by ·Comments Off on FA Cup – Liverpool vs Everton – Match Preview

FA Cup – Liverpool vs Everton – Match Preview – Liverpool host Everton in the Merseyside derby with both sides looking to secure a place in the fourth-round of the FA Cup.

After beating Burnley 2-1 on New Year’s Day, Liverpool moved six points clear of fifth-placed Arsenal. With four wins from five, Liverpool have closed the gap on the teams above them as the race for a Champions League spot heats up. The Reds are unbeaten since October, which has seen a run of 16 games without a loss in all competitions.

Three consecutive wins over the festive period will have only boosted Liverpool’s confidence of securing a top-four finish. Jurgen Klopp has rotated his squad, but the results have not altered. Phillipe Coutinho has shown his true class over the recent months, whilst Mohamad Salah has continued in his rich vein of goal scoring form. Adam Lallana’s return to first-team action is also a major boost, with the Englishman managing 86 minutes on his first start of the season against Burnley.

Lallana could feature for Liverpool against Everton this Friday Photo Credit: skysports.com

Against Arsenal, the Reds did, however, show signs of their soft underbelly which has plagued them under Klopp’s reign. At 2-0 up, they lost complete control of the game and found themselves 3-2 behind just seven minutes later. It’s that sort of mentality and poor game management which is why they will never win a league title. Whilst the club have looked to address their defensive woes with the signing of Virgil van Dijk, they still need a new goalkeeper. With the wide array of attacking talent they possess, shoring up the backline with world-class quality players must be the priority in the summer.

Everton kicked off 2018 with a defeat as they lost 2-0 to Manchester United. After a fantastic start to life at Goodison Park, Sam Allardyce’s team are without a win in four games and have lost their last two games. With Liverpool and Tottenham next up, it’s vital they return to winning ways as soon as possible. Allardyce has had success already at Anfield this season, after masterminding his sides 1-1 draw last month. In a game Liverpool really should have won, Everton managed to frustrate the home side before snatching a point late on.

Can Everton get back to winning ways against rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup Photo Credit: skysports.com

With the Merseyside derby renowned for robust tackles and red cards, it’s worth looking at booking points for this fixture. Bobby Madley has been appointed as the referee for this fixture and he has the fourth highest average for red cards this season. Madley has also averaged 3.4 yellow cards in the ten games has managed this season. Given the occasion as well, I feel as though 20+ booking points each team would be a safe bet.

With regards to the actual match, I think Allardyce will come with a similar game plan to try and frustrate Liverpool. Unlike last month, however, I think the Reds will come out on top in a fierce and cagey affair.

 

Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Everton

SUGGESTED TIPS:

SKYBET: LIVERPOOL TO WIN 2-1- 7/1

SKYBET: ADAM LALLANA TO SCORE & LIVERPOOL WIN – 5/2

SKYBET: BOTH PLAYERS TO SCORE – WAYNE ROONEY & DOMINIC SOLANKE – 7/1

SKYBET: @FOOTYACCUMS RAB – MANE TO SCORE, OVER 2.5 GOALS, 6+ LIVERPOOL CORNERS & 30 EVERTON BOOKING POINTS – 8/1

SKYBET: REQUEST-A-BET 80/1 & ABOVE: SIGURDSSON TO SCORE, DRAW 1-1, 3+ CORNERS EACH TEAM & GUEYE TO BE CARDED – 80/1

SKYBET: SIGURDSSON TO SCORE OUTSIDE THE AREA – 16/1

SKYBET: BTTS AND DRAW – 9/2

SKYBET: PRICE BOOST – ALEX OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN & DOMINIC CALVERT-LEWIN BOTH TO SCORE IN 90 MINS – 18/1

SKYBET: EVERTON TO WIN AND UNDER 2.5 GOALS – 12/1

 

 

by ·Comments Off on Tottenham vs West Ham – Match Preview
Tottenham vs West Ham - Match Preview

Tottenham vs West Ham – Match Preview – The congested period of the Premier League season continues and has treated us to a tasty London derby. Tottenham host West Ham as both sides are hoping to improve their respective positions in the Premier League table.

