Tag Archives: Euro

Capello shows Euro 2012 hand

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England have all but qualified for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine next summer, but what conclusions can we draw from Fabio Capello’s squad selection for this week’s trip to Montenegro (England 9/1 – Euro 2012 – Outright).

The Three Lions hold a six-point lead over this week’s opponents having played a game more which means avoiding defeat will be enough to send the likes of Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Ashley Cole to another international tournament. England did not feature at Euro 2008 thanks to Steve McClaren’s disastrous reign and it’s fair to say hopes will not be too high in nine months’ time given the fact the 2010 World Cup campaign is still too fresh in the memory.

In fact, the Three Lions have an extremely unspectacular record in the history of the European Championships – third place in 1968 and 1996 are all they can shout about – and fans are wary after the flop in South Africa. As in the current qualification campaign, England made short work of getting to South Africa 2010 so what does the future bode for the crop of players – based on the squad for Montenegro – who will represent the country in the summer of 2012?

Goalkeepers: Scott Carson (Bursaspor), Joe Hart (Man City), David Stockdale (Ipswich)

No disrespect to the others, but Capello had better hope Joe Hart stays fit as he is simply head and shoulders above the competition which can cause its own problems.

Should anything happen to Hart, a keeper who will play a lot of high-pressure games between now and next summer, the cupboard is pretty bare.

On the flip side, Hart is competing in the Champions League this term and will be better for it.

Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Bolton), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Phil Jones (Man Utd), Micah Richards (Man City), John Terry (captain, Chelsea), Kyle Walker (Tottenham)

All things being equal, captain John Terry and left-back Ashley Cole will be among the first names on Capello’s teamsheet.

Rio Ferdinand used to be but the centre-half now faces a battle not just for an international start but also one at Manchester United given his injury problem and the Red Devils’ recruitment drive.

Gary Cahill and Phil Jones will want to push Ferdinand – who has only just returned to fitness – all the way as he looks to return at some point.

At right-back Glen Johnson seems to have slipped behind Kyle Walker and Micah Richards because of his ongoing injury issues.

Midfield: Gareth Barry (Man City), Stewart Downing (Liverpool), Adam Johnson (Man City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Man City), Scott Parker (Tottenham), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Ashley Young (Man Utd)

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has rightly been omitted as he has hardly played since March but will make Euro 2012 if fit.

Elsewhere, Capello has big calls to make with many of his current squad hardly guaranteed starts at their respective clubs.

England’s midfield used to be predictable but only Ashley Young seems sure of his place at the moment, while tough-tackling Scott Parker’s suitability for international tournament football surely a question mark over his role in Poland and Ukraine.

Going out on a limb, Owen Hargreaves and Jack Wilshere will not be living in fear of making an impact now the former is back and the latter certain to make an impact at some point when he does return to action.

Strikers: Darren Bent (Aston Villa), Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Wayne Rooney (Man Utd), Danny Welbeck (Man Utd), Bobby Zamora (Fulham)

Wayne Rooney’s 2010 World Cup meltdown seems an eternity away and the fans will be delighted about it.

But what he really needs is a foil to play off and you could make cases for both Andy Carroll and Darren Bent.

However, Capello likes pace around Rooney like Young and Walcott so it seems Rooney + A.N. Other up front will likely form the Italian’s Plan B.

What does seem certain though is that Peter Crouch and Michael Owen can book their summer holidays already.

England are 8/11 to win in Montenegro, the draw is 9/4 and a home win available at 10/3.

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Londoners looking for Euro boost

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There are two Champions League matches involving English teams on Wednesday with Arsenal hosting Olympiakos and Chelsea travelling to Spain to take on Valencia. Both sides won in the Premier League at the weekend so can they repeat the dose in Europe?

Arsenal v  Olympiakos

The Gunners were desperately in need of a win at the weekend and it duly came against Bolton, with the 3-0 success lifting spirits around the Emirates and moving the club further away from the bottom of the table.

But now attentions turn back to Europe, with Arsene Wenger’s men looking to build on their encouraging 1-1 draw at Borussia Dortmund in the opening round of matches.

And the fixture schedule has been kind to the Frenchman as the side that look like being the weakest in Group F are the visitors in mid-week.

The Greeks lost 1-0 to Marseille in their opener and, despite being unbeaten in their domestic league after just two games, should not prove too much of an obstacle for the north Londoners.

Robin van Persie remains key to Arsenal’s chances and, as the news that Jack Wilshere has been ruled out for the majority of the season left a cloud over the Emirates, Wenger will look to his Dutch striker to lead by example and lift the gloom.

He may be stalling on new contract talks to see where the club is in 12 months’ time, but the former Feyenoord star gives nothing less than 100 per cent for his side and, with a superb goalscoring record, is a good bet to add to the 100 goals he has scored for the club to date.

Defensive problems have haunted the Gunners in recent times but Per Mertesacker has hinted that Wenger’s rearguard have been working overtime to sort things out and he feels that their performance against Bolton proved that they are on the right track.

Mikel Arteta and Yossi Benayoun have made solid, if unspectacular, starts to their Arsenal careers and it is time one or both stepped up to provide something extra in the goal column.

Arsenal still have plenty of work to do both domestically and in Europe but the signs are there that things might be starting to click into place and a resounding Champions League victory could be just the tonic they need.

Odds: Arsenal 4/11, Olympiakos 8/1, draw 4/1

Valencia v Chelsea

Valencia were unbeaten and second in the La Liga standings until Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Sevilla and they have now dropped to seventh in a very tight table.

They will be looking to get back on track and record their first Champions League win of the season on Wednesday but will face a Chelsea side who are full of confidence following their 4-1 victory over Swansea.

Fernando Torres seems to have found his touch in front of goal at long last for the Blues and, while he will be out of action in the Premier League due to Saturday’s red card, the Spaniard is eligible to play in Europe and will surely want to pay back his team-mates for Saturday’s indiscretion with a goal or two.

The west Londoners opened their European campaign with a solid 2-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen and it remains to be seen whether boss Andre Villas-Boas goes to Spain with three points in mind or sets his side up to be hard to beat.

The man they will have to stop is Roberto Soldado, who has already bagged five goals in just three La Liga appearances and he will be Los Che’s biggest goal threat at the Mestalla.

But they have quality throughout the side and are tipped as one of the sides that could break the duopoly at the top of Spanish football this season.

Chelsea are good enough to win the match but, with Valencia enjoying home advantage and desperate to get back on track, it would be no surprise to see this one end in a draw.

Odds: Valencia 2/1, Chelsea 6/4, draw 9/4

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Manchester duo eye Euro wins

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The second round of Champions League matches begin on Tuesday with both Manchester clubs in action. The duo are sweeping all before them in the Premier League so can they both do the business in Europe this week? (United 13/2, City 10/1 Champs League Outright)

Manchester United v Basle

A glance at the league tables from England and Switzerland, plus a look at the respective squads and most people would point towards a huge United win on Tuesday evening at Old Trafford, but just who will Sir Alex Ferguson have in his starting XI? (United 1/6, Basle 18/1, draw 13/2 – match prices).

Reports suggest that the veteran tactician might be missing as many as eight senior players when Basle come calling, with star striker Wayne Rooney certain to miss out.

He has been the lifeblood of the side so far this term and is in the form of his life and his absence will certainly be felt at the Theatre of Dreams.

Javier Hernandez limped off early in the Stoke game with a dead leg and he is rated as doubtful while central defenders Jonny Evans, Chris Smalling and Nemanja Vidic were all absent from training on Monday morning.

With Rafael, Tom Cleverley and Darron Gibson long-term absentees, the United physio’s couch is certain to be a busy place and Ferguson will have to look to his fringe players to do the business in Europe this week.

Michael Owen did his chances no harm at all with a mid-week Carling Cup brace last week and he could start alongside forgotten man Dimitar Berbatov, who was scoring goals for fun this time last year.

Danny Welbeck is also an option while Rio Ferdinand and Phil Jones look set to be paired in the centre of defence with Antonio Valencia again being used as an emergency right-back.

United certainly have injury problems at the moment but, such is the strength of their squad with the likes of Michael Carrick, Ryan Giggs, Park Ji-Sung and Darren Fletcher able to fill the midfield berths, that they should have more than enough to beat a Basle side who are already eight points behind leaders Lucerne in the Swiss top flight.

And they need all three points having managed just a draw at Benfica in their opening match.

Bayern Munich v Man City

City also kicked off their debut season in the Champions League with a 1-1 home draw against Napoli but, unlike their neighbours, will probably be happy to come away with a point against Bayern Munich (Bayern Evens, City 11/4, draw 13/5 – match prices).

The Bavarians have won nine games in a row, are top of the Bundesliga and are playing some superb football both home and away.

Add to that the fact that they have scored 26 goals and not conceded during that run and it all points to a tricky night for Roberto Mancini’s men.

Indeed the Italian tactician has stated that he feels the current Bayern team is the best he has ever seen and it would be no surprise to see him set up his side with defence in mind at the Allainz Arena.

The City rearguard showed a vulnerability against Fulham and now they will have to contend with the likes of Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery and Mario Gomez, while the German side’s defence has conceded just one goal at home in the top flight this term.

City will not be overawed by their task, however, as they possess quality throughout their squad and have plenty of options up front to try and do what has been virtually impossible in Munich this season – score a  goal.

David Silva, Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri have been on fire in midfield, while Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko will always provide a threat up front and will be hoping to find the back of the net on Tuesday evening.

Mancini was criticised for being too defensive in the early part of his City tenure but now his Italian attitude of keeping a clean sheet might be just what the doctor ordered in week two of the Champions League.

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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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Can Euro minnows bite back?

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kazakhstan‘There are no easy games in international football any more’ say the experts but can a case really be made for Andorra, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, San Marino, Cyprus and Kazakhstan to avoid heavy defeats this weekend?

San Marino (66/1 in Match Betting) are the biggest price on the Totesport international football coupon and, with their 42-match losing streak stretching back to 2004, that looks like a fair assesment of their chances against the World Cup finalists Holland (1/100, Draw 16/1) in Eindhoven.

The tiny principality have improved their home form under Italian coach Giampaolo Mazza recently, going down 1-0 to the visiting Romanian side last month, but their away form still looks rotten – leaving them ripe for a spanking by the Dutch.

San Marino last their two most recent away European Championship qualifiers to Finland and Hungary by the same scoreline 8-0 and, prior to that, were beaten 6-0 by Sweden. A repeat of that mauling is on offer at 8/1 in the Correct Score market.

Luxembourg have also stopped shipping goals at home, although they remain weak on their travels which makes this week’s home clash with low-scoring Romania ripe for a 1-0 away win on the Correct Score front (6/1).

Victor Piturca’s side have scored three goals in their last eight away matches and will surely settle for a solitary goal win at the Stade Josy Barthel.

Liechtenstein are fast-earning a reputation for no longer being among the chief whipping boys of Europe. They almost ended Craig Levein’s Scotland career before it began when the Tartan Army needed a stoppage time Stephen McManus winner to take a 2-1 home win last year and they have won twice since then – away to San Marino and at home against Friday’s opponents Lithuania.

Liechtenstein are too big at 14/1 to record an unlikely double over their group rivals but a safer bet may be for them to hold off the home side until the second half (4/1 Draw/Lithuania in HT/FT).

Andorra, similarly, are no mugs but lack the firepower to seriously trouble better opponents like Armenia this Friday. However with the draw a tasty 5/1 with Totesport, they may be good enough to stop the visitors from claiming all three points at the tiny Estadi Comunal.

Turkey’s home record is good enough to frighten anyone, let alone the minnows they come up against the form of Kazakhstan.

Guus Hiddink’s side have won six and drawn one of their last seven home matches, which includes good wins over Belgium, Romania and the Czech Republic.

But Kazakhstan escaped with only a 4-0 defeat at the hands of a strong-looking German outfit in March and may be in the mood to frustrate a better side again. Turkey 2-0 (11/2) and 3-0 (5/1) look like the most likely scorelines to support in the Correct Score market for this one.

Cyprus and Portugal played out a 4-4 thriller in a coupon-busting Euro 2012 qualifying clash a year ago, but can the minnows go one better and beat Cristiano Ronalo and co on home soil?

The fact that Ronaldo did not play that night in Guimaraes may have had something to do with the result, but clearly the Cypriot attack caused problems for the home defence and they should do again.

Portugal to win 4-1 is on offer at 8/1 while a 5-1 win is a juicy 28/1 – how can you ignore that when Ronaldo remains one of the most potent attackers on the planet – yet the Portuguese defence has conceded five goals in their last four away matches.

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Danes face Greek Euro exit

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After a superb opening to the Champions League qualifying round last week, the competition carries on this week with four matches on Tuesday, as club’s look to take their final chance to seal a place in Europe’s most lucrative club competition.

The most eye catching tie sees Danish side Odense BK travel to face Greek giants Panathinaikos with the tie evenly balanced at 1-1, after a hotly contested first leg in Denmark.

The game will be staged in the Olympic Stadium (Panathinaikos 4/6, Draw 5/2, Odense 10/3 – Match Betting) and the home side will be looking to use the intimidating atmosphere often created by their raucous fans to their advantage, as they attempt to qualify for the competition they finished runners-up in 1971.

Panathinaikos managed to reach the last 16 in the 2008-09 season and have Champions League pedigree, but have never really fulfilled their potential on the big stage. The Greek Champions (Panathinaikos/Panathinaikos 6/4 – HT/FT Betting) have a number of names that maybe familiar to English fans and lookout for, amongst others, former Liverpool winger Sebastian Leto. The Argentine arrived at Anfield as a youngster but never really adapted to life in the North West. However, he has excelled in Greece and after scoring his side’s goal in the first leg, will be looking for a big performance in the match to show he can do it on the big stage.

However, Panathinaikos’ main man is Greek youngster Sotiris Ninis who on his day can trouble any defence in Europe. The winger has long been touted as the future of Greek football and has been linked with a number of top clubs in the past, with Inter Milan reportedly tracking his progress. Ninis has the ability to unlock any defence and like Leto, maybe looking at the match as a springboard to bigger things.

Panathinaikos may have young talent, but Odense are also a club on the up although they have created a reputation for themselves as the nearly side, after finishing runners-up in the league in the last three seasons. They’ll be hoping the curse doesn’t strike again and will be looking to get off to a fast start in what could be the biggest game of their season.

Henrik Clausen’s side will be looking to their star man Peter Utaka, brother of former Porstmouth man John, to fire them through. Utaka is another man that Premier League clubs have been looking at and he will be hoping to make an impact on the game after a quiet first leg.

Another name English fans may notice is that of former Manchester United midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba. The Cameroon international was billed as the next Roy Keane when he arrived at Old Trafford in 2003, but his career hasn’t quite turned out as planned and he has become somewhat of a journeyman. However, on his day he still has the tenacity and talent to dominate games and could be a key man if selected.

Odense will have high hopes ahead of the game and you never quite know what you’re going to get from Panathinaikos (13/2 – 2-0 Correct Score Betting). However, the Greek side should have more than enough to come through and will be looking to lay down a marker for the group stages by putting in a strong performance on Tuesday.

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Gers set for Euro night

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Newly-appointed Rangers boss Ally McCoist is preparing for his first European night in charge of the Old Firm giants as the club host Malmo in their Champions League qualifier on Tuesday (Rangers 4/9, draw 11/4, Malmo 11/2).

The former Gers striker has already learnt his new role will not be all plain sailing at Ibrox – after he saw his side held to a 1-1 draw against Hearts in the opening game of the SPL season on Saturday.

McCoist is still looking to bring fresh faces to the Glasgow outfit, with Romanian defender Dorin Goian close to completing a deal from Italian club Palermo.

The new Ibrox boss is also hoping United States midfielder Alejandro Bedoya will be able to join sooner than expected, after the 24-year-old signed a pre-contract agreement with the SPL champions.

So, after a disappointing start to the new campaign, attentions will have to quickly turn to Tuesday night’s game in Europe.

The Champions League has become more important than ever to teams in Scotland, with only one side being able to qualify for the lucrative competition each year.

With the financial trouble at Ibrox, they will be desperate to qualify for the tournament this year but first they will have to get past Malmo in their third qualifying round clash.

The Swedish outfit managed to see off HB Tórshavn in the last round but have not been in the best form in their domestic league competition in recent weeks, with only one win in their last five games.

Malmo, who sit in eight place in the Allsvenskan table, will have their work cut out for them when they face the Scottish Champions.

The inexperience of the Malmo squad could be an issue in this upcoming clash, with the average age of the squad at just over 23-years-old, a Champions League qualifier could be one of the biggest games many of these players will have featured in.

However, what will stand Malmo in good stead is the fact they are in the middle of their domestic season whilst the weather is good in Sweden.

Although the SPL campaign has started earlier than ever before, Rangers (11/8 SPL 2011/2012 outright) are still finding their feet in competitive football after the summer break and could be caught out cold if their Scandinavian opposition can take an early advantage.

Malmo will be determined to be in the contest when the two sides meet at the Swedbank Stadoin in the return leg on August 3 and will look to put men behind the ball and catch Rangers on the break.

Even through Gers did not look as sharp as they could have been against Hearts, with the likes of Steven Davies, Steven Naismith and Nikica Jelavic in their ranks they should still have enough attacking threat to secure the win and put one foot in the competition for real.

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Danes still hopeful on Euro glory

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The Under-21 European Championship hosts Denmark remain confident they can go far on home soil but must quickly find a way back after an opening-day Group A defeat against Switzerland (Group A outright winner).

The Danes went down to a superb solo goal from Xherdan Shaqiri but they will still have hopes of success if history is anything to go on.

Three of the past five winners of the competition have lost their openings game, so the Danes will hope to follow suit.

With the cobwebs out the way, the host nation are now focused on their clash with Belarus at the Aarhus Stadion on Tuesday (Denmark 4/6, draw 23/10, Belarus 19/5 – match prices).

Belarus got their competition off to the best possible start with their 2-0 victory over the much-fancied Iceland who, despite having an excellent goal scoring record, could not find a way through the opposition defence in their opening game.

Italy are not at this competition because they lost to Belarus in the play-offs, which just shows how good this side is.

Denmark will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday, and with Belarus in fine form, it could be two games into the tournament on home soil without a win.

Switzerland will be looking to continue their good start to the Championships when they face Iceland in Group A (Switzerland 10/11, draw 11/5, Iceland 5/2 – match prices).

Iceland will be without Coventry City midfielder Aron Gunnarsson after he was shown a red card in the opening game against Belarus.

It was two late goals that proved their undoing in the opening game but Iceland will continue to be a threat in this competition.

If this side can make the most of their opportunities they could challenge any team in the tournament, but first they will have to get past the Swiss.

Switzerland have never lost to Icelandic opposition in any age-group and these players will be determined to maintain that record.

Shaqiri scored the goal which was enough to beat the hosts and he was a constant attacking threat throughout the game, earning the man of the match award.

Iceland will have to keep an eye on the Basel youngster otherwise the 19-year-old could cause them problems.

This game should be a fairly even contest and it will be interesting to see which nation can cope with the pressure, with precious points up for grabs.

Iceland  were unlucky to lose their first game,  and considering their attacking style, they might just have too much firepower for the Swiss and cause an upset on Tuesday.

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Dutch on course for Euro crown

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The latest round of Euro 2012 qualifiers are coming up in early June, and this time next year the teams will be preparing to do battle in Poland and Ukraine, but who are the main contenders for next year’s tournament, and the outsiders to watch?

The Favourites

Holland

The World Cup runners-up have continued to progress since losing to Spain in South Africa and are one of three teams with a 100% record. The Netherlands are the top goalscorers in qualifying, to date, with 21 goals in six Group E fixtures.

Bert van Marwijk’s men have brought the best out of two Premier League strikers, Dirk Kuyt and Robin van Persie, while Klass-Jan Huntelaar tops the scoring charts in qualifying with with eight goals.

The defence is still the main concern for those following the Netherlands, but they will be firm contenders next summer.

Outright Betting – Holland 13/2

Spain

The defending champions have eased through the qualifying campaign so far and top Group I. Spain have had some worrying moments though, with a hard-fought 3-2 win at Hampden Park, and then falling behind at home to the Czech Republic before clinching a 2-1 success.

They will undoubtedly be the team to beat again next summer, but the goalscoring department will their concern. David Villa has endured a tough end to the La Liga season, while Fernando Torres has scored just once since his £50million move from Liverpool in January. There is still plenty of time to put that right though!

Outright Betting – Spain 7/2

Germany

The young side that impressed and surprised so many in South Africa last summer are showing that their World Cup displays were not a flash in the pan. The Germans have won all five matches to date and conceded just one goal so far!

Group A looks one of the tougher groups, with Turkey, Belgium and Austria three of the other five teams, but Germany have taken a firm grip on top spot.

Veteran striker Miroslav Klose continues to bang in the goals, with eight to date, while Manuel Neuer at the other end is arguably the best keeper in Europe.

Outright Betting – Germany 9/2

The Outsiders

England

We say it every two years, but the Three Lions look to have a decent chance of a big tournament in Poland and Ukraine, with a good mixture of experience and youth. Now the ‘Golden Generation’ has been split up somewhat, the pressure may ease on Fabio Capello’s men going into the tournament.

After an appalling showing at last year’s World Cup, Capello has decided to blood some more young stars and the likes of Andy Carroll, Jack Wilshere and Joe Hart are shining in qualifying.

If England can see off Montengero in qualifying – both are on 10 points in Group G – there will be plenty of punters eyeing a big price on the 1996 semi-finalists.

Outright Betting – England 9/1

Russia

The 1988 runners-up are in a tough qualifying group but will fancy their chances of qualification, with four of their remaining five matches at home.

With thousands of Russian fans likely to make the short journey to the finals, their tournament matches will almost feel like home games!

In Dutchman Dick Advocaat, Russia have a shrewd tactician at the helm and they have plenty of firepower going forward, with the likes of Arshavin, Pavlychenko and Pogrebnyak.

Outright Betting – Russia 20/1

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Back to business after Euro glory

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London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham both secured memorable European victories last week – with the Gunners seeing off Barcelona at the Emirates and Spurs grabbing a 1-0 win over AC Milan at the San Siro – but  they turn their attentions back to the Premier League this week as Spurs travel to strugglers Blackpool on Tuesday and Arsenal host Stoke on Wednesday (Arsenal 2/1 to win the Premier League title). How will they shape up following their Champions League wins?

Blackpool Vs Tottenham Hotspur

After their fearless, and wholly unexpected, fine start to life in the Premier League in the autumn last year, the Seasiders have slipped down the  table in recent weeks with just one win since the turn of the year and Ian Holloway’s men are now in real danger of dropping out of the top flight (Blackpool 6/5 to be relegated).

Blackpool also travel to Wolves on Saturday in a crucial relegation showdown but Holloway will still have his players focused for the test of Spurs.  Despite Blackpool’s struggles in 2011 it is worth noting that they have pulled out some decent performances despite results not going their way.  The one win they did manage to pick up in January was the notable scalp of Liverpool in a 2-1 win at Bloomfield Road, while they also pushed champions elect Manchester United to the limit before slipping to a 3-2 defeat.

Spurs have a great away record and only Arsenal have recorded more victories on the road than Harry Redknapp’s side. Spurs are the heavy favourites to take all three points but the game could be much closer than many people expect and Blackpool will not roll over easily (match betting – Blackpool 16/5, draw 11/4, Spurs 4/5).

Spurs will be without the influential midfield duo of Rafael Van der Vaart and Gareth Bale for their trip to Bloomfield Road, while Blackpool have just Richard Kingson as their only option in goal and both sides have a few injury problems. Spurs are also without Vedran Corluka, Jonathan Woodgate, Ledley King, Younes Kaboul and Tom Huddlestone.  Blackpool will have to cope without Stephen Crainey and Matt Gilks, who are both a few weeks away from returning to action, for Spurs’ visit.

Charlie Adam has been in fine form of late and, indeed, through the course of the season. After missing out on a deadline-day move to Spurs he will be desperate to impress Redknapp. The Spurs boss has hinted he may reignite his interest in Adam in the summer and the Scottish international can be backed at 10/3 to score at any time in the match.

Both teams have an attacking philosophy and are arguably two of the most attack minded sides in the Premier League, over 2.5 goals is priced at 8/15 and there will be plenty of chances for both sides over the course of the fixture.

Arsenal V Stoke City

Arsenal and Stoke have built up a fierce rivalry in recent years, with the contrasting styles of bosses Arsene Wenger and Tony Pulis seemingly at the route of the problem – as well as a few tasty encounters.

Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross in particular is an unpopular figure at the Emirates Stadium after his challenge on Aaron Ramsey sidelined the midfielder with a broken leg for a significant amount of time and the Potters and boss Pulis are set for a fiery reception when they arrive at the Emirates on Wednesday.

Both sides have virtually fully-fit squads ahead of the meeting.  Arsenal are without Abou Diaby through suspension, while Johan Djourou remains a doubt with a back injury. Stoke’s only concern is winger Matthew Etherington, who has a back problem.

Arsenal have been beaten just three times at the Emirates in the Premier League this season and it will take a big effort from the Potters to get anything out of the game. Pulis’ Stoke side have managed just 10 points and 12 goals from their 13 away days to date and it would take a brave punter to back anything other than an Arsenal victory at the Emirates on Wednesday (match betting – Arsenal 3/10, draw 4/1, Stoke 10/1).

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