All articles by: Harry Pratt

Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid – Match Preview

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Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid
Thursday 26th April 2018
UEFA Europa League, Semi-final, First Leg, Emirates Stadium
Live BT Sport 1 – Kick-Off: 20:05

Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid – Arsene Wenger is finally leaving Arsenal but scarcely seems best pleased at the messy, rather unseemly end to his 21-and-a-half year reign in north London.

What better way, then,  to fire a message to the watching world that he is from finished as a top boss than by masterminding a victory over two legs against Atletico Madrid in the Europa League semi-finals.

The first leg is this Thursday at the Emirates and that should at least give the Gunners a chance of getting a lead to take into the away meeting a week later.

Atletico Madrid, managed by a contender for the Arsenal hot-seat Diego Simeone, are strong favourites –  not only to beat the north Londoners but lift the trophy outright for the third time.

They are currently second in La Liga, 11 points adrift of leaders Barcelona but four clear of Real Madrid. They may have performed poorly in the Champions league group stages, finishing third behind Roma and Chelsea, but they have recovered well since.

Under Simeone, the club’s record in Europe is impressive. They were twice runners-up to Real Madrid in the 2014 and 2016 Champions League finals, while in the Argentine coach’s first full season in 2011-12, they won the Europa League.

Whatever happens in the next few weeks, Atletico are certain to be in Europe’s elite competition next term.

Arsenal, by contrast, are slumped in sixth place in the Premier League. Their only hope of ensuring Champions League football for Wenger’s successor is by winning the Europa League.

But Wenger, 68, has never won a European trophy in his career. He has lost two finals as Arsenal boss – the 2006 Champions League and the 2000 Uefa Cup. He was also a runner-up in the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1992 as manager of French side Monaco.

As Gunners boss, though, his record in semi-finals is pretty good. In 21 to date, both domestically and in Europe, the Frenchman has been a winner in 13. In his three European semis, his only defeat was in the 2009 Champions League.

Home win: Despite being underdogs, Arsenal are in good form at the Emirates. They have won six in a row in all competitions, including beating AC Milan and CSKA Moscow in their previous Europa League ties there.

Atletico, on the other hand, have been inconsistent of late. They have won only once in five games – and have not won away in four. Their last success on the road was the 5-1 second-leg thrashing of Locomotiv Moscow at the last 16 stage.

Goalscorers: Atletico’s Antoine Greizmann has 27 goals this season, six in the last nine, and two in four Europa League appearances. Former-Chelsea striker Diego Costa is in the squad but not expected to be fit enough to start.

Arsenal playmaker Aaron Ramsey is in top form, having scored eight in his last nine appearances, including four in his previous three Europa League outings.

French referee Clement Turpin has shown 53 yellows in his 15 Ligue 1 games this season, an average of 3.53. He has shown two reds.  In five Champions League games, he has produced 17 yellows but no reds.

Prediction: Arsenal 2 Atletico Madrid 1

Suggested tips – Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid – (BET365):

  • Correct score, Arsenal 2-1 – (link no longer available).

Suggested tips – Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid – (SKYBET):

  • Ramsay and Greizmann to both score – 7/1. (NB)
  • RequestABet upto 10/1 – Over 1.5 goals, 3+ Corners each team, and 30+ match booking points  – 11/8. (NB2)
  • BTTS and Arsenal to win – 4/1. 
  • RequestABet upto 10/1 – Over 1.5 goals, 5+ Arsenal Corners, 3+ Atletico Madrid Corners, and 10+ booking points each team – 9/4. (NAP)
  • @FootyAccums – RequestABets – Ramsey & Greizmann to score, Wilshere & Godin to be carded – 125/1. (Outsider)
  • RequestABet upto 10/1 – BTTS, 4+ Corners each team, and 30+ match booking points – 7/2. 

Odds and markets last updated on 26 April 2018 @18:15 GMT. Markets will unlikely be updated ahead of kick off.

Keep visiting the tips and preview area for further updates and betting previews for more previews for this upcoming weeks European, FA Premier League and SkyBet Championship action.

 

 

 

Arsenal vs West Ham United – Match Preview

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Arsenal vs West Ham United
Sunday 22nd April 2018
FA Premier League, Emirates Stadium

Live on Sky Sports Premier League – Kick-Off: 13:30

Arsenal vs West Ham United  – The Arsenal crisis of a month ago has eased considerably. Yet it takes only one bad performance and result  to reignite the flames of protest among their supporters.

Arsene Wenger, as ever the centre of everybody’s attention in respect of his 21-and-a-half-year reign, must be mighty glad, then, that their next fixture, against West Ham in the Premier League this Sunday, is at home.

After their latest setback on the road, a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle, left them still without an away point in 2018, Wenger and his persistently inconsistent Gunners need to restore confidence fast – on and off the pitch.

Remember, Atletico Madrid are in town next Thursday for the first leg of the Europa League semi-final – a competition that could well define and decide exactly what happens next in N5.

Winning it is the club’s only way back into the Champions League next season, with the top-four qualification route long gone – for a second year running. Indeed, the north Londoners are in more danger of failing to make the top six. Burnley sat only two points behind them ahead of their Thursday clash at home to Chelsea.

West Ham, meanwhile, continue to keep themselves away from dire trouble at the basement.

But it was a close call I their previous game last Monday when it took a late equaliser from fit-again Andy Carroll to salvage a crucial point against second-from-bottom Stoke.

That meant the east Londoners were seven points clear of the bottom three – and with talk of a long-term deal for manager Moyes in the air – there is at last some light at the end of the tunnel, and potential for progress.

