Tag: Chelsea

Premier League Preview Sep 27

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

This weekend’s Premiership action gets off to a cracking start with Liverpool playing Everton in the Merseyside derby.

Both teams are struggling to find any consistency this season and arrive here in desperate need of a good result. Liverpool have survived Champions League and Capital One Cup games by the skin of their teeth and lost 3-1 to West Ham in between.

Everton were thrashed 6-3 by Chelsea but bounced back to beat West Brom and Wolfsburg. Progress came to a shuddering halt against Crystal Palace last weekend and they were then dumped out of the Capital One Cup by Swansea. Both sides are leaking goals at the moment and this has the makings of another thrilling encounter.

A repeat of the 3-3 draw at Goodison Park in November is not out of the question but I think Liverpool could just shade it, particularly if Sturridge is fit to play a part.

League leaders Chelsea lost their 100% record last weekend when Frank Lampard struck late on for Manchester City. That sentence still does not read true for Blues supporters and Lampard’s double-strike in midweek suggests that Chelsea were negligent in not offering the midfield player a one-year extension.

They play host to Aston Villa on Saturday, a side that have sometimes caused problems in the past. Villa made a flying start to the season before being brushed aside 3-0 by Arsenal. If you ignore that poor performance and judge them on their victory at Anfield, they look seriously overpriced at 16-1. Cynics may point to Chelsea’s 8-0 win in 2012/13 but Villa are a lot stronger now and Chelsea’s two draws and a scrappy 2-1 win over Bolton are a warning not to expect too much.

Crystal Palace and Leicester looks like a draw banker. The Foxes have not won in London in any of their last 15 Premier League visits but they look good enough to battle for a point. Hull play host to Champions Manchester City who look to have turned a corner this week. Lampard’s previously mentioned intervention rescued a priceless point against Chelsea and they then proceeded to blast seven goals past Sheffield Wednesday in midweek. With confidence on the up and Dzeko back in scoring mode, this should be another three points.

Perhaps the most intriguing fixture of the week is Manchester United versus West Ham. The Red Devils are brilliant going forward but leaking like a sieve in defence. They probably need to score at least three to be sure of a point! Angel Di Maria has been very impressive and he can be backed to score again with both sides finding the target. West Ham pulled off a great win over Liverpool last week and will approach this game with some optimism. Expect another feast of goals.

Southampton continue to confound their critics. Not only are they flying in the Premier League, they also knocked Arsenal out of the Capital One Cup in midweek and will be expected to see off QPR at St Mary’s. Ronald Koeman’s summer signings are all punching above their weight and they can continue their unlikely charge towards the top.

The late kick-off is the North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham. Rather like Liverpool and Everton, these two sides are having a topsy-turvy start to the season in Cup and League. Arsenal’s defeat against Southampton underlines a lack of depth in their squad while Tottenham still have two ways of playing. In recent seasons, Tottenham have disappointed in these types of fixtures and Wenger can recall Wojciech Szczesny, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Mikel Arteta, Mesut Ozil and Danny Welbeck on Saturday.

Liverpool 3 Everton 2 (correct score) @22-1 Bet365

Liverpool v Everton over 3.5 goals @6-4 Coral

Chelsea 2 Aston Villa 1 (correct score) @11-1 BetVictor

Crystal Palace v Leicester DRAW @19-5 BetVictor

Edin Dzeko to score first @5-1 Paddy Power

Man City to win by 3 or more goals @4-1 Skybet

Man United to win by 2 goals @100-30 Bet365

Angel Di Maria to score first @7-1 Bet365

Southampton 3 QPR 0 (correct score) @10-1 BetVictor

Arsenal to win by 2 goals @4-1 Stan James

Premier League Preview Sep 20th – 21st

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

After a busy week in Europe, it will be interesting to see how the top teams cope with a return to PremierLeague action.

Probably the poorest showing by a Premiership side was Arsenal’s disappointing 2-0 defeat against Borussia Dortmund. They are really struggling to live up to the pre-season hype and face a very tricky game at a revitalised Aston Villa.

