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Hearts to confirm title credentials

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One or two surprises at the weekend saw Celtic open up a five-point gap at the top of the SPL table, while Hearts showed they were genuine title contenders and wouldn’t you know it – they have been thrown together by the fixture compiler this week. Here is a look at all five matches taking place on Wednesday…

Celtic v Hearts

The Hoops now enjoy a little cushion at the top of the table but have been less than convincing on occasions at Celtic Park this season, having lost the Old Firm clash before enduring successive draws against Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Dundee United and Kilmarnock before Christmas.

Celtic were surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw at Hamilton two weeks ago but have followed up with successive wins against Hibs away and Aberdeen at home to lie five points clear, albeit having played games more than the other title challengers.

Perhaps surprisingly there are more than one but Hearts proved at the weekend that they are still in the reckoning – at least at this stage – after beating Rangers 1-0 at Tynecastle last Saturday – and they lie in third place, seven points behind Wednesday’s opponents but having played a game less – meaning there is plenty at stake for both sides.

Hearts are unbeaten in the top-flight since October 31, when they lost 3-0 at home to Kilmarnock, and go into the match on an 11-match unbeaten away run.

Any game at Celtic is never going to be easy but 5/1 about an away win does offer some encouragement, although taking the 3/1 on the draw is the advice, given that Georgios Samaras and Daniel Majstorovic are ruled out for the hosts, while striker Kevin Kyle and Calum Elliot are struggling to make it for Hearts.

Hibernian v Rangers

It is another trip to Edinburgh for the champions as they look to bounce back from a surprise defeat to Hearts last weekend, but don’t expect lightning to strike twice in this one.

Rangers are of course now without the services of Kenny Miller, the club’s top scorer with 21 goals, following his move to Bursaspor but they should still have too much firepower for Hibs.

Defender Kirk Broadfoot remains on the sidelines for the Gers but he is the only concern and Hibs, who are second-bottom in the table, have not scored in five games and taken just one point from the last 18 available, will not be able to hold out.

An away win at 4/9 looks appealing given the difference between the two sides but backing Walter Smith’s men (-1) on the handicap at 21/20 is the way to go.

Inverness CT v Aberdeen

Inverness lie nine points clear of Aberdeen in the table but have played two games more and are in the middle of a dismal run of form, having picked up just two points from the last 18 available.

By contrast the Dons have started to pick up some points under Craig Brown and actually lie fifth in the form table, with 10 points accrued from the last six games.

There was no disgrace in losing 1-0 at Celtic on Saturday – a massive improvement following a 9-0 loss earlier in the season – and look good value at 2/1 to upset the home side (11/8).

St Johnstone v Motherwell

This looks a tough one to call with St Johnstone, having played a game less, looking to close the five-point gap on Motherwell, who ended an eight-game SPL winless streak with a 2-0 win over Hibs last time out.

The Saints have a fully-fit squad to choose from with Jamie Adams recovering from illness but the Steelmen may have regained confidence following the recent win – which was the first since they beat St Johnstone 4-0 at Fir Park in November.

It certainly has the prospect of being a tight battle and at 23/10, the prediction is an honourable draw.

St Mirren v Dundee United

St Mirren do not have the best of home records this season, with just two wins under their belt, but take on a Dundee United who are struggling to win on the road.

Both sides have a raft of injuries to contend with and the advice is to go with yet another Terrors draw on the road – they already have six from 10 games – at 9/4.

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Redknapp dreaming of title

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Despite having only just making it into the Champions League last season, Harry Redknapp has set his sights on winning the title after victory over Arsenal, claiming his Tottenham side, who are 66/1 to finish top come the end of the season, can win the Premier League.

Redknapp’s quotes came after his side had produced a remarkable turn around to beat the Gunners on their own patch for the first time in 17 years and will probably be put down to over excitement at the result.

Seeing as how Spurs haven’t won the title since 1961 it might be a little bit optimistic of Tottenham fans and punters to expect them to be winning the league less than a year after they had scraped into the Champions League.

However, Redknapp was not to be denied another moment in the sun as he went on to say that he thought his Spurs’ side can beat anyone in the Premier League.

“We can beat anybody and this win today has put us right back in the race again. It is wide open,” said Redknapp

“We can achieve anything. We have to believe. It is not impossible to win the title. Let’s see how we go.”

While one half of north London would have been celebrating long into the night, it was a different story in the red half, with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger left kicking himself at his side’s failure to hold onto a two goal lead, a result which would have sent them top.

