Premiership Previews 6th - 8th December
Fulham V Manchester City Saturday 12:45 Sky Sports
Gary Hodgeson will know his side will be given a stern test on Saturday when Mark Hughes Manchester City side make the trip down to London to take on Fulham at Craven Cottage. A match which has been closely contested in recent years with Man City narrowly edging out Fulham in the head-to-head winning 4 of the last 10 meetings between the two sides with Fulham winning 3 and the other three matches ending in draws.
Fulham notched up another draw on Saturday and a respectable one at that. Away to Aston Villa would have been seen by most punters as a home banker for Aston Villa but Fulham held out and defended stoutly at times to keep Villa at bay. That good result backs up their previous result when they took a point away from Anfield. Fulham are currently 10th in the league but are just 5 points above the drop zone so a win will be crucial for the London side. Their defence at home has been very good conceding just five goals at Craven Cottage. Scoring will be a concern though for the manager as Fulham have managed just 12 this season but have scored the majority of those at home. They already have the scalp of both Arsenal and Tottenham beating both sides on their own turf. A win against City on Saturday will certainly be up their with those fine results.
Mark Hughes will be under pressure even if the board are reassuring his status time and time again. The poor results will pile up and another win less game could see the fans starting to turn on the manager. They were superb a fortnight ago when they thumped Arsenal at The City of Manchester 3-0 but could not see of their old foes in Manchester United on Sunday. Wayne Rooney scored the only goal in a game were clear cut chances in front of goal were rare. City have been inconsistent this season to say the least and their away record is a poor one. Just one win on the road against Sunderland earlier on in the season is all they have to show for themselves away from home. Goals aren't a problem though and they certainly have goals within them. They have scored over twice as many goals as Fulham have and it could be a case of who scores more this Saturday.
Match odds -
Fulham 7/4 Bet365
Draw 12/5 Coral
Manchester City 7/4 Bet365
Prediction - Fulham
Hull City V Middlesborough Saturday 15:00
Gareth Southgate will take his Middlesborough side to Hull City this Saturday in desperate need of points after only managing to draw at home to local rivals Newcastle United on Saturday. Hull could also only manage a draw on Saturday but they will be more happy of the two camps after drawing away from home at Stoke City.
Hull City go into this match knowing that they haven't won in the league since they thrashed West Brom at which was seven games ago. Since then they have picked up just three points out of a total of 18. They made a bright start to the season and picked up some surprising results but their form and performances recently have started to go downhill. Three consecutive draws against Stoke, Portsmouth and Manchester City leaves them in sixth position. A very respectable position considering they were expected to finish somewhere near the foot of the table. They managed to hold Middlesborough to a 0-0 draw when the Two Sides Meet at The Riverside earlier on in the season and will be hoping to pick up maximum points this Saturday.
Middlesborough haven't made as good a start as we expected in the Premiership. Just five wins in the league leaves them in 12th position. Just four points above Newcastle who sit in the relegation zone. The bottom half of the table is so close that you could throw a blanket over them all. That's why a win on Saturday is ever so more crucial in order to extend the gap they already have on the sides below them. Chances were few and far when they took on Newcastle on Saturday and will need to be more creative if they are to take away a respectable result this Saturday. Alfonso Alves is still disappointing everyone in front of goal while Tuncay and Aliadere aren't scoring either. It is hard to see where the regular goals will come from for Middlesborough.
Match odds -
Hull City 69/50 Bet365
Draw 9/4 Bet365
Middlesborough 9/4 Paddypower
Prediction - Draw
Newcastle United V Stoke City Saturday 15:00
Newcastle will have to brace themselves for a physical test on Saturday when Tony Pulis takes his Stoke City up North to face Newcastle United at St. James Park. With both teams sitting in the bottom half of the table and being separated by just three points means a win against one another is the only acceptable result. This is the first time these two have met in the Premiership so both will be eager to get the records book rolling in their favour.
Newcastle will be the happier of the two sides after picking up a point away to Middlesborough on Saturday. It was a Tyneside derby but it was hard to tell. Neither set of players looked fired up for the match and it showed on the pitch with very few chances being created by either side. A 0-0 draw was a fair reflection on a vastly poor game of football especially in front of goal. Michael Owen started the match on Saturday so will be a lot fitter for this match but still lacks the sharpness he once had in front of goal. Newcastle haven't won in the league for four matches with their last win in the league coming at home to Aston Villa. A repeat of the performance which seen them beat a decent Villa side will be what's needed if they to take all three points on Saturday.
