Premiership Previews 10th / 11th January
Aston Villa V West Brom Saturday 12:45 Sky Sports 1
The Premiership's early kick-off this weekend sees West Brom travel to Birmingham in a bid to be just the second side this season to overturn Aston Villa at Villa Park. Taking into consideration both sides respective home and away records, you would feel that West Brom may have to settle for a pretty scoreline. West Brom have also never beaten Aston Villa since the Premiership was formed and Villa beat West Brom at The Hawthorns earlier this season. The omens are not good for the away side.
Martin O'Neill is working his magic at Villa and is putting together a side that is genuine contenders for one of those elusive Champions League positions. They finished 2008 in 4th position and have formed a three point lead over their nearest pursuer, Arsenal. They also go into this fixture with West Brom, on the back of a run that has seen them go 8 matches without defeat. They also boast a strong home record of 4-5-1 with their only defeat coming against Middlesborough. I remember that game and Villa were surprisingly poor. It is hard to see Villa reproducing a performance as poor as that this Saturday. Several of Villa's key players had to sit out their 2-1 FA Cup win over Gillingham on Sunday. Both Gareth Barry and Gabriel Agbonlahor didn't feature but they are expected to make a return to the starting line up for this fixture. That is bad news for any Baggies fan.
This looks a foregone conclusion for West Brom. They sit at the foot of the Premiership table and posses a dreadful away record. Their one and only away win this season came against an inconsistent Middlesborough side. They have since failed to repeat that feat and have lost their previous 7 away matches. The Baggies really do struggle to find the net on the road scoring just three goals from their 10 away fixtures. That is an embarrassing average of just 0.3 a game. That is woeful in anyone standards and that is just one of the many reasons why West Brom simply cannot be backed for this match with Aston Villa. They lack quality in depth with Roman Bednar their only real threat in front of goal. Their defence looks very vulnerable and they have the potential to concede a bucket load of goals. Anything other then an Aston Villa would be a major surprise. The bookies see it this way also.
Match Odds -
Aston Villa 4/9 Paddypower
Draw 10/3 Bet365
West Brom 8/1 Bet365
Prediction - Aston Villa
Arsenal V Bolton Wanderers Saturday 15:00
Bolton are desperate for points and Gary Megson won't appreciate this fixture one bit. Arsenal on the other hand will see this as a perfect opportunity to add to their point tally with Aston Villa already three points ahead of them in the table. Arsenal have enjoyed this fixture in recent season winning the previous 4 meetings between the two sides. Arsenal won 3-1 at The Reebok back in September and I'm sure Arsene Wenger would settle for the same scoreline come Saturday night.
Arsenal didn't take their weekend fixture in the FA Cup lightly against Plymouth Argyle and fielded a strong side. That did come as a pleasant surprise as Wenger normally likes to experiment against the weaker sides. Arsenal did take a while to get going but they eventually swept a-side Plymouth to win by a 3-1 scoreline. Robin Van Persie stole the show scoring twice to seal the Pilgrims fate. He hadn't scored since his brace against Chelsea so that should do the player a world of good. Arsenal have done well at home this season but they have slipped up against some of the poorer sides in the league. Defeats to both Hull City and Aston Villa has cost them and their league position is a fair reflection on their inconsistent season to date. They were hardly convincing against Portsmouth when they last played at The Emirates so they will need to show a vast improvement if they are to overcome a physical examination from Bolton.
Bolton's league position at current is a deceiving one. They are currently 11th in the Premiership but they are just three points above the drop zone. The bottom half of the table is the closest i have seen for some time with 8th - 19th separated by just 10 points. No side can afford to be complacent, especially Bolton. They are capable of winning away from home and have 4 away victories to their name already. They were however thumped 3-0 by Liverpool in their last away game of 2008. Bolton were never in the game and showed very little in terms of creating a goal scoring chance. The do also lack a forward with real quality and it is hard to find someone within their squad that will score 15 plus this season. Something they may need if they are to survive another season. Bolton will need to use their familiar 'rustle and bustle' approach if they are to make a match of this..
