Premiership Preview by Matthew Chapple (10-11 January 2009) (Wednesday, January 07, 2009)

Premiership Previews 10th / 11th January Aston Villa V West Brom Saturday 12:45 Sky Sports 1 The Premiership's early kick-off this weekend sees West Brom travel to Birmingham in a bid to be just the second side this season to overturn Aston Villa at Villa Park. Taking into consideration both sides respective home and away records, you would feel that West Brom may have to settle for a pretty scoreline. West Brom have also never beaten Aston Villa since the Premiership was formed and Villa beat West Brom at The Hawthorns earlier this season. The omens are not good for the away side. Martin O'Neill is working his magic at Villa and is putting together a side that is genuine contenders for one of those elusive Champions League positions. They finished 2008 in 4th position and have formed a three point lead over their nearest pursuer, Arsenal. They also go into this fixture with West Brom, on the back of a run that has seen them go 8 matches without defeat. They also boast a strong home record of 4-5-1 with their only defeat coming against Middlesborough. I remember that game and Villa were surprisingly poor. It is hard to see Villa reproducing a performance as poor as that this Saturday. Several of Villa's key players had to sit out their 2-1 FA Cup win over Gillingham on Sunday. Both Gareth Barry and Gabriel Agbonlahor didn't feature but they are expected to make a return to the starting line up for this fixture. That is bad news for any Baggies fan. This looks a foregone conclusion for West Brom. They sit at the foot of the Premiership table and posses a dreadful away record. Their one and only away win this season came against an inconsistent Middlesborough side. They have since failed to repeat that feat and have lost their previous 7 away matches. The Baggies really do struggle to find the net on the road scoring just three goals from their 10 away fixtures. That is an embarrassing average of just 0.3 a game. That is woeful in anyone standards and that is just one of the many reasons why West Brom simply cannot be backed for this match with Aston Villa. They lack quality in depth with Roman Bednar their only real threat in front of goal. Their defence looks very vulnerable and they have the potential to concede a bucket load of goals. Anything other then an Aston Villa would be a major surprise. The bookies see it this way also. Match Odds - Aston Villa 4/9 Paddypower Draw 10/3 Bet365 West Brom 8/1 Bet365 Prediction - Aston Villa Arsenal V Bolton Wanderers Saturday 15:00 Bolton are desperate for points and Gary Megson won't appreciate this fixture one bit. Arsenal on the other hand will see this as a perfect opportunity to add to their point tally with Aston Villa already three points ahead of them in the table. Arsenal have enjoyed this fixture in recent season winning the previous 4 meetings between the two sides. Arsenal won 3-1 at The Reebok back in September and I'm sure Arsene Wenger would settle for the same scoreline come Saturday night. Arsenal didn't take their weekend fixture in the FA Cup lightly against Plymouth Argyle and fielded a strong side. That did come as a pleasant surprise as Wenger normally likes to experiment against the weaker sides. Arsenal did take a while to get going but they eventually swept a-side Plymouth to win by a 3-1 scoreline. Robin Van Persie stole the show scoring twice to seal the Pilgrims fate. He hadn't scored since his brace against Chelsea so that should do the player a world of good. Arsenal have done well at home this season but they have slipped up against some of the poorer sides in the league. Defeats to both Hull City and Aston Villa has cost them and their league position is a fair reflection on their inconsistent season to date. They were hardly convincing against Portsmouth when they last played at The Emirates so they will need to show a vast improvement if they are to overcome a physical examination from Bolton. Bolton's league position at current is a deceiving one. They are currently 11th in the Premiership but they are just three points above the drop zone. The bottom half of the table is the closest i have seen for some time with 8th - 19th separated by just 10 points. No side can afford to be complacent, especially Bolton. They are capable of winning away from home and have 4 away victories to their name already. They were however thumped 3-0 by Liverpool in their last away game of 2008. Bolton were never in the game and showed very little in terms of creating a goal scoring chance. The do also lack a forward with real quality and it is hard to find someone within their squad that will score 15 plus this season. Something they may need if they are to survive another season. Bolton will need to use their familiar 'rustle and bustle' approach if they are to make a match of this.. Match Odds - Arsenal 4/11 Bet365 Draw 10/3 Bet365 Bolton Wanderers 10/1 Bet365 Prediction - Arsenal Everton V Hull City Saturday 15:00 Goodison Park should be full to the brim this Saturday and Everton may need a full crowd in order to achieve victory over a Hull City side that has so far had a memorable season. Although their results in recent weeks are ones that manager Phil Brown will want to forget. The Toffee's have struggled for wins at home but they will be facing a side that has very little form going into this match. A massive chance for David Moyes side to pick up some vital points. David Moyes seen his Everton side progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup only to see his side draw Liverpool at Anfield. What a reward for the blues. They weren't fully convincing though with Macclesfield surprisingly making the third round tie more of a matcht then many had predicted. Everton won by just the one goal with Leon Osman scoring the winner. That was at Macclesfield and Everton have done generally a lot better away from home this season. They have won just twice at Goodison this season leaving Everton open to a lot of criticism. They have a home record of 2-4-4 and have been the perfect model for inconsistency.. One of the reasons for their poor home form may be their lack of fire-power in the final third. Louis Saha has been plagued with yet more injuries while Yakubu is out for a lengthy period. The January transfer window has already come and Moyes has yet to dip into his pocket. They could pay the price sooner or later for their lack of signings. Especially in the forward department. Hull City may well of been the surprise package of 2008 but their party balloon has certainly been popped. They were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Newcastle in the FA Cup which now leaves Phil Brown with one extra fixture he didn't want. They now prepare for Premiership action once again where they have hit a flat spot. The 6th of December was when the Tigers last won when they beat Middlesborough 2-1 at home. They have since gone four matches without a win. They have three straight defeats behind them and have just one win in 11 in the league. Some will say they are fortunate to have picked up so many points at the start of the season else they would be involved in a relegation slog. Scoring hasn't been their problem. Defending has. They have conceded 10 in their last three league fixtures and are putting in the sort of displays that have finally put us off betting on them. Match Odds - Everton 4/6 Boylesports Draw 27/10 Blue Square Hull City 5/1 Canbet Prediction - Everton Fulham V Blackburn Rovers Saturday 15:00 Not a pretty match on paper but one that has to be contested as 'Big Sam' takes his Blackburn side on a trip to London this weekend to face a buoyant Fulham at Craven Cottage. This is a fixture which has been enjoyed more by Blackburn in recent years winning two of the last five meetings between the two sides with the other three ending in score draws. The draw looks the logical approach to this game and we wouldn't put anyone off betting on this being yet another draw. Fulham are having one of their better seasons this year and are currently flying high in 9th position. They are used to the bottom half of the table but they will certainly be enjoying life in the upper half of the Premiership. How long they can remain there is another question. Their run of 9 matches without defeat may look impressive at first glance but when you look a little deeper you will see that 7 of those games were draws. The Fulham board will be fully aware that their club are dropping too many points but some of those draws merit respect. Three 0-0 draws at Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham look impressive while they scored late on to draw 2-2 with Chelsea at Craven Cottage in their last ever fixture of the 2008 calendar. They show a lot of commitment and defend in vast numbers but they are still lacking that presence in the opposition box. Andy Johnson scored twice in Fulham's 2-1 win at Sheffield on Saturday so the Fulham manager will be hoping he can repeat his form in front of goal this Saturday. Sam Allardyce came in as Blackburn manager, won a game and everything was Rosie again in Lancashire. That was the dream. Now it's back to reality. They are still in the bottom three and are still the same side that can't win. They notched up their first win in 11 when they beat Stoke City 3-0 in Sam's first game in charge but they returned to their win less ways by drawing their next two league fixtures against Sunderland and Man City. Both of those games were winnable but Blackburn are the specialist this season at doing the opposite of what they can do. They were hardly convincing in their FA Cup tie with Blyth Spartans on Monday night. They won by the narrowest of margins with Sam fielding a very weak side in my opinion. He showed the competition and the opposition no respect and we will do just the same. Blackburn cannot be backed with any confidence going into this fixture and we wouldn't recommended backing Rovers this Saturday. Match Odds - Fulham 11/10 Canbet Draw 23/10 Bet365 Blackburn Rovers 5/2 Canbet Prediction - Draw Middlesborough V Sunderland Saturday 15:00 We found this the hardest fixture of the weekend to predict as a Middlesborough side without a win in 8 matches go in search for one at the expense of Sunderland who travel to The Riverside looking for a win that would drag them away from the drop zone. The pair last met back in September 2007 when both partys had to settle for a share of the spoils. With both teams hovering above the relegation places, neither side will be happy with anything other than a win. The red and white side of Tyneside must be slightly concerned and puzzled at their sides recent run of results in the league. The board appear to be keeping faith with the Englishman in charge but if results carry on the way they are. It could be a case of how long before they lose their patience and look elsewhere for someone who can take them that step forward. At the moment, Gareth is only taking them backwards. They have now gone 8 