Football Betting Previews

Premiership Preview by Matthew Chapple (14 - 16 March 2009) (Thursday, March 12, 2009)

Premiership Previews - March 14th - 16th Manchester United V Liverpool Saturday 12:45 Sky Sports 1 What a mouthwatering tie in prospect as Liverpool's season could be defined by the end of the afternoon with Manchester United looking to finally end Liverpool's bid of winning a record 19 league titles. United are seven points clear of their bitter rivals and even have a game in hand. A win over Liverpool would put them in full control with just ten games left to play. Manchester United are in cruise control right now. Within seven days they secured another piece of silverware winning the Carling Cup via a nail-biting penalty shoot-out with what was United's second string almost. Three days later they travelled to Newcastle and notched up a crucial three points in a very tricky away tie at St. James Park. The following Saturday they thumped Fulham 4-0 at Craven Cottage to book yet another trip to Wembley where they face Everton. It goes without saying that Manchester United are in top form and it comes as no surprise that United are odds on favourites to win this massive game with rivals Liverpool. They have now won 12 games in a row in the league with six of those coming at home. They also boast the best home form this season winning 12 of their thirteen home league fixtures. That is an incredible statistic and it's really hard to oppose them this Saturday and that was hard to say coming from a through and through Liverpool fan. Liverpool's recent form is stop-start to say the very least. One moment they are holding their own against one of the giants of football in Real Madrid while the next they are suffering an embarrassing away defeat at Middlesborough. To say they are a frustrating side to follow is an understatement but one thing is always assured with the reds is that they always come good in the big games. You just have to look at their outstanding 4-0 hammering of Real Madrid in midweek at Anfield to see that Liverpool have it within the to produce the goods on the big stage. Liverpool's win in Madrid over Real was a massive result but they failed to back that up when they took on Middlesborough at The Riverside stadium. They dominated the opening half only to see an Alonso OG send them behind. They failed to make a comeback and suffered a poor 2-0 defeat to a side that previously failed to win 14 games on the trot. That was only their second defeat of the season but it was their second away defeat and with Fabio Aurelio, Xabi Alonso and even Steven Gerrard a doubt for this game, it is a big ask for Liverpool to record a win at Old Trafford this Saturday. Match Odds - Manchester United 10/11 Bet365 Draw 23/10 Paddypower Liverpool 15/4 Blue Square Prediction - Draw Arsenal V Blackburn Rovers Saturday 15:00 One of many must win games for Arsene Wenger and his side as Big Sam takes his Blackburn team to The Emirates in a bid to win three away league games on the trot. Predicting an away win would be very brave but Blackburn aren't without a shout with Arsenal preforming poorly at home in recent league games. The Arsenal dressing room will be a much happier place after they secured a trip to Wembley, beating Burnley in a comfortable manner 3-0. What's more is the return of fitness of Eduardo. He scored a magnificent goal against Burnley and showed he is as sharp as ever after recovering from an horrific injury last year. Arsenal managing to score at home was a rare sight but it was expected against an inferior Burnley side. Arsenal have been under-performing at home and have drawn their previous three home league games, all by a 0-0 scoreline. West Ham, Sunderland and Fulham were all sides on paper Arsenal should have beaten but Arsenal once again came up short. The bookies make Arsenal clear favourites but with their recent home form we wouldn't like to be on them despite the probability of a home victory this weekend. Sam Allardyce will know full well the challenge ahead but he will have his sights set on picking up yet another massive point at The Emirates. Blackburn still find themselves in the bottom three but a point might be enough to lift them out of the drop zone depending on other results. That isn't unthinkable with Arsenal drawing the last three home games. Blackburn did manage to win their fourth away game of the season last Wednesday when they came from behind to beat Fulham at Craven Cottage. That was a huge result for Blackburn with the side battling for their Premiership survival. Rovers will need to keep it tight at the back though if they are take something away with them and they have kept three clean sheet in three of their previous five away games. Match Odds - Arsenal 9/20 Centrebet Draw 10/3 Bet365 Blackburn Rovers 8/1 Paddypower Prediction - Draw Bolton Wanderers V Fulham Saturday 15:00 Not the most attractive of matches at first glance but a very important game for the teams involved. Fulham will want to show that their exit out of the FA Cup hasn't left them with a hangover while Bolton will want to add more points to their fairly decent point tally to avoid a relegation dogfight in May. Bolton will be fairly confident of their chances after winning three consecutive league matches at The Reebok. All were by one goal but wins nonetheless. They too have to overcome a defeat after they were outclassed at The Brittania stadium by Stoke City. That defeat was away from home so the trip back to Bolton will be welcomed with open arms. Gary Megson has seen his side pick up some big results at home in recent weeks. Tottenham, West Ham and Newcastle all lost at The Reebok stadium leaving Bolton on the verge of winning four straight matches at home. I wouldn't like to be a goal backer in this game with Bolton failing to score in seven of their fourteen home league games. Fulham still have the burden of having not won on the road all season. Only Stoke can boast the same awful record. Their away record of 0-7-7 for the season will hardly fill many punters with confidence but Fulham have picked up some huge draws against some big sides so nullifying the Bolton attack isn't beyond reach. Finding the oppositions goal away from home has been the main problem with Fulham scoring just three away goals all season. That is a shocking statistic which must be addressed sooner rather then later. They have scored just three on the road, failing to score in eleven of their fourteen away fixtures. With that in mind the draw looks the best approach to what looks a dull looking affair in prospect. Match Odds - Bolton Wanderers 6/5 Bet365 Draw 23/10 Boylesports Fulham 11/4 888sport Prediction - Draw Everton V Stoke City Saturday 15:00 Tony Pulis has the tough task of halting the Everton express as they make their way up to Merseyside looking to bring a positive result back to Stoke with them. Both sides are desperate for points but the pair have totally different aspirations. Everton won 3-2 back at The Brittania Stadium earlier in the season so revenge will be firmly on the minds of the Stoke City players. Everton return to Premiership action this weekend after booking a rare trip to Wembley last Sunday. Their 2-1 defeat of Middlesborough at Goodison Park had now left the Toffees with a luxurious tie with Manchester United at Wembley where a place in the FA Cup final is the reward. David Moyes will need to keep his players minds firmly focused on the league for the time being with his side currently challenging for a European spot. Everton are now just seven points behind Aston Villa in fourth so a win over Stoke could reduce that gap to just four point,s were Villa to drop yet more points at home this weekend. It would be a major surprise if Everton were not to win this fixture as they have been very impressive of late, especially at home. They haven't lost in six league games at Goodison with both Liverpool and Arsenal failing to beat the Toffee's on their own turf. With that in mind there is no reason why Stoke City should be any different. Without a doubt, a draw would be a huge result for Tony Pulis and Stoke City. This is an extremely tough fixture on paper and he will be under no illusions the task his side face going to Everton this Saturday. Several of England's best have gone there and failed to walk away