The hosts will be hoping to close the gap on the top four to try and secure European Football for another year. West Ham will be hoping to climb away from the relegation zone. It’s all very tight down the bottom of the table.

Alli and Llorente secured the three points for Spurs against Swansea Photo Credit: skysports.com

Tottenham beat Swansea City in their last outing just two days before this fixture. An early goal from former Swansea man, Fernando Llorente, gave Spurs the lead before Dele Alli finished the job late on. Despite the victory, the performance wasn’t the most convincing from Mauricio Pochettino’s men, who had a very noticeable absentee in Harry Kane; who came off the bench in the second half. Kane has broken many records in the past 12 months and is the key figure in this Spurs side. He often enjoys playing West Ham, can his side close the gap on the top four?

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

Andy Carroll bagged a brace against West Brom after going down a goal Photo Credit: skysports.com

West Ham are fresh from a dramatic victory over West Brom just two days ago as well. After going 1-0 down, a brace from Andy Carroll in a late, dramatic fashion gave David Moyes men something big to celebrate. They have now climbed out of the relegation zone, and given themselves some breathing space for this tough fixture. The Hammers were victorious when these two sides met earlier in the season in the Carabao Cup. That should give the side some confidence heading into the fixture, something the squad have been low on all year. Will be tough, but not impossible.

Skybet Match Result – West Ham to Win – 9/1

Despite their strong position in the table, Spurs have only scored two or more goals in 40% of their home Premier League fixtures. West Ham have scored two or more in 36% of their away matches.

Tottenham have been awarded a staggering average of 8.8 corners per home match this season in the Premier League. West Ham have been awarded an average of 3.7 on the road.

Mike Dean will take charge of this fixture. The referee has awarded an average of 39.6 booking points in his 13 Premier League fixtures.

 

Suggested Tips

  • Skybet Featured RequestAbet – Kane to score 2+ goals, 9+ Tottenham corners and Zabaleta to be carded – 16/1
  • Skybet RequestAbet 11/1 to 28/1 – Kane to score, BTTS, Reid to be carded and 40+ West Ham booking points – 20/1
  • Bet365 – Alternative Total Goals – Over 3.5 – (link no longer available)
  • Bet365 – Correct Score – Tottenham 3-2 – (link no longer available)
  • Bet365 – Anytime Goalscorer – Winston Reid – (link no longer available)
  • Bet365 – Total Goals/Both Teams to Score – Over 2.5 & Yes – (link no longer available)

by ·Comments Off on Arsenal vs Chelsea – Match Preview
Arsenal vs Chelsea - Match Preview

Arsenal vs Chelsea – Match Preview – An iconic Premier League fixture, London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea meet for the first of their three clashes in January with both sides harbouring ambitions of securing Champions League football.

Wednesday’s game comes a week before the first of two EFL Cup semi-finals, the 1st leg being played at Stamford Bridge.

Whilst there have been strong showings in the cups this year (with both sides progressing into the knockout stages of their respective competitions comfortably), the Premier League title seems like a foregone conclusion due to Manchester City’s domination, so the chasing pack must hunt to finish as close to the top as possible, in the aims of obtaining a top four finish.

Sanchez has been in great form in the past few matches for the Gunners Photo Credit: skysports.com

After drawing 1-1 with West Brom on Sunday (in controversial circumstances) and following Liverpool’s dramatic late victory over Burnley, Arsenal, in 5th, find themselves six points off The Reds in the Champions League places.

North-London rivals Tottenham Hotspur are just a point behind (at the time of writing) too, with a game in hand on The Gunners and they play bottom club Swansea City on Tuesday night. Arsene Wenger’s side are unbeaten in eight matches in all competitions but have drawn four of their last seven Premier League games so picking up three points is vital here to maintain the pressure.

