Tag: Arsenal

FA Cup 3rd Round Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The 3rd Round of the FA Cup has provided plenty of shocks down the years as the Premier League clubs entered the competition. Most of the big guns do not play until Sunday following a dramatic week of Premiership action.

West Brom will be desperate to avoid any embarrassment with the visit of Gateshead while the all-Premiership clash between Leicester and Newcastle is the pick of Saturday’s ties. Both teams were involved in entertaining draws on New Year’s Day, Leicester pulling back a two-goal deficit at Anfield and the Magpies being pegged back to a 3-3 draw by Burnley. Newcastle look decidedly shaky at the moment but will Leicester be keen to get involved in a Cup run with the threat of relegation hanging over them? My guess is no so I’m siding with Newcastle.

Swansea are the only other Premier League team in action on Saturday and they face a tricky encounter at Tranmere. The Swans received a late boost with the news that Wayne Routledge’s red card against QPR has been rescinded and he is free to play on Saturday. Garry Monk is expected to make wholesale changes but they can still prove too strong for a Tranmere side that languishes third from bottom of League Two.

Neil Lennon has brought about some dramatic improvement at Bolton since he took over. They have only dropped two t home in their last six matches and can see off an out-of-sorts Wigan at the Macron Stadium.

Chelsea fans will still be reeling from that 5-3 defeat at Tottenham when the Blues take on Watford at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea’s second XI are good enough to compete with most Premiership sides so any number of changes won’t affect the result here. Jose Mourinho will demand a response from their New Year’s Day nightmare and it may be worth chancing a big win with the likes of Remy and Schurrle keen to impress.

Man City have clawed their way back level with the Blues in the Premiership and can see off Sheffield Wednesday despite their continuing lack of a front-line striker. Jovetic can make the most of his opportunity in the absence of Aguero and Dzeko.

Man United’s all-stars travel to lowly Yeovil and can also score a decisive victory but Southampton and Arsenal look more vulnerable. The Saints have resurrected their league form but don’t have the strength in depth to afford too many changes against Ipswich while the Gunners face last year’s Cup finalists Hull. It may be worth taking a chance on the draw in both games.

The action continues on Monday with Burnley hosting Tottenham and Wimbledon welcoming Liverpool. On Tuesday Everton play West Ham in another all-Premiership clash. Everton are really struggling lately while West Ham have been playing well without getting the results. A combination of poor refereeing and poor finishing cost them points against Arsenal and they should have beaten West Brom on New Year’s Day.

Bolton to beat Wigan @6-4 Bet365

Newcastle to beat Leicester @2-1 Coral

Swansea (-2.0 handicap) to beat Tranmere @11-4 Skybet

Man City (-2.0 handicap) to beat Sheffield Wednesday @6-5 Bet365

Stevan Jovetic to score and Man City win @11-10 Bwin

Southampton v Ipswich DRAW @15-4 BetVictor

Man United (-2.0 handicap) to beat Yeovil @13-8 Skybet

Chelsea (-2.0 handicap) to beat Watford @6-5 Bet365

Andre Schurrle to score and Chelsea win @7-5 Bwin

Arsenal v Hull DRAW @9-2 Bet365

West Ham to beat Everton @3-1 Totesport

Hazard to keep Chelsea on course for title

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Sunday’s Premiership football did not exactly go to plan for punters with Chelsea, Man City and Man United all held. The Blues can count themselves unlucky after the Cesc Fabregas penalty incident but they received a late Christmas present from the Etihad when Burnley completed an unlikely comeback to draw 2-2 with the champions.

Once again, City appear to have much the easier task on New Year’s Day with a home game against Sunderland. The injuries to Aguero and Dzeko have left Manuel Pellegrini’s side looking extremely light up front but the fixture list has contrived to put them up against five of the bottom seven teams in recent matches. Sunderland have improved considerably from their nightmare 8-0 defeat at Southampton and will try to emulate Burnley but it looks like another three points for City. David Silva has been outstanding in recent matches and can again get on the scoresheet.

Chelsea are in the late kick-off at White Hart Lane where they face a Tottenham side who are unbeaten in seven matches since losing 3-0 at Stamford Bridge. Spurs had chances to take a shock lead that night but were outclassed once Chelsea engaged top gear. The home side have an appalling record against Chelsea over the years but look a tougher side to beat this season. Eden Hazard is in top form and he could be worth a bet in the goalscorer markets.

It’s been a hectic week in the hiring and firing stakes with Newcastle, Crystal Palace and West Brom all involved. Alan Pardew’s imminent departure from the Magpies probably suits both he and the club after a turbulent couple of seasons. He did well to come through an early-season crisis and leaves the club in the top ten while Newcastle will receive compensation for ending his contract early. I think Newcastle may struggle against Burnley on Thursday as a result and you have to admire the Clarets for battling away at Man City.

Liverpool hit form with a 4-1 win over Swansea on Monday night and, like Man City, are enjoying a very soft run of fixtures. They should be too strong for Leicester while Man United can overcome Stoke at the Britannia Stadium. Louis van Gaal and Wayne Rooney have both been having a moan about the fixture list this week but United are still in fine form and can take all three points.