with all the spoils so we expect him to use his noggin and set up in a defensive manner looking to take a point back with them. Backing an away win would be a ridiculous bet with Stoke having not won on the road all season. Their away record of 0-4-10 won't strike fear into the Everton players although they did manage to score late on at Villa Park to earn a point so anything is possible. Stoke have conceded a mammoth tally of 30 away goals this season so the likelihood of Stoke outscoring an in form Everton is minuscule, or in BlueSquare's world, 15/2. Match Odds - Everton ½ Bet365 Draw 3/1 Bet365 Stoke City 15/2 Blue Square Prediction - Everton Hull City V Newcastle United Saturday 15:00 Newcastle head down to Hull City this weekend in what looks a possible six pointer with both sides faltering in the bottom half of the table. Hull are just four points above Newcastle in 14th position so defeat at home to the Magpies would leave them right in the mix of a relegation fight. Hull's 1-0 win away at Fulham was their first win in the league in eleven games and what a relief that will be for the Hull manager, Phil brown. The 'Tigers' made a fantastic start to the season and looked a safe bet for safety but a lengthy win less run has left them with a bit of a battle on their hands. A win over the Toon could see them go eight points clear of the red zone so there is everything to play for. Hull's recent win was a huge boost for the players but they have still to win at home in six games. Their last victory at home in the league was a 2-1 win over Middlesborough back in December. They have since lost five of their previous six home games but you would feel this is the best opportunity they will get for some time to end their baron home run. Newcastle are another side that simply can't put a run of wins together. Their last victory in the league came at fellow struggles West Brom and that was by the thinnest of margins, winning 3-2 at The Hawthorns. That is their sole victory in 2009 and have won just one of their last ten league fixtures but they do face a team who are also stuttering in the league so this is a glorious chance they must grab with both hands. Newcastle are currently just one point above the drop zone and for a club of their stature, simple cannot suffer relegation. That is certainly possible though with Newcastle really in crisis right now. Their record on the road is a poor one at 2-4-8 and the Magpies have lost four of their last five away fixtures. We will re-iterate that this is a big chance of Newcastle to add some more vital points to their tally but this game really does hang in the balance. Match Odds - Hull City 33/20 Centrebet Draw 9/4 Bet365 Newcastle United 9/5 Boylesports Prediction - Draw Middlesborough V Portsmouth Saturday 15:00 Another very tough match to predict as Portsmouth exit the South of England and head up North where Gareth Southgate's wounded Middlesborough lye in waiting at The Riverside. Both sides occupy precarious positions in the league table so a win is a must for both sets of players. We will give Boro' the benefit of the doubt but this really could go either way with the pair not playing particularly well at present. Middlesborough's exit from the FA Cup at the quarter-final stage will still be fresh on their minds so it will be Gareth Southgate job to get them fully focused for this tough game with Portsmouth. They will have home advantage and will be the rare favourites for a Premier league match. They will need to show their fans and us that their odds are justified this Saturday afternoon because we aren't so sure. Their previous league match at home was a happy one with Liverpool losing 2-0 at The Riverside at the end of last month. They were however soundly thrashed 4-0 away at Tottenham and that defeat along with their FA Cup lose is one of the reason why we think Middlesborough are worth opposing. Defeats are never easy to take and Middlesborough could be suffering a losing hangover when Portsmouth arrive on Tyneside. Portsmouth themselves have been on the wrong end of some poor results and have won just one of their last twelve league games. That was a 2-0 home win over Man City back In February. Their last win on the road came last year in early November, eight gamers ago. Scoring on their travels has been their biggest cause for concern along with keeping a tight ship at the back. Their away goal record of 11-22 is far from satisfactory and something that will urgently need correcting if they are to maintain their Premiership status. They are now just one point above the relegation zone and defeat away at Middlesborough could see them slip into the the bottom three. Match Odds - Middlesborough 6/5 Bet365 Draw 12/5 Coral Portsmouth 51/20 VCbet Prediction - Middlesborough Sunderland V Wigan Athletic Saturday 15:00 Steve Bruce's Wigan Athletic can't buy a win right now but they will be hoping that can change this weekend when they make the short trip to The Stadium of Light where Sunderland lye in waiting. Both sides have lost the winning mentality and with the previous league tie between the two ending in a 1-1 draw back at the JJB, we wouldn't put anyone off backing a similar scoreline this Saturday. A win for Sunderland over Wigan could see them put a healthy gap between themselves and the relegation zone and with Wigan failing to win their last eight league fixtures, you would have to fancy their chances of earning a valuable three points at home this weekend. They were very unlucky in their last league game where they drew 1-1 with struggler's Tottenham. A lack in concentration was a possible reason for them conceding a very late goal at home to Spurs. Ricky Sbragia will be hoping his side will learn from their mistake and capitalise on Wigan's poor run of form. The Black Cats have picked up just two points in their last three league outings and this is a game they really need to win if they are to avoid a fight for survival come the final day of fixtures. They have won two of their last three home fixtures and are unbeaten at home in three league games. Were it not for Wigan's fantastic run of wins over the festive period they may have found themselves in unwanted territory at present. They have now failed to win any of their previous eight league games, drawing four and losing the remaining four fixtures. Fortunately for Steve Bruce their league position is still a comfortable one with the Latic's currently sat in 9th position and eight points above those in the drop zone. They can't afford to get complacent though and a huge cause for concern is their form in front of goal. Wigan have scored just twice in eight league games and have now notched up 360 minutes without scoring a single league goal away from home. A statistic which will certainly raise a few eyebrows. Their defence is still as consistent as ever with Wigan keeping a clean sheet in five of their last six away games. Match Odds - Sunderland 6/5 Skybet Draw 9/4 Partybets Wigan Athletic 9/4 Paddypower Prediction - Draw Chelsea V Manchester City Sunday 13:30 Sky Sports Two of the richest clubs in the world go head-to-head this Sunday afternoon in a battle of the big spenders. It was City who won the tug of war in signing Robinho during the summer but it was Chelsea who comfortably seen off the sky blues in Manchester when they won 3-1 back at The City of Manchester stadium. Will Mark Hughes get the better of 'Chelski' at the second time of asking? We very much doubt it. Chelsea go into this home fixture at Stamford Bridge in good spirit after booking a place in the Quarter-Final draw of the Champions League. They were pushed all the way on Tuesday when they clashed with Juventus in Italy but it was Didier Drogba who scored the winning goal to ensure Chelsea's name went into the hat. Chelsea did look a little ordinary in that game but what impressed us the most was their desire and determination to come back twice from behind. That was an exhausting match for Chelsea who may well suffer a tad in this game. However, they are facing a City side that have been simply awful on the road this season. Chelsea also have a far superior head-to-head record with Man City, winning all eleven of the previous elven league fixtures between the two sides. That is incredible and one of just many reasons why Chelsea must be backed this