Football Betting Previews

Premiership Preview by Matthew Chapple (24 May 2009) (Friday, May 22, 2009)

Premiership Previews 24th May Arsenal V Stoke City - Sunday 16:00 With Arsenal now assured of a fourth place finish and Stoke certain of a spot in next years Premiership campaign. This has become slightly a nothing game for both sides but that doesn't necessarily mean this will be a dull affair at The Emirates. Both sides can now play with a degree of freedom with the pressure shackles now off and with that in mind, we can see both sides giving us an entertaining game this Sunday. Arsene Wenger is still refusing to bin his youth policy and spend big this summer. It's pretty clear that the fans are now fed up of another seasons without any silverware, this will be their fourth consecutive season without winning any trophy's and it's unsurprising that the loyal fans have started to become tiresome with Wenger's view of the transfer market. However, although Wenger is tight with cash, he did splash out in January with the purchase of Andrei Arshavin who appears to be a revelation at the club. The Russian international brings not only pace and skill to the table but also a whole new form of attack for Arsenal. He can torment any full-back on any given day and Ryan Shawcross will need to brace himself for what could be a hard day at work. Tony Pulis has come in for a lot of praise recently, unlike some of his compatriots who still have a lot of unsolved issues regarding their Premiership status. He had survival wrapped up several weeks ago and although a win would push Stoke City into the upper half of the table. A draw at The Emirates would still be a very creditable result and that certainly isn't out of the question after winning two successive fixtures. Wins over struggling Hull City and misfiring Wigan has seen Stoke rise to 11th in the table and whatever happens on Sunday, Tony Pulis will still come out of this season a winner along with the entire Stoke squad after a remarkable season. Stoke caused Arsenal lots of problems in the reverse fixture back at The Brittania Stadium last November, but you would expect Arsenal to put in a much better shift back at The Emirates and we think Arsene Wenger's kids could be too strong for a powerful Stoke side. It's been a poor season for Arsenal by their own very high standards and only a win at home on the final day of the season is acceptable in a bid to repay some of the faith the fans have shown towards their club this term. Arsenal win for us at very generous odds. Match Odds - Arsenal 2/5 SkyBet Draw 4/1 Bet365 Stoke City 9/1 Expekt SoccerBetting Tip - Arsenal to WIN at 2/5 - SkyBet Aston Villa V Newcastle United - Sunday 16:00 This fixture will undoubtedly attract a fair few neutral spectators as two sides with only winning the game in mind go head-to-head at Villa Park this Sunday afternoon. Although Aston Villa would love to secure a fifth place finish, the pressure to win will firmly rest on the shoulders of Newcastle and more importantly, on Alan Shearer. The Magpies recent defeat against Fulham has seen their bid for survival hang by a thread and this will be the biggest Premiership fixture in Newcastle's history. This is certainly a game you cannot afford to miss and it's live on SkySports this Sunday. Both Martin O'Neill and David Moyes have expressed their feelings about how much they want to finish in fifth position and only a win will do for Villa with Everton's win over the weekend pushing them above Villa into fifth. Although the arrival of a battling Newcastle side may bring about a lot of market support for the away side, we actually think Villa have a decent shout of nailing down all three points in this fixture. O'Neill's side shown us all at the weekend when they travelled to The Riverside that they could carve out opportunity's and if they more clinical in the final third, could of won at a cantor. They will certainly get several chances in this fixture and providing Agbonlahor and John Carew get their shooting boots on, Villa should enjoy themselves in front of the Newcastle goal. To say this fixture is big for Newcastle would be a massive understatement. It literally is make or break for the club on Tyneside. Defeat at Villa Park could potentially destroy a club who were once striving for Premiership success. The most daunting factor about this fixture is that the Newcastle team could produce the performance of their lives and still not survive the drop. Their home defeat at the hands of Fulham last Saturday meant Newcastle now have no control over their fate. Even if they were to smash Villa off the park, which is highly unlikely. They would still need Manchester United to do them a favour against Hull City at The KC stadium. Alan Shearer can ill-afford to let that thought slip into his players minds though and he must ensure that his squad do their part in order to leave themselves with some sort of chance of avoiding the chop. This fixture has so much riding on it that i find it hard to justify anyone's decision to go lumping on either side. Newcastle desperately want and need all three points but their performances of late would indicate that they have no chance. For Shearer's sake i will be a proud member of the 'Toon Army' but I'm not too optimistic. I would be surprised if Villa didn't breach Steve Harper's goal and while i do want Newcastle to win, i'll play kinda safe by backing each side to score. Match Odds - Aston Villa 6/4 Boylesports Draw 5/2 PaddyPower Newcastle United 9/5 PaddyPower