Doing so will be difficult against the in-form Champions, Chelsea have won 13 of their last 18 matches in all competitions including two convincing victories over the festive week against Brighton and Stoke. Manchester United’s simultaneous draws briefly saw The Blues move into 2nd place but after United’s 2-0 win at Everton on Monday night only victory here can see Antonio Conte’s side reclaim that spot.

Hazard and Morata can give Chelsea a big win in the London Derby Photo Credit: skysports.com

Clashes between these two English giants are always intense, as there is a feeling Antonio Conte wants to exact revenge for The Gunners winning the 2017 FA Cup Final and denying him a League and Cup double in his maiden season in England.

Controversy is never far from these matches and the reverse fixture this season brought a heated 0-0 draw that saw David Luiz given a straight red card for a rash challenge on Sead Kolasinac.

Surely, we will see goals this time around but drama and excitement is all but guaranteed when two of the country’s best do battle, normally to prove who the top dog in the capital really is.

Stats

Arsenal have conceded six goals in their last three games and the underlying sentiment that they are vulnerable if a team truly gets at them never seems to fade away. Saying that, only four teams can say they have kept more clean sheets than the Gunners’ nine this season.
Chelsea are one of those teams, in fact no side in the Premier League has had more shutouts than Chelsea’s 11 this term.
Whilst both will be keen to keep it tight defensively for the fear of losing, the attacking quality on the pitch should provide ample scoring opportunities for the likes of Morata or Lacazette to thrive upon and find the net.

Whilst Chelsea have been awarded a league-low total of 22 yellow cards this year, only Watford can boast (or not) a worse disciplinary record in terms of red cards, as three Blues players have been given their marching orders – one in the reverse fixture for David Luiz as mentioned above. This gives Chelsea 14 average booking points per game.
Arsenal, despite not receiving a single red card this year, fare slightly worse, with 31 yellow cards giving them 14.8 average booking points per match.
Taking into account the context of this match and the way emotions usually get flared, expect there to be a considerable amount of work for the referee to do and a lot of cards being brandished as a result of that.

 

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  • Skybet RequestAbet Up to 10/1 – BTTS, 4+ corners each team and 20+ booking points each team – 9/2
  • Skybet RequestAbet 11/1 to 28/1 –  Hazard to score, Chelsea to win and Morata & Mustafi to be carded – 25/1
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  • Skybet Player Carded Accumulator – Jack Wilshere and Antonio Rudiger both to be carded – 17/2
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  • Bet365 – Half Time/Full Time – Chelsea/Draw – (link no longer available)
  • Bet365 – Correct Score – Draw 2-2 – (link no longer available)

by ·Comments Off on Swansea City vs Tottenham Hotspur – Match Preview
Swansea City vs Tottenham Hotspur - Match Preview

Swansea City vs Tottenham Hotspur – Match Preview – New Swansea boss Carlos Carvalhal will be looking for his first home win in charge as they host Tottenham at the Liberty Stadium.

Carvalhal was appointed Swansea boss on Thursday after parting company with Sheffield Wednesday on Christmas Eve. In two and a half years at the club, the Portuguese steered the club to back to back top-six finishes. Now in charge of the Swans, he will be looking to galvanise his group as they look to try and secure another season in the top flight of English football.

Can Carvalhal get Swansea out of their current rut? Photo Credit: skysports.com

After their 5-0 defeat against Liverpool, the club sit five points adrift of safety. With only 11 goals in the league this season, Carvalhal will have to find a way to get them firing. The league’s lowest scorers have only managed three goals in their last ten games. January presents itself as a fantastic opportunity to bolster his squad, with a striker the main priority. Finding someone who can supply the chances will also be high on the agenda, with the club yet to replace Glyfi Sigurdsson who joined Everton in the summer.

