Sunderland vs West Brom betting preview

Both Sunderland and West Brom enter this game after morale boosting victories last weekend. West Brom welcomed European champions Chelsea to the Hawthorns last week and took all three points to remain in a Champions League spot. On the other hand Sunderland gained their second victory of the season winning three one at Fulham. Check out the free bets available for this match.

With only one victory at home West Brom could be seen as favourites. However both teams are full of confidence following victories and the Baggies have only picked up one win away from home. Talismanic striker Steven Fletcher has picked up six goals in all competitions this season if Sunderland are to take all three points, Fletcher will be involved. The flair of Stephane Sessegnon and Adam Johnson, combined with James McClean is a talented force however the Black Cats have yet to get it going.

The likes of O’Shea in defence could leave Sunderland vulnerable to the pace of Odemwingie and Shane Long however it will be interesting to see whether Steve Clarke can get West Brom rolling away from home.

Steve Clarke has worked wonders. Following on from Di Matteo and Hodgson, Clarke has transformed the Baggies and at home they are a different class. Losing narrowly to Man City would have been hard to take however victory last weekend to Chelsea was a statement in itself. West Brom has three fantastic strikers to play. Peter Odemwingie has four goals however after last Saturday; Shane Long has received praise to match his six goals this season. Young Belgium forward Romelu Lukaku, on loan from Chelsea, has also done well. He has three goals to his name and can offer more of a physical presence compared to the other two.

Although having the second best home record in the league West Brom have struggled away, picking up five of their twenty three points. It is tough to see where this game could go as Sunderland have struggled home and away all season. Either side has the power to score goals but it will be whether whose defence can stand the strongest.

Sunderland vs West Brom betting tips

2-2 Draw, 14/1 at BetFred

Steven Fletcher first goal scorer, 9/2 at William Hill

Shane Long to score first or last, 9/2 at Bet 365

Written by Kelvin Morgan

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Man City vs Real Madrid betting preview

Despite topping the Premier League table, Manchester City have found it tough in the Champions League this season and are on the brink of being knocked out of the competition if they fail to beat Real Madrid on Wednesday night. The hosts need a miracle to get out of the group stage, needing Borussia Dortmund to beat Ajax, followed by an Ajax victory over Real Madrid and a win themselves over Dortmund in the final round of matches to progress. Madrid would all but secure a place in the knockout stages with a win on Wednesday, despite having dropped four points to group leaders Dortmund. Choose free bets for this match.

Manchester City 2012/13 Champions League Results:

Manchester City 2-2 Ajax (Y. Toure, Aguero)
Ajax 3-1 Manchester City (Nasri)
Manchester City 1-1 Borussia Dortmund (Balotelli (Pen))
Real Madrid 3-2 Manchester City (Dzeko, Kolarov)

Man City come into this crucial match full of confidence having gone almost a month without defeat, beating Tottenham and Swansea either side of draws against West Ham and Ajax, topped off by a 5-0 thrashing of Aston Villa on Saturday, taking them top of the Premier League. Aguero and Tevez combined to score two goals apiece at the weekend and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they featured in the starting eleven on Wednesday night, leaving Dzeko and Balotelli on the sidelines once more.

In the Premier League, City have had no problems at the back, conceding just 10 goals in their 12 matches this season, including four clean sheets, but it has been a different story in Europe. Ajax managed to tear apart City’s defence in their last two encounters, scoring a total of five goals over the two games, whilst Real Madrid scored three themselves way back in September. At 10/3, William Hill are a good bet for over 4.5 goals to be scored in the match.

Real Madrid 2012/13 Champions League Results:

Real Madrid 2-2 Borussia Dortmund (Pepe, Ozil)
Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Real Madrid (Ronaldo)
Ajax 1-4 Real Madrid (Ronaldo (x3), Benzema)
Real Madrid 3-2 Manchester City (Marcelo, Benzema, Ronaldo)

Like their opponents, Madrid also netted five times on Saturday as they cruised to a 5-1 win over Athletic Bilbao. Despite having won their last five La Liga matches, scoring 18 goals in the process, they sit third in the table, five points behind Athletico Madrid and eight behind Barcelona. Jose Mourinho is under pressure to pull that deficit back, whilst also ensuring progression into the next round of the Champions League. They will look to achieve this by overcoming a fairly lacklustre away record this season, having lost games against Dortmund, Sevilla and Getafe all away from the Bernabeu.