Not that you should expect the visitors to upset the form guide at the Emirates – not when Arsenal are so keen to return to winning ways after a seven game unbeaten run in all competitions was ended by Newcaste.

Home win: Arsenal have won five in a row at their fortress, while West Ham have not won in five games on the road, losing four of them. The Gunners have won seven of the last eight league home meetings with the Irons.

Scorers: Arsenal’s Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang may not start, according to Wenger, as he is unavailable for the Europa League next week. He has scored five in his last five appearances. Hammers super sub Carroll is sure to be on the bench again, with Marco Arnautovic, three goals in last eight games, to lead the visitors’ line.

Referee Lee Mason has shown 34 yellow cards in 15 games this season – an average of 2.3 per game. He has shown two reds.

Arsenal vs West Ham United will be televised live in the UK on Sky Sports Premier League HD with kick-off at 13:30 GMT.

Prediction. Arsenal 3-1 West Ham

Suggested tips – Arsenal vs West Ham United – (BET365):

  • Correct score, Arsenal 3-1 – (link no longer available).
  • Half Time / Full Time – Draw/Arsenal – (link no longer available).

Suggested tips – Arsenal vs West Ham United – (SKYBET):

  • Price Boost – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Marko Arnautovic both to score in 90 mins – 11/2. 
  • RequestABet Specials Up to 10/1 – Arsenal v West Ham – Arsenal to win, over 1.5 goals, 9+ match corners and under 60 match booking pts – 5/4. (NAP)
  • Price Boost – Xhaka and Nobel to be carded – 20/1. (NB)

Odds and markets last updated on 22nd April 2018 @11:30 GMT. Markets will be updated prior to kick-off on Sunday so keep checking back.

Keep visiting the tips and preview area for further updates and betting previews for more previews for this upcoming weeks European, FA Premier League and SkyBet Championship action.

Bournemouth vs West Bromwich Albion – Match Preview

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Bournemouth vs West Bromwich Albion
Saturday 17th March 2018
FA Premier League, Dean Court

Game Not Televised – Kick-Off: 15:00

Bournemouth vs West Bromwich Albion – Bournemouth and West Brom meet this Saturday at the Vitality Stadium with the outcome likely to have huge consequences on the top-flight futures of both.

If Eddie Howe’s Dorset hosts pick up a first league win against the Midlands outfit in three attempts, it will take them to 36 points and the verge of ensuring a fourth successive year in the Premier League.

Simultaneously,  an 11th away defeat of the league campaign would send  West Brom to the brink of no return in the relegation battle.  The basement boys are already eight points adrift of safety with eight games remaining.

You can talk of miracles and where there is hope there is life, but that is exactly the problem with West Brom’s chances of another Great Escape. Under dead-manager-walking Alan Pardew all hope appeared to vanish last month, somewhere in a stolen Spanish taxi at 5am.

Prior to that warm-weather training break, the Baggies had won at Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup to make it four games unbeaten in all competitions. They also had what seemed a decent set of league fixtures for the rest of February and into March.

But they have since lost seven in a row in all competitions – six in the league.

The last of those was a 4-1 home thrashing by Leicester, leading to Head Coach Pardew accusing his players of ‘unacceptable spirit and effort’  and then offering to discuss his position with the club’s owners. Bit late for that.

Bournemouth, currently 12th in the table,  suffered an identical  4-1 defeat at home 24 hours later, but the big difference was it came at the hands of high-flying Tottenham.

Despite that first loss in seven league outings on their own patch – a run which stretched back to December 17 and a 4-0 defeat to Liverpool – Cherries manager Howe was anything but downbeat with the performance of his side, who had taken the lead and threatened to runaway with the points before an impressive Spurs comeback.

In the reverse fixture at the Hawthorns, West Brom beat Bournemouth, 1-0, on the opening day of the season.

Expect goals:  There have been 29 in Bournemouth’s last seven leagues game at the Vitality Stadium and only one goalless draw there all season – v Leicester in September.

Bournemouth have kept two clean sheets at home this season. West Brom, meanwhile, have kept only two on their travels.

Expect a home win…come the final whistle. Even if West Brom go ahead in a match, it means little.  In 2017-18,  they have thrown away a league-high 21 points from winning positions.  If games lasted 45 minutes, would have won an extra 14 points.

Referee Graham Scott has shown 26 yellows in 15 games this season, an average of 1.9 per game. He has shown one red (none in last 14 games).

Bournemouth vs West Brom kicks off at 3pm – you can follow the progress on Sky Sports News.

Prediction: 3-0 Bournemouth Win

Suggested tips – Bournemouth vs West Bromwich Albion  – (BET365):

  • Correct Score – 3-0 Bournemouth – (link no longer available).

Suggested tips – Bournemouth vs West Bromwich Albion – (SKYBET):

  • RequestABetSpecial – 80/1 and above – Over 2.5 goals, 12+ match corners, Daniels to be carded and 30+ West Brom booking points – 125/1.
  • Both Player to Score – Callum Wilson and Joshua King – 125/1.
  • RequestABetSpecial – 11/1 to 28/1 – BTTS, 4+ corners each team and 20+ booking points each team – 11/1.
  • RequestABetSpecial – up-to 10/1 – Phillips to score and West Brom to win – 8/1.

Odds and markets last updated on 17 March 2018 @11:30 GMT.

Keep visiting the tips and preview area for further updates and betting previews for more previews from this weekends FA Cup and SkyBet Championship action.