games without a win and are getting increasingly closer to equalling the record of 11 matches without a win set by Blackburn. Boro have also lost their previous three matches leaving them in 17th position in the league table. Level on points with Stoke City who occupy that final relegation spot. They came through their third round tie with Barrow on Saturday but not without a scare. Barrow scored late into the second half but Alfonso Alves first goals in several years secured victory for the home side. I'm over exaggerating the time in which Alves lasts scored but it has been a while since he found the net. He has been a major flop so far and the Boro fans will be hoping he can show more clinical finishing in front of goal this Saturday. Sunderland are also struggling to put together some form that would lift them away from the drop zone. They were thumped in their previous away fixture against Everton and were re soundly beaten 3-0 at Goodison. That result highlighted their vulnerability on the road this season as that was their 4th away defeat in 6. They did manage to put that poor result to one side though on Saturday when they nudged Bolton out of the FA Cup at The Stadium of Light. That result should give the players a lift and my do they need one. Several of the Sunderland players are expected to leave during January and it would be foolish to think the atmosphere in the Sunderland camp is a particularly good one. This could be the best time to play Sunderland if you're a Middlesborough fan. Match Odds - Middlesborough 6/5 Bet365 Draw 11/5 Canbet Sunderland 12/5 Canbet Prediction - Draw Newcastle United V West Ham United Saturday 15:00 Newcastle have lost their previous two league fixtures while West ham have won both of theirs. Newcastle will have the advantage of having the Toon fans behind them at St. James Park but West Ham appear to be in a good vein of form and cannot be ruled out. West ham cruised past Newcastle when the two sides met at Upton Park back in September so Newcastle United will be eager to make amends for that defeat Joe Kinnear was left scratching his head when he last watched his Toon side in action in the Premiership. They went into their fixture with Liverpool at St. James Park full of optimism after owner Mike Ashley confirmed that the club was no longer up for sale. The bubbly was put on ice though as Liverpool proved to be the party poopers when they thumped Newcastle 5-1. Their wasn't many positives for Joe to take from that game with Shay Given being the only Newcastle player to come out of that match with some of his dignity still intact. Newcastle rarely ventured into the Liverpool half while their defence looked very shaky. They have now conceded 17 goals at home and are conceding, on average nearly two goals a game at home. They were very poor and will need to show signs of vast improvement before we even consider betting on them again. West Ham fortunes have taken a turn for the better after securing yet another win at the weekend. They were fairly comfortable against Barnsley in the FA Cup and saw the game out as deserved 3-0 winners. They have also improved their results in the league and have won their previous two league fixtures. They have also scored nine goals in three games. It took them nine matches to equal that tally before they went on their run of three straight wins. I don't know what Zola has done with the players in recent weeks but whatever it is, it's working. Their league position now has a 'cosy' feel to it with West Ham sitting in a respectable 10th position. A big incentive for the West ham players is that if they were to win at St. James Park on Saturday, they would break into the top half of the table for the first time since the early part of the season. Something that looked highly unlikely at one point. Match Odds - Newcastle United 6/5 Bet365 Draw 12/5 Boylesports West Ham United 12/5 Bet365 Prediction - Draw Portsmouth V Manchester City Saturday 15:00 Both of these sides are desperate for a win in order to keep both the fans and boardroom staff off their backs. Portsmouth have lost their last four league fixtures while City were emphatically dumped out of the FA Cup by a poor Nottingham Forest side. If there was any teams in the league that would do absolutely anything for a win it would be these two. This has the potential to be a real thriller at Fratton Park. Tony Adam's start as a Premiership manager has hardly been a romantic one. Harry Redknapp went into Spurs and changed their fortunes instantly. Tony has gone in at Portsmouth and done a lot worse then his predecessor. It was a huge ask getting Tony to match Harry's achievements at Pompey but Portsmouth really have struggled since Adam's has taken over the reigns. Their league position is on a downward spiral dropping from sixth down to 12th. They have lost four matches on the bounce in the league and it is clear to see that there is discontent in the Portsmouth ranks. Jermaine Defoe didn't feature on Saturday when Pompey drew with Bristol City at Fratton park and has now left to join up with former boss Harry Redknapp at Spurs. Several others are expected to follow Defoe out the door with many being linked with moves away. Portsmouth have very little going for them right now and we can't find a case for them going into this tricky new year fixture. Mark Hughes suffered yet another embarrassing defeat at the weekend yet this one was much more costly then his many others. They City fans were left stunned as Forest walked into the fourth round draw at their expense after they lost 3-0 at The City of Manchester. I thought his job was under scrutiny when City suffered back-to-back defeats in December but the board came out and showed they had faith in the manager they never appointed. City then go and lose to a side that is at the foot of the Championship and exits the biggest domestic competition in England but yet he still has a job. I've given up predicting when he will eventually be out the City door. One thing is for sure though and that is that if City were to suffer yet another defeat on Saturday. The pressure would certainly be piling onto Hughes's shoulders. He must feel like he is carrying the world right now with many journalists, pundits and now even the fans lining up to take a chunk out of the City gaffer. The omen's are also not good with City winning just once away from home all season. They have gone 8 away matches without a win but with Portsmouth looking out of sorts, this could be their best opportunity for some time. Match Odds - Portsmouth 7/4 Skybet Draw 12/5 Bet365 Manchester City 12/5 Bet365 Prediction - Manchester City Stoke City V Liverpool Saturday 17:30 Setanta Sports 1 Saturday's live game on Setanta Sports 1 sees Liverpool travel to Stoke with the hope that they can better their early result against the Potters when Stoke held Liverpool to a 0-0 draw at Anfield back in September. One of many setbacks Liverpool have had to endure. The majority will expect Liverpool to come through this fixture but Tony Pulis and his Stoke players will have other ideas. Stoke's form has certainly hit the rocks after they succumbed to their third successive defeat in the league before the new year. Defeats to Blackburn, Manchester United and West Ham has seen their league position rapidly decline and are now in an uncomfortable 18th position. There is just three points separating the teams from 11th down so Stoke simply cannot afford another slip up and must go into this tough fixture with a winning mentality. Stoke do rely heavily on their form as they have yet to win away from home. The more points they drop at home the higher the likelihood that they will be involved in a relegation scrap come the end of the season. They did manage to hold Liverpool to a 0-0 draw at Anfield and I'm sure Tony Pulis would take that scoreline with glee if someone offered it to him. Especially as the players may be suffering after they were dumped out of the FA Cup by League One outfit Hartlepool. Liverpool secured progression into the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday when they beat Preston 2-0 in a match that was shown live on ITV1. They were superb in the opening half and created several goal scoring opportunities but like the Liverpool of new. They failed to score the vast majority of them. Robbie Keane was the main culprit and he was subbed yet again mid way through the second half. His confidence must be at an all time low but the fans won;t be too bothered now that their number 9 is back in action. Fernando Torres made his return from injury and scored late on to seal an impressive win for Liverpool. His goal was hardly the goal of the season but that could be just what he needs to re-spark his injury plagued season. The Liverpool players are in the form of their life's at present and are on an unbeaten run that stretches to 10 games. Their only defeat of the season came at White Hart Lane in a game they dominated but once again failed to score enough goals. That has been their biggest downfall this season. They control games but find it very hard to find the net. The return of Fernando Torres should change that and hopefully he can do the business in Stoke this Saturday. Match Odds - Stoke City 9/1 Bet365 Draw 7/2 Bet365 Liverpool 4/9 Skybet Prediction - Liverpool Wigan Athletic V Tottenham Hotspur Sunday 13:30 Sky Sports Old foes go head-to-head this Sunday as Harry Redknapp takes his Tottenham side on a long trip up north where Steve Bruce's Wigan lye in waiting. I doubt many will have predicted before the season started that Wigan would be 11 places better off then Sours but that is now the case. Spurs fans have had to endure a poor end to 2008 while Wigan went into 2009 full of celebrations. Will Tottenham end Wigan good run of luck or will Spurs start 2009 how they finished 2008? Steve Bruce was one of just a few manager that enjoyed the festive period with Wigan winning all three of their fixtures over the Christmas period. They thumped Blackburn 3-0 at the JJB while they narrowly edged out both Newcastle United and Bolton wanderers winning by the odd goal. Wigan will go into this tricky fixture with all the momentum with those three wins in the bag while they have lost just once in nine in the league. A huge blow will of course be the exit from the FA Cup. They were soundly beaten 3-1 at White Hart Lane but they are now left to fully focus on the task ahead which is to secure their Premiership status. They look a safe bet at the moment to fulfil their ambitions. Tottenham Hotspur on the other hand are still left hovering above the drop zone after the lost yet another fixture in the league. Their defeat at West Brom now means they have gone four matches without a win and picked up just two points in the month of December. They have also been very inconsistent at home winning just three of their ten home fixtures this season. Spurs are becoming a side that can be brilliant one week and woeful the next. Harry will be delighted with his side performances in both the FA