All articles by: Ieuan Ivett

World Cup Qualifiers – Malta vs England – Match Preview

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Malta vs England – Match Preview – Gareth Southgate’s men are back in action for a 2018 World Cup qualifier against Malta. The Three lions are yet to be beaten during the qualifying campaign, having won 4 of their six encounters thus far.

Travelling to Malta could spell trouble for England however, who have only won one of their three away fixtures so far in Group F. Malta are sitting rock bottom of the qualifying group though; yet to claim a point after six matches.

With only two goals to their name, the Maltese attack hasn’t had much effect to this date. The same could be said for the defence, who have conceded 15 goals; five coming from a battering to the feet from Scotland back in 2016. However, Malta took the field back in June of this year against the Ukraine in a friendly and came out victorious 1-0.

England will be expected to win comfortably against Malta Photo Credit: skysports.com

England shouldn’t face too many issues in their trip to Malta, however as always, the talking points have been around squad selection. Following Wayne Rooney’s retirement from international football, many will be looking to Harry Kane to create yet another legacy spearheading the English attack. Kane has only scored once so far in the qualifying campaign, however will be many peoples favourite to bag a goal this Friday.

Skybet Correct Score Group Betting – England to Win 3-0, 3-1 or 3-2 – 11/4

Skybet First Goalscorer – Harry Kane to score 1st – 2/1

As aforementioned, the likelihood of Malta challenging England on the score line is rather slim. If they were to pull off a victory, it would not only be possibly the biggest victory in their history but also would shine a very glum light onto Gareth Southgate at the throne of the England national team.

Skybet Match Result – Malta to Win – 40/1

The two nations have only ever met four times in their history, with England winning all four matches. The biggest score line was 5-0 to England back in 1971, could history repeat itself?

Skybet Correct Score – England to Win 5-0 – 13/2

 

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Liverpool vs Arsenal – Match Preview

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Liverpool vs Arsenal – Match Preview – Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool will host Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal this Sunday at 4pm following their recent Champions League success. Liverpool have just beaten 1899 Hoffenheim over two legs to secure their place in the Champions League group stage; becoming the fifth team from the Premier League to qualify.

Arsenal will have some avenging to do after their poor showing away to Stoke in their most recent Premier League outing.

Both clubs are currently amidst well publicised transfer sagas, with the departures of Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool and Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal still in the balance. Sanchez is available for selection however it is very unlikely Coutinho will feature.

Mane has ben pivotal for Liverpool and must be if Coutinho decides to leave Photo Credit: skysports.com

The Liverpool attack has shown no signs of weakness without their star Brazilian with Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and new-boy Mo Salah all stepping up to the mark. These three will be crucial when facing the sometimes ropey Arsenal back-line. Could we have a goal-fest on our hands?

Skybet Both Players to Score – Sadio Mane and Mo Salah both to Score – 13/2

Alexandre Lacazette didn’t take long to introduce himself to the Premier League on the opening day with a goal, 90 seconds to be exact. He will require quality service from his fellow attackers such as Mesut Ozil. The Frenchman has a lot of promise and looks to be a good signing for the Gunners.

Skybet To score and Win – Alexandre Lacazette to Score and Arsenal to Win – 4/1

Jurgen Klopp will be looking to his defence to illustrate more stability than their previous fixtures where they have conceded far too easily. With the arrival of new defenders still to be questioned, the manager has stayed loyal to his defence despite fans starting to lose patience. Can they tighten up at the back and not allow Lacazette the space he needs?

Skybet Correct Score Group Betting – Liverpool to Win 3-0, 3-1 or 3-2 – 11/2

Kolasinac has settled in well at Arsenal Photo Credit: skysports.com

Arsenal fans will be hoping that in games like this, they can compete better than last season. The club will be hoping that long serving manager Arsene Wenger can lead them back into the top four. New signing Sead Kolasinac seems to have settled in quickly at the Emirates; which is good news as Arsenal have had a large list of unavailable players. With Liverpool fresh from their Champions League match, possible fatigue could favour Arsenal’s chances. Can Arsenal gain some confidence back after the painful 1-0 loss to Stoke?

Skybet Full Time Result and under/over 2.5 Goals – Arsenal and Over 2.5 Match Goals – 7/2

 

MLS – NY Red Bulls vs NY City FC – Match Preview

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NY Red Bulls vs NY City FC – Match Preview – The New York derby returns for its tenth ever fixture. The City that never sleeps will have the attention of the MLS on Saturday 26th August as both sides are battling to secure a top two position in the Eastern conference.

The ever-competitive New York Red Bulls will be hoping to bounce back following a 2-0 away defeat at the hands of Portland Timbers. However, standing in their way of a crucial three points is an in-form New York City side that has won three matches on the bounce.

Bradley Wright-Phillips can provide a real threat to the NYCFC defence Photo Credit: skysports.com

The (sort-of) hosts for the derby, Red Bulls, often pose as the largest attacking threats in the conference. Striker, Bradley Wright-Phillips, is one of the best documented players in the league and will pose big problems for the New York City defence. The striker scored a brace in their recent US Open Cup tie against Cincinnati; a late equaliser and then the winner in extra time.

Skybet Anytime Goalscorer – Bradley Wright-Phillips to Score Anytime in 90 mins – Evens

Head coach of the Red Bulls, Jesse Marsch, will be hoping to restore the faith of the fans by earning some local pride against their noisy neighbours. The last time these two met, New York City won in a 5-goal thriller with ex-Barcelona star David Villa stealing the headlines with a hat trick for Patrick Vieira’s side.

David Villa has hit the net 19 times this season in the MLS for NYCFC Photo Credit: skysports.com

At the age of 35, David Villa is continuing to score for fun as he is leading the MLS golden boot race with 19 goals and 4 assists. The most experienced player on the pitch will also be the deadliest. Could the Spaniard’s clinical edge provide the difference?

Skybet To Score a Brace – David Villa to Score a Brace – 9/2

Villa and company will widen the gap between them and the competition with a victory on Saturday. New York City currently sit second in the Eastern conference, five points adrift from Chicago Fire in third. Manager, Patrick Vieira, will look to field his strongest side in the hopes that his side can get one over on their city rivals. The bookmakers fancy them to do so.

Skybet Match Result – New York City FC to Win – 5/2

Red Bulls are nowhere near safe in the play-off positions thus far and a defeat on Saturday could see them with their backs against the wall. Columbus Crew, Montreal Impact and Atlanta United are all breathing down their neck in the standings. In front of a home crowd, this is the definition of a big pressure match.

Skybet Correct Score Group Betting – New York Red Bulls to Win 3-0, 3-1 or 3-2 – 5/1

 

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