Birmingham City V Manchester City

Kick-off: Sunday 1^st November –

Venue: St. Andrews

TV Coverage: Sky Sports 1

Birmingham City

League Position: 15th

Recent Form: WLLLW

Birmingham wrapped up arguably their biggest win of the season last Saturday when they battled their way to a hard fought 2-1 victory over high-flying Sunderland. The win will be welcomed with a sigh of relief as Birmingham had previously lost back-to-back home fixtures at St. Andrews, losing to Aston Villa (0-1) & Bolton Wanderers (1-2). Both were by the slimmest of margins so perhaps a win at home wasn’t to far off for Alex McLeish’s men but will they make it back-to-back victories at home for the first this season as they welcome free-spending Man City to St. Andrews?  

St. Andrews, despite the home crowd seeing their team lose twice their already this season, is rapidly becoming a very tough venue to play. Alex AcLeish gets his side organised and readied for battle whenever an opponent tries their luck on Birmingham soil and it’s been their rock solid defence at home which has caught our eye the most. Joe Hart may have become surplus to requirements at Man City but he’s been a big stumbling block for opposing strikers, with the young England hopeful conceding just four goals at St. Andrews in five home outings, also keeping two clean sheets.

However, as far as I’m aware, Joe Hart won’t be available for selection to face his parent club so Alex McLeish will have to put some faith in his number 2, Maik Taylor, who still remains a very good shot-stopper, albeit not getting any younger. It will be interesting to see how Birmingham will cope without Joe and whether Maik Taylor will look to seize on this rare opportunity to stake a place for some more first team action the future. A shut-out against one of the top four contenders would certainly put him in the frame so he’ll be fired up to put in a good display for the gaffer.

It’s fair to say that Birmingham will need to put in one heck-of-a shift to halt City, although, City’s top four express has come to a stern halt of late. However, the Birmingham goalmouth will surely receiving a good peppering so how successful day this is for the club will come down to not only how well the goalkeeper and the defence perform but also how well their midfield rally and close down what is a talented Man City midfield. We would pinpoint Gareth Barry and stick a man on him to watch his every move. To beat Man City they will need to remove the source and the majority of City’s play comes through the former Villa man.

Manchester City

League Position: 6^th

Recent Form: LWDDD

Mark Hughes showed his intent in midweek when he fielded a very strong line up against Championship side, Scunthorpe United in the Carling Cup. Mark Hughes is confident that his squad can compete on all quarters and that’s no surprise considering the amount he spent over the summer. Their forward department is like a who’s who of world-class Premiership strikers while their midfield still boasts several fringe players with first-team qualities. However, although City got the result they wanted in midweek, smashing Scunthorpe 5-1 at the City of Manchester, they failed to secure the result they so desperately needed against Fulham in the league last Sunday, letting slip yet more points against the Cottagers after previously leading 2-0.

Mark Hughes will be bitterly disappointing with not only City’s performance last week but also their lack of concentration and apparent disregard for their opponent. The thing was, the Sky Blues never really looked comfortable against Fulham even when they went 2-0 up. Fulham didn’t come across many problems when it came to creating chances, good ones at that, and were it not for some lacklustre finishing from the Cottagers then City could of found themselves leaving home without anything to show for their beleaguered efforts.

City must put that game with Fulham to bed now and concentrate on their task at hand, a tough game away at Birmingham. Their opponents boast a very tidy defensive record at their home ground but what City boast is the ability to create a half-dozen or more clear cut chances in a game, mainly due to their highly talented midfield, consisting of; Gareth Barry & Martin Petrov. We have just mentioned those two as they have been their main goal providers this season. Barry has the ability to spot and pick out a pass from anywhere on the pitch while Martin Petrov has come into his own since returning from injury, scoring three goals for City this season. His pace down the left makes it hard for full-backs to tame him and we feel he could be pivotal in how City fare at St. Andrews.

City, after an impressive start to the season, have started to come off the boil, drawing three league games on the spin. Draws away at Aston Villa & Wigan Athletic in combination with Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Fulham means Man City’s early run of five victories in their opening six games has derailed their early momentum. However, City do have the far better side of the two and posses more match winners then their rivals but could complacency start creeping into their game?

Head-to-Head (Last 10):

Birmingham City W: 3 Manchester City W: 6 Draws: 1

These two seem to meet every other season due to Birmingham’s persistent flirtation with the drop and promotion, however, Man City do lead the head-to-head counter quite comfortably, although, Birmingham did win the last meeting at St. Andrews 3-1 back in the 2007/2008 season, two seasons ago. A lot has changed since then especially in the Man City camp and it is the travellers who arrive in Birmingham are the hot favourites to extend their superiority in the head-to-head count. The last two clashes on Birmingham soil have produced goals so perhaps that could be a smart call here.

Match Verdict:- Manchester City to WIN – 1.91 Boylesports

City have started to become addicted to drawing games after sharing the spoils in their previous three outings in the league. Birmingham, however, have lost two of their last three games at home to perhaps they are starting to come off the boil at home. Birmingham’s lack of fire-power is a massive cause for concern and we can’t see them outscoring City so it basically comes down to will Birmingham keep City at bay? We don’t think so, providing City keep it tight at the back, Mark Hughes and Man City should claim all the spoils in this contest.

Match Odds:

Birmingham City – 4.50 PaddyPower

Draw – 3.50 Bet365

Manchester City – 1.91 Boylesports

SoccerBetting Value Tip: 1-2 Correct Score – 8/1 SportingBet

 Update: The result of Birmingham vs Man City was 0-0

Arsenal Vs Tottenham Hotspur

Kick-off: Saturday 31st October – 12:45 GMT

Venue: The Emirates

TV Coverage: Sky Sports 1

Arsenal

League Position: 3rd

Recent Form: WWWWD

Arsenal are rapidly cranking up the gears as they go from strength to strength in whatever competition they end up in. Their position in the Champions looks rosy, on the verge of qualifying actually, they booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup on Wednesday while, more importantly, they are building up ahead of steam in the Premiership. In our honest opinion, The Gunners are the team to beat at present despite Arsene Wenger’s side not occupying the top spot in the league table.

Arsenal have built up a bit of momentum after going on a five match unbeaten run. That run could have been a winning one were it not for Arsenal throwing away a 2-0 lead against West Ham last Sunday. The Gunners made a bright start in that game and deservedly led at the break. However, Arsenal did look rattled in the second half and Arsene Wenger won’t have been happy about the final result, especially as Alex Song gave away a needless and cheap penalty which did lead to lost points. Nevertheless, Arsenal do boast strong form, winning four of their last five games and, even though they have lost twice this season, their defeats have both come against the Manchester outfits of which Arsenal were mighty unluckily to lose in both.

It’s vital that Arsene Wenger does guide his troops back to winning ways as victory over their North London rivals would see them close the gap on Chelsea to a single point. The Gunners would also have a game in hand once Chelsea play their fixture away at Bolton at 15:00 so there is plenty to be positive about Arsenal right now. One thing to highlight about their play is their vigour and swagger in the attacking third. The Gunners have found scoring a breeze this season already notching up 29 league goals. That’s phenomenal, the highest goal tally in the league, and the main area where Arsenal look extremely dangerous this year. Their defence could still do with a little more strengthening, perhaps not with new faces but more with organisation and cohesion, two characteristics which will come in time with plenty of practice.