Cup and Carling Cup but they didn't come without their fair share of scares. They were given a football lesson in the first half of their game against Burnley but got their act together for the second half to win 4-1. Harry Redknapp obviously gave the players to old hair-dryer treatment and it doesn't bode well when your players need a good talking to before they start playing well. Spurs are too inconsistent to even consider backing against a Wigan side that has looked impressive in their recent outings. Match Odds - Wigan Athletic 7/5 Bet365 Draw 9/4 Canbet Tottenham Hotspur 15/8 Boylesports Prediction - Wigan Athletic Manchester United V Chelsea Sunday 16:00 Sky Sports The match of the weekend sees the current champions host last seasons runners ups. The is a six pointer as far as these two sides are concerned with defeat being a drastic result for both teams. Chelsea have the edge going this fixture and currently four points in front of their rivals. The pair have already met earlier in the season at Stamford Bridge and the match finished in a draw. This could be another tough match to call. Manchester United do have two games in hand over Chelsea but they cannot to be complacent. If they were to lose to Phil Scolari's Chelsea, they would fall a further seven points behind Chelsea and could potentially finish the weekend ten points behind leaders Liverpool. The pressure will be on United to get the win they desperately need and that hunger could be the key factor in this match. United do have no injury worries so Sir Alex Ferguson should have an array of talent to choose from. Christiano Ronaldo was rested in United's 3-0 win at Southampton on Sunday. Fergie obviously had one eye on this fixture as Rooney only played in the second half. The Red Devils have yet to taste defeat at Old Trafford this season but they have failed to beat all the big four when they have met so that could be a mental blow for the United players. Chelsea have also failed to beat any of the big four this season and have lost two of their home fixtures to Liverpool and Arsenal. They simply cannot afford to drop any points this weekend as it would drag Manchester United back into the title race. They have done a lot better away from home though this season and haven't lost a single away match this season. They were on a run of 8 straight away wins before they clashed with both Everton and Fulham. That does mean they haven't won away in two so that could also affect the Chelsea players mentally. A huge positive will be the return of the powerhouse that is Didier Drogba. He has failed to make a real impression in his few starts since his injury but he has the potential to turn games in Chelsea's favour. Frank Lampard could be their key player this Sunday after the striker scored twice in their last Premiership fixture away at Fulham. It would take a brave man to split these two and this is a match no one should miss. Match Odds - Manchester United 13/10 Skybet Draw 11/5 Bet365 Chelsea 5/2 Skybet Prediction - Manchester United Labels: man united v chelsea betting, premier-league-betting, premier-league-preview, premiership-betting, premiership-preview Posted by soccerbetting.info @ 8:27 AM

Premiership Preview by Matthew Chapple (28-29 December) (Saturday, December 27, 2008)

Premiership Previews Sunday 28th December Newcastle United V Liverpool Sunday 12:00 At the start of the season this would probably have been seen as an away banker for Liverpool but it would appear that Joe Kinnear is starting a revival at Tyneside. Newcastle couldn't buy a win in the early part of the season. They have now notched up two wins from three. This is also a fixture they have enjoyed in recent seasons winning three of the last 5 meetings between the two sides at St. James Park. Liverpool did however complete a league double of the Toon last season and they deservedly go into this tough away fixture as favourites. Tyneside is very upbeat right now. Well, at least the black and white side of it is. Their local neighbours aren't doing so well but Newcastle had gone a massive 6 matches without defeat in the league before they suffered defeat against Wigan on Boxing Day. That run maybe small to some clubs but considering the amount of issues Newcastle have had to deal with this season, it is a colossal statistic. They have also yet to taste defeat at home in six matches. St. James is finally starting to regain that fortress appeal it once had. They also have an uncanny knack of scoring two goals at home this season. Their previous six league matches has seen them score twice on each occasion. Newcastle do have a few injury concern with Martins a doubt while Joey Barton is ruled out. Michael Owen will almost certainly start so he will be eager to show his former employee's what they are missing. Liverpool cruised to victory over Bolton Wanderers on Boxing Day and will be eager to carry on their good run of form into this tough away fixture. This has always been an eye catching fixture whenever these two line up and this should be no different. Liverpool desperately need the win in order to retain their position at the top of the table and will be expecting Robbie Keane to continue his good vein of scoring. The former Spurs forward has now scored in his previous two league fixtures and I'm sure he will be doubly determined to continue his good run after taking a lot of stick of late. Liverpool have done well away from home this season winning 6 out 9 away fixtures. They could only manage a draw in their last away fixture against Arsenal but they are playing a much weaker side so the the burden will be on the away side to come away from Tyneside with all three points. Fernando Torres has returned to training and could feature. Match odds - Newcastle United 7/2 William Hill Draw 11/4 William Hill Liverpool EVENS Bet365 Prediction - Liverpool Arsenal V Portsmouth Sunday 14:00 Two sides in desperate need of a positive result as Tony Adam's Portsmouth make the familiar trip to London this Sunday with a warm welcome assured for one of Arsenal most loved players. Tony Adam's enjoyed many happy years with Arsenal and I'm sure the Arsenal faithful will give him a raptures reception at The Emirates. Portsmouth won't be looking forward to this fixture as much as their manager as they have never beaten Arsenal in the Premiership. Arsene Wenger was left bewildered on Friday as Aston Villa scored a late equaliser to spoil the Gunners party. Arsenal were the better side but failed to convert that into goals and were left to rue missed chances and opportunities. A result which now leaves the Gunners outside the top four with Aston Vilal occupying that final, elusive spot. Coming away from Villa Park will leave a bitter taste in the mouth of all the Arsenal players and if that is not incentive enough for them to win this Sunday, i don't know what is. They will have to do so without their captain, Cesc Fabregas, who is ruled out for a lengthy period but the suspended Adebayor will now be available. Arsenal have been a tad inconsistent at The Emirates this season and have already been beaten by some poor sides at home. However, Portsmouth are out of luck of late so this really should go the way of the Gunners. Pompey endured yet another disappointing result as they notched up back-to-back defeats on Friday losing 4-1 at home to West Ham. That result was by far their poorest of the season and one which will only heap more pressure onto Adam's shoulders. Portsmouth have now gone three matches without a win and are falling ever closer to the bottom half of the table. They are just five points above the drop zone and they cannot afford to drop any more points. A massive concern will be the January transfer market. Several key players at the club have been linked with moves away from Fratton Park and that can only hinder the team spirit in the Portsmouth camp. They have been fairly poor away from home and have managed just seven away goals all season. Both Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe were poor in their thumping defeat by West Ham. Unless they buck up their ideas, Portsmouth could be in serious trouble before long. Match odds - Arsenal 9/20 Gamebookers Draw 7/2 Paddypower Portsmouth 17/2 Bet365 Prediction - Arsenal Bolton Wanderers V Wigan Athletic Sunday 14:00 Steve Bruce meets Gary Megson this weekend as Wigan travel to the Reebok in search of back-to-back wins in the Premiership. Bolton however need the win to ensure that they remain in the upper half of the table. At least until the next set of fixtures come about. The advantage of playing at home was evident last season with both sides winning over one another at their respective stadiums. Will the Reebok play a key part this weekend? Bolton were left stunned as Liverpool cruised to victory over them on Friday. They have never enjoyed the trip to Anfield in recent seasons and this was no different. Liverpool outplayed them in every department with Bolton mere spectators as Liverpool notched up their first home win in four. Gary Megson will never admit that any game isn't winnable but that fixture was certainly one they were capable of coming away from with nothing to show for not that they deserved anything from the match. Gary Megson won't be ecstatic with the return to the Reebok as his side have generally performed a lot better on the road then at home. Bolton have won seven matches this season with under half of those coming at home. They have also managed just 8 at home so finding the net this Sunday could be harder then some expect. Wigan Athletic are on a good run of late despite losing their last away match at Arsenal. They notched up their seventh league victory of the season on Friday when they saw of Newcastle United by a 2-1 scoreline. But that was at home. Away from home has been a different story. Wigan have won just twice on their travels this season with their last away victory coming against Portsmouth. Wigan have won 4 of their last 7 league fixtures and are now facing a Bolton side who could be vulnerable after their comprehensive defeat on Friday. Steve Bruce will drill it into his players that this is certainly a match they can win. Match odds - Bolton Wanderers 5/4 Betdirect Draw 12/5 Betfred Wigan 12/5 Bet365 Prediction - Draw Everton V Sunderland Sunday 14:00 One of the longest serving Premiership managers prepares his side for a tough match this Sunday as Everton play host to Sunderland at Goodsion Park. A tie which Everton have thoroughly enjoyed playing in recent encounters winning 5 of the last six meetings between the two clubs. The last time these two met at Goodison Everton smashed Sunderland for 7. Looking at both sides respective away and home goal scoring records, it is unlikely that we will get a similar result this coming Sunday. David Moyes will go into 2009 with a slight frown as Everton are not occupying the sort of position that the club should be finishing in. They have showed small glimpses of form and that is why they are in the position they are in. They are currently