Football Betting Previews

Premiership Preview by Matthew Chapple (4-5 April 2009) (Thursday, April 02, 2009)

Premiership Previews - April 4th - 5th Arsenal V Manchester City Saturday 15:00 Revenge will be the message sent out to the Arsenal players as they look to make amends for their humiliating 3-0 defeat back at The City of Manchester stadium earlier in the season. That was Arsenal's worst performance this season by a country mile. We expect Arsene Wenger to get his side in tip top shape ahead of this crucial game and they should come away with three hard earner points as City have been drastic away from home. The current Premiership season hasn't been a pleasant one for Arsene Wenger and Arsenal, who are now left just with a battle for the final fourth champions league spot. That simply isn't good enough for a side that has consistently been battling for the title up until the final games of the season in previous years. They are 10 points a drift of United and it would take a miracle for them to re-join the title race. Arsenal have shown small signs of improvement though in recent weeks, winning three straight games in the Premiership. Albeit against lesser sides but they will take wins by any means necessary right now. The Gunners last home fixture was a satisfactory one with Arsenal cruising to a 4-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers. They then followed it up with a 3-1 win away at Newcastle meaning that Arsenal have now scored 7 in two games and that should increase after the weekend is out. Mark Hughes has the tough task of securing a massive win away at The Emirates. His City side have one of the poorer away records in the league and have won just once away from home all season. That was back in August last year and City have now gone 13 matches without a single away victory. That is appalling for a side that set their benchmark at a Champions League spot before the season started. The main reason for City's poor away form has been their poor defensive record on the road. They have conceded 25 away goals in total and kept just the one away clean sheet. It doesn't help that City are only averaging one goal every away game and have now gone 180 minutes of football without an away goal. This should be pretty straightforward for Arsenal. Match Odds - Arsenal 4/7 Bet365 Draw 3/1 Coral Manchester City 13/2 Boylesports Prediction - Arsenal Blackburn Rovers V Tottenham Hotspur Saturday 12:45 The weekends early kick-off sees Blackburn entertain Tottenham in what looks a relegation showdown. Tottenham have shown improved form of late and look to be climbing towards safety while Blackburn are still left stranded in 17th position. Both sides desperately need the win to boost their survival bid but you can't help but feel that Blackburn may want it that little bit more. Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce is fully aware of that mammoth task he and his side have if they are to avoid relegation. His team are currently breathing clean air but a defeat at home to Spurs this Saturday could see them drop back into the red zone as Rovers are hovering above the relegation zone. Ewood Park hasn't been a happy hunting ground for Blackburn with Rovers earning just 18 points at home this season. They also have just three home wins to their name and haven't won at Ewood Park since the middle of January, five home fixtures ago. That was against a hapless Newcastle United and their weekend match with Tottenham will be a much tougher challenge for Big Sam's team. Tottenham appear to have found another gear in the Premiership with manager Harry Redknapp guiding his side to four wins from five. That does include a very impressive win at home against title chasing Chelsea so credit where it's due. That was their second win on the bounce in the league after they secured three vital points away at Villa Park. Those two games were Tottenham's best results and certainly two of the best performances of the season and were they to continue that form, they could be very hard to beat. Harry will probably go with Robbie Keane up front but Roman Pavlyuchenko scored for Russia at the weekend so he might enter into Redknapp's plans although it does appear that Harry doesn't rate the Russian forward too highly. Ledley King wasn't selected for England so should be fresh enough for this game but still has a lingering injury. Match Odds - Blackburn Rovers 7/4 Boylesports Draw 7/4 SkyBet Tottenham Hostpur 7/4 Bet365 Prediction - Blackburn Rovers Bolton Wanderers V Middlesborough Saturday 15:00 This fixture has all the makings of a crappy affair as Bolton play host to Gareth Southgate's struggling Middlesborough side this Saturday afternoon. The pair are battling for their lives in the bottom half of the table and this is potentially a six pointer. Both sides need the win but with neither striking a winning run, who will come out on top at The Reebok stadium? Our hard earned cash won't be going anywhere near this fixture. Bolton would be the narrow favourites but only via home advantage. They have been disastrous in their recent league games despite playing some average sides. They succumbed to back-to-back defeats when they lost 2-0 at Stoke City and then 3-1 at home to Fulham. They then followed those two poor results up with a dyer 1-1 draw with a doomed West Brom side. If they can't beat Wets Brom, who can they beat? Bolton did look to be on there way to safety with their two wins in February, but it has gone to pot's since and Bolton now find themselves