Tag Archives: battle

City face uphill Europa battle

Posted on by
Reply

Manchester City, Liverpool and Rangers are all in Europa League action on Thursday night – with all three in danger of heading out of the competition in the last 16 (Europa League outright – Liverpool 6/1).

City are in the most precarious position of the British trio.  Roberto Mancini’s expensively-assembled side were humbled as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat in the Ukraine against Dynamo Kiev and it will take a big effort from the Eastlands side if they are to reach the quarter-finals.

City simply can’t afford to concede against Dynamo on Thursday night as they could not grab a crucial away goal at the Valeriy Lobanovskiy Stadium last week.

However, Mancini has his side well drilled and they have kept clean sheets in their last three consecutive home games – City are evens to keep a clean sheet and 6/5 to win to nil, both of which look good value considering their recent home form.

City need to win at least 3-0 if they are to progress, it will be a big ask for Mancini’s men and they are priced at 18/1 to secure a 3-0 victory over the Ukrainian outfit.

The Manchester side will also be boosted by the return of midfield playmaker James Milner from a hamstring injury, but Adam Johnson is unlikely to feature as he is still struggling with an ankle injury.

Liverpool were beaten 1-0 in Portugal by Braga but the Anfield outfit should be too strong for the Portuguese side on home soil.

Braga have a decent record at home and managed to see off Arsenal at the Estádio AXA but they do not fair so well on their travels, domestically and in Europe.

In the Portuguese Liga Sagres they have managed just two wins, losing six and drawing three and in Europe they have been beaten at Arsenal (6-0), Shaktar Donetsk and Lech Poznan.

Liverpool may have been left frustrated in Portugal but they should prove far too strong for a Braga side who do not travel well.  In the Half-Time/Full-Time market a Liverpool/Liverpool result is priced at 11/10 and the Reds should be full of confidence after seeing off Manchester United 3-1 last time out.

Rangers managed to secure a 0-0 draw with PSV Eindhoven in Holland and are in the driving seat with home advantage for Thursday night’s showdown.

PSV drew with strugglers NEC in their last league fixture, while Rangers secured a narrow win over Kilmarnock in the SPL and both sides struggled on their return to domestic action but will be keen to book a spot in the last eight.

Rangers have a few injury problems to key players and PSV, the Dutch league leaders, have a formidable record on their travels in the Eredivisie and have lost just once.

A draw, with goals, would be good enough for PSV and Rangers will need to be on the top of their game to see off the Dutch giants.

This is a tricky one to call and there is little to chose between the two sides but PSV are capable of grabbing a goal, as are Rangers, and this could end in a tie – which is priced at 23/10, for the braver punter a 1-1 final score (which would see Rangers eliminated) is priced at 11/2.

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

Battle of the Blues

Posted on by
Reply

Wednesday night’s Premier League clash throws up another exciting contest as Everton host Birmingham City at Goodison Park (Everton 8/15, draw 3/1, Birmingham 5/1).

After another slow start to the season which bordered on relegation fears for Everton fans, the Toffees have started to find some of their best form in the campaign so far.

David Moyes’ side have won three of their last four outings in the top flight and will be looking to bag their third consecutive win on Wednesday.

Everton failed to make any significant changes in the January transfer window due to a restricted budget but their change in fortunes has come about due to some key players hitting form.

Former Rangers midfielder Mikel Arteta was instrumental in Everton’s 2-1 victory over Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Saturday and he will be a constant thorn in Birmingham’s side, as he looks to create chances for others as well as being a threat himself.

The return of talented youngster Jack Rodwell has been a big boost for the Merseyside club and his work rate in midfield was sorely missed when he was out of action earlier in the season.

Jermaine Beckford (4/1 to be first goalscorer) has also started to find the back of the net for the Toffees and the former Leeds United goal machine now has six Premier League goals to his name after he struggled to find his feet in the top flight.

Birmingham produced a superb effort to beat Arsenal in the Carling Cup final last month and they will enjoy European football next season, but the campaign would be a disaster if the Blues were to lose their Premier League status.