sixth but I'm sure they would of liked and expected to be a lot closer to the big four. They will take a positive in the fact that they are now just three points behind the Gunners in the league table. Everton narrowly beat a hapless Middlesborough side on Friday but they were hardly convincing. Everton have been drastic at Goodison this season winning just one of nine home matches this season. A statistic which needs to be rapidly addressed. Sunderland looked to be up the way up after they secured their first back-to-back victories of the season when they beat both West Brom and Hull in successive weeks. That run did however come to and end as they failed to show any signs of breaking the deadlock at home to Blackburn on Friday. Both sides performances was poor with neither side deserving to win the game. Their away record is hardly anything to shout about but they have put in some impressive displays away from home this season. They beat Tottenham at Tottenham early on in the season and they pushed Manchester United close at Old Trafford. Their previous away match seen them thump Hull City 4-1 but they haven't been consistent enough to say they will back that result up. Match odds - Everton 10/11 Coral Draw 5/2 Bet365 Sunderland 15/4 Paddypower Prediction - Everton Fulham V Chelsea Sunday 14:00 Yet another London derby as Chelsea travel to Fulham in search of yet another away win against local neighbours Fulham. This has never been a fierce rivalry but Fulham have a good home record this season going into this tricky fixture and will do all they can to keep that home run going. Chelsea's away record is just as impressive and I'm sure they will be looking to keep their run going also. Couldn't be an intriguing encounter at Craven Cottage. Fulham continued their miserable away run on Boxing Day when they picked up yet another point on the road. They are one of just two sides without an away win this season and I'm sure they cannot wait to get back to craven Cottage were results have been far better. They have won on six occasions this season at home and have suffered defeat just once. That was against West Ham but that was six games ago so Fulham are undefeated in six at home. They showed very little in terms of chances against Tottenham a few days ago and that will be a concern as they now look ahead to an even bigger challenge with Chelsea travelling to craven Cottage. Jimmy Bullard looks to be on his way out of Fulham and it wouldn't be much of a surprise if the Fulham fans were to start leaving a little earlier then usual this Sunday. Phil Scolari and his Chelsea boy's were hardly convincing on Boxing day. They never looked like dropping points but they were far from impressive in front of goal. They showed a lot of arrogance in front of goal when they really could have scored several more then they eventually did. Nevertheless the got the win and that is all that counts in the end. That was just Chelsea's fourth home win this season and their first home victory in three so that result should boost player morale. Didier Drogba marked his return with a goal after just 3 minutes and Scolari surprisingly started with both Anelka and Drogba up front. They face a mini Derby as such against Fulham and he may well decide to play just the one up front in this fixture. Their away record is far better than their home with 8 away wins from 9 and are undefeated on the road this season. They have also conceded just 1 away goal this season and it is hard to see anything other then another Chelsea away win. Match odds - Fulham 11/2 Bet365 Draw 3/1 Paddypower Chelsea 4/6 Boylesports Prediction - Chelsea West Brom V Tottenham Hotspur Sunday 14:00 Harry takes his spur side on an away trip this weekend as he prepares his side for a stern workout against West Brom. Neither side couldn't manage a win in their previous fixtures with Tottenham drawing at home to Fulham and West Brom losing 2-0 away at Chelsea. The last time these two met in West Brom it went the way of the home side in a 2-0 win but that was three years ago and it would be a surprise if this was to end in the same scoreline. West Brom went to Stamford and got the result that everyone expected them to get which was nothing. It would have taken something special for West Brom to have taking anything away from Chelsea and they never looked like causing a threat to Chelsea's goal. They did play some decent football though and do tend to play it around with very little problems. That is certainly their best attribute and they will need to exercise that if they are to get a positive result against Tottenham this Sunday. They are bottom of the table and are desperate for points. Their last home match was a successful one when they elft it very late to beat Man City but that was their first win in 11 and they are capable of going on another luck less streak. West Brom aren't prolific in front of goal but they have scored the majority of their goals at The Hawthorns so the trip back home will be welcomed by the Baggies. It is a big ask though for them to record back-to-back home victories and this could be a step to far for the Baggies. Harry Redknapp was seen as a GOD after his first few games in charge at Spurs were successful but he has seen his side fortunes drop in recent fixtures and their 0-0 home draw with Fulham means they are without league win in 3 matches. A massive concern for anyone involved with Spurs will be the amount of goals they have scored at home. Both Darren Bent and Roman Pavlyuchenko have struggled to settle in this season and it has showed in their poor goal tally. Spurs have managed 20 league goals this season but the majority of those goals have come on the road with 13 coming away from White Hart Lane. A good statistics for any punter will be that Spurs have only come away from an away game without scoring on just one occasion. They have scored at both Chelsea and Arsenal so it is hard to see them not at least make the score sheet at The Hawthorns. Match odds - West Brom 12/5 Paddypower Draw 5/2 Bet365 Tottenham 5/4 888sport Prediction - Tottenham Hotspur West Ham V Stoke City Sunday 14:00 This is a match involving two teams with a vast contrast in moods. West Ham will go into this match with Stoke City with the momentum after they thumped Portsmouth 4-1 at Fratton park. Stoke on the other hand had to endure yet another league defeat at the hands of Manchester United who left it late to crush the hearts of the Stoke players. Tony Pulis will have a tough challenge on his hands to get his Stoke players fired up in time for this tricky away fixture. West Ham didn't start the game against Portsmouth too well but certainly came good in the second half. They rode their luck with Defoe missing a penalty before half-time but they went on too severely punish them for that miss and thumped Pompey 4-1 at Fratton park. Considering they have scored just 7 away goals before that game, it is a tremendous result. West Ham won't be looking forward to heading back to Upton Park as they are without a home win in 6 with their last victory at home coming in a 3-1 win over Newcastle United. That result over Portsmouth will undoubtedly give the players a welcome boost in confidence but whether they can end their poor home run against a powerful Stoke City side is a tricky question and one we are unsure how to predict. Tony Pulis was unsurprisingly disappointed with the result against Manchester United on Boxing day. His players put in a battling display and were unfortunate not to have taken at least a point away from the current champions. The sending off of Andy Wilkinson was the turning point and i wouldn't want to be that player in the dressing room after the game. That result does leave Stoke hovering above the drop zone with a defeat against West Ham possibly leaving them in the relegation zone by the time the new year arrives. They have yet to register a win on the road this season and have managed just 5 away goals. They would need to show avast improvement on their recent away efforts if they were to record their first ever away victory in the Premiership. Match odds - West Ham 5/6 888sport Draw 13/5 Bet365 Stoke City 4/1 Bet365 Prediction - West Ham Blackburn Rovers V Manchester City Sunday 16:15 Manchester City were sublime in their last league match when they thumped Hull City 5-1 at The City of Manchester Stadium. Blackburn on the other hand had to endure yet another game without winning when they drew 0-0 with Sunderland in what was a poor game. It is Blackburn though who have enjoyed this fixture the most in recent years with Rovers winning 5 of the previous 10 league meetings between the two sides with four ending in draws. Blackburn were poor against Sunderland and showed very little in front of goal with neither side deserving the win. Benni McCarthy managed a brace in Rovers's last home fixture and many were hoping he would take that into their next league match with Sunderland but he was as poor as anyone on the park. Blackburn have been poor at home this season winning just two at home from nine. Their 3-0 win over Stoke at Ewood Park ended a win less home run of 5 at home. They have managed just 8 at home this season with defending being their biggest downfall conceding 15 at Ewood park. Man City managed 5 a few days so Sam Allardyce will need to get his rear guard in order this Sunday. Mark Hughes will finally have something to sheer about this Christmas as Man City finally showed what everyone knows they are capable of when they thumped Hull City 5-1 at home on Boxing Day. They were fantastic from the off and didn't show any signs of letting up. It was an emphatic win and one they will look to try and repeat as they head to Ewood Park this Sunday. City have been poor though on the road winning just one of their nine away fixtures this season. That was several weeks ago at Sunderland and have since failed to win away from home. They don't struggle for goals on the road but they do have a problem with defending when travelling. They have conceded 17 away goals and have kept just one away clean sheet this season. That was in their win over Sunderland. They will need a similar defence display if they are to record just their second away victory this season. Match odds - Blackburn Rovers 8/5 Paddypower Draw 12/5 Betfred Man City 21/10 Bet365 Prediction - Draw Manchester United V Middlesborough Monday 20:00 Manchester United left it late to see of a resilient Stoke side on Boxing Day with Carlos Tevez scoring the winner for the Red Devils. United did control the vast majority of the game but they were far from comfortable and they will consider themselves very fortunate to come away from Stoke with all three points. That was their fourth away win of the season and they will look forward to heading back to Manchester as they have been impressive at Old Trafford this season. They are undefeated in seven home matches with six of those being victories. The only side to have taken anything away from Old Trafford was Newcastle in the very first game of the season. Their goal scoring record at home also looks impressive at 19-4 and have averaged nearly 3 goals a game at home. Rio Ferdinand missed the game against Stoke on Boxing Day with a back injury but should recover in time for this game. Whether he does or not, they should have it within them to comfortable see off Middlesborough. Middlesborough had to endure yet another poor performance from their players as Middlesborough lost yet another match in the Premiership. They lost 1-0 at home to Everton on Friday and that result leaves them in 17th position. Just two points above the drop zone. Boro' have now gone seven league matches without a win and look fully capable of beating Blackburn's record of 11 without a league win with their performances of late. I'm not sure if we can start talking about Gareth Southgate's job being in doubt but their recent display must leave the Middlesborough board asking questions. They have showed very little in front of goal in recent matches and have now gone 180 minutes without a goal. Old Trafford is a tough stadium to go to and this could extend their run without a goal to 270 minutes unless they show a drastic improvement in the final third. Match odds - Manchester United ¼ Coral Draw 5/1 Bet365 Middlesborough 18/1 Bet365 Prediction - Manchester United Labels: premier-league-betting, premier-league-preview, premiership-betting, premiership-preview Posted by soccerbetting.info @ 4:46 PM

