Category: Football Tips

Manchester City vs. Watford: Patchy Form Makes Outcome Uncertain

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

If Watford can remind Manchester City that this is a Premier League game and not a Champions League clash, they may just have a shot at winning on December 14. Despite being separated by nine points in the league, Watford will not only take confidence from their recent win against Everton but from the fact City seem to have a domestic weakness this season.

On the European scene, Pep Guardiola’s men have looked strong in recent outings. A draw against Mönchengladbach was preceded by a 3-1 win over Barcelona. With nine points and a place in the knockout stages virtually secured, the Sky Blues will be looking to make a solid run after the Christmas break.

A Tale of Two Competitions

However, as can often happen when a club has one eye on Europe, form at home starts to slip, and on December 10 the Premier League favourites lost in dramatic fashion against Leicester City. Within 20 minutes of the start, Leicester not only seemed to roll back the clock to last season’s dominance over City but exposed that their opponent’s defensive frailties. Conceding three to a Leicester side that has struggled to score more than two-a-game this season is enough to make any manager question their tactics and that’s exactly how Guardiola looked on the touchline.

Although his team were able to rally in the second half, a defensive mistake by John Stones allowed Leicester to score a fourth and take the match 4-2. While that loss doesn’t put the Premier League title completely out of reach, it’s fair to say that City’s fingers are now a few inches short of touching the trophy. Indeed, with a seven point gap between City in fourth and Chelsea in first, it would take an impressive run by the Manchester side to turn things around.

Watford Could be a Stepping Stone

Fortunately, step one of that march towards the title could start on Wednesday night. With Watford showing patchy form so far this season, City could easily rebound and make a strong statement when they welcome the London side. However, if you’re expecting this to be a whitewash then you might want to save your money because Watford on the right day could put up a tough fight. Yes, if the same side that lost 6-1 to Liverpool turns up then it will be an easy night for City. But, if the players perform like they did in their 2-1 win over Leicester, then anything could happen.

For those who feel it will be a repeat of the Liverpool game, Sun Bets is currently offering 1/4 on a home win. If, however, you think the gritty, Leicester conquering version of Watford will arrive at the Etihad on Wednesday then 10/1 is your betting line.

Now, if we went from a purely form-based angle this season, betting on a home win is the way to go. In fact, if you’re looking for the best value, taking into account City’s occasional defensive faux pas, 2-1 or 3-1 at 8/1 and 9/1 respectively with William Hill looks to be the way to go.

Who Will Fire First?

What is clear, however, is that Manchester City aren’t firing on all cylinders this season and there’s a chance they may misfire again on December 14. If this does happen, a Watford win is certainly possible, but if we’re being realistic a draw would be the most likely result. 11/2 on a draw with bet365 is one of the better prices out there at the moment and might just be worth a few quid.

By all means, it should be treated as a punt given the likelihood that City will want to rectify Saturday’s embarrassing defeat, but given the way both teams have performed this season, it’s not out of the question. If one comes in on form and the other doesn’t (as has happened a few times this season), then it could easily go either way. But, if you’re looking for a sensible bet that doesn’t go too far against the grain, then City to win looks the most likely outcome this week.

Man United To Ease To A Win At The Palace

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

PREMIER League strugglers Crystal Palace host in-form Manchester United at Selhurst Park on Wednesday in what will be a repeat of last years Wembley FA Cup final.

On that occasion, United edged a close one 2-1 on a summer’s day last May, and this time around, I really can’t see Palace manager Alan Pardew celebrating with any more infamous dance moves. The visitors look decent value for another win at 1.72 with Betfred.

Palace are struggling big time and they produced yet another awful defensive performance in the 3-3 draw at Hull at the weekend and there really is very little to like about their chances in this one even at the general price of 4/1 on offer with most.

In their last match at Selhurst Park they did produce their best performance of what has been a bitterly disappointing season after a 3-0 win against Southampton, but that was The Eagles only victory in their last NINE and they really could struggle against their more illustrious opponents in this one.

United played very well at the weekend to edge past a good Tottenham side. In recent weeks their performances haven’t been getting the results that they should’ve, and they are set to really give a side a could beating very, very soon and it could be Palace in this one.