Spurs’ find themselves one point behind the top four as they look to secure another season in the Champions League. With one of the most prolific strikers in the world, keeping Harry Kane fit will be key in their bid for a top-four spot. After beating Alan Shearer’s Premier League record for most goals in a calendar year, Kane will be looking for his third consecutive hat-trick. Six goals in his last two games have put him clear in the race for his third consecutive golden boot, with Mohamad Salah now three goals behind the Englishman.

Kane has impressed once again this season and is on route to a third consecutive Golden Boot Photo Credit: skysports.com

Dele Alli’s first goal in 11 games will have put a smile back on Spurs’ fans faces. The Englishman has only managed eight goals this season but with this goal, it should help him kick on ahead of England’s World Cup campaign this summer. With only one defeat in their last seven games, Spurs’ are picking up form at the most important time of the season.

Swansea are yet to beat Tottenham since their return to the Premier League in 2011. They have only picked up three points from 13 games, losing ten. They did, however, draw their last meeting at Wembley 0-0. Having racked up 21 goals in their last six games against Swansea, Spurs have a great record against them. This will be a tough game for Carvalhal and I think Tottenham will manage to secure another win.

 

Prediction: Swansea City 0-2 Tottenham

 

SKYBET: KANE TO SCORE A BRACE- 5/2

SKYBET: ERIKSEN TO SCORE FROM OUTSIDE THE AREA- 15/2

SKYBET: ALLI TO SCORE FIRST AND SPURS TO WIN 3-1- 40/1

SKYBET: ERIKSEN TO SCORE AND SPURS TO WIN- 3/1

SKYBET: TOTTENHAM TO BE WINNING AT HT- 8/11

BET365: TOTTENHAM TO WIN 2-0- (link no longer available)

BET365: SPURS TO WIN TO NIL- (link no longer available) 

BET365: ANYTIME GOALSCORER- JORDAN AYEW – (link no longer available)

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BET365 – CORRECT SCORE- TOTTENHAM TO WIN 2-0 – (link no longer available)

 

by ·Comments Off on Everton vs Manchester United – Match Preview

Everton vs Manchester United – Match Preview – Everton host Manchester United on New Year’s Day in Premier League action as both sides’ strikers return to their former clubs.

The hosts will be looking to continue their rampant climb up the Premier League standings with Sam Allardyce’s influence at the Toffee’s being an effective and efficient one.

Manchester United will be hoping to close the gap on league leaders Manchester City who are running away with the campaign. They will also have to look over their shoulder, as recent matches have seen them drop points that have allowed Chelsea to breathe down their neck once more.

Can Rooney cause his old club problems when the two meet on New Years Day Photo Credit: skysports.com

Everton have really turned their season around and will be hoping for a ‘new year, new me’ start to 2018 after a 2017 that many Evertonians will want to forget. Players such as Wayne Rooney and Gylfi Sigurdsson have begun to show their true talents under Allardyce’s reign. This will be the second time Rooney has faced his old club this season and the Englishman would love to remind the travelling fans that he’s still got what it takes. Everton have become much more comfortable sitting back and staying as a compact unit against the top sides, and United have struggled to break sides down before with those tactics. Can Big Sam frustrate Mourinho once more?

Skybet Match Result – Everton to Win – 17/4

Manchester United will need a miracle for Manchester City to become within reaching distance again this season. Their local city rivals can afford to lose all their matches until February and still lead in the standings.

Lingard has scored crucial goals for Utd this season Photo Credit: skysports.com

On the home straight of the congested Christmas period, Mourinho will be hoping to illustrate stability for the fans who are annoyed that City have widened the gap beyond return. Romelu Lukaku has been a frustrating figure at times this season spearheading the United attack but has also got the job done with 10 goals and 4 assists so far. Jesse Lingard, a player who often divides opinion, has become a revelation this season under Mourinho’s reign. These two could cause real problems for the Everton defence.

Skybet Correct Score Group Betting – Manchester Utd to win 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 – 6/4

Everton have often been much better in front of a home crowd this season. They have scored two or more goals in 60% of their home Premier League matches this season.

Manchester United have been awarded an average of 5.2 corners on the road in the Premier League this season.