Premiership Preview by Matthew Chapple (26 December) (Tuesday, December 23, 2008)

Premiership Previews 26th December Boxing Day Stoke City V Manchester United Friday 12:45 Manchester United make the trip down to Stoke City this Friday after returning from Japan with their second piece of silverware for the season. They don't have long to celebrate their triumph with Stoke waiting to burst Manchester United's bubble. Stoke's four match unbeaten run in the league came to an end at the weekend. They took on an out of sorts Blackburn side but were firmly swept a-side by Rovers and succumbed to a 3-0 away defeat. That was their sixth away defeat of the season so they will more then welcome the trip back to home soil. Their home record this season is fairly good at 5-2-2 and have the scalp of Arsenal at home. They haven't lost at home in six matches with the key to their success at home being their defence. Stoke have conceded just two in their last four home matches so Manchester United won't have it all their own way this Friday. Sir Alex Ferguson will be pleased with his teams performance on Sunday to win the FIFA World Club Championship but will be livid with the dissent of Vidic who will now miss the key Champions league tie with Inter Milan. The defender was sent off for an elbow on a Quito player. Their time in Japan will have to be put to one side though as this is a crucial match for the Red Devils if they are to keep up with the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea at the top. United have been inconsistent on the road this season winning just three of their nine away matches. Goals have also been few and far when United have travelled and with Stoke probably happy to settle for a pointy it would be a surprise if this game provided us with plenty of goal mouth action. United will need to be on top form if they are to penetrate the Stoke City rear guard. Match odds - Stoke City 11/1 Boylesports Draw 4/1 Bet365 Manchester United 1/3 Coral Prediction - Manchester United Chelsea V West Brom Friday 15:00 Chelsea will have to handle the pressure of being the firm favourites for yet another home match at Stamford Bridge as West Brom make the trip down to London to take on Phil and his boy's. This match should really be straight forward but with Chelsea struggling at home it maybe one to give a miss at such short odds. A lot has been made of Chelsea's home record this season as they have struggled for results and consistency at Stamford Bridge. Just three home wins all season and they haven't won at the Bridge in their previous three home matches. That included a 1-1 draw with a poor West Ham side last weekend. They were fortunate that others around them also slipped up as they could of seen themselves slip several points behind leaders Liverpool. Didier Drogba is fancied to start ahead of Nicolas Anelka although many pundits think Scolari should try them both up front instead of the lone striker formation. Despite their poor home form this season they really ought to cruise through this match against a very poor West Brom side. Cheslea have still scored twice as many at home as they have conceded at 15-6 so they should be too strong for West Brom on Friday. West Brom achieved probably their best result of the season on Sunday when they left it late to see off Manchester City at The Hawthorns. Roman Bednar scored the winner to end West Brom's win less run of 10 matches without a win in the league. If we put that result to one side, West Brom have been very poor of late picking up just two points from their previous ten matches. A poor run which leaves them rooted to the foot of the Premiership table. To add injury to insult they have a drastic away record especially in front of goal winning just one of their eight away matches and scoring on just three occasions. The worst away goal scoring record in the league. With that in mind this has to be a home banker but as the odds are so short their isn't much value. Match odds - Chelsea 9/50 Betdirect Draw 7/1 Victor Chandler West Brom 18/1 Bet365 Prediction - Chelsea Portsmouth V West Ham Friday 15:00 Neither side will go into this festive fixture with any real momentum with both teams failing to win at the weekend. Portsmouth haven't won in the league in three matches while West Ham go back one further with no win in four. Portsmouth will feel they have the upper hand though with West Ham yet to register a win over Portsmouth since the Premiership was formed. Portsmouth suffered yet another league defeat last Saturday to record back-to-back losses in the Premiership. They went down 2-1 away in Bolton but the scoreline failed to reflect the dominance Bolton had on the game. Peter Crouch did manage to get on the score sheet but Portsmouth didn't deserve to take anything away from Bolton. They were also soundly beaten in their last match at Fratton park losing 3-0 to Newcastle. It is clear that there is a problem in the Portsmouth camp with results going against them. Reports that several players could be leaving in the new year will only dampen the spirits in the Portsmouth dressing room and with many expected to leave in January you would have to think that Portsmouth could come unstuck at home this Friday. West Ham failed to take their good result against Chelsea into their weekend fixture with Aston Villa at Upton Park. They had a difficult task of having to beat an Aston Villa side that could jump into third position were they to beat West Ham. That they did beating West Ham 1-0 in a rather subdued affair at Upton Park. It took a late James Milner strike to settle the game in Villa's favour. That was West Ham's ninth defeat of the season and their fifth at home. They don't travel particularly well either winning on just two occasions away from home. They are however unbeaten in four away matches so Zola's men will be eager to maintain that decent away run. Their lack of quality striker is an issue though and it is hard to see West Ham out scoring Pompey on their home turf. Match odds - Portsmouth 5/4 Betdirect Draw 23/10 Paddypower West Ham 5/2 Coral Prediction - Draw Tottenham Hotspur V Fulham Friday 15:00 One of the many London derby's sees Gary Hodgeson take his Fulham side to White Hart Lane in a bid to win their first game at White Hart Lane since their last victory in Tottenham back in 2003 where the Cottagers thumped Spurs 3-0. The two sides have already met this season at Craven Cottage and it was Gary Hodgeson who came out of that match smiling. Will he be doing the same this Friday? Tottenham form has dipped lately with Harry's boy's picking up a mediocre 7 points from their previous 5 league matches. They are also without a win in two after they endured another away defeat on Sunday at the hands of Newcastle United. That game could of ended in any scoreline with both sides creating chances. Spurs were left to dwell on missed chances as Newcastle scored a last gasp winner to secure all three points. That was Tottenham's fifth away defeat of the season and it's an under statement to say that they don't travel too well in the league. Their home form has also been unconvincing at 3-2-4 but it has improved of late with victories over Liverpool, Blackburn and a respectable draw against Manchester United. They do still occupy an uncomfortable league position and they need at least two wins to get into the upper half of the table. This could be their starting block providing they put in a winning performance. Fulham are doing much better then most punters predicted. Myself included. They have relied solely on their home record to get points on the board. Their home record at Craven Cottage reads 6-2-1. A fantastic record by anyone's standard. Fulham record on the road is another story. 4 draws and 4 defeats means they have yet to register an away win this season. They do have some creditable away draws to their name. A 0-0 draw at Liverpool and a 0-0 draw at Aston Villa. Fulham like to defend in numbers when playing away which is good if you want to settle for the odd point here and there but they rarely break forward in numbers and it is hard to see when or even if they can win away from home with their current tactics. Their recent 3-0 win over Middlesborough at Craven Cottage will give the squad a deserved confidence boost but we doubt they have it in them to overcome Tottenham at White Hart Lane, but a draw could be a good bet. Match odds - Tottenham 5/6 Coral Draw 11/4 Boylesports Fulham 4/1 Betdirect Prediction - Draw Liverpool V Bolton Wanderers Friday 15:00 Champions elect? Certainly not after Liverpool failed to see off the 10 men of Arsenal on Sunday.It's now Bolton turn to make the trip up to Merseyside in a bid to do something they have never done before in the Premiership. That is win at Anfield. Liverpool have yet to drop any points at home to Bolton in the league and it is unlikely that, that particular statistic will alter with Liverpool desperate for the win to keep in touch with Chelsea. Liverpool have enjoyed this tie in recent years winning the previous six league meetings at Anfield conceding just once whilst scoring on no less then 14 occasions. A straight forward home win looks a certainty. Or not? Liverpool#s home form this season has been nothing less then drastic. Some very poor draws to weak side means they have won just five of their nine home matches this season. They are also without a win at Anfield for three matches with their last win bat home coming against a poor West Brom side. Liverpool's last fixture was away at Arsenal and they will be disappointed with the end result despite going 1-0 