Paul Lambert managed to engineer a victory at Anfield last weekend and Villa fans must be getting dizzy after three victories that have left them in second place in the table. They are only two points behind leaders Chelsea who travel to Man City on Sunday so Villa could top the league on Saturday night!

Arsenal fans will point to their incredible record at Villa Park where they have not list in their last fifteen league visits. They ought to have beaten Man City last week but had to settle for a draw and they will be looking to Danny Welbeck to provide the goals. Arsene Wenger’s team are difficult to predict at the moment but I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see them come away with a draw at least.

The early kick-off sees QPR welcome Stoke after Harry Redknapp’s team were totally outclassed by Man United’s new-look side. Rangers did manage to beat Sunderland in their previous game but they have generally looked like a side we can expect to see in the thick of the relegation battle this season. Stoke beat Man City and then lost at home to Leicester and I am expecting Mark Hughes to galvanise them for a victory here.

Alan Pardew is surely on borrowed time at Newcastle. He has even had the dreaded vote of confidence from his employers, usually the kiss of death. The Magpies are bottom of the league and were slaughtered by Southampton last week. Hull are in buoyant mood after a successful venture into the transfer market and played well in a 2-2 draw with West Ham on Monday night. It may be worth supporting The Tigers to deal the hammer blow to Pardew, ironically the same clash that saw the infamous head-butting incident last season.

Swansea versus Southampton is an intriguing contest with the home side dropping their first points at Stamford Bridge and the Saints flying after thumping Newcastle. Ronald Koeman seems to be working a kind of mini-miracle at St Mary’s and Southampton beat Swansea twice last season. I thought that Swansea played well against Chelsea and a draw could be on the agenda here.

West Ham play Liverpool in the late kick-off and must fancy their chances of getting a result. The Reds were very poor in their return to the Champions League against a well-organised but moderate side. They needed an injury-time penalty to scrape a win and were beaten by Villa last week. Liverpool have won seven of the last meetings here but the Hammers showed plenty of resolve against Hull on Monday. I think it might be a struggle but Liverpool can take the points.

The big match on Sunday is the clash between champions Man City and high-flying Chelsea. The Blues had the wind taken out of their sails a bit in midweek when only managing a draw against Schalke 04. If nothing else, that game underlined just how important Diego Costa is to the team.  He will doubtless prove a handful for City and can get on the scoresheet.

City were unlucky to concede a late goal against Bayern Munich although they had been hanging on in that game. A draw would end Chelsea’s 100% record but would have to be seen as a decent result.

Man United’s huge investment finally brought a dividend last week against QPR and Leicester should go the same way while Everton brushed aside Wolfsburg in the Europa League and can see off Crystal Palace.

Stoke to beat QPR @9-5 Bet365

Aston Villa v Arsenal DRAW @14-5 Boyle Sports

Aston Villa 1 Arsenal 1 @7-1 BetVictor

Hull to beat Newcastle @11-4 Coral

Swansea v Southampton DRAW @12-5 Bet365

Swansea 2 Southampton 2 @16-1 BetVictor

West Ham 1 Liverpool 3 @14-1 Bet365

Man United to beat Leicester by 2 or more goals @7-2 Stan James

Everton to beat Crystal Palace by 2 or more goals @12-5 Stan James

Man City v Chelsea DRAW @12-5 William Hill

Diego Costa to score at any time @13-8 Ladbrokes

Champions League 2014/15 Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Group stages of the Champions League get under way this week with Real Madrid favourites to become the first team to successfully defend the trophy.

They have made a patchy start to the new domestic season and suffered a defeat by local rivals Atletico at the weekend. With their wealth of talent, that can surely only be a temporary blip and they are bound to be serious contenders again.

Atletico Madrid were our each-way tip last season and they went all the way to the final. Bookmakers are not convinced that they have enough quality to repeat the achievement this season and have priced them up at a generous 25-1.

The departure of Costa to Chelsea may have dented Atletico’s prospects but Mario Mandzukic is an exciting replacement. Diego Simeone is clearly a first class coach and they look overpriced to me.