SoccerBetting Tip - Both Teams to Score at 4/6 - Bet365 Blackburn Rovers V West Brom - Sunday 16:00 Another fixture with very little at stake as West Brom aim to sign out of the Premiership in style and beat an unconvincing Blackburn Rovers. Sam Allardyce has done very well to guide Blackburn into safety and he can now look forward to what he hopes will be a busy summer. The same can't be said for his opposite number. West Brom are the first side to be relegated after their home defeat at the weekend and Tony Mowbray's team will be hoping to leave a lasting impression on the Premiership before they wave goodbye once again. The objective for Blackburn at the start of the season was to challenge for one of the European places. Paul Ince was left with the job of guiding the side into European contention but it didn't take long before their priority's suddenly changed. A terrible start which once peaked at eleven games without a win did leave Blackburn in dire straights. Luckily for Blackburn fans, Paul Ince was given his marching orders and Sam Allardyce was his replacement. That risky decision from the board did eventually pay off with Blackburn just managing to avoid a last day fight for survival but they have still been well below par compared to previous seasons and 'Big Sam' will now have all summer to plan for next season in what Blackburn fans hope will be less nerve racking then the one they've had to endure this year. It was sad and somewhat bitter news that their defeat at home to Liverpool last Sunday did end their dreams of pulling off 'The Great Escape'. In the opinion of a Liverpool fan - I honestly thought West Brom were somewhat hard done by. They really could and probably should have gotten something from that game. They had countless amount of chances but like they have done all season, they've struggled to convert them. What hurts worse is that they were duly punished at the other end and despite the pretty football 'The Baggies' are well known for. It's all insignificant if you cannot win games. Their performance on Sunday was one of great spirit and fighting determination and with that wehighly rate the chances of West Brom making an immediate return to where some 'Baggie' fans feel they belong. Blackburn were outclassed at Stamford Bridge last Sunday and were somewhat fortunate to have escaped with a 2-0 defeat. However, their poor performances on the road aren't repeated at home and Rovers have won three on the bounce at Ewood Park and haven't lost in five home fixtures. West Brom performed valiantly last weekend but they had the advantage of having a capacity crowd cheering them on. They won't have that this weekend and it's really hard for us to oppose Blackburn this Sunday despite Blackburn shading odds-on. Match Odds - Blackburn 10/11 WilliamHill Draw 5/2 SkyBet Blackburn Rovers 15/4 BlueSquare SoccerBetting Tip - Blackburn to WIN to NIL at 5/2 - BlueSquare Fulham V Everton - Sunday 16:00 Fulham can get their first taste of what it's like to face a side capable of competing against some of the best in Europe as they welcome Everton to Craven Cottage for their last game of the season. Everton have already booked their place in the Europa League next season and with Fulham currently occupying the final Europa berth. They will be hoping to nail down seventh spot and guarantee a rare taste of European football for their fans. Funnily enough, despite Everton notching up seven more points then Fulham thus far, it is the side from London who prepare for this fixture with the better form. Roy Hodgeson's side has won five of their last eight league games and did manage to register back-to-back wins with their rather fortunate 1-0 away win at Newcastle. Not only is their overall form impressive but their performances at home have been phenomenal. Eleven wins from eighteen home fixtures has seen Fulham boast the fifth best home record in the league and that's something Everton will need to be wary of as they head into a tough final fixture. David Moyes is another manager that has come in for plenty of praise this season. Despite a distinct lack of funds and several injuries to some of their more influential players, Moyes has consistently got the best of what he has available to him and he is certainly one of many stand out managers this season. The simple fact that Everton have regained a place in Europe is an achievement in itself but to make it all the way to an FA Cup final is a feat any manager would envy. With that said, David Moyes will of course have one eye on that final on 30th May and he could be tempted to rest a few players in a bid to avoid any more injury setbacks. He has reiterated his desire to nail down a fifth place finish though so don't expect David Moyes to go easy on Fulham. We think this will be a very tight game at Craven Cottage. Only a few have escaped the Cottage with all three points and despite Everton's ambitions to finish in fifth position, we still fancy Roy Hodgeson and Fulham to come out with the goods. Fulham only realistically need a draw to secure a seventh place finish and this game could very well end in a stalemate between two of the most improved sides in the Premiership. Match Odds - Fulham 6/5 VCBet Draw 12/5 SkyBet Everton 11/4 SkyBet SoccerBetting Tip - Correct Score 2-2 at 16/1 - SportingBet Hull City V Manchester United - Sunday 16:00 This is another game which will attract plenty of watchers as it heavily reflects what is one of the tightest relegation battles for some time. For the first time in a long