In recent weeks Madrid have shared the work load with an incredible 16 different goal scorers in their last six games, proving they have a talent laden squad full of depth. Considering City’s inability to defend corners against Ajax, Pepe could be an unlikely scorer on Wednesday, having bagged himself a Champions League goal already in their draw with Dortmund. He is priced at 16/1 to score anytime with Coral.

Betting Summary

In the first meeting between these two sides Man City thought they had managed to pull off a stunning late victory, only to see Madrid pop up with two goals even later in the game to win 3-2. With both sides expected to fight for the win expect goals and twists once again. Boyle Sports are best priced on Man City and Real Madrid to win from behind, with City at 14/1 and Madrid at 10/1.

Having scored three goals between them in the last ten minutes in September, William Hill have a goal to be scored between the 81^st and 90^th minute at 6/5, made even more appealing by Madrid’s late equaliser against Dortmund two weeks ago.

The obvious battle going into this game is between the two strikers – Aguero and Ronaldo. It would be tough to bet against either of them scoring and, with a high scoring game likely, expect some chances for both strikers to grab a brace on Wednesday night. Aguero to score two or more goals is best priced with Sky Bet at 12/1 – Ronaldo seen more likely to bag himself multiple goals, best priced 5/1 with Coral. Blue Square have a special Aguero vs Ronaldo market for the game, allowing you to bet on which striker you think will score more. Aguero is at 4/1, Ronaldo 21/10 and the draw is 4/6.

Although Real Madrid are favourites to win due to Man City’s poor performances in the Champions League thus far, the hosts are in fine goal scoring form with a strong back line and play in front of a home crowd that will be expecting a good performance and, more importantly, a win. They are an excellent bet at 23/10 with William Hill.

Prediction: Manchester City 3-1 Real Madrid – 28/1 with Bet Victor.

Article by Jack Teague

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Juventus vs Chelsea betting preview

Juventus Form: DWWLW

After an interesting summer where they targeted Robin van Persie and Luis Suarez yet ended up with Nicklas Bendter on loan, Juventus have still carried on from where they left off last season; topping the table after thirteen games as they look to retain the title. Despite their impressive league form though, they still sit in third position in their Champions League group after winning only one of their opening four games. Choose a free bet for this match.

As is the system preferred by many Italian teams nowadays, Juve play with three at the back, those three being Italian stalwarts Leonardo Bonnucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli. With the protection of either Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal or Paul Pogba, they have become extremely difficult to break down and have the best defence in Serie A, conceding just nine goals. Up front, they possess the experienced pairing of Fabio Quagliarella and Mirko Vucinic, along with the talented Sebastian Giovinco, who has really come into form this season. With such a clever midfield being them, they will be very dangerous to a shaky Chelsea defence.

Chelsea Form: LDWDW

After a fine start, Roberto Di Matteo’s side haven’t won for four games in the league. They lost at the weekend away at surprise package West Brom and their shaky defence along with their wasteful finishing will have concerned their Italian manager. This had lead to strong rumours that out of form forward Fernando Torres will be dropped.

In the Champions League, they sit in a promising position, joint top of the group with Shakhtar Donetsk but only one point ahead of Tuesday’s opponents Juventus. The Londoners will have Mata back for this game, and him, along with fellow attacking midfielders Eden Hazard and Oscar will be crucial if they are to get the victory needed to progress to the last sixteen.

Match Prediction: Draw 3.40 at William Hill

Also: Both teams to score 1.65 at William Hill

The Turin giants head into this game knowing full well how important a win would be; in their final group game, they face a tricky trip to Donetsk whereas Chelsea have Danish minnows Nordsjaelland at home.

It will be a closely fought game, with Juventus the favourites given their home advantage, but with both sides possessing such talent going forward, goals can be expected.

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Article by Anthony Cunningham

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Arsenal vs Montpellier betting preview

The UEFA Champions League enters game week five where it’s time for teams to push on for qualification. Montpellier sit bottom of Group B whereas Arsenal are in the mix to qualify for the knockout stages. The reigning Ligue One champions have not had a great start to their domestic campaign, lying in thirteenth position following a one all draw against fifth place Valenciennes. Arsenal won five two against their north-London rivals Spurs at the weekend which will give the team a lot of confidence. Choose from over £500 in free bets for this match.

