All articles by: Elliott Jackson

Reading vs Cardiff City – Match Preview

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Reading vs Cardiff City – Match Preview – Cardiff City will look to close the gap on league leaders Wolves with a win against Reading on Monday night.

With Wolves only able to draw 0-0 with Sunderland on Saturday, it opens the chance for Neil Warnock’s side to trim their lead. Cardiff have performed above expectations so far this season sitting in second place. They are three points off third-placed Bristol City and five behind Wolves.

Cardiff have lost just one of their last eight games and have won their last four on the bounce. The Bluebird’s recent run has been in no small part down to their defensive solidity, with Warnock’s men conceding just four goals in eight games and earning five clean sheets. This has been an earmark of all Warnock’s sides and a blueprint he has used to earn himself six football league promotions.

One slight hindrance to their play, however, has been an inability to score lots of goals. Unlike many of the other top six sides, Cardiff specialises in keeping goals out rather than putting them in and if they could add a little more firepower to their squad in January they could be set for automatic promotion. They have managed 30 goals in the league this season which would rank them 10th, but they do have the best defensive record in the division.

Bogle (right) can be a real threat to the Reading side Photo Credit: skysports.com

After a woeful start to the season, Reading seem to have cured their play-off hangover and have slowly climbed the table. The Royals are now in 16th place and now 10 points clear of the relegation zone. Jaap Stam’s side have only lost one of their last seven games, collecting 14 points along the way as they begin to show flashes of what helped them finish third last campaign.

Like Cardiff, Reading struggle to score goals. The Royals lack a focal point in attack and with Jan Kermogant only just returning to fitness they could look to bolster their ranks in the January window. Whilst I think Reading will be fine and they have improved, I can’t see them finding themselves in the top six again come May.

With neither side prolific in front of goal, this game will be settled by fine margins. Both sides have seen only 45% of their games feature over 2.5 goals this season, which only furthers this prediction. Similarly, Cardiff have only scored two or more goals away from home in three of their ten games this season, whilst Reading have only scored more than two goals three times this season.

Whilst these aren’t two bad sides, I don’t think this game will be one for the purists. I think one goal may decide the outcome and I’m going to edge the way of Warnock’s men.

 

Prediction: Reading 0-1 Cardiff City

 

SKYBET: YANN KERMORGANT TO SCORE A HEADER- 7/1

SKYBET: READING TO WIN BY EXACTLY ONE GOAL- 10/3

SKYBET: WARD TO SCORE FIRST AND DRAW 1-1- 25/1

SKYBET: CARDIFF TO WIN TO NIL- 3/1

SKYBET: BOGLE AND KERMOGANT TO BOTH SCORE- 7/1

BET365: ALUKO TO SCORE FIRST- (link no longer available)

BET365: CORRECT SCORE CARDIFF 1-0- (link no longer available)

 

Norwich vs Sheffield Wednesday – Match Preview

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Norwich vs Sheffield Wednesday – Match Preview – Saturday night sees Sheffield Wednesday take a trip to Carrow Road as both sides look to make ground on the race for the play-offs.

Norwich come into this fixture without a win in seven league matches. Similar to Wednesday, Norwich have failed to meet expectations this season after falling short of reaching the play-offs last season. With the Canaries now 11 points behind sixth placed Derby County it would seem there wait for promotion will stretch to a third season. With a vast majority of the supporters growing restless with the current style of football on show, it will be interesting to see how long Daniel Farke lasts in the Norwich hot-seat.

Murphy has scored 7 goals this season for Norwich Photo Credit: skysports.com

Sheffield Wednesday come into this game unbeaten in their last seven games, but without a win in four. After two consecutive wins before the international break, the Owls have drawn four consecutive games, to leave them eight points behind the top six. Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Hull was an even more painful result, with Michael Dawson drawing Hull level in the 95th minute. Carlos Carvalhal was sent to the stands in that game after remonstrating with the officials for not awarding Wednesday a penalty with the score at 2-1.

The Owls problem this season has been consistency. After a fantastic 2-1 win at Villa Park they followed it up by dropping six points against three sides you would expect them to beat. Sluggish starts have been a common theme this season for Carvalhal’s men, which has drawn a lot of criticism from the Hillsborough faithful. Whilst I have no fears for Carvalhal losing his job before the season ends, if the Owls don’t make the play-offs, there will be serious doubts over his long-term future.