Andre Marriner will take charge of the fixture down at Goodison Park. The referee has awarded an average of 29.2 booking points in his 13 Premier League fixtures.

 

Suggested Tips

  • Bet365 – Correct Score – 2-2 – (link no longer available)
  • Bet365 – Total Goals/Both Teams to Score – Over 2.5 & Yes – (link no longer available)
  • Bet365 – Match Result – Draw – (link no longer available)

by ·Comments Off on West Bromwich Albion vs Arsenal – Match Preview
West Bromwich Albion vs Arsenal - Match Preview

West Bromwich Albion vs Arsenal – Match Preview – West Brom host Arsenal at the Hawthorns, still searching for their first win under new manager Alan Pardew.

After six games at the helm, Pardew has collected just three points as the Baggies search for their first win in 20 league games. Their last win came back in August away at Burnley, meaning they haven’t won in front of their own fans since the opening day of the season. With West Brom sat in 19th place, it’s vital they use January to improve their squad. Goals have been the problem, with only 14 league goals this season, the second lowest in the league. Defensively they are sound, with only Brighton conceding less goals in the bottom 12. Salomon Rondon and Jay Rodriguez have struggled for goals and if the Baggies don’t improve their stuttering strike force, they could go down with one of the best defensive records in Premier League history.

Alan Pardew hasnt had the start at WBA he would have liked and needs to turn things around quickly Photo Credit: skysports.com

After their enthralling 3-3 draw with Liverpool, Arsenal got back to winning ways with a 3-2 win against Crystal Palace. That result means the Gunners are unbeaten in their least seven games in all competitions. Arsene Wenger’s side now sit in sixth place, but only one point behind Liverpool who occupy fourth. With the race for Champions League qualification firmly on, speculation over the futures of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil is not ideal.

With the January transfer window just around the corner, questions over their futures have arose again. With both players now free to speak to other clubs outside England, Arsenal will be left wondering whether they need to cash in on their prized pair. With January a notoriously difficult window to do business, replacing two players of their quality could be a thankless task.

Lacazette hasnt scored in his last 5 Premier League games Photo Credit: skysports.com

Arsenal have only lost two of their last 15 games against West Brom. Those last two defeats did come at the Hawthorns, meaning they haven’t won in the Black Country since 2014. That recent record could be important when Pardew looks to try and inspire his players on Sunday. With the Baggies only scoring more than two goals on three occasions this season, the onus will be on Arsenal to grab the goals. However, the Gunners have only scored more than two goals away from home twice this campaign, meaning under 2.5 goals could be a good bet.

I think that an away win is on the cards here. With their current squad, West Brom look incapable of scoring goals. January will be crucial for them in their bid for Premier League survival.

 

Prediction: WBA 0-2 Arsenal

 

SKYBET: SANCHEZ TO SCORE AND ARSENAL TO WIN- 15/8

SKYBET: RODRIGUEZ AND LACAZETTE TO SCORE- 13/2

SKYBET: ARSENAL TO BE AWARDED A PENALTY- 7/2

BET365: ARSENAL TO WIN 2-0- (link no longer available)

BET365: ARSENAL TO WIN TO NIL- (link no longer available)

BET365: ANYTIME GOALSCORER- MESUT OZIL – (link no longer available)

BET365: MATCH RESULT- DRAW – (link no longer available)

by ·Comments Off on Crystal Palace vs Man City – Match Preview
Crystal Palace vs Man City - Match Preview

Crystal Palace vs Man City – Match Preview – Manchester City head to Selhurst Park looking for their 19th straight Premier League victory as they face Crystal Palace.

Raheem Sterling’s goal secured City’s 1-0 win against Newcastle last time out, moving them 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League. With nobody capable of stopping Pep Guardiola’s side, the real test for them is how they manage their squad in the quest for the domestic treble. Add in a last 16 Champions League tie and it’s impossible for City fans to not be confident going into the new year. In their win on Wednesday, it meant only Guardiola’s Bayern Munich, with 19 wins in 2013-14, have a longer winning streak in the league than them in Europe’s five biggest leagues, ever. This means three points on Sunday would equal that triumph on New Year’s Eve.