Arsenal 2^nd – 7 Points

Last time these two teams, Arsenal came from behind to win two one in France. Star striker Oliver Giroud is looking a fine player now, scoring five in his last five and answering his critics. He is facing his old teams and to pay respect may score against his former team mates. Another man in form and in the news is Theo Walcott. The Englishman has nine goals to his name this season and as the weeks go on, the pressure to sign a new contract will increase.

In defence, Arsenal have been good and bad. With assistant manager Steve Bould joining in the summer, the Gunners have been a lot tighter however the personnel has let down the team at the times.  Questions have been asked about Mertesacker’s lack of pace and the great Andre Santos’s shirt swap however Arsenal are expected to dispatch this French outfit.

Montpellier 4^th – 1 point

The debutants to the Champions League have struggled in their first season, only picking up one point. Although it is mathematically possibly for them to qualifier, Montpellier will require maximum points from their games and miracles in other fixtures. Losing striker Giroud to Arsenal has not helped however Younes Belhanda has tried to carry his team forward with the aid of Souleymane Camara’s four league goals.

To help resurrect their stuttering league start an early exit from Europe could benefit Montpellier’s league defence however that is also highly unlikely. Arsenal too have had a up and down start to the season so we could be in for either a dull nil nil or a classic European group game.

Betting tips

Oliver Giroud first to score, 11/4 on William Hill

Belhanda to score anytime, 10/3 on Bet365

Arsenal to win 3-2, 25/1 on BetFred

Podolski to score 2 or more, 5/1 on Paddy Power

Written by Kelvin Morgan

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West Ham United V Stoke City Betting Preview  19/11/12

Monday night football this week brings us West Ham United V Stoke City. Perhaps not the most exciting fixture of the weekend but nevertheless an important game for both sides as they will go into the game confident they can pick up three points. Choose a free bet for this match.

West Ham United

A solid start to the season for West Ham sees them in sixth place going into this weekend’s game, a start so good that makes you forget it was only last season they were in the Championship. Their home form has been particularly pleasing for Hammers fans as they have managed eleven out of the possible eighteen points up for grabs at home. Their goal scoring record at home is likewise very good, for every goal they have conceded they have managed to score double. Bet 365 has priced them at evens to take all three points on Monday, a very generous price for a side that is in top form at home having only lost the one game to Arsenal. He may be yet to score since his arrival at Upton Park but it is surely only a matter of time before Andy Carroll gets his name on the score sheet. William Hill has him at 11/2 to grab the first goal against Stoke.  There is also Kevin Nolan, who has been prolific in front of goal again this season with five so far to his name and is priced the same as Carroll to score the first goal in this game.

Stoke City

Monday’s fixture may be a tough ask for a Stoke side that has struggled to win away from home this season. A mixed start for Tony Pulis’s side has meant they have had to rely heavily on their good home form to pick up their points. Bet365 is offering 14/5 for the Stoke win, an unsurprising price that replicates their poor start away from home. If Stoke apply their usual policy away from home and try and come out with just a point it may be difficult for West Ham to break them down. Under 2.5 goals is 7/10 on Bet 365 and may well be a good bet in a game with two teams who have very solid defences.

Summary

It’s likely this will be a very close game with the most likely winners being West Ham. The fact Stoke are yet to win away will be a big hindrance as they travel to a tough away ground. A West Ham win or draw is 1/4 on William Hill in a game where it’s difficult to see an away victory. There is a strong possibility however that this game will end a draw and at 21/10 on William Hill it is certainly tempting. It could be profitable to back a low scoring game, with a 1-0 win for West Ham or a 1-1 draw the most likely.

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Fulham vs Sunderland betting preview

Fulham have had a very good start to the season thus so far, they are sitting in 9^th position in the Premier League and it is very tight from 4^th position all the way down to 11^th position, therefore Fulham can look at this in a number of ways, if they do not do as well as they should perhaps do so in the next few games they could find themselves quickly sliding down the league, however if Fulham pick up a few victories and a few good points as they have been doing so far they could easily find themselves up around the top. Choose a free bet for this match.