My other tip is Paris St Germain who have been among the biggest spenders in Europe this summer. The £50million paid for David Luiz may have raised a few eyebrows but the former Chelsea man will be determined to erase the memory of that World Cup nightmare against Germany. It is worth remembering that he was being treated as a national hero after his wonder strike earlier in the competition.

PSG were close to eliminating Chelsea last season and should qualify from their group despite the presence of Barcelona. Ibrahimovic, Cavani and Levezzi is a world-class front-line by any standards.

The English challenge this season looks likely to be spearheaded by Chelsea who have made a tremendous start in the Premier League. Diego Costa surely cannot keep up his incredible strike rate and it remains to be seen whether Drogba and Remy offer sufficient cover. They are a very talented side but do not represent great value at around 6-1.

Liverpool have undertaken a summer rebuilding project in the wake of Luis Suarez’s departure. They look to have a relatively easy passage through to the knockout phase but the same cannot be said of champions Manchester City. They got through the group phase for the first time last season but won’t have it easy against Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow and Roma.

Arsenal sneaked past Besiktas in the playoffs to reach the Group stage of the competition for a remarkable eighteenth consecutive season. They should also emerge safely from Group D but there remains a suspicion that they are a player or two short compared to Chelsea and City.

PSG @16-1 Ladbrokes

Atletico Madrid @25-1 William Hill

½ odds 1,2

Premier League Preview Sep 13th -14th

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Premier League returns after the International break and it is back with a bang! Arsenal host Manchester City in the early kick-off in an early clash of the title contenders.

Arsenal fans will be hoping that their side can repeat their comprehensive 3-0 win in the Community Shield but City fielded a weakened team that day and are a much stiffer proposition on Saturday. Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey faces a late fitness test but Wenger has options with Arteta and Ozil back in action.

Arsenal were hammered away by Liverpool, Chelsea and City last season, defeats that ultimately cost them their title chance. Their side remains much the same although they are missing the injured Giroud and relying on new-boy Danny Welbeck to fill the void. They drew with City and Chelsea at home and beat Liverpool so will be looking for at least a point. A 1-1 draw seems a likely outcome here and is worth a bet at 13-2 with BetVictor. The draw is also tempting at 5-2 with the same firm.

If anyone doubted Chelsea’s Premiership credentials, they must have been convinced by their astonishing 6-3 win at Goodison Park. They now face the only other team with a 100% record in the Premier League, Swansea City.

Garry Monk’s team have impressed in their early matches and look good enough to hold the Blues for long periods. The result could hinge on whether or not Diego Costa is fit to start for the Blues after a sensational start for his new club. An ageing Didier Drogba and a late replacement for Torres in the form of Loic Remy are the alternatives to lead Chelsea’s attack. I think that Chelsea will edge this one by a single goal.

Crystal Palace versus Burnley looks like draw material to me. Neither side have claimed a victory so far this season and Burnley have faced the tougher opposition including Chelsea and Man United. Palace were unlucky against Arsenal on the opening day but grabbed a late equaliser at Newcastle.

Southampton have been one of the surprise packages so far this season. Many pundits felt that they would suffer badly from their summer clear out of star players but they seem to have found the secret to an instant rebuild! Perhaps they should give a lesson to Louis Van Gaal and save Manchester United a few million in the process?

Saints welcome Newcastle to St Mary’s with Magpies’ boss Alan Pardew right in the firing line. A 3-1 win at West Ham was a terrific result for Southampton who deserved something from Anfield at the start of the season. Southampton look a solid bet to come out on top here against a nervy Newcastle side.

Stoke v Leicester also fits into the draw category with neither side setting the league on fire in their early matches. The home side are tough to break down at home but Leicester can be pretty resilient as they showed at Stamford Bridge.