Sunday at a fairly generous price. Man City were also in action in mid-week when they took on Aalborg at home last Thursday. Mark Hughes will be disappointed that his side only get a few days to recover from that game but they should be fit enough for their weekend clash with Chelsea. A fixture they have far from enjoyed in recent seasons. We briefly mentioned City's poor away form this season and at 1-5-8, it leaves you speechless. Despite all the money Mark Hughes has to spend, he simply cannot buy an away win right now. Their sole away victory this season came all the way back in August when they thumped Sunderland 3-0 at The Stadium of Light. That was thirteen away league games ago and it would take a colossal performance for that run to come to a halt this Sunday. Match Odds - Chelsea 9/20 SportingBet Draw 10/3 Coral Manchester City 9/1 Bet365 Prediction - Chelsea Aston Villa V Tottenham Hotspur Sunday 16:00 Sky Sports Champions League hopefuls Aston Villa host relegation battling Spurs this Sunday in what is a huge game for both sides. You would feel that the three points is needed more for the home side but Harry Redknapp will not see it that way and will field a side well capable of getting all three points at Villa Park. We aren't fully confident with either side and will play safe with a draw prediction. Martin O'Neill took a big risk by basically walking out of the UEFA Cup to concentrate on nailing down a Champions League spot. They took the kids to Russia and were evidentially knocked out of the competition but that defeat and team selection was their biggest indication yet that there are going all out for that elusive fourth spot in the league. Things haven't gone to plan though with Villa failing to win their last three league fixtures. They have failed to win their previous two home games with a draw against Stoke City and a defeat at the hands of Chelsea. Two defeats and one draw in their last three games has seen Arsenal narrow the gap down to just three points so a defeat at home to Tottenham could see them relinquish that position with ten games still to play. Life at White Hart Lane was on the up before their 1-1 draw at Sunderland. They had previously won back-to-back games before their visit to The Stadium of Light but with Sours undefeated in four, they have now enforced a healthy gap of five points between themselves and the relegation zone. That doesn't mean they are out of the woods yet though and a defeat at Villa Park could see those below drag them back in. Tottenham's away form this season hasn't been very impressive with Spurs only managing to win three of their fourteen away league games. Their last away win was a recent one with a 2-1 win away at Hull City. They then followed that up with a 4-0 mauling of Middlesborough at home so Harry's side are starting to mount some momentum going into the final few defining fixtures of the season. Match Odds - Aston Villa 23/20 Blue Square Draw 5/2 Boylesports Tottenham Hotspur 14/5 Coral Prediction - Draw West Ham V West Brom Monday 20:00 Setanta Sports Seventh place West Ham United entertain bottom of the league West Brom this coming Monday in what looks a fantastic opportunity for Gianfranco Zola's side to add three points onto the board. West Brom are in terrible form right now but they did get the better of West Ham when the pair met back in September. Tony Mowbray will be more then happy with a similar scoreline when the two sides meet for the second time. West Ham are odds on favourites for the win and were they to register another win this Monday, it would be their third on the bounce in the league. They saw off Man City at home while they edged out Wigan at The JJB, both by a 1-0 scoreline. Both were tight and nervy affairs so Zola will be hoping his side can get the job done in a more clinical fashion when his side plays West Brom. Seven of West Ham's eleven wins in the league have come at Upton Park so it comes as no surprise that the bookies are fancying their chances against a West Brom side that has won just once away all season. West Ham have also lost just one home fixture in five and that was a 1-0 defeat to current runaway leaders Manchester United so you have to fancy The Hammer's chances of adding another home win to their C.V. West Brom are already everyone's favourites for the drop and it really would be a great escape were they to avoid the drop this season. Four straight defeats has left them six points off safety and this looks another very tricky fixture for the 'Baggies'. A point away at Upton Park would be a massive result. West Brom have been poor on the road this season with an away record of 1-2-11 and a dreadful away goal tally of 6-27. Their only away win was back in September last year when they beat Middlesborough 1-0. They have since lost ten of their last eleven away fixtures and this has every chance of being number eleven. Like we said before, a point would be a huge result for West Brom. Match Odds - West Ham 8/11 Bet365 Draw 11/4 Coral West Brom 5/1 Boylesports Prediction - West Ham Labels: premier-league-betting, premier-league-preview, premiership-betting, premiership-preview Posted by soccerbetting.info @ 9:16 AM

Premiership Preview by Matthew Chapple (28 Feb - 1 March 2009) (Thursday, February 26, 2009)

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 Villa Labels: premier-league-betting, premier-league-preview, premiership-betting, premiership-preview Posted by soccerbetting.info @ 10:03 AM

Premiership Preview by Matthew Chapple (21 - 23 Feb 2009) (Tuesday, February 17, 2009)

Premiership Previews - February 21st - 23rd Aston Villa V Chelsea Saturday 12:45 Sky Sports It would of took a bold punter to predict that this fixture would be a top four clash, but that is what we have in front of us as Chelsea head to Villa Park to take on high flying Aston Villa. What's more is that Villa are currently higher in the league table then Chelsea and a win on Saturday over the London outfit would make them serious title contenders, dare we say it. Villa are by far the in-form side out of the two but Chelsea will know full well that they comfortably saw of Martin O'Neill's side when they met back in October at Stamford Bridge. Villa were well below par on that occasion and you can't help but feel that they may once again be over-roared when they entertain Chelsea this Saturday. The Villa players must be full of confidence after going thirteen league fixtures without losing. A run that includes positives results against both Man United and Arsenal, but what is worth jotting down is the fact that Villa have held their own against the big four with the exception of Chelsea. They have lost just one of their twelve home fixtures but their weekend defeat in the FA Cup at Everton may seriously affect the mood in the Villa Camp. It will be interesting to see how O'Neill's boys will respond to that disappointment. It didn't take Roman Abramovich long to find a suitable replacement after Scolari was sacked after a poor run of results. Russia manager Guss Hiddink has signed a lucrative part-time deal with the blues to take on the managerial role until the end of the season. He was at Chelsea's weekend match with Watford in the FA Cup and he didn't look at all impressed with his new squad. We're sure that the Chelsea owner will be looking for an instant impact from the Dutch manager. Chelsea are hardly having a terrible season but it wouldn't be wrong to say that they have hit some what of a flat spot. They have won just four of their previous twelve league matches and have yet to win in February. They were far from convincing at the weekend when they saw off a mediocre Watford side. However, that win over Watford might just reignite their season and a win over Villa would put them right back in the title hunt. Match odds - Aston Villa 23/10 Blue Square Draw 12/5 Skybet Chelsea 7/5 Boylesports Prediction - Draw Arsenal V Sunderland Saturday 15:00 Arsene Wenger will be looking to guide his side to a rare league win this Saturday and hope that it could kick start their stuttering season. They have already fallen well off the pace of the leading pack and will do well do to retain a Champions league position come May. Sunderland will have other ideas as they seek out a positive result that will keep them away from the bottom