West Ham, one of several London competitors in the Premiership, may have halted the Arsenal express but we feel that is only a temporary jerk. Arsenal will be fired up for this encounter and they arrive in a buoyant mood after claiming the scalp of Liverpool in the Carling Cup in midweek, winning 2-1. The kids came through for Arsene Wenger and, although Arsene will make changes from the side that started against Liverpool, the momentum Arsenal have built up should still be under their sails.

Tottenham Hotspur

League Position: 4th

Recent Form: LWDWL

Tottenham will have mixed emotions this week after progressing in the Carling Cup but succumbing to an embarrassing defeat at home to Stoke last Saturday. We’re pretty sure that Harry Redknapp would have swapped his Carling Cup success for the three points against Stoke but at least his players showed some character in battling on in the Cup after their surprising defeat to Stoke City. His players could of hid and cowered away in the corner but they didn’t, they came out fighting on Tuesday against a very good side in Everton and, come the end, won very easily.

The victory on Tuesday in the Carling Cup won’t have completely banished the weekend nightmares of Stoke City but it’s a start and the Spurs players will be eager to make amends on Saturday. It wasn’t as if Tottenham played bad on Saturday as they certainly didn’t. They dominated for large periods of the game, creating chance after chance, but it was just one of those days were try all you like they just weren’t going to find the net. Nevertheless, at least Harry can take some positives from the game, albeit the result setting them back in their charge to break into the top four.

However, what a game to re announce yourself as a serious ‘Top Four’ contender then a clash with your closest of rivals and one of the so called ‘Top Four’ in Arsenal. There is no loved lost between the Tottenham and Arsenal fans and a win over their arch rivals would definitely put their weekend woes to bed. They are in a similar position to what Liverpool were last weekend. The disappointment of their previous result will be hanging over them but a win over Arsenal would see that defeat to Stoke all but forgotten here.

Can Tottenham beat Arsenal and go one better then their 4-4 draw last season. Well, if they can relocate their early form and momentum then we can’t see why not. They can certainly match Arsenal in the attacking department but it’s their defence which has me grimacing about the prospect of a potential bet on Spurs as they do still remain very vulnerable at back and they’ve been exposed by the remaining three top four already this season. They did well tor restrict Liverpool to just the one goal on the opening day of the season but both Man Utd and Chelsea both scored three against Tottenham, with United scoring their treble at White Hart Lane. To make matters worse, Johnathan Woodgate is a doubt although Ledley King should be fit but he is hardly the reliable type. Aaron Lennon limped off with a whimper on Saturday and he is another big player in doubt for the trip to Arsenal. Their defence still lacks any cohesion and, until their defensive issues are resolved, we can’t be backing Tottenham when it comes to competing against the best teams in the country.

Head-to-Head:

Arsenal W: 5 Tottenham Hotspur W: 0 Draws: 5

Although Tottenham haven’t had much luck in recent encounters with their bitter rivals they have still been a pain in the backside as far as Arsene Wenger and Arsenal are concerned. Last season, Spurs held the Gunners to two draws. Arsenal had to settle for a point at The Emirates in a a thrilling 4-4 draw which seen Tottenham come from behind on more than one occasion, while Arsenal had to grind out a 0-0 draw at White Hart Lane in the reverse fixture. However, as you can, Tottenham haven’t won any of the previous ten meetings, losing on three of their previous five visits to Arsenal.

Key Player:- Heurelho Gomes

We think it’s safe to say that they Tottenham goalmouth can expect a lot of action at The Emirates and it will be down to one man to keep the Gunners at arms length. The Brazilian goalkeeper has had his critics in the past but he’s kept hold of the number 1 shirt with Harry Redknapp keeping the faith it would seem. He does tend to try and do a little too much at times but a big performance is needed from the Brazilian from the Spurs camp as he will kept on toes throughout the course of the game. Tottenham have yet to keep a single clean sheet on the road this season and it’s very unlikely that the Spurs goal won’t be breached at least once in this match.

Match Verdict:- Arsenal to WIN – 1.62 Boylesports

The Gunners have looked superb this season, even in defeat. The 2-2 draw with West Ham will have been disappointed but that draw could be a double edged sword as the players should be hungry to avenge that slip up and come good against Arsenal most hated rivals. Arsenal have won four out of four at home this season and we can’t see Spurs, despite impressing many in the early part of the season, halting Arsenal home surge.

Match Odds:

Arsenal – 1.62 Boylepsorts

Draw – 4.0 Bet365

Tottenham Hotspur – 6.3 Expekt

SoccerBetting Value Tip:Andrey Arshavin to Score Anytime – 3.00 Expekt

 Update: The result of Arsenal vs Tottenham was 3-0 (goals by van Persie (2) and Fabregas)

Bolton Wanderers V Chelsea

Kick-off: Saturday 31st October – 15:00 GMT

Venue: The Reebok

Bolton Wanderers

League Position: 12th

Recent Form: DWDLW 

Gary Megson came out on the losing side in round 1 of the Bolton versus Chelsea contest but this time he will have home advantage on his side. Bolton are unbeaten in their last three games at The Reebok and Megson will have to conjure some sort of masterstroke in order to maintain Bolton’s unbeaten run on home soil judging by their midweek performance against Chelsea. Draws with Stoke City & Tottenham Hotspur, in combination with their enthralling 3-2 victory over Everton last Sunday means Bolton have picked up five points from a possible nine in that three game streak but matters were far from rosy at The Reebok in the early part of the season when Bolton recorded two defeats on the spin in front of their home fans.

It’s hard to see Bolton troubling Chelsea in fairness, despite them possessing the advantage of the home crowd. They do boast an unbeaten three match streak at The Reebok but both Liverpool and Sunderland exposed them in front of their home fans in the early part of the season, with Liverpool outfighting Bolton to win 3-2, and it’s not often a team actually outfights Bolton at The Reebok. To Bolton’s credit, they have put in some spirited performances ever since and they do merit a lot of respect for their home form of late as they were up against some tricky opponents.

Bolton have hit a lean streak in front of goal at The Reebok, scoring six goals in three games, three of those coming in their last league outing at home to Everton. They had to battle hard in that game and defy the disappointment of seeing their two goal advantage diminish. They fought on, though, and they duly got their just rewards when Ivan Klasnic scored an 86^th minute to send Bolton to their first win at The Reebok this season. However, their defence hasn’t exactly been ship-tight either and Bolton have conceded nine goals at home this season, four in their last two home encounters so there are negatives that sort of cancel out the Bolton positives unfortunately. 

Bolton will do well to get a point in this game we reckon. They will need to work their socks off at the back and hope their keeper puts in one of his famous impenetrable displays. However, most important of all, Bolton cannot conceded an early goal as it would probably be curtains. Chelsea do have the ability to to assert their authority in games once going ahead early and this was certainly the case when they thumped Blackburn 5-0 in their previous fixture.

Chelsea

League Position: 1st

Recent Form: WLWLW

Chelsea didn’t dwell on their Aston Villa defeat for too long as they followed that disappointing result up with a stunning 5-0 hammering of Blackburn Rovers at Stamford Bridge. Carlo Ancelotti has seen his Chelsea side lose two games in a relatively shorty space of time but on each occasions he mas managed to lift his troops and get them prepared in the right mindset for the very next fixture. Two defeats this season by Aston Villa & Wigan Athletic, both on the road it has to be said, were quickly followed by big victories and although Chelsea won’t be in similar predicament on Saturday, they will want to avoid such a sticky situation as they travel to Bolton aiming to avoid their third away defeat on the bounce.