while, United will have plenty of supporters, especially on Tyneside. A win for 'The Red Devils' could leave Hull vulnerable to relegation while a win for Hull would see them certain of another season in the top flight. One team with everything to play for while the other is playing for fun. Should only be one winner but with Hull's recent performances, we wouldn't be too confident in Phil brown's side. In what looked a dream start could now turn into a nightmare of a finish. Hull were sat cosily in sixth position at Christmas but a dreadful 2009 has seen Hull enter free-fall mode and they now have a real fight on their hands just to survive. It is pretty simple for Phil Brown's side though. A win would be enough to guarantee another year in the Premiership and while a draw might be enough, they can only concentrate on picking up all three points as they can ill-afford to leave anything down to fate. The omens aren't good for Hull though. The 'Tigers' are without a win in nine games and have five defeats from their last six outings. They've picked up just eight points since the turn of the year and although Hull did produce one their finest performances of the season at Old Trafford when they valiantly went down 4-3 losers. They would need to match that display and probably then some if they are to beat what could be a weakened United side. With the title now wrapped up, United can now afford to rest some of their key players ahead of their Champions League final against Barcelona next week. That's awful news for the likes of Newcastle and Middlesborough but fantastic for their match day opponents Hull. However, although Sir Alex will probably rest a fair few first team players. Everyone,especially Phil Brown will know United still have some decent fringe players capable of beating most Premiership sides. Danny Welbeck, Darron Gibson and Macheda are just a few of the youngsters Sir Alex may go with and all have been tried and tested at this level this season. The players themselves will see this game as the perfect opportunity to get their names into Sir Alex's plans ahead of the Champions League final and we expect the youngsters to give hapless Hull a fair few problems. This is one match i can't see ending 0-0. Hull will be going all out for the win while United can play without the added pressure of trying to win the title and we fancy this game to produce a fair amount of goals. Hull have failed to keep a single clean sheet in their previous six league outings and United look good value to put a few more past Hull keeper Boaz Myhill. Get on United to score two or more at The KC stadium at tasty odds. Match Odds - Hull City 2/1 888sport Draw 13/5 BlueSquare Manchester United 7/5 VCBet SoccerBetting Tip - Manchester United to Score TWO OR MORE at Evens - PaddyPower Liverpool V Tottenham Hotspur - Sunday 16:00 With the dream of winning the title now dead in the water. A frustrated Liverpool go in search of a victory that would at least leave their fans celebrating their 25th win of the season but to do so they will need to see off an improving Tottenham side. Although the fans will be very disappointed that the league crown won't be heading back to Merseyside we still expect a fabulous atmosphere at Anfield as the fans prepare to cheer on their side for one last time this season. Liverpool's frustrations at not winning the league title was there for all to see on Sunday at The Hawthorns. Not only was Gerrard's goal midway through the first half celebrated in minimal effort but the bust-up between Alvaro Arbeloa and Jamie Carragher simply emphasised how bitterly disappointing and in some cases the pain of not winning the title felt to the players. However, although they didn't go all the way this season there is certainly huge signs of improvement from Liverpool and they look a very good bet to do the business next season. I mean, they didn't lose to any of the 'Big Four' and did actually complete league doubles over both Manchester United and Chelsea so they are obviously doing something right. A win this Sunday wouldn't put the loss of the title to bed but it would go some way to mending a few broken hearts on Merseyside. Just like Liverpool, I'm sure Tottenham cannot wait for the next season to come around. This season wasn't a pleasant one for everyone involved at Tottenham but also like Liverpool, there is certainly signs of improvement and a lot of potential. For Tottenham it was a case of two half's. The first half of the season was dire and at one stage, Tottenham looked a good bet for the drop. Out went Juande Ramos and in came Harry Redknapp and he has been a revelation since his arrival. Not only has he took Spurs well away from the bottom three but he has always regained some of the pride Spurs had lost in the early part of the season. Eight wins from their last twelve fixtures just highlights what an amazing job Harry has done at the club and although a win for Spurs maybe a bit adventurous, that's what they need if they do have expectations of playing in Europe next season. The main talking point with this match will be the return of Robbie Keane who endured a short spell at Liverpool earlier in the season. The fans certainly won't be holding a grudge but that may well change if the Republic of Ireland international finds himself in the goals. He scored twice in this fixture last season and although he didn't enjoy himself when he was a player at Liverpool. He will be trying his utmost to be a nuisance this Sunday. Fernando Torres was the saviour that