Chelsea

The Italian manager has endured a poor summer warm-up with the Blues and will want to show owner Roman Abromavich that he was right to back the Italian and silence any doubters.

Usually pre-season form is not studied with too much scrutiny, but defeats to the MLS All Stars, AC Milan and Brighton have put unwanted pressure on Di Matteo.

The FA Cup holders can be backed at 10/1 to claim a slim 1-0 victory against City and it would be a score line that Di Matteo would welcome.

Both teams have a lot to play for, but with only one new signing likely to be amongst the 22 players to walk out in the August sunshine the form suggests City will be the team with the upper-hand.

The Stamford Bridge club are likely to give Eden Hazard his first taste of competitive football in the UK, and the £32million Belgian playmaker can be backed at 8/1 to be the first on the score sheet. New Brazilian recruit Oscar will be unavailable due to Olympic duty.

John Terry and Gary Cahill are likely to line-up as the centre-half pairing and City boss Roberto Mancini will be keen to see if his strike force can penetrate the Engand duo.

The 47-year-old manager is under a self-imposed pressure to deliver.

In the build up to the clash between the league and cup champions, the Italian – who oversaw City’s first league title in 44 years – has lamented the club’s lack of transfer activity and heaped praise on their title rivals.

The Eastlands club will see Hazard in action against them, a player they wanted, while they appear to have lost out on the chance to sign Arsenal’s Robin van Persie to rivals Manchester United.

However, Carlos Tevez – 33/1 to score a hat-trick – and Sergio Aguero – 5/1 to score first – will be form a formidable forward pairing.

Despite saying that United are favourites for the forthcoming Premier League, Mancini will be determined to lay down a marker – and then let the mind games begin.

City are 11/1 to pick up a 2-0 victory and that looks like a decent bet considering Chelsea’s pre-season stutters.

Mario Balotelli, who featured in the Euro 2012 final, will most probably start on the bench but the enigmatic 21-year-old – who Paris Saint-Germain are keen on signing – is 13/8 to score at any time. With his tendency to net in big games, that could be a shrewd wager.

Samir Nasri, who scored the last time the two clubs met – a 2-1 victory to City in the Premier League – is 3/1 to grab a goal.

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Eriksson McDermott

With just over two weeks to go until the start of the Championship season, punters will be eyeing a potential ‘good value bet‘ in a wide-open division. The likes of Swansea, Blackpool and Burnley have surprised many by gaining promotion to the top flight in recent years, could there be another surprise package this season?

Leicester (9/2jf Championship Outright) look like the team to beat this term after spending big during the summer transfer window.

Sven Goran Eriksson turned the Foxes from relegation candidates to play-off contenders last season and has spent money on strengthening his squad.

David Nugent, Matt Mills, Neil Danns, Sean St Ledger and Kasper Schmeichel are among the names arriving at Leicester and although they look like quality additions, the pressure will be on for Eriksson’s men to deliver the goods.

West Ham (6/4 to win promotion) are another team expected to go close this season, despite losing a number of first-team players since their relegation from the top flight.

Sam Allardyce has pulled off a real coup with the capture of Kevin Nolan, but a couple of other new faces will be needed if they are to stake a claim for an imminent return.

Birmingham and Blackpool are the other two clubs looking to go back up at the first time of asking, with the Tangerines looking a better bet at this stage.

Ian Holloway may have lost Charlie Adam and David Vaughan but in Kevin Phillips (33/1 Championship Leading Scorer) they have someone who can grab 20-plus goals this term.

Blues have lost four first-team regulars and Chris Hughton has some rebuilding to do to make them a force, although he knows how to win promotion having won the title with Newcastle.

After the appointment of Steve McClaren, much of the press will be keeping a close eye on Nottingham Forest (3/1 to win promotion) this season.

The ex-England boss has brought back Andy Reid to the City Ground and the capture of Jonathan Greening from Fulham looks like a useful addition. The play-offs will be the minimum target for McClaren.

Burnley finished last season strongly under Eddie Howe and have a lot of quality in their squad, but they will need a goalscoring replacement for Chris Iwelumo. The Clarets’ home form is likely to keep them in touch with the chasing pack, but they will need to improve on the road.