just five points above the drop zone. Defeat could see them dragged straight back into a survival battle. Their home form this season is half decent at 6-2-7 and if they are to stay up for another season, they will need to win the vast majority of their remaining home fixtures. You can only feel for Gareth Southgate who really does have the hardest job in the Premiership at current. His Middlesborough side are probably the dullest side to watch, ever! They have scored just 21 goals all season and that is an appalling statistic for a side that was in Europe a few seasons back. The likes of Alfonso Alves ad Tuncay really need to show their worth and buck their ideas up in front of goal. Boro haven't travelled too well this season, winning just twice away from the Riverside this term. The last was a 2-1 victory at Villa Park, all the way back in November last year. Their win less away run now stretches back eight games but this is actually a game they could win. Bolton haven't been playing well and it won't take much to beat them in our opinion. Match Odds - Bolton Wanderers 28/25 CanBet Draw 12/5 PaddyPower Middlesborough 3/1 VCBet Prediction - Middlesborough Fulham V Liverpool Saturday 15:00 A huge match for Liverpool as they look to pile the pressure on United who play 24 hours later. Were they to win at Craven Cottage, they would temporally go top. You don't need much more of an incentive then that and we fully expect the reds to come out of the blocks fast. Fulham are no mugs though, Manchester United already found that out when they lost 2-0 just before the International break so this will be a tricky match for Liverpool. Roy Hodgeson has done a tremendous job at Fulham this year especially as many pundits predicted that the Cottagers would go down this season, but not only have they secured yet another year in the Premiership, they are now on the verge of booking a place in the Europa cup next season. Something that looked impossible at the start of the calendar year. They are in fine form and will be buoyed by their 2-0 home win over league leaders United. They did however do their match day opponents a big favour and that could work against them as Liverpool will now be raring to go for this fixture. Fulham do hold all the caes though after they held Liverpool to a 0-0 draw back at Anfield but this time we fancy Roy Hodgeson to go for the kill with the home fans aiming to rally them home. As a Liverpool fan, i can honestly say that I'm not particularly looking forward to this tough away fixture. Fulham have always been a difficult side to play against, especially at their beloved Craven Cottage. Both Arsenal and Man Utd have been embarrassed at the Cottage while Chelsea were held to a 2-2 draw so Liverpool cannot underestimate their London opponents. Rafeal Benitez's side are in scintillating form though and it would be very hard to oppose them in the form they are in. They outclassed their bitter rivals Man Utd 4-1 at Old Trafford while they thumped Aston Villa 5-0 at Anfield before the International break. The Liverpool of old would have bottled it by now but this new look side really does look up for every match. I just hope they start this fixture in the same manner as their two previous league games. Match Odds - Fulham 21/4 Centrebet Draw 11/4 Bet365 Liverpool 4/6 BetFred Prediction - Liverpool Newcastle United V Chelsea Saturday 15:00 This really does look pretty straightforward for Guss Hiddinks's Chelsea with Newcastle playing some of their poorest football for some time. Everyone looks forward to playing the Toon nowadays but you still have to beat what's put in front of you as Chelsea learnt the hard way when they lost 1-0 at White Hart Lane a fortnight ago. Could another upset be on the cards? Somehow, we doubt it. Newcastle really do look a club in serious trouble. A club of it's stature should at least be pushing for a European finish but off pitch chaos has seen poor results pile up and now they have to battle just for their Premiership status. Some of their recent performance would indicate that they are going one way, and that's down to The Championship. Relegation could ruin a club like Newcastle and owner Mike Ashley has already hinted that he may put the club into administration were they to fail in their bid to attain Premiership status. It sounds like he is almost conceding defeat and we don't blame him. Newcastle have looked terrible in recent weeks and it is hard to see where their next win may come from. Their defence looks a leaky as ever and Chelsea should find their goal with ease this Saturday. When you're chasing the title and desperate for wins, all you need is some easy fixtures and Chelsea won't get many easier then this away fixture with Newcastle. They are facing a side that hasn't won any of their previous six home games and a defence that can ship plenty of goals. The Chelsea players must be licking their lips at the prospect of facing a hapless Newcastle team. Football wouldn't be football without is unpredictability factor but it really would be a surprise were Chelsea not to come away with all three points. Chelsea did lose their previous away game to local rivals Tottenham and yes, they were very poor in that game but i just can't see Chelsea dropping any points this Saturday. They keep it lean at the back while look dangerous going forward, i can't see how Newcastle can contend with all Chelsea fire-power. Match Odds - Newcastle United 19/4 Centrebet Draw 11/4 SkyBet Chelsea 18/25 CanBet Prediction - Chelsea West