Sterling scored the only goal against Newcastle to continue City’s fantastic run Photo Credit: skysports.com

The Champions elect have sealed their third Premier League crown in style and in only half the season. Whilst I still remain pessimistic that we will ever see a side replicate Arsenal’s invincibles, yet with each passing game, they seem more and more capable of matching that feat. Managing his squad will be Guardiola’s biggest test, knowing that a European crown could be the icing on top of City’s most successful season ever.

City can now turn their attention to the January transfer window, with Guardiola conceding his side could do with defensive reinforcements. Virgil van Dijk, a reported target, has now completed his move to Liverpool, leaving many wondering where City will turn.

Palace will be desperate to continue their recent resurgence, a run of form that has seen themselves move out of the bottom three. Despite a run of one defeat in nine, Palace found themselves on the wrong end of a 3-2 reverse last time out against Arsenal. Before that, seven points against teams in and around them means they sit in 16th place, one point above the drop zone.

Zaha has been excellent for Palace and can provide the right delivery to Benteke Photo Credit: skysports.com

Wilfried Zaha’s performances have been a catalyst to their recent success, with the former Manchester United winger providing a timely reminder as to why the Red Devils paid 15 million pounds for him not so long ago. With Zaha performing as he is, there’s no reason why a host of Premier League clubs won’t be knocking for his services, especially if he goes on to keep the Eagles up.

In Zaha, Palace have a match winner. Somebody whose pace and trickery will cause anyone problems. A true test of his credentials will be how he can influence this game when the Premier League’s tightest defence come to town. Whilst Roy Hodgson has turned Selhurst Park into a fortress of late, it’s so hard to bet against Manchester City. Again, I think Guardiola’s side will get the job done, but it will be close.

 

Prediction: Crystal Palace 1-2 Manchester City

 

BET: CORRECT SCORE CITY TO WIN 2-1

SKYBET: BTTS AND CITY TO WIN- 11/8

SKYBET: AGUERO AND ZAHA TO BOTH SCORE- 6/1

SKYBET: DE BRUYNE TO SCORE FIRST AND CITY TO WIN 3-2- 100/1

SKYBET: BENTEKE TO SCORE AND PALACE TO DRAW- 14/1

SKYBET: JESUS TO SCORE AND CITY TO WIN- 11/10

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

BET365: TOTAL GOALS/BTTS – OVER 2.5 AND YES- (link no longer available)

BET365: FULL TIME RESULT- DRAW – (link no longer available)

 

by ·Comments Off on Man Utd vs Southampton – Match Preview
Man Utd vs Southampton - Match Preview

Man Utd vs Southampton – Match Preview – Manchester United will be hoping to get back to winning ways after consecutive draws when they face Southampton.

The Red Devils have picked up just two points from their last two. After conceding a stoppage-time equaliser against Leicester City on Saturday, Jose Mourinho needed a late leveller of their own to earn a point against Burnley. Jesse Lingard grabbed both United’s goals against Burnley, meaning the English winger has six goals in his last seven appearances.

Lingard saved Utd a shock loss to Burnley with an injury time goal to level the game Photo Credit: skysports.com

With four more points dropped, the title race is well and truly over. Mourinho’s side now need to turn their attention to cementing second spot and not become embroiled in a battle for the top four. Manchester City could be 15 points clear before United play again, so it is vital they re-set their sights on winning a trophy. With the FA Cup and Champions League still up for grabs, winning one or both of those would still be a successful season for United, despite City’s dominance in the league.