Sunderland versus Spurs is an interesting one with the visitors having already shown both sides of their character. They thrashed QPR 4-0 to the delight of their supporters but looked as if they had not improved at all from last season when crumbling pathetically at Liverpool. Sunderland have under-performed so far this season and Gus Poyet will be looking for improvement on Saturday. This could be the upset of the weekend.

The late kick-off sees Liverpool host Aston Villa. The Reds bounced back from a 3-0 defeat at Man City to dish out a similar beating to Tottenham and will be looking to build on that with another victory on Saturday. The jury is out on the signing of Mario Balotelli but he will undoubtedly have good days and bad at Anfield. With Sturridge and Sterling on a high after England’s win in Switzerland, this looks like a comfortable home win.

Man United will surely have too much fire power for QPR in Sunday’s game and anything less than a comfortable victory would set alarm bells ringing at Old Trafford. Go for goals in this one.

Arsenal v Man City DRAW @5-2 BetVictor

Arsenal 1 Man City 1 correct score @13-1 BetVictor

Chelsea to beat Swansea by one goal @11-4 Ladbrokes

Crystal Palace v Burnley DRAW @14-5 Ladbrokes

Southampton to beat Newcastle @5-6 William Hill

Stoke v Leicester DRAW @3-1 Bet365

Sunderland to beat Tottenham @11-4 BetVictor

Liverpool to beat Aston Villa by three or more goals @15-8 Skybet

Mario Balotelli to score at anytime @20-21 Bet365

Man United to beat QPR by three or more goals @15-8 Skybet

Premier League Preview Aug 23rd – 25th

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Man City’s 2-0 win at Newcastle on the opening weekend of the Premier League netted us a tidy 8-point profit on all selections last weekend. The defeat of Manchester United at the hands of Swansea was the main talking point with the Welsh side providing a stark reminder of the task facing Van Gaal at Old Trafford.

Saturday’s action sees Chelsea and Arsenal back in action, the Blues having impressed in their comfortable 3-1 win at Burnley on Monday night. They now welcome another newly-promoted side in Leicester City to Stamford Bridge as they bid to underline their title claims.

Things could hardly be looking better for Jose Mourinho’s summer signings after a brilliant performance by Cesc Fabregas and a goal from Diego Costa. Both seem to have the ability to make things look simple and Leicester must be travelling to London with some trepidation. Costa could be a good bet to get on the score-sheet again this weekend with a comfortable home win for the Blues.

Crystal Palace put up a brave performance at Arsenal last week in the wake of the shock departure of Tony Pulis. It had looked a nailed-on three points for the Gunners but Palace made them fight every inch of the way. Palace now play West Ham who were undone by a late Spurs goal in their opening fixture. The Hammers can only have themselves to blame for not taking the opportunity presented to them with a penalty miss and playing against ten men for a lengthy period of the game. This looks like draw material, a result that would probably suit both sides at this stage of the season.

Another side to impress last week were Southampton. I, like many others, felt that the mass exodus during the summer would leave the Saints in a perilous situation. That may still be the case but you have to admire their gallant effort at Anfield.

Only the width of the cross bar prevented them from coming away with a point and Liverpool were undoubtedly breathing a sigh of relief to get three points. West Brom were held to a 2-2 draw by Sunderland in their opening game and this looks another tight fixture. It would be wrong to get too carried away with Southampton’s performance last week and another draw is predicted.

The late kick-off is an intriguing clash between Everton and Arsenal. Arsene Wenger’s side face the age-old problem of playing on a Saturday after a midweek Champions League game. Last season the Toffees dished out a 3-0 beating to the Gunners but the visitors will be desperate to show that they are genuine title contenders.

Arsenal do have some positive news in the return of Mesut Ozil, Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski to the squad after World Cup duty. Mikel Arteta will definitely be absent after picking up an injury against Besiktas. Everton allowed Leicester to sneak a point last weekend and will be looking to Romelu Lukaku to step up his game now that he is a permanent signing. Arsenal have not beaten Everton in their last four meetings and could be vulnerable to an upset here.