One thing Fulham have improved on is their attacking force, even their defence possesses a few fast, experienced and attacking wingers, so teams this year will obviously have to adapt to the new style of football in which Fulham are going for and thus so far they are indeed knocking in a few great goals. In Fulham’s last 4 games they have scored 9 goals, including 3 against Arsenal, however on the negative side they have conceded 8 which is a lot. Furthermore when you look at their actual results for example, they drew 3-3 against Arsenal, 2-2 against Everton and 3-3 against Reading. On a defensive point of view, their last three games do not look impressive at all. This is not where it also ends, they have also lost 3 -0 to West Ham and conceded 3 against Manchester United. So taking this into account, Fulham could be in an even better position that they are currently in.

However, with Berbatov on absolute form, looking happy and prepared to dominate any side, Fulham really do look like an impressive unit, so should go on to progress well this season, they look like a formed unit, with both experience and young talent within the squad.

Sunderland

After last season’s success, Sunderland have not had a good start to the season thus so far at all, they are currently sitting in 16^th place, 3 points ahead of the relegation positions. Additionally, it should be noted, the lack of results for Sunderland can easily be pin pointed, it is obvious their lack of ability to score goals, let’s take this statistic for example –  In Sunderland’s last 8 games they have only scored 5 goals and on each occasion not more than one goal per game for these 8 games. Sunderland have only scored 2 goals once and that was in a draw against Swansea. Subsequently it is clear that although Sunderland are defensively strong they are not scoring goals, which is obviously the reason why they are sitting in 16^th place in the league.

Not all is lost however, the fans have faith in the management and Sunderland obviously possess a lot of talent, but the worrying thing is, Sunderland have many hard games yet to come but their next 4 games look comfortable, so they should be able to get up in the table and they have plenty of time to sort things out, they will for sure not be in a relegation position this season, expect them to climb up the table!

Fulham v Sunderland betting tips

Fulham undoubtedly have goals in them, they are attacking so well and played ever so well against Arsenal, but as is clear, they are defensively suspect. Then on the other side, Sunderland are defensively strong but have been poor in attack, so where does the balance lie? On paper it would seem like it would be hard for Sunderland to score and hard for Fulham to score, but I don’t think this will be the case. Both teams will be disappointed in the amount of draws they have had this season, so expect a few goals but I believe form will decide this result.

Prediction: Fulham 2 – 1 Sunderland (Odds – 7/1 with SkyBet)

Odds:

First Goal Scorer –

Berbatov – 4/1 with Coral

Fletcher – 7/1 with SkyBet

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Article by Mani Basi

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Arsenal vs Spurs betting

Arsenal Form: DDLWWL

A shaky start to the season was followed by a period of recovery but now it looks as though Arsenal are in danger of fading once again. After their thrilling 3-3 draw with Fulham, The Gunners sit in 8^th place in the league with just 16 points from their 11 games this season. Should they finish in the position they are in, the Arsenal fans will be very disappointed with Champions League qualification vital in their ambitions to get back to the top of European football. This means that the pressure is now on Arsene Wenger to climb the table and he will be looking to get the fans back onside with a win over their bitter North London rivals. Get a choice of free bets for this match.

The 3-3 draw with Fulham highlighted all that is good and bad about Arsenal. Whilst they were fantastic in attack, they looked slightly frail at the back. One man that had a game to forget was Mikel Arteta; after giving away a penalty earlier in the match, Arteta had the chance to atone for his sins only to see his own spot kick saved with the very last action of the game. He was unfortunate in the game against Fulham and is actually having a good season as a great partnership with Cazorla is taking shape.

Arsenal have continued their fantastic passing game this season but it hasn’t resulted in quite as many goals as in previous years. Averaging 1.64 goals a game in the Premier League, their main attacking outlets have been Podolski, Cazorla, Giroud and the injured Gervinho who is not expected to be fit for the weekend fixture. They have each scored three goals and Giroud in particular seems to be growing in confidence with every passing game.

Tottenham Form: LWLLWD

Tottenham have enjoyed a fairly solid start to the season under new manager Andre Villas Boas. He looks to have got the full support of the dressing room and they came close to taking a point in their recent game against league champions Man City. Despite their solid start to the season, two losses in their last two league games mean that they have fallen down to 7^th position. They will be eager to correct this and push on to get into the fourth Champions League qualifying place.

