Manchester City v Manchester United Betting Preview

Even though they have been inconsistent this season, both of the Manchester clubs sit at the top of the Premier League table, comfortably ahead of third placed Chelsea.

Both United and City lost 1-0 in the middle of the week in the Champions League.  Manchester United fielded a weakened team after already qualifying from the group stages for their home tie against Cluj. Sir Alex Ferguson made ten changes from the team that beat Reading 4-3 last weekend, with only Wayne Rooney keeping his place in the side at Old Trafford. In contrast to this, City fielded one of the strongest teams possible for their away trip to Dortmund in search of a win, with the hope of securing a Europa league spot. However, City looked lethargic going forward and offered little against a much-changed Dortmund team and were made to pay for their somewhat unimpressive performance in a second half that Dortmund controlled.

Manchester City last five league matches: DWDWW

In regards to their recent Premier League form, both teams are performing well and haven’t lost in their last three matches. Manchester City have been very inconsistent in front of goal this season and have been lacklustre defensively, meaning they currently sit three points behind United in the league.  But having said this, Manchester City remain the only team in the league who have yet to lose a game, an impressive record considering they have played away at Chelsea and Liverpool and hosted Tottenham, Everton and Arsenal.

However, City have found it hard to score against the so called bigger teams this season. They have only managed a total of two goals when playing against Arsenal, Everton and Chelsea. This could be a problem again of Sunday as City have now only scored four goals in their last five matches in all competitions. This is extremely surprising given that they have Tevez, Aguero and Dzeko up front. City have relied heavily on these three big-money strikers to get the goals for them this season; Tevez has netted seven times, Dzeko six times and Aguero five times.

Other players have scored very few goals this season and it has been the creating chances side of things where Manchester City have struggled this season, partly to do with missing catalyst David Silva. Silva is likely to start this game after missing the midweek tie against Dortmund through Injury.

Manchester United last five league matches:  WWWLW

Manchester United have won eight of their last nine Premier League matches, only failing to beat Norwich four games ago, where they eventually lost the match 1-0. Although United have been conceding freely this season, they have been extremely impressive in front of goal scoring eight goals in their last three league matches.

Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie have formed a menacing partnership this season. Robin Van Persie has hit the ground running since his summer move from Arsenal scoring 10 goals in 15 league matches, whereas Wayne Rooney has only scored 5 having dropped to a more supportive role behind the Dutchman. These two offer a very strong attacking partnership that has the capabilities of causing any defence problems. If United are going to come away from the Etihad with a positive result then these two players are going to play a vital role.

Betting Prediction:

This match will have many people think that it will be a thrilling encounter with two great attacking teams going head to head, but in fact could be a boring game. It is likely that both Mancini and Sir Alex will tell their full backs not to push forward as they would usually do against other teams. Because of this the game will be played in the middle of the park and may see the two teams shut each other down and thus making the game one with few chances. Therefore the most likely source of a goal may be from a set piece, the same method that won this fixture last year when Kompany rose highest.  The odds point in the direction of goals but the stats think otherwise. This may look a difficult game for punters on paper but backing unders on goals could be a great bet.

• Van Persie to score and United to win @ 6/1 with William Hill

Robin Van Persie is Manchester United’s top goal scorer this season with ten goals in his opening fifteen league matches. The Dutchman is also coming into this match after scoring in his last two league matches and will be full of confidence. He is also likely to be United’s main attacking threat playing just in front of Wayne Rooney and with the support from Anderson and Young he is sure to get his chance to score. Further to this, City have not been defensively solid this season and are likely to concede against an impressive United side and Van Persie is the likely man to score. Because of this a Van Persie win-cast at enhanced odds of 6/1 offers fantastic value for punters.

• Under 2.5 goals @ 23/20 with William Hill

Over 2.5 goals at as short as 13/20 seems a ludicrous bet, given how the way these two teams are likely to shape up. Further to this, in the last six meeting between these two sides at the Etihad there has not been more than one goal in any of those games. Under 2.5 goals at 23/20 looks to be where the value is at regarding goals. Also a bet at 0-0 at half time at odds of 9/4 looks good.

