All articles by: Jools Jordan-Probert

Manchester United v Chelsea – Match Preview

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Manchester Utd vs Chelsea – Match Preview – Sunday 16th April 2017
FA Premier League, Old Trafford, Manchester

Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United search for a vital win against his former club in their chase for the Champions League against the seemingly Champions-elect Chelsea.

This season’s reverse fixture resulted in humiliation for Jose Mourinho; his first time back at Stamford Bridge since his acrimonious sacking saw his United team demolished 4-0 against Antonio Conte’s men.

It was arguably a season defining moment for Mourinho, as that was the last game they lost in the league – a massive 21 matches ago.

Kante's long range effort proved to be the difference the last time these two sides met in the FA Cup. Photo Credit: The Sun / News Group Newspaper

Kante’s long range effort proved to be the difference the last time these two sides met in the FA Cup. Photo Credit: The Sun / News Group Newspaper


The Blues also knocked United out of the FA Cup, a tense 1-0 victory in March saw Chelsea through to the semi-finals.

However, United are still in 5th position, four points away from Manchester City in 4th and their season has been a difficult one. Third in the table on away form; it is at the Theatre of Dreams where the problems have arisen. The Red Devils have amassed a staggering 15 draws this campaign, with astonishingly 12 of those draws coming at Old Trafford.

Scoring goals has also been an issue with Zlatan Ibrahimovic providing the only real goal threat and Mourinho brandishing the attack ‘sloppy’ after the 1-1 draw away to Anderlecht in the Europa League on Thursday.

It has been a completely different story for Chelsea, who since losing 3-0 at Arsenal have been completely dominant in the league.

The front 3 of Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and Pedro have been exceptional, clinically dispatching teams as soon as the opportunity arises and scoring 38 between them. Along with the brilliantly organised defence – Victor Moses and new signing David Luiz especially improved – Chelsea only have Spurs to compete with as they race over the finish line for the title.

Team News

Captain and record goal-scorer Wayne Rooney missed out against Anderlecht and looks set to miss this match too. Ashley Young is also struggling for match fitness.

Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Juan Mata are all still out with long-term injuries.

David De Gea is expected to return in goal for Manchester United today. Photo Credit: premierleague.com

David De Gea is expected to return in goal for Manchester United today. Photo Credit: premierleague.com


David De Gea has missed the last two matches with a small problem but is expected to come back into the starting line-up on Sunday.

Chelsea have a full squad to select from which has been a marker of their consistency this season.

Players to watch

Midfield danger-men. French team mates, Kante and Pogba will be men to watch for their respective teams today. Photo Credit: Daily Mail

Midfield danger-men. French team mates, Kante and Pogba will be men to watch for their respective teams today. Photo Credit: Daily Mail


Paul Pogba has had his fair share of critics this season, but there is no denying he is an incredible talent.

His return of 4 goals and 3 assists may not be ground-breaking but his all-around game has been excellent. Only Jordan Henderson has completed more passes than the Frenchman in the league and no one has completed more forward passes.

Also, the 50 key passes Pogba has created are more than players such as Phillipe Coutinho,  Sadio Mane,  and PFA Young Player of the Year shoe-in Dele Alli. Pogba has hit the woodwork a hugely frustrating 6 times – the second highest in the league. There is obviously a lot more to come from Pogba but if those efforts had rebounded of the frame and gone in it might be a different story in terms the perception of his performance.

Chelsea’s French central midfielder on the other hand, has been garnering all of the plaudits. N’Golo Kante has been an irrepressible force for The Blues, insatiably dislodging the opposition of the ball and effectively distributing it to create attacks. Kante has scored 2 goals in all competitions this campaign and they have both come against Manchester United.

Kante is a massive 1/8 odds-on favourite to win the PFA Player of the Year – illustrating his devastating influence again this season..