The loss of Moussa Dembele in their last two league games has seen Tottenham lack a ball carrying presence in the centre of midfield and may have contributed to their demise. Unfortunately, along with Benoit Assou-Ekotto and long term absentee Scott Parker, he will be unavailable again and Villas Boas will need to find a solution to this problem if his team are going to win the game.

Spurs games have been fairly entertaining this season with seven out of their eleven games going over the 2.5 goal mark. The majority of these goals are in the second halves of matches with nine out of the eleven games having a second 45minutes of over 1.5 goals. Tottenham are always a threat towards the end of games as their pacey wingers begin to exploit tiring teams. Gareth Bale in particular has been extremely impressive with his old manager comparing his form to that of the most expensive footballer in history, Cristiano Ronaldo. Jermaine Defoe will enjoy a rest after not being called up for international duty and having scored five league goals this season already, he will be hoping to add to his tally at the weekend.

Betting Preview

North London derbies are always fiercely contested and Saturday’s game should be no different. The last six games between the two teams have all featured at least three goals and the morale boost from winning such a game will hopefully inspire both teams to go on the offensive from the first whistle. Arsenal have managed to keep a clean sheet in 36% of their league games but Tottenham have only failed to score once this season and have scored in all their away games. With Tottenham having kept just on clean sheet in their last 32 games against Arsenal in all competitions, it seems highly likely that both teams will find the net.

Arsenal’s main threat looks likely to come in the shape of Giroud with Cazorla threading the balls through to the Frenchman. In terms of the Tottenham attack, Defoe always looks likely to score and the pace of Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon will provide a serious test to the Arsenal defence. It looks likely that both teams will get a goal but the home advantage may swing the tie in Arsenal’s favour.

Highlighted bets

Santi Cazorla, anytime assist, 13/5 with BoyleSports

Both teams to score in the second half, 7/4 with SkyBet

Olivier Giroud to score first, 13/2 with SkyBet

Bale to score at any time, 3/1 with SkyBet

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Article by Ryan Moore

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Aston Villa v Manchester United betting preview

Aston Villa – League Form: WDLLD

Villa have not made quite the start that fans would have wished under new boss Paul Lambert, sitting just one place above the relegation zone with only two wins all season. They are however steadily progressing and a victory at Sunderland last time out to follow a last-gasp win at Swindon in the Cup sees them record back to back victories for the first time this season. Check out the free bets for this match

The defence has not done so badly, martialled well by Dutch international Ron Vlaar, however scoring goals remains a problem for the Villans; Darren Bent has been out-of-sorts this season and is injured and Gabrield Agbonlahor has never been a prolific goalscorer, leaving most of the pressure on youngster Christian Benteke to find the net. The creative players will need to start providing more opportunities if Villa are to get past a depleted, yet strong, Manchester United defence.

Manchester United – League Form: WWWWL

After a shakey start, United currently see themselves in their familiar position at the top of the league after a run of four league wins in a row. The strikeforce of Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck is proving every bit as mouth-watering as predicted with a blistering twenty-six goals being fired in in just ten games.

At the other end, despite missing the likes of Nemanja Vidic and Phil Jones through injury, The Red Devils have not conceded too many goals, with Jonny Evans proving to be a very consistant Premiership defender.

Match Prediction: Manchester United win 1.50 at William Hill

Also: Robin van Persie anytime 1.61 at William Hill

It is difficult to see past an away win on Saturday; Sir Alex Ferguson’s men are on fire at the moment and look impossible to stop. With such an array of attacking options available, they look certain to score and goal-shy Villa may not have the goalscoring ability to break down a solid United defence. The Red Devil’s have not lost at Villa Park since 1995 and only one of the last thirty-one meetings between these two sides has gone the way of Villa.

By Anthony Cunningham

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Chelsea vs Liverpool betting preview

This Sunday sees Chelsea take on Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea has had a few more days off due to European football however most of Liverpool’s first team were rested for their trip to Russia. Choose from dozens of free bets for this match.