Score Prediction: Manchester City 0-1 Manchester United @ 11/1

Choose free bets for this match here

Article by Mark Stefanyszyn

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Sunderland vs Chelsea betting preview

Sunderland Form: LDLWLL

Having one just two of their fourteen games this season, Sunderland find themselves just outside the relegation zone in 17^th position. They will be desperate for a morale boosting win against the Champions of Europe and Martin O’Neil will be relying heavily on Steven Fletcher to create problems for the opposition’s defensive line; he is their top league scorer this season with six goals – twice as many as any of his teammates. Sebastian Larsson is leading the way with assists this season with three, whilst Craig Gardner has two.  Getting goals has been hard for the team and having only found the net thirteen times and they are the second lowest scorers in the division. Choose a free bet for this match here.

Martin O’Neil must be getting worried as his team are definitely in a relegation scrap. He certainly has the experience to get his team playing again and the personnel do have the ability. If they were to string a couple of victories together then they would soon climb away from the lower end of the table. This may be hard with Chelsea and Manchester United in their next four games but, they do have some winnable fixtures against Reading and Southampton coming up as well.

Chelsea Form: WLDDLL

Chelsea achieved their first win or the Rafael Benitez’s reign by thrashing Nordsjaelland midweek in the Champions League. The game saw the return to goal scoring form of Fernando Torres whilst Mata and Moses had excellent games as part of the attacking three behind him. Oscar started on the bench and if Benitez’s rotation policy is maintained, then he will slot back into the starting line-up. Condemned to Thursday nights and the Europa League, Chelsea desperately need to pick up their domestic form or they will be slipping down the table and out of a much sought after Champions League qualification spot for next year’s competition.

Just under half of Chelsea’s games have gone over the 2.5 goal mark as they have gradually moved away from their early season attacking intent. The new manager favours a more conservative approach, forming a solid defensive unit and then looking to add goals. Mata is leading the Chelsea goal scoring chart in the league with five goals whilst the much criticised Fernando Torres has scored four this season in the Premiership. Both scored during the midweek European fixture and should be lively at the weekend.

Betting Preview

Both Sunderland and Chelsea have been suffering from a recent blight of poor form and the three points could go a long way to getting either sides aspirations back on track. Chelsea played fantastically in the first half against West Ham only to capitulate and concede three times after the interval. Conversely, Sunderland have been very slow starting this season but have tended to finish the game with a greater level of intensity. Craig Gardner has called for them to produce this intensity from the start of games and it will be a necessity if they are going to get anything out of the game. As poor as Chelsea have been of late, they still look likely to get the win and will have had a significant boost by their performance on Wednesday night. Torres is finally looking like he knows how to find the net again whilst Mata has been outstanding all season. Having said this, Chelsea have looked frail at the back this season, especially so in the air, and this is something that Steven Fletcher will look to exploit.  A 1-2 result looks likely with both teams able to score and Chelsea just shading it.

Highlighted Bets

Chelsea 2-1, 17/2 with StanJames

Torres to score and Chelsea to win, 11/4 with PaddyPower

Steven Fletcher first goal scorer, 7/1 with Bet365

Article by Ryan Moore

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Dortmund v Manchester City Betting Preview

This fixture sees two teams that already know their fate for the Champions’ League group stages meet; Dortmund will top the group ahead of Real Madrid, whilst City will plummet out for the second successive season.  So it begs the question – does this game even matter? Well, yes, yes it does. Dortmund will want to maintain their unbeaten run and for City, well, they have to win if they want to qualify to the Europa League. Whether or not they do actually want to qualify is another question. Choose a free bet for this match here.

Dortmund DDWWW

Dortmund have taken the Champions League by storm this season and haven’t lost a game yet, which is very impressive considering they have played the Spanish, English and Dutch champions. Further to this, in their history they have never lost on home soil to an English side, which doesn’t bode well for Manchester City.

It is no secret that Dortmund have some fantastic players that thrive in the big games. Anyone that has watched them this season will know that they are a fast, well-equipped, disciplined team.

The key player for this game is likely to be Mario Gotze, an attacking midfielder who will play just behind the striker. The German International has already netted five times this season including an equalising goal against Bayern Munich in a 1-1 draw on the weekend. He is likely to run the game and his play is probably going to dictate the result of the match. If Dortmund win this match and play well then Gotze is usually the man to get them going and because of this, backing him to receive the ‘man of the match’ award may be advisable.

