All articles by: Elliott Jackson

Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur – Match Preview

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Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur – Match Preview – The Premier League returns with a bang this weekend as Tottenham travel to Arsenal in the North London Derby.

Arsenal come into this match four points behind their rivals and 12 behind league leaders Manchester City. With Arsenal so far adrift from the top already, it looks as if they’ll have yet another tough season of battling for a place in the Champions League. Under Arsene Wenger, there is no doubt that the club has gone stale, with new blood needed to reinvigorate this underachieving club. With the club being run as a business, as long as they’re making money, majority shareholder Stan Kroenke is reluctant to bring in a new lease of life at the helm.

Lacazette should start after scoring twice in midweek for France Photo Credit: skysports.com

Arsenal forward, Alexandre Lacazette, grabbed himself a brace in midweek as France drew 2-2 with World Champions Germany. The forward scored two goals in his last three games before the international break and this double will have only helped improve his confidence. With Wenger heavily criticised for leaving the former Lyon striker on the bench in their 3-1 defeat to Manchester City, I fully expect him to lead the line on Saturday.

Tottenham are expecting to welcome back Dele Alli and Harry Kane back from injury ahead of their trip across the capital. Both players missed England’s friendlies against Germany and Brazil but are both expected to be fit for this game. Kane has scored six goals in six Premier League appearances against Arsenal including netting in the last five consecutive meetings. With the Englishman in such fine form again this season, few would bet against him adding to that total.

Kane has a fantastic record against Arsenal, scoring in his last 5 games against them Photo Credit: skysports.com

Mauricio Pochettino is yet to taste defeat against Arsenal in six league meetings with the club. The last three matches at the Emirates have all finished 1-1 and this unbeaten run makes him the only full-time Spurs manager to have managed more than one North London derby in the Premier League and remain unbeaten. The Argentinian has a 33% win percentage against Arsenal, with only Harry Redknapp (37%) above him.

Arsenal haven’t won in the league against Tottenham since 2014. That stat underlines how good a job Pochettino has done in transforming this Spurs side, with both clubs seemingly heading in opposite directions. Those last six matches have yielded 15 goals, averaging at exactly 2.5 a game. Whilst Spurs have been solid at remaining unbeaten, they still haven’t won at the Emirates since 2010. With the last three Emirates meetings finishing 1-1, I could see a similar outcome again. Given the attacking power both sides have, I think BTTS would be my safest bet.

 

Prediction: Arsenal 1-1 Spurs

 

SKYBET: CORRECT SCORE DRAW 1-1- 11/2

SKYBET: LACAZETTE AND KANE TO BOTH SCORE- 7/2

SKYBET: SANCHEZ TO SCORE FIRST AND ARSENAL TO WIN 2-1- 33/1

SKYBET: ERIKSEN TO SCORE OUTSIDE THE BOX- 13/2

SKYBET: BTTS AND SPURS TO WIN- 100/30

SKYBET RAB: 7+ TOTTENHAM CORNERS AND 40+ ARSENAL BOOKING POINTS- 11/1

SKYBET: XHAKA AND AURIER TO BOTH BE CARDED- 9/2

SKYBET: ARSENAL TO SCORE 2+ GOALS, 5+ ARSENAL CORNERS AND 20+ TOTTENHAM BKING PTS – 5/2

SKYBET: BTTS, 4+ CORNERS EACH TEAM AND 20+ BKING PTS EACH TEAM – 7/2

SKYBET: TO SCORE 2+ GOALS – ARSENAL – 10/11

England vs Brazil – Friendly – Match Preview

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England vs Brazil – Friendly – Match Preview – England will be hoping for another positive result when they host Brazil at Wembley. Gareth Southgate’s much-changed team will be looking to grab a win following their 0-0 draw with Germany on Friday.

After an encouraging display last time out, England will look to push on with another good display. Southgate’s young lions put in a dogged display against the World Champions, with a number of players putting in good performances. Ruben Loftus-Cheek was awarded man of the match and the Chelsea loanee will have put himself at the forefront of Southgate’s mind ahead of next year’s World Cup. Alongside Loftus-Cheek, Jordan Pickford stood out, twice preventing Timo Werner from opening the scoring in impressive fashion.

Loftus-Cheek impressed against Germany in the last friendly Photo Credit: skysports.com

Joe Gomez and Tammy Abraham also both made their full debuts, with Abraham coming closest to scoring for the home side. Whilst both didn’t really do a lot wrong, I think it’ll be tough for them to force a way into the 23-man squad when everyone’s fit. Southgate started the game with a back three, a formation that the Englishman has favoured in recent games.