Match Odds -
Arsenal 4/11 Bet365
Draw 10/3 Bet365
Bolton Wanderers 10/1 Bet365
Prediction - Arsenal
Everton V Hull City Saturday 15:00
Goodison Park should be full to the brim this Saturday and Everton may need a full crowd in order to achieve victory over a Hull City side that has so far had a memorable season. Although their results in recent weeks are ones that manager Phil Brown will want to forget. The Toffee's have struggled for wins at home but they will be facing a side that has very little form going into this match. A massive chance for David Moyes side to pick up some vital points.
David Moyes seen his Everton side progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup only to see his side draw Liverpool at Anfield. What a reward for the blues. They weren't fully convincing though with Macclesfield surprisingly making the third round tie more of a matcht then many had predicted. Everton won by just the one goal with Leon Osman scoring the winner. That was at Macclesfield and Everton have done generally a lot better away from home this season. They have won just twice at Goodison this season leaving Everton open to a lot of criticism. They have a home record of 2-4-4 and have been the perfect model for inconsistency.. One of the reasons for their poor home form may be their lack of fire-power in the final third. Louis Saha has been plagued with yet more injuries while Yakubu is out for a lengthy period. The January transfer window has already come and Moyes has yet to dip into his pocket. They could pay the price sooner or later for their lack of signings. Especially in the forward department.
Hull City may well of been the surprise package of 2008 but their party balloon has certainly been popped. They were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Newcastle in the FA Cup which now leaves Phil Brown with one extra fixture he didn't want. They now prepare for Premiership action once again where they have hit a flat spot. The 6th of December was when the Tigers last won when they beat Middlesborough 2-1 at home. They have since gone four matches without a win. They have three straight defeats behind them and have just one win in 11 in the league. Some will say they are fortunate to have picked up so many points at the start of the season else they would be involved in a relegation slog. Scoring hasn't been their problem. Defending has. They have conceded 10 in their last three league fixtures and are putting in the sort of displays that have finally put us off betting on them.
Match Odds -
Everton 4/6 Boylesports
Draw 27/10 Blue Square
Hull City 5/1 Canbet
Prediction - Everton
Fulham V Blackburn Rovers Saturday 15:00
Not a pretty match on paper but one that has to be contested as 'Big Sam' takes his Blackburn side on a trip to London this weekend to face a buoyant Fulham at Craven Cottage. This is a fixture which has been enjoyed more by Blackburn in recent years winning two of the last five meetings between the two sides with the other three ending in score draws. The draw looks the logical approach to this game and we wouldn't put anyone off betting on this being yet another draw.
Fulham are having one of their better seasons this year and are currently flying high in 9th position. They are used to the bottom half of the table but they will certainly be enjoying life in the upper half of the Premiership. How long they can remain there is another question. Their run of 9 matches without defeat may look impressive at first glance but when you look a little deeper you will see that 7 of those games were draws. The Fulham board will be fully aware that their club are dropping too many points but some of those draws merit respect. Three 0-0 draws at Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham look impressive while they scored late on to draw 2-2 with Chelsea at Craven Cottage in their last ever fixture of the 2008 calendar. They show a lot of commitment and defend in vast numbers but they are still lacking that presence in the opposition box. Andy Johnson scored twice in Fulham's 2-1 win at Sheffield on Saturday so the Fulham manager will be hoping he can repeat his form in front of goal this Saturday.
Sam Allardyce came in as Blackburn manager, won a game and everything was Rosie again in Lancashire. That was the dream. Now it's back to reality. They are still in the bottom three and are still the same side that can't win. They notched up their first win in 11 when they beat Stoke City 3-0 in Sam's first game in charge but they returned to their win less ways by drawing their next two league fixtures against Sunderland and Man City. Both of those games were winnable but Blackburn are the specialist this season at doing the opposite of what they can do. They were hardly convincing in their FA Cup tie with Blyth Spartans on Monday night. They won by the narrowest of margins with Sam fielding a very weak side in my opinion. He showed the competition and the opposition no respect and we will do just the same. Blackburn cannot be backed with any confidence going into this fixture and we wouldn't recommended backing Rovers this Saturday.