Manchester City DWDDW

Manchester City on the other hand have been somewhat disappointing having lost both of their away games and drawn all three of their home games in this seasons Champions League.  Further to this, City have been disappointing recently in the Premier League and are now three points behind United, who top the table.

City have relied heavily on their three big-money strikers to get the goals for them this season; Tevez has netted seven times, Dzeko six times and Aguero five times. It has been the creating chances side of things where Manchester City have struggled this season, partly to do with missing catalyst David Silva, but he is back now and City ought to get back to scoring goals. The problem facing manager Mancini for this game is which striker or strikers he should start with.

Dzeko has been prolific when coming off the bench this season scoring vital goals against Tottenham, WBA and Fulham, but he has been a different player when starting games. All three strikers offer great value to score anytime in this match and are widely available to back around the 2/1 mark.

Prediction:

Dortmund have shown this season that they are one of the best teams in the world. They have come up against and held their own against the Spanish, English and Dutch champions, which is extremely impressive. Further to this, they have been playing some exceptional football and scoring goals, having scored in every Champions League game so far this season. Creative forward players Gotze, Reus and Lewandowski have been the main threats for them and are likely to cause City all sorts of problems on Tuesday. But having said this, City have been improving and have kept three clean sheets in their last five games, a much better record than at the start of the season. However, they are still finding it difficult to break teams down and in Germany, a Dortmund win at 11/10 looks likely.

Mancini is also likely to have one eye (or two) on the massive Manchester derby this weekend which is going to shape the title race, for now anyway. Because of this the City manager could opt to field a weakened team and rest key players Silva, Toure, Tevez and Kompany for the midweek trip to Germany.  He is seemingly not bothered about qualifying for the Europa league this season and why should he be? Without the ‘hindrance’ of midweek games then maybe his City side can use their extra stamina to win more games and gain an advantage over title rivals. This would mean that he may not play any or only one of his top three strikers and without those three scoring, goals have been hard to come by this season.

Therefore because of the fact City may play a weakened team and not be able to pose much threat and the form of the two sides the following bets are advisable.

Bets:

• Dortmund to score first @ 8/11

Dortmund have scored first in each of their five Champions League games so far and in contrast City have only scored first in one of theirs. This looks a solid bet.

• Dortmund to score 3+ goals @ 4/1

If as expected Manchester City play a weakened team then they could suffer a heavy defeat to the strong German side. This bet is subject to team news, but even with a full-strength team out City have been woeful at the back in this seasons Champions League.

• Mats Hummels to score anytime @ 8/1

Manchester City have conceded most of their goals this season from set-pieces. This may be because they do not have the height in their team, as apart from Kompany, Toure, Lescott and Dzeko the majority of their team are small creative players. Hummels on the other hand is a big powerful German who is more than capable of scoring goals. At 8/1 this offers exceptional value.

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Written by Mark Stefanyszyn

West Ham vs Chelsea betting preview

Despite drawing to Fulham in midweek, Chelsea climbed to third in the table. This weekend they face London rivals, West Ham. The Hammers are unbeaten in three games at Upton Park and with striker Andy Carroll opening his goal account recently; we could be in for quite a game.  Choose a free bet for this match from leading UK bookmakers.

Chelsea has drawn nil nil in two successive games. The first time that has happened since 2004. They have also gone six Premier League games without a victory. A seventh game will represent worst since 1995. Rafa Benitez is already under pressure from fans, the owner and the press. Three points and some goals especially from Torres will help boost overall morale.

The Blues have registered eighteen victories against West Ham in the Premier League. Chelsea has only beaten Spurs and Manchester City more. David Luiz is suspended for this game for picking up too many yellow cards. This could work in Chelsea’s favour as past and present managers have liked to pick the ambitious Brazilian ahead of the other level headed centre backs Chelsea have.

It has been calculated that Fernando Torres hasn’t scored in ten hours and forty nine minutes. The fifty million pound striker is under a lot of pressure but has scored six times in six appearances against West Ham, his best record against anyone.

After a good start to the season, West Ham have had a few defeats. They were well beaten last weekend against Spurs and lost to Manchester United in midweek. Another London rival, Arsenal also beat them at Upton Park recently. West Ham now sit tenth in the league with a neutral goal difference. However West Ham have won forty seven per cent of their home games since the beginning of last season when they were in the Championship.