West Ham impressed me against Arsenal and were desperately unlucky to lose 2-1. They should have gone ahead when Alex Song’s fired home from 25 yards only to have the goal ruled out for a controversial offside decision. They battled back well from 2-0 and had late chances to snatch a point.

They have yet to register a point over Christmas but can put matters right when they face manager-less West Brom. Arsenal face a tricky visit to Southampton who managed to hang on for a point against Chelsea. The key player here could be Alexis Sanchez who has scored in both previous games against the Saints.

Burnley to beat Newcastle @17-4 Bet365

Spurs 1 Chelsea 2 @8-1 Bet365

Eden Hazard to score first @13-2 Bet365

Man City (-1.0 handicap) to beat Sunderland @8-13 Bet365

David Silva to score first @11-2 Bet365

Man United to beat Stoke @21-10 BetVictor

Liverpool (-1.0 handicap) to beat Leicester @6-5 Spreadex

West Ham (-1.0 Handicap) to beat West Brom @9-4 Paddy Power

Alexis Sanchez to score first @11-2 Bet365

Man City to keep the pressure on Blues

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

It was business as usual for the top teams on Boxing Day with victories for Chelsea, Man City, Man United, Southampton, Tottenham and Arsenal. Punters will be eager to re-invest their winnings on Sunday with the action getting under way with the lunchtime clash between Spurs and United at White Hart Lane.

Wayne Rooney has been instrumental in United’s surge up the table into third place, albeit ten points off the leaders Chelsea. He has now scored five in his last seven following a double against Newcastle on Friday.  The England skipper has a fine record against Spurs with nine goals in thirteen games so he will be a popular choice to score for the visitors here.

United’s away form has been moderate but they have only lost one of their last 18 league games in the capital. Tottenham have been battling to beat minor opposition recently and are enjoying a decent run themselves. United may just have too much firepower for them here and Rooney to score in an away win is the bet.

The Newcastle defeat apart, Chelsea have been rolling over teams like a well-oiled machine and now travel to Southampton. The Saints hit the buffers recently with five straight losses but a confidence-boosting win over Everton was followed by three points at Palace on Boxing Day. They have struggled against the top teams and it is difficult to seem doing any better against a full-strength Chelsea team. Eden Hazard has been superb in recent games and could be worth a bet to score at any time, especially considering that he is first choice penalty taker.

Manchester City are set to break a club record that has stood for over a century when they welcome Burnley to the Etihad. They are still without Aguero and Dzeko while Jovetic could play a part in their injury-stricken front-line. You would hardly have known they were lacking a striker when they went 2-0 up in 13 minutes at West Brom with David Silva in fine from. They should have too much flair for a hard-working Burnley side and are worth backing on the handicap markets. I am not convinced that City can hit them for six without a leading striker but they can take the three points to keep them in touch with Chelsea.

There was a distinct lack of festive spirit at Crystal Palace with the yuletide departure of Neil Warnock after just four months in charge. He was unable to pick up where Tony Pulis left off and the bookmakers believe that Tim Sherwood could be the man to fill his shoes. In the meantime, the Eagles face a tricky game at QPR who are having a real Jeckyl and Hyde season. Incredibly, they have yet to take a single point away from Loftus Road but have moved out of the bottom three. Charlie Austin is the man in form and he can score in another home victory.

If there is to be a shock for the top clubs it could come at Upton Park where West Ham face Arsenal. The Hammers were outclassed by Chelsea but will line up differently with home advantage against an Arsenal team that still looks strangely vulnerable in defence. Backing Diafra Sakho to score earlier in the season was a licence to print money and he is back in the side for this London derby. An entertaining draw could be on the cards here and 2-2 might be worth a punt.

Newcastle face Everton in the late kick-off and I favour the home side in view of Everton’s injury list. They are expected to start without Tim Howard or Phil Jagielka and the Magpies must surely fancy their chances. Since beating Chelsea, Alan Pardew’s team have gone into freefall and have shipped 12 goals in four successive defeats. That is hardly inspiring but Everton have been stumbling badly, losing at home to Stoke on Friday.

Tips

Wayne Rooney to score and Man United win @7-2 BWin

Eden Hazard to score and Chelsea win @3-1 BWin

Man City (-2.0 handicap) to win @6-5 Paddy Power

Charlie Austin to score and QPR win @11-4 BWin

West Ham 2 Arsenal 2 @12-1 Bet365

Newcastle to beat Everton @19-10 BetVictor

Chelsea, Man Utd & Arsenal ALL to win at 10/1!

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Firstly, Merrrry Christmas from all at Betcirca! It’s been quite a year for us, i hope its been a splendid year for you too!

We thought we’d leave this Christmas treat here. You have until 12:45 tomorrow to take advantage of this juicy treble. Chelsea, Man Utd and Arsenal all to win at 10/1 with Coral. Max stake is £5. Free £50 i hear you cry? Well, the chances are pretty damn high this’ll win, so why not take advantage!