Whilst their attentions were set on silverware, many of the clubs battling for survival have begun to pick up crucial points which now leaves the West Midlands club in the relegation zone.

Alex McLeish and his men do have two games in hand over their fellow strugglers and they could go all the way up to 11th in the Premier League if they win those matches.

The Blues will be hurting after they were beaten 3-1 at St Andrew’s by local rivals West Brom and will be determined to put things right against Everton.

Birmingham have found goals hard to come by and have scored the least of any club in the top flight – just 26.

Nikola Zigic is the club’s top goal scorer this season with eight in all competition and they will be hoping the Serbian can try and at least double that total before the end of the campaign.

Everton (6/5 to be leading at half-time/full-time) are favourites to win this clash at Goodison Park with centre-back Phil Jagielka looking like he will have the better of Zigic.

But City are desperate to pick up all three points on Wednesday as they won’t want to be drawn into a relegation scrap with a few games to go.

However, with the Toffees on a decent run they should make it three wins on the bounce to go eighth in the table.

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

Battle of the Red Devils

Posted on by
Reply

Crawley Town could record one of the biggest upsets in FA Cup history if the Red Devils can beat the slightly more famous Manchester United Red Devils at Old Trafford on Saturday (United 1/16, draw 8/1, Crawley 28/1).

It was a dream draw for the non league side who have nothing to lose against the Premier League giants and everything to gain.

Not only will this be a great day for the club financially but a real chance to make some FA Cup history.

Crawley captain Pablo Mills has said that they will be taking on United as if they were a Conference team.

This might not be the best approach considering United’s potentially star studded line-up.

Sir Alex Ferguson is bound to ring the changes for this game with a midweek Champions League game against Marseille on the horizon.

However, don’t be surprised to see some of United’s big guns on the bench just in case things don’t go according to plan.

This should be a comfortable victory with the home side winning by three or four goals, but with the FA Cup you never know what could happen.

Chelsea and Everton lock horns in the only all Premier League clash of the day at Stamford Bridge (Chelsea 1/2, draw 14/5, Everton 11/2).

The Toffees managed to battle for a draw at Goodison Park and they will be hoping to go one better on Saturday.

Chelsea have suffered another blip in the Premier League after a home defeat against Liverpool and an away draw against local rivals Fulham.

New signing Fernando Torres won’t have an opportunity to score his first Chelsea goal as he is cup tied, which means Didier Drogba is likely to start for the Blues.

The Ivory Coast international has a habit of scoring goals against the Toffees and he is likely to continue that in this cup clash, with Chelsea the probable winners.

League one high flyers Brighton Hove Albion travel to the noisy Britannia Stadium to take on Stoke City (Stoke 4/6, draw 5/2, Brighton 4/1).

The Potters are arguably one of the hardest teams to beat in the Premier League on their home turf, especially when backed by their fanatic support.

Brighton have produced some excellent football this season and fully deserve to be three points clear at the top of League One with two games in hand.

This could be one of the surprise results of the day if the Albion can cause an upset against their Premier League opponents.

Sheffield Wednesday will want to put their dreadful league form behind them as they take on Birmingham at St Andrews (Birmingham 8/13, draw 13/5, Sheff Wed 9/2).

The Owls lost 3-0 in their last outing in the league to Tranmere and face a tough challenge against the Blues, who are another side that are difficult to beat at home.

With Birmingham struggling in the Premier League, Alex McLeish may be tempted to rest some of his key player but even with this in mind, the Blues should win this one comfortably.

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

Defences to win midweek battle

Posted on by
Reply

Birmingham and Newcastle go head-to-head in the only midweek Premier League game and goals will be at a premium at St Andrew’s (8/13 under 2.5 goals) on Tuesday night.

Both teams have largely struggled in front of goal in recent weeks and it looks like defences will be on top when the Blues and Magpies collide (Birmingham 7/5, Draw 11/5, Newcastle 9/5 – Match Betting).

The home team will undoubtedly have their minds on other things, with the Carling Cup final against Arsenal just over a week away. Saturday’s win over Stoke was a massive result in the battle to avoid the drop and Alex McLeish is likely to call on his players not to lose the game.