Andy Carroll was a revelation on his first start for the Hammers but has since failed to reignite that performance. His goal last weekend will help and hopefully he can link up with surrounding players such as top scorer Kevin Nolan (five goals). Known for their aerial dominance, West Ham are the only team not to have conceded a header this season in the league. On the other hand, out of Chelsea’s conceded goals, thirty eight per cent of them have been headers, a league high.

Fernando Torres to score first, 11/2 on Bet 365

Andy Carroll last goal scorer, 7/1 on Bet Fred

Chelsea to win 3-1, 14/1 on William Hill

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Written by Kelvin Morgan

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Reading vs Man Utd betting preview

Sitting pretty at the top of the table once again, Manchester United travel south to play Reading on Saturday with heavy expectations against a side that have won just one game all season. That win came last time they played at home on November 17^th against Everton, and they will be hoping to pull off another shock at the Madejski this weekend. Even a draw would seem like a victory for the 19^th placed side as they look to move closer to the teams above them. United could extend their lead at the top if rivals Man City falter at home to Everton earlier in the day. Choose a free bet for this match from leading UK bookmakers.

Reading’s Recent Results:

Aston Villa 1-0 Reading
Wigan 3-2 Reading (Morrison, Al Habsi (og))
Reading 2-1 Everton (Le Fondre (x2))
Reading 0-0 Norwich

Reading have found it difficult adjusting back to Premier League football following their Championship title win last season. Sitting just four points above bottom spot and four points away from safety, Reading are starting to slip deeper into the depths of the relegation zone and are in need of a second win.

So far this season, Reading have drawn as many games as they have lost but hold a rather impressive home record, considering their position, picking up 7 points from 6 home games.  Tote sport have Reading at 7/1 to hold on for another home draw this Saturday.

Russian striker Pavel Pogrebnyak has impressed since his move in the Summer, scoring five goals so far this season. The in-form striker is Adam Le Fondre, however, who scored a brace against Everton two weeks ago to secure his side’s first win of the season. He is at 7/2 to score anytime with Paddy Power.

Manchester United’s Recent Results:

Manchester United 1-0 West Ham (van Persie)
Manchester United 3-1 QPR (Evans, Fletcher, Hernandez)
Galatasaray 1-0 Manchester United
Norwich 1-0 Manchester United

Despite their position at the top of the Premier League table, United have been far from convincing all season long. Even in recent weeks they have had trouble beating teams they’d expect to beat, losing 1-0 away to Norwich and Galatasaray, before going down at home to bottom side QPR, only to come back and win 3-1 thanks to three quick second half goals.

United are yet to have drawn a game this season having won 11 and lost three. Out of their last six league games the result has been decided by just a solitary goal on five occasions – two of their wins coming from behind against QPR and Aston Villa, when they went 2-0 down. If recent results are anything to go by, Man United to win after going behind is a good bet at 7/1 with Ladbrokes.

Javier Hernandez has scored four goals in the last six league games, scoring the last goal of the match in each match he has scored in. Bet Victor and bet365 offer 9/2 on Hernandez to score the last goal of the game.

Betting Preview:

In Reading’s last 10 games the result has been a draw on four occasions and the other six have been decided by one goal. This suggests that Reading are able to stick in the game right until the 90^th minute. You can get Reading +1 on an Asian Handicap (Wins if Reading lose by just one goal or manage to grab a draw or win) at 27/20 with Bet Victor.

Wayne Rooney has been far from his best this season, scoring just two goals in the league thus far. There is only so long before the England star has a break-out game and he could do so on Saturday. If Rooney starts he could be difficult to handle, playing just off van Persie, especially seeing as Reading have conceded 23 goals in 13 games. Rooney to score two or more goals is best priced with Coral at 13/2.

Reading have been strong at home this season whilst Manchester United have struggled against all types of teams this season. Don’t expect a blow out but United should be too strong for a weak Reading defence.

Prediction: Reading 0-2 Manchester United – Best priced at 7/2 with Stan James.

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Article by Jack Teague

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Chelsea v Fulham Betting Preview

I am somewhat surprised that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has not sacked Rafa Benitez after he only managed a 0-0 draw against league champions, City, in his first match in charge. But all jokes aside, this is an extremely important match for two teams who are both struggling at the moment. Choose free bets for this match.

