Tottenham

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Spurs

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Spurs

Villas-Boas has made no secret of his desire to go all the way in the competition and has named strong sides for both games so far.

Spurs have also improved as the season has progressed, despite the loss against Chelsea on Saturday, and should be too strong for the Slovenian outfit on Thursday night.

The north Londoners are priced at 4/6 to get the win, the hosts are 4/1 to pick up maximum points and the draw is 11/4.

Unlike his Spurs counterpart, Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has fielded weakened sides in the Europa League so far and the Reds face a big test on Thursday as they host big-spending Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala.

Anzhi have some world class players, including Samuel Eto’o and Lassana Diarra, as well as an experienced manager in the shape of Guus Hiddink and are more than capable of causing Liverpool problems.

If Rodgers does indeed leave the likes of Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez, Daniel Agger and Pepe Reina out of the starting line-up, as expected, Anzhi could cause an upset and seal an historic win at Anfield.  This is a bet that should certainly be considered an outsider, but the 11/5 on offer for an away win could well be a risk worth taking.

Liverpool are 6/5 to secure the victory, and the draw can be backed at 12/5.

Udinese, who are in Group A with Liverpool, travel to Swiss side Young Boys on Thursday and the Italian side should be strong enough so come away with maximum points.

Young Boys have lost both of their Europa League games to date, while Udinese drew with Anzhi before grabbing a win at Anfield in their last fixture.

The Serie A outfit are an experienced side in the Europa League and will be keen to beat Young Boys and edge closer to the knock-out stages. A win for Udinese is priced at a very attractive 13/8, the draw is 11/5 and the hosts are 8/5 to pick up their first win of the competition.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has fielded his fringe players in Europe this season but his youngsters have impressed and secured a 3-0 win over Bordeaux in their last European fixture.  The north East side host Belgian outfit Club Brugge on Thursday and should be able to get the win and maintain their unbeaten record in the Europa League.

The Belgian side have a reasonable record on the road domestically but slumped to a 4-0 defeat at Bordeaux in Europe.  Newcastle look good value at 4/6 to take all three points, the draw is 11/4 and the visitors are 4/1 to grab a shock victory.

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Reading v Tottenham – 4pm

Time is certainly a precious commodity in football and, as a new manager at one of the Premier League’s top clubs, it always appears to be running out. For Villas-Boas the clock seems to already be ticking after two disappointing draws at home to West Brom and Norwich, coming after the opening-day defeat at Newcastle.

As a former Chelsea man, AVB was always going to have to hit the ground running to win over the White Hart Lane faithful but it has been far from a smooth start thus far. The tactics and transfers of the 34-year-old have left some Spurs’ fans scratching their heads, with the Tottenham boss seemingly determined to play predominantly through the middle despite the presence of Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon on the wings.

The decision to let Rafael van der Vaart go has also left some fans puzzled, given his choice of tactics, and it will be interesting to see where Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele fit into Tottenham’s plans. Dembele came on against Norwich and changed the game, scoring on his debut. Given Dempsey’s terrific record in front of goal last season he might be work backing to do the same on his Spurs bow at 7/4.

The talent of the Tottenham squad is undeniable and that could be enough to get them through against Reading this weekend. The Royals did impress in their last outing – the 4-2 defeat to Chelsea – but that was nearly a month ago and manager Brian McDermott will have done well to keep his players in top form.

Reading certainly look as though they have enough about them to survive this season after some shrewd purchases in the summer but against the pace and skill of teams like Tottenham they could well struggle. Last year’s Championship winners have only ever beaten Spurs once, with the north Londoners having won on their previous two visits to Berkshire.

McDermott does have a near fully-fit squad to choose from, with Jason Roberts the only absentee and, with Pavel Pogregbnyak, Gareth McCleary and Jimmy Kebe at his disposal, they could cause Tottenham a few problems. Over 2.5 goals at 5/6 looks a solid bet with plenty of attacking talent on show.

The outcome of the match is likely to be decided by Tottenham’s new boys. Dempsey, Dembele and former Reading man Gylfi Sigurdsson should be the difference in buying Villas-Boas a bit of breathing space. At even money Spurs look a sound bet, with Reading 11/4 to cause an upset and the draw available at 5/2.

