring goals as neither have particularly strong defences. There has also never been a league game between these two sides that has finished goalless and it would come as a complete surprise if it were to happen this time around.

Neil Warnock is likely to hand a debut to Joey Barton against his old club as well as starts for Shaun Wright-Phillips and Luke Young. Rangers were busy in the transfer window, bringing in half a dozen new players, and it may just take a while for them to gel as a team.

Their start to the Premier League season has been hit and miss. They have had just one win although it was an impressive 1-0 success at Goodison Park against Everton. However, they were well beaten in their opening game against Bolton (0-4) and at Wigan they were very much second best in a 2-0 defeat.

The hosts have yet to prove themselves in the top flight this season and are still one of the teams tipped to be relegated to the Championship at the end of the season.

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Cottagers can add to Kean woes

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The two Premier League matches on Sunday don’t instantly stand out as ‘must-see’ games but, even at this early stage of the campaign, they could be crucial for the clubs involved. Norwich and West Brom are still seeking their first wins of the season, while Fulham and Blackburn have just one point between them…..who will prevail?

Norwich v West Brom (1.30pm)

Norwich have impressed many onlookers with their performances in the opening three games, but they could do with a win to further bolster confidence (Norwich 8/5, Draw 9/4, West Brom 15/8 – Match Betting).

The Canaries looked like securing three points in their first home match, but a late Stoke equaliser denied Paul Lambert’s men and the longer they go without a home win, the more anxious the Norwich fans will get.

This fixture is likely to have been targeted by Lambert as a game they should be looking to win, but they face a Baggies side who have performed better than results suggest.

The fixture list was unkind to Roy Hodgson’s men, who started with back-to-back games against Manchester United and Chelsea. They should have got something from those games, but a disappointing late home defeat to Stoke has left West Brom pointless and in the bottom three.

The return to fitness of Peter Odemwingie (6/1 First Goalscorer) will be a major plus for the visitors and the Nigerian looks likely to form a good partnership with Shane Long, who has already got two goals to his name this season.

This looks a tough one to call on paper and there may be a thought that this is a game that neither team will want to lose, rather than a game they need to win.

Suggested Bet – Draw @ 9/4

Fulham v Blackburn (4pm)

The pressure is mounting on Steve Kean and Craven Cottage is not normally a place you want to go if you are desperately seeking a victory (Fulham 8/11, Draw 5/2, Blackburn 9/2 – Match Betting).

Rovers have made their worst start since 1947-48, when they were relegated, and many pundits are predicting a season of struggle for Blackburn. Even lady luck seems to have deserted Kean’s men, who missed two penalties against Everton last time out and conceded a late spot-kick to lose a third game on the bounce.

The omens don’t look good either for Blackburn, who have been beaten on their last two trips to Craven Cottage, conceding a total of six goals.

Fulham though are hardly pulling up tress, with just one point from their opening three matches with the Cottagers hit hard by injuries. Simon Davies is a long-term absentee, while Bobby Zamora (11/8 to score at anytime) has also had a spell on the sidelines.

The deadline day capture of Brian Ruiz though looks an excellent addition to Martin Jol’s ranks and Fulham should be moving up the table soon. The home side look too strong for a Blackburn squad lacking in confidence and are likely to seal their opening success of the season.

Suggested Bet – Fulham to win @ 8/11

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Saturday’s Premier League bets

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A Saturday seven-time accumulator of Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Draw (Stoke-Liverpool), Chelsea, Draw (Wolves-Spurs) and Manchester United pays a massive 151/1. There are many more realistic ways of making cash on the Premier League, however.

Arsenal v Swansea

The Gunners finally strengthened their ranks on transfer deadline day but will all the new boys face Swansea and will they take time to gel? These are the questions that face Arsene Wenger this weekend as Swansea arrive at the Emirates Stadium still in search of their first top-flight goal since 1984.

Arsenal must show a reaction after being mauled 8-2 at Old Trafford last time out and Wenger will hope that deadline day finally put a cut off marker down on the form that slumped dramatically after Birmingham’s victory in the Carling Cup final last February.