three. Sunderland have never beaten Arsenal in the Premiership with Arsenal winning six of the previous seven league fixtures and the omens aren't good for the away side. Arsenal have endured a stop start season and appear to have thrown any chances of winning that Premiership title away despite the season being still fairly young. They are currently twelve points off United at the top and don't even occupy one of the four champions league spots. Their season objective will now be to at least qualify for the champions league and a win over Sunderland this Saturday would be a good start. Arsenal have very little in terms of momentum going into this fixture. They have drawn their previous three league fixtures and haven't scored in 180 minutes of football. They were held to a 0-0 draw in their last league match at home by West Ham but The Gunners are unbeaten at home in five matches so predicting another Arsenal downfall isn't recommended. We fancy them to end their run of three straight draws and see off Sunderland this Saturday. Sunderland appeared to be heading for the bottom three a while back but Ricky Sbragia has lead them to 11th in the table and they look a shade comfortable . At least for the time being. They still can't afford to let their guard down and they must concentrate on the job at hand. Were they to register a surprise win at The Emirates, they would break into the top 10, so there is an incentive for the 'Black Cats'. Sunderland's form isn't too bad having won two of their previous three league games. Those were both at home though and their last away victory came last year when they thrashed Hull City 4-1 at The KC stadium in December. They have since failed to win any of their previous three away league fixtures with two ending in draws. We are certain that Ricky Sbragia would settle for a draw this Saturday if it was offered to him but we can't help but side with the Gunners. Match odds - Arsenal 4/9 Bet365 Draw 10/3 Skybet Sunderland 8/1 Skybet Prediction - Arsenal Bolton Wanderers V West Ham Saturday 15:00 Not the most appealing of matches here for the neutrals but one both sides will see as a great opportunity to add some points to the board. Both teams go into this fixture off the back of some disappointing results so the pair will be eager to get back to winning ways as soon as possible. Bolton thumped West Ham when the sides met at Upton Park, winning 3-1 so Bolton have a fantastic chance of completing a league double of 'The Hammers'. Bolton haven't had the best of seasons and were it not for others also miss performing, they could find themselves in a lot of trouble. They are currently 14th but are just four points above the drop zone and simply cannot afford to let slip any points this weekend. Bolton could of made it back-to-back wins were they to cause a surprise at Goodison Park in their previous league fixture. They couldn't though and ended up losing in a comfortable manner losing 3-0. That was their fourteenth league defeat of the season and Bolton have struggled to maintain a consistent run of results. They have won just one of their previous seven league fixtures and it wouldn't be much of a surprise if West Ham were to record a positive result at The Reebok, on Saturday. Just when West Ham were starting to enjoy their football, Manchester United come to town and dampen their spirits. 'The Hammers' were unbeaten in seven games until they met the Premiership leaders. They went down valiantly against United but a defeat is a defeat and it will only hinder the atmosphere within the West Ham camp. West Ham manager, Gianfranco Zola was looking for his side to bounce back from that disappointing result but they could only manage a draw against an out-of-sorts Middlesborough side on Saturday. That draws means West Ham now have an FA Cup replay to contend with and an away one at that. That is now two games they haven't won and it will be interesting to see if West Ham can avoid another lengthy period without a win. Match odds - Bolton Wanderers 7/5 Paddypower Draw 12/5 Skybet West Ham 2/1 Blue Square Prediction - Bolton Wanderers Middlesborough V Wigan Athletic Saturday 15:00 Two sides who just can't win go head-to-head this Saturday as Steve Bruce takes his Wigan side on the short trip to Tyneside where Middlesborough lye in waiting. Borough will be out to end their run of thirteen league games without a win while Wigan will want to put their five match run without being on the winning side to bed. A draw will not be an acceptable result for either side so we expect the pair to go all out for that elusive win they so crave. The alarm bells have been ringing at The Riverside for some time now with Middlesborough failing to win any of their last thirteen league fixtures. That run is now a new record this season as Borough couldn't see of Man City in their previous league game and ended in them surpassing Blackburn's win less run of twelve league matches. A record no club wants and one Gareth Southgate will be desperate not to extend. Middlesborough are by far the worst side in the league at current and a defeat at home to Wigan could see them end the weekend at the foot of the table. They have won just three games at home this season and haven't won at The Riverside since they beat Man City 2-0 back in October, seven games ago. It is easy to pin point to problem and that is their ability to put the ball in the net. They have scored just ten at home this season and have scored just four goals in their previous seven home league fixtures. Simply not good enough if they are to maintain their Premiership status. Wigan were in the form of their life's before they were one of many sides to succumb to a defeat at the hands of Manchester United. Since their 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford five games ago, they have failed to win any of their following league fixtures. For the time being, their league position looks a safe one but a few more poor results could see them fall into dangerous territory. Wigan have endured a tough fixture list and that should be taken into consideration. They lost to both of the Manchester pair but they did register some respectable draws against both Liverpool and Aston Villa. The loss of both Wilson Palacios and Emile Heskey looks massive though and could lead to them conceding many more points. Match odds - Middlesborough 7/5 888sport Draw 9/4 Bet365 Wigan Athletic 2/1 Skybet Prediction - Draw Stoke City V Portsmouth Saturday 15:00 Portsmouth make the long trip up to Stoke this Saturday hoping to end the weekend further away from the drop zone. Stoke City will also be in a similar mind set with the pair separated by just three points and both occupy precarious positions. Neither sides goes into this game with positive form behind them but Pompey's recent win could be just what they need to register an important three points. Were Stoke to avoid the drop, Tony Pulis would be credited as a genius. Many had assumed that Stoke may find themselves a drift before the final few fixtures but that is far from the case. Stoke are for now, above the bottom three but only by the skin of their teeth. They are 17th and are just one point above Blackburn in 18th position so they cannot afford to be complacent. Stoke's form is not good though and it is a surprise that they don't occupy one of those unwanted relegation spots. Their sole victory this year came at home to Man City winning 1-0 but they have only won two of their previous fourteen league fixtures and it would take a brave punter to lump on them this Saturday. The have however won every single one of their six league victories at home so there is a glimmer of hope for Stoke fans. Many fans feared the worse after Tony Adam's was sent packing but Paul Hart has taken charge at the club on a temporary basis and has already notched up a league victory, something Tony Adam's couldn't get the hang of. That is their first positive result for some time but that could be just what they needed to turn their miserable season around. Portsmouth's poor form has lead them to fall several places in the league but a win this Saturday would see them enforce a healthy gap on those currently in the relegation spots. That will take a lot of doing though with Pompey winning just two of their twelve away fixtures this season. They are hardly