day and with him well overdue a goal - We will stick our pounds on him opening the scoring. Match Odds - Liverpool 4/7 PaddyPower Draw 3/1 Bet365 Tottenham Hotspur 6/1 SkyBet SoccerBetting Tip - Fernando Torres First Goal Scorer at 9/2 - Coral Manchester City V Bolton Wanderers - Sunday 16:00 With European football now out of the equation for Mark Hughes and Manchester City, the objective now will be to cement a top ten finish and one last victory in front of a home crowd would be enough to ensure City of that. Bolton on the other hand can only end the season in 12th position at best but with their drastic away performances this season, we will side with the side in sky-blue to get the job done on the last day of the season. Although there is a lot of work to be done at Man City over the summer, the new owners have laid down the law and said that they will not be spending heavily in the next few months. Mark Hughes will of course have some funds at his disposal but he may well have to sell a fair few if he wants to land yet another big name during the summer. It will be nervy times for the players at the club with several expected to lose their starting berth with a new crop of players expected. However, there will be a few that have earned their right to stay at the club. Robinho, Sean Wright-Philips, Stephen Ireland and possibly even Craig Bellamy when he's fit. There is however a lot of drift wood and that has cost them this season. They have kept their impressive record at home in tact though with twelve of their fourteen victories coming at The City of Manchester stadium this term but they will need to make vast improvements on their travels if they are to compete with the very best in England next season. Whereas the future does look bright for City with their new wealthy owners. The same can't be said for Bolton who appear to have another quiet summer in the transfer market ahead. Bolton have never been a club who spends freely in the windows and the task for Gary Megson this summer will be to grab a few bargains. He needs to be a shrewd businessmen as he looks to bolster his small squad ahead of the next campaign. Fortunately for Bolton, they can look forward to next year as they avoided a last day dogfight for survival. Their Premiership status wasn't wrapped up in spectacular fashion though. Despite a dreadful run of six games without a win, their four successive draws was enough to earn them a spot in next seasons Premiership. When you consider that Manchester City have been pretty formidable at home this term and Bolton have been drastic on the road then the odds of ¾ on City to win their final game of the season on home soil does look very attractive. City have won back-to-back games at home with wins over Blackburn Rovers and West Brom while Bolton have gone eleven away games without a single win. Both sets of players may have one eye on their holidays but i will take a big piece of the value available on a City win. City have also scored seven in their last two home fixtures and we like the odds on the team in blue notching up a few more in this fixture. Match Odds - Manchester City ¾ BlueSquare Draw 13/5 Bet365 Bolton Wanderers 4/1 SkyBet SoccerBetting Tip - Manchester City to Score THREE OR MORE at 21/10 - SkyBet Sunderland V Chelsea - Sunday 16:00 Chelsea failed to make an impression on the title this season but they could potentially have a big say on the fight for relegation as they travel up North to take on Sunderland. The home side only need a draw to realistically avoid the drop but to be sure they will need to beat Guus Hiddink's side which is easier said then done. A difficult season could come to an abrupt end were Sunderland to suffer defeat at home to Chelsea and if other results go against them. It's a long shot though and we can't see Sunderland going down now despite yet another defeat away at Portsmouth on their last outing. Not only was that their 19th defeat of the season but it was also their ninth defeat in eleven games. That's shockingly bad form and were it not for those below them also struggling, they could find themselves in a more precarious position. The more worrying factor for any Sunderland fan is their lack of victory's in the league this term. Just nine of their 37 fixtures have finished in success for 'The Black Cats' and a lot of work needs to be done over the summer to get Sunderland back to winning games. In what looked to be an exciting end to season has now turned sour for Chelsea. They struggled to keep up with United in the chase for the title and their semi-final defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League will still be hurting to this very day. However, Guss and the team can look forward to an FA Cup final in ten days time. They face Everton at Wembley and Guss Hiddink will see this game as the perfect opportunity to test a few tactics and possibly players. However, just because Chelsea have a final just over the horizon don't go assuming they will field a weakened side. This is Hiddink's last league game and not only will he want to sign off in style but the players also will want to give him the farewell he deserves. I expect Hiddink to start a very strong side capable of running rings around Sunderland and they look huge to us. Chelsea at over evens, against a hapless Sunderland side? You must be mad! Like i said above; i expect Hiddink to go with a very strong side from the outset in a bid to win the game and leave the Chelsea fans with a lasting impression. The players will have ten