down after just 20 minutes. Arsenal went down to 10 men mid way through the second half but Liverpool failed to exert any real pressure on the Gunners. Fernando Torres is still absence so the Anfield faithful will be looking in the direction of Robbie Keane to score in his second match running. Something he has yet to do this season. Bolton haven't enjoyed this fixture of late and that is reflected on the previous results between the two sides. That won't affect how they play on Friday though with their normal hustle and bustle style o football likely to show through in this tough away fixture. Bolton have been playing well away from the Reebok of late winning three of their last four away matches. They were however thumped 4-2 at Aston Villa in their last away fixture which won't help their cause. Kevin Davies hit the net twice in that 4-2 defeat at Villa and the Bolton fans will be hoping he can continue his goal scoring form. Liverpool have conceded just six at home this season so Bolton have it all to do if they are to spoil the Liverpool celebrations. Match odds - Liverpool 19/50 Bet365 Draw 18/5 VC Bet Bolton 9/1 Betdirect Prediction - Liverpool Manchester City V Hull City Friday 15:00 When the men from Asia came to City bearing gifts of gold, no one would have suspected that City would be nearer the bottom of the table then the top at Christmas time. That is the case though with Mark Hughes under severe pressure to register a win in the league. They take on a Hull side that has two more wins then they do. Another statement i didn't think i would be saying either. These two met earlier in the season in Hull and the two sides couldn't be separated in a 2-2 draw. You can't help but think that Hull manager Phil Brown would be happy with a similar result on Friday. Mark Hughes is certainly under the cosh so to speak after his City recorded their tenth league defeat of the season at the hands of a poor West Brom side. Many City fans would have seen that away fixture with West Brom as a game that City had every chance of winning but to come away with nothing to show for their efforts is bewildering. Several players have failed to show their worth with Joe being the biggest flop this season after the club shelled out 20 million for the Brazilian. It is hard to pick a player that has played with any real creditability with Stephen Ireland the only possible candidate. The Irishman has netted on seven occasions in the league this season and is the clubs second top goal scorer behind new signing Robinho who has also failed to show he was worth the mega money they paid for him. You can't help but think that if City were to lose yet another game at home then Mark Hughes could have a bitter new year. Phil Brown will be livid with his sides performance on Saturday after he watched his Hull side get thrashed at the KC stadium by a gaffer-less Sunderland side. The match finished 4-1 to the away side with Hull putting in one of their worse displays of the season. It is hard to tell how the players will respond to that beating as that was their first league defeat in five matches. They do posses a strong away record though at 4-4-1 with their only away defeat coming against the Champions of England, Manchester United. They have put in some valiant efforts on the road to pick some decent points against Portsmouth and Liverpool while no one can forget that they have the scalp of both Tottenham and Arsenal. If Hull do play anything like they did on Saturday then they could be in for a thumping. Phil Brown has his first real test this Friday. Getting the players fit and recovered from that abysmal weekend result. Match odds - Manchester City 5/6 Ladbrokes Draw 13/5 VC Bet Hull 10/3 Bet365 Prediction - Manchester City Middlesborough V Everton Friday 15:00 Gareth Southgate and David Moyes are two of just a few managers that have been in their job for more then two years. The two clubs itself are two of the more consistent Premiership teams but their form this season has been nothing less then inconsistent. Everton made a sketchy start to the season but have showed improvement of late while Middlesborough have been picking up scraps all season long. These two met at Goodison in Nov where the match finished 1-1. Another similar result wouldn't be much of a surprise. Gareth Southgate will be desperate to see his side register a win in the league sooner rather then later as his sides win less run is building up week after week. Their defeat away at Fulham was their 8th defeat of the season and one that now means they have gone six matches without a win in the league. They are half way to equalling Blackburn record of 12 without a win. Something Gareth won't want to better or match for that matter. Their home form this season has been poor at 3-3-3 and they have conceded more then they have scored at The Riverside this term. Hardly a fortress. Middlesborough haven't won at home in four and it is hard to find a case for them doing so this Friday. Their strikers are out of form while their defence looks capable of conceding on every attack. A recipe for defeat it would appear. Everton's league position may looks satisfactory on the eye but it is a million miles away from where they want and expected to be at the start of the season. They finished fifth last season and in a comfortable manner but they certainly won't have it their on way this season with Aston Villa and Hull the main contenders right now for that elusive spot. Everton's away record is a lot better then their home one so edging towards an away win looks the logical prediction. They have won four from five away from home and all have been tight affairs. They will lack the presence of Yakubu up front but we still fancy them to register yet another successful result on the road against a poor Boro side at current. Match odds - Middlesbrough 6/4 Bet365 Draw 23/10 VC Bet Everton 19/10 Canbet Prediction - Draw Sunderland V Blackburn Friday 15:00 Problems? What problems? Both of these sides were left in a rut with both Roy Keane and Paul Ince leaving their posts. Sunderland were expected to decline after the resignation of Keane while Blackburn were left perishingly close to the bottom of the table and in a rather big hole. All of that has been forgotten, for a few days at least, after both sides managed creditable victories at the weekend. One sides fortunes has to be dampened though as both teams clash this coming Friday at The Stadium of Light. Sunderland are still without a manager and it would appear that Chairman Niall Quinn is in no rush to appoint one. Why would they though? Since the departure of Roy Keane Sunderland have won two of the three matches without him with that one defeat an unlucky one away at Old Trafford. Their win over Hull in Hull at the weekend was superb with Sunderland completely outplaying their opponents. They also thumped West Brom the week before 4-0 so confidence within the Sunderland camp is obviously high at the moment. Eight goals in two matches has to be good for any dressing room and with Sunderland currently winning back-to-back matches, we won't put anyone off betting on them this Friday. Blackburn Rovers appointed 'Big Sam' to take over at the helm last Tuesday with many Blackburn fans happy with the appointment. There is always some sceptics but i would like to know if some have been converted after their 3-0 victory over Stoke City on Saturday. It was the best attacking display for some time and it is clear that Sam has good intentions with the club and should steer them away from a difficult situation. Benny McCarthy showed the sort of display we used to see on a regular basis last season but one he has rarely showed this season. He will be key this season as Santa Cruz looks to be on his way out of the club in January. We must not get carried away as it was just a win over one of the new boys but it is a start considering they were without a win in 11 games. They are still without an away win in six so another voodoo will need to be put to bed first before the Blackburn fans start celebrating. Match odds - Sunderland 5/4 Bet365 Draw 12/5 Paddypower Blackburn 12/5 Betdirect Prediction - Draw Wigan Athletic V Newcastle United Friday 15:00 An intriguing match to say the least sees Joe Kinnear take his in form Newcastle side to the JJB this Friday in a bid to do something they have failed to do in two attempts. That is beat Wigan on their own turf. Those two previous meetings in Wigan finished with the same scoreline of 1-0 to the home side. A result Steve Bruce would take before the start of proceedings. Wigan are on a good run of form of late notching up four wins from their last seven league fixtures with three of those victories being at home. Their home form has improved greatly of late as they were finding it hard to pick up wins at home in the early part of the season. Their last home match was their last league match and that finished 3-0 to the Latics over Blackburn. The Wigan players will be the more refreshed of the set of players as they were given a week off what with their fixture with Manchester United being post-poned as they were playing in Japan. That can only work in their favour and they will take all the beating in this match. Newcastle managed back-to-back wins at the weekend with Damien Duff scoring late on to take all the spoils in match with Tottenham at St. James Park. It was an entertaining match with plenty of goal mouth action. The massive positive from their recent matches is their attacking displays. They were posing very little threat in the final third for the majority of the season but Kinnear has put together a successful formula at present that is certainly doing the trick. Newcastle don't travel particularly well though and have a poor away record of 1-4-4. Their only away win this season came a fortnight ago in Portsmouth. They will welcome back Obafemi Martins and he should regain a starting berth alongside Michael Owen. Owen did score a brace in their win over Pompey but the pair haven't done enough in front of goal to make us think they could go to Wigan and outscore their Northern opponents. Match odds - Wigan 13/10 Paddypower Draw 5/2 Coral Newcastle United 12/5 Canbet Prediction - Wigan Aston Villa V Arsenal Friday 17:20 Setanta Sports The lie game on Setanta for the Festive period sees Arsenal seeking out revenge for their defeat in the previous meeting between the two sides at The Emirates. Aston Villa beat Arsenal 2-0 in London so that should add to the intensity of the fixture along with the fact that who ever wins will remain or jump back into the top four. Both sides only know how to play football one way and that attack. It should be a lively encounter. Martin O'neill is doing a good job at Aston Villa and its clear that he is building a side for the future with some incredible English talent in the mixer. Their highlight this season has been undoubtedly the young winger Ashley Young. No doubt his valuation will have doubled since the start of the season along with Gabriel Agbonlahor up front. Both