Click here to open an account to be offered the enhanced 10/1 price!

Chelsea to re-enforce Title claims

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

From the media reaction to Chelsea’s 0-0 draw at Sunderland on Saturday you would think that Jose Mourinho’s side were in crisis. Manchester City closed the gap to six points by winning at Southampton on Sunday while Arsenal and Man United are 11 and 13 points adrift respectively.

It certainly was not a vintage Chelsea performance at the Stadium Of Light, perhaps suffering a little from their fantastic 5-0 win in Germany in midweek. Perhaps more significant was the booking picked up by leading scorer Diego Costa, ruling him out of the Spurs clash on Wednesday night due to suspension.

His place is likely to be taken by Didier Drogba who has looked sharper with each appearance this season. Spurs may feel some relief that Costa is not present but Drogba has a good record against them and is still a fearsome opponent. Eden Hazard and Willian have been running rings around most defences this season but have not been converting a high percentage of chances. This could be the time for Hazard to return to goal scoring ways in another home victory.

Sunderland battled for 90 minutes and fully deserved their point on Saturday. They now have to do the same with Champions Man City the visitors. The glimmer of hope for Sunderland is the news that Kompany is out, leaving a makeshift defence. City have been leaning heavily on Sergio Aguero so far this season but they showed at St Mary’s that they have plenty of other players capable of scoring, Frank Lampard included. I cannot see the Black Cats holding out here, despite having beaten City 1-0 in their last four clashes here.

Southampton’s bubble appears to have burst with the onset of a run of tough fixtures. The warning signs were clear at Villa Park on Monday where they had to fight hard for a point before suffering a 3-0 loss at home to City. A trip to the Emirates Stadium could see a second consecutive loss, although they did beat a sub-standard Arsenal side here in the League Cup. Olivier Giroud should be sharper for his 80 minutes at West Brom on Saturday and he can get his name on the score-sheet in a home win.

The final game on Wednesday should result in three points for Everton against struggling Hull City. The Tigers have looked pretty toothless of late while Everton nearly snatched a point at White Hart Lane.

Eden Hazard to score and Chelsea win @9-4 Bwin

Sergio Aguero to score and Man City win @7-5 Betfred

Olivier Giroud to score and Arsenal win @11-4 Bwin

Premier League Preview Nov 29th – 30th

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

If Chelsea could replay one match from last season it would be the home game against Sunderland in April. They suffered their first loss at Stamford Bridge under Jose Mourinho after an incredible run of 77 games.

They had taken the lead early on but failed to convert several chances before allowing Sunderland back into the game. In desperately chasing a winner, they were caught out on the break and a slip from Azpilicueta resulted in a penalty that gave Sunderland all three points. The game ended with angry scenes as Mourinho’s assistant Rui Faria was sent to the stands after confronting referee Mike Dean.

After Chelsea’s brilliant performance in beating Schalke 5-0 away on Tuesday, they will be looking to continue their dominance in the Premier League with a win at the Stadium of Light. Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas continue to impress and it may be worth taking a chance on the latter scoring first on Saturday. He has scored more goals against Sunderland than he has against any other Premiership side.

The early kick-off is at the Hawthorns where Arsenal will be anxious to return to winning form in the League. They have lost their last two matches against Swansea and Manchester United but steadied the ship by securing their place in the knockout phase of the Champions League on Wednesday.

Alexis Sanchez is in unstoppable form at the moment but the man to support here could be Olivier Giroud. He missed the game against Dortmund as he omitted from the Champions League squad through injury. He looked very sharp when coming on and scoring against United last week.

Man United have crept quietly into the top four after a poor start. Their last-gasp equaliser against Chelsea and win at Arsenal have suddenly given the team renewed confidence. They should brush aside a dour Hull City side without too much difficulty with Rooney and Di Maria likely goal scorers.

Liverpool are something of a mystery at the moment and did not exactly shine with a 2-2 draw against Ludogorets in midweek. They are at home to Stoke and would gladly take three points in any way, shape or form right now. They should just manage it but possibly by just a single goal.

Sunday’s action features high-flying Southampton against Man City. The Saints dropped points at Villa Park on Monday and most pundits will be waiting for them to start their inevitable slide down the table over Christmas. They have some tough games ahead of them but at least they catch City on the rebound from their epic clash with Bayern Munich. Take Southampton to hold out for another draw despite the presence of Sergio Aguero.

Olivier Giroud to score and Arsenal win @9-4 Paddy Power

Cesc Fabregas to score first v Sunderland @9-1 Ladbrokes

Diego Costa to score and Chelsea win @6-5 Ladbrokes

Man United to win by 3 or more goals @31-10 Boylesports

Wayne Rooney to score and United win @7-5 Bwin

Angel Di Maria to score first v Hull @6-1 Bet365

Liverpool to win by a single goal @11-4 Skybet

Southampton and Man City DRAW @23-10 Skybet