Blues are now three points outside the drop zone but goals continue to be an issue for McLeish, with Birmingham scoring the fewest goals of any team in the Premier League to date – 25.

Nikola Zigic (6/1 to be first goal scorer) has scored their last three goals from open play and he will again be their main threat, although the big Serb turns hot and cold like a tap, while regular strike partner Cameron Jerome has not scored in the league since early November.

Having started against Stoke, Obafemi Martins (11/8 to score on Tuesday) is set to keep his place in the starting line-up ahead of Jerome for the visit of his former club.

Despite being without Scott Dann through injury, McLeish’s outfit remain a tough nut to crack and have won four of their last five matches in all competitions and have been unbeaten during that period.

Meanwhile, Newcastle (10/1 to be relegated) are up to tenth having lost just one of their last seven Premier League games and look on course to keep their place in the top flight this season.

Despite their lack of striking options since the departure of Andy Carroll to Liverpool and Shola Ameobi’s latest injury, the Magpies have managed to pick up crucial points in recent weeks to aid their survival hopes.

Aside from a freaky 4-4 draw with Arsenal though, the Toon have scored just two goals in four of their last five league matches and will struggle to break down a stubborn Blues defence.

On-loan Aston Villa midfielder Stephen Ireland remains doubtful for Newcastle as he struggles to overcome a hamstring injury, but Shefki Kuqi could feature again after being signed as a free agent last week.

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

Let the Top 4 battle commence

Posted on by
Reply

A few weeks ago it seemed it was ‘five teams from four‘ in the Premier League to fill the coveted Champions League places, but Liverpool’s recent resurgence plus Chelsea’s continued inconsistency means the race for the top four may just be about to get interesting.

For the sake of argument, let’s take it as a given that Manchester United, City (1/7) and Arsenal will, in whichever order, finish first, second and third this season (we can save that particular debate for a later article) so it’s with keen interest that we look at who can land fourth, with Chelsea, Spurs and Liverpool lining up to do battle at the minute.

Fernando Torres cited it was his wish to be competing for the top trophies season after season as the reason why he jumped ship from Anfield and joined the Blues at Stamford Bridge in the transfer window, but the Spaniard could yet be left with egg on his face if Chelsea do not even make it into the Champions League places next season.

That prospect would have been laughed at back in the early months of the campaign when Carlo Ancelotti’s side were sweeping all before them and looking every inch back-to-back title winners, nevermind a great bet for Champions League glory, but the exit of Ray Wilkins in the autumn took everyone by surprise and a shocking downturn in form followed.

The Londoners are just about clinging on to fourth at the minute but it’s by no means guaranteed with Spurs (13/8) looking like the most likely side to benefit if they continue to stumble.

Harry Redknapp’s men have generally impressed this season with not only some fine results but a free-flowing, attacking brand of football orchestrated by Player of the Year contenders Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart. Luka Modric, Aaaron Lennon and Jermain Defoe have also been key players and who would bet against them finishing fourth once again – as long as they can maintain their form over the next few months.

Well, to answer that question – Chelsea, probably (1/8). However, last weekend’s reverse at home to Liverpool merely added fuel to the fire in the case against the Blues while, equally, it added weight to the claim that maybe, just maybe, Kenny Dalglish can perform one of the quickest resurrection acts seen in the top flight for many a year.

That Liverpool are even in with an outside chance of fourth (7/1) in February – they were in the relegation places in October – is great credit to the Scot for the way he has turned things around on Merseyside. A defeat and draw in his first two games ensured he did not enjoy a brilliant start but, since then, the Reds have won four on the bounce without conceding a goal and are the form team in the Premier League ahead of Saturday’s home clash with Wigan.

It would still take quite a turnaround for Liverpool to make it to fourth in May but it’s by no means out of the question. Torres is one who is looking nervously over his shoulder already.

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

3 from 6 as drop battle heats up

Posted on by
Reply

Bet on the Premier LeagueIt may have been a record-breaking weekend for goals in the Premier League, but it was also notable for some of the division’s so-called dead-men stirring back into life as two of the bottom three secured vital wins and dragged a clutch of clubs into the fight for survival.