Chelsea DLDDL

After a fantastic start to the season Chelsea were looking like title challengers and Roberto Di Matteo looked safe in his job. But after only one win in their last eight Premier League and Champions League matches, things have completely changed. Chelsea have struggled to score goals and had conceded in their previous nine games until their bore draw with City on Sunday. New interim-manager Rafa Benitez has his work cut out at Chelsea this season with a fairly weak squad and a set of fans already calling for his head.

In recent weeks Chelsea have looked lethargic going forward, rarely creating many goal scoring matches in games. Further to this, Chelsea are missing an out and out goal scorer. With Fernando Torres misfiring Chelsea are left without any suitable alternative to play and score goals. With creative talents in Mata, Hazard and Oscar it would seem that Chelsea would score goals for fun, but that is not the case at all, in fact the blues have only scored two goals in their last four matches. So what is going wrong? Can they turn it around?

To be fair to Chelsea they have had a very hard run of fixtures playing Man City, Man United and Liverpool all in their last three home games and been away to in-form West Brom and Swansea. So it may just be that they have struggled against the better teams in the league and the run of hard games including Champions League fixtures against Shakhtar and Juventus, may have taken it out on them, so to speak. This game on Wednesday against Fulham will give a good indication in which direction Chelsea are heading and whether recent form has been a blip. It is vital that Torres hits form soon if Chelsea want to challenge for the title this season.

Fulham LLDDD

Fulham come into this match having lost back-to-back Premier League matches at home to struggling Sunderland and away to Stoke City. Moreover, Fulham have also not won any of their last five Premier League matches.

Recent performances have been quite good and score draws at home to in form Everton and away at Arsenal have been impressive. Fulham have shown that they are more than capable of scoring goals in recent weeks having scored nine goals in their last five Premier League games, including to 3-3 draws away at Reading and Arsenal. When adopting a counter-attacking style of play Fulham look the most dangerous with Ruiz, Duff and especially Berbatov being their most influential. However, having said this, Fulham have been very disappointing in their last two league matches against two out of form teams (Sunderland and Stoke). Fulham did show signs against Sunderland but were doomed for defeat when Hangeland received an early red card, but showed very little on Saturday against Stoke City.

Similarly to Chelsea this is a game where Fulham will be looking to prove themselves and play better than recent performances. It will be interesting to see how they approach the game and whether they attack for the win or try and hold out for a draw. I think that trying to hold out for a draw may pay dividends as Chelsea are struggling to score goals and look most dangerous on the counter attack. So if Fulham limit them and allow Chelsea to come at them, then this may be a low scoring game and one that Fulham will be very happy with. This would be the best chance Fulham would have of getting a result at Chelsea given the way Chelsea are likely to play.

Prediction

Chelsea come into this game as 4/9 favourites, with the draw at 7/2 and the unlikely away win at 6/1.

This is a game that Chelsea need to win and should win. Chelsea have the ability to break down Fulham, who will again miss Hangeland, which could prove costly in such a big game. Further to this, Rafa Benitez and the players will be keen to win this game and get back to winning ways as the fans are already angry with the appointment and see this as a must win for Benitez to prove his worth. Although Fulham offer some threat I feel that they will miss Hangeland and do not have the creativity to break Chelsea down if they play to central defensive midfielders, which is again, likely.

Therefore Chelsea at 4/9 to win the game is a good bet and although does not offer fantastic value considering their recent form; it is a big price in relation to who they are playing. Chelsea should win this game and although it may not be easy, I except a narrow Chelsea win.

Some value bets that may be worthwhile include:

Under 2.5 goals @ 27/20

Draw/Chelsea @ 4/1

Chelsea to win 2-0 @ 8/1

I don’t expect this game to be the most thrilling encounter to watch as both teams are out of form and Fulham may go to the Bridge in search of a point. This is likely to be a low scoring game with Chelsea trying to break down a resilient defence. However, having said this, if Chelsea return to the form we know they are capable of, an early goal may see them win this game in a comfortable manner.  Therefore low stakes are advisable on the alternative bets, but Chelsea should win this.