Jose Mourinho’s side are now unbeaten in their last eight matches, and despite the loss through injury of recent star man Henrikh Mkhitaryan, they should be far too strong for the home side.

Will Wayne Rooney Return?

With Armenian international Mkhitaryan missing, this could see Mourinho turn to England captain Wayne Rooney who is 6.50 with Bet365 to open the goalscoring, and whoever the “special one” decides to start in South London they are a very confident selection to win and win well.

United will be encouraged that they’ve now kept successive clean sheets for the first time since October, and against a Palace side that is struggling for goals, a United win to nil at 3.00 with BetVictor looks another attractive wager.

Palace is in a middle of a defensive crisis with 21 goals conceded in their last seven matches and a side that can let in FIVE against Swansea and THREE against both Hull and Burnley look certain to really struggle against an in-form United.

I genuinely believe that this could get very, very messy for the home side and I like United to ease to a 3-0 win and really put them in great spirits going into the New Year of making a Champions League push which is available at 15.0 with Bet365.

It looks just a matter of time before Pardew is handed his P45 at Selhurst Park, and when he is relieved of his duties the rumours that I am hearing is that former England manager Roy Hodgson is the number one target; he could be in the hot-seat by the weekend.

Sunderland vs. Chelsea: Top vs. Bottom Clash

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This midweek fixture sees top place Chelsea travel to the North East looking to extend their winning streak to 10 straight games on the trot. They play a Sunderland team rooted to the bottom of the table with just 11 points from 15 games. Chelsea will be looking to extend their run against a team in dire straits, and Sunderland will be hoping for any advantage in a game many have written off before the whistle has even been blown.

Winning Streak

Chelsea has been flourishing under new manager Antonio Conte. The last time they lost in the League was September 24th against Arsenal, and have only conceded twice since then. It’s starting to look as though Conte is well and truly capable of bringing the same form to London that made his old club Juventus so untouchable in Serie A during the last few seasons. Chelsea is increasingly looking like they will be the team to beat for the title come May, especially with no European campaign to distract them.

It’s certainly hard to see Sunderland getting anything against this Chelsea side. Conte will be able to draw from a squad with few injuries to key players: Terry, Mikel and Oscar are all doubtful, but none of these has been integral to their early successes. Matic made his return against West Brom and will likely start. The manager will be able to field a squad unchanged from Sunday if he chooses to; key men Costa and Hazard may just provide too much of a challenge for Sunderland to deal with.

Can Sunderland turn it around?

On the face of it, this game could be looked at as a typical top vs. bottom. 3 goals in the 2nd half saw the Black Cats washed out in their relegation 6 pointer away against Swansea on Saturday, and David Moyes will know that his team will fall well short of the mark against the League leaders if they can’t make drastic improvements.

However, a closer look at Sunderland’s recent form does show some promise. Going into November saw them absolutely floored at the bottom of the table, with only two points from the first 10 games. Since then, they were able to take 9 points from 5 games, all through wins. This run has seen them pull themselves back up into contention, but whether these results are the signs of an overall shift in form is yet to be seen. The poor weekend results against relegation rivals Swansea was a massive blow and may haunt them later on in the season.

Injuries are another major concern for Moyes, with Cattermole, Rodwell, Watmore and Gooch all ruled out. The squad will see little change from that of Saturday when the hole left in the midfield by these absences was telling. The clubs only real goal scoring threats, Defoe and Anichebe, are both available to play.

Cats vs. Lions

Head to head form suggests slightly better prospects for Sunderland than their current form does. Chelsea’s last visit to the Stadium of Light saw Sunderland win 3:2 in an enthralling encounter last May, a result vital to last season’s survival. Prior to that, they have 1 win and 9 consecutive defeats to the London club at home.

It’s really hard to envision Sunderland taking anything from this game. We will likely see Moyes taking an ultra-defensive approach, as he did against Liverpool at Anfield in November. Couple this with Chelsea’s superb defensive record, it’s hard to see them getting a goal, let alone points on Wednesday. But with Defoe up front, backed by a home crowd, it’s certainly not an impossibility.

Bet 365 have Chelsea to win at 1/3, so it might be worth trying to enhance these odds. Chelsea Win/BTTS No is at 6/5, with this result slightly favoured by the bookies over Chelsea Win/BTTS Yes at 15/8.