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Newcastle v Sunderland 12pm

The day begins at St James’ Park with these two rivals looking to bounce back from disappointing results last weekend. Martin O’Neill’s honeymoon period at Sunderland is well and truly over after last weekend’s 4-0 hammering at West Brom and now he takes his team to Newcastle, a scene of one too many nightmares if you are a Black Cats fan.

Sunderland’s last win at St James’ came 12 years ago in 2000 and since then Newcastle have won four of the six meetings on Tyneside, including last season’s 5-1 hammering of their rivals. The Toon though will have been worried by how they let a two-goal lead slip last weekend – perhaps they thought they were good enough to hold off relegation-threatened Wolves playing in second gear. However, this Newcastle squad isn’t good enough to do that and Alan Pardew will have reminded his team they will have to work hard if are to secure a European spot.

However, with Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse up front Newcastle have two outstanding goal threats and that is what should give them the edge over Sunderland. The Senegalese duo will relish the chance to test a defence that conceded four last weekend. Ba is 5/1 to score two or more, while Cisse is 13/2, and if anyone is going to win what should be a pulsating derby for Newcastle it should be these two. Newcastle are 11/10, with Sunderland 13/5 and the draw 12/5 in the match betting.

Fulham v Wolves 2:05pm

You might look at this fixture as the chance to fit in your Sunday lunch before the main event later in the day but do not underestimate what this game could offer. Under Roy Hodgson and Mark Hughes, Fulham were not great to watch but Martin Jol has them playing a much more pleasing brand of the beautiful game. What hasn’t changed under Jol though is how strong the Cottagers are at home. Fulham have lost just three matches at home all season, taking points off Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle.

Fulham are 8/13 to beat Wolves this weekend and you would expect the game to go that way. However, Wolves are unbeaten in their last six away and proved last week at Newcastle they are not going to slip into the Championship without a fight. Terry Connor might have been a bizarre choice as manager but if he can continue to galvanise the team as he did last weekend then who knows what will happen. Wolves are 11/4 to pick up a point and that would be a great result for them.

Tottenham v Manchester United 4:10pm

Having been humbled by Arsenal last weekend, the last name Tottenham fans would want to see on their fixture list is Manchester United’s. Spurs haven’t beaten the Red Devils in 25 meetings, their last win over Sir Alex Ferguson’s men coming in May 2001. Harry Redknapp’s charges will be desperate to forget about last week’s north London derby and bounce back against United, which will certainly be easier said than done.

Despite last Sunday’s loss, there are still plenty of positives for Tottenham heading into this week’s game, not least their fantastic form at home. Redknapp’s men ripped apart Newcastle in their last outing at White Hart Lane and, given United’s sometimes-fragile defence, will feel they can finally get a win over the Red Devils under their belts. With Gareth Bale also expected to play, it could be a long afternoon for whoever Ferguson’s starts at right-back.

However, this is traditionally United’s time to shine and last weekend’s win at Norwich was typical of how Ferguson’s men perform when the chips are down. United have also been given a boost with the news Wayne Rooney is fit and given the way Tottenham’s backline crumbled last week the England striker will be licking his lips at the prospect of playing on Sunday.

Given the way these two teams have defended at times this season, as well as the attacking talent on show, over 2.5 goals at 8/11 should be a safe bet. As for the result, if Redknapp has moved his team on from last week then there is no reason they can’t put a dent in United’s title hopes. Spurs are 15/8 to win in the match betting, with the draw 23/10 and United 6/4.

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Tottenham

If the rumour mill is to be believed – always a dangerous idea in the roller-coaster world of Premier League football – this weekend’s north London derby could mark Spurs chief Harry Redknapp’s final appearance in the dug-out for this domestic firecracker of a fixture.

The popular Londoner is the new England boss-elect in many people’s eyes and he would do well to glance over to the home bench on Sunday to see just how quickly fortunes can change at the highest level.