It could be that clubs as far up as Newcastle in tenth position will be embroiled in a relegation battle, but I feel it will boil down to three clubs from six who will eventually go to the wire in the battle for Premier League salvation.

From the bottom up I will look at the six clubs who are in for a nail-biting finale to what has been a remarkable season in England’s top-flight.

WEST HAM

Avram Grant’s Hammers looked on course for the drop after being in the dreaded bottom spot at Christmas which historically means Championship football will be on the menu the following August (8/13 Relegation).

And after the midweek 3-1 win at Blackpool had them on the cusp of jumping out of the bottom three, they crashed 1-0 to drop rivals Birmingham at Upton Park on Sunday.

This has put the Londoners back on the foot of the table, albeit just two points from safety.

They have a massive game at fellow strugglers and managerless West Brom coming this weekend so will get another chance to try and break free from the shackles of the drop zone.

With the likes of Robbie Keane, Gary O’Neil, Wayne Bridge and Demba Ba all brought in last month, I can see the Hammers emulating West Brom’s 2005 antics and re-writing the history books by achieving the ‘Great Escape’ after being bottom at Christmas (6/5 To Stay Up).

WOLVES

Had I assessed the sides who I felt were destined for the drop two days ago then I would have made Mick McCarthy’s men absolute bankers (8/11 Relegation).

However, it is amazing how one result can shatter your way of thinking and Saturday’s stunning 2-1 win against Manchester United certainly did that.

The Molineux success not only ended Sir Alex Ferguson’s bid for a record 30-game unbeaten run, but it also ruined a fair few betting coupons of people hanging on that one last result!

On top of that it moved Wolves – who had gone into the match on the back of three successive defeats – off bottom spot and to within two points of 17th place.

They have a tough date at Arsenal to come this weekend, but a massive Black Country derby at West Brom follows, as does a home clash with Blackpool.

The outcome of those games could determine which division they are playing in next season (Evens To Stay Up).

WIGAN

Roberto Martinez’s side did their survival hopes the power of good with a 4-3 win against Lancashire rivals Blackburn at the DW Stadium on Saturday to follow up a valuable point picked up at fellow strugglers West Brom in midweek.

The win against Rovers was their first league success at the eighth time of asking and will have boosted their confidence for the coming games.

However, as they face Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City in the next three matches, they could be looking up at everyone else soon (4/7 Relegation).

WEST BROM

The Baggies are on the slippery slope following a fantastic return to the top-flight when they only lost twice in their opening nine games.

However, they have lost 13 of their last 18 matches, with Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Manchester City leaving the side out of the bottom three by virtue of having a better goal difference than Wigan.

The defeat at Eastlands has also cost boss Roberto Di Matteo his job as Albion chairman Jeremy Peace revealed he had to act now to stop the rot and try and ensure his club do not live up to their ‘yo-yo’ tag by dropping back to the Championship after just one season in the top flight (1/2 To Stay Up).

The choice of new boss, with Sam Allardyce hotly tipped, will be crucial for their survival hopes.

They also have massive games against West Ham and derby rivals Wolves in the next two weeks and the results of those could make-or-break the Baggies’ season.

At the moment 6/4 for relegation looks a good bet.

BIRMINGHAM

Alex McLeish’s Blues have been unfortunate to slip into the relegation battle as they have been distracted by the weather, not to mention their run to the Carling Cup Final (11/4 Outright) and fifth round of the FA Cup.

They do have at least one game in hand on all of the teams around them, whilst also possessing the battling qualities needed to pull away from danger. These were displayed in the 1-0 win at West Ham on Sunday which followed the 2-2 draw against Manchester City at St Andrews in midweek.

Nikola Zigic seems to have finally found his feet in England, while new loan signing Obafemi Martins is still to come into the fold.

They will be the first to admit they draw too many home games, but I would be astonished if the Blues are relegated this season (7/2 Relegation).

BLACKPOOL

As much as it pains me to do this, I am afraid that Ian Holloway’s Seaside entertainers have got to be included in the main contenders for relegation this season.