used to that winning feeling either with Pompey failing to win any of their previous nine league fixtures before their weekend victory over Man City. Were they to win at Stoke, they would record their first back-to-back wins since early October, so that should be the incentive they need to record a vital win at The Brittania Stadium. Match odds - Stoke City 6/4 Blue Square Draw 2/1 Paddypower Portsmouth 12/5 Skybet Prediction - Portsmouth Manchester United V Blackburn Rovers Saturday 15:00 The league leaders and current European champions entertain Blackburn Rovers this weekend at Old Trafford and it's live on Setanta Sports. United have shown no signs of letting up and are on a relentless run of eight successive league wins. Blackburn on the other hand are desperate for a positive result and a defeat away at United would see them remain in the bottom three. It's all to play for but we can only see one winner. Manchester United are showing the sort of form that makes them deserved odd-on favourites for the league title. They have won eight league matches on the bounce and booked their place in the Quarter-finals of the FA Cup last Sunday when they beat Derby County 4-1 at Pride Park. What will be pleasing to the United boss was the fact that United didn't even field their strongest side against Derby yet still ran out worthy winners. I don't think there are many sides that would look forward to an away trip to United right now and we really do feel for Sam Allardyce and Blackburn. Blackburn's fortunes on the other handhave took a turn for the worse after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Coventry City at Ewood Park on Saturday. A result which now leaves them with an added, unwanted fixture and it will be away at the Rico Arena. That won't be a match they will look forward to but this fixture away in Manchester will be more scary as Rovers have a poor away record this season. Blackburn have yet to win away from home with Big Sam at the helm so a victory at Old Trafford would come as a major shock. We can't see that happening though as Blackburn have failed to score in any of their previous three away league fixtures. Not what you need heading into an extremely tough away fixture. Match odds - Manchester United 3/10 Bet365 Draw 5/1 Skybet Blackburn Rovers 12/1 Paddypower Prediction - Manchester United Fulham V West Brom Sunday 13:30 Tony Mowbray takes his West Brom side to Craven Cottage this Sunday looking for a result that could take them off the bottom of the table. They will have to see off an over achieving Fulham side though if they are to finally lift themselves off the foot of the table. West Brom did however win the reverse fixture when the pair met back in October winning 1-0 at The Hawthorns so they have the beating of Fulham mentally, now all they have to do is beat them on the pitch. Easier said then done. Roy Hodgeson has worked wonders with Fulham this season and he has led them to new heights. He has made Fulham a tough side to beat and has took them to the upper half of the Premiership table. Something Fulham fans aren't used to seeing. Their football hasn't been pretty to watch and we expect a similar team display this weekend but as long as the results are good, not many Fulham supporters will care. Fulham will be fortunate that this is a home fixture as they have been terrible on the road. All seven of Fulham's league wins have come at Craven Cottage with West Ham being the only side to have gone to Fulham and exited with all three points. 7-3-1 is their home record and it would take a mighty performance from the baggies to double Fulham's lost column. Wins for West Brom have been rare with the Baggies winning just six games all season. To make matters worse, just one of those six victories came away from home and that was against a hapless Middlesborough side nine away fixtures ago. Since then they have botched up just one point on the road losing eight of their last nine away fixtures. Not the material required for surviving in the Premiership. It comes as no surprise that West Brom are bottom of the league but they have shown some signs that they may actually fight for survival. They won three home matches in a row during the festive period but that run came to a halt and West Brom have picked up just one point in three and it doesn't bode well for their chances heading to London this Sunday. Match odds - Fulham 5/6 William Hill Draw 13/5 Boylesports West Brom 4/1 Skybet Prediction - Fulham Liverpool V Manchester City 15:00 If this match is anything like the one we seen at 'The City of Manchester stadium', then we are surely in for a treat. Mark Hughes takes his struggling City outfit to Anfield this Sunday as they look to avoid a league double against Liverpool. The reds had to come from behind to win in Manchester earlier in the season winning 3-2. Rafael Benitez will be hoping for s smoother ride to three points at Anfield this Sunday. The best piece of news that Benitez heard this week was that Fernando Torres came back from the Spanish friendly with England unharmed and should feature from the off for their clash with Man City. Torres has a history of returning from International duty with a knock so it will be refreshing to see Torres play for once after playing for his country. Xabi Alonso also played for Spain and returned home without any form of an injury so Benitez has a full strength side bar their captain, Steven Gerrard. Liverpool simply must win if they are to maintain their challenge for the title and a poor result on Sunday could see them forfeit any title ambitions they had. That isn't unlikely though with Liverpool's home record being a poor one at 7-5-0. They have yet to lose at Anfield this season but several of the poorer sides in the league have left with the share of the spoils and it has cost Liverpool dearly. Will the absence of Steven Gerrard prove crucial and lead to yet more dropped points? We think not. Man City have been hopeless on the road this season and it would take a mammoth performance from the blues for them to wreck Liverpool's unbeaten home record for the season. Their defeat at Fratton Park to Portsmouth was their seventh away defeat of the season and now leaves their away record looking very shabby at 1-4-7. Their only away victory came three games into the season when they beat Sunderland 3-0. They have failed to perform anywhere near that level since and have duly paid the price. City have reached the heights of the top half of the table but not without weeks or trying. Their recent form has improved but all there recent wins have come at home. They have lost two away matches on the bounce to both Stoke City and Portsmouth and we simply cannot find any hope for Mark Hughes side this Sunday. Match odds - Liverpool 8/13 Bet365 Draw 11/4 Paddypower Manchester City 6/1 Skybet Prediction - Liverpool Newcastle United V Everton Sunday 16:00 Newcastle have the daunting task of beating an Everton side in a rich vein of form right now. They will also have to do so without their manager as Joe Kinnear is sidelined with heart problems and faces a serious operation. No doubt the job of managing a side like Newcastle who simply struggle to win is stressful and we wish him all the best. We're sure he will be watching from somewhere though but we doubt he will be pleased with the final result as we predict another win less game for 'The Toon'. Newcastle are one of many sides who find wins hard to come by in the league. They have won just six matches all season and have lost more games then they have won. Their simply isn't any good news for Newcastle right now and despite Newcastle registering their first win in six games, we can't see Everton losing this Sunday. The Magpies have failed to win any of their previous three matches at St. James Park and have won just four of their twelve home fixtures this season. Scoring at home hasn't been a problem with Newcastle scoring in everyone of their home fixtures this season. Keeping a clean sheet at home though has been difficult. Newcastle have kept just two clean sheets at home all season and it would be a surprise if they made it three after their clash with Everton this Sunday. Everton made a shaky start to the season but their fortunes have took a massive turn for the better with Everton moving into sixth position and