Ham V Sunderland Saturday 15:00 Two sides who are desperate to get back into winning ways Ricky Sbragia takes his Sunderland side down to London where West ham lye in waiting at Upton park. The Hammer's fans should provide us with a good atmosphere but it will be the Sunderland fans with the bigger expectations with the club flirting with relegation. Gianfranco Zola may have guided his side to 8th in the table and sent them on a run of four matches unbeaten, but their recent performances in the league have hardly set the world a lite and that will concern the Italian manager. They were very ordinary at home to a poor West Brom side a few weeks back while they were very fortunate to take a point in their trip to Ewood Park a fortnight ago so improvements are needed before their fortunes can change for the better. West ham have been from untouchable at home this season and the Hammers have lost six of their fifth-teen home fixtures and a big concern is the percentage of games they have failed to score in at home. 40% of their home games has seen no goals from West Ham and with Carlton Cole a big doubt for this fixture, this could be another dull game in front of goal for The Hammers. Since Sunderland's 2-0 home win over Stoke City back at the beginning of February, Sunderland have failed to win. That is now five games Sunderland have failed to register a win in and that has seen their rather cosy league position turn into a rather precarious one. They are currently sat in 14th position but are just three points above the drop zone. A win on Saturday could change all that though but The Black Cats have shown very little of late to indicate that they might win at Upton park this Saturday. They have won just three away all season and we can't help but feel that a draw maybe the best they can achieve. Match Odds - West Ham 6/5 Bet365 Draw 12/5 Boylesports Sunderland 3/1 Bet365 Prediction - Draw West Brom V Stoke City Saturday 15:00 Another bottom of the table clash as West Brom look to secure another great escape but firstly have to overcome Tony Pulis's Stoke City side. Stoke have been a tough side to play against this season but if West Brom are to reignite their survival campaign, they have to win this game as it one of just a rare few that is actually 'winnable' for the Baggies. It's pretty simple for Tony Mowbray's team. Win this and the big escape is still on, lose it and they can pretty much sit back and wait for The next Championship season to arrive. They are now seven points adrift of safety so another win less game would almost seal their fate. The Baggies have surprisingly been made 5/4 favourites with Boylesports but we can't for the life of us see why. It was nine games ago when West Brom last won a game in the Premiership. A run that includes three defeats and one draw at The Hawthorns. That is pathetic for a side that desperately needs wins to stay up. They are shipping ,on average - 1.83 goals a game so they are hardly 'backing' material. Stoke have surpassed many people expectations for the season and have given themselves a good chance of securing another season in the Premiership. They do still have a right on their hands but for the time being, they are on safe ground in 16th position. They are however just three points above Newcastle in 18th so they can ill afford any slip ups. Tony Pulis has made Stoke a very resilient side and many of the better sides in the league have found them a very difficult side to get the better of. They use their strength and aerial prowess to their advantage and we expect them to use similar tactics this Saturday. Expect a lot on long balls and some hefty long throws from Rory Delap. They have been prolific from set pieces and it would come as no surprise were they to score from another on Saturday. Match Odds - West Brom 5/4 SkyBet Draw 9/4 Bet365 Stoke City 13/5 Coral Prediction - Stoke City Hull City V Portsmouth Saturday 15:00 One of the biggest games of the season for both sides involved with the winner taking a huge step towards another year of Premiership football and all the financial rewards that come with it. Defeat for either side could be fatal with both clubs in a tug-of-war battle for survival. Portsmouth sold their allocation for this game so will they be able to out-cheer the home fans and urge their team home to victory? Hull City appeared to have another season in the Premiership reserved a long time ago after their impressive start to the season. They were once flying high in fourth position but their season has taken a huge detour after winning just two of their previous twenty-one league fixtures. That luxurious fourth has now turned into an ugly 13th and Hull are now just four points above safety. Just three of Hull's eight league victories have come at The KC stadium so it is clear that the players are finding it hard to handle the pressure and meet the high expectations of the home crowd. It has been seven games since they last won at home with Hull losing five of their last seven home games. That is a disastrous run and we find it hard to back a Hull side which is obviously lacking in confidence. Portsmouth themselves were once occupying a European spot and looked to have solid claims for securing a birth into next season Europa cup. The departure of former manager Harry Redknapp seen all those dreams come to have halt and Portsmouth now have to concentrate on the dyer situation they have now got themselves in. Pompey's season have shown signs of improving after picking up eight points from their