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Forest eye automatic places

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Nottingham Forest are looking to extend their six-game unbeaten run in the Championship when they take on Bristol City on Tuesday (Nottingham 4/7, draw 5/2, Bristol 21/5).

Forest have won their last four games in all competitions but it has not come easily for Billy Davies and his men.

Luke Chambers netted in the 89th minute to give his side a 2-1 win over Preston in the FA Cup which was followed by another 2-1 victory over Portsmouth the following week, thanks to two goals in the 87th and 94th minute.

Despite leaving things pretty late, Forest have been playing some of the best football in the Championship and, after having a slow start to their Championship campaign, they have now got themselves into a great position in the table.

The Reds currently sit in sixth but they could sneak into the automatic places if they win their games in hand over the teams above which include Leeds United, Swansea, Norwich and Cardiff.

Bristol City will have their work cut out as Forest will be full of confidence after beating local rivals Derby County last week, thanks to a late goal from Welsh striker Robert Earnshaw.

Notts should come out on top in this one, as they eye those automatic places and promotion back to the Premier League.

There is a juicy South Yorkshire derby as Doncaster Rovers host Barnsley in what should be an exciting encounter (Doncaster 10/11, draw 23/10, Barnsley 5/2).

Both teams play attractive, attacking football so there should be goals in this one. Barnsley played out a draw against high-flying Swansea on Saturday and were unlucky not to pick up all three points.

There were concerns that the Tykes would struggle without their star man Adam Hammill, who moved to Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers, but Barnsley are an improved outfit from last season and they sit eight points clear of the relegation zone and find themselves looking upwards.

As for Doncaster, they have suffered a recent dip in form and have failed to win in their last five outings in all competitions.

Rovers will be determined to get their season back on track and in front of their home fans, against their local rivals, they may well just grab all three points.

In the other game from the Championship on Tuesday, Portsmouth take on Burnley at Fratton Park (Portsmouth 7/5, draw 11/5, Burnley 8/5).

Both these sides have enjoyed their time in the limelight of the Premier League but now it’s back to the toil of the Championship.

This should be a very close game as Burnley, who are still finding their feet under new boss Eddie Howe, have struggled to secure wins in recent weeks while Portsmouth  have failed to win in their last six so a draw looks a good option down on the south coast.

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Can Seasiders halt United run?

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Manchester United will aim to continue their superb unbeaten run in the Premier League when they take on Ian Holloway’s impressive Blackpool side on Tuesday evening (Man Utd to beat Blackpool – 4/11).

The seasiders will have to aim to keep a rampant United under lock and key as they will no doubt seek to come away with all three points.

Blackpool could not have chosen a tougher time to play the current Premier League Champions, who thrashed Birmingham 5-0 at the weekend.

Dimitar Berbatov has now scored three Premier League hat-tricks this season and currently has 18 league goals. (Berbatov to score a hat-trick vs Blackpool – 16/1)

However, Sir Alex Ferguson is still in three competitions with the FA Cup and Champions League on his mind he does have plenty of option to replace the Bulgarian, who he may wish to rest.

Berbatov’s team-mate John O’Shea, speaking after the demolition of Birmingham, said: “Some of the passes he was laying off for Wayne (Rooney) and Nani were great. We just have to supply him because nine times out of 10 he will score.”

Blackpool will still have the services of one of their star talents this season, Charlie Adam, having refused a £4million bid from Liverpool following their loss to Sunderland at the weekend.

Blackpool boss Holloway was less than impressed by the offer from the Anfield club, saying: “I was thinking Liverpool and Charlie. I thought fantastic what a great club for him to go to and then when I heard the bid I thought it was disgraceful.”

For the time being, Adam remains at Blackpool but come Tuesday night Manchester United will almost certainly extend their unbeaten run in the league and Holloway will have more than just transfer speculation to think about. Blackpool are just six points above the drop zone and need to start winning having picked up just three points from their last five league games.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Aston Villa travel to Wigan off the back of a 1-0 victory over big spenders Manchester City at the weekend.

£24million man Darren Bent will want to continue his dream start for Villa after scoring the winner on his debut at the weekend (Darren Bent to score first vs Wigan – 4/1f).