Tony Pulis will be slightly disappointed that his Stoke side could only manage a draw on Saturday against Hull. They enjoyed the vast majority of possession and had the better of the chances but it was Hull who took the lead against the run of play. Stoke did manage to level the match shortly after but a draw was what both side had to settle for. A result which leaves Stoke in 13th position. They sit rather uncomfortable above the drop zone with Newcastle just three points below them. Stoke's main attribute is their aerial ability but that major advantage they have has been dealt a blow with the injury of Rory Delap. Corner's and free kicks will be essential if they are to cause Newcastle problems in front of goal.
Match odds -
Newcastle United 10/11 Blue Square
Draw 5/2 Bet365
Stoke 81/20 Canbet
Prediction - Newcastle United
Arsenal V Wigan Athletic Saturday 15:00
The Arsenal players will be in a buoyant mood this Saturday when they welcome Steve Bruce's Wigan Athletic to The Emirates. Both teams picked up valuable wins at the weekend so both will be eager to add another victory to their current league from. Arsenal have dominated this fixture in recent years winning 5 of the last six matches between the two sides.
Arsene Wenger will be delighted with his sides performance and result against Chelsea on Sunday. It was a must win game for Wenger#s boys and they duly delivered beating Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge. They showed great persistence coming from behind to win and they will need another gutsy performance this Saturday if they are to follow that win up with another. Arsenal have lost that formidable factor at home losing twice at home this season to Hull City and Aston Villa. Keeping a good line at the back has also been a worry conceding 19 goals. Rather uncharacteristic for Arsenal. It is obvious to point out that Arsenal have by far the better side in terms of quality players and potential match winners but if they fail to perform to their maximum potential this Saturday, they could be overturned once more on home soil.
Wigan's win on Saturday over West Brom gave Steve Bruce his first back-to-back wins of the season. Wins over both West Brom and Everton at the JJB has seen them climb several places in the league table up into 11th position. They will be fully aware though that they could be involved in the fight for survival come the end so getting a result on Saturday will be their highest priority right now. Their away record isn't too bad considering. Two wins, two draw and three defeats means they have picked up 8 points on the road this season. They have also scored more away from home then they have conceded so they will be very confident going into this tough fixture with Arsenal.
Match odds -
Arsenal 9/25 Boylesports
Draw 4/1 Coral
Wigan Athletic 10/1 Bet365
Prediction - Arsenal
Blackburn V Liverpool Saturday 15:00
Paul Ince has forgot what a win the Premiership feels like after going 9 league games without one. It is hard to find a case for them this Saturday when they welcome Liverpool to Ewood Park. With both sides suffering disappointing results at the weekend it is vital they both pick themselves up and go all out for all three points this Saturday.
Blackburn stretched their win less streak to 9 on Sunday when they went down 3-2 away to Portsmouth at Fratton park. It will be stating the obvious to say he no doubt feeling the pressure and another defeat at home on Saturday could pile even more on his shoulders. Their last win in the league came 10 matches ago when they beat Newcastle at St. James Park. Since then they have managed to pick up three points. Their severely poor form has seen them slide down the table in 19th position. Another defeat could see them spend a week at the foot of the table. Roque Santa Cruz and Benni McCarthy aren't helping their sides cause by not scoring. The pair have managed just two goals each. Something which needs to be dramatically improved if they are to improve their league position.
Rafael Benitez's Liverpool side missed another glorious opportunity to stretch their lead at the top of the table but failed to see off West ham at Anfield on Monday. It was another familiar performance by Liverpool with them creating several opportunities but once failing to convert any. West Ham also had several chances in front of goal and could of made Liverpool pay for their arrogance in the final third. Liverpool's away record is actually better then their home winning 5 of their six away fixtures in the league. They also posses a strong goal scoring record away from home with a record of 10-4. They will have to play without Fernando Torres once more and will be looking towards Robbie Keane to finally start scoring the goals he is certainly capable of.