Reading (12/1 Championship Outright) will still be haunted by their play-off final defeat to Swansea and the loss of Mills will have a big impact on their hopes. Brian McDermott must keep Shane Long if the Royals are to challenge for promotion.

The Yorkshire challenge will come from Leeds and Hull, with the Tigers looking a more likely threat.

Nigel Pearson has made some shrewd additions, in particular Paul McKenna, and in Matt Fryatt (20/1 Top Goalscorer) has one of the best strikers in the division.

Leeds have struggled to make an impact in the transfer market and will be relying heavily on the intimidation factor of Elland Road.

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North End may be rooted to the bottom of the table, but they are showing signs of improvement whilst Ipswich continue to sink like a stone. Both managers are under immense pressure, but Darren Ferguson could hammer another nail in Roy Keane’s coffin. Preston almost snatched an unlikely win at Cardiff last week, while Ipswich go to Deepdale on a five-game league losing run.

Bet advice: Preston to win @ 7/5

QPR v Watford (Friday 7:45pm)
The league leaders look to maintain their unbeaten record and should be too strong for an out-of-sorts Watford, who have won just one of their last eight matches. The Hoops’ frontmen have not been firing of late, with just one open-play goal from a striker in the last four matches – so don’t expect too many goals.

Bet advice: Under 2.5 goals @ Evens

Swansea v Millwall (Friday 7:45pm)
Swansea will be aware that a win on Friday will move them into second, at least for 24 hours, but they face a stern test against a Millwall side showing signs of recovery. The Swans have struggled for goals at home in recent weeks and the Lions, who have taken seven points from their last three matches, can take something back to London.

Bet advice: Draw @ 13/5

Barnsley v Sheff Utd (Saturday 3pm)
This South Yorkshire derby will be a scrap between two teams who will feel they should be doing better than their league positions suggest. But it’s the Blades that are in the biggest trouble – currently just two points outside the relegation zone – and they face a Barnsley team that have an impressive record at home, with just two defeats in nine matches at Oakwell.

Bet advice: Barnsley to win @ 13/10

Burnley v Leeds (Saturday 3pm)
Two former top-flight clubs do battle at Turf Moor, bringing back memories of unforgettable meetings during the heady days of the 1970s. Both teams have high hopes of a Premier League return this season and this is hard to call with Burnley losing just once at home so far and Leeds losing just twice on their travels.

Bet advice: Both teams to score @ 8/13

Middlesbrough v Cardiff (Saturday 3pm)
Boro look like they are in for a season-long relegation battle and a trip to the Riverside could provide Cardiff with a welcome chance to get back to winning ways. The Welsh outfit have really struggled in recent weeks – winning just one of their last six matches – but the Bluebirds’ pace up front should prove too much for a young Boro backline to deal with.

Bet advice: Craig Bellamy to score anytime @ 7/4

Leicester v Doncaster (Saturday 3pm)
Sven has made Leicester entertaining to watch since his arrival in October, but they are leaking goals and giving opposition chances on the break. Doncaster, though, are a different side away from the Keepmoat and an improving Foxes squad should secure the points.

Bet advice: Leicester to win 3-1 @ 12/1

Bristol City v Derby (Saturday 3pm)
QPR aside, the Robins are arguably the team in form in the Championship, with just one defeat in their last three games. They appear to be catching promotion hopefuls Derby at the just the right time as well, with Nigel Clough’s men losing three of their last four matches.

Bet advice: Bristol City to win @ 11/8

Norwich v Portsmouth (Saturday 3pm)
The Canaries are the surprise package of the season to date and find themselves in the top four, after losing just five of their 20 games to date. But they will be tested by a Portsmouth team who now look to be finding their stride under Steve Cotterill and who are fresh from a 2-1 win at Swansea. With Grant Holt suspended, Pompey could well sneak the points.

Bet advice: Draw HT/Portsmouth FT @ 15/2

Reading v Coventry (Saturday 3pm)
Goals have been hard to come by for both sides in recent weeks, with neither side looking like they are promotion material or likely to be relegated either. This won’t be high on the football bets list for people seeking an accumulator – a draw looks most likely.