Villa are just three points above the drop zone but surely have too much class in their side to be relegated this season.

Bent, speaking after the City game, said: “People questioned why I joined this football club but look at the players around me.  Ashley Young, Gabby Agbonlahor, Mark Albrighton and Stewart Downing are all players that can create chances out of nothing and as a striker you want that kind of service.”

Wigan, who will be without defender Gary Caldwell following his red card against Arsenal, will want to make sure they don’t suffer back-to-back defeats after the 3-0 thrashing they endured at the Emirates over the weekend.

Roberto Martinez will be well aware of his side’s perilous position, currently in the drop zone, and his own position should results not take a turn for the better soon.

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Blackburn, Baggies, Blues, Bolton

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Bet on the Premier LeagueThere are only two games over Sunday and Monday in the Premier League but both ties should be interesting contests.

Blackburn host West Bromwich Albion at Ewood Park on Sunday as the Baggies look to go level on points with Rovers (Blackburn 6/5, draw 23/10, West Brom 23/10).

New Rovers signing Jermaine Jones is likely to make his debut for the club, having moved on loan from Budesliga side Schalke.

The American midfielder should give a lift to Blackburn in the middle of the park alongside David Dunn who returns from injury.

Rovers will still be without Australian midfielder Brett Emerton, who is away on international duty, whilst Youssuf Mulumbu and Graham Dorrans will miss the match for West Brom through injury.

The Baggies have not managed to win a game at Ewood Park in the last 20 years and were beaten 3-1 last time these two sides met back in December.

Blackburn, with Jones looking to get forward from midfield, will be a dangerous prospect and should win this one, with Roque Santa Cruz looking to get on the scoresheet for the first time since his return to Ewood Park.

Chelsea look like they have started to turn their fortunes around and they will want to make it three wins on the bounce when they travel to the Reebok Stadium to face Bolton on Monday (Bolton 9/2, draw 14/5, Chelsea 8/13).

The Blues will be hoping to have their captain John Terry fit for the clash in the North-West, as the former England captain is recovering from a minor back injury.

Frank Lampard is also a doubt for the defending Premier League champions with a calf strain.

These two players are vital for Chelsea and their absence could make a big difference as to who will get the three points from this one.

Bolton were unlucky not to get a point at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season when Didier Drogba was offside before Florent Malouda slotted the ball home to give the Blues a 1-0 win.

This is going to be a real test for Chelsea to see if they have put their poor Premier League form behind them.

If Lampard and Terry are absent on Monday then Bolton could make life very difficult for Carlo Ancelotti’s men, who will be hoping to close the gap between themselves and the top of the table.

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City favourites in Europa League

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Three British teams will be bidding to qualify for the next stage of the Europa League when the competition resumes next month. Manchester City, Rangers and Liverpool all play their first-legs of the Round of 32 during the week of February 14, with the reverse legs taking place a week later.

Rangers take on Sporting of Portugal at Ibrox in the first leg, with the two teams going into the ties with very different records behind them in Europe this season (Rangers 5/4 to qualify).

Sporting topped Group C in the Europa League, with four wins from their six games including an impressive 2-1 away win at Lille, who finished as the group’s other qualifiers. The Portuguese side scored 14 goals in the round as they won all their three home ties including a 5-1 thumping of Gent and a 5-0 win over Levski Sofia.

Sporting had a major blip in the play-off round when they lost their first leg 2-0 at home to Brondby and looked to be heading out. But they responded in style, winning 3-0 in the return in Denmark to go through.

Sporting sit third in the league thanks to four wins in their last six games, and have three in-form strikers. Helda Postiga and Carlos Saleiro have each scored four goals from nine games this season, while Yannick Djalo has three from 10.

Rangers’ lone success in Europe this season has come from a 1-0 home win over Bursaspor, though the only time they have been outclassed was in the 3-0 defeat to Valencia. They conceded just one goal over two games against Manchester United, so will come into the Europa League with some confidence (Rangers 66/1 to win Europa League).

Since their shock 2-0 defeat at home to Hibernian in November, Rangers have won five of their seven games, the only loss coming in the January 2 Old Firm game.

Manchester City will face a trip to Aris on February 15, with the Greeks having surprised many by pipping 2010 winners Atletico Madrid into the second qualification spot in Group B behind Bayer Leverkusen (City 1/8 to qualify).