Chelsea losing at Birmingham might have been a good result in the eyes of some Arsenal fans but had they not capitulated they would have been a point clear right now.

Arsenal are still 4/1 to win the Premier League but the 3-2 reverse could have a huge impact on the Gunners season and the coming weeks could be a struggle, something Wenger claims he is well aware of.

“What is worrying for me is that we had an opportunity to go top of the league and when you have to deliver, we can’t. That’s worrying because that’s part of our job,” said Wenger.

“We put ourselves in the right position and we failed, so we have to accept that. That is mental more than football.”

While Wenger was in a downbeat mood after Arsenal’s defeat West Ham manager Avram Grant was amazingly upbeat considering his team’s predicament.

The Hammers were pitiful in their 3-0 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday evening and look for all the world like they will need a miracle to save them from relegation, with totesport agreeing after they made them the 4/7 favourites for the drop.

Grant’s time at Upton Park has been a disaster and the natives have begun to turn on the former Chelsea and Portsmouth boss, signing the name of potential replacement Paulo Di Canio at Anfield.

Despite the pressure Grant still believes he can turn things around and save the hapless Hammers.

“I am concentrating on my job. Even now in this situation we can get out of this,” said Grant.

“If I can take West Ham to the place I want to take them that is what is important.”

While Grant  desperately trying not to discuss the obvious frailties of his side Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wasn’t afraid to bemoan his side for not scoring more than two against nine-man Wigan.

“We really could have done our goal difference a power of good in the last 20 minutes. We missed a lot of chances and we could have had five or six, easily,” said Ferguson.

United’s win over Wigan moved them into second, level on points with Chelsea at the top of the league, but that was overlooked in favour of concentrating on the return of the chosen one, Wayne Rooney.

The 25-year-old made his long-awaited return to Old Trafford, coming off the bench for the last half an hour to a decent reception from the United faithful, who had every right to be disgruntled with Rooney after the recent contract saga.

Ferguson wasn’t forthcoming with praise for Rooney on his comeback but hoped we would see the real Wayne when United take on Rangers (11/2 to qualify from Group C) in the Champions League on Wednesday.

“It was a quiet comeback. He got involved in a few bits of the interplay. He needed 25 minutes or so,” said Ferguson.

“He will play against Rangers on Wednesday, that is the perfect game for him to come back and get 90 minutes.”

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City show title credentials – Kidd

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Manchester City (15/2 to win the Premier League) assistant manager Brian Kidd believes his side proved their title credentials after they beat Newcastle United 2-1 at Eastlands on Saturday.

The Blues took the lead thanks to a penalty from Carlos Tevez who smashed the ball down the centre of the goal.

The Argentina striker was fouled for the penalty however there was some debate whether the tackle was inside the box as the forward ran in on goal.

City’s lead did not last for long as they conceded a goal by Jonas Gutierrez just six minutes after the penalty from Tevez.

The Blues had to work hard in a tightly fought contest and they got their rewards thanks to a great strike from substitute Adam Johnson who cut in from the right wing to fire a shot past Tim Krul.

Kidd was pleased by his side’s effort to win the three points which puts them second place in the Premier League.

He said: “I think that sums us up, if you want to win in the Premier League you have to dig results out.

“We knew we weren’t really at it in the first half. But that was the pleasing thing, because the players responded.

“What is pleasing is that the players have shown that there is substance in the result. You know you’ve got a chance when you’ve got that in the squad,” he added.

City had a slow start to the Premier League campaign after a defeat to Sunderland and draws with Tottenham Hotspur and Blackburn.

However the club’s star-studded side look like they are starting to gel in recent games with wins against defending Premier League champions Chelsea and Wigan Athletic.

Kidd believes that City boss Roberto Mancini deserves credit for making the change that helped his side break the deadlock against the Magpies.

He said: “Tactically he changed it two or three times.

“Credit must go to the boss – he went for it. I think his substitutions and tactics proved that.

“We’ve gone second in the league now. Over 38 games you get games like that, that are not for the purists,” he added.

City (13/2 to win the FA Cup) will to continue their good form in the Premier League as they next face Blackpool on October 17 which will be no easy game after the Seasiders pulled off a shock 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.

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Mancini makes shock title claim

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Manchester City boss Roberto ManciniManchester City boss Roberto Mancini has tipped Saturday’s opponents Chelsea, the 3/4 favourites, to “win the Premier League title easily” this season (City 21/10, draw 9/4, Chelsea 6/5).

Carlo Ancelotti’s men make the trip to Eastlands for Saturday’s early kick-off in fantastic form although they did blot their copybook with a Carling Cup defeat to Newcastle in midweek.