Suggested Tips:
  • Skybet Player to score a header – Gary Cahill to score a header – 25/1
  • Skybet Price boost – Eden Hazard to score and Chelsea to win in 90 mins – 9/2
  • Skybet Price boost – Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Diego Costa both to score in 90 mins – 13/2
  • Skybet Featured Request A Bet – Luiz, Herrera, Rojo & Ibrahimovic to be carded – 40/1
  • Skybet Featured Request A Bet – A penalty awarded and a player sent off – 11/1
  • Skybet @FootyAccums Specials: BTTS in the 2nd half, each team 4+ corners, and each team 20+ Booking pts – 12/1
  • Skybet Correct Score – 1-1 Draw – 9/2
  • Skybet Scorecast Boost – Jesse Lingard to score first and Manchester Utd to win 3-1 – 200/1
  • Skybet Scorecast Boost – Marcos Alonso to score first and either Chelsea to win 2-0 or 2-1 – 200/1
  • Skybet Scorecast Boost – Jesse Lingard to score first and Manchester Utd to win 3-1 – 100/1
  • Skybet Pundits Pick: Matt Le Tissier’s Tip – Zlatan Ibrahimovic to score first and draw 1-1 – 20/1
  • Skybet RequestABet Specials up to 66/1: Draw 0-0, under 12 corners and Costa & Valencia to be carded – 66/1
  • Skybet RequestABet Specials up to 80/1 or above: Kante to score, under 10 corners, Herrera, Costa & Luiz to be carded and 70+ Match Booking points – 500/1
  • Skybet RequestABet Specials up to 80/1 or above: Ibrahimovic and Costa both to score a header – 125/1
  • Skybet RequestABet Specials up to 80/1 or above: Draw 1-1, Pogba & Kante to be carded and under 60 match booking points – 125/1

Kick-off – Sunday 16th April, 4pm Old Trafford

Form (last 6) –  Manchester United 3W 3D  | Chelsea 5W 1L

Newcastle vs Leeds Utd – Match Preview

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Newcastle Utd vs Leeds Utd – Match Preview – Friday 14th April 2017
SkyBet Championship, St James’s Park, Newcastle

The Championship season is nearing to a close and it’s all still to play for. Promotion is not yet decided and 2nd plays 5th as two sides chasing just that in Newcastle United and Leeds United do battle at St James’ Park on Good Friday.

Rafa Benitez’s men have been leading the pack (along with Brighton) all campaign and are nearing the finishing line for automatic promotion back to the Premier League immediately after their relegation last year.

Leeds are aiming for the play-offs and their fantastic season sees them 5 points ahead of 7th placed Fulham with 5 games to go and the best goal difference in the play-off positions. They should see the job through but The Championship’s unpredictably means nothing is ever guaranteed. A win at St James’ would almost solidify Leeds’ lay-off spot.

Team News –
Jack Colback and Isaac Hayden are both injury doubts for Newcastle

Jack Colback and Isaac Hayden are both injury doubts for Newcastle. Photo Credit: Chronicle Live

Dwight Gayle’s omission is the biggest talking point – the Championship’s second highest scorer this season with 22 goals is set to miss out after sustaining a hamstring injury in the 2-1 loss to Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.

Jack Colback (virus) and Isaac Hayden (ankle) are both also doubts.

Goalkeeper Marco Silvestri’s knee surgery could potentially see him out for the rest of the season, seeing young Peacock-Farrell take his place on the bench. Tyler Denton (knee) is still ruled out and Liam Cooper will be serving the third of his 6-game ban.

The better news for Leeds fans is that they could see Liam Bridcutt and Hadi Sacko returning back to the side.

Players to Watch –
Danger Men: Chris Wood (Leeds) & Jonjo Shelvey (Newcastle). Photo Credit: Mirror Newspaper

Danger Men: Chris Wood (Leeds) & Jonjo Shelvey (photographed from his Swansea days now at Newcastle).         Photo Credit: Mirror Newspaper

Jonjo Shelvey has been key to most of Newcastle’s success this campaign, orchestrating moves and running the centre of midfield in most games. He has chipped in with 5 goals and 8 assists and is unquestionably capable of moments of pure magic; as shown by his wonderful free-kick against Brighton and his 25-yard strike against QPR both curled into the top corner, to name a couple.

There is no doubting who Leeds’ dangerman is. Chris Wood has been in stunning form this season for The Whites – no Championship player has scored more than the New Zealand vice-captain with a wonderful 24 goals so far. Alongside his 3 assists the 25-year old has directly contributed to a massive 49% of Leeds’ goals in the league this year. Wood was recently named in the Football League Team of the Season – highlighting his importance and value.