Aris beat Atletico 1-0 at home and won the away game 3-2, so they deserved their place in the Round of 32. Fourth in the Greek Super League, Aris qualified by finishing fourth in last season’s play-offs.

The Thessaloniki-based side boast seven current internationals, including Christos Aravidis, Athanassios Prittas and Michaelis Sifakis of Greece and Toja of Colombia.

The Greeks have struggled for goals in their domestic league in the current season, but Croatian striker Danijel Cesarec has scored four in seven Europa League games.

City were level with Manchester neighbours United at the top of the Premier League going into this weekend’s fixtures, though having played two games more (City 4/1 favourites to win Europa League).

They will have few fears of going to Greece, having already won six Premier League games away from Eastlands and finished top of Group A in the last round.

City beat Lech Poznan 3-1 at home and Red Bull Salzburg 3-0 at the City of Manchester Stadium, and finished the group ahead of the Polish team on goal difference.

Roberto Mancini’s side have been second in the table for the past four weeks and went into this weekend’s games having won six of their last eight Premier League games.

Like City, Liverpool must start on the road when they go to Sparta Prague on February 17 (Liverpool 1/6 to qualify).

Sparta were a distant second to CSKA Moscow in Group F, losing just once but only winning two games. They beat Palermo 3-2 at home at Lausanne-Sport 3-1 away, but were well beaten 3-0 by the Russians in Moscow.

Sparta won the Gambrinus liga last season, as well as the Supercup, but are four points behind leaders Viktoria Plzen after the first 17 games of the current season.

Liverpool qualified for the Europa League by finishing seventh in the Premier League last season, but have been hugely disappointing in the first half of the current campaign and axed Roy Hodgson as manager earlier this month (Liverpool 13/2 to win Europa League).

The Liverpool supporters got their wish when legend Kenny Dalglish took over at the helm, but they will need to turn their season around quickly.

Liverpool completed a good 3-1 aggregate win over Trabzonspor in the play-off stage, having seen off Rabotnicki 4-0 in the qualifying round.

In the group stage, they finished top by three points over Napoli having been undefeated in their six games. They only conceded three goals in the round and enjoyed a 4-1 home win over Steaua Bucharest and beat Napoli 3-1 at Anfield.

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Wolves out to pile on Reds agony

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This weekend sees new signing Darren Bent make a possible debut for Aston Villa and Liverpool face a difficult away trip to take on Wolves in what promises to be another fascinating weekend of Premier League action.

Wolves v Liverpool (12.45)

Liverpool simply have to be opposed for what could be a very awkward assignment in the early Premier League game at Molineux against Wolves.

Second-from-bottom Wolves head into this crucial fixture on the back of a 5-0 thumping of Doncaster in the FA Cup and have influential club captains Karl Henry and Jody Craddock back in their ranks.

Wolves have five wins from 11 home games – including victories over Chelsea and Manchester City – against a side with eight defeats on the road already this season (the second-worst away record in the division) and missing Steven Gerrard.

Wolves have the momentum to take the three points and the 15/2 about the 1-0 correct score looks appealing.

Arsenal v Wigan

Arsenal are unbeaten in the Premier League since the end of November but defeats on home soil to West Brom and Newcastle make the 1/5 about an Emirates win unattractive.

They go into the match on the back of a gutsy away win in the FA Cup against Leeds so will have their tails up for the visit of the unpredictable Latics.

In-form France midfielder Samir Nasri is a realistic punt at 6/5 Anytime Goalscorer and Robin van Persie, wrapped in cotton wool at Elland Road before coming off the bench to score late on, offers value at 11/4 First Goalscorer if he gets the nod by manager Arsene Wenger.

Blackpool v Sunderland

A tumultuous week for Black Cats boss Steve Bruce could get worse on Saturday with this tricky trip to Bloomfield Road.

Bruce is still reeling from the loss of star striker Darren Bent to Aston Villa and has also lost Danny Wellbeck to injury in a week to forget, meaning he has just Asamoah Gyan to lead the line.