It’s not so long ago that Gunners chief Arsene Wenger was being linked with top jobs, like the one at Real Madrid, although it maybe feels like a lifetime away for the Frenchman given his side’s current struggles both at home and in Europe.

It may be stretching the point to suggest Wenger would struggle to walk into another job these days, but it shows how far his side has slipped that next season’s first north London showdown might well see new managers on board for both sides.

Clearly Wenger’s future will not be decided this weekend, but how much would a win over the men from White Hart Lane lighten the mood at the Emirates?

But enough about the sub-plots as Sunday’s game is all about the here and now for both sets of fans, with Spurs looking to back-up October’s 2-1 home Premier League win over Arsenal. A repeat scoreline pays out at 10/1.

Derby games are notorious for the form book going out of the window and this is a match Arsenal simply cannot afford to lose if they are going to keep the chance of a top-four finish in their own hands.

So the incentive is there for the Gunners, while it could also be argued Spurs’ relatively comfortable status as the third best team in England this season might see them just fall short at the Emirates.

Redknapp’s men still have the FA Cup to go for this term but they are unlikely to edge past both Manchester City and Manchester United to defy odds of 16/1 about them winning the title.

Spurs duo Emmanuel Adebayor (knee) and Rafael van der Vaart (calf) are expected to be fit while Benoit Assou-Ekotto (groin) and Luka Modric (illness) also look like they will make it.

Arsenal defenders Laurent Koscielny (knee) and Kieran Gibbs (groin) face fitness tests but midfielder Aaron Ramsey (ankle), defender Francis Coquelin (hamstring) and centre-half Sebastien Squillaci (groin) are still sidelined.

Prediction: Stalemate at the Emirates – 2-2 pays at 14/1

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Spurs still retain hopes of winning the Premier League title after bouncing back from the unlucky and controversial 3-2 defeat at Manchester City with a 3-1 home win over strugglers Wigan.

City of course had slipped up against Everton in midweek but pulled eight points clear of Spurs with the 3-0 win over Fulham on Saturday night.

Harry Redknapp knows that his side can ill-afford too many slip-ups but a draw may not be considered good enough when trying to claw back the deficit, even though Liverpool remain unbeaten at home.

A top-four finish was perhaps the expectation at the start of the season for the Lilywhites but, having performed so well in the league to date, barring the opening defeats against United and City, there is still enough time to land the ultimate prize in domestic football.

That used to be expected in Liverpool but their star has fallen somewhat and the Reds now face a battle to even qualify for the Champions League after making a slow start to a campaign, which began with hopes of a title tilt after a summer spending spree – added to the outlay made last January.

Inconsistency has been a problem for Dalglish’s men while a lack of goals has not helped the cause, and they could go into Monday’s fixture seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea (depending on the Blues’ result against United on Sunday).

The Reds are unbeaten at home and consequently have been installed as 11/10 favourites in the match betting, with Spurs on offer at a tempting 13/5 and the draw at 12/5 in the match betting.

Liverpool’s unbeaten home record does mask the fact that they have been held seven times at Anfield with just four wins in the 11 matches played there, scoring just 14 goals in the process.

Spurs have scored 20 on their travels and lost just three games, none of which would necessarily be considered surprising – at United, City and Stoke – while they were the last team to win at Anfield, winning 2-0 in May last season.

The north Londoners’ record is hardly great though as that win was their only one in their last 17 visits to Anfield, but this a different Spurs team and there is plenty of value about them taking something from the game.

Tottenham of course put Liverpool’s early-season pretensions into perspective with a 4-0 drubbing at White Hart Lane, and have lost only one of the last five Premier League games againstthe Reds and are looking to complete the double over them for the second consecutive season.

A lot could depend on the team news as Spurs are sweating on Aaron Lennon, Jermain Defoe, Emmanuel Adebayor and Rafael van der Vaart, while William Gallas and Tom Huddlestone are definitely ruled out.

Louis Saha was a deadline-day capture from Everton and could make his debut, and he is an 8/1 shot in the First/Last Goalscorer betting and 5/2 to score Anytime.