Keeping all eleven men on the field for the 90 minutes will be a step in the right direction for the ill-disciplined Gunners, but without Thomas Vermaelen again, they are still vulnerable at the back.

Swansea are 8/1 to ‘Score in Both Halves’, but Arsenal may still win a close one  – go for 3-2 to the Gunners at 25/1 in Correct Score betting.

Everton v Aston Villa

Mikel Arteta-less Everton face a dangerous Aston Villa side at Goodison Park – so Tim Cahill will take on even more responsibility for David Moyes’ side.

Cahill, 13/8 to score ‘Anytime’, has scored six goals in his last ten matches against Villa, the team he apparently enjoys facing most – but will he be as sharp as usual after a flight back from Australia?

Without Cahill, Everton may have to play a more direct brand of football and this could enable Villa to pinch the points if they are able to spring speedy counter-attacks with their pacy front and wide players.

Villa are 11/4 to win the match in ‘90 Minutes’ and 6/4 ‘To Score First Goal’.

Manchester City v Wigan Athletic

Roberto Martinez can boast the longest current unbeaten run of any manager in the Premier League while the Latics haven’t lost in seven top-flight matches.

But Manchester City have won six straight home matches and were in awesome form before the international break, particularly striker Edin Dzeko.

Wigan may catch City without their eyes completely on the ball as they make their Champions League bow against Napoli on Wednesday, but Roberto Mancini’s men should still win the match.

Dzeko to score first and City to win the match 2-0 is available at 14/1 in Scorecast betting.

Stoke City v Liverpool

Liverpool have scored in all but one of their last 13 away league games under Kenny Dalglish and will offer a much more attacking prospect to travelling fans who witnessed last season’s dismal 2-0 defeat at the Britannia under Roy Hodgson.

The Potters have failed to score in four of their six PL meetings with Liverpool, but can now boast new signing and former Anfield hero Peter Crouch.

Punters who believe former players are destined to haunt their old clubs will be on Crouchy at 7/1 First Goalscorer and 15/8 Anytime.

But Liverpool have scored the opener in all four of their competitive fixtures so far this season and could do so again at 8/11 in the To Score First Goal market.

Sunderland v Chelsea

There could hardly be a more difficult fixture for under-pressure Sunderland boss Steve Bruce after his side lost their last three home league games and seven of their last eight.

He will give ex-Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner a chance to become an instant Wearside hero, but with Petr Cech back for the Blues, the Dane may again draw a blank.

Chelsea have only kept one clean sheet in their last seven Premier League games, so a high scoring match could yet still be on the cards.

A tough one to call so why not plump for Over 2.5 goals at 10/11.

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Tottenham Hotspur

Roger Johnson has made Wolves’ defence a much tougher unit to crack this season – but Spurs can field new signing Emmanuel Adebayor against him on Saturday.

It will be a key battle, as will the midfield scrap between ex-Spurs man Jamie O’Hara and Luka Modric. Spurs cannot afford to lose this one and Wolves are a hard team to beat these days, which could suggest a draw, backable at 12/5 in 90 Minutes betting.

Bolton Wanderers v Manchester United

This match could go the same way as last season’s entertaining and memorable 2-2 draw, which is on offer again at 16/1 in the Correct Score market.

Bolton are going to be well up for the derby clash and will attempt to put constant pressure on United’s error-prone keeper David de Gea.

His chances of keeping a clean sheet look slim, unless he seriously improves his concentration, but expect his team-mates to bail him out if he again drops a clanger.

Ashley Young and Wayne Rooney are quite simply on fire and, if both are selected, will wreak havoc on the Bolton defence.

Young, who grabbed the last goal of United’s 8-2 romp against Arsenal and forced the last goal in their 2-1 win at West Brom, is 6/1 to score the last here.

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Trio can land Friday prize

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There are three key games taking place across Europe on Friday evening, with punters sure to be keeping an eye on developments in England, Italy and Germany. We take a look at the best betting options for the triple-header…….

Preston can make it make it four successive League One wins on the bounce when they welcome Yeovil to Deepdale in leg one of Friday’s football treble.