They were written off before a ball had even been kicked, but Blackpool have produced some exceptional results this season, with five away wins so far and a league ‘double’ over Liverpool the highlight (Seasiders 8/15 To Stay Up).

However, since the second win against Kenny Dalglish’s Reds, the Tangerines have lost five games on the bounce to slip to within two points of the bottom three.

They have conceded 16 goals in those games and this is not a major surprise given that they refuse to shut up shop at any point in matches and appear to have a ‘we’ll score more goals than you’ attitude.

While this might have worked for them earlier in the season, it is now catching up with them and if Holloway continues playing the same tactics then the curtain could come down on Blackpool this May as far as Premier League football is concerned (11/8 Relegation).

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

McLeish joy in battle of Blues

Posted on by
Reply

Birmingham may be languishing in the bottom three, but they are always a tough nut to crack at St Andrew’s and Chelsea’s poor form will raise optimism amongst the home fans (Birmingham 9/2, Draw 11/4, Chelsea 4/7 – totesport.com Match Betting).

Blues have never beaten Chelsea in 12 Premier League meetings and will never have a better chance!

Tottenham are a big price (4/1) to win the north London derby at the Emirates and Harry Redknapp’s men will fancy their chances of turning over their rivals. Arsenal have already lost twice at home this term and look shaky at the back.

Bolton continue to improve and Kevin Davies (15/8 to score anytime) will be out to prove a point when Newcastle visit the Reebok this weekend. Davies should have been in the England squad ahead of Andy Carroll and the Trotters frontman will be a man on a mission on Saturday.

If goals are what you are after, then look no further than Bloomfield Road this weekend (4/6 both teams to score). There have been 45 goals in Blackpool’s 13 matches to date, whilst visitors Wolves have not kept a clean sheet yet this season.

The Championship is unpredictable to say the least, but Hull (7/5) could pile more frustration onto Ipswich boss Roy Keane this weekend. The Tractorboys have lost their last two games, to Barnsley and Derby, while the Tigers’ form appears to be improving.

High-flyers Swansea may have their wings clipped this weekend, when they make the long journey up to Yorkshire (Doncaster 6/4, Draw 23/10, Swansea 13/8 – Match Betting). Doncaster have an impressive home record and will prove a tough test for the goal shy Swans.

Sheffield Wednesday’s off-the field problems could be compounded by on-the-pitch League One defeat on Saturday. With all the financial issues hanging over the Owls, MK Dons (5/4) – unbeaten at home this season – will be eyeing up three points.

Manchester City’s title hopes could be crushed by their former boss this Sunday. Mark Hughes’ Fulham (19/10) entertain City at Craven Cottage and the home side can exploit a lack of harmony in the Blues’ ranks.

Andy Murray starts his ATP World Tour Finals campaign on Sunday and the British number one looks doomed to defeat in his first match. The Scot faces in-form Robin Soderling (Evs – match prices), who goes into the tournament off the back of success first Masters title in Paris earlier this month.

South Africa (4/6) will surely prove too strong for Pakistan (9/2) in the second Test in Abu Dhabi, which gets underway on Saturday. The Proteas looked the stronger side in the drawn first Test, but Graeme Smith’s men will prove their quality in the final five-day encounter.

Bet on the World Cup and get £200. Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Vieira set to battle on

Posted on by
Reply

Patrick Vieira admits that not playing regular first-team football at Manchester City is tough but he is determined to stay and fight for his place (City 7/10 – 90 minutes v Juventus).

The 34-year-old made the switch from Inter Milan to Eastlands during last season’s January transfer window but, with such a talented squad around him, has failed to secure regular first-team football.

The former Arsenal star has made just one appearance so far this term and scored the equaliser as City fought back to earn a 1-1 draw with Blackburn Rover on September 11.

Despite a lack of playing time, the former France international is content with the way he is playing and hopes to force his way into the thoughts of City boss Roberto Mancini.

“I have been happy with my form since the start of season,” he said. “It is difficult when you play one game every month. I need to work harder than everyone else to show the manager can count on me.

“I just want to enjoy myself. I am involved in a fantastic challenge with this club and really want to be part of it.”

