Tag Archives: leaders

Early leaders set to maintain form

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There are six Premier League games on Saturday, including three of the top four in action with Chelsea, Everton and Manchester City all looking for victories to maintain their good starts to the season.

Manchester City v Sunderland (12.45pm)

City (2/7, draw 9/2 in the match betting) sit four points behind early leaders Chelsea after a stuttering start to the defence of their title.

Roberto Mancini’s side remain unbeaten but only just overcame Fulham last weekend and could find it tricky at home against a spirited Sunderland (12/1 to win) side. The champions were poor in midweek when drawing with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League and will need to improve against the Black Cats, who have summer signing Steven Fletcher in red-hot form.

It could be closer than City would want at the Etihad but a narrow home win is predicted.

Prediction: Man City to win 2-1 (7/1).

Chelsea v Norwich (3pm)

Chelsea (2/9 to win) have looked good so far with new signings Eden Hazard and Oscar catching they eye and they are top of the table on merit, having dropped just two points so far.

Last week’s win at Arsenal underlined their title credentials further and expect a comfortable home win in this one against a Norwich side currently struggling to match last-season’s achievements under former boss Paul Lambert.

The Canaries (14/1, draw 11/2 match betting) were outplayed last weekend when going down 5-2 at home to Liverpool and could get the runaround again at Stamford Bridge.

Prediction: Chelsea to win 4-0 (10/1).

Swansea v Reading (3pm)

The Swans’ (10/11 to win) hosting of the Royals (16/5, draw 5/2 in the match betting) is one of the more difficult games to predict on Saturday with the home side’s impressive start now just a faded memory after a run of three consecutive league defeats.

Reading, however, have yet to win this season and appear to be struggling to adapt to life back in the top flight. It won’t be a classic at the Liberty Stadium and a hard-fought draw looks on the cards.

Prediction: 1-1 draw (11/2).

West Brom v QPR (3pm)

QPR (10/3 to win) are desperate for a win after a shocking start to the season. Despite heavy summer investment, the Hoops have picked up just two points so far and are bottom of the table.

The Baggies, in contrast, are flying high early on in sixth under new boss Steve Clarke and can follow up last weekend’s 1-1 draw at neighbours Aston Villa with a win here (5/6, draw 11/4 in the match betting) to pile further pressure on Rangers boss Mark Hughes.

Prediction: West Brom to win 2-1 (8/1).

Wigan v Everton (3pm)

A north-west derby at the DW Stadium sees on-form Everton (Evens to take the three points) expected to come away with the three points against a Wigan (3/1, draw 5/2) side who have just one league victory to their name this season.

The Toffees have been very impressive so far, aside from a blip at Leeds in the Capital One Cup, and they can enhance their growing top-four claims with another away win this weekend.

Prediction: Everton to win 2-0 (8/1).

West Ham v Arsenal (5.30pm)

Saturday’s evening game is a London derby to relish with a clash of styles on show at Upton Park. Sam Allardyce’s side will do all they can to disrupt Arsenal’s (Evens to win) fluid passing game and, following the 2-1 win at QPR on Monday, will approach this with confidence.

Arsene Wenger’s side began the season well but last weekend’s home defeat to Chelsea will have left fans anxious over a title bid and they will not fancy another derby so soon.

Loan signing Andy Carroll could be back for West Ham (3/1, draw 5/2 in the match betting) and, with that in mind, we see this as the shock result of the day with a home win the outcome.

Prediction: West Ham to win 1-0 (10/1).

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In-form Leeds can overturn leaders

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QPR suffered their first Championship defeat of the season last weekend when they were played off their own Loftus Road ground by Watford, but they face a tough ask to bounce back on Saturday as a trip to Leeds looms on the horizon (QPR 5/6 – Championship Outright).

Leeds v QPR

Rangers’ last win at Elland Road came back in the 1995/96 season when both clubs were still in the Premier League, with Danny Dichio steeling the headlines with a brace in a 3-1 win.
Three trips north since have seen the Hoops pick up just a point and the league leaders will do well to improve on that against a side that have not lost at home in almost two months.

Bet Advice: Draw HT / Leeds FT @ 9/2

Cardiff v Burnley

If QPR slip up, then Cardiff will be confident of pegging them back when they come up against Burnley, who threw a 2-0 half-time lead last week at home to Leeds.
The Clarets have not tasted victory away from Turf Moor this term and that record will not be improved on in the Principality.

Bet Advice: Cardiff to win @ Evens

Sheffield United v Swansea

The Swans will also be looking to stay on the coat tails of the leaders at Bramall Lane, as they face a Blades outfit which lost boss Gary Speed this week to the Welsh job.
United average a goal a game at home and that will not be good enough against the visitors.