North End have responded well from their shock home defeat to Colchester on the opening day of the new campaign – and first in the third tier of English football since relegation last season – by clocking up 10 points in four games.

By contrast, Yeovil have managed just one win in League One so far this season – at home to Oldham nearly a month ago – and are priced accordingly at 4/1 in the match betting for what would be a shock away win.

More encouraging for PNE manager Phil Brown, who revealed free agent El Hadji Diouf is training with the club this week, is the that fact his promotion-contenders have not conceded a league goal in 270 minutes.

His only worry is goalkeeper Iain Turner, who scored with a huge goal-kick in Preston’s last outing against Notts County on August 27, because of an elbow injury.

Yeovil boss Terry Skiverton was delighted with the way his side battled to a goalless draw against Tranmere at Prenton Park – the club first clean sheet of the new season – but it is difficult to make a case for the Glovers heading back North on Friday night.

Skiverton, who admitted “my players are going through the pain barrier for me at the moment” last week, has lost strikers Jon Obika and Andy Williams to injury and that can only blunt the Green and Whites as an attacking unit.

North End can be backed at 4/7 to beat Yeovil and are 2/1 to win promotion from League 1 this season, and it is difficult to envisage them flopping on Friday.

In Serie A, AC Milan drew twice in the league against Lazio (Milan 8/13, draw 12/5, Lazio 4/1 – Match Betting) last term – but only lost twice at home all season.

The defending champions are a short price to win on Friday at the San Siro in the opening game of the delayed Italian season, but they look too strong for the Rome outfit.

Finally, Augsburg have failed to win a match in Bundesliga in four attempts since promotion to the German top flight last season – and have not scored in 180 minutes – and on Friday entertain shot-shy Bayer Leverkusen.

The visitors have only netted twice in four games since the start of the new season and it may pay to side with a low goals projection at SGL Arena (Augsburg 3/1, draw 5/2, Bayer Leverkusen 8/11 – Match Betting).

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Scots to keep Euro hopes alive

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After a Saturday’s controversial draw with the Czech Republic, Scotland continue their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign with a crunch tie against Lithuania at Hampden Park on Tuesday, knowing only a victory will do if they’re to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the finals in Poland and Ukraine next summer (Scotland 4/7 to win on Tuesday).

Craig Levein’s side looked as if they were on course for a crucial victory against the Czechs but a questionable penalty awarded by referee Kevin Blom following Jan Resek’s tumble in the box gave Michal Kadlec a chance to level the scores, handing Michal Bilek’s side a point.

To add further insult to injury, the Scots themselves were denied a spot-kick in the closing minutes leaving them bitterly frustrated. The Tartan Army will be hoping Darren Fletcher and his men can channel this anger in a positive manner and get the three points required against an improving Lithuanian side.

Fletcher will undoubtedly be one of the Scot’s key players, driving the team forwards and doing all he can to ensure the victory. The Manchester United man was much derided during the early stages of his career but is now seen as one of the nation’s premier midfielders and with both Charlie Adam and Scott Brown missing through injury and suspension respectively, Fletcher will be looking for a big performance.

Scotland will also be without star striker Kenny Miller who is banned following his yellow card at the weekend meaning Blackburn’s David Goodwillie (4/1 first goalscorer) is likely to be the man charged with leading the line for Levein’s side. The former Dundee United forward has only played once for his country but has the talent to fire them to victory on Tuesday night.

After a decent start to their qualifying campaign, which included an away victory against the Czechs, Lithuania’s (11/2 for the win) form has hit the skids in recent times and their last two fixtures have seen them pick up just a point from two games against minnows Lichtenstein.

Their most notable player is surely Hearts winger Arvydas Novikovas who has been one of the SPL’s brightest stars for the last few seasons. The left-footer has both pace and ability and could cause the Scottish rearguard some major problems.

Another name to lookout for is the skipper Tomas Danilevicuis (7/1 first goalscorer) who despite his age, still has an eye for goal and will be looking to make an impact in what could be one of his final matches for his country.

Following their encouraging performance on Saturday, the Scots will be expecting a comfortable win against the eastern Europeans and will be doing all they can to close the gap on the Czechs going into the final two games of qualifying.

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