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

Scunthorpe v Nottingham Forest (Saturday 3pm)
Scunthorpe’s shocking home form means this should surely be an away win, as Forest move towards the play-off zone. The Iron have won just one game at Glanford Park this season and they look to be on a slippery slope towards League One.

Bet advice: Forest to win @ 6/5

Crystal Palace v Hull (Saturday 5:20pm)
Both of these teams are moving in the right direction and look to have recovered are their early-season slump. Palace are a young team building for the future, while Hull have a more experienced team who have improved their away form and are currently on a four-game unbeaten run.

Bet advice: Draw @ 23/10

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Sam Allardyce

Liverpool (4/6 to win, 12/5 draw) have had a disappointing season under Roy Hodgson and their plight has been much-documented. They sit in the Premier League relegation spots with only six points from their opening eight games.

In previous seasons many football fans would not give Blackburn much of a hope at Anfield, but this season things are different.

Liverpool have lost four games already in the league and have been defeated at Anfield by Premier League new-boys Blackpool and, even more embarrassingly, by League Two side Northampton Town in the Carling Cup.

Allardyce goes into the game without captain Chris Samba after his sending off in the draw with Sunderland last time out. Ryan Nelsen is set to come in and replace him, while strikers Benjani (8/1 to be first goal scorer) and Jason Roberts are back in contention.

The experienced manager admits it is a “good time” to be facing Liverpool, but he expects a tough challenge from Hodgson’s side as they look to put in a good performance in their first home game under their new owners.

“They’ve had a difficult time results wise of late, they had a good result in Europe but from our point of view we have a better chance than normal to get a result at Anfield on Sunday,” said Allardyce.

“We have still got to play at our best and I think this time it gives us a better chance of getting a result. You can be at your best many times at Anfield and it still wouldn’t be good enough to get you anything.

“I think at this moment in time it might be good enough to get us something.”

Hodgson is expected to recall captain Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres to the first team after they sat out the Europa League draw with Napoli on Thursday (Liverpool 11/1 to win Europa League).

Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger are also available for Hodgson as the manager looks to stop a rot that has seen Liverpool endure their worst start to a top-flight campaign for more than 50 years.

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Didier Drogba

The 32-year-old picked up an injury in the Mighty Elephants’ warm-up game against Japan after a clash with Tulio. However, his presence is seen as essential to the Ivory Coast’s chances of progressing in the tournament from the ‘Group of Death’ that also includes Brazil, Portugal and North Korea (10/11 to qualify from Group G).

Drogba is seen as the leading light in what is being called the “Mighty Elephants’ Golden Generation” and says that people back home expect them to be able to compete with the top teams.

“The expectation back home is so high, higher than England,” he said.

“Most of our players play for big teams and have won things with big teams. But for the country we have won nothing.”

Ivory Coast go into the tournament with stars such as Solomon Kalou, the Toure brothers and Emmaunel Eboue, and after achieving so much as individuals, the players are now targeting the World Cup as their first chance of International silverware (Ivory Coast 50/1 to win the tournament).

Drogba also believes that the addition of Sven-Goran Eriksson as coach will be a deciding factor in whether or not the Ivory Coast have a successful campaign. Eriksson, who guided England to the quarter-finals in both 2002 and 2006, replaced Vahid Halilhodzic who was sacked in January after a disappointing African Cup of Nations and Drogba believes that the experienced Swede could be the difference between success and failure.

“Eriksson is one of the best managers on the market and has done a lot of good things with the England national team,” added Drogba in an interview on BBC World Service.

“He is a very good professional and with his experience I hope we can beat one or two big teams at the World Cup.

“He knows there is a lot of work to do, that’s why he started very quickly when he got the job.”

The Ivory Coast open their campaign on June 15 against Portugal in Port Elizabeth. They then meet Brazil in Johannesburg and face North Korea in their final group game in Durban.

Kolo Toure, who is set to deputise as skipper in Drogba’s absence, says he couldn’t agree more with the striker’s opinion.