Ancelotti elected to give some of his stars the night off but the XI still featured the likes of John Terry, Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou alongside some youngsters and fringe players.

The Italian saw his side reduced to 10 men but only through injury when all three substitutions had been made so he was happy with the performance as Chelsea came back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3, before eventually losing 4-3.

Injuries are a problem for City as well – with Saturday’s hosts able to call on just three defenders who are described as fully fit.

Mancini is definitely without Micah Richards (hamstring) while there will be late decisions taken on Joleon Lescott (groin) and Jerome Boateng (knee).

But it is Mancini’s apparent concession of the title to Chelsea that is sure to raise a few eyebrows at Old Trafford and the Emirates.

“Chelsea are the best team in the Premier League at the moment,” said Mancini. “They are probably going to win the Premier League title easily.

“They are a strong team, who have been playing together for many years.

“They have a fantastic manager and they have worked to reach this situation.”

Chelsea have won all of their Premier League games this season, scoring 21 goals and conceding just one in the process (Chelsea 17/10 – To Keep A Clean Sheet).

But they travel north mindful of the fact City did the double over them last season when they backed up a 2-1 win at Eastlands with a 4-2 victory at Stamford Bridge at the end of February.

Chelsea will again be without England midfielder Frank Lampard following hernia surgery  and he is joined on the sidelines by striker Salomon Kalou (thigh) and midfielders Yossi Benayoun (calf) and Gael Kakuta (back).

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City can buy title says Allardyce

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Blackburn Rovers boss Sam AllardyceBlackburn Rovers boss Sam Allardyce has admitted that Manchester City (8/1 to win the Premier League) could win the title if they can manage themselves in the right way.

Rovers face City on Saturday and they will be up for a tough challenge as they take on the Manchester club’s star studded line-up at Eastlands.

However, the Blues have not had the start to the campaign that many people expected as they have only picked up four points from their opening three games.

City (8/13 to finish in the top four) boss Roberto Mancini is still looking for combinations that work as the highly paid stars battle for first-team places.

Former Blues striker Benjani, who has since joined Rovers, believes that many of the players at his old club are simply there for the high wages they can earn at Eastlands.

However, Allardyce believes that City can achieve great things this season despite having the problem of keeping players happy at the club.

He said: “If he (Mancini) gets it right, as Jose (Mourinho) got it right for Chelsea after the huge amount of spending that Roman (Abramovich) did, and if you look back here with Kenny, he got it right and Blackburn won the Premier League.

“You can buy a league now, obviously Blackburn have proven that, Chelsea have proven that, and you can do it in a short period of time. If you manage the players right and get that team spirit right, then you’ll win anything,” he added.

In financial terms, Rovers and City are polar opposites in the Premier League, with Blackburn struggling to attract big names to Ewood Park. However, one name they did attract is Michel Salgado. The former Real Madrid defender is used to success after spending 10 years at the Santiago Bernabeu and is hoping to help Rovers improve in the Premier League this season.

The 34-year-old has also commented about Manchester City’s hunt for success, which he believes will take some time.

He said: “The difference between Manchester City and Real Madrid is Manchester City so far is a fashion club.

“They have to spend money to battle with the best teams in Europe. Maybe Manchester City in the future can get closer to Real Madrid but now it’s a different story.

“They are signing eight new players every year and that’s a problem. First of all you have to build a team.”

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Wenger eyes title charge

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Arsenal are 6/1 to win the Premier League title this season and Gunners boss Arsene Wenger believes they have a good chance of doing so.

The Gunners have not won a trophy since beating Manchester United in the FA Cup Final in 2005 and have not lifted the title since the ‘Invincibles’ swept away all before them the season before.

Despite playing free-flowing attacking football that excites crowds up and down the country, the pressure is starting to mount on Wenger to win some silverware.

Just a trophy would be nice but bringing the title to the Emirates Stadium would be the ultimate achievement and Wenger says such a scenario is not out of the question.

“I believe we have a good chance,” Wenger revealed. “The most important thing is that we have that belief. We finished third last season, so we have two stairs to climb and I am confident that we can do it.”

Arsenal’s chances of winning the title have no doubt been boosted by the news that Cesc Fabregas will be staying on board for at least one more season.

Wenger fought hard to keep the talented Spaniard but there is every chance he will leave for Barcelona in 12 months time, so this could be his last chance to win the Premier League title.

Arsenal have also been boosted by the news that Robin van Persie is back from injury and with Marouane Chamakh also on board after arriving from Bordeaux, the Gunners should have no problem scoring goals.