Bet Advice: Swansea to win @ 6/4

Coventry v Norwich City

These two occupy the final play-off places and will fancy their chances of staying there on the final day of reckoning in May.
The Sky Blues are overdue a home draw and the Canaries will be good for at least a point at the Ricoh Arena.

Bet Advice: Draw @ 23/10

Ipswich v Leicester

The Foxes have been boosted ahead of the trip to Portman Road after being reassured boss Sven-Goran Eriksson does not want the Blackburn job.
The Walkers Stadium outfit will have more reason to celebrate when they have put Roy Keane?s free-falling outfit to the sword by the odd goal.

Bet Advice: Leicester to win 2-1 @ 8/1

Derby v Reading

The Royals will fancy their chances at Pride Park against a Rams side who have lost four out of their last six games, with wins coming against strugglers Ipswich and Scunthorpe.
So take Brian McDermott’s side to nick it and secure their third away win to move into the top half of the table.

Bet Advice: Reading to win @ 19/10

Watford v Preston

This meeting at Vicarage Road has score draw written all over it, with both sides finding some decent form of late.
North End are still rock bottom but are unbeaten in three – taking five points in the process, while the Hornets beat QPR last time out and have no lost in four matches.

Bet Advice: Draw 2-2 @ 12/1

Portsmouth v Scunthorpe

Pompey have been hard to beat at home and have got back to winning ways after a slight wobble, however next-to-bottom Scunny have already won five on the road so represent danger.
There should be goals in this one and both teams to score looks nailed on.

Bet Advice: Both Teams To Score @ 8/11

Hull v Bristol City

The Tigers are currently enjoying a five-game unbeaten run which they are putting on the line against a Robins side also in form.
Home advantage should count in this one, although goals have been in short supply at both ends at the KC Stadium this season.

Bet Advice: Hull to win 1-0 @ 13/2

Doncaster v Middlesbrough

As a curtain-raiser for the weekend’s Championship action, the fixture planners could have chose a tastier game for Friday evening.
Both sides would have expected to be in the top half at the halfway point of the season, but it hasn’t worked out like that.

Bet Advice: Draw @ 12/5

Millwall v Barnsley

Just as Donny and Boro are under-achieving, the Lions and Tykes are enjoying decent seasons however the Yorkshiremen’s poor away record goes against them here.

Bet Advice: Millwall to win @ 20/23

Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace

Palace like playing at Selhurst Park this season, which is just as well because they have been lousy on the road so far.
Forest are unbeaten on their own patch and although that won?t last it will do for the rest of the year.

Bet Advice: Forest HT/Forest FT @ 13/10

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Malouda calls for French leaders

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France star Florent Malouda admits Les Bleus’ senior players need to step up and guide their younger team-mates at the World Cup finals in South Africa if they are to challenge for the trophy (France 9/1 – Top European Team).

Raymond Domenech’s team did not enjoy the best qualifying campaign and were forced to rely on Thierry Henry’s handball in order to edge past the Republic of Ireland in their two-legged play-off clash last autumn.

France will face South Africa, Mexico and Uruguay at the World Cup and Malouda knows they have improvements to make after winning the World Cup in 1998 and contesting the final last time around in Germany against Italy (France 15/2 – To Reach Final).

The Chelsea flyer told the Guardian: “The problem is, after what we did in 2006 – and of course there was a great generation in 1998 and 2000 – expectations are very high.

“And the Euro in 2008 was a disaster. So when you are in a bad situation everything is coming out, and people are pointing the finger.

“The World Cup is really close and honestly we have a lot of problems to fix. When there is tension, when there is high pressure games, you need characters.

“You need people to come out and say ‘I will take responsibility’.”

Malouda, at 29 years of age and with 54 appearances for his country, is possibly playing in his last World Cup and along with William Gallas (81), Eric Abidal (55) and Thierry Henry (121) he is one of four players in Domenech’s 23-man squad to have won over a half-century of caps.

Veterans like Patrick Vieira, Claude Makelele and Lilian Thuram are no longer around and Malouda knows there is a vacuum to fill in terms of leadership, both on and off the pitch.

He added: “Honestly we have a lot of problems. We have to talk about a lot of things.

“But for that you need someone to take the first step. Guys like (Patrick) Vieira and (Claude) Makelele who can take the lead. If they are not there, somebody has to do it.”

France kick off their World Cup Group A campaign against Uruguay on Friday before games against South Africa and Mexico (France 11/10 – Group A Winner).

Domenech will bow out after the World Cup with his successor, France legend Laurent Blanc, already confirmed in the post for the start of the Euro 2012 qualifiers (12/1 – Euro 2012 Outright).

France will face games against Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Belarus, Albania and Luxembourg in Group D (Les Bleus 4/9 – Group Winner).

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