Chelsea do still remain as one of the teams to beat this season but their away frailties are beginning to come to light. Before their defeat to Wigan Athletic at The DW stadium, Chelsea had won their previous three away encounters, beating Stoke City, Fulham and Sunderland. However, Wigan seem to have kicked started the Chelsea away rot as the Blues have now lost their last two away games in the Premiership, a run which is a concern as they plan their next route of attack as they travel to The Reebok, a stadium which hasn’t seen their side lose in three games.

Carlo Ancelotti is a wily old character and he does have an uncanny knack of lifting the morale within the camp after poor results but now he must build on Chelsea most recent success and banish their recent away hoodoo’s. Bolton is a tough venue to play in but Chelsea will be extremely confident of ending their poor away run with a victory at The Reebok, a venue they have won of their previous six visits to. Chelsea are more than accomplished to continue their fine run at The Reebok but they will need to tighten up at the back if they are to do so.

Chelsea haven’t failed to score on their travels this far, scoring in five away outings this season and you have to go back to March last season for when Chelsea last failed to score when on the road, that coming in a 1-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur. We feel it’s pretty simple for Chelsea, keep it tidy at the back and the three points should be all buy yours. Chelsea will score at The Reebok, that is near enough a certainty, but they will need to do something they haven’t managed to do in their last three away encounters, and that’s keep a clean sheet. Stoke City, Wigan Athletic & now Aston Villa have scored against Chelsea on their travels and it’s imperative that Bolton don’t get added to that list if Chelsea fans want their side to prosper.

Head-to-Head (Last 10):

Bolton Wanderers W: 0 Chelsea W: 7 Draws: 3

Bolton have never enjoyed a fixture with Chelsea, especially when at The Reebok. Chelsea have actually won on their previous six visits to Bolton, although, rarely do Chelsea hand Bolton a good hammering. In fact, four of those six victories at The Reebok came by a 2-0 scoreline while the other two both finished 1-0. You may have also noticed in that run that Chelsea didn’t concede a single goal, with Bolton failing to score against Chelsea at home in over 540 minutes of play.

Bolton’s best fortunes in this fixture have surprisingly come at the home of Chelsea, Stamford Bridge. Bolton’s last five visits to Stamford Bridge has seen them draw on three occasions, so maybe the Bolton players come alive when the home shackles are released. A big negative as far as this weekend’s clash at The Reebok is concerned.

Match Verdict:- Chelsea to WIN – 1.45 Coral

Carlo Ancelotti will need to fortify what has been a rather shaky Chelsea back line in recent away encounters but they should outscore their opponents quite comfortably. Chelsea’s defending has come under fire of late, mainly from set-pieces, an area where Bolton are strong in but we would be very surprised if Chelsea didn’t spend extra hours on the training pitch cutting out those defensive errors. Chelsea looked lethal in attack both in Saturday’s 5-0 romp of Blackburn & their comprehensive 4-0 win over the very same opponent on Wednesday, although, the 4-0 win over Bolton didn’t come at The Reebok but at Stamford Bridge. Still, Carlo Ancelotti should know what to expect from Bolton now and Chelsea should be far too strong for the likes of Bolton.

Match Odds:

Bolton Wanderers – 9.0 Bet365

Draw – 4.30 Bet365

Chelsea – 1.45 Coral

SoccerBetting Value Tip: 0-2 (Chelsea) Correct Score – 6/1 Ladbrokes

 Update: The result of Bolton vs Chelsea was 0-4 (goals by Lampard (pen), Deco, Knight (og), Drogba)

Manchester United V Blackburn Rovers

Kick-off: Saturday 31st October – 17:30 GMT

Venue: Old Trafford

Manchester United

League Position: 2nd

Recent Form: WWDWL

The question now is how will United respond to that bitter defeat at the weekend? The Red Devils are starting to come under a bit of fire now after more than just a few bad performances in the league. Fortunately for United fans, they have still got the right result more times then not but this wasn’t the case on Sunday as Liverpool comfortably saw of the Red Devils in a game where United were the hot favourites to win the clash between the two most successful sides in the land.

It may have been just United’s second defeat of the season on Sunday against Liverpool but the manner in which they played, played being a debatable word, was far from the standard we come to expect of side more than accomplished when it comes to the big games. Quite simply, United weren’t at the races and they were poor in every aspect, from defending simple through balls to ultimately winning the midfield battles, an area which Liverpool dominated at the weekend. However, it was their abysmal showing in the final third which disappointed me the most. United rarely ventured into the Liverpool half so we can’t really criticise their finishing but the fact that they did struggle to find some creativity and carve out some openings is a big concern for any United fan or backer. 

Improvements are definitely needed but Sir Alex Ferguson has been handed a gift wrapped fixture to guide his side back to winning ways. The Red Devils have a very good record against Blackburn at Old Trafford and, with Rovers struggling on the road this season, United are heavily fancied to take all three points despite their poor showing on Sunday. The so called ‘Big Names’ at the club will need to step up though; Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs, Michael Carrick & Dimitar Berbatov, were all well below par on Sunday, especially the latter who spent the vast majority of the game flat on his backside.

There wasn’t a single positive to take from the game with Liverpool but United do have some plus points heading into this fixture, one being their good start to the season at home. The Red Devils have only dropped points at home once this season, Sunderland holding Man Utd to a thrilling 2-2 draw at the very beginning of the month. With the exception of that game with Sunderland, United have been very impressive at home boasting victories over Arsenal & Manchester City. However, United have been shipping goals of late at home, keeping just the one clean sheet in five home fixtures, that being a 1-0 win over Birmingham City Birmingham, a team who struggle to score goals on their travels. United have conceded five goals in their previous two outings at Old Trafford so maybe there is a glimmer of hope that Sam Allardyce’s side can make more of a game of this then many anticipate.

Blackburn Rovers

League Position: 16th

Recent Form: LWLWL

Sam Allardyce won’t be in the best of moods this weekend and it’s not just because he and his Rovers outfit face a daunting trip to Old Trafford to face the current champions of England. Nope, it’s swine flu that has gotten under the collar of the Blackburn manager and the FA’s decision not to postpone this game due to Rovers being hit with the sometimes fatal disease. So far, Big Sam has mentioned that as many as three players have a confirmed case of Swine flu while several more have been under the weather for the past week or so, including himself. This will not only affect Sam Allardyce’s team selection on Saturday but also his preparation ahead of the trip to Manchester as he doesn’t know in his heart of hearts who will actually be fit in time.

Enough about the flu as we move onto Blackburn chances in this fixture, or lack of it shall we say. Rovers may enter this game with three wins from their last six outings in the league but their away form has been diabolical. In four away outings thus far, Blackburn have yet to pick up a single away point, losing four away games on the spin. However, they were tough away encounters to be brutally honest; Sunderland, Everton, Arsenal & Chelsea are the sides Rovers have played on the road this season and lost to.

However, it’s not really the defeats that concern us but more about the manner of which they were beaten that raises a few eyebrows. They were somewhat unfortunate not to have taken at least a share of the spoils against Sunderland in their first away outing of the season but they were convincingly beaten by the remaining three teams listed above. Rovers have conceded a chilling amount of goals; 16, whilst managing to score just the three. Their away woes won’t get any better as another trouncing could be on the cards as they make their way into the stadium of dreams, formerly known as Old Trafford.