However, much of the pre-match hype is bound to surround the return of Luis Suarez (5/1 First/Last, 11/8 Anytime Goalscorer) from his lengthy ban, although whether he is thrust straight back into the team is open to question.

The Uruguayan is regarded as a key player for Liverpool but goals have been a problem this season, even for him, as he has managed just five in the top-flight this term.

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Watford

The Hornets will be hoping Spurs are still reeling from their last-gasp defeat by Manchester City in the Premier League last Sunday – a result which put a major dent in their Premier League title aspirations.

Tottenham will be looking to bounce back from that Etihad Stadium loss and may see the FA Cup as their only chance for silverware this season, given that they now trail table-toppers City by eight points.

But Watford, currently 18th in the Championship, are no mugs at home and their recent defeat by Reading was their first in nine games.

Tottenham are favourites at 2/5, though the Hornets will be looking to maintain their decent form at Vicarage Road by attempting to beat their illustrious opponents and are 11/2 to cause an upset.

With a midweek Premier League fixture, Spurs could rest a few players, meaning Jermain Defoe may get another start, and with five goals in his last nine games he may be a decent bet for First Goalscorer at 6/1.

The Championship outfit will fancy their chances of scoring against a Spurs side that has only kept two clean sheets in their last 11 away games, with Marvin Sordell priced at 10/1 to net first.

Tottenham seem likely to edge the match but Watford can hold them until half-time before the north Londoners’ Premier League class tells.

Friday’s other FA Cup tie is an all-Premier League affair, with Everton taking on Fulham at Goodison Park.

With the sides level on points in the Premier League, it may prove to be a close affair with the draw offering value at 9/4. Everton start favourites at 10/11, but Fulham – at 5/2 – go into the match after an impressive 5-2 demolition of Newcastle at Craven Cottage last weekend.

Clint Dempsey scored a hat-trick against the Magpies and the American is in form with that being his second three-goal haul in three games, the first of which was against Charlton in the previous round.

With 15 goals to his name already this season, Dempsey is 6/1 to add to that total by opening the scoring at Goodison.

Everton, on the other hand, are finding goals hard to come by this season, with left-back Leighton Baines their top scorer with four.

The Toffees will hope Tim Cahill will now step up to the goal-scoring plate after netting his first goal in 35 matches in the 1-1 draw with Blackburn last Saturday.

The Aussie is 7/1 to open the scoring in the fourth-round clash as Everton look to embark on a decent FA Cup run to make up for their indifferent Premier League form.

Even though the Goodison club will start favourites, 10/11 offers scant value about such a shot-shy unit and punters may decide an in-form Dempsey can earn Martin Jol’s men a replay back at Craven Cottage.

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Man Utd v Bolton

With City not in action until Monday, this will be seen as a must-win game for United as they look to close the gap at the top. City have a three-point lead going into the weekend but that should be wiped out come 5pm on Saturday with relegation-threatened Bolton not looking likely to cause a big upset at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson needed a reaction from his players following successive defeats to Blackburn and Newcastle in the league and he got it when his side saw off City in a fiery FA Cup third-round clash last weekend.

He knows losing to struggling Bolton side (United 1/6, Bolton 18/1, draw 6/1 – match prices) is unthinkable and nothing other than a comfortable home win looks on the cards here.

Prediction – Home win.

Spurs v Wolves

Similarly, the chances of a coupon-busting away win in this one look remote. Spurs are in superb form and saw off Everton 2-0 in midweek without really ever getting into third gear.

They host a Wolves side who have won just once on their travels all season and, despite Mick McCarthy’s side claiming a good draw at Arsenal over Christmas, the Black Country side getting anything from White Hart Lane seems extremely unlikely.

Harry Redknapp says Tottenham can maintain their title challenge (7/1 – Premier League outight) throughout the second half of the season and they don’t look like slipping up this weekend.

Prediction – Home win.

Chelsea v Sunderland

Before Martin O’Neill’s arrival at the Stadium of Light, this would have been viewed as a home banker as well but the Northern Irishman has galvanised the Black Cats (15/2 to win) and this could well throw up the shock result of the day.