Summary –

Both teams have identical form over the last 5 (2W, 1D, 2L) and 10 matches (5W, 3D, 2L).
Leeds have only won once in their last 9 league meetings with Newcastle, losing 7 and drawing the other so will be fiercely looking to improve that statistic.

Two of England’s sleeping giants, a win for either could be a catalyst for promotion back to the Premier League in what both clubs hope will be the beginning of a much desired resurrection back to former glories.

Suggested Tips:
  • Skybet Price boost – Match Ritchie to score and Newcastle win in 90 mins – 10/3
  • Skybet Price boost – Kemar Roofe to score and Leeds to win in 90 mins – 16/1
  • Skybet Price boost – Chris Wood to score first – 7/1
  • Skybet Featured Request-A-Bet – Leeds to score 1+ Goals and 4+ Leeds Corners – 2/1
  • Skybet Featured Request-A-Bet – Ritchie to score, Newcastle to Win, over 2.5 goals and Shelvey to be carded  – 16/1
  • Skybet Scorecast boost – Ayoze to score first and Newcastle to win – 40/1
  • Skybet Scorecast boost – Alfonso Pedraza to score first and either Leeds to win 2-1 or Leeds to win 3-1 – 150/1
  • Skybet @FootyAccums Specials – BTTS in 2nd half, 4+ Corners each team and 20+ booking points each team – 20/1
  • Skybet @FootyAccums Specials – Ritchie and Wood to score and Shelvey, Jansson & Phillips to be carded – 200/1
  • Skybet RequestABet Specials – Newcastle 2-0 and Jansson, Lascelles & Berardi to be carded – 200/1

Anderlecht v Manchester United Match Preview

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Anderlecht v Manchester United Match Preview – Thursday 13th April 2017 
  Europa League – Quarter Final First Leg, Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, Belgium

Manchester United currently languish 4 points behind Manchester City outside of the Champions League places in the Premier League. Consequentially, their entire season could depend on emerging victorious from the Europa League and gaining automatic qualification into the Champions League by doing so.
33-time Belgium First Division A Champions Anderlecht are the obstacle at the quarter-final stage.

Anderlecht won the regular 30-game league season and are also top of the 6 team group in the title play-offs at present and are favourites to regain the crown they last won two seasons ago. The White and Purple’s have won 4 of their last 5 matches, keeping clean sheets in all but one of those games – signifying strong form.

Anderlecht celebrating their last League title in 2014 Photo Credit : Photonews

Jose Mourinho’s first season in charge of United has been a mixed bag, to say the least. Claiming both the Community Shield in his first competitive game and the EFL Cup 7 months later, one could argue is a success – but the extraordinarily high precedent set by United teams of yesteryear leaves the Portuguese boss seeing anything below a 4th place finish (and qualification into the Champions League) as a failure. A 21-match run of going undefeated is not counting for much when you still find yourself in 5th or 6th position.

That leaves the Europa League to conquer, where United (should) have had it rather easy on the most part and find themselves into the last 8 without coming up against anywhere near an elite team yet still have made the task at hand seem difficult.

United came 2nd to Fenerbahce in Group A, also containing Zorya and Feyenoord. They beat St Etienne (the winner of Anderlecht’s Group C) in the Last 32 comfortably before narrowly coming through 2-1 on aggregate against FC Rostov in the previous round – the team that put Anderlecht into the Europa League by beating them in the Champions League qualifiers.
Anderlecht came 2nd in Group C before a dramatic 3-3 away goals victory against Zenit in the last 32, and two resilient displays to beat Apoel Nicosia 1-0 home and away to set up a mouth-watering clash with global goliaths Manchester United.