Blackburn’s away misfortunes haven’t suddenly rose from out of the blue as they were having difficulties on the road last season, as well. Their away record in the league last year stood at 4-4-11, but they ended their campaign in dire fashion when travelling, losing their remaining five away fixtures before the season finally came to an end, much to the relief of the Blackburn fans. If you combine Blackburn’s poor away finish of last season to their dreadful away start this season then Blackburn Rovers have lost nine away games on the bounce. A recipe for disaster as Saturday approaches.

Head-to-Head (Last 10):

Manchester United W: 5 Blackburn Rovers W: 2 Draws: 3

United may have won the previous three meetings at Old Trafford but Blackburn have been a thorn in United’s side on occasions. However, Blackburn’s better performances against the Red Devils have tended to come at Ewood Park with United winning six of the previous eight meetings at Old Trafford. United have scored two goals in their last two league clashes with Rovers at home so maybe there is a pattern forming there.

Key Player:- Michael Owen

Something tells me that Owen could get a rare starting berth on the United front-hold against Blackburn. Dimitar Berbatov put in a pathetic display and effort at Anfield on Sunday while Michael Owen did show brief signs of what footballers like to call ‘movements’. Something Berbatov rarely achieves. It does appear that Fergie is trying to keep Owen sweet be playing him against the weaker opponents from the off and he does look a likely started against Rovers. He has lost a few yards and a his pacey sharpness we have all come to love but Fergie still eyes something in the England wannabe and this could be his chance to shine with Fabio Capello possibly watching on.

Match Verdict:- Manchester United to WIN – 1.18 Expekt

Anything but would be a catastrophe! It’s vital that The Red Devils fight back after their poor showing on Sunday and they couldn’t of wished for an easier fixture to do just that. Blackburn have lost every away game in the league thus far, four in total, and that will stretch to five by the end of the weekend. Rarely do you see United giving points away in two consecutive games and we don’t expect that to happen on Saturday. Manchester United to claim all three points in what should be a one-sided contest at Old Trafford.

Match Odds:

Manchester United – 1.18 Expekt

Draw – 7.00 Bet365

Blackburn Rovers – 21.0 Boylesports

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Over 3.5 Goals – 2.50 VCbet

 Update: The result of Man United vs Blackburn was 2-0 (goals by Berbatov and Rooney)

Fulham V Liverpool

Kick-off: Saturday 31st October – 15:00 GMT

Venue: Craven Cottage

Fulham

League Position: 13th

Recent Form: LLDWD

Fulham are becoming your typical awkward team under Roy Hodgeson and this was evident at the City of Manchester stadium on Sunday. To gain a point at what has become a tough venue to play in is one thing but the manner in which they earned their point was staggering. Fulham went 2-0 down against a City side that appeared to have the points wrapped up. However, Fulham showed their fighting spirit once again as they clawed the two goal deficit back to hold City to a 2-2 draw, a point Roy Hodgeson will be delighted with.

Fulham fans had to endure an indifferent start to the season, watching on as Fulham lost four of their opening six games. There was two wins in the mix of those defeats and they did face some stiff opposition, as well, losing against both Chelsea & Arsenal at Craven Cottage whilst falling to defeat at Aston Villa. However, the fans have kept the faith and they are starting to reap the rewards as Fulham aim to stretch their three match unbeaten run after a morale boosting draw away at Man City.

Home is generally where the heart is for Fulham as the main bulk of their main points of last season came at Craven Cottage and that should be the case this season. Fans and pundits alike are expecting the Cottage to be a happy hunting ground for them once more this season but some tough opening home fixtures hasn’t enabled them to reform Craven Cottage back into the fortress it was last term. The Cottagers have already succumbed to two home defeats in three games, although, those were both against two of the country’s toughest teams in Arsenal & Chelsea. However, they didn’t waste their first glorious opportunity to secure a home win when faced with one of the poorer sides in the league with Fulham dispatching Hull City 2-0 two weeks ago in a comfortable manner.

Fulham’s three match unbeaten run should fill the lads with confidence but it’s their surprising form in front of goal which has surprised us the most as Fulham have never been that prolific in past seasons. Fulham’s previous three outings in the league has resulted in the side scoring six goals, two in each encounter. What’s more intriguing is that two of those three games were on the road, considering travelling isn’t one of Fulham’s strong points, that’s some achievement.

The bad news for Fulham fans is that Liverpool now come to town. Fulham have already been beaten by two of the top four at home this season so it doesn’t bode well as a Liverpool side buoyed by their weekend heroics over Manchester United come to the Cottage seeking out all three points. However, Fulham did hold Liverpool for 90 minutes at Craven Cottage last season, albeit a 92^nd minute Yossi Benayoun strike sending the Fulham celebrations to an early bath. Maybe Roy Hodgeson has a plan to keep Liverpool at bay for the full 90+ minutes and beyond this time around.

Liverpool

League Position: 5th

Recent Form: WWLLW

All is forgiven on Merseyside after Liverpool’s weekend triumph over Manchester United. The game with their bitterest rivals was being built up as a make-or-break game for the Merseyside title contenders as defeat would have left them ten points a drift of United at the top. However, that win, a vital one at that, has put Liverpool right back in the hunt but we hope that stunning display won’t be in vein as we back Liverpool to build on their most recent euphoric success and make it back-to-back wins in the league for the month of October.

Where do we start on Liverpool’s performance at the weekend. The amount of pressure Liverpool were under was tremendous and to pull out a performance of that magnitude was nothing short of staggering. They flew out of the blocks and showed United that they meant business from the off and they certainly meant it. They controlled and bossed the midfield from the word ‘go’, they won all the 50/50 battles and they took their chances when they came along, although, Liverpool did have to play a patient waiting game. However, what was most impressive about their performance was that didn’t give Man Utd a sniff. In fact, a United venture into Liverpool’s half was rare enough but seeing a goal bound effort from the Red Devils was virtually non-existent. The Red’s, of Merseyside that is, were sensational and the fans did their part, also, rallying their side from start to finish.

However, how will the players cope without the electric support of their home fans this weekend? Well, if their performance against Fulham last season was anything to go by then Liverpool could come a cropper. Fulham will cause Liverpool problems, mainly be frustrating them with plenty of men behind the ball, but Liverpool should create plenty more chances then their opponents and they will be relying on their Spanish hero from Saturday to deliver again. Fernando Torres stole the show last Sunday, scoring the opener after out-muscling Rio Ferdinand despite being injured and Rafael Benitez will be hoping his Spanish sensation won’t need a painkilling injection ahead of the trip to Fulham in order to get the Spaniard on the pitch and strutting his stuff.

It’s safe to say that Sunday was the best we’ve seen Liverpool play for quite some time. However, that result will count for nothing if they don’t replicate it at Craven Cottage this Saturday. The return of Alberto Aquilani from injury should spark the players into action and excite the travelling fans. Kopites did get a brief viewing of what the Italian has to offer on Wednesday night and he looked lively in his short 15 minute spell at The Emirates. We don’t think he will start from the off but we expect him to be called upon for the second half, hopefully when the game is dead and buried by then.

Head-to-Head (Last 10):

Fulham W: 2 Liverpool W: 7 Draws: 1

Liverpool have completely dominated proceedings in recent meetings, with the reds winning three of the previous four. However, Fulham bridged the game somewhat last season when they not only held Liverpool to a 0-0 draw at Anfield but they were mere minutes away from achieving the same feat in front of their home fans. It was Yossi Benayoun who broke Fulham hearts a year ago but will Fulham’s recent fightback away at Man City stand them good stead as a resurgent Liverpool come to town?