have closed the gap on Arsenal, who are fifth, to just four points. A win this Sunday could see them close that gap to just the one point were Arsenal to slip up again. Everton booked their place in the next round of the FA Cup when they won in an impressive fashion beating Aston Villa 3-0 at Goodison Park. A stadium they have been very impressive at of late. Away from home has been a different story though as Everton have failed to win either of their two recent away fixtures. Their record away from Goodison is a good one though at 7-2-3 and a victory at St. James Park isn't unreachable. Match odds - Newcastle United 15/8 Boylesports Draw 12/5 Skybet Everton 8/5 Paddypower Prediction - Draw Hull City V Tottenham Hotspur Monday 20:00 Setanta Sports This is potentially a six point here as Harry Redknapp takes his Tottenham side to the KC Stadium where Hull City play host to Tottenham Hotspur, live on Setanta. Hull sprung a surprise when they beat Tottenham 1-0 at White Hart Lane earlier on in the season. Results like that have been hard to come by for both sides though and with neither side putting together a consistent run of wins, will anyone come out of this fixture victorious? Phil Brown steered his side to a remarkable first few months in the Premiership which evidentially led to Hull breaking into the top four. That didn't last long though and they have come back down to earth with a bang. Their outstanding victories over both Arsenal and Tottenham in London appear to have been forgotten for now as Hull look more and more like a side that could slip into a relegation fight. Their position is free-falling and they have dropped to 12th in the table. They are now just six points above the drop zone and simply can't afford to let any of those below catch them up. To do that, they would need to win a game and that looks a massive ask right now. Hull haven't won in nine league games while they have won just once in their previous 16 league outings. That win did come at home over Middlesborough but that was four home games ago and we wouldn't be surprised if that poor home run was to stretch to five after this clash. Tottenham's season has been dreadful throughout. They have lost nearly as many as they have won and have a poor away record of 2-2-8. Their last win on the road came back in December when they beat West Ham at Upton Park, 2-0. That was five away games ago and they have since every single one of their away league fixtures. Tottenham cannot afford any more slip ups and anything but a win on Monday would be disastrous when you take into consideration the poor rum Hull are in. Their defeat at home to Hull will have hurt the Spurs players and revenge will be firmly on the minds of everyone involved at Tottenham football club. The Tottenham squad will have to recover from a mid week UEFA Cup fixture but they should be fresh enough to make a game of this. Match odds - Hull City 2/1 Bet365 Draw 9/4 Bet365 Tottenham Hotspur 7/5 Paddypower Prediction - Draw Labels: premier-league-betting, premier-league-preview, premiership-betting, premiership-preview Posted by soccerbetting.info @ 3:49 PM

Premiership Preview by Matthew Chapple (7 - 8 February 2009) (Thursday, February 05, 2009)

Premiership Previews 7th / 8th February Manchester City V Middlesborough Saturday 12:45 Sky Sports The early kick-off sees Man City in action once more as they look to bounce back from their weekend defeat away at Stoke. Middlesborough on the other hand, haven't won in twelve league matches and are just one match away from smashing Blackburn's win less run of 12 games. Both have different reasons as to why they desperately need the win but one thing is for sure and that is both side simply cannot afford not to win this Saturday. Man City have been given another early kick-off and it may be to their disadvantage. Their last league game ended in defeat at Stoke and that was an early kick-off of 12:45 also. City were very poor at the Brittania Stadium and didn't really deserve to take anything away with them. They failed to put their opponents to the sword despite Stoke being reduced to 10 men fairly early on. City have now notched up a staggering amount of defeats this season with Mark Hughes's team losing eleven of their twenty-three league fixtures. That is appalling when you take into consideration that their goal for the season is to attain European football via the league. They are out of every domestic competition so have to look towards the league for qualification. The blues have however won their previous three home matches scoring eight goals in the process so the return to the City of Manchester will be welcomed with open arms by the manager. Where do we start with Gareth Southgate and Middlesborough. When Blackburn failed to win twelve matches in a row, no one though that would be matched by any side in the league. My how we were wrong, with Boro on the verge of stretching that run to thirteen this Saturday if they were to come away from Manchester without the win. Gareth Southgate's lack of spending in the January transfer market did come as a major surprise to us with Middlesborough definitely needing reinforcements. They have won just twice away from home this season and have lost their previous five away matches so finding someone who will back Boro with great confidence is a challenge in itself. Match odds - Manchester City 13/20 Gamebookers Draw 14/5 William Hill Middlesborough 5/1 Bet365 Prediction - Manchester City Blackburn Rovers V Aston Villa Saturday 15:00 'Big Sam' meets 'lil O'Neill' this Saturday as Villa make the trip to Lancashire to take on Blackburn at Ewood Park. The reverse fixture went the way of the away side when Villa neat Blackburn 3-2 at Villa Park. No doubt Blackburn will be looking to avenge that defeat but they will have their work cut out against a side that has hit top gear. Blackburn league form has improved in recent weeks but they are still failing to convert their good performances on the pitch into wins. They have drawn their last two matches with both being sides they really ought to have beaten. That game with Middlesborough on Saturday was a very dull one and Blackburn's poorest team display in a while. Sam Allardyce will be looking for a massive improvement this Saturday. Blackburn's home form has improved of late with Rovers winning two of their last three home matches. They drew the other and were unfortunate not to have won when they drew 2-2 with Man City. They have also kept two clean sheets in that run so confidence within the Blackburn camp is obviously high. Whether it will be enough to see off a Villa side on the up is another question. Martin O'Neill is working magic at Aston Villa and their league position of 4th is a fair reflection on their performances in the league this season. No doubt that the tremendous season they are having has come as a bit of a surprise but they fully deserve to be where they are today. They are five points clear of Arsenal who are their nearest pursuers and Villa look a good bet to hold onto that last Champions League spot. Villa are in a rich vein of form and have now gone twelve matches without defeat. That run is made more impressive by the fact that eight of those twelve matches were wins so Villa have a lot of momentum behind them going into this tricky away fixture. They threw the kitchen sink at Wigan on Saturday but couldn't put the ball in the oppositions net. O'Neill will be hoping his forwards can be more clinical in front of goal this weekend. Match odds - Blackburn Rovers 19/10 Paddypower Draw 23/10 Bet365 Aston Villa 44/27 Stan James Prediction - Draw Chelsea V Hull City Saturday 15:00 This fixture is just what Chelsea needs after a disappointing week which seen them lose to yet another of the big four. Confidence in the Chelsea dressing room cannot be good so Hull will look to take advantage and add to Chelsea's recent misfortunes. Chelsea comfortably won 3-0 when the two sides met earlier in the season so Scolari is fully aware this is a winnable game at Stamford Bridge. Their defeat to Liverpool at the weekend was their fourth defeat to the big four this season and allowed Liverpool to complete a league double over the blues. The first time that has happened since 1990. Chelsea were very poor and allowed Liverpool to dictate the pace of the game to