“He’s a top-class manager, one of the best in the world. We have a big chance and a great manager. We might be considered outsiders but we can make it.”

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Capello had an outstanding qualifying campaign for the World Cup, and England go into the tournament rated as third favourites at 6/1 to win the trophy, behind Spain at 4/1 and five-time winners Brazil at 5/1.

But he said that one of the biggest frustrations he has encountered is not being able to work with his players more often.

“Obviously, it’s a very different job being a national manager rather than a club manager,” he said.

“The pressure is bigger as England manager because behind the national manager and the team you have the country. The country expects a lot and the fans believe a lot in the team.”

He added: “As a club manager you can work with your players every day, you can train to improve and study what happened and why in between each game and you can usually rectify things quickly.

“As England manager, I can do a lot of in-depth preparation and then there’s an injury and everything I have prepared is for nothing.”

The 63-year-old Italian said: “For me, the World Cup is a really big challenge. I think England are one of the best teams in the world and we can win against anyone.

“My approach to the World Cup is relaxed now. I have to study the other countries we will be playing against and hope that everything we are preparing will be ready for the tournament.”

One of his major concerns is the “quality of the pitches” in South Africa, Capello said, which is why he has been so obsessive about England’s training facilities in Rustenburg, before adding: “But my most important hope is that all of my best players will be injury-free and available to play in the World Cup.”

That hope is currently being tested, not least with first-choice midfielder Gareth Barry struggling to recover in time from an ankle injury.

Capello, in an interview with The Manager magazine, reiterated his belief that Wayne Rooney (10/1 to finish as the tournament’s top goalscorer) is “one of the best players in the world” and, once again, compared him to the Spanish striker Raúl, who he coached during his two spells in charge of Real, in terms of his influence.

“Wayne Rooney is one of the best talents I have ever coached,” the Italian added.

“He’s like Raúl, in that he’s a very important player and a big talent. Every time Rooney trains he wants to learn and he always wants to stay on that training pitch for as long as possible.

“It’s really important that the other players see that Rooney, one of the best players in the world, wants to stay on the pitch and wants to continue to learn.”

It’s a process that Capello, also, continues to undertake and he offered an insight into his own managerial philosophy.

“Instinct does play a part but you also have to be able to understand your players,” he said. “When your players are all in good form it is easy but you have to realise this is not always going to be the case.

“You have to be able to react when they lose form and make changes during a game and even during training sessions.”

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Liverpool

Benitez came very close just over 12 months ago to securing the Reds’ first title success since 1990 when his side finished second, four points behind Manchester United at the top. But it all went wrong last season as Liverpool struggled both domestically and in Europe and ended up way off the pace, finally finishing seventh come the end of the campaign.

Benitez, whose future remains very much up in the air amid reported interest from Inter Milan, admits he feels the pressure and the high expectation levels on Merseyside.

“It is impossible to ignore the pressure until you have won the league title,” he said.

“You know you have a responsibility, there are demands on you and you have to get used to it. Every week you have to pass a test.”

The Spanish coach has remained coy about his future but insisted earlier this week he remains committed to the club and appears to be building for the future following the capture of Charlton teenager Jonjo Shelvey, while a deal for highly-rated Rangers full-back Danny Wilson is also expected to go through soon.

The Reds boss also hopes to land Standard Liege striker Milan Jovanovic on a free transfer, while he has other targets over the summer despite being unsure how much money he has to spend as he looks to improve his squad.

On his budget, Benitez added: “I have an idea and I think it’s important to wait and do the right thing at the right moment.”

However, with the World Cup looming (Spain 4/1 favourites), it appears the Liverpool manager has accepted he may not be able to sign anyone until after the summer’s showpiece event.

“Liverpool are working on our next signings,” he said.

“I have my ideas and I know what I want, but we have to wait, because now we have the difficulty that the World Cup always brings.”

While some new faces are expected at Anfield by the end of the summer, there remains considerable doubt over the future of several current first-team stars.

Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Alberto Aquilani and Javier Mascherano are all thought to be weighing up whether to  move on if they feel the Reds, who are without Champions League  football for the first time since Benitez took over in 2004, are not moving in the right direction.

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