Premiership Previews February 28th - March 1st
Everton V West Brom Saturday 12:45
A West Brom side in desperate need of some points goes on the road this weekend as they make the trip up North to Merseyside where Everton will entertain Tony Mowbray's team. Neither side could manage a win at the weekend so both will be going all out for a victory at Goodison Park this Saturday.
Everton's trip to Tyneside on Sunday did more harm then good as Everton failed to see off the 10 men of Newcastle at St. James Park. Kevin Nolan was sent off for a disgraceful challenge on Victor Anichebe who appears to have had a lucky escape. Mikel Arteta on the other hand wasn't as fortunate and has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury he sustained in that match. It is widely known that David Moyes's squad has shrunk this season due to so many injuries and the loss of Arteta will be felt. He is a key cog in the Everton machine and their main provider of goal scoring opportunities.
Everton will be grateful that this is a home fixture as they haven't lost at home in the league for five games. A run that includes two decent draws with Arsenal and Chelsea. The Toffee's home form has improved greatly over recent weeks and it is hard to foresee an away victory for West Brom this weekend despite Everton's injury problems.
Another disappointing week for West Brom which leaves them staring relegation right in the face after they succumbed to yet another defeat in the league. That was their 16th defeat of the season which is a huge amount and it is no wonder that their league position is a precarious one to say the least. They are currently bottom of the table and already look a safe bet for the drop.
They are still capable of survival but their recent performances would indicate that it's a big ask for Tony Mowbray's men. They are just three points away from safety but haven't won in four league games. A run that includes three defeats. The omens are also not good as they make this rather daunting trip to Goodison. West Brom have won just one of their thirteen away fixtures this season and have a poor away goalscoring tally of 6-25. We simply cannot see West Brom springing a surprise and the bookie's odds reflect their low chances of doing so.
Match Odds -
Everton 8/15 Paddypower
Draw 16/5 Skybet
West Brom 7/1 Skybet
Prediction - Everton
Arsenal V Fulham Saturday 15:00
Arsenal have conceded any chance of winning the title for this season and now have to concentrate on securing one of those four Champions League spots. They will also have revenge firmly on their minds after Fulham beat Arsenal at Craven Cottage back in August. Fulham can ill afford any slip ups either and they will be doing all they can to prevent Arsenal ending their poor run of results.
Arsenal failed to capitalise on Aston Villa's slip up at the weekend and are now six points a drift of Martin O'Neill's side who occupy that last Champions league spot. Arsene Wenger was keen to dismiss that Villa were now favourites to secure a berth into the Champions league at their expense but the talk is cheap if his side cannot back his comments up.
Arsenal's form has took a serious turn for the worse and the Gunners have now drawn four consecutive league matches. That includes two 0-0 draws at The Emirates to sides of similar stature to Fulham. Arsenal have however won the last four meetings between the two sides at home and when you take into consideration Fulham's drastic away form this season, you would make Arsenal firm favourites to end their run of four straight draws.
Roy Hodgeson has done a tremendous job at Fulham this season and has turned them into a very tricky side to play against. Many of the big sides have struggled to break down their resilient back four as Fulham tend to defend in numbers when they play away from their beloved Craven Cottage. We expect no different when they visit The Emirates on Saturday.
Fulham have already defied the odds by jumping into the upper half of the Premiership table and appear to have avoided a relegation fight for this season. They are currently flying high in 8th position but that has been mainly due to their superb home form. Away from home is a different story with Fulham being one of just two sides in the league not to have won on the road this season. They have also struggled to find the opposing net on their travels notching up just three away goals. That is poor and one of several reasons why Arsenal look a decent bet for all three points.
Match Odds -
Arsenal 4/9 Blue Square
Draw 10/3 Bet365
Fulham 8/1 Paddypower
Prediction - Arsenal
Chelsea V Wigan Athletic Saturday 15:00
New Chelsea manager Guss Hiddink will be looking to make it two from two as his side entertain Steve Bruce's Wigan Athletic this Saturday. Wigan on the other hand are looking for their first win in six but may have to wait at least another week before that run comes to an end as Chelsea are odds on to add another three points to their point tally.
Chelsea's season came to a sudden halt after defeats at both Old Trafford and Anfield and any chances of them regaining the Premiership title appear to have been dashed by their poor run of form and they only have themselves to blame. It has been left to Guss Hiddink to pick up the pieces and Chelsea couldn't of made a better start under his management, beating an in-form Aston Villa side 1-0 at Villa Park.
That was the blues first win in February and their first away win since their 2-0 victory at Bolton, five away fixtures ago. That result should hopefully give the Chelsea players the kick in the behind they needed and we highly fancy their chances of making it back-to-back wins in the Premiership. They have been inconsistent at home though (6-5-2) but they meet a Wigan side with very little momentum and Chelsea should have no problem adding to their woes.