are very Young and Villa must expect a lot of speculation during January with many clubs expected to be interested in the pair. Their league position is fair reflection of their season so far and are currently one of just two sides to have separated the big four in recent weeks and are more then likely the only side that could potential upset the big four pecking order. Villa are on a good run of three straight wins and are unbeaten in the league for six matches. Arsenal have it all to do if they are to upset Villa's Christmas and be only the second side this season to go to Villa Park and win. Arsene Wenger was furious with the referee's decision to send Adebayor off against Liverpool. A decision which heavily influenced the game and one that will play a part in this fixture as Adebayor will now miss this tough away fixture. Bendtnar will probably step in, in place of Adebayor but the absence of their Togo forward will be a massive blow. Arsenal were also dealt another blow by the news that Fabregas could be out for some weeks after doing ligament damage in that game with Liverpool. Not looking good ey? Add that to the fact that Arsenal haven't travelled too well this season and you can only look at backing one side. Villa! Arsenal pulled something out of the hat when they came from behind to beat Chelsea a few weeks back at Stamford Bridge but they have lost to some very poor sides away from home so it is hard to tell what side will turn up to face Villa. Match odds - Aston Villa 81/50 Paddypower Draw 12/5 Coral Arsenal 2/1 Betdirect Prediction - Draw Labels: boxing-day-betting, premier-league-betting, premier-league-preview, premiership-betting, premiership-preview Posted by soccerbetting.info @ 2:02 PM

Premiership Preview by Matthew Chapple (20-22 December) (Thursday, December 18, 2008)

Premiership Previews 20th - 22nd December Blackburn Rovers V Stoke City Saturday 15:00 The end is neigh for the ex Blackburn manager Paul Ince. He was axed by the Blackburn board on Tuesday and replaced within 24 hours by Sam Allardyce. The new Rovers manager has it all to do though with Blackburn on a dreadful run of results. Stoke manager Tony Pulis will see this as the perfect opportunity to add more points onto their already reasonable league tally. Blackburn chairman John Williams publicly expressed his disappointment at how the club played on Saturday against Wigan. They were soundly beaten 3-0 at the JJB with Blackburn chances coming few and far. Once more they look very sketchy at the back. A prefect recipe for relegation. The comments by Williams will only add to the already mountain of weight upon the players shoulders so a win at home against Portsmouth is the only acceptable result for everyone concerned at the club. Doing that will be tough with the players confidences at rock bottom. The players must have forgotten what victory feels like with their last win in the league coming 12 games ago in a 2-1 away win at Newcastle. Since then they have lost 8 and drawn 3. Dreadful reading for any Blackburn fan. It is no wonder that the fans are getting on the managers back. The appointment of 'Big Sam' has to be a major positive in our opinion and we fancy them to end their win less run on Saturday. Stoke City failed to seize the chance of jumping up several league positions into the upper half of the table on Saturday. Their 1-1 home draw with Fulham was their fifth draw of the season. A result which leaves them just two points above those in the bottom three in 13th position. A massive concern for any punter who fancies Stoke to beat an out of sorts Blackburn side will be their poor away record this season. They are just one of two sides in the Premiership not to have won on the road this season. The other side being none other then Fulham. Stoke also have a problem with scoring away from home hitting the net just 5 times whilst managing to concede 17 in return. Tony Pulis was pleased with their point at the weekend and in all fairness he will probably settle for a point this Saturday despite Blackburn not winning in 12. Match odds - Blackburn 10/11 Boylesports Draw 13/5 Blue Square Stoke 15/4 Bet365 Prediction - Blackburn Rovers Bolton Wanderers V Portsmouth Saturday 15:00 Neither of these sides could pick up anything at the weekend so getting a result this coming Saturday is doubly important. Bolton were outclassed by Aston Villa while Portsmouth were thrashed 3-0 at home to Newcastle on Sunday. Portsmouth completed a league double over Bolton last season so Tony Adams will be looking for a repeat of those results. Gary Megson picked up the Manager of the month award for November after his side picked up a total of 12 points from a maximum of 15. Unfortunately for him, December hasn't been so fruitful. Bolton have lost both their league fixtures in December so far with defeats at home to Chelsea and away to Aston Villa. They were simply second best at the weekend to Villa and the 4-2 scoreline failed to reflect the supremacy of Aston Villa. Bolton's defence looked surprisingly vulnerable and Megson didn't think twice about letting everyone know they were below par. I'm sure he will be hoping his blast at his sides defending will bring an improved performance. They have been inconsistent at home losing four of their eight home fixtures and have scored on just six occasions at The Reebok. A worrying statistic for any punter. Tony Adams will be disappointed with his sides performance at the weekend. They succumbed to an embarrassing 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Newcastle United although the scoreline was a tad misleading. Portsmouth had several chances to score but they were left to rue missed opportunities and subsequently paid the price. That was Portsmouth sixth defeat of the season and their third defeat at Fratton park. Portsmouth away form isn't nothing to shout about at 2-3-3. Portsmouth do posses a talented front line in Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch. Both have notched up seven league goals and the pair have scored the vast majority of the teams goals this season. Surprisingly though they have struggled to find the goal on their travels scoring just six away goals. They have also failed to score on five occasions away from home this season so betting on Portsmouth wouldn't be highly recommended. Match odds - Bolton 13/10 888sport Draw 23/10 Boylesports Portsmouth 52 Bet365 Prediction - Bolton Wanderers Fulham V Middlesborough Saturday 15:00 A draw was all these sides could manage on Saturday so both will be eager to go one better as Fulham play host to Gareth Southgate's Middlesborough side this Saturday. Middlesborough draw at home to Arsenal is more creditable though so we will slightly edge towards them in this fixture. Middlesborough also lead the way in the head-to-head between the two sides with 6 league wins to Fulham's 4. Fulham away woes continued some what on Saturday when they could only pick up yet another point on the road against Stoke City. A result which meant they had now gone eight away matches in the league without a win. The trip back home to Craven Cottage will be a welcome relief as they have attained over 4 times as many points at home as they have done away. A home record of 5-2-1 this season makes for good reading with their only defeat at home coming against West Ham. They also have a decent defensive record this season at home conceding just 6 at Craven Cottage. A statistic which was backed up on Saturday with the performance of defender Hangeland. He produced a man of the match performance to keep out Stoke. A repeat of that display will be required if they are to go one better this Saturday. Middlesborough are trying to beat Blackburn's record of not winning in 11 matches. Their 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal was their fifth draw of the season and a result which means they haven't won in the league in five matches. Their last win in the league was away though in a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park. Other then that they have been fairly poor on the road winning on just one other occasion. A massive concern will be the lack of goals from the strikers. Tuncay leads the club goal scoring with 4 with Alfonso Alves following with just 3. Considering they shelled out around 12 million for the Brazilian, it is a massive disappointment. Match odds - Fulham 6/5 Bet365 Draw 12/5 Boylesports Middlesborough 11/4 Boylesports Prediction - Fulham Hull City V Sunderland Saturday 15:00 Hull will be looking to take their fantastic result at the weekend, away at Anfield, into this home game as they look to overcome Sunderland at the KC Stadium. Both sides performed to the best of their ability at the weekend so the two are hard to split. It is clear that the confidence in the Hull camp is high so will be look towards them for the victory. Phil Brown was over the moon with his sides performance at the weekend when they took a point away from Anfield. They did Surprisingly take the lead and went 2-0 up within just 15 minutes. Liverpool made a quick response to level the match and it remained 2-2 much to the delight of the Hull manager and players. They never intended to sit back and defend the whole of the 90 minutes and impressed every viewer watching. Apart from the Liverpool fans of course. That point keeps them in sixth position in the table ahead of the likes of Everton and Portsmouth. Hull have been better on the road though as their home record of 3-2-3 doesn't reflect their league position. Hull have also scored nearly twice as many away from home scoring just nine at home and 17 away. Returning to the KC Stadium won't be that exciting for the Hull players. Sunderland recorded their first win in three matches on Saturday when they thumped West Brom 4-0 at the Stadium of Light. By far the best performance in a long time. That win wasn't enough for them to climb out of the bottom three so another victory will be required. Their performance was very pleasing on the eye but that made a change from some of their more recent displays in the league. They have lost six of their last eight league games so they mustn't get carried away as it was a win over a poor West Brom side. Sunderland haven't travelled too well this season with an away record of 2-2-4. They have also only managed six away goals this season so don't be expecting plenty of goals from them this coming Saturday. Match odds - Hull City 1/10 Bet365 Draw 12/5 Betfred Sunderland 3/1 888sport Prediction - Draw West Ham United V Aston Villa Saturday 15:00 Martin O'Neill will take his Aston Villa side to London this weekend as he seeks out yet another set of three points at the dispense of West Ham. Gianfranco Zola hasn't had many decent results since he has taken over at the helm of West Ham but their 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday was by far their best result this season. Aston Villa also achieved a great result so both sides will hope to carry their momentum into this fixture. Gianfranco Zola received a tremendous welcome