Chelsea FC – 2^nd

In midweek the west London outfit required a late Victor Moses header to win 3-2 against a very strong Shakhtar team. John Terry will be available for selection after serving his ban. England internationals Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard are still injured however Juan Mata and David Luiz are fit after playing in midweek.

With Terry expected to return to the centre of defence, Chelsea will be looking to gain three points. They have had a great start to the season however they have had a slight blip in recent weeks. The return of Juan Mata will help as the Spaniard has been in great form, earning himself Player of the Month for October.

Liverpool  FC – 12^th

A weakened Liverpool side lost 1-0 against Anzhi Makhachkala on Thursday. Both Glen Johnson and Pepe Reina could return from short injury layoffs. Liverpool may be in poor form but their history against Chelsea is impressive. They have won home and away against the Blues three times in the past four seasons.

If Liverpool are going to win Luis Suarez is going to have to be on the score sheet. He has scored five goals in his last five league games. However at times his finishing has been below par. With a lack of other goal threats, Liverpool will need him at his best to gain any points this weekend. Even though they are unbeaten in their last five league games, Liverpool have been unconvincing at times.

Score Prediction

Chelsea to win 4-2

Selected Bets

Fernando Torres to score a hat-trick, 33/1 on William Hill

Luis Suarez to score two or more goals, 9/1 on Betfred

Chelsea to win 4-2, 40/1 on Bet 365

Juan Mata Man of the Match, 6/1 on Ladbrokes

Read more betting previews for upcoming matches in our betting tips section. If you fancy a free bet for this match, or any upcoming event, check out the £25 free bet offer from Blue Square.

Article by Kelvin Morgan

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Manchester City v Tottenham Betting Preview

In the last fifteen years Tottenham have had a very impressive record against Manchester City, winning 11 out of the previous 15 meetings. But, during City’s transformation over the last three seasons this form seems to have dipped with Manchester City winning each of the last three meetings between the two sides, including a 90^th minute Ballotelli penalty to clinch the game at the Etihad last season.  Matches between these two sides always lives up to expectation with controversy and exceptional play and the game on Sunday promises to be an exciting encounter. Get the latest free bets for this match.

Both teams played in Europe in the week and fielded their strongest sides. Manchester City had a disappointing performance at home to Ajax drawing 2-2, whilst Tottenham Jermaine Defoe netted an impressive hat-trick as Tottenham eased passed Maribor 3-1.

Team News:

Manchester City will still be without main-man Silva on Sunday due to injury but should be boosted with the likelihood of Sergio Aguero returning to the starting line up in the Premier League after he started and scored against Ajax midweek. Mancini is set to start with Tevez and Aguero up front; a menacing partnership with 7 league goals between the two strikers this season. Meanwhile Tottenham are still without the injured Scott Parker and are set to start with a similar team to their last game with no further injury news.  Top goal scorer Jermaine Defoe is likely to start as a lone striker again with tricky wingers Lennon and Bale playing just behind.

Preview:

Manchester City come into this game on the back of some very poor performances and the disappointment of their very likely departure from the Champions League.  Their last three Premier League games have seen City win two and draw one. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. In fact the league champions have struggled in each of those games and have been lucky to win any of them. Dzeko rescued 10 men City at West Brom with two late goals, Swansea missed hapless chances at the Etihad and West Ham were arguably the better side at Upton Park last week. Furthermore, Manchester City’s recent performances in the Champions League have been woeful and they have been punished by the Dutch champions, Ajax, meaning they are likely to drop out at the group stages. A 3-1 loss away from home and a disappointing 2-2 draw at the Etihad on Tuesday has almost certainly meant that they are not going to have Champions League success this season.

However, having said that, Manchester City are unbeaten in 34 Premier League home games with only Chelsea and Manchester United having longer unbeaten runs to date. They are still near the top of the table despite their recent performance and the old cliché stats that a team that wins when playing poorly is a good team – a championship winning team. But this record may be in danger of being lost of Sunday as Manchester City are leaking goals and finding it difficult to break teams down. It is no secret that City are missing the creative Spanish midfielder David Silva as he has been the catalyst of Manchester City in recent seasons. Without Silva City look a different team, a weaker team. But Mancini will be hoping that Nasri and Yaya Toure can bolster up the midfield and create chances for Argentinean duo Tevez and Aguero on Sunday.