Match Odds -
Fulham 11/10 Canbet
Draw 23/10 Bet365
Blackburn Rovers 5/2 Canbet
Prediction - Draw
Middlesborough V Sunderland Saturday 15:00
We found this the hardest fixture of the weekend to predict as a Middlesborough side without a win in 8 matches go in search for one at the expense of Sunderland who travel to The Riverside looking for a win that would drag them away from the drop zone. The pair last met back in September 2007 when both partys had to settle for a share of the spoils. With both teams hovering above the relegation places, neither side will be happy with anything other than a win.
The red and white side of Tyneside must be slightly concerned and puzzled at their sides recent run of results in the league. The board appear to be keeping faith with the Englishman in charge but if results carry on the way they are. It could be a case of how long before they lose their patience and look elsewhere for someone who can take them that step forward. At the moment, Gareth is only taking them backwards. They have now gone 8 games without a win and are getting increasingly closer to equalling the record of 11 matches without a win set by Blackburn. Boro have also lost their previous three matches leaving them in 17th position in the league table. Level on points with Stoke City who occupy that final relegation spot. They came through their third round tie with Barrow on Saturday but not without a scare. Barrow scored late into the second half but Alfonso Alves first goals in several years secured victory for the home side. I'm over exaggerating the time in which Alves lasts scored but it has been a while since he found the net. He has been a major flop so far and the Boro fans will be hoping he can show more clinical finishing in front of goal this Saturday.
Sunderland are also struggling to put together some form that would lift them away from the drop zone. They were thumped in their previous away fixture against Everton and were re soundly beaten 3-0 at Goodison. That result highlighted their vulnerability on the road this season as that was their 4th away defeat in 6. They did manage to put that poor result to one side though on Saturday when they nudged Bolton out of the FA Cup at The Stadium of Light. That result should give the players a lift and my do they need one. Several of the Sunderland players are expected to leave during January and it would be foolish to think the atmosphere in the Sunderland camp is a particularly good one. This could be the best time to play Sunderland if you're a Middlesborough fan.
Match Odds -
Middlesborough 6/5 Bet365
Draw 11/5 Canbet
Sunderland 12/5 Canbet
Prediction - Draw
Newcastle United V West Ham United Saturday 15:00
Newcastle have lost their previous two league fixtures while West ham have won both of theirs. Newcastle will have the advantage of having the Toon fans behind them at St. James Park but West Ham appear to be in a good vein of form and cannot be ruled out. West ham cruised past Newcastle when the two sides met at Upton Park back in September so Newcastle United will be eager to make amends for that defeat
Joe Kinnear was left scratching his head when he last watched his Toon side in action in the Premiership. They went into their fixture with Liverpool at St. James Park full of optimism after owner Mike Ashley confirmed that the club was no longer up for sale. The bubbly was put on ice though as Liverpool proved to be the party poopers when they thumped Newcastle 5-1. Their wasn't many positives for Joe to take from that game with Shay Given being the only Newcastle player to come out of that match with some of his dignity still intact. Newcastle rarely ventured into the Liverpool half while their defence looked very shaky. They have now conceded 17 goals at home and are conceding, on average nearly two goals a game at home. They were very poor and will need to show signs of vast improvement before we even consider betting on them again.
West Ham fortunes have taken a turn for the better after securing yet another win at the weekend. They were fairly comfortable against Barnsley in the FA Cup and saw the game out as deserved 3-0 winners. They have also improved their results in the league and have won their previous two league fixtures. They have also scored nine goals in three games. It took them nine matches to equal that tally before they went on their run of three straight wins. I don't know what Zola has done with the players in recent weeks but whatever it is, it's working. Their league position now has a 'cosy' feel to it with West Ham sitting in a respectable 10th position. A big incentive for the West ham players is that if they were to win at St. James Park on Saturday, they would break into the top half of the table for the first time since the early part of the season. Something that looked highly unlikely at one point.
Match Odds -
Newcastle United 6/5 Bet365
Draw 12/5 Boylesports
West Ham United 12/5 Bet365
Prediction - Draw
Portsmouth V Manchester City Saturday 15:00
Both of these sides are desperate for a win in order to keep both the fans and boardroom staff off their backs. Portsmouth have lost their last four league fixtures while City were emphatically dumped out of the FA Cup by a poor Nottingham Forest side. If there was any teams in the league that would do absolutely anything for a win it would be these two. This has the potential to be a real thriller at Fratton Park.