Match odds -
Blackburn Rovers 9/2 Bet365
Draw 13/5 Boylesports
Liverpool 27/37 Bet365
Prediction - Liverpool
Bolton V Chelsea Saturday 15:00
Gary Megson has the tough task of getting a result against Phil Scolari on Saturday when Chelsea make the trip to the The Reebok to face Bolton Wanderers. Surprisingly it is Bolton who go into the game with the better form winning back-to-back matches. Chelsea on the other hand haven't won in two matches in the league so will be eager to change that trend on Saturday.
Bolton secured their second league win on the bounce on Saturday when they thumped Sunderland 4-1 at The Stadium of Light. They went down early on but came back with applaud to cruise past the Northerners. Their form of late has been very good winning four of their last five league matches including a home win over Manchester City. They have found it hard to score at home though this season hitting the net just six times at The Reebok. Their defensive record at home is good though conceding just 7 so Chelsea may find it harder then they think to break down Bolton.
Chelsea go 80 odd games without losing at home and then go and lose two at home in the space of one season. Their defeat at the hands of Arsenal at Stamford Bridge will be a gut wrenching result for the Blues but one they must put a side ahead of the trip to Bolton. Chelsea have the strongest away record in the league winning all seven of their opening away fixtures. Their goal scoring form away from home is also formidable scoring on 19 occasions and conceding just once. They also dominate the head-to-head between the two sides winning 7 of the last 12 meetings. With the odds stacked against Bolton it is hard not to foresee a Chelsea win on Saturday.
Match odds -
Bolton Wanderers 6/1 Bet365
Draw 3/1 Paddypower
Chelsea 4/7 Coral
Prediction - Chelsea
Manchester United V Sunderland Saturday 17:30 Setanta Sports
The current Premiership champions will be in a buoyant mood on Saturday when they roll out the red carpet for a former employee in Roy Keane. Keane takes his Sunderland side back to familiar surrounding's on Saturday evening with an aim to attain some points. A tough task ahead it would see for the Sunderland manager especially as Manchester United haven't lost in the league to Sunderland in six attempts.
Sir Alex Ferguson will now feel his side are well in the fight for the title after over coming their bitter derby rivals in Manchester City last Sunday. The only goal was scored by Wayne Rooney shortly before Half-Time and was enough to secure all three points for the red devils. That result now leaves them just six points behind Liverpool but they do have a game in hand. Man United have yet to taste defeat at home this season winning five of their six home fixtures so far. Their goal scoring record at home will also strike fear into their rivals with just 4 goals conceded at Old Trafford whilst scoring 18 in return. They will have to play without their star player though in Christiano Ronaldo. He was sent off for bizarrely handling the ball in the City box on Sunday and received his second yellow of the game. They should still have enough quality within the squad to see off Sunderland this coming Saturday.
Roy Keane seen his side suffer another back-to-back defeat on Saturday when they were thrashed 4-1 by Bolton at The Stadium of Light. He will be livid with their defensive display as that was the cause for several of the Bolton goals on Saturday. Another concern will be the lack of communication between Djibril Cisse and Kenwin Jones up front. They don't look comfortable up front together and don't show any signs of becoming a formidable partnership. Sunderland did however win their last away fixture beating an out of sorts Blackburn side at Ewood Park. This will be a much bigger ask though and one they probably won't fulfil.
Match odds -
Manchester United 9/50 Centrebet
Draw 6/1 Bet365
Sunderland 20/1 Canbet
Prediction - Manchester United
West Brom V Portsmouth Sunday 15:00
West Brom have a good opportunity to pick up some points on Sunday when they welcome Tony Adams and his Portsmouth side to The Hawthorns. Portsmouth travelled to Germany on Thursday to take on Wolfsburg in the UEFA Cup so it will be West Brom who will have the slight advantage in fitness. They laos go into the match win the knowledge of knowing that they have beaten Portsmouth twice at home in the Premiership in succession.
Tony Mowbray has a tough task getting West Brom to survive a season in the Premiership. Their league form already indicates that they have a strong chance of going down and unless they pick up some points sharply, that could be sooner rather then later. They are currently at the foot of the table in 20th position and have just 11 points to their name. They have also picked up just one point from their last eight league fixtures with their last win in the league coming nine games ago against Fulham at home. They posses one of the poorer defensive records in the league and if they give the Portsmouth pair of Defoe and Crouch an ounce of space then they will get punished.