The Tottenham manager is seemingly starting to come under pressure with the Spurs fans as he was criticised on Saturday when he took leading goal scorer Jermaine Defoe off when Tottenham were screaming out for a goal scorer. The Tottenham fans showed their disappointed and the boos rung around the ground, signalling that Villas Boas may be under pressure. After a decent start Villas Boas seems to be struggling to get his new Tottenham team flowing and especially at home where they have played poorly all season. However, away from home it is a different story with Spurs winning their last three away league fixtures at Southampton, Man United and Reading. Another away win at the Etihad on Sunday would see Tottenham win four away games on the bounce – a feat they have not achieved since April 1989.

In my opinion it all depends on how Spurs approach the game and that will determine what kind of result we see on Sunday. Villas Boas can either choose to ‘park the bus’ and go for the draw or he can do what Spurs did in their historic win at Old Trafford and play on the offensive with Defoe, Bale and Lennon being the main outlets. Tottenham will have a fantastic chance of winning at the Etihad on Sunday if they approach the game in a positive manner.

Last five league matches:

DWWWW                                                                           

West Ham 0-0 Manchester City

Manchester City 1-0 Swansea

West Brom 1-2 Manchester City

Manchester City 3-0 Sunderland

Fulham 1-2 Manchester City

LWLWW

Tottenham 0-1 Wigan

Southampton 1-2 Tottenham

Tottenham 2-4 Chelsea

Tottenham 2-0 Aston Villa

Manchester United 2-3 Tottenham

HEAD-2-HEAD:

Manchester City 3-2 Tottenham

Tottenham 1-5 Manchester City

Manchester City 1-0 Tottenham

Tottenham 0-0 Manchester City

Manchester City 0-1 Tottenham

Tottenham 3-0 Manchester City

Prediction:

This is a very hard game to predict as neither team are in-form at the moment, but both are capable of winning this game. So small stakes are advisable. Manchester City had two very impressive victories against Tottenham last year, scoring 8 goals in the two games. However, City are not playing as well as they were last season and are struggling to break teams down and were lucky to win any of their last three games. As this is an extremely tough game to predict I have sided with value going with Gareth Bale to score in a Tottenham win at a massive 12/1 with William Hill. Bale has been in impressive form of late scoring two in his last four in all competitions and with the midfielder scoring a fantastic goal at the Etihad last season I like his chances to do so again. Furthermore, I feel that City may struggle to cope with his pace and aerial ability; a surprising stat this season is that City have conceded a higher percentage of goals this season from set-pieces this season than any other Premier League team.

Highlighted Bets:

1)      Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen has made an impressive start to life as a Tottenham player since his summer move from Dutch champions Ajax. He scored the crucial opener in Spurs’ historic 3-2 win at Old Trafford last month and will be looking to do the same at the Etihad on Sunday. The defender has a proven scoring record managing to find the back of the net 8 times in 31 league games last season for Ajax and has come close on numerous occasions for Tottenham this season. Having already highlighted City’s frailties at defending from set-pieces I think it is great value for Vertonghen to score anytime against them this weekend. With the exceptional deliveries from Bale it is likely that Vertonghen will have a great chance at scoring and at a whopping 7/1 to score anytime this bet is advisable.

2)      Both teams are scoring more goals in the second half of games this season and with both teams finding more late on a bet on goals in the second half may be rewarded. For there to be over 1.5 goals in the second half it is 10/11 and for over 2.5 it is 11/4. Two bets that offer fantastic value and with both teams vulnerable of conceding goals this game is likely to have lots of goals. In each of their last five games the second half has produced the most goals. Therefore a bet on over 1.5 goals in the second half is a safe but rewarding bet, but if you feel that there may be more goals a slightly more risky bet would be to back over 2.5 second half goals at 11/4.

Recap:

• Gareth Bale to score and Tottenham to win @ 12/1
• Jan Vertonghen to score anytime @ 7/1
• Over 1.5 second half goals @ 10/11
• Over 2.5 second half goals @ 11/4

Read more betting previews for upcoming matches in our betting tips section. If you fancy a free bet for this match, or any upcoming event, check out the £25 free bet offer from Blue Square.

Article by Mark Stefanyszyn

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