It is hard to pin down what affect Bent leaving will have on the Wearsiders and Blackpool – who have won three and drawn one of their last five at home, and beat Sunderland at the Stadium of Light last month – could take full advantage.

Blackpool can be backed at 6/4 to stick the knife in on a disenchanted Bruce or the 2-0 Correct Score is a generous 9/1.

Everton v West Ham

Not a fixture for the purists and the 1/2 quote about an Everton win looks skinny considering their best work has come away from home.

The Toffees have won just one of their last five at Goodison Park and West Ham have enough battling qualities to take a point here and the 0-0 correct score is available at 11/1.

True, West Ham’s away record is wretched – they have only won once in the league this season away from the Boleyn – but their resolve to beat the drop has been strengthened by recent controversies and Avram Grant may just fancy his chances.

Fulham v Stoke

Another head scratcher on the banks of the Thames from a betting viewpoint sees Stoke, who plan to sell Ricardo Fuller, arrive at Craven Cottage.

Draws have been killing the west Londoners and the 11/5 about another stalemate here offers the best value of the three outcomes.

Manchester United v Birmingham

Manchester United have looked imperious at Old Trafford this season and remain unbeaten on home soil without getting out of third gear.

West Brom remain the only team to have left M16 without nothing and even that came about because of a rare howler from Edwin van der Saar, so it is difficult to make a case for Birmingham on their travels.

A Goal in Both Halves is quoted at 1/2 and Man United-Man United is on offer at 8/15 in what looks like a one-sided book.

Dimitar Berbatov has scored 14 Premier League goals so far this season and the 3/1 price about the Bulgarian in the Enhanced First Goalscorer market may offer an alternative way in.

Newcastle v Tottenham

Newcastle have emerged as an unpredictable beast on home soil and handsome wins against the likes of Aston Villa, Sunderland and West Ham are offset by defeats against teams such as Blackpool, Blackburn and Stoke – not forgetting a scruffy draw with Wigan.

If pushed Tottenham should have enough for the north-east giants but, away from the outrights, Rafael van der Vaart and Gareth Bale have each found the net on 11 occasions in all competitions from behind the main striker.

The scorecast of Bale and Tottenham 2-1 win is quoted at a whopping 50/1 for value hawks in what could be an open game.

Aston Villa v Manchester City (17.30)

Aston Villa went unbeaten in their first seven home games of the league season but have now lost three of the last four at Villa Park to slip into deep trouble at the wrong end of the Premier League table ahead of the clash with Manchester City.

The signing of Darren Bent offers some indication of the urgency for the Midlanders to scrap their way out of a relegation dogfight and they should just have enough to beat the drop.

City have won seven of their last 10 Premier League engagements and have to be considered as genuine title threats.

The 9/4 quote about City-City half-time full-time outcome is realistic and would have landed in six of their last seven wins (City have won nine out of nine when leading at half-time this term) and Villa have trailed at the break in five of their last six defeats.

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Saturday Championship preview

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Bet on the ChampionshipQueens Park Rangers are not in action until Sunday but there is still plenty of action in the Championship on Saturday so we will have a look at the top games and pick out any potential betting opportunities.

Cardiff v Watford

Cardiff’s form has been indifferent over their past five fixtures – with two wins, two defeats and a draw – and they are due to face a Hornets side who have won their last six Championship games, including a 3-1 victory at league-leading QPR.

A win for the Hertfordshire side would take them above the Welshmen and would equal their club record of seven consecutive wins. But Cardiff may have Craig Bellamy and Jay Bothroyd back, which will boost their goal-scoring potential and it could be that this one ends in a stalemate, with a low-scoring draw possibly on the cards.

Odds: Draw 12/5

Value bet: 1-1 draw 11/2

Barnsley v Swansea

The Swans have taken nine out of a possible 15 points in their last five outings but remain in second place in the Championship table. They have been strengthened by the return of midfielder Leon Britton and should have enough ammunition to take all three points from a Tykes side who have won just once in their last five games.

With QPR not playing until Sunday, the Welsh side can join them on 49 points and continue their march towards the Premier League.

The Yorkshiremen can take heart from the fact that Saturday’s opponents are vulnerable away from home and have already lost seven times on their travels this term.