O’Neill has guided his new team to five wins in his first seven games in charge and they head to Stamford Bridge full of confidence.

Chelsea (2/5) are in pole position to secure fourth place in the Premier League at the minute but know a slip-up could let Arsenal or Liverpool in and this will be a good barometer of their credentials.

Expect a tight clash and O’Neill to continue his fine start in charge by claiming a point (7/2).

Prediction – Draw.

Liverpool v Stoke

If Chelsea do fail to secure all three points, Liverpool can take advantage by beating Stoke at home (Liverpool 4/9, Stoke 7/1, draw 10/3 – match prices). The Reds have had a difficult few weeks off the field but there was finally some good news this week when skipper Steven Gerrard committed the rest of his career to the club.

A 1-0 first-leg, Carling Cup semi-final win at Man City on Wednesday means they go into this game on a high and should continue their top-four pursuit with another win.

Stoke will make things difficult, though, and have former Liverpool man Peter Crouch in their side, who is worth backing at 5/2 to score anytime against his old club but expect a hard-fought home win in this one.

Prediction – Home win.

Blackburn v Fulham

Another week goes by and still Steve Kean is in charge at Ewood Park despite poor results and seemingly every Rovers fan calling for him to be sacked.

He will face more calls to quit from unhappy home fans this weekend and, against this backdrop, Fulham at 7/5 can go to Lancashire and claim all three points to crank up the pressure on the Scot even further.

A draw at Liverpool and the fantastic win at Manchester United over Christmas earned Kean some time but successive defeats against Stoke and then Newcastle in the FA Cup last weekend mean those results now seem a distant memory (Blackburn to win 2/1).

Fulham are in good form and followed up a well-earned point at Chelsea over the festive period with a late win at home to Arsenal before easily seeing off Charlton 4-0 in the Cup last time out.

Prediction – Away win.

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Spurs are being talked about as genuine Premier League contenders this season after making impressive strides in recent weeks. They sit in third ahead of the Blues’ visit, seven points off leaders Manchester City but with a game in hand, and responded to a 2-1 defeat at Stoke with a narrow 1-0 win over Sunderland last time out.

Harry Redknapp has assembled a squad that, at the very least, seems capable of challenging the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal for a top-four finish while, on their day, they look every inch title contenders alongside City and United.

If they can pick up another three points on Thursday over Andre Villas-Boas’ men, then more people will take notice of what Redknapp is doing at the Lane. Players of the calibre of Luka Modric, Emmanuel Adebayor, Scott Parker and Gareth Bale – although he could miss Thursday’s game due to injury – are top-notch Premier League performers, who would walk into most other side’s starting line-ups. Add to that the impressive way youngster Kyle Walker has cemented his place at right-back, and you begin to see why they are enjoying a superb season.

However, they will not find it easy on Thursday. Chelsea threw away three points at Wigan last week when conceding a late equaliser after Darren Sturridge had put them in front, but the Blues are in much better shape than a few weeks ago with big wins over Valencia and City stopping the critics in their tracks after a recent difficult period.

In Sturridge they have one of the best young strikers out there at the moment, and such is his form and confidence that he is well worth backing in the anytime scorer market at 13/8. Didier Drogba has also rediscovered his best form in recent games and is the first scorer favourite for the visitors at 5/1.

Villas-Boas has split opinion at times this season with some saying his inexperience at this level has shown him up to be a coach whose man-management skills leave a lot to be desired, while he struggles with big egos. Frank Lampard has certainly questioned why he has often been overlooked this season, while £50million signing Fernando Torres rarely gets a look-in these days either.

But others say he is a canny, tactically-astute boss who proved he is one of the best young managers around in those recent impressive wins.

It’s set up for a mouthwatering London derby then. Both of these two like to dictate games and Spurs, at home, will look for an early goal to get them on their way but expect Chelsea to have a big say, too.

The away win, on offer at 7/4, looks a big price in this one and we envisage a narrow win for the Blues (1-2 at 11/1 in Correct Score market) to dent Spurs’ title hopes while, at the same time, doing their own a world of good (Chelsea 14/1 PL Outright).

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