Portsmouth are in decent form right now and are undefeated in four league games. They notched up another win on Sunday when the eventually managed to see off Blackburn Rovers at Fratton park. The are a tad inconsistent away from home winning just two of their 7 away fixtures this season. Tony Adams does have both Peter Crouch and Jermiane Defoe at this disposal providing they see out the game in Germany on Thursday. The pair have notched up 13 league goals between them and are the deadliest striking partnership partnership in the Premiership right now and it is hard not to see one of them getting on the score sheet.
Match odds -
West Brom 9/5 Boylesports
Draw 23/10 Coral
Portsmouth 7/4 Bet365
Prediction - Draw
Everton V Aston Villa Sunday 16:00
An extremely hard match to call as two sides who are desperate to finish fifth or above go to battle at Goodison on Sunday when Everton play host to Martin O'neill's Aston Villa side. These two sides cannot be separated if recent meetings are to go by with both teams winning 4 of the last 12 Premiership meetings and the other 4 ending in draws.
David Moyes will be looking to take advantage of Aston Villa who have to play on Thursday in the UEFA Cup. His side will be much fresher then their opponents so will be looking to move the ball around and wear Villa down. They have suffered a massive set back though with the news that Yakubu will be out for the rest of the season with an Achilles problem. He is irreplaceable up front for them in my opinion as not many can cause teams as many problems then he does. He has a strong physical presence which Louis Saha and Victor Anichebe cannot make up for. With the January transfer window looming, you would feel they will seek out a striker. Everton are on a decent run of form winning four of their last six league fixtures but just one of those was at home. They have struggled for wins at Goodison winning on just one occasions. If they are to push Villa for that fifth position they will need to improve their home form dramatically.
Aston Villa do look a side which could potentially upset the big four this season. They have already temporally knocked Arsenal out of the top four but seen themselves fall back into fifth after they couldn't capitalise on a great opportunity and see off Fulham at home at the weekend. They are just one point away from Arsenal though and a win over Everton on Sunday could put them straight back into that elusive fourth position. Villa have drawn their last two league matches but did manage to win their last away match against Arsenal. They were superb in that match and if they produce something similar on Sunday, it should be enough to achieve all three points.
Match 0dds -
Everton 17/10 Canbet
Draw 12/5 Paddypower
Aston Villa 47/25 Bet365
Prediction - Everton
West Ham V Tottenham Hotspur Monday 20:00 Setanta Sports
The live Setanta game on Monday sees West Ham host Harry Redknapp's Tottenham side at Upton park. With neither side managing wins at the weekend it is vital that they do so this Monday. Of course they both cannot do so and it is hard to pick a side that could potentially achieve this when the two sides clash on Monday night.
Gianfranco Zola has only experienced what it's like to win in the Premiership just once in his reign as West Ham manager. West Ham's one win in nine came two weeks ago away to Sunderland by the narrowest of margins. That was actually one of the better performances under Zola so something similar will be needed if his West Ham side are to pick up their second win since he took over. West Ham have a real concern in the goals scoring department. They have managed just 17 goals this season and have failed to score on six occasions. Craig Bellamy did come close to scoring on Monday against Liverpool only to be denied by the woodwork but a striker is urgently required if they are to avoid being lured into that relegation right come the end of the season.
Harry has done a tremendous job so far at Spurs but his smile has now turned into a frown after his Tottenham side lost another league match at the weekend. He will be bitterly disappointed with the home defeat and that his side couldn't put countless chances away. They did pick themselves up though and sailed through to the Semi-finals of the Carling Cup on Wednesday after beating Watford 2-1. Darren Bent notched up his 12th goal of the season on Tuesday so they do posses some in form players. Since he took charge, Tottenham have picked up 13 points from a maximum of 21 so he is certainly working his magic with the players. They are playing with renewed confidence and have a solid chance of securing another win under Harry Redknapp this Monday.
Match odds -
West Ham 7/4 Bet365
Draw 23/10 Paddypower
Tottenham Hotspur 7/4 Bet365
Prediction - West HamLabels: premier-league-betting, premier-league-preview, premiership-betting, premiership-preview
Posted by soccerbetting.info @ 2:26 PM
 
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