Fulham’s last success at Craven Cottage over Liverpool came back in the 2006/2007 season when they recorded a 1-0 victory. They also beat Liverpool the year before at home so they do boast back-to-back home wins over the reds, albeit with that run three seasons ago.

Key Player:- Fernando Torres

Liverpool struggled to convert the many chances they created when they last paid Fulham a visit so the classy Spaniard will need to come good for Rafael Benitez for the second week running, hopefully without the aid of an injection. Liverpool’s main striker has already reached double figures in the league this season and is primed and ready to claim his first golden boot award. However, he will need to fend off injuries and seize the chance to score goals whenever he does get a game. He should start from the of at Craven Cottage and we can’t see Fulham stopping an inform Fernando Torres.

Match Verdict:- Liverpool to WIN – 1.91 Bet365

It would be foolish of us to oppose Liverpool after their stunning display against the Red Devils last Sunday. Fulham will and always have been stern opposition on their home turf and that shouldn’t change as Liverpool come to London on Saturday. However, Liverpool’s win over the current champions should have lifted the mood in the camp after a dire run of defeats and they look set to carry on their recovery by claiming all three points at the Cottage, probably by the slimmest of margins, perhaps another narrow 1-0 victory like last season.

Match Odds:

Fulham – 4.5 SkyBet

Draw – 3.5 SkyBet

Liverpool – 1.91 Bet365

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Alberto Aquilani Last Goal Scorer – 16/1 Boylesports

 Update: The result of Fulham vs Liverpool was 3-1 (goals by Zamora, Nevland, Dempsey for Fulham and Torres for Liverpool)

Everton V Aston Villa

Kick-off: Saturday 31st October – 15:00 GMT

Venue: Goodison Park

Everton

League Position: 14th

Recent Form: WWDDL

When it rains it pours and that’s certainly the case for Everton fans right now. Being on the wrong end of a 5-0 mauling in Europe against Benfica was bad enough but to throw away points in a Premiership fixture was just the cherry on a very crude cake for Toffee followers. Everton fell to their fourth defeat of the season last Sunday when they failed to concentrate for the full 90 minutes and were duly punished late on by Ivan Klasnic of Bolton, losing 3-2 at The Reebok. It’s a shame because that disappointing result away at Bolton Wanderers ended a run of four games without defeat for Everton and they will now need to redouble their efforts if they want to go on another point baring run.

Fortunately, Everton aren’t on their travels this weekend, with three of their four defeats coming away from Goodison Park thus far. However, they haven’t been blessed with an easy fixture to mend their deflated hearts as Aston Villa, a side who beat Everton at Goodison Park last season, come to tackle David Moyes and his Toffee set up at Goodison this Saturday.

Now something that may tickle your ears – Everton currently share the honour of having the worst home defence in the league conceding nine goals in just five games. That’s nearly two-goals-a-game at home shipped which is bizarre as you don’t associate Everton with bad defending. Persistent injuries and the departure of their defensive stalwart, Joleon Jescott, won’t have helped but we also mustn’t forget that they did endure a 6-1 hammering at home on the opening day of the season by Arsenal. With the exception of that game, though, Everton have still been very untidy at the back. Wigan Athletic, Stoke City & now even Wolves have managed to locate the Everton goal at Goodison so against a Villa side with the potential to score a hat-full on their day, it would be risky to stick our neck on the line and say Everton are a good bet as they simply aren’t.

David Moyes could only watch on as his players put in two average performances in their two most recent home fixtures with Wolves & Stoke City. Both opponents should have been dispatched, maybe not with ease, but at least dispatched. Everton have now dropped four huge points in as many games and there could be a dark cloud hanging over them as far as playing at Goodison Park goes. Aston Villa are arguably a much better team then Stoke & Wolves combined so Everton would need to pull a rabbit out of the hat if they are to pick up three points based on their current form, especially their home form.

Aston Villa

League Position: 7th

Recent Form: WLDWD

Villa appear to have themselves back on track after their league defeat at the latter end of last month, losing 2-1 away at Blackburn. They didn’t dwell on the loss and the month of October has been a pleasant one for them, not great, just pleasant. Their overall point accumulation for the month won’t set the world alight but five points from three games considering they had some very tough fixtures with Chelsea, Man City and an away derby encounter with Wolves, is good going we feel. Now they must end the month in style with victory over what was their closest competitor last season. 

Villa have been one of several teams to take to this season very well and their early season form is pretty strong. Martin O’Neill has seen his side lose just two games thus far whilst winning five and drawing two, accumulating 17 points. However, they did lose on their last away outing in the league when they paid Blackburn Rovers a visit at Ewood Park. Villa did take the lead in that game through Gaby Agbonlahor, very early on it has to be said, but Villa failed to put Rovers to the sword at Ewood Park and they eventually paid a heavy price when Richard Dunne, a player who has been inspirational at the heart of the Villa defence since his arrival during the summer, handle in the box to hand his namesake, David Dunn, the opportunity to score the winner from the spot and Rovers did claim all three points .

That’s our only real flaw with this young and vastly inexperienced Aston Villa team, they do make stupid yet costly mistakes in games which often costs them several points. They have done it on several occasions this season, one resulted in a 2-0 defeat on the opening day of the new camapign while they endured the same misery when a rash mistake cost them any sort of points at Blackburn Rovers. However, Villa displayed a lot of versatility and spirit when they had to come from behind against Chelsea after Brad Friedel had earlier failed to stop a rather tame Drogba effort. However, Villa defied adversity to actually win that game and Martin O’Neill’s side are starting to show their fighting qualities.

Winning on the road won’t be a new challenge for Villa as they have already done so on two occasions this season, boasting an away record of 2-1-1 thus far. Their victories have also come over good sides in Liverpool & Birmingham, with the Birmingham game in particular a creditable result as it was a tight contest and Birmingham do boast a strong defensive record at home. This Villa side is starting to come of age but this will be yet another test for them. They did pass this very same examination last season when Ashley Young scored a very late winner in a 3-2 win Goodison Park. Will it be the youngsters who prevail again or will Everton win and change their season right around?

Head-to-Head (Last 10):

Everton W: 2 Aston Villa W: 4 Draws: 4

The Everton fans maybe optimistic of getting back to winning ways back at home sweet home but Goodison Park has been far from a happy hunting ground for them in this fixture. Not only have they won just twice in ten meetings with Villa but they have won only once at Goodison Park in the previous five home encounters. Villa, however, are unbeaten at Goodison in three games, beating Everton 3-2 last season via a late Ashley Young Strike.

Goals looks to be a good shout in past meetings on Merseyside are anything to go by. The last three competitive encounters at Goodison has seen a minimum of four goals, and with Everton looking mighty vulnerable at the back, more goals appear to be on the cards.

Key Player:- Ashley Young

The England hopeful stole the plaudits and the show in last seasons epic 3-2 encounter and he will be the man to keep an eye on in this clash. David Moyes will demand that his full-backs get tight to both Young and James Milner but will the Everton defence handle the trickery and frightening pace of the English pair? Considering Everton are leaking goals left, right & centre at present, that looks like a no. On his day, Ashley Young is close to unstoppable and he could be the player who decides who wins this highly anticipated encounter between the sides that finished 5^th and 6^th last season, respectively.