It is in defence where Wenger could have problems though and it is widely thought that the Frenchman needs to get another central defender on board before the transfer window closes.

Arsenal kick off the campaign with a tough clash at Liverpool and a positive result could be the springboard they need to mount a successful challenge.

The Gunners are 7/4 to win at Anfield but may have to do it without both Fabregas and van Persie, who are struggling with their fitness having only just returned to training.

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Sagna makes title claim

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Bacary Sagna believes Arsenal can challenge for the Premier League title this season, but only if they can maintain a level of consistency which has deserted the Gunners (6/1 Outright Premier League Winners) in recent seasons.

The north London club have yet to win any silverware since their FA Cup success over Manchester United in 2005, failing to capitalise on a number of golden opportunities since that time.

Last year Arsenal finished 11 points off eventually winners Chelsea but at times looked as though they would challenge for the title, even topping the league in February.

However, once again the Gunners form dipped coming into the run-in and back-to-back defeats to Manchester United and Chelsea eventually cost them.

While Arsenal fans having been calling on manager Arsene Wenger to improve his side’s strength in depth in a bid to compete on the domestic and European fronts, so far the Frenchman has only brought in two new players.

With the Gunners (4/7 to finish in the top four) having lost three centre-halfs during the summer, with just one coming in, there might a number of Arsenal fans worried that problems at the back could cost them dear again.

Those doubters wouldn’t have been impressed in the club’s 6-5 friendly win over Legia Warsaw, a game which saw a near full strength side concede a number of goals from set pieces.

However, despite signs that Arsenal’s defensive frailties have yet to be dealt with Sagna is confident he and his team mates will be serious title contenders this season.

“Yes we can win it. I’m 100 per cent confident,” declared the Frenchman.

“It will be down to us now. We have a good team and some new players. We have an amazing team and play good football. We just need to be more consistent and to be a bit more focused on the pitch.”

The full-back went on to say that while he expected Manchester City (5/1 Outright Winners) to join the likes of Chelsea (13/8), Manchester United (12/5) and Liverpool (12/1) in challenging for the title, he feels that they cannot count on their spending power equalling success.

“They have bought a lot of good players and they will be hard to beat but we are still Arsenal, we play good football and just want to continue to play as we are now,” he added.

“Real Madrid [also spent money on] lots of good players but they couldn?t win anything last year so it’s down to the game we play on the pitch.”

Arsenal will be hopeful their youthful looking squad can finally do the business this season, especially after Cesc Fabregas’ decision to stay on for at least another season.

However, the Gunners could be without their captain, along with striker Robin van Persie, for the first game of the season as they head to Anfield looking to record a fourth straight victory over Liverpool (5/4 to beat the Gunners) in all competitions.

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Given demands title challenge

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Shay Given has warned the rest of the Premier League that Manchester City (5/1 outright league winners) will be contenders for the title this season.

The big-spending outfit are entering their third season under the ownership of the mega-rich Abu Dhabi United Group and have so far managed to win nothing.

Last season the club missed out on qualifying for the Champions League by a nose as Tottenham pipped them to fourth place after a long battle between City, Spurs, Liverpool and Aston Villa.

Despite failing to make it into the Champions League, City have still managed to attract some top talent as they look to bolster their squad for another charge at the top four.

Already in Roberto Mancini’s squad for next season is Germany (11/5 outright World Cup winners) international defender Jerome Boateng, Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure and Spanish star David Silva.

Those three have already cost the club £60m but that hasn’t stopped City looking at bringing in further players with the likes of Fernando Torres, Mario Balotelli and Lukas Podolski all linked with moves to Eastlands.

The club are determined to turn City into a dominant force in the Premier League and are likely to keep investing over the summer even if they have to turn their attentions away from the three previous mentioned players.

While getting into a Champions League spot will be a minimum requirement for City this season, Given is already talking up potentially challenging for the title as he now believes the club has the squad to cope with the task.

“We’re at the point where the club has invested so much and the manager understands and knows that the pressure is on to get results and trophies,” Given told The Sun.

“City have the backing to challenge the top teams in England and even in Europe in years to come.

“I don’t want to say we are going into the league to finish fourth.

“We are going in to win it and if we don’t, the next thing will be the top four.”

Last season City finished 19 points off eventual champions Chelsea but could close the gap if they can get their top stars functioning as a team.

Given went on to say that he felt despite all the big names now at Eastlands the squad morale wouldn’t suffer and felt City’s nucleus of players would keep things happy.