Hooper leads the scoring charts for Sheff Wed with 10 goals Photo Credit: skysports.com

Norwich have won just one of their last 12 games against Wednesday, with that victory coming back in 2015. In their last meeting, Wednesday dismantled the Canaries as they ran out 5-1 victors. The Owls last win at Carrow Road came back in 2009, with a solitude Jermain Johnson strike settling the tie.

In the league this season, only 35% of Norwich’s games have contained over 2.5 goals, making them the second lowest in the division. Wednesday similarly have only had 45% of their games have more than two goals this season. With those stats in mind, I think Saturday’s game will be cagey and hard fought. Whilst a draw wouldn’t do either team any favours I think that’s how this one may pan out.

 

Prediction: Norwich City 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday

 

SKYBET: HOOPER TO SCORE FIRST AND WEDNESDAY TO WIN 2-1- 35/1

SKYBET: OLIVEIRA AND RHODES TO BOTH SCORES- 7/1

SKYBET: BTTS AND NORWICH TO WIN- 3/1

SKYBET: WEDNESDAY TO WIN TO NIL- 5/1

BET365: CORRECT SCORE 1-1 DRAW- (link no longer available)

BET365: BTTS AND OVER 2.5 GOALS- (link no longer available)

BET365: HALFTIME/FULLTIME – SHEFF WED/DRAW- (link no longer available)

 

Newcastle United vs Leicester City – Match Preview

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Newcastle United vs Leicester City – Match Preview – Newcastle host Leicester City at St James’ Park looking for their first win in six Premier League matches.

After a poor run of results in November, Newcastle find themselves just five points above the relegation zone in 15th place. Rafa Benitez’s side have failed to win their two home games, losing 1-0 to Bournemouth and 3-0 to Watford. If Newcastle are to avoid an immediate return to the second tier of English football, they need to start picking up results at home once again.

After a run of one defeat in seven, the Toon Army have struggled. The major difference has been there sudden inability to keep clean sheets. They’ve conceded 14 goals in their last six games, averaging at just over 2.3 goals a game. Up front, they’re struggling as well, with just four goals coming in those six games.

Despite their poor form, Newcastle did take the lead at both Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge. When they faced Manchester United, they gave a good account of themselves and could’ve found themselves two goals ahead before Jose Mourinho’s side equalised. Midfielder Mikel Merino has been performing well but the absence of Captain Jamaal Lascelles has hit Newcastle and they haven’t looked the same at the back without him.

Merino has performed well for Benitez Photo Credit: skysports.com

Leicester City, in contrast, are in fine form. Since the appointment of Claude Puel, they have mustered 11 points from six games, which has catapulted them up the table. Now, unbeaten in three games, the confidence is back and we’re beginning to see glimpses of the side that were crowned Premier League champions only 18 months ago. The re-emergence of Riyad Mahrez has been key. Now operating in a number ten role, the Algerian is more involved in games and is producing key moments that are defining games. Similarly, Demari Gray’s inclusion in the side has had a positive effect, with the young Englishman finally showing his true potential at the King Power Stadium.

Mahrez and Vardy have performed well since Puel’s arrival Photo Credit: skysports.com

Newcastle have lost all of their last four meetings with Leicester without scoring a single goal. Before this run, they did, however, go nine games without losing against the Foxes, with their last win back in 2014. On Leicester’s last trip up to Tyneside, they beat Leicester 3-0 in that unforgettable title-winning campaign.

Leicester have scored two or more goals in 46% of their Premier League games this season. That ranks them up in seventh, with all of the big six clubs ahead of them. In contrast, Newcastle have only managed to score two or more four times, which gives them a 26% ratio. Given Leicester City’s good recent form and Newcastle’s leaky backline, I’m going to plump for an away win, with the Foxes to score twice.

 

Prediction: Newcastle 1-2 Leicester

 

SKYBET: MAHREZ AND VARDY TO BOTH SCORE- 15/2

SKYBET: GAYLE TO SCORE FIRST AND NEWCATSLE TO WIN 1-0- 30/1

SKYBET: BTTS AND DRAW- 3/1

SKYBET: GRAY TO SCORE AND WIN- 6/1

SKYBET: LEICESTER TO WIN BY EXACTLY ONE GOAL- 7/2

BET365: CORRECT SCORE LEICESTER TO WIN 2-1- (link no longer available)

BET365: FIRST GOALSCORER- JAMIE VARDY – (link no longer available)

BET365: HALF TIME/FULL TIME – DRAW/DRAW – (link no longer available)