Odds: Swansea Evens to win

Value bet: Both teams to score 3/4

Portsmouth v Leeds

Leeds were dumped out of the FA Cup by Arsenal in a replay this week but they now return to the business of winning back their Premier League status.

The Elland Road outfit have taken just six points from their last five games, with only one victory in that time, but will face a Pompey side who have not won any of their past five fixtures. They have endured three defeats and two draws, one of which was a 3-3 affair with Saturday’s opponents back in late December.

The Yorkshire outfit are the Championship’s joint-top scorers and so the home side’s dodgy defence will have its work cut out to contain them, and an away win is predicted here.

Odds: Leeds 6/4 to win

Value bet: Leeds to win to nil 16/5

Reading v Hull

The Royals’ form has been mixed of late with two wins, two draws and a defeat but they are just one place and two points outside the play-off zone.

Hull have managed 10 points from a possible 15 and will pose a significant threat to their hosts on Saturday as they have not been beaten on the road for eight games.

Whether or not they can take all three points is open to question and these sides may have to settle for a point each after 90 minutes at the Madejski Stadium.

Odds: Draw 5/2

Value bet: 2-2 draw 12/1

Nottingham Forest v Derby County

Forest are on a great run at present with 13 points from 15, including a 5-2 victory over Saturday’s opponents in December, while Derby have won just once in five.

Local derbies can always throw up strange results but the Rams’ FA Cup defeat to Crawley Town will have dented their fragile confidence even further and Forest will surely be too good for Nigel Clough’s beleaguered side.

Derby are in free-fall at present and the Forest fans would love their heroes to aid the Rams’ downward spiral.

Odds: Forest win 6/4

Value bet: Forest to lead at half time and full time 7/2

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Rangers to cope without Miller

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It is another action-packed weekend across Scotland and things are closing up at the top and the bottom of the SPL. Lets take a closer look at the games and see who will be celebrating on Saturday night.

Hearts v Rangers

Rangers will be looking to jump ahead of Celtic at the top of the table, even if it is just for a few hours, when they travel to Tynecastle to take on a Hearts side, who are enjoying a great run. Walter Smith’s side have won three games on the bounce to ensure they sit only two points behind their Old Firm rivals having played two matches less.

The Gers will be without Kenny Miller, who has completed a move to Turkish champions Bursaspor, but even without their 21-goal striker you would expect Rangers to field a strong forward line.

Hearts are in a good run of form and have won nine of their last 10 SPL matches, and it is a run which should give Jim Jeffries and the Jambos reason to be confident.

Prediction: Rangers have not lost on the road all season in the league and that should continue with an away win priced at 5/6.

Celtic v Aberdeen

Celtic demolished Aberdeen 9-0 the last time these two teams met and Swedish star Freddie Ljundberg seems set to make his home debut in the game. That hammering back in November started the end of Mark McGhee’s time in charge but Craig Brown has steadied the ship since he arrived and they are now unbeaten in four games.

Neil Lennon will know his side cannot afford to slip-up and let Rangers get ahead of them in the title race and this is the first of three games between Celtic and Aberdeen to take place over the next 11 days.

Prediction: A win for Celtic at 2/9, but don’t expect another 9-0 at 125/1.

Inverness CT v Hamilton

Inverness continue to ride in the top half of the SPL but have a poor home record and that could give rock-bottom Hamilton some reason to feel confident of adding to their two wins so far this season.

However, the visitors cannot seem to stop conceding on the road so far this term and they face a side that were unlucky not to take points off Rangers in their last game. Terry Butcher has spoken this week of feeling like Inverness were “not wanted” in the SPL, but that could change if they keep on impressing this season.

Prediction: Inverness have only won 2 of 10 games in front of their home fans but Hamilton won’t stop them getting a result here at 4/5.

Kilmarnock v Dundee Utd

Kilmarnock have been struggling to find some form in recent games but are still holding onto their fourth-placed spot. Dundee United beat Motherwell in their last game and boast the dangerous David Goodwillie up front.

Prediction: Both sides are capable of winning, but a draw at 23/10 is a likely outcome.

Motherwell v Hibernian

Motherwell have signed Mike Grella and Steve Jones on loan until the end of the season and both players could make their debuts at Fir Park. Both of these teams are struggling, with Hibernian in particular under-performing this season. It is likely to be a tight match between the two but Motherwell should be buoyed by the fact Hibs are on a run of nine games without a win.