when he made his way back to Stamford Bridge but even he would have seen that fixture as one they might struggle to come away from with their pride in tact. The 1-1 draw with Chelsea was the surprise result of the weekend as many expected the home side to walk away with the points. That wasn't the case though and at times West ham looked comfortable. That hard earned point will mean nothing if they cannot put in another performance like that at home to an upcoming Aston Villa side. West Ham have gone five home matches without a win so going one better on Saturday is no formality despite their heroics on Sunday. They have lost four of their last five home matches so backing the home side doesn't represent much value in our honest opinion. Aston Villa backed up their good away win over Everton by securing yet another three points at home to Bolton at the weekend. They were too classy for Gary Megson's side and fully deserved the win. In all fairness it could have been a bigger scoreline. They do posses two of the brighter prospects in English football with Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor. The pair both scored a brace on Saturday and Martin O'Neill will be expecting a display of similar stature this Saturday. That win moved Villa into the top four at the expense of Arsenal who could only manage a draw. Attaining a champions league spot will be their main aim for this season so a win on Saturday in London is the only result that will please the Villa gaffer. Match odds - West Ham 21/10 Blue Square Draw 12/5 Bet365 Aston Villa 6/4 Bet365 Prediction - Aston Villa West Bromich Albion V Manchester City Sunday 13:30 Can't win, won't win will be the phrase used best to describe these two sides of late. West brom are on a 10 match win less run while City have won just once in eight. City are undoubtedly the better side on paper but whether they can meet the expectations on Sunday is another question. We think we have the answer and that could possibly be YES. West Brom's win less run seems to be never ending and it is hard to see when and where they will eventually end this embarrassing run of misfortune. Doing so against a talented City side on Sunday is very unlikely despite their league form being slightly better at home. Their league record at the Hawthorns this season is 2-2-4 but they have failed to win at home in their last 4 matches with their last home victory coming against Fulham. A side that is well known for it's terrible form on the road so that win is hardly boasting material. They were thumped 4-0 at the weekend against a manager less Sunderland side so confidence within the player dressing room has to be low. They have scored just 12 all season and they may well find themselves going another match without seeing the oppositions net ripple. Mark Hughes has to be feeling the pressure even if his bosses are countlessly coming out and publicly issuing statements that his job isn't under threat. He has a array of talent to choose from at the club but isn't getting the results everyone expects. Just one win from eight in the league isn't champions league quality and that is what is expected from City this year from the board. NO doubt they will dip into the transfer market but it maybe too late. They succumb to their fifth home defeat of the season on Saturday losing 1-0 to Everton. They have several chances to score but failed on each occasions. The likes of Sean Wright-Phillips and Robinho are failing to make the impact the City fans expected. City's away form is poor with just one win on the road all season. That was against Sunderland but they have since failed to repeat that performance. The points are there for the taken though and we fancy City to notch up just their second away win this season. Match odds - West Brom 23/10 Blue Square Draw 12/5 Bet365 Man City 11/8 Coral Prediction - Manchester City Newcastle United V Tottenham Hotspur Sunday 15:00 Joe Kinnear will prepare his Toon side for the arrival of Spurs this Sunday with hope that his side can repeat their performance from last weekend. Tottenham on the other hand are desperately seeking out wins to climb out of the bottom half of the table and into a more comfortable league position. Newcastle have dominated in recent matches winning the last four matches between the two sides. Their most recent match was a 4-1 drubbing of Spurs at White Hart Lane. A result which Harry Redknapp will be eager to avenge. Joe Kinnear took his Newcastle side to new heights on Sunday when they comprehensively beat Portsmouth at Fratton park. The 3-0 scoreline wasn't a fair reflection as both sides have clear cut chances to score but Newcastle proved to have the more clinical finishing in front of goal. That was their first away win of the season but they make the trip back to Newcastle on Sunday in a bid to register their first home win in two attempts at St. James Park. Their form of late has improved although they are drawing too many matches. Their previous two home matched ended 2-2 so there is a clear problem with their defending. With Michael Owen back in the goals you would feel all they have to do id keep it tidy at the back. Something which is easier said then done against a decent Spurs side. Tottenham picked up a big point at the weekend when they drew 0-0 with Manchester United at White Hart Lane. They rode their luck on a few occasions but the draw was a fair result for both teams. That result will mean nothing if they don't back it up in Sunday against a Newcastle side that is hardly firing on all cylinders. Spurs have been fairly poor away from home this season with an away record of 2-2-4. They have only failed to score once away from home though this season so they should be safe bet to at least make the scoreline on Sunday. They are still having a problem up front with neither Darren Bent or Roman Pavlychenko favoured with the Spurs manager. It took two strikes from Ledley King and Jamie O'hara to break the deadlock against West Ham when they last won. Another rare goalscorer could hit the net on Sunday unless the striking pair show improved form. Match odds - Newcastle 44/27 Boylesports Draw 12/5 Canbet Tottenham 2/1 888sport Prediction - Draw Arsenal V Liverpool Sunday 16:00 Sky Sports 1 This has the potential to be the tie of the weekend as two of the big four do battle on Sunday live on Sky Sports. You could say that Arsenal need the win more what with them being eight points beinhd Liverpool in the table. Rafael Benitez won't see it that way though and will only have his sights set on the three points as his Liverpool side make the trip down to London to face Arsenal at The Emirates. Arsene Wenger was disappointed that his side couldn't see off Middlesborough in Saturdays early kick off. They took the lead through Adebayor but were pegged back shortly after by a former employee in Jeremie Aliadere. Neither side could produce a winner so the draw as the best they could attain. A result which now leaves Arsenal 8 points off the pace setters in Liverpool. With that in mind, a win will be the only acceptable result for Arsenal on Sunday especially with this being a home match for the Gunners. They are vulnerable at home though after having lost two games at The Emirates already this season. One being against a decent Aston Villa side and the other being against the league surprise package of Hull City. Arsenal have beaten Manchester United at home so they are capable of getting the right result for them. If they can reproduce a similar performance to the one they put on against Manchester United then they should go close. Liverpool will be bitterly disappointed with their result at the weekend against Hull City. They had to come from two down to draw the game 2-2 but they have several chances to win the game. If they had of done they could of stretched their lead at the top even further. That didn't and they will now have to look towards this game as one they have to win in order to remain at the top of the pile. Liverpool's away form this season is very strong at 6-1-1. Their only defeat this season came away from home in London against Tottenham but they did end Chelsea unbeaten home record at Stamford Bridge so London has brought them a mixed bag of fortunes this season. The Liverpool supporters will be looking for another captain performance from Steven Gerrard what with their star striker in Fernando Torres still out injured. Robbie Keane didn't even make a substitute appearance on Saturday against Hull so it is hard to tell whether he will feature on Sunday against Arsenal. Match odds - Arsenal 29/20 Partybets Draw 9/4 Bet365 Liverpool 11/5 Blue Square Prediction - Draw Everton V Chelsea Monday 20:00 Setanta Sports With Chelsea dropping more points at home on Sunday it is vital that Phil Scolari's men make an immediate return to winning ways to ensure Liverpool don't enforce a bigger gap at the top. Everton on the other hand will be looking to make it back-to-back victories in the league after their narrow 1-0 win away at Manchester City on Sunday. The head-to-head between the two sides is heavily in Chelsea's favour winning 8 of last 12 meetings. David Moyes has to be pleased with the 1-0 result at the weekend. They took on a decent side that aren't in form so it was vital that they capitalised on their opponents downfall. That win was their sixth away win of the season but they have managed just win at home all season. That win was over a poor travelling side in Fulham and that was by the narrowest of margins. Everton really have struggled for performances at Goodison and have already lost 4 at home. Keeping clean sheets at home has been a massive issue for Everton at Goodison as they have only done so once this season and have conceded a disappointing 15 at home. Their home record of 1-3-4 is abysmal for a side of Everton's stature and it is one of the many reasons we are opposing David Moyes's side. Chelsea fans will be gutted that they couldn't take advantage of everyone else's slip ups at the weekend and go two points clear at the top of the Premiership. With Liverpool only managing a 2-2 draw at home to Hull it was a fantastic opportunity for the blues to back to the top of the pile. That wasn't to be though with West ham putting in another valiant display to pick up another big point away from home. That was just one of many home games Chelsea have lost points in. Their away form this season has been a class apart from their home. 8 straight wins means they have got a 100% record on the road this season. They have also conceded just once in those eight away matches so it looks a massive mountain that Everton must climb when they welcome Chelsea to Goodison. Didier Drogba looks set to replace Nicolas Anelka up front after a lengthy absence which is a massive positive for Scolari's team. Match odds - Everton 9/2 Paddypower Draw 11/4 Betfred Chelsea ¾ Centrebet Prediction - Chelsea Labels: premier-league-betting, premier-league-preview, premiership-betting, premiership-preview Posted by soccerbetting.info @ 9:32 PM