days to rest before the final and despite Sunderland needing a result to nail down their Premiership status. We can't see past an away win at luxurious odds. Match Odds - Sunderland 3/1 Coral Draw 13/5 BlueSquare Chelsea 20/19 Expekt SoccerBetting Tip - Chelsea to WIN at 20/19 - Expekt West Ham V Middlesborough - Sunday 16:00 It's now crunch time for Gareth Southgate and Middlesborough as they head down to the capital where they face Gianfranco Zola and his West ham side at Upton Park. Not only will Borough have to better the 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture back at The Riverside earlier in the season but they will also need to win by a big margin. It really does look like Everest for Southgate and his side but they will nevertheless give it a go and it should be an entertaining game. Unlike their opponents, West Ham now have nothing on the line as they head into the final set of fixtures. Two straight defeats to the pair from Merseyside has put to bed any chance they had of securing European football for the fans. They lost in a comprehensive manner at home to Liverpool a fortnight ago losing 3-0 and Everton added to their misery by putting another three goals past them winning 3-1 at Goodison. The Hammers now find themselves too far away from seventh placed Fulham and this is their last opportunity to repay the fans for their loyal support throughout the season. Eight of their thirteen wins this term have come at home and they have another great chance of adding to that tally with the visit of Middlesborough. Not only do Middlesborough need to win but they also have to pray that other results go their way. Either way, we think they are well and truly doomed. To add to their problems they also need to register probably their most convincing win of the season as they would need to overhaul Hull's goal difference even if results did go in their favour. The signs aren't good for Southgate and his team though. Their best chance of defying the drop did appear to lye at home in their previous game but the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa now leaves them with too much to do in our brutal opinion. They have won just one of their last six games and have just two wins since the turn of the year. That's simply pathetic and I'm afraid to say it's goodbye for poor old Middlesborough. This was the hardest game for us to pick a bet in. We can't see Middlesborough winning however much we want them to. We will instead look towards Tuncay to inspire a lack lustred Middlesborough. He scored one of the goals of the season last weekend and the Beckham of Turkey can do us and his side a favour by doing something similar this weekend. He has notched up seven goals in the league this season and he is embarrassingly Middlesborough's top goalscorer. We will back him small to get in the goals once more at decent odds. Match Odds - West Ham 11/8 Stanjames Draw 5/2 Ladbrokes Middlesborough 2/1 WilliamHill SoccerBetting Tip - Tuncay Sanli to SCORE ANYTIME at 11/4 - BlueSquare Wigan Athletic V Portsmouth - Sunday 16:00 One of several games with nothing but pride at stake. To be fair, it's actually a game we won't go anywhere near. Both sides have been pretty dire in recent weeks but Portsmouth win over Sunderland on Monday might be the catalyst they need heading into their final fixture. We still wasn't impressed though and we can only come up with a dull draw for this one. Steve Bruce was said to be lost for answers to his sides recent below par performances. At Christmas they appeared to be a shoe in for a European finish but a dreadful run in has seen them pick up very few points. In fact, it's got so bad that Wigan have now lost three successive games and have picked up just one point from their last seven matches. Yes, some of their fixtures were difficult ones on paper but there were also a few which looked very winnable also and there is no excuses for Wigan. Their performance at home to Champions Manchester United did show signs of improvement but that went straight out the window with defeat away at Stoke City and it's quite simply a case of players playing with no confidence. The end of the season couldn't of come at a better time for Wigan and Steve Bruce. With other failing to do the business last weekend, Portsmouth were assured of their place in the Premiership before they even kicked a ball on Monday. However, they made sure with a comfortable 3-1 victory at home to Sunderland at Fratton park. They were assisted by some dreadful defending from their visiting opponents but nevertheless, it was a morale boosting win as Portsmouth as they were without a win in four games. That win should stand them in good stead as they look to aim to end what has been a fairly disappointing league campaign with a victory away at The JJB stadium. They will have to do so without David James as he goes for surgery and won't be seen again until next term. Both sides have been very disappointing this season although Wigan will be the happier of the two after securing their Premiership status a lot earlier then Portsmouth did. The pair will both be eager to end the season with a win but neither has too flattering of late and the draw looks the safest option in what is a nothing game. Match Odds - Wigan Athletic 5/4 Coral Draw 12/5 Bet365 Portsmouth 5/2 WilliamHill SoccerBetting Tip - Under 2.5 Goals at 5/6 - 888sport Labels: premier league betting, premier league preview, premiership betting, premiership preview Posted by soccerbetting.info @ 10:11 AM << Home