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Article by Mark Stefanyszyn

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Tottenham V Liverpool     Betting Preview 28/11/12

Liverpool face an away trip to White Hart Lane this Wednesday in a game which is surely going to be very entertaining.  The last time Liverpool got any points on their travels to Tottenham was back in 2008, a statistic I am sure they will want to put right mid-week. Choose a free bet for this match.

Tottenham

Spurs are going into this game having coming of the back of a great home win against West Ham at the weekend. Despite their inconsistency this season they still lie in seventh place and will go into this match as narrow favourites. Tottenham are priced at 7/5 on Bet 365 to win this game and for the win or draw is 19/50. Considering their recent record against Liverpool at home you certainly wouldn’t put it past them to maintain that record if they play like they did at the weekend. Jermaine Defoe is playing well at the moment having scored two at the weekend and goes into this game at 11/2 to score the first goal and 6/4 anytime on William Hill. I think there will definitely be goals in this game and a price of 4/6 for over 2.5 on William Hill is certainly worth a look. Both sides have proven goal scorers in form and are also known to be a bit shaky at the back at times so I think three or more goals is on the cards.

Liverpool

Liverpool seem to be blowing hot one week and cold the next under Brendan Rogers, making it very hard to predict what sort of performance they are going to put in. Bet 365 has them at 15/8 to win this match and has them to win or draw at 8/15. I believe it is going to be very tricky for Liverpool to come away with all three points, however a draw is certainly achievable. For the two sides to draw is 12/5 on Bet 365. Liverpool have struggled for goals at times this season and without Luis Suarez in the team they certainly wouldn’t be currently eleventh in the league. Suarez’s odds for first goal scorer and anytime scorer are exactly the same as Defoe’s and you can’t really look beyond Suarez for someone else that may pick up the goals for Liverpool.

Summary

This should be a very close and entertaining game on Wednesday with plenty of chances for both sides and hopefully quite a few goals. It is a tough one to predict but backing Tottenham to just edge this game 2-1, which on Bet 365 is 8/1, represents good value. They are certainly capable of it when they play at their best and there were promising signs against West Ham at the weekend where they managed to break down a very solid side time and time again. It could quite easily end in a draw, 2-2 would get you 10-1 on Bet 365, however the tip is to opt for Spurs as their home record against Liverpool speaks for itself.

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Article by Max Hodge

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Everton vs Arsenal betting preview

A midweek fixture sees Arsenal travel up north to face the blue half of Liverpool, Everton at Goodison Park. Both sides played out in frustrating draws and will be looking to bounce back to start momentum as Christmas approaches. In this fixture last season Arsenal won one nil thanks to a Thomas Vermaelen header. Choose a free bet for this match.

Arsenal – 6^th

The Gunners are on the road again after drawing nil nil against Aston Villa at the weekend. Without Walcott, Arsenal failed to register a goal and are sixth, a place below Everton going into this game. Jack Wilshire who didn’t feature at the weekend will be looking to start after scoring a goal in Europe last week.

Lukas Podolski and Oliver Giroud have been in fine goal scoring form of late and will be looking to continue that. Both have seven goals in all competitions this season. Thomas Vermaelen was on the bench at the weekend however his return could help solidify the defence as well as provide threat from set pieces and from range.

However Arsenal have struggled away from the Emirates Stadium. They have not picked up a win in their last five away trips since travelling to Upton Park and beating West Ham three one.

Everton – 5^th

Everton were cruising for eighty nine minutes until Norwich grabbed a late goal to share the points on Saturday. With arguably two points dropped the Toffees will be looking to get something out of the game against Arsenal to remain a place above them in the league. One point separates the teams and David Moyes would love to keep the gap or even extend it. After a great start to the season Everton have now drawn five of their last seven games and this game could end in a draw too.

Marouane Fellaini was unavailable for the game against Norwich and is unsure for the midweek fixture. Nikica Jelavic has five goals to his name this season and could be a vital weapon whilst Fellaini is out with injury. The tall Belgium midfielder has grown as a player in recent years as Moyes has deployed him further forward allowing him to get on the score sheet more often.

Everton were dominant for forty five minutes against Norwich but didn’t have another game plan to break down the canaries. Both sides are next to each other in the league and with Arsenal’s away form this could be another draw.