Prediction: Motherwell will edge it, priced at 10/11.

St Johnstone v St Mirren

Both teams are struggling for form and points and look destined for a long and painful relegation battle between now and the end of the season.

Prediction: All signs point to a bore draw at 5/2.

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Hornets have a sting in the tail

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There are several big games at the top and the bottom of the Championship this weekend and the highlight is a mouth-watering clash in the Welsh capital between Cardiff and Watford. Here’s some suggestions for your Championship match betting.

Cardiff City v Watford (Sat 3pm)

It’s 3rd v 6th at the Cardiff City Stadium and it’s the visitors who look like the team on an upward curve, as they set their sights on a top-two place. Malky Mackay’s men have surprised many so far this term and wins at QPR, Norwich and Sheffield United have shown there are serious promotion contenders.

The Hornets hammered Cardiff 4-1 at Vicarage Road last month and with 15-goal striker Danny Graham in hot form, can extend their unbeaten run to ten games this weekend.

Match Bet: Graham to score anytime @ 7/4

Derby v Nottingham Forest (Sat 1pm)

The East Midlands rivals meet for the second time in a month, with Forest looking to do the double over the Rams after a crushing 5-2 win at the City Ground.

Billy Davies’ men look to have found their stride and should prove too strong for a Derby team that has won just one of their last nine matches.

Match Bet: Forest to win @ 6/4

Reading v Hull City (Sat 3pm)

Two of the most improved teams in the division meet at the Madejski Stadium – Reading have lost just one of their last 12, while Hull have suffered just one loss in 11 league games.

The two teams, both serious promotion contenders, played out a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture on December 28 and there is likely to be nothing to split them again this time.

Match Bet: 1-1 Correct Score @ 11/2

Barnsley v Swansea (Sat 3pm)

Second-placed Swansea have been another of the surprise packages this season, having forced their way into the top two. The Swans have built their success on strong form at the Liberty Stadium with the most home wins of any team (nine), but their away form also stands up to scrutiny.

Brendan Rodgers’ men look too powerful for a Barnsley team slipping down the table and that have lost their key man Adam Hammill to Wolves this week.

Match Bet: HT-Draw FT-Swansea @ 7/2

Portsmouth v Leeds (Sat 3pm)

Pompey have lost their last four games since these two teams drew 3-3 at Elland Road, with their home form a concern following just four wins in 11 games.

Leeds may have gone out of the FA Cup to Arsenal in midweek but their display is only likely to further boost confidence. Simon Grayson will be aware that a win at Fratton Park and other results going their way could see Leeds move up to second.

Match Bet: Leeds to win @ 6/4

QPR v Coventry (Sun 1.15pm)

The league leaders have further strengthened their squad this week, including the loan capture of Newcastle’s Wayne Routledge, which will be a concern for their rivals.

Coventry’s winter flirtation with the play-offs now seems a distant memory and with no wins in their last seven league games, the Sky Blues look unlikely to become only the second team to beat the R’s at Loftus Road this season.

Match Bet: A Goal in Both Halves @ 8/13

Ipswich v Doncaster (Sat 3pm)

Paul Jewell takes charge of his first home game as Ipswich manager and it looks on paper like it might be a winning beginning at Portman Road. The Tractor Boys may have slipped to defeat at Millwall last week, but there have been signs of improvement in recent weeks.

Doncaster, meanwhile, have lost their last two games 5-0 and 3-0 and have struggled on their travels – with just three wins away from the Keepmoat.

Match Bet: Ipswich to win @ 6/5

Middlesbrough v Preston (Sat 3pm)

These two teams looked doomed when they met at Deepdale last month, but a 3-1 win for Boro that day helped them on the way to pulling four points clear of the drop zone.

North End are still rooted to the bottom of the table though, with new boss Phil Brown looking to inspire. If fit, Nathan Ellington looks a decent addition to the Preston ranks.

Match Bet: Draw @ 13/5

Crystal Palace v Bristol City (Sat 3pm)

Both of these teams look set for a battle to stay in the division between now and May, having been very inconsistent to date.