If you are keen on a Chelsea clean sheet, it could be worth taking Chelsea 2:0 or even 3:0 at 6/1 and 15/2 on William Hill, add Costa as an anytime goalscorer and you might just have some tasty odds. If you think that Sunderland is capable of an upset, Coral have a draw at 17/4.

Can Arsenal Keep up Their Title Charge?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

It has been twelve long barren years for Arsenal when it comes to lifting the Premier League trophy. They haven’t tasted success in the league since 2004. A combination of being outplayed in big games, a lack of consistency and other clubs simply outspending them have contributed to that long period without a league title. Many of the Arsenal fans are unhappy, and they were particularly boisterous after their early season 4-3 loss at home to Liverpool.

Since then, Arsene Wenger has really turned things around. After beating Stoke City 3-1 on Saturday at the Emirates, they are making a strong case to be champions this season. The problem for Arsenal isn’t so much what they do now but how they handle the pressure during the closing stages of the season. Arsenal has flattered to deceive so often that it is hard to put any faith in them when it comes to going all the way. They travel to Goodison Park on Tuesday to play Everton.

The Form Favours Arsenal

Everton under Ronald Koeman has made a decent start to the season with 20pts from their first 15 games. Their recent form isn’t good. They have had successive away defeats in the league to Southampton and Watford. They did draw at home to Manchester United but a home draw to Swansea and a 5-0 hammering at Chelsea appears to have taken its toll on their confidence.

There are no such issues with Arsenal. They are riding high after topping their Champions League group with an impressive 4-1 win away to Basel. There seems to be solidity about Arsenal this season. They have faced some stiff opposition in the form of Paris St Germain, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham and not been beaten in any of those games. It appears that the August loss to Liverpool was nothing more than a blip.

Can Everton Stop the Gunners

It is tough to make a case for Everton even though they are the home team. Clearly, they need to be respected, but their leaky defence shipped three goals at Vicarage Road on Saturday. Everton can be backed at odds of 3-1 with Bet365 which seems tempting. BetVictor quote odds of 14-5 for the draw while William Hill quotes 19-20 for an Arsenal win.

It is tough to see Everton taking three points from this fixture. A team that isn’t in form tends to find it tough to find form again very quickly. The value is in the Arsenal win even at 19-20 but if you want to play it safe then you can possibly place half a point on the draw. Then you win if the game is drawn or Arsenal win.

Leicester vs. Man City, All Set for a Thrilling Clash

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This Saturday sees Leicester welcoming Man City at the King Power. The Champions are in a tailspin of shocking form, seeing them currently at 16th, only four points off the bottom of the table. City comes into the game fresh from their Champions League draw with Celtic on Tuesday, and the bitter defeat to Chelsea last Saturday at the Etihad. Both teams will be desperate for 3 points from this game, and with City all scoring, all conceding machine, it seems like goals are on the menu.

City looking for a fight

City’s last game in the league was a feast of drama; a tight game with some fantastic performances was marred by some truly appalling tackles and an embarrassing brawl. Neutrals all over the country rustled their popcorn furiously as Chelsea made a clear statement of intent, putting the onus firmly on City in the fight for first place. City will need to come back strongly in the next few weeks to keep their London rivals opening up clear daylight at the top of the table. With the Champions League group stage cleared up, they will be fully focused on their Premier League fixtures.

Going into the game, the major concern for City is the suspension of arguably their two most important players, Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho. Aguero’s horror challenge on David Luiz has seen him pick up a four-match ban, with Kelechi Iheanacho being touted as a possible replacement. City will certainly suffer without his goal scoring pedigree. Fernandinho is the engine of this City squad, arguably the hardest worker on the pitch for the Blues, and a three-match ban for violent conduct will be almost as big a hole to fill as Aguero. On the bright side, they will be able to welcome Raheem Sterling back into the fold from a knee injury that has seen him out since the 26th of November. Guardiola has the option of bringing in Sterling, Leroy Sané or Nolito on Saturday. In terms of injuries, the Catalan will have to do without captain Vincent Kompany, knee ligaments, and Fabian Delph who is recovering from groin surgery. Nicolas Otamendi is also ruled out due to suspension.