last five league games. Their win over an in form Everton has given the players a boost and they are now on the verge of securing their first back-to-back wins since September last year. They won't have many easier fixtures to do so and we fancy them to get the better of an out-of-sorts Hull side. Match Odds - Hull City 44/27 Bet365 Draw 9/4 Bet365 Portsmouth 9/5 PaddyPower Prediction - Portsmouth Everton V Wigan Athletic Sunday 15:00 Two sides who are battling it out for a European finish go head-to-head this Sunday in what looks a hard game to call. Goodison Park has been a happy hunting ground for Everton in recent games so they just get the nod with the home crown behind them urging them forward. Wigan won't make things easier for their opponents though so Everton will need to pull out all the stops if they are to carry on their bid for a Champions League finish. Not many would have predicted that the big four pecking order would be turned upside down but that has a slight chance of happening this season with both Everton and Aston Villa in the hunt for that elusive fourth place finish. Everton did appear to have all the momentum heading into the final few fixtures but their defeat away at Portsmouth could be a massive stumbling block for David Moyes' and his squad. That 2-1 defeat at Fratton park was their first since they lost 1-0 away at Manchester United, seven games back. They have now dropped down to sixth and have allowed Arsenal to go seven points clear of them. They won't be giving up without a fight though and we expect them to come away with all three points this Saturday but it certainly won't be easy. Steve Bruce has already done what was asked of him and that was to secure yet another season in the Premiership. Anything else will now be a bonus but The Latics are now just a few games away from booking a place in next season reformed UEFA Cup, know the Europa Cup. All they need to do is keep hold of their seventh spot but will have to fend of the challenges of Fulham, Man City and Tottenham Hotspur. At time, Wigan have been superb this season. They have consistently been a difficult side to beat and that has enabled them to compete with the bigger clubs in the Country. It's very rare that you see Wigan on the end of a hammering and we fancy Wigan to give a good account of themselves against Everton at the weekend. They are on a run of two straight wins and should have plenty of confidence going into this tough away fixture. Match Odds - Everton 3/4 VCBet Draw 11/4 Ladbrokes Wigan Athletic 9/2 Bet365 Prediction - Everton Manchester United V Aston Villa Sunday 16:00 Manchester United looked to have the title well and truly wrapped upped a few weeks ago but my what a few defeats does to a club. Their seven point lead at the top has now diminished and their lead at the top has now been cut down to a single point but they do have a game in hand over the chasing pack. Villa have also seen their hopes of Champions League football dashed with some poor results so both sides are looking to recapture some of their old form. Should be an interesting game, live on SkySports. Several of United's key players have been quick to dismiss talks of rifts between the players and staff although Wayne Rooney and Sir Alex have been rumoured to have fallen out after their humbling by Liverpool a few weeks back and it was evident after their 2-0 away defeat against Fulham that the cracks are starting to appear in the United dressing room. You don't often see United fall to two straight defeats in the league and it will be interesting to see how they respond this weekend. Every side suffers blips once in a while, it's just a case of how well they recover and this is a crucial game for the current Premiership champions if they want to maintain a healthy gap over the chasers. With United having a superb home record this season of 12-1-1, and with Aston Villa putting in some lacklustre performance of late, this should be another straightforward home win for United despite how much it kills me to say it. They will need to put any off pitch disagreements to one side and come together as a team if they are to bounce back to winning ways. Martin O'Neill is being heavily criticised for some of his management decisions after he decided to forfeit the UEFA Cup for this season and concentrate on securing a fourth place finish. They have now thrown away a comfortable point margin after going five games without victory with O'Neill's side losing three consecutive games. Their most recent was their biggest defeat of the season when they went down 5-0 away at Liverpool. They were quite simply outclassed in every department and you can't help but think that Villa's chances of sneaking a fourth place finish has now been and gone. Their five match win less run does contain four defeats but Villa have had some tough fixtures against Liverpool, Tottenham, Man City and Chelsea. Their only point in five games came in a 2-2 draw at home with Stoke City. A game they were expected to win comfortably but a late capitulation seen them drop two valuable points at Villa Park. Villa have yet to draw an away fixture this season and it's hard to envisage them winning at Old Trafford so a United win is the only logical prediction, unfortunately. Match Odds - Manchester United 1/3 Bet365 Draw 7/2 Boylesports Aston Villa 8/1 VCbet Prediction - Manchester United Labels: premier league betting, premier league preview, premiership betting, premiership preview Posted by soccerbetting.info @ 10:35 AM << Home