Tony Adam's start as a Premiership manager has hardly been a romantic one. Harry Redknapp went into Spurs and changed their fortunes instantly. Tony has gone in at Portsmouth and done a lot worse then his predecessor. It was a huge ask getting Tony to match Harry's achievements at Pompey but Portsmouth really have struggled since Adam's has taken over the reigns. Their league position is on a downward spiral dropping from sixth down to 12th. They have lost four matches on the bounce in the league and it is clear to see that there is discontent in the Portsmouth ranks. Jermaine Defoe didn't feature on Saturday when Pompey drew with Bristol City at Fratton park and has now left to join up with former boss Harry Redknapp at Spurs. Several others are expected to follow Defoe out the door with many being linked with moves away. Portsmouth have very little going for them right now and we can't find a case for them going into this tricky new year fixture.
Mark Hughes suffered yet another embarrassing defeat at the weekend yet this one was much more costly then his many others. They City fans were left stunned as Forest walked into the fourth round draw at their expense after they lost 3-0 at The City of Manchester. I thought his job was under scrutiny when City suffered back-to-back defeats in December but the board came out and showed they had faith in the manager they never appointed. City then go and lose to a side that is at the foot of the Championship and exits the biggest domestic competition in England but yet he still has a job. I've given up predicting when he will eventually be out the City door. One thing is for sure though and that is that if City were to suffer yet another defeat on Saturday. The pressure would certainly be piling onto Hughes's shoulders. He must feel like he is carrying the world right now with many journalists, pundits and now even the fans lining up to take a chunk out of the City gaffer. The omen's are also not good with City winning just once away from home all season. They have gone 8 away matches without a win but with Portsmouth looking out of sorts, this could be their best opportunity for some time.
Match Odds -
Portsmouth 7/4 Skybet
Draw 12/5 Bet365
Manchester City 12/5 Bet365
Prediction - Manchester City
Stoke City V Liverpool Saturday 17:30 Setanta Sports 1
Saturday's live game on Setanta Sports 1 sees Liverpool travel to Stoke with the hope that they can better their early result against the Potters when Stoke held Liverpool to a 0-0 draw at Anfield back in September. One of many setbacks Liverpool have had to endure. The majority will expect Liverpool to come through this fixture but Tony Pulis and his Stoke players will have other ideas.
Stoke's form has certainly hit the rocks after they succumbed to their third successive defeat in the league before the new year. Defeats to Blackburn, Manchester United and West Ham has seen their league position rapidly decline and are now in an uncomfortable 18th position. There is just three points separating the teams from 11th down so Stoke simply cannot afford another slip up and must go into this tough fixture with a winning mentality. Stoke do rely heavily on their form as they have yet to win away from home. The more points they drop at home the higher the likelihood that they will be involved in a relegation scrap come the end of the season. They did manage to hold Liverpool to a 0-0 draw at Anfield and I'm sure Tony Pulis would take that scoreline with glee if someone offered it to him. Especially as the players may be suffering after they were dumped out of the FA Cup by League One outfit Hartlepool.
Liverpool secured progression into the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday when they beat Preston 2-0 in a match that was shown live on ITV1. They were superb in the opening half and created several goal scoring opportunities but like the Liverpool of new. They failed to score the vast majority of them. Robbie Keane was the main culprit and he was subbed yet again mid way through the second half. His confidence must be at an all time low but the fans won;t be too bothered now that their number 9 is back in action. Fernando Torres made his return from injury and scored late on to seal an impressive win for Liverpool. His goal was hardly the goal of the season but that could be just what he needs to re-spark his injury plagued season. The Liverpool players are in the form of their life's at present and are on an unbeaten run that stretches to 10 games. Their only defeat of the season came at White Hart Lane in a game they dominated but once again failed to score enough goals. That has been their biggest downfall this season. They control games but find it very hard to find the net. The return of Fernando Torres should change that and hopefully he can do the business in Stoke this Saturday.