A draw, 13/5 on William Hill.

Arsenal to lead at half time and to end as a draw, 14/1 on Sky Bet.

Oliver Giroud first goal scorer, 6/1 on Paddy Power.

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Tottenham v West Ham Betting Preview

If you had asked at the start of the season to predict the result of this fixture, then most people would have said a Tottenham home win, without much hesitation. But asking the question now – it’s totally different. West Ham have been exceptional this year and are indeed the surprise package in the Premier League this season.

In recent weeks Andre Villa Boas (AVB) has been coming under increasingly amounts of pressure, whether it is deserved or not. But one thing that is for certain is that AVB and Tottenham are not performing well; not keeping clean sheets and more importantly, not picking up points. In Tottenham’s last five Premier League matches they have picked up three points, losing four of those matches. Moreover, two of those matches were at White Hart Lane where Tottenham are usually strong. Choose a free bet offer for this match.

In my opinion the problem is that Tottenham are suited to playing in a counter-attack style. With Bale, Lennon and Defoe they have the pace and ability to cause any team problems when breaking fast. However, they are missing the midfield talisman to be able to play those crucial balls when teams set up to defend against them. Since selling Luka Modric in the summer, Tottenham have never looked the same and as threatening when trying to break teams down. This is why Tottenham are failing to pick up points at home in games that they should arguably be winning. Teams come to the Lane with hopes of picking up a point and sit back to defend, using set pieces as their main source of attack. This is great for teams like Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea who all have exceptionally gifted attackers who are capable of playing those crucial balls to break teams down (Mata, Hazard, Silva, Nasri, Rooney and Kagawa to name a few).

Not many would have predicted that West Ham would be 6^th in the Premier League table after 13 games, but that’s where they are – and they fully deserve to be. Some may argue that West Ham are boring and that they don’t play football the right way (etc.) but one quote from manager Sam Alladyce epitomises their success – “There’s only one right way to play football, and that’s to win”.  He has embedded this motto into his team and they have been very impressive in both defensive and attack this season. Also, having not lost in their last three matches, including a goalless draw with Manchester City, West Ham will be going to White Hart Lane full of confidence.

This fixture is one that could go one of two ways; it could either be really exciting with lots of goals, or a good (boring) battle of attack versus defence. The later one looks the more likely and I wouldn’t count on this game being a great spectacle.

Last five league matches:

DWDLW                                                                       

West Ham 1-1 Stoke City
Newcastle 0-1 West Ham
West Ham 0-0 Manchester City
Wigan 2-1 West Ham
West Ham 4-1 Southampton

LLLWL

Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham
Manchester City 2-1 Tottenham
Tottenham 0-1 Wigan
Southampton 1-2 Tottenham
Tottenham 2-4 Chelsea

HEAD-2-HEAD:

Tottenham 0-0 West Ham
West Ham 1-0 Tottenham
Tottenham 2-0 West Ham
West Ham 1-2 Tottenham
West Ham 0-1 Tottenham

Prediction:

As mentioned early, Tottenham have struggled to break teams down that sit back and defend – and this is exactly what West Ham will do on Sunday. It is likely that West Ham will go to the Lane to defend, using set pieces as their main source of attack. So the question is – can Tottenham break down West Ham?

In recent weeks, West Ham have been very promising and have stopped both Newcastle and Manchester City from scoring. Whereas Tottenham have failed to break teams down and have been relying on their counter attacks or fortune through the oppositions lacklustre defending. Because I feel Tottenham may struggle to break West Ham down once, let alone twice, West Ham +2 goal handicap looks a fantastic bet. This is widely available to back at 4/6 and certainly represents value for money. If Tottenham do win (which they need too) statistics and recent form indicate that it won’t be by more than one goal.

1)      In six out of the last seven meetings between these two sides there has been fewer than three goals in very tightly contested matches. And in addition to this, looking further back we can see that in only six out of the last twenty three encounters has this game managed to see more than two goals. So it looks like under 2.5 goals @ 23/20 offers fantastic value. Further to this, West Ham average fewer than three goals per game and have not had more than three in any of their last three league fixtures. Therefore, I feel that this is a great bet and at odds against it offers good value. If you wish to play a safer option at much lower odds, then backing under 1.5 first half goals @ 1/3 may be advisable. However, this is much too short to tip, even though it is very likely given the way the match looks likely to pan out.