Wigan are very fortunate that their best form came earlier in the season as their poor run of results could of left them in an uncomfortable position in the league table. They have had a tough fixture list since the turn of the year and have failed to win in 2009. Their last league win came seven games ago at home to Tottenham and Wigan haven't won on the road in four games.
The 'Latics' have a poor away record of 3-4-6 with their last away win coming back in December when they just managed to beat Bolton at The Reebok, 1-0. Since that result, they have failed to score a single goal on the road and have now gone 360 minutes without an away goal. That will only hinder the confidence of the Wigan forwards and we can't see their spirits being lifted after their weekend trip to Stamford Bridge.
Match Odds -
Chelsea 1/3 Stanjames
Draw 4/1 888sport
Wigan Athletic 12/1 Bet365
Prediction - Chelsea
Middlesborough V Liverpool Saturday 15:00
Middlesborough go in search of a rare win this Saturday but will have to overcome one of the title chasers as Liverpool make the relatively short trip to The Riverside stadium. Borough currently set the record for going the most games without winning and that run looks ever likely to extend as Liverpool go all out for the three points.
Middlesborough really do look like a side in serious trouble. The poor results are starting to pile up and their low team morale has led them to fall into the bottom three and have shown very little in recent matches to indicate that they might break out of the drop zone. They have now gone 14 league fixtures without a win and it would take a colossal performance from Gareth Southgate's side were they to end that this weekend.
Their last league victory came away at Aston Villa back in early November. Since that win, they have notched up just six points from 14 games and are shaping up a side that will go down. Their last win at The Riverside came all the way back in October when they beat a Man City side who haven't travelled too well this season. Although a draw would stretch their embarrassing win less run, we're pretty sure Middlesborough would settle for a point this Saturday.
Liverpool's form however is quite the opposite with the reds last defeat coming away at White Hart Lane against Tottenham, 15 league fixtures ago. Their away record this season is also very impressive at 8-4-1 and have a daunting away goal tally of 23-10. With all this in mind, it comes as no surprise that the bookies are heavily favouring Liverpool for the win.
They will have to recover from a tough mid week game with Real Madrid though. That was on Wednesday and we fully expect them to recover in time for this match. However, it will be a guessing game as to whether Steven Gerrard will feature. He has only just recovered from an thigh injury and may be rested for this trip. They cannot afford any more slip ups though with Man United already stretching their lead at the top to 7 points.
Match Odds -
Middlesborough 5/1 Skybet
Draw 13/5 Bet365
Liverpool 8/11 Stanjames
Prediction - Liverpool
Hull City V Blackburn Rovers Sunday 12:30
Hull City are another side that has lost their touch when it comes to winning in the Premiership. Their league position is still a comfortable one but any more slip ups could see them join their opponents at the foot of the table. Blackburn still occupy one of the three relegation positions and a win over Hull could see them jump right out into safety.
Hull's fantastic start to the season has set them up nicely for survival but a poor run of results has seen them fall dramatically in recent weeks. They were once flying high in fourth position but nine games without a win has seen them fall to 13th in the league table. They are now just six points above the drop and simply must win in order to maintain a healthy gap.
Predicting a home win for Hull this weekend would be brave decision and we simply haven't got the bottle. They have won just once in sixteen league fixtures but that did come at home against a hapless Middlesborough side. They have lost six of their twelve home fixtures this season and haven't won at The KC stadium in five games. With all that in mind, Hull City simply cannot be backed with any real confidence this Saturday.
Blackburn's record of twelve matches without a league win appears to have been forgotten in Lancashire but their run of four games without a win may bring back some bad memory's. They have had some tough fixtures to contend with though and we will let them off the hook and back them to end their mini-drought.
They were desperately unlucky not to have taken a point away with them from Old Trafford. Some very poor refereeing decisions let them down and it could prove costly for Rovers who are sat in the relegation zone at current. They have won just twice away from home all season and haven't won in nine away games but their performance last Saturday gave us the belief that their poor away run could come to an end at the KC stadium on Sunday.
Match Odds -
Hull City 7/4 Bet365
Draw 12/5 Skybet
Blackburn Rovers 17/10 Paddypower
Prediction - Blackburn Rovers
West Ham V Manchester City Sunday 12:30
Both these sides were looking promising a few weeks ago but some tough fixtures for the pair means both have struggled to add to their mediocre league tally of points. To be brutally honest, Manchester City have massively disappointed this season while West Ham have surpassed most people's expectations. West Ham are the narrow favourites for this match but we can't see past a stalemate at Upton Park.
West Ham's last game at Upton Park was against current league leaders Manchester United and they certainly gave a good account of themselves in front of a capacity crowd. They unfortunately couldn't bring home the goods and went down 1-0, but they put in another gutsy display and they will be very hard to beat this Saturday.