Manchester City will be looking to make a good start to the season but begin their Premier League campaign with a tough run of fixtures, starting away at Tottenham (5/4 to beat City) before facing Liverpool at home and Sunderland away.

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Chelsea Take the Premier League Title In Style

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FA Cup winners 250x300 Chelsea Take the Premier League Title In Style

Next On The Agenda For Chelsea

A league title can hardly ever have been secured more emphatically than via an eight goal victory as Chelsea swept past Wigan Athletic to end Manchester United’s attempt for a historic four in a row.

United beat Stoke City 4-0 in their last game but once Wigan had a man sent off and Chelsea scored a second from the spot, the final day turned into a romp.

In the process Chelsea’s tally of goals for the Premier League campaign reached an astonishing 103-the highest by a top flight side since way back in the 1960s. As well as the eight in the last game, the Blues hammered seven no less than three times.

The goals tally is significant but the statistic that stood out is that Chelsea won all their matches against the other members of the ‘Big 4. The sevens and eights caught the eye but the victories at Old Trafford, the Emirates Stadium and Anfield were the bedrock of their third title in six seasons.

On the last day, Didier Drogba slotted in a second half hat-trick which edged him past Wayne Rooney to be top scorer for the season. The Ivorian ended with 29 but it was Frank Lampard’s amazing 22 from midfield that really made the difference.

The Double Is A Sure Bet

Chelsea now go on to try and complete the club’s first domestic ‘Double’ against Portsmouth in the FA Cup Final. Their opponents are managed by former boss Avram Grant.  And who would bet against that considering the disparity in talent between the two teams.  Chelsea head into the game at 1.20 to lift the FA Cup, there’s no value to be had in the outright market so a punt on another high scoring game offers better value.  Take over 3.5 goals in the game at 2.40 to maximise your FA Cup betting.

Arsenal disposed of a weakened Fulham side to make sure of third place- perhaps word that the Gunners were winning filtered through to Turf Moor as Spurs allowed Burnley to battle back fro two gaols adrift to end their season on a high.

Tottenham won their big result on Wednesday at Manchester City, so its not surprising they ran out of steam when the chance of pipping Arsenal to third place petered out.

Burnley ended with the mild satisfaction of passing Hull City to finish eighteenth. The Tigers held Liverpool 0-0 which probably says everything about Liverpool’s season.

The Reds did at least finish two points clear of Everton who won their final game against doomed Portsmouth. The Toffees must rue their opening in August when they lost three games out of the first four, plus defeats in both Merseyside derbies.

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Liverpool v Chelsea- The Blues Can Wrap Up The Title

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chelsea v liverpool Liverpool v Chelsea The Blues Can Wrap Up The TitleAll the twists and turns of the Premier League title race have come down to a simple scenario- Chelsea need two wins to secure the prize and this Sunday’s match at Liverpool is the main obstacle.

No one seriously expects a Wigan side who have secured their Premiership spot to stand in Chelsea’s way on the final weekend, so this game is basically the last chance for supporters of Manchester United.

Conspiracy theories are already circulating to the effect that the Anfield side aren’t going to gift their Manchester rivals the title- one which would draw them level with Liverpool for most title wins.

For those with a less cynical view, the fact that Liverpool had to play a Europa League semi-final on Thursday evening might be a more significant factor; Chelsea have enjoyed a week’s rest since their demolition job on Stoke City.

The crushing disappointment of losing to Athletico Madrid won’t have helped the morale of Rafa Benitez’s squad and Chelsea’s players will have been only too glad to see their opponents taken to extra time.

There is no sense of nerves coming out of Stamford Bridge. Recent wobbles appear to have been put aside and Chelsea’s best attacking players are in good form- and the squad are hungry to finish on a high because there is likely to be a lot reconstruction at the club over the summer.

Liverpool will still have something to play for because whatever the results achieved by Spurs and Manchester City on Saturday, the Reds will still retain a mathematical chance of slipping into fourth place.

However, it’s difficult to see Benitez’s squad being able to hold a fit, rested and confident Chelsea. Without Fernando Torres Liverpool don’t carry the same threat and the Blues defence has looked sound in the past few games.

Manchester United will be expected to take three points from their own trip to Sunderland but that may be in vain. The steam went out of United’s season when Wayne Rooney picked up an injury and though they have ground out some good results since their Champions League exit, Chelsea have just a bit more quality in their ranks.

Rooney’s form kept the teams in parity but Chelsea have always seemed the more likely winners since August and now they have the chance to prove it, by setting up a glorious final day on their own turf.

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