While most of us have lost track of the days over the Christmas period, New Year’s Eve falls on a Saturday this year, and as such there is a bumper day of Premier League action to look forward to. We look at the three best bets that could have you cracking open the champagne a bit before midnight.
Chelsea v Aston Villa 3pm
The Blues will be glad to see the back of 2011 after 12 months full of disappointments and realisations that their squad of superstars are starting to look a bit over the hill. Andre Villas-Boas is trying to change all that but so far has found it tough going. Boxing Day’s 1-1 draw with Fulham effectively ended their title challenge, according to the Portuguese coach, in a move which looks like a bit of reverse psychology. Villas-Boas will hope his team responds to the challenge against Aston Villa, a game that might prove tougher than they expect.
Villa fans have also had to endure a torrid 2011 and will no doubt head to Stamford Bridge full of trepidation about what is to come. No doubt Alex McLeish will set his team up to be tough to beat, as he did at Stoke on Boxing Day when they managed to keep the Potters at bay. As such a win for Villa seems highly unlikely but a draw might not be beyond the realms of possibility. The draw is priced at 4/1, a good looking bet when you consider Chelsea’s last three games have ended 1-1.
This game is likely to be a low scoring affair and with Chelsea struggling to find the back of the net it could be another long afternoon for the Blues faithful.
Bolton v Wolves 3pm
2012 is likely to bring heartache for one, if not both, of these clubs as they battle against the drop. We might be in December but the result of this clash at the Reebok Stadium could go a long way to deciding who splits their year between the Premier League and the Championship.
Bolton fans will have been bitterly disappointed with their display against Newcastle after the win against Blackburn. The news that Gary Cahill is off to Chelsea is only likely to darken the mood at the Reebok Stadium heading into the new year. The Trotters have won once and lost eight of their nine games at home this season and there is already an air of inevitability regarding relegation at the Reebok Stadium it seems.
Wolves will be seen as very beatable by Owen Coyle but are likely to prove a tough nut to crack given their great rearguard display in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal on Tuesday. Five points from the last five matches might not be anything to shout about but at least it shows a bit of progress. Wolves are 23/10 to win at Bolton, a decent price in a game which is likely to be a tight affair.
Wolves might never have won at the Reebok Stadium but even with history on their side it just looks like being one of those seasons for Coyle and co.
Norwich v Fulham 3pm
Mid-table mediocrity beckons for these two teams in 2012, something the Canaries will be delighted about given that this time two years ago they had just moved into the top two in League One. Norwich have managed to continue that winning feeling that has surrounded Carrow Road in the last two years and have been the surprise package in the Premier League this season.
Paul Lambert’s men might have been outclassed by Tottenham on Tuesday but will have expected that given the quality they have. It’s games like this one against Fulham they will have targeted to take three points from. They have already won four games at home this season and with Fulham perennial strugglers on the road the omens look good for Norwich.
Fulham impressed against Chelsea on Boxing Day but will admit that if it hadn’t been for keeper David Stockdale things could have been different. All does not seem well at Craven Cottage, with reports of manager Martin Jol falling out with players continuing to surface. Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora didn’t even feature at Stamford Bridge and until Jol can make the squad his own the Cottagers are likely to be a mixed bag.
A Norwich win is 13/8, with the draw on offer at 9/4 and Fulham at 7/4. We fancy Norwich to rack up yet another win and keep the good times rolling into the new year.
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Connor Wickham – Ipswich