Match Odds -
Stoke City 9/1 Bet365
Draw 7/2 Bet365
Liverpool 4/9 Skybet
Prediction - Liverpool
Wigan Athletic V Tottenham Hotspur Sunday 13:30 Sky Sports
Old foes go head-to-head this Sunday as Harry Redknapp takes his Tottenham side on a long trip up north where Steve Bruce's Wigan lye in waiting. I doubt many will have predicted before the season started that Wigan would be 11 places better off then Sours but that is now the case. Spurs fans have had to endure a poor end to 2008 while Wigan went into 2009 full of celebrations. Will Tottenham end Wigan good run of luck or will Spurs start 2009 how they finished 2008?
Steve Bruce was one of just a few manager that enjoyed the festive period with Wigan winning all three of their fixtures over the Christmas period. They thumped Blackburn 3-0 at the JJB while they narrowly edged out both Newcastle United and Bolton wanderers winning by the odd goal. Wigan will go into this tricky fixture with all the momentum with those three wins in the bag while they have lost just once in nine in the league. A huge blow will of course be the exit from the FA Cup. They were soundly beaten 3-1 at White Hart Lane but they are now left to fully focus on the task ahead which is to secure their Premiership status. They look a safe bet at the moment to fulfil their ambitions.
Tottenham Hotspur on the other hand are still left hovering above the drop zone after the lost yet another fixture in the league. Their defeat at West Brom now means they have gone four matches without a win and picked up just two points in the month of December. They have also been very inconsistent at home winning just three of their ten home fixtures this season. Spurs are becoming a side that can be brilliant one week and woeful the next. Harry will be delighted with his side performances in both the FA Cup and Carling Cup but they didn't come without their fair share of scares. They were given a football lesson in the first half of their game against Burnley but got their act together for the second half to win 4-1. Harry Redknapp obviously gave the players to old hair-dryer treatment and it doesn't bode well when your players need a good talking to before they start playing well. Spurs are too inconsistent to even consider backing against a Wigan side that has looked impressive in their recent outings.
Match Odds -
Wigan Athletic 7/5 Bet365
Draw 9/4 Canbet
Tottenham Hotspur 15/8 Boylesports
Prediction - Wigan Athletic
Manchester United V Chelsea Sunday 16:00 Sky Sports
The match of the weekend sees the current champions host last seasons runners ups. The is a six pointer as far as these two sides are concerned with defeat being a drastic result for both teams. Chelsea have the edge going this fixture and currently four points in front of their rivals. The pair have already met earlier in the season at Stamford Bridge and the match finished in a draw. This could be another tough match to call.
Manchester United do have two games in hand over Chelsea but they cannot to be complacent. If they were to lose to Phil Scolari's Chelsea, they would fall a further seven points behind Chelsea and could potentially finish the weekend ten points behind leaders Liverpool. The pressure will be on United to get the win they desperately need and that hunger could be the key factor in this match. United do have no injury worries so Sir Alex Ferguson should have an array of talent to choose from. Christiano Ronaldo was rested in United's 3-0 win at Southampton on Sunday. Fergie obviously had one eye on this fixture as Rooney only played in the second half. The Red Devils have yet to taste defeat at Old Trafford this season but they have failed to beat all the big four when they have met so that could be a mental blow for the United players.
Chelsea have also failed to beat any of the big four this season and have lost two of their home fixtures to Liverpool and Arsenal. They simply cannot afford to drop any points this weekend as it would drag Manchester United back into the title race. They have done a lot better away from home though this season and haven't lost a single away match this season. They were on a run of 8 straight away wins before they clashed with both Everton and Fulham. That does mean they haven't won away in two so that could also affect the Chelsea players mentally. A huge positive will be the return of the powerhouse that is Didier Drogba. He has failed to make a real impression in his few starts since his injury but he has the potential to turn games in Chelsea's favour. Frank Lampard could be their key player this Sunday after the striker scored twice in their last Premiership fixture away at Fulham. It would take a brave man to split these two and this is a match no one should miss.
Match Odds -
Manchester United 13/10 Skybet
Draw 11/5 Bet365
Chelsea 5/2 Skybet
Prediction - Manchester UnitedLabels: man united v chelsea betting, premier-league-betting, premier-league-preview, premiership-betting, premiership-preview
Posted by football-betting.co.uk @ 8:27 AM
 
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