Match Verdict:- Draw – 3.4 SkyBet

This encounter should have finished 2-2 last season were it not for some last minute magic from Ashley Young. However, although Villa have been playing well of late, Everton’s home advantage should at least see them earn a point. The Toffee’s are going through a rough patch at present, especially at the back, so perhaps this is the best time to get on the visitors. Nevertheless, we will play safe with the draw as Everton do tend to come good when called upon from David Moyes.

Match Odds:

Everton – 2.50 Bet365

Draw – 3.4 SkyBet

Aston Villa – 2.95 Expekt

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Over 2.5 Goals – 1.85 Expekt

 Update: The result of Everton vs Aston Villa was 1-1 (goals by Bilyaletdinov for Everton and Carew for Aston Villa)

Sunderland V West Ham United

Kick-off: Saturday 31st October – 15:00 GMT

Venue: The Stadium of Light

Sunderland

League Position: 8th

Recent Form: LWDWL

It’s been a very disappointing week for Sunderland fans as not only were they beaten at the weekend in the league but they were also sent crashing out of the Carling Cup at the expense of Aston Villa. To be honest, Sunderland fans won’t care too much about their Carling Cup exit but their defeat on Saturday by Birmingham City ended a run of three games without defeat. Now Sunderland must find their feet once again but, more importantly, seek out some form as Steve Bruce has criticised his team once again for their inconsistent nature.  

All in all Sunderland have made an impressive start to the campaign when you consider that they were lucky to avoid relegation last season. Steve Bruce has already guided the club into top ten of the league, notching up a healthy 16 points already. However, for the first time in donkeys years, Sunderland are a team with potential and their performance last Saturday was well below the standard we have come to enjoy from Sunderland this season. We would love to put it down to a rare blip but that wouldn’t be true.

The Black cats have a terrible issue regarding consistency and you’ll often find Sunderland undoing their winning efforts the following week by succumbing to defeat against the lesser teams in the league. Four times now Sunderland have gone on to record a bitter defeat after winning their previous league fixture so perhaps Steve Bruce is struggling with complacency at the club and that his ranks get over confident after winning games. That was probably the case this time around as their previous game was a hard earned win over Liverpool, we think any side would be confident after that, but it’s canning it.

Although Sunderland do have concerns of their form, they do react well to defeat. Sunderland may have lost four times already this season but three of those were followed by a win the very next week or fixture. If this pattern is to remain then Sunderland have to beat West Ham at the Stadium of Light, a venue where Sunderland have been pretty prolific at this season winning four and losing just the one, that defeat coming against the league leaders, Chelsea.

West Ham United

League Position: 19th

Recent Form: LLDLD 

West Ham will travel up North to face Sunderland buoyed by their most recent result against Arsenal. However, although the 1-1 draw is a very creditable result and one that was well earned, the single point hasn’t lifted West Ham away from the pit of the table and it certainly didn’t stop the rut. It’s now been nine games since West Ham last won in the league, that coming right back on the opening day of the season, and if the players don’t get this win soon not only will they see the win drought extend but also a severe drop in player morale.

We’ve been admirer of the work Gianfranco Zola and Steve Clarke have done at the club since the arrival a little over a year ago but this is by far their toughest period at the club. However, they did extremely well to steer the club away from the slumber they were in last season and into European contention so we feel the pair have what it takes to guide West Ham out of the pit they are in. Our only concern is that a run of this magnitude can seriously affect the mood within the dressing room and a trip to an inform Sunderland isn’t ideal.

West Ham’s away form may look drastic, losing on their previous three away outings, but their only success this season did come on their travels when they beat Wolves at Molineux, 2-0. Of course, that was against a Wolves side also struggling for form and also near West Ham’s proximity but it does prove that West Ham can pull a big performance out of the hat when on the road and, at very bid odds, they could be worth a small punt to produce another magic act on Saturday. The draw at home to Arsenal will have certainly given the players a welcomed lift in confidence while they actually have a proven and confident goalscoring striker in Carlton Cole.

There is no getting away from West Ham’s league position nor their form but it’s not as if they have been playing dreadful football. They did hold Blackburn to a goalless draw near the beginning of the season while they did also restrict Wigan Athletic to just the one goal in a 1-0 defeat at The DW. If Zola can get West Ham’s back in shape and formation then maybe the Hammers could be celebrating their first back-to-back points this season, albeit probably coming in the form of a low scoring draw. However, if Carlton Cole is on form on Saturday then West Ham could sneak a narrow victory.

Head-to-Head (Last 10):

Sunderland W: 3 West Ham United W: 6 Draws: 1

Although the pair haven’t been an established team in the Premiership they have stuck to one another for some time now. They were promoted in the same season back in 2005 so four of the ten games abovewere Championship meetings. As far as games in the Premiership goes, Sunderland boast a terrible record of just one victory over West Ham, while the Hammers can boast four wins over the Black Cats. West Ham won at The Stadium Light last season in a narrow 1-0 victory but with Sunderland’s renewed fire-power, it hards to envisage them not scoring at least once at home in the fourth successive Premiership meeting between the two on Tyneside.

Match Verdict:- Sunderland to WIN – 2.00 Bet365

The Black Cats should notch up yet another set of three points as they continue their surge up the table. They will be eager to make amends for their weekend disappointment and West Ham provide a glorious opportunity for them to make an instant recovery. West Ham will miss their most influential player in club captain, Scott Parker, through suspension. The Hammers now lack a quality leader and, of course, don’t boast any great form. They are without a win since the start of the season while Sunderland have been strutting their stuff this season. Darren Bent will lead the Sunderland front line and he’;ll be hoping to spearhead his side to another set of three points, points that would keep them in the top ten.

Match Odds:

Sunderland – 2.00 Bet365

Draw – 3.5 SkyBet

West Ham United – 4.3 BetFred

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Over 2.5 Goals – 1.91 StanJames

 Update: The result of Sunderland vs West Ham was 2-2 (goals by Reid, Richardson for Sunderland and Franco, Cole for West Ham)

Stoke City Vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

Kick-off: Saturday 31st October – 15:00 GMT

Venue: The Brittania

Stoke City

League Position: 9th

Recent Form: DLDWW

I didn’t think I’d be saying this before the start of the week but Stoke City are gunning for their third win on the spin after stunning Tottenham and most of the country by scoring late on at White Hart Lane to steal all the spoils in a 1-0 victory. Stoke were 6/1 before kick-off to beat an ever improving Spurs so fair play to any of you who were on them as we certainly weren’t. However, will they become complacent as one of the weakest sides in the league come to The Brittania in a game were Stoke are firm favourites to bring home the bacon.

Stoke are already shaping up as an established Premiership club and we think it’s fair to say that their rustle bustle approach to their games will safely see them remain the top flight for at least another season. They may come unstuck against the big boys, although Saturday was an exception, but Stoke do have a consistent knack of beating the lesser sides in the league when they come a calling at The Brittania. Burnley, West Ham United & Sunderland are all victims of Stoke at The Brittania and we expect to Stoke to add Wolves to that list after the weekend is out.

Stoke are probably the only side outside the top 6 or so that can give any team in the league a run for their money at home. Chelsea & Manchester United may have claimed the scalp of Stoke at The Brittania in the early part of this season but the pair had to work mighty hard for it. They don’t give you any time on the ball, they harry you into making rash passes while they defend in numbers and certainly aren’t afraid to stick their bodies in where it might get hurt. Of course, they won’t be a favourite with the purists out there but you gotta love how they approach their game as, to them, it’s just business and how they won’t careless how they get their points, just that they do.