2)      Tottenham are finding it very difficult to keep clean sheets this season and have conceded in each of their last X league matches. In contrast to this, West Ham are scoring goals in most of their matches, only being held by league champions Manchester City in their last X league matches. Further to this, Tottenham have not kept a clean sheet at home all season and West Ham have scored in each of their last X away league games. Given the aerial threat that West Ham can offer, I do think that this is their most likely chance of scoring, and I do think they will score. This leads me to consider three options; both teams to score at 10/11, West Ham to score first or West Ham to win either half at 2/1.  After much deliberation I have opted for West Ham to win either half at 2/1 as it is a great bet. In each of Tottenham’s last five games they have lost at least one of the halves.

Recap:

• West Ham +2 goal handicap @ 4/6
• Under 2.5 goals @ 23/20
• West Ham to win either half @ 2/1

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Chelsea vs Man City betting preview

Rafa Benitez will be looking to start off his career in style as his newly acquired Chelsea side take on the league leaders Man City on Sunday. A win for Man City will ensure they stay top of the Premier League, whilst Chelsea could narrow the gap between them to just a point with victory. Both teams came away from midweek Champions League matches disappointed as Chelsea’s hopes of qualification to the knockout stages were dented with a heavy loss to Juventus and City were knocked out by a 1-1 draw at home to Real Madrid. Choose a free bet for this match

Chelsea’s Recent Results:

Juventus 3-0 Chelsea
Wet Brom 2-1 Chelsea (Hazard)
Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool (Terry)
Chelsea 3-2 Shakhtar Donetsk (Torres, Oscar, Moses)

Having sacked Roberto Di Matteo following the 3-0 loss to Juventus this week Chelsea chairman Roman Abramovich will be hoping Benitez can start with a win this weekend. However, he faces a tough task with Chelsea failing to win in the Premier League in over a month, their last win coming against Tottenham in October.

Chelsea’s problems have come at the back where they have leaked goals left, right and centre over the last two months. In their last 9 games, cup and league, they have conceded 23 goals, including three goals or more in three games. John Terry misses Sunday’s game with injury, whilst Frank Lampard is doubtful.

Torres is expected to start with rumours that Benitez was primarily brought in to get the best out of the Spanish striker having played under him at Liverpool. You can get Torres to score first at 15/2 with Stan James, whilst scoring twice is best priced with Blue Square at 14/1.

Manchester City’s Recent Results:

Manchester City 1-1 Real Madrid (Aguero (pen))
Manchester City 5-0 Aston Villa (Silva, Aguero (x2), Tevez (x2))
Manchester City 2-1 Tottenham (Aguero, Dzeko)
Manchester City 2-2 Ajax (Y.Toure, Aguero)

Despite their disappointing performance in the Champions League, they moved up to the top of the Premier League table with a 5-0 win over Aston Villa last weekend and will hope to secure the top spot for a second weekend running. They are yet to lose in the league this season but away from home they have drawn three times, winning two.

Sergio Aguero has been in stunning form for City of late, scoring 5 goals in his last 4 games. However, it has been Edin Dzeko who has grabbed the headlines in the Premier League this season, coming on to score the winner on several occasions. Dzeko to score last against Chelsea is 15/2 with Bet Victor.

Betting Preview:

The last time these two met, Man City came out on top to win the Community Shield 3-2. Last season the two sides won a game apiece at 2-1, both games going to the home side. For a 2-1 home win on Sunday you can get odds of 9/1 with Ladbrokes.

Man City have saved their best for the second half in recent games, scoring 9 of their last 11 goals in the second half. William Hill have Man City at 5/1 to score two goals in the second half and have them to score three or more at 16/1.

With such importance lying on this game it would be no surprise to see tackles fly, so expect cards. At Bet365 you can get over 4.5 cards at 21/20 whilst William Hill have a red card to be shown during the game at 7/2.

Although Manchester City are the in-form side, you’d have to expect Chelsea to bring their A-game under new manager Rafa Benitez. There could be plenty of goals but a draw priced at 5/2 with Tote Sport is a good bet.

Prediction: Chelsea 2-2 Man City – Best priced 14/1 with Stan James.

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Article by Jack Teague

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