Sunday’s big game is Manchester United’s visit to Sunderland. Van Gaal looks like a man with a mission at Old Trafford and is still in the process of sorting out the wheat from the chaff. As David Moyes found to his cost, there is never as much time as you think there is and United fans will be distinctly uncomfortable if a second defeat follows the Swansea result. Gus Poyet has done a fantastic job at Sunderland and it is by no means impossible. Spurs sneaked past West Ham and should have a more comfortable time disposing of QPR on home soil.

On Monday, Man City host Liverpool in a clash of the first and second from last season. Liverpool did not look anywhere near as dangerous without Suarez against Southampton and Brendan Rodgers is still chasing shadows in the transfer market. City eased into the season with a clinical display at Newcastle and can follow up here.

Diego Costa to score first @10-3 Bet365

Chelsea to win by three or more goals @15-8 Skybet

Crystal Palace v West Ham DRAW @23-10 Bet365

Southampton v West Brom DRAW @11-4 Boylesports

Everton to beat Arsenal @9-5 Paddy Power

Sunderland to beat Man United @21-5 Bet Victor

Man City to beat Liverpool @6-7 BetBright

Premier League Preview Aug 16th – 18th

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The English Premier League returns on Saturday with seven matches including the first competitive game in charge for Louis van Gaal at Manchester United. They play Swansea in the lunchtime kick-off at Old Trafford and their pre-season form suggests that they are unlikely to slip up.

The two teams met in the opening game last season with United inflicting a 4-1 defeat on the Swans, although the Welsh side gained their revenge with a shock FA Cup victory. Manchester United have never lost on the opening day of the EPL at Old Trafford and I don’t think they are in much danger here.

QPR gained promotion via the play-offs last season and they face Hull in one of the 3 o’clock kick-offs. Harry Redknapp has a new sidekick in the form of former England boss Glenn Hoddle but has done little to improve his playing staff. He couldn’t even use his family influence to persuade Frank Lampard to join him. This could be another uphill struggle for QPR and Hull may just be good enough to take all three points. Rangers have only managed one point from six opening weekend matches in the Premier League.

Arguably the pick of the afternoon games is the London derby between West Ham and Tottenham. Sam Allardyce will never be everyone’s cup of tea but he managed to grind out a route to survival last season and will already have calculated a points target for this season. The Hammers inflicted three defeats on Spurs last season but they finished the season poorly with five defeats in six games. Spurs have a new boss in former Saints man Mauricio Pochettino who appears to have unlocked the talent of Erik Lamela in pre-season. This is a tight game to predict but Spurs have a more talented squad.

A second London derby at 5.30 has taken on a new slant with the shock departure of Tony Pulis from Crystal Palace. Their trip to Arsenal suddenly looks very daunting, especially with the Gunners still celebrating their 3-0 Community Shield win over champions Manchester City. This looks like one-way traffic and a comfortable home win.

Another team facing a difficult start to the season is Southampton. How ironic that they should face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday having just sold half of their squad to the Merseyside giants! Liverpool have been very busy in the transfer market spending their Suarez money while Southampton have morphed into an up-market ebay! This looks like another home banker.

Newcastle United had another turbulent season under Alan Pardew and they welcome the champions. City were poor against Arsenal last weekend but they were missing several key players and will surely put that display behind them. City have won their last four games against the Magpies without conceding a goal and something similar could be on the cards on Sunday.

Chelsea will be the last of the big teams out of the blocks when they play Burnley on Monday. Jose Mourinho seems very smug after his successful summer signings and Diego Costa seems to have slotted in well. This is the sort of fixture that cost the Blues the title last season but I will be very surprised if they don’t start off in style.

Tips

Man United to beat Swansea 3-0 @10-1 BetVictor

Hull to beat QPR @11-5 BetVictor

Spurs to beat West Ham @11-10 Paddy Power

Arsenal to beat Crystal Palace 3-0 @7-1 Ladbrokes

Liverpool to beat Southampton 4-0 @18-1 BetVictor

Man City to beat Newcastle 2-0 @9-1 BetVictor

Chelsea to beat Burnley 4-0 @21-1 BetVictor