If England are going to be successful this summer and beyond, I think it’s a system they need to stick with. With a full complement of players, the system suits the players available best. It allows Dele Alli to get closer to Harry Kane from a central area and allows the likes of Adam Lallana, Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling the space to create chances.

Brazil’s front three will be a handful for the England defence Photo Credit: skyports.com

Brazil come into this match off the back of a 3-1 win against Japan. Gabriel Jesus continued his fine run of form with the third and final goal, his 12th strike of the season. With an array of attacking talent including Phillipe Coutinho, Willian and the world’s most expensive player, Neymar, it’ll be a stern test for England’s rear-guard.

England have a good record in recent years against Brazil, losing just one of their last four games. That defeat came back on November 14th in 2009, meaning Tuesday’s match will be exactly eight years on. The last four meetings between the two sides have yielded ten goals, averaging at exactly 2.5 a game. With that in mind, I think that there will be goals in this game.

 

Prediction: England 1-2 Brazil

 

SKYBET: BRAZIL TO WIN 2-1- 15/2

SKYBET: BTTS AND OVER 2.5 GOALS- 6/5

SKYBET: JESUS TO SCORE FIRST AND DRAW 2-2- 45/1

SKYBET: RASHFORD AND NEYMAR TO BOTH SCORE- 11/2

SKYBET: COUTINHO TO SCORE AND BRAZIL TO WIN- 100/30

SKYBET: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE IN BOTH HALVES- 14/1

SKYBET: GOALS IN BOTH HALVES- 8/11

England vs Germany – Friendly – Match Preview

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England vs Germany – Friendly – Match Preview – England face Germany at Wembley tomorrow night, with fans excited to see Gareth Southgate’s experimental three lions side in action.

Southgate’s squad has been decimated by injuries, with a number of high-profile players withdrawing from the squad. Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Raheem Sterling are just a few key players who will be unavailable for the match, which offers the opportunity for several uncapped players to seize their chance.

Loftus-Cheek is set to start against Germany Photo Credit: skysports.com

Southgate yesterday called up Burnley midfielder Jack Cork, with a number of midfielders out injured. Cork has had a fine season for Sean Dyche’s side and has been a revelation since joining for £10million in the summer from Swansea City. It has also been confirmed that uncapped Crystal Palace loanee, Ruben Loftus-Cheek will make his debut tomorrow, whilst Tammy Abraham and Joe Gomez will be hoping to do the same. With Kane out injured, Southgate is yet to reveal who will captain the side. Joe Hart and Gary Cahill are amongst the main contenders, should either be chosen to start.

With the World Cup looming, the opportunity for fringe players to make their mark is huge. Southgate has been very strong in his selections, refusing to pick higher-profiled players if they’re not playing regularly for their club. Jack Wilshere, Chris Smalling and Danny Drinkwater have all been a victim of this. This refreshing approach could well lead to a more unified England set-up and whilst nobody is expecting much in Russia, it could be a catalyst for future success.

Marcel Halstenberg is set to start for Germany Photo Credit: rblive.de

Germany have named Marcel Halstenberg in their squad, with the Leipzig defender looking to earn his first cap for his country. Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan and Borussia Dortmund playmaker Mario Gotze have also both been re-called to the set-up following injuries. With big names like Toni Kroos, Mesut Ozil and Mats Hummels all available, it could be a tough night for this young England side.

England have only won one of their last four meetings with Germany, which came back in 2016. The last meeting ended in a 1-0 defeat for them, with a new-look team going down to a Lukas Podolski wonder strike. England’s more recent performances against ‘the old enemy’ can give them confidence, with the last three games all finishing with just one goal between the teams.

With England so heavily depleted, I can only see one winner on Friday night. Even if Germany rest some of their star players, I think they’ll have too much for Southgate’s men.

 

Prediction: England 0-2 Germany

 

SKYBET: CORRCET SCORE GERMANY 2-0- 9/1

SKYBET: VARDY AND SANE TO BOTH SCORE- 10/1

SKYBET: RASHFORD TO SCORE FIRST- 9/1

SKYBET: RUBEN LOFTUS CHEEK TO SCORE ANYTIME- 7/2

SKYBET: BTTS AND DRAW- 100/30

SKYBET: TIMO WERNER TO SCORE FIRST AND ENGLAND TO WIN 2-1- 80/1

SKYBET RAB: BTTS, 4+CORNERS EACH TEAM AND 20+BOOKING POINTS EACH TEAM- 25/1