History

Manchester United’s first ever European fixture was a trip to Brussels to take on Les Muaves et Blanc in 1956 which finished 2-0 to The Red Devils.
The same fixture that same season is still to this day United’s biggest ever victory, winning an incredible 10-0 in Belgium – a game which the legendary Sir Matt Busby described as ‘the finest exhibition of team-work I had ever seen’.
The six-game all-time record stands at four wins for United and two for Anderlecht.
The two most recent fixtures against the Belgians were in the Champions League in 2000 resulting in firstly a 5-1 win for United at Old Trafford courtesy of an Andy Cole hat-trick. The reverse fixture finished 2-1 to Anderlecht in Brussels.

Players to Watch

Zlatan Ibrahimovic often needs no introduction but his influence on this United team cannot be over overstated.
The Swedish talisman has scored 28 goals in all competitions this season, including 5 in the Europa League.
United have lacked a presence up front and a definitive goal-scoring outlet without him and the 35 year-old’s influence shows no signs of waning just yet.

Ibrahimovic and Tielemans are both key to each sides progression in the Europa League

The Belgian giants have one name on everyone’s lips – Youri Tielemans. The central midfielder has sparked a flurry of interest around some of Europe’s biggest clubs with his consistently creative performances. Still at the tender age of 19 he has already been capped twice by Belgium and given the vice-captaincy at Anderlecht; with 12 goals and 9 assists in just 27 appearances in the Jupiler Pro League this season his effectiveness shows a maturity beyond his years.

Team News

The main story regarding team news is that captain and all-time record goal-scorer Wayne Rooney has been dropped from the squad to travel to Belgium. Mourinho has stated the forward has an ankle injury he isn’t able to shake off. Rooney’s form has come under intense criticism again this season amidst rumours of his departure to Everton, China or MLS.
David De Gea was out with a ‘small problem’ for the 3-0 win at Sunderland on Sunday but should be fit to return, although Sergio Romero will probably keep his place as the team’s first choice Europa League goalkeeper.

Injury Concerns

Antonio Valencia, in fantastic form this season, looks set to return from injury alongside Ashley Young but both are likely to start on the bench.
Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Juan Mata are all still ruled out.

Anderlecht are mainly fit but top-scorer Lukasz Teodorczyk is a doubt with a shoulder problem. The Polish striker has scored 25 goals in all competitions this season and the Belgian outfit will hope he will be fit enough to make the bench.

Utd will be without Smalling, De Gea and Juan Mata for the trip to Anderlecht. Photo credit : www.dailypost.co.uk

 

Suggested Tips:
  • Skybet Price boost – Zlatan Ibrahimovic to score a header – 7/1
  • Skybet Price boost – Paul Pogba to score outside the area – 10/1
  • Skybet Price boost – Lukasz Teodorczyk to score first – 15/2
  • Skybet Price boost – Manchester United to win 5-1 – 100/1
  • Skybet Scorecast Boost – Ander Herrera to score first and Manchester Utd to win 3-1 – 200/1
  • Skybet Scorecast Boost – Anthony Martial to score first and either Manchester Utd to win 2-1 or Manchester Utd to win 3 – 40/1
  • Skybet Pundit’s Tips – Charlie Nicholas’ Tips – Zlatan Ibrahimovic to score first and Anderlecht to win 2-1 – 70/1
  • Skybet Featured Request-A-Bet – BTTS, 4+ Corners Each Team and 20+ booking points each team – 7/1
  • Skybet Scorecast boost 80/1 and above- Teodorczyk & Ibrahimovic to score, 4+ corners each team and Dendoncker & Rojo to be carded – 80/1
  • Skybet Request-A-Bet 80/1 and above – Mkhitaryan to score & Anderlecht Miss a Penalty – 125/1
  • Skybet Request-A-Bet 80/1 and above – Ibrahimovic & Mkhitaryan to score and Tielemans & Valencia to be carded – 80/1
  • Skybet Request-A-Bet 80/1 and above – Ibrahimovic to score, Manchester Utd 5-0 and Dendoncker & Bailly to be carded – 500/1
  • Skybet Request-A-Bet 80/1 and above – Tielemans to score from outside the penalty area and Pogba to score a header  – 350/1
  • Betalyst Correct Score Pick: Manchester United to Win 5-0 – 66/1
  • Skybet Both Players To Score – Lukasz Teodorczyk and Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 9/2
  • Skybet Both Players To Score – Youri Tielemans and Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 15/2