Despite being in the bottom three, Palace’s home form is decent and with City beaten 0-4 by Middlesbrough and 0-3 by League One Sheffield Wednesday in their last two games, the points look to be there for the taking for the Eagles.

Match Bet: Palace to win @ Evens

Sheffield United v Norwich (Sat 3pm)

The Blades are in real danger of slipping into the English football’s third tier, but there does seem to be a chink of light at the end of the very long tunnel. Two draws, against Doncaster and Coventry, indicate Micky Adams is slowly turning the tide.

Norwich may be 17 points ahead of their Yorkshire opponents, but they haven’t won in their last three games, which includes a cup shock against Leyton Orient.

Match Bet: HT-Draw FT-Sheff Utd @ 9/2

Leicester v Millwall (Sat 3pm)

The Foxes have made further additions to their squad in the last week as they look to make a concerted attempt to reach the play-offs.

Who would have thought Millwall would have been four places and three points above Leicester at this stage? But under Sven Goran Eriksson, the Foxes have been hard to beat at home and have lost just twice at the Walkers Stadium all season.

Match Bet: Both Teams to Score @ 8/11

Scunthorpe v Burnley (Sat 5.20pm)

New manager syndrome looks like being a major factor at Glanford Park, as Eddie Howe takes charge of Burnley for the first time. Brian Laws lost his job with the Clarets still in touch with those in the play-off places and Howe will want to hit the ground running.

Where better to start that at Scunthorpe, who have won just once at home all season, although their last three points came at Burnley in the reverse fixture.

Match Bet: Burnley to win @ 21/20

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Deals hot up as clubs chase the dream

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The transfer window closes in 12 days’ time and with several big moves already sealed but plenty more expected – including the eagerly-awaited next destination of Robbie Keane – we assess how January’s dealings may help – or hinder – Premier League teams in the second half of the season.

The shock move of the month so far was completed on Tuesday when Darren Bent joined Aston Villa in a record £18million switch from Sunderland as Gerard Houllier attempts to put the brakes on his side’s slide into a relegation battle.

No doubt Bent will find the goals Villa have been missing and, although he is possibly a tad over-priced, it seems like good business by Randy Lerner.

Villa’s aim will not only be to avoid the drop but to also push on and look for European qualification now that Bent is on board. They are a much better side than their current position of 17th suggests and don’t bet against them securing a top-six finish (16/1) if the likes of Marc Albrighton, Stewart Downing, Ashley Young and Gabby Agbonlahor all gel in what’s left of the campaign.

Man City’s huge £27m purchase of Edin Dzeko should again ensure the Eastlands outfit are the biggest spenders of the month. No surprise there, then.

But what may come as a surprise to some is just how well-placed Roberto Mancini’s side are in the title race heading into February. City are level on points with local rivals United at the top – albeit after playing two games more – but may just have the squad now to go on and win the Premier League (6/1), with a fearsome collection of attacking talent that includes David Silva, Mario Balotelli, Dzeko, James Milner, Adam Johnson and Carlos Tevez.

Spurs fans will be looking forward to the rest of the season, too, following the capture of Steven Pienaar from Everton – an astute £3million purchase by Harry Redknapp as he looks to keep his squad ticking over into the final months of the season.

A second-successive top-four finish looks nigh-on nailed on (13/8) for the north Londoners now, with the possibility of a few more quality arrivals, knowing Harry, in the days that remain this month that would surely only add to their chances of sneaking into the title race.

Liverpool interim boss Kenny Dalglish has identified targets to bolster his underperforming squad this month but time appears to be running out at Anfield as the Reds seem no closer to tying up any deals of note this month.

A serious injection of top-class talent is required at Anfield and, if Kenny can lure striker Luis Suarez from Ajax, a decent winger and a couple of defenders, then maybe Liverpool can push for a Euro berth as well (Top 6 Finish – 2/1). If not, a top-ten finish  is about the best Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and co can hope for.

Elsewhere, there have been some minor, if no less astute, deals done by clubs hoping to preserve their top-flight status in 2011. Birmingham are no strangers to splashing the cash and expect Alex McLeish to bring in at least one major signing to add to the loan capture of David Bentley from Spurs, while Stoke and Newcastle have tied up permanent deals for impressive on-loan pair Jermain Pennant and Hatem Ben Arfa respectively.