Southampton will be looking to react from their 5-2 mauling by Tottenham. Harry Kane’s hattrick ensured it would be another torrid afternoon for Mauricio Pellegrino’s side. With no win in their last six, the pressure is building on the Argentine to get a result. The Saints sit just two points clear of the relegation places with fans becoming nervy about the prospect of a relegation zone battle. After appointing Pellegrino in the summer, it’s important the Southampton board back their man in January to give him the best chance of success.

van Djik look set to leave the Saints this January Photo Credit: skysports.com

The Saints seem to have accepted that Virgil van Dijk is leaving. The Dutch defender was left on the bench in their defeat at Chelsea, before being left out the 18 against Spurs. This appears to have signalled the end of his time on the South Coast, with Manchester City reportedly interested. Now regarded as one of the Premier League’s finest centre-backs, van Dijk could command a fee of 50 million+ which would give Southampton plenty to work with in the upcoming transfer window.

With both sides scoring twice in their last game, you’d be forgiven for thinking this had goals written all over it. In actual fact, Boxing Day was the first time Southampton had scored more than two goals in a game away from home. United have managed over two home goals in six of their ten games, which further backs this up.

With Mourinho under pressure to get back to winning ways, I think he’ll go for the kill against Southampton. With the Saints’ form in mind, I think they’ll get the win as they try to close the gap on their City rivals.

 

Prediction: Manchester United 2-0 Southampton

 

SKYBET: LUKAKU TO SCORE FIRST AND UNITED TO WIN 3-1- 25/1

SKYBET: BTTS AND UNITED TO WIN- 21/10

SKYBET: UNITED TO WIN FROM BEHIND- 9/1

SKYBET: MARTIAL AND LINGARD TO BOTH SCORE- 11/2

SKYBET: UNITED TO WIN BY EXACTLY TWO GOALS- 3/1

BET365: CORRECT SCORE – MAN UTD 2-0- (link no longer available)

BET365: ANYTIME GOALSCORER- JESSE LINGARD – (link no longer available)

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

by ·Comments Off on Crystal Palace vs Arsenal – Match Preview

Crystal Palace vs Arsenal – Match Preview – The football festivities continue with a London Derby as Crystal Palace look to extend their unbeaten run against Champions League hopefuls Arsenal.

Both sides will appreciate the two extra days rest in this ever-busy Christmas period and should be fully refreshed for this intriguing clash.

Crystal Palace have taken significant strides in turning around their season since hiring Roy Hodgson, the side look world’s apart in terms of organisation and style of play compared to the disarray under Frank de Boer and just after.

The Eagles are now unbeaten in their last eight matches in the league and have lifted themselves out of the relegation zone and into 16th on 18 points at the time of writing. There is a two-point gap now between themselves and Bournemouth in 18th and while the 1-1 draw at bottom club Swansea was not ideal last time out, it keeps Hodgson’s side ticking over.

Zaha has been sensational since returning to the Palace squad and will be a real threat on the wing against Arsenal Photo Credit: skysports.com

With Christian Benteke finding the net again (after an elongated and uncharacteristic drought) and Wilfried Zaha in the form of his life, Palace can pose danger to any side in the league.

Arsenal, on the other hand, are embroiled in what promises to be an almighty battle for the top four. There is currently just one point in it between The Gunners in 6th (with 35) and Liverpool in 4th (with 36) as North-London rivals Tottenham Hotspur separate the two teams.

Ozil has begun to perform this season in the Red of Arsenal Photo Credit: skysports.com

Wenger will be desperate to rectify the nightmares given to him in this fixture last season – losing 3-0 and taking what proved to be one of the fatal blows to Champions League qualification. A similar result this time around perhaps might not be as conclusive, but will cause huge damage to Arsenal’s ambitions to be in Europe’s elite competition.

Stats

Despite Palace’s danger, the favourite to keep a clean sheet in this one will be Arsenal. Only Manchester United (10) have kept more than Arsenal’s nine clean sheets this season.
By contrast, The Eagles have kept just the three – only Stoke (2) have kept less in the entire division.