City welcome Italian giants Juventus to Eastlands on Thursday night in the Europa League, with the Serie A side currently struggling domestically.

The Old Lady have garnered just seven points from their first five games and no longer have the air if invincibility that they had under Marcello Lippi.

The Turin side only managed a draw with Lech Poznan in their opening Europa league match but Vieira believes his old team will join his present employers in the later stages of Europe’s second tier competition (Juve 7/4 to win Group A).

“I think they are going through a difficult period,” he added. “Maybe it is not the best Juventus side in the last few years but they are still a really competitive team.

“It will be difficult for us to find the space to play but we have players who can give them problems as well. Our strength is the squad. We can be competitive in every competition we are involved in.”

Whether Vieira gets the nod on Thursday night is open to question but defender Micah Richards could return to the side after recovering from the hamstring injury that ruled him out of last Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Chelsea.

Shaun Wright-Phillips is rated as doubtful with a knee problem while left-backs Wayne Bridge and Aleksandar Kolarov are definitely out.

Bet on the World Cup and get £200. Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Gunners losing battle to keep Cesc

Posted on by
Reply

Arsenal are 7/1 to win the Premier League next season but Barcelona defender Gerard Pique says Cesc Fabregas will not be there to help them as he is determined to return to the Nou Camp.

Speculation continues to rumble on over the future of Fabregas but it seems as though the midfielder has made up his mind over where his future lies, and it is not with Arsenal.

Before he jetted off to the World Cup with Spain, Fabregas made it clear to Gunners boss Arsene Wenger that he would like to return to the Nou Camp and nothing has happened since to change his mind.

If anything his desire to return to the club he left as a 15-year-old has grown even more after being surrounded by a host of Barcelona players for the last four weeks.

The World Cup could not have come at a worse time for Arsenal and it comes as no surprise to hear Pique say how the Barca players have been urging him to sign.

“I have known that Cesc wanted to join Barcelona for many years – but now it is more than about wanting to do it,”  Pique revealed.

“Now it is something he feels he must do. The World Cup has not been a good thing for Arsenal.
“It has meant that he has been spending every day with myself, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Victor Valdes – and he has made his feelings very clear to us.

“He is keeping his mind focused on Spain but his heart is in Barcelona. I think already in his heart he is wearing a Barcelona shirt next season.”

However no matter what Pique or Fabregas think, the final decision will be made by the Gunners and if Barca do not stump up the cash then the player is going nowhere.

Reports now claim that further talks between the two parties will continue this week and Barcelona are confident of landing their man once the World Cup is over.

Bet on the World Cup and get £200. Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Jones ready for pitch battle

Posted on by
Reply

Dave JonesCardiff boss Dave Jones has warned his players they cannot use the much-criticised Wembley playing surface as an excuse if they struggle against Blackpool (Cardiff 13/10, Blackpool 21/10, draw 9/4 90 Minutes) in Saturday’s Championship play-off final.

The Bluebirds will hope to overcome Ian Holloway’s Seasiders and clinch a place in the Premier League (Cardiff 8/13 to gain promotion) for next season which brings with it a reported £90million cash windfall.

However, after Chelsea skipper John Terry became the latest big-name player to launch a scathing attack on the quality of the Wembley playing surface following Saturday’s FA Cup final, Jones is getting his players prepared for the worst.

“We can’t do anything about it so we’ll just have to get on with it,” said Jones.

“We won’t blame the surface.”

In fact Jones feels his players could even be at an advantage ahead of the game given that the Cardiff City Stadium’s surface has also been lambasted for its poor quality this past season so they will be used to playing on a difficult pitch.

“We had complaints about our ground but there was nothing we could do about it,” added Jones.

“The groundsman was pulling his hair out because he had been worried.”

In the meantime, Jones is just hoping his players can adapt well to the ‘massive occasion’ and end Cardiff’s 48-year exile from the top division.

He said: “We’ll have a look at the pitch but if the pitch is a mess what are we going to do? We’ve got to get on with it.”

ToteSport bookmaker will give you £60 in Free Bets. Click here to check them out.