Recent form, the Chelsea game aside, has been fairly solid. What is absolutely worth noting going into the Leicester game is that they have conceded in their last seven straight games in all competitions. City has been scoring and conceding with gusto, coupled with the absence of key defensive and midfield players, all the signs suggest a game with free-scoring potential.

The Champions fighting relegation

How the mighty are falling. Those brave pundits who questioned whether Leicester would be able to regain their superlative form from last season are quickly becoming vindicated. It is increasingly looking like Leicester have been found out; at one point in November they had more points in their Champions League group than in the Prem. Taking one point in the last three games has left some asking the unaskable: can Claudio Ranieri actually be sacked? Even with such great European form, qualifying top of their group with a game in hand, the question will have to be asked if the form doesn’t improve.

Looking at the last three league games, losing 2:1 away to both Sunderland and Watford, and just scraping a 2:2 draw at home to Boro, these are the teams Leicester would be turning over last season, and these are the teams they absolutely have to be beating if they want to stay clear of a relegation battle, alongside a European campaign. One clear difference between this and last season is the absence of goals from star striker Jamie Vardy. If he fails to score against City on Saturday, it will be 11 consecutive games without a goal for the 29-year-old, in a season where he’s only managed four shots on target. It’s not just Vardy falling short, PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez hasn’t been the player he was, with only 3 goals and 1 assist in the league. The loss of N’Golo Kante is another key difference, a player excelling at his new club Chelsea, Leicester hasn’t found a replacement for the intensely hard working player. We wonder, perhaps, whether selling Vardy and keeping Kante might have been the more canny move. Ifs and buts.

Both teams to score

I cannot emphasise enough the BTTS potential of this game. While nothing is certain in football, the stats heavily favour this outcome. 78.6% of City’s games have been BTTS in the league so far this season, and Leicester with 71.4%, these teams are 1st and 4th in the BTTS table. Sun Bets have BTTS at 8/11, while not the best odds, a must have in any weekend acca. Man City to win and BTTS Yes at 11/5 is worth a large stake.

Man Utd vs Tottenham: What Next for Jose Mourinho?

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It is only a few short months ago that Jose Mourinho was being hailed as the “saviour” at Old Trafford. The United fans believed that Mourinho would quickly return the Red Devils to their glory days. Boosted by the arrival of Ibrahimovic, Bailly, Mkhitaryan and world record signing Paul Pogba, surely they would now be top four material once again. The stodgy dreary football played under Louis van Gaal would now be well and truly in the past.

The fact of the matter is that United are certainly playing more attractive football under Mourinho. The problem is in getting the results. United are currently sixth in the table, a massive 9pts behind the top four places.

They also trail leaders Chelsea by a colossal 13pts, and surely their title chances have disappeared. United are going to struggle to even qualify for the Champions League, but how much of this is the fault of the previous manager?

Big Players Haven’t Performed

The fact of the matter is that Mourinho has spent a lot of money this season. His excuses for blaming Louis van Gaal and his much talked about “football philosophy” are wearing a little bit thin. If we factor in pre-season, Mourinho has now had five months with most of these players.

They are doing well in the possession stats but their quality in front of goal has been lacking. They face a Tottenham side that has been buoyed by yet another solid season.

It is how United compare against the top sides in the league that will define their season. So far they have failed to beat a top-six team after four attempts. They have drawn against Liverpool and Arsenal, but have been beaten at home to rivals City and then thrashed at Chelsea.

Tottenham will pose a Lot of Problems

Tottenham will pose yet another big test for Mourinho and his team of misfiring stars. United can be backed with Bet365 at odds of 5-4. William Hill quotes 5-2 for the draw and this looks like a much better bet than United at 5-4, seeing as they have yet to beat a top six side this season.

Tottenham is playing well. They thrashed Swansea City 5-0 and then finished their Champions League group with a 3-1 win against CSKA Moscow. You can get odds of 12-5 for a Tottenham victory at Old Trafford.

If we then add the late strikes against West Ham where they won 3-2, Harry Kane and company are clearly scoring goals again. That will be enough to cause Mourinho a big headache. The last thing he needs is another home defeat. If that happens on Sunday then expect the home fans to be booing at the final whistle. The United faithful didn’t expect another season outside of the Champions League, certainly not when they signed one of the most successful managers in world football.