Blackburn have money to spend as their ambitious owners want to lure more big names, to follow Roque Santa Cruz, over to Ewood Park while Fulham boss Mark Hughes believes winger Shaun Wright-Phillips is the man to get the Cottagers moving up the table.

The speculation rumour mill is gearing itself up for overdrive in the next fortnight so expect more deals, some shocks and some wholly predicted transfers to keep you ‘entertained’ throughout the rest of the month as teams look for that added bit of spark or quality to give them a chance to dream of fourth – or maybe just 17th – in the Premier League. Just don’t expect too much from Keane, wherever he goes!

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Can Kenny revive Liverpool?

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The Return of the King – as it was billed – hasn’t exactly gone to plan three games in. So here we take a look at what impact Kenny Dalglish is having on Liverpool (2/1 – Top 6 PL Finish) and assess whether he really is the man to restore the club to their former glories.

To Liverpool fans, Dalglish was the ONLY man who should have been given the chance to make the Reds great again. Many, after learning he wanted the job as Rafael Benitez’s successor in the summer, could not understand why the Scot was overlooked by the club in favour of Roy Hodgson.

Hence, as soon as results went wrong for Roy (which was pretty much from the word go) and rumblings of player discontent at Anfield and Melwood grew louder, there was such a clamour for him to be sacked and Kenny installed as new manager.

The hordes on The Kop got their way in the aftermath of another sorry display from Hodgson’s side – the 3-1 reverse at Blackburn earlier this month – and, suddenly, everything seemed brighter on the Red half of Merseyside.

No-one was expecting Dalglish to wave a magic wand and watch immediately as the hugely-underperforming squad began to swat teams aside like Dalglish’s best-ever side of 1987-88 used to, but the former Newcastle and Celtic chief was expected to rejuvenate the squad, unite a bickering staff and, generally, get the club back on track after three years of rocky mismanagement, poor results and under-investment.

Cynics will say the only way Liverpool can compete again with the top four is if they spend money on new players like Manchester United, City and Chelsea have done in the past few years as, remember, the current squad at Anfield is the product of months of skimping and saving, selling top players (Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso most notably) and shopping in the bargain basement sections for free transfers (the names Milan Jovanovic and Sotirios Kyrgiakos come to mind here).

Yes, some of the £60million or so acquired from the sales of Alonso and Mascherano were ploughed back into the club to finance deals for the likes of the hugely-disappointing Glen Johnson (£18million), the promising Raul Meireles (£11.5m) and, the somewhat baffling, Christian Poulsen (£4.5m) but major investment in new, young players has been lacking.

Finally, talk of big-money swoops for Ajax’s Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, Villa pair Ashley Young and Stewart Downing and astute raids for experienced performers like Mark van Bommel and ex-Red Stephen Warnock are taking up the column inches, and it seems Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, understand the need for new players – and fast – if a scrape with relegation is to be avoided.

But it is with Dalglish who the fans are pinning their hopes on most. This is the man voted as the club’s greatest-ever player by the official website recently, the man who was handed the player-manager’s job in 1985 – a surprise at the time – but then duly went on to win the double in his first season in charge and went about assembling that team of 1987-88, regarded by many Liverpool fans as the best attacking side ever, as he gathered more titles and another FA Cup before stepping down in 1991.

That came in the aftermath of Hillsborough – something which severely dented Dalglish’s love for football at the time. He appears to have recovered, however, and currently looks like a child in the pic ‘n’ mix section, having to pinch himself that he is once again in charge of the club he adores.

One of Dalglish’s immediate jobs is to restore confidence and, even though two defeats and a draw do not particularly reflect a change in the club’s fortunes under the 59-year-old so far, there does appear to be a renewed sense of optimism with everyone seemingly pulling in the right direction ahead of Saturday’s trip to Wolves (Liverpool 5/4, Wolves 21/10, draw 11/5 – match betting).

It remains to be seen whether Dalglish’s second coming will, in time, be viewed as a masterstroke or fan-led folly, but one thing is certain, one of the biggest characters in the game is back – and he will give everything he has to get Liverpool fighting among the big-boys once again as soon as possible.

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