If this goes to form, expect there to be a barrage of corners in this one. Arsenal and Palace come in 3rd and 7th respectively in our corner club stats table. Arsenal tend to always be on the front foot and dominate higher up the pitch, but Palace’s direct fast football earns them a load of corners too. Roy Hodgson teams always have a focus on set-pieces, and with Palace’s stature – i.e. Benteke, Dann, Sakho etc it would be foolish not to.

 The money with this one should be looking at Crystal Palace, they have been awarded the joint-second-highest number of yellow cards this season (38, only West Ham have more with 41) and come third in our club card stats table for average cards awarded per game with 2 – earning an average of 20 booking points per fixture.
Arsenal, by contrast have picked up just 27 yellow cards this season, and neither side have been awarded a red at this stage.

 

Suggested Tips

  • Skybet Price Boost – Mesut Ozil to score and Arsenal to win in 90 mins – 5/1
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  • Skybet To Score from Outside the Area – Alexis Sanchez – 12/1
  • Bet365 – Correct Score – 2-2 – (link no longer available)
  • Bet365 – To Score Anytime – Luka Milivojevic – (link no longer available)
  • Bet365 – Double Chance – Palace or Draw – (link no longer available)
  • Bet365 – First Goalscorer – Alexandre Lacazette – (link no longer available)

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Newcastle Utd vs Manchester City - Match Preview

Newcastle Utd vs Manchester City – Match Preview – Manchester City will look to continue their unbeaten run as they travel to relegation-threatened Newcastle United.

After sealing their place in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup, City kept alive their dream of the domestic treble. With a favourable Champions League draw to boot, Pep Guardiola’s side remain in pole position for their most successful season to date. The club hold every record in the league, with the most goals scored and the joint best defensive record. 11 points clear of their biggest rivals in second, this season couldn’t have gone better had Guardiola scripted it himself.

de Bruyne has been in fantastic form for City Photo Credit: skysports.com

With Vincent Kompany still struggling to maintain his fitness, City may have to delve into the January transfer market. Rumoured to be on their shopping list is Virgil van Dijk. The Dutch centre back’s future was subject to mass speculation in the summer, with Liverpool failing to land their number one target. Now it appears to be City’s turn to tempt Southampton into parting with their prized asset. With only Nicolas Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala as fit recognised defenders, they need to strengthen that area as soon as possible.

Can Gayle trouble the City defence Photo Credit: skysports.com

Newcastle fans will be praying for some transfer business of their own when the window reopens in January. Rafa Benitez’s side are in desperate need of reinforcements or they risk an immediate return to the Championship. The team have recorded just one point from their last eight Premier League games. At home, they are without a win since October and have lost their last four games at St James’ Park. Devoid of any confidence or ideas, Benitez will be hoping to keep his side out of the bottom three with January looming. However, should Mike Ashley fail to sell the club before then, they could be left without any further investment, which would leave them clinging on to their Premier League status by a thread.

With that in mind, the last thing Newcastle need is a visit from the league leaders. As if things weren’t tough enough, the Toon Army haven’t won against City in 20 league games, with their last win coming back in 2005. Of those twenty games, they’ve drawn only three, meaning City have collected 54 points out of a possible 60 against them.

With Newcastle’s Achilles heel being in front of goal and City being resolute at the back, there’s only one way this game is heading. City’s attack will be far too much for the hosts to handle, whilst Newcastle pose little threat going the other way.

 

Prediction: Newcastle 0-3 Manchester City

 

SKYBET: CITY TO WIN TO NIL- 11/10

SKYBET: AGUERO TO SCORE FIRST AND CITY TO WIN 4-0- 22/1

SKYBET: JESUS AND STERLING TO BOTH SCORE- 5/2

SKYBET: GAYLE TO SCORE IN 90 MINS- 11/4

SKYBET: BTTS AND CITY TO WIN- 6/4

BET365: CORRECT SCORE CITY TO WIN 3-0- (link no longer available)

BET365: ALTERNATIVE TOTAL GOALS- OVER 5.5- (link no longer available)