We are becoming a small fan of Stoke game by game. They remind me of an old fashioned pub team, a team with quality players at a premium but a proper womanlike unit. They battle tremendously hard to the final whistle and they often get their just rewards. We fancy they’ll reap the rewards in this encounter and wrap up not only their fourth win of the season but also their third victory on the bounce.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

League Position: 17th

Recent Form: WLLDD 

Another win less outing for Wolves at the weekend has now left desperately clinging on for dear life above the relegation zone. With Mick McCarthy’s side now without a win in four league games, Wolves now find themselves in a very precarious position, just a solitary point above Hull who occupy the first of three relegation spots. The club will be desperate to stay as far away from the bottom three as possible but only a win this Saturday would be enough to safely ensure they don’t end the weekend in the red.

Defeats against Sunderland (5-2) & Portsmouth (0-1), in combination with two successive draws with Everton & Aston Villa, both by a 1-1 scoreline, means Wolves are without a win in four games and their form heading into what looks to be a possible six pointer is far from ideal. Their performance on Saturday in their derby encounter with Villa was a million miles off being an impressive one although the 1-1 draw does look a very creditable result, indeed.

However, Wolves struggled in that game to fashion up any real quality in the final third and it took a rash tackle from Steve Sidwell to hand them a golden opportunity to level the match. Sylvain Ebanks-Blake, a player who stole the show in the Championship for Wolves last season, thumped home from the spot to score his first goal of the season after an injury ravaged start to the campaign. That strike should massively boost the kids confidence as he is a big character for Wolves and by far and their way their biggest goal threat.

Improvements are needed all round if Wolves are to end their mini baron run. Their defence still looks shaky, although Wayne Hennessey in the goal look a real talent for them. Their attack lacks any sort of off-the-ball movement, maybe Ebanks-Blake will provide them with that now he’s back playing in the thick of things. However, our biggest concern lies in their midfield. Michael Kightly might be the only exception, but the rest simply lack that cutting edge, that bit of spark and ingenuity to carve out regular goalscoring opportunities for what has been a goal-starved front line for Wolves. Mick McCarthy’s team have scored just nine goals this season, it’s not the lowest but it’s not too far off, either.

Head-to-Head (Last 10):

Stoke City W: 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers W: 3 Draws: 5

These two have never met before in a Premiership encounter but this did used to be a regular clash back in The Championship. Wolves do just edge the head-to-head counter but the draw looks a likely result with five of the last ten ending in a share of the spoils. In fact, the last two meetings at The Brittania both ended in a draw, both low scoring ones at that. 0-0 was the score the last time these two met in Stoke while the fans were treated to some rare goals the season before, the pair drawing 1-1.

Match Verdict:- Stoke City to WIN – 1.95 Expekt

Stoke are becoming a very consistent side, especially when it comes to beating the so called weaker opposition in the league. Wolves do create chances but they have struggled to convert them and they will get punished on Saturday if they don’t take them against a Stoke City side buoyed by their weekend victory over high-flying Tottenham Hotspur. The Brittania crowd often drives Stoke to three points and we can see the same happening here. They’re a big threat from set-pieces, have an out-an-out striker in Jamea Beattie and don’t concede too many goals. Tony Pulis has built a very solid Stoke side and we expect Stoke to overcome a poor Wolves side.

Match Odds:

Stoke City – 1.95 Expekt

Draw – 3.4 Coral

Wolverhampton Wanderers – 4.5 SkyBet

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Stoke City to WIN to NIL – 3.4 totesport

 Update: The result of Stoke vs Wolves was 2-2 (Elokobi (og), Etherington for Stoke and Craddock (2) for Wolves)

Portsmouth V Wigan Athletic

Kick-off: Saturday 31st October – 15:00 GMT

Venue: Fratton Park

Portsmouth

League Position: 20th

Recent Form: LLWLD

Portsmouth manager, Paul Hart, will be hoping his sides midweek Carling Cup success will be the catalyst for bigger and better things back in their bread n’ butter, the Premiership. The Southerners find themselves in a sticky situation at the moment, rooted to the very bottom of the league with just four three points to their name. However, Portsmouth are finally starting to chip in with a few points here and there so it does appear as though the club could already be on their road to recovery as far as getting enough points on the board to avoid the dreaded drop, or at least put up a fight.

Portsmouth dished out an old fashioned spanking on Tuesday night to a fellow Premiership compatriot in Stoke City. On the night Portsmouth were by far the better side, especially in attack, an area where Portsmouth have been especially weak in this season. Pompey, unfortunately, boast the worst offensive record in the league scoring just five goals in ten games. However, three of those have come at home so there is a tiny positive from what is a dire statistic. The emphatic win over Stoke could set them up nicely though as the four goals they did score should provide the Portsmouth strikers with bags of confidence as they have clearly been lacking some of that in recent weeks.

Portsmouth contested one of the dullest contests of all time last Saturday when they drew 0-0 with Hull City. That game won’t live long in the memory but Paul Hart will still be pleased with the point his side earned. That’s now four points picked up in as many games for Portsmouth and they have a very good opportunity to bolster their meagre point tally this Saturday. However, to do that they simply have to take their chances and there will be a fair few. Portsmouth don’t have any problems creating chances but it’s converting them which has been a grey area for Pompey this season. The main bulk of the chances seem to fall to Aruna Dindane who, more times then not, fluffs them. He is obviously a striker lacking in inner confidence and that won’t change until he registers his first strike in Portsmouth shirt.

Backing Portsmouth will be a precarious bet in our opinion. They will create a handful of decent goalscoring chances but actually putting them away is still an art Portsmouth have yet to master. Maybe their 4-0 mauling of Stoke in midweek was what the doctor ordered but we need to see more attacking vigour from Pompey before we throw our money away on them. We mustn’t forget that Portsmouth are without a win at home this season, losing all five of their home fixtures thus far.

Wigan Athletic

League Position: 10th

Recent Form: LWLDW

Wigan have crept into the top ten after their hard-earned victory at Turf Moor, the home of Burnley, last Saturday. The players should be very proud of their achievement as it may have been just a victory over one of the three newly promoted teams at first glance but they did get the better of a side that had previously boasted a 100% record at home. Wigan claimed the honour of not only being the first side to take any points away from Turf Moor but also the first team to actually beat Burnley at Turf Moor.

We say this week in week out but Wigan are your basic Jekyll & Hyde sort of side. One week they can put in a stunning shift and play some very nifty football, combined with a sweet end product, while the next they can be found wanting against lesser opposition. It’s rather strange to say that Portsmouth are a ‘lesser’ side then Burnley but, based on their league position anyway, they are. Pompey are one of just two sides in the league not to have won at home, in fact, Portsmouth have yet to register a single point at Fratton Park this season so it would be typical that Wigan fail to show up after another battling performance.

There is a familiar pattern forming whenever Wigan do win a game of football. Before they beat Burnley at the weekend, Wigan had previously won three matches in the league. Now, i wonder if you can guess how they followed those victories up? Yes, indeed, with defeats. Each time Wigan have won in the league this season they have gone on to lose their very next fixture. Wins over Aston Villa, West Ham & even Chelsea were followed with defeats by Wolves, Arsenal & Hull City. Two of which were sides Wigan should have beaten and they find themselves in the same sort of predicament here where they will be the favourites to claim all the spoils after surprising most people the previous week.

