Tag: Liverpool

Can Liverpool March on Under Jurgen Klopp?

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Jurgen Klopp has only been in charge at Liverpool for just over a year. The turnaround in their form since Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers has been amazing. Despite this success, numerous football pundits have rubbished Liverpool’s title chances this season, but are they correct to do so?

One important fact needs to be remembered. Leicester City did remarkable things last season simply because their players bonded with their manager Claudio Ranieri, and they were prepared to “sweat blood” for him.

It is very difficult to win a league title without having a lot of spirit within the team. Whenever Liverpool have played this season, the team spirit has shone through. If you throw into the mix a talented bunch of players and a top class manager, then what you have at Liverpool are the key ingredients for a title winning side.

Can Watford Stop The Red Surge

Liverpool are certainly on the march. The question is can Watford stop the juggernaut? The bookies don’t seem to think so. Stan James are a best priced 3/10 for a Liverpool victory at Anfield. BetVictor and PaddyPower go as high as 11/1 on a Watford away victory.

It is hard to see Watford leaving Anfield with any points. However, one thing that we have learned about Premier League betting is that we cannot take anything for granted. Most of the leading so-called “title contenders” have dropped points in recent weeks. Watford have started the season very well, and are currently in 7th place in the table.

Will The Hornets Sting The Reds?

Watford have enough scoring potential to create an upset at Anfield. They have recorded recent league wins against Middlesbrough and Hull, and they haven’t conceded a Premier League goal in their previous three matches. The Hornets will go to Anfield full of confidence and that is the main ingredient for an upset. BetVictor and PaddyPower are both priced at 5/1 for the draw if you think The Hornets will deny Klopp’s army.

Despite the fact that Liverpool have been regularly winning matches, they still seem to concede goals. So Watford will feel that they are in with a chance against what could be a suspect defence. The first twenty minutes will be vital for Watford. If Liverpool score during this period, they could win by three or four goals. If Liverpool really do want to be considered as true title contenders, these are the types of matches they must win.

 

Liverpool vs. Manchester United: A Pressure Cooker of Potential

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In the football fraternity and in Premier League betting, rivalries don’t come much bigger than the one between Liverpool and Manchester United. Even though the two clubs don’t occupy the same county borders and it’s not technically a derby, there is a competitive streak between them that runs deep.

On Monday, October 17th, the latest installment of the age-old rivalry will take place as the Premier League big boys clash at Anfield. Unsurprisingly, Europe’s leading online bookmakers are firmly on the Premier League betting bandwagon ahead of the clash which means you can fill up on tasty odds before washing it down with some high octane action on Monday night.

Does Paul Merson Know Best?

As ever, Betcirca is here to give a complete breakdown of the best Premier League bets for Liverpool vs. Manchester United and, today, our starting point is Paul Merson. Despite being an Arsenal legend and someone who would have done everything in his power back in the day to defeat Liverpool or United, Merson knows what he’s talking about when it comes to tactics.

Ahead of Monday’s match, Merson has tipped Liverpool for the win. Breaking down the action on SkySports.com, Merson believes the attacking prowess of Jurgen Klopp’s men will be too much for United to handle.

“I don’t think Man Utd will be able to live with Liverpool’s attacking players and if the hosts start quickly they will have too much at Anfield,” said Merson.

Pressure is a Fickle Mistress

Adding to Liverpool’s potential firepower on Monday is the fact United could start the game knowing that their closest rivals are gradually moving away from them. Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham all play before United and, assuming they win as many predict they will, the pressure will be on.

As it stands, United are languishing in sixth place with 13 points while Man City sit atop of the Premier League with 18 points. In years gone by, three+ losses in the Premier League was a veritable death knell for a team’s chances of clinching the title. Although recent years have been slightly more forgiving, United have two negative notches on their stats sheet already.

A loss to Liverpool wouldn’t only cause United to fall further behind in the points race, but it would take them another step closer to a potentially fatal tipping point. That fact is possibly the biggest factor working against United moving forward. Pressure is often the catalyst for failure, and with Liverpool riding a rich vein of form, United could find themselves in trouble.

An Ace in the Hole

Of course, it won’t all be one-way traffic at Anfield even if the pressure is on. Jose Mourinho has a proverbial rabbit in the hat in the form of Zlatan Ibrahimović. Capable of something truly special on his day, Ibrahimović is unlikely to be overwhelmed by the occasion and that could work in United’s favour.

In fact, as well as having the ability turn the tide of a match on his own, Ibrahimović is also proving to be something of an inspiration for his teammates. Marcus Rashford recently told the press that the Swede is helping mentor the less experienced players. Maybe the Midas touch from Ibrahimović will rub off on his teammates against Liverpool, and a freshly invigorated United will go on to dominate the match?

Liverpool vs. Man United Best Bets

Picking a winner in this one certainly isn’t easy, so let’s stop waxing lyrical about both teams and take a look at the Premier League betting odds. Whatever side of the divide you fall on, the following bets from our bookmaking partners represent some serious value and are well worth considering if you’re going to ante-up:

  • Sun Bets: Liverpool to win and both teams to score @ 14/5
  • Coral: Total booking points between 21 and 40 @ 5/2
  • William Hill: Daniel Sturridge to score & Liverpool to win 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 @ 6/1
  • Paddy Power: Manchester United to win @ 5/2
  • Sky Bet: Charlie Nicholas’ Tip, Chris Smalling to score 1st and match to end in a 1-1 draw @ 175/1

Regardless of the predictions and the betting odds, Liverpool vs. Manchester United looks set to be another barnstormer. With neither side wanting to disappoint their fans, we can expect a heady cocktail of passion, aggression and, if things go to plan, some goals.

Premiership Preview – Saturday 16th May

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Saturday’s Premiership action revolves around the relegation struggle with Hull City currently facing the drop. They travel to Tottenham and, with a game against Manchester United to come, only a win would revive their flagging hopes of survival.

They were very poor against Burnley last weekend and even a below par Tottenham should have too many guns for them. Harry Kane has gone off the boil in recent weeks but Hull cannot afford to sit back and hope for a draw. Spurs are still in a good position to qualify for the Europa League, even if that competition is regarded as something of a booby prize these days.

Newcastle’s miserable run of defeats finally ended with a point against West Brom last weekend. They are away at QPR who said goodbye to the Premier League with a thumping 6-0 defeat at Man City. I cannot believe that QPR can perform so badly again here and a draw might be the way to go. Sunderland and Leicester will also be looking anxiously over their shoulders while they clash at the Stadium of Light.

If Hull are beaten at Tottenham, Leicester will need only a point at Sunderland to guarantee safety. That would be celebrated like a Cup final win after looking doomed for much of the season. An incredible run of six wins in seven has put them on the brink of safety. That half-time score from White Hart Lane will definitely have a bearing on this match and I fancy another draw here.

Aston Villa look virtually certain to survive the drop but Tim Sherwood won’t be taking any chances. They travel to Southampton who have gone right off the boil in recent weeks. The Saints could even miss out on a European place and it would not be a surprise to see Villa take three points here. Christian Benteke has outscored everyone else in the Premier League since Sherwood arrived and he is worth a bet to open the scoring.

The late kick-off looks more like a Steven Gerrard Testimonial match than a Premier League game as Liverpool face Crystal Palace at Anfield. Gerrard will naturally want to make it a memorable occasion so the 7-1 about him opening the scoring may be worth a bet. Palace have no real incentive here and Alan Pardew may well introduce some youngsters.

Aston Villa to win @17-4 Bet365

Christian Benteke to score first @13-2 Paddy Power

Benteke to score and Villa win @8-1 Paddy Power

QPR v Newcastle DRAW @5-2 Bet365

QPR 1 Newcastle 1 @13-2 BetVictor

Sunderland v Leicester DRAW @23-10 Bet365

Sunderland 1 Leicester 1 @6-1 William Hill

Harry Kane to score first @4-1 Coral

Harry Kane to score and Spurs win @19-10 Ladbrokes

Spurs 3 Hull 1 @14-1 Ladbrokes

Steven Gerrard to score first @7-1 Ladbrokes

Liverpool 2 Crystal Palace 0 @7-1 Ladbrokes

Premiership Preview 10th May

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Sunday’s Premiership fixtures were expected to have a say in the outcome of the title race but Chelsea secured the title last weekend against Crystal Palace. That has left City battling to secure second spot and they ought to collect a fourth consecutive victory at home to QPR.

Rangers are set to pay the price for their terrible away record which just one victory in seventeen including fourteen defeats. The gap between QPR and safety is already a yawning nine points and this is probably the last place they would want to be going. Sergio Aguero scored his memorable title-winning goal in this fixture in 2011-12 and has hit the target in his last four games.

The Argentinian striker will have one eye on the Premiership Golden Boot prize and this fixture looks set up for him to add to his tally. QPR know that the game is virtually up and anything less than a shock victory will not be good enough. Charlie Austin poses a threat and it may be worth looking at 4-1 and 5-1 to City in the score markets.

Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace means that they are champions so you could forgive them if they suffered a slight dip in form. They welcome Liverpool to Stamford Bridge in the late kick-off and the Reds will be forming a guard of honour for the home side. I remember Manchester United having to do the same thing some years ago and we can only hope that Liverpool are more gracious than one or two of the United players that day.

Jose Mourinho has paved the way for a friendly occasion with his kind words about Liverpool Captain Steven Gerrard. The absence of Diego Costa takes out another potential flash-point after his clashes with Liverpool in the League Cup. The way to go here may be a draw and it could be worth supporting Branislav Ivanovic to get on the score-sheet. He has scored against the Reds in the past and will always be a threat from set-pieces.

Sergio Aguero to score and Man City to win @3-4 Ladbrokes

Sergio Aguero to score 2 or more goals @3-1 Skybet

Man City 4 QPR 1 @15-1 BetVictor

Man City 5 QPR 1 @25-1 BetVictor

Chelsea v Liverpool DRAW @5-2 Bet365

Chelsea 1 Liverpool 1 @13-2 BetVictor

Branislav Ivanovic to score first @20-1 Paddy Power

Branislav Ivanovic to score at any time @17-2 Unibet

Hull v Liverpool Preview

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The closing minutes have foiled some