Their defeat at the weekend away the Reebok stadium to Bolton was their second consecutive league defeat and that may harm the atmosphere in the West Ham dressing room. They have been inconsistent at home this season with a record of 6-1-6 at Upton Park and despite them registering just one home draw this season, we can't split the two and will cautiously predict a draw.
Man City haven't had the best of seasons to say the least and their own personal prediction of breaking into the top four looks laughable at present. They are probably the most inconsistent side in the league and are a million miles away from those currently occupying the top four spots. They do have the money to change that though but Mark Hughes's quick fix solution doesn't appear to be working.
They have already said goodbye temporarily to Brazilian forward Jo while Robinho has only showed glimpses of the form he was in at Real Madrid. Craig Bellamy on the other hand, looks to be a fantastic signing and has already scored three goals for the blues. The City manager will be hoping he can add to his tally this Saturday in a bid to take all three points away with them for the first time since August, last year.
Match Odds -
West Ham 6/4 Bet365
Draw 12/5 Blue Square
Manchester City 19/10 Paddypower
Prediction - Draw
Bolton Wanderers V Newcastle United Sunday 13:00
Bolton are on the verge of completing just their third back-to-back win of the season this Saturday as they prepare for the arrival of Newcastle United this Sunday. It is rare nowadays to see Bolton as a firm favourite for a Premiership match but that is the case this weekend as Newcastle have struggled for positive results all season. The Reebok is the venue in what should be a tough fixture for the 'Toon'.
Like we mentioned at the start of the preview, Bolton are on the verge of a quick-fire double as far as winning games in the league go. They scraped past West Ham last Saturday and recorded their fifth home victory of the season. A win over Newcastle on Sunday would be their third straight home win in the league and would see them go further clear of those struggling at the foot of the table.
They will need yet another steely performance at The Reebok if they are to register their sixth home victory of the season. Bolton have rarely make light work in their home wins with their previous three home league victories being by a one goal margin. It has also been nine games since Bolton last drew a game at home but we wouldn't out anyone off this gamer ending in a share of the spoils.
Joe Kinnear can only look on as he recovers from a serious heart operation. His side have done OK in recent games with Newcastle remaining unbeaten in February. Their most recent result was a 0-0 draw at home to Everton. That was a creditable result for the Magpies as they had to play 45 minutes with just 10 men. They also had the clearest chance to score of the game and could possible feel a little hard done by.
That was the first time that Newcastle have failed to score at home in the league this season. It was also just their third clean sheet at St. James Park all season and it has been their poor defensive record that has let them down. They have conceded 20 goals at home and look vulnerable when under pressure. The Newcastle defence will need to up their game if they are to halt Bolton home winning wagon.
Match Odds -
Bolton Wanderers 11/10 Betfred
Draw 12/5 Skybet
Newcastle United 3/1 Bet365
Prediction - Draw
Aston Villa V Stoke City Sunday 15:00
The last of the weekends fixtures sees Aston Villa looking to bounce back from a disappointing weekend defeat and cement their claims for a Champions League finish. The visitors were victorious when they two sides met back at The Brittania Stadium and Tony Pulis will be hoping his Stoke City side can put in yet another valiant performance at Villa Park this Sunday afternoon.
Martin O'Neill was bitterly disappointed with his sides defeat at the hands of Chelsea on Saturday. Once again they bottled it against the blues and didn't really deserve to win that game. They struggled to create clear cut opportunities while they looked over roared in the midfield. All the villa fans are expecting a top four finish from their team now but they won;t be seeing Champions League football if Villa perform like they did last Saturday.
That defeat did end Villa's unbeaten run in the league of thirteen games but we expect them to return back to winning ways against a Stoke side that haven't won away all season. Villa also have a decent home record of 5-6-2 with our only criticism of the team being their habit of drawing too many fixtures at home. A slight doubt over Aston Villa will be the absence of pacey winger Ashley Young in mid-week. Should he return then Villa would stand a good chance of securing victory.
Stoke were just minutes away from securing a rare win in the league over Portsmouth but an own goal meant they had to settle for just a point at The Brittania stadium. That result will be morale crushing for the Stoke camp who have won just six games all season. Every one of those six victories came at home and Stoke have struggled to pick up points on their travels this term.
Stoke away record of 0-3-10 is atrocious and the worst in the league at current. Only Fulham can boast the unwanted record of having not won away from home along with Stoke City. Fulham have however managed more draws then defeats away from home and it could be Stoke's poor away form that lets them down come the end of the season.
Match Odds -
Aston Villa 2/5 Bet365
Draw 7/2 Skybet
Stoke City 8/1 Paddypower
Prediction - Aston VillaLabels: premier-league-betting, premier-league-preview, premiership-betting, premiership-preview
Posted by soccerbetting.info @ 10:03 AM
 
<< Home
| 