It’s evident that Wigan have got consistency issues and, as of yet, Roberto Martinez hasn’t fixed the problem. However, a trip to Portsmouth against a side who haven’t picked up a single point at home this season does represent a fabulous opportunity for them to string a pair of result together. Were they to win then it would be their first back-to-back wins of the season, a big feat it would seem for Wigan were they to achieve it.

Head-to-Head (Last 10):

Portsmouth W: 4 Wigan Athletic W: 4 Draws: 0

It’s honours even as far as this contest is concerned. Both sides have recorded two victories at home and away so predicting the outcome in this clash could be somewhat of a lottery. However, Wigan did complete a league double over Pompey last term, beating Portsmouth 1-0 at The DW stadium and 2-1 at Fratton Park. Will Portsmouth return the favour this season and give Wigan a double spanking of their own?

Goals haven’t been a too familiar characteristic in previous meetings with just one of the last four games featuring three of more goals, although, that was the most recent clash at Fratton Park, Wigan winning 2-1.

Match Verdict:- Draw – 3.40 SkyBet

Wigan’s inconsistent nature should see them come a cropper once again but this time in the form of a draw. Portsmouth are showing huge sings of improvements in the last month or so and this does look a great chance for them to register their first points at home this season. Fratton Park was braced with four goals on Tuesday night and the Pompey fans will be hoping their strikers can find their shooting boots again on Saturday but against a resilient Wigan side, we fancy Portsmouth to bang away in vein, once more. Both sides wouldn’t begrudge a draw, either.

Match Odds:

Portsmouth – 2.50 Boylesports

Draw – 3.40 SkyBet

Wigan Athletic – 3.00 Bet365

SoccerBetting Value Tip: 1-1 Correct Score – 6/1 BlueSquare

 Update: The result of Portsmouth vs Wigan was 4-0 (goals by Dindane (3), Piquionne)

Burnley V Hull City

Kick-off: Saturday 31st October – 15:00 GMT

Venue: Turf Moor

Burnley

League Position: 11th

Recent Form: WLWLL

Burnley’s immaculate home record was left in tatters as Wigan comprehensively beat them 3-1 at Turf Moor last Saturday. The team have been diabolical on the road thus far so fans are hoping their side can produce the goods when called upon at home, something they failed to do last Saturday. However, will their recent and first home setback be the first of many as Owen Coyle becomes a detective this week in a bid to locate and amend all the mistakes that lead to Burnley’s weekend demise.

In all fairness, Burnley didn’t play too bad on Saturday and the 3-1 scoreline wasn’t a fair reflection on what was a very even contest between two attack minded teams on the day. That’s the thing with this Burnley side, though, they can look pretty nifty when going forward but they also look extremely vulnerable when having to back pedal, although that hasn’t really been the case when playing at home, up till now that is.  

Wigan Athletic were not only the first side to have beaten Burnley at Turf moor, the likes of Everton & Manchester United have already failed, but they were also the first to score two or more on Burnley soil, although, the signs of previous matches at Turf Moor did indicate that goals from the travelling opponents were coming. The previous two teams to venture into Burnley territory were Sunderland & Birmingham with both managing to break through what was previously an impenetrable Burnley rearguard. Although we never envisaged Wigan scoring three we still weren’t all that surprised to see the Burnley net ripple on more than one occasion as not only were Burnley starting to look a tad weaker at the back but complacency was always going to creep in at some stage and that was certainly the case on Saturday.

Still, the positives from that game was that Burnley haven’t lost their attacking potency, although some form of composure in the final third wouldn’t have gone a miss. Owen Coyle’s men spurred several decent goalscoring chances in the second half which could have altered the game significantly. However, the big negative was the injury to their number 1 goalie, Brian Jensen, formerly known as the ‘Beast’. He has been just that for Burnley this season, a beast, especially at home where he gets most of his support. If he does miss this game, which does look likely, then we could easily foresee Hull scoring on Saturday, which is terrible to hear considering that Hull aren’t far off being complete tosh.

Hull City

League Position: 18th

Recent Form: LLWLD

Phil Brown will eye this fixture as one his side is certainly capable of getting something positive out of, hopefully in the form of all three points as points is what Hull City desperately crave and need right now. After playing out one of the fullest 0-0 games in the entire history of football, Hull still find themselves languishing in the bottom three, although, safety is now just a point away. You maybe thinking that a draw would be an OK result for Hull but that’s not the case. Phil Brown will be eager to dive straight back onto safe ground but that’s only possible if his hapless Hull side win on Saturday at what has been one of the leanest venues in the entire league. Easier said then done it would seem.

The reason why Hull couldn’t jump out of the relegation zone with a point is because of their dreadful goal difference. The Tigers have scored a mere eight goals this season in ten outings, below a goal a game on average, while they’re shipping an embarrassingly high amount of goals at the other end. Thus far, after just ten league fixtures, Hull have already seen their net bulge on 22 occasions, leaving them with a negative goal difference of 14. They posses the worst goal difference in the league and that’s why only a win will do for Hull this Saturday.

Will Hull City get they win they will undoubtedly set out for? Well, they won’t get many easier sides to do it against but the venue is a big stumbling block for me. Oh, and of course, the sheer fact that Hull have been utter tripe this season does contribute to the fact that Burnley look a far better bet. Hull don’t boast an attack which will score plenty of goals, far from it, while their defence leaks more goals then a water through a sieve. At times you could literally drive a bus through Hull’s defence and, instead of Phil Brown licking his lips at the prospect of three easy points, it will be his opposite number digging deep for the knife and fork as Hull appear to be there for the taking right now.

We think we’ve made our point pretty clear about how we feel Hull will fare at the weekend but just to reiterate our stance on how good a punt Burnley are, here’s how Hull have fared on their travels. Hull have been on their travels five times this season, losing four and drawing the remaining one. Two of which were horrific, getting battered by both Liverpool (6-1) & Sunderland (4-1). However, Hull’s away woes haven’t come about just from this season, they in fact stretch back to March of last season. Since then, Hull have been on the road eleven times winning just the once away at Fulham, 1-0. That eleven match run consisted of one win, two draws and eight defeats. Need i say more?!

Head-to-Head (Last 10):

Burnley W: 2 Hull City W: 3 Draws: 1

These two have never met in the Premiership as this is the first season in the top flight for both sides, however, Hull do edge the Head-to-Head counter after some recent clashes in the Championship. The last time these two were at loggerheads was back in the 2007/2008 season. It was the away side, Hull City, who prospered that day in a narrow 1-0 victory. Burnley did win in the previous two home encounters the two season before and they will seek inspiration from those wins ahead of Hull’s imminent arrival on Saturday.

Match Verdict:- Burnley to WIN – 2.05 PaddyPower

Not only do we envisage a home defeat here but we fancy the home side to win pretty comfortably. Burnley were the clear favourites to leave the league with their tail between their legs and, despite their impressive start to the season, they will need to beat sides like Hull, a team who are desperately lacking in form and confidence, if they are to do the equivalent of sticking two fingers up to those who doubted them. Owen Coyle’s men may have lost their 100% record last weekend but we expect them to regain their old home form of old and make an instant return to winning games.

Match Odds:

Burnley – 2.05 PaddyPower

Draw – 3.4 SkyBet

Hull City – 4.2 SkyBet

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Burnley (Half-Time/Full-Time Betting) – 3.25 Bet365

 Update: The result of Burnley vs Hull was 2-0 (goals by Alexander (2))