their pleasing and Chelsea paid a heavy price. They were reluctant to go forward and had one real shot at goal. We thought they were poor against Man Utd a few weeks back but their performance on Sunday was a lot worse. Chelsea are in disarray right now and it would be fair to say that they are in a mini crisis. They have lost their ability to carve teams open with ease and their lack of first team players has hindered their results. The visit of Hull though should be just what the doctor orderer. Chelsea have won three of their last four home fixtures and should add a vital three points to their league tally on Saturday. Hull's league position is on the decline and the alarms bells are starting to ring at the Hull Headquarters. Phil Brown has done remarkably well to get his side into the position they are today but a couple more poor results could see them fall right into a relegation dog fight. Hull did manage to end their losing streak of six matches at the weekend but could only manage a draw against bottom of the league West Brom at the KC stadium. They have also won just one of their previous fifth teen league matches and we can't see that poor run changing at Stamford Bridge. They haven't won in seven away matches and have lost their previous three away league fixtures so Hull simply cannot be backed this Saturday. Match odds - Chelsea 11/50 Gamebookers Draw 5/1 Bet365 Hull City 18/1 Bet365 Prediction - Chelsea Everton V Bolton Wanderers Saturday 15:00 A potentially tricky match here for Everton as they prepare to host Bolton Wanderers at Goodison Park this Saturday. David Moyes will be hoping his side will have recovered from their midweek game with Liverpool in the FA Cup while Gary Megson will be looking to capitalise on the possibility of the Everton players being slightly fatigued. A interesting match at prospect and one we fancy to go the way of the home side. David Moyes did some shrewd business in the January transfer window when he took Man City's Brazilian forward Jo on loan until the end of the season. Everton have been lacking an out-an-out strike since Yakubu was sidelined with injury so the arrival of Jo is a positive one. They have relied on the likes of Lescott, Arteta and Tim Cahill for goals recently so the burden will be solely on the shoulders of their new loan-ee. Everton's home record is far from impressive at 3-4-5 although Everton have won two of their previous three home matches so it is improving. They are also undefeated in four matches at Goodison but they have won just one of their four new year fixtures so Everton have hardly hit the year running although they have had a difficult fixture period with three of those matches being against the big four. Bolton didn't make the best of starts to 2009 but results have improved with Bolton picking up four points from their last two fixtures. They started their game with Tottenham at the weekend brightly and took a 2-0 lead into half-time. Their hard work was nearly undone when Darren Bent scored a second half brace but Bolton found a deserved winner and secured their first win in seven matches. A result that lifted them away from the drop zone, at least for the time being. Bolton have been very inconsistent on the road this term and have failed to win any of their previous four away encounters. Albeit they have had some tough away fixtures and they have shown in some of their recent away matches that they are capable of competing. They narrowly lost 1-0 to Arsenal at the Emirates while they drew 2-2 with Blackburn at Ewood Park in their last away fixture so they have the ability to cause an upset away from home. Match odds - Everton 27/37 Boylesports Draw 13/5 Bet365 Bolton Wanderers 9/2 Bet365 Prediction - Everton Sunderland V Stoke City Saturday 15:00 Not the most attractive of matches on paper but both sides will see this a great opportunity to secure all three points in a bid to stay clear of the dreaded drop zone. It is Sunderland who go into this game with slightly better form but it is Stoke who are looking for their first back-to-back victories since the 1st November and could complete a league double over Sunderland were they to win at The Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon. Sunderland did very well to keep hold of one of their most expensive asset in Kenwyn Jones. He was attracting plenty of interest but Sunderland managed to fend off the watchers and tied him down to a new 4 year contract. A deal made even sweeter by the partnership of Djibril Cisse. The pair look to be forming into a double act up front although Cisse did limp off in Sunderland's 1-1 draw with Newcastle at St. James Park on Sunday, so he is a doubt for this game. Four of Sunderland's seven league victories have come at The Stadium of Light so the return to their beloved ground will be welcomed with open arms. They narrowly beat Fulham in their previous home game 1-0 so manager Ricky Sbragia will be looking for a repeat performance with hopefully a similar result. Unlike their opponents, Stoke do come into this game with a win behind them after they beat man City 1-0 at The Britannia stadium. They were reduced to 10 men also, so Rory Delap won't feature as he serves out his three match ban. James Beattie scored the winner and has already shaped up as a decent signing for Tony Pulis and Stoke City. That win doesn't hide their poor run of results though with Stoke failing to win any of their previous nine league fixtures before their win over City. They have also yet to win away from home and have lost nine of their twelve away games this season. Tony Pulis will be looking to end their away voodoo sooner rather than later and this could be one of their better chances to do so. Match odds - Sunderland 5/6 Bet365 Draw 5/2 Bet365 Stoke City 4/1 Stan James Prediction - Sunderland West Brom V Newcastle United Saturday 15:00 The Premiership season may be just 24 games old but this is a fixture which has the potential to be a six pointer with the pair separated by just two points at the foot of the table. A win for either side would be a huge boost for their survival bids. The advantage of playing at home could be crucial for West Brom and their chances, as they lost the return fixture back in Newcastle. The Baggies have struggled for the majority of the season with wins coming at a premium. They have won just six league matches all season but fortunately for them, the vast majority of those have come at The Hawthrons so West Brom merit a lot of respect back on home turf. Their last three league victories were at home so the home crowd will need to get behind their players once more if they are to get yet another positive result at home. West Brom were one of many sides that simply couldn't afford to go crazy in the transfer market but the capture of Jay Simpson on loan from Arsenal for the remainder of the season looks a fabulous piece of business. He has looked very lively in his first couple of appearances and has already opened his account for his new manager and Tony Mowbray will be expecting plenty more from the youngster, starting with their home match with Newcastle on Saturday. What Newcastle and Joe Kinnear wouldn't do for a win right now. Not a lot is our answer. The Magpies have endured a difficult fixture period which has seen them pick up just two points since the new year. They are also without a win in six league outings so this could be the opportunity they have been waiting for. Unlike West Brom's decent home record, Newcastle posses a very poor away record having won just one of their twelve away matches. That was back in December when they won 3-0 at Fratton park against Portsmouth but that was four games ago and Newcastle have since lost their last three away fixtures so is by far a formality for the Toon army. Match odds - West Brom 5/4 Bet365 Draw 12/5 William Hill Newcastle United 12/5 Stan James Prediction - Draw Wigan Athletic V Fulham Saturday 15:00 Not many would have predicted before the season started that this would ever be a top 10 clash, but this is what we have in front of us this Saturday. Both teams are occupying positions that not many would have foreseen but both justify their respective league positions. The two met at Craven Cottage back in October and that went to way of the Cottagers so Steve Bruce will have revenge firmly on his mind. Wigan have enjoyed their 2008-2009 Premiership campaign and even though they haven't won in their previous four league encounters. They have picked up some decent results and put in some very spirited team displays. They lost back-to-back games when they lost to both sides of Manchester but they did manage two very respectable draws with one at home to Liverpool and the other away at Aston Villa so it would be harsh to say Wigan have hit a flat spot. Steve Bruce did do a bit of wheeling and dealing in the transfer market with Mido joining the club on loan until the end of the season. He did reluctantly have to wave goodbye to Ecuador winger Wilson Palacios as he moved to Tottenham Hotspur whilst Emile Heskey transferred to Aston Villa. Both will be sorely missed and their absence could cost the club a fair few points. Fulham's only real piece of business in January was the sale of fan favourite Jimmy Bullard to Hull City but an interesting purchase will be the former Leeds midfielder Oliver Dacourt, who joined the Cottagers on loan from Inter Milan until the end of the season. It looks to be a straight forward replacement but Dacourt has a lot to do if he is to match Bullard's work rate commitment. Fulham do still have the burden of not having won away all season and this look s another tricky away encounter for Roy Hodgeson's boys. Their away record is very poor at 0-5-6 and Fulham have lost their previous two away fixtures. They have found the net just three times away from home and it would take a colossal performance from them to end their win less run away from home. Match odds - Wigan 1/1 Bet365 Draw 12/5 Bet365 Fulham 16/5 Stan James Prediction - Wigan Athletic Portsmouth V Liverpool Saturday 17:30 Setanta Sports A must win game for both sides here with the Portsmouth manager, you would feel, under the more pressure right now. Rafael Benitez's recent comments about his fellow counterpart's has been heavily criticised but it is Portsmouth's recent results that has stole all the headlines. One thing is for sure, someone will be taking all the spotlight for all the wrong reasons were they to drop yet more points this weekend. Tony Adam's hasn't enjoyed a successful start as Portsmouth manager. His team have already said goodbye to UEFA Cup football and were emphatically dumped out of the FA Cup by Swansea so their only chance of regaining European football is via the league and that looks highly unlikely at this point. They were once a settled side in the top 10, but they are now in free fall and are already shaping up as a team that could be involved a relegation tussle. Their form is poor and haven't won in the league in eight matches. A run that looks ever likely to increase with the arrival of title chasing Liverpool. Six of those eight win less matches were defeats and Pompey have lost their previous three matches at Fratton Park and it is unsurprising that the bookies are siding with the reds. Liverpool are the favourites for the win but they have had a lot go against them this week and do have to make a swift recovery from their FA Cup exit on Wednesday. They lost 1-0 in Extra-Time to local rivals Everton but to make matters a whole lot worse, Steven Gerrard limped off after just 15 minutes while Fernando Torres looked very unfit. Liverpool's endurance will surely be tested on Saturday which could leave Portsmouth with a slight chance. Liverpool simply cannot afford to drop any more points and could go top with a win over Pompey. They have done well away from home so getting a positive result away at Portsmouth is achievable. They have won seven of their twelve away matches this season and have a tidy defensive record of just eight goals conceded so Liverpool look a good bet heading to Fratton Park providing they recover from their midweek disappointment. Match odds - Portsmouth 9/2 Bet365 Draw 13/5 Boylesports Liverpool 27/37 Bet365 Prediction - Liverpool Tottenham Hotspur V Arsenal Sunday 13:30 Sky Sports One of the games of the season takes centre stage this Sunday as Arsene Wenger prepares his side for the short trip across London to White Hart Lane where Tottenham await them. The return fixture at The Emirates earlier in the season was by far the game of the season to date. We hope both sets of players give us a repeat performance with the game being live on Sky Sports. Tottenham don't go into this tough game with any sort of positive run so Harry Redknapp will need to rally the troops this Sunday. The arrival of Robbie Keane could be just what they need to rejuvenate the spurs squad with Harry handing him back his former role of captaincy. Wilson Palacios could also feature after his move from Wigan while Pascal Chimbonda is expected to start. Tottenham's recent form isn't good having won just one of their last eight league fixtures. That was a 3-1 win over Stoke City at home. The Spurs fans will need to play their part in the game if Spurs are to get something from the game. Tottenham haven't lost at White Hart Lane in four games but they have struggled to find the net at home. All the expectations will be on Keane to open his Tottenham account once again. We fancy there to be goals so he has a good chance of pleasing the fans in Sunday's main feature. Arsene Wenger has a reputation for being a shrewd manager when it comes to buying players but he went against his normal style and shelled out in excess of £12 Million for the transfer of Andrei Arshavin from Zenit St. Petersburg. He looks a very promising addition to their already talented squad but his fitness level makes him a slight doubt for this huge derby match. Arsenal cannot afford any more slip ups but this is a match they could potentially slip up in if they aren't careful. The Gunners are unbeaten ten league matches but half of those were draws including their most recent 1-1 draw with West Ham at The Emirates. Arsenal could only draw with Tottenham when the sides met in an enthralling encounter at The Emirates and we can't separate the two. The draw looks the safest bet. Match odds - Tottenham Hotspur 2/1 Bet365 Draw 23/10 Bet365 Arsenal 8/5 Coral Prediction - Draw West Ham United V Manchester United Sunday 16:00 Gianfranco Zola meets Sir Alex Ferguson this weekend as Manchester United make the trip down from the north to London with aspirations of picking up a win that could stretch their lead at the top of the league depending on other results. A win for West Ham though would see them close the gap on those chasing the European qualification spots although we're sure Zola would settle for a draw. West Ham looked in trouble at one point and couldn't win to save their lives. The new year has arrived and they have been one of several sides to have hit it running. They are unbeaten since Christmas and are undefeated in six matches including two FA Cup wins. The loss of Craig Bellamy is a big blow for the hammers but Carlton Cole appears to be having a whale of a time in front of goal at current. Bellamy's departure isn't missed, yet. The claret and blues are undefeated in their last three home visits winning all three. Those were to some of the weaker sides in the league but those victories will give the players a huge confidence boost. Put those results together with their weekend draw with Arsenal at The Emirates and West Ham look a fair price to halt United's winning run. Manchester United's lack of activity in the transfer market didn't come as a surprise. The United squad looks as good as ever and are gunning for Liverpool title record of 18 championship's. They are already two points clear of Liverpool in second and also have a game in hand. Were United to win on Sunday, they could go five points clear at the top and their odds of winning a 18th championship would shrink immensely. United do have all the momentum despite West Ham enjoying themselves in recent weeks. The 'Red Devils' and unbeaten in twelve games in the league and have won seven consecutive matches. Five of those seven wins by a 1-0 scoreline and it wouldn't come as much of a surprise if this was to end in a similar score. Match odds - West Ham 11/2 Bet365 Draw 11/4 Bet365 Manchester United 31/50 Boylesports Prediction - Manchester United Labels: premier-league-betting, premier-league-preview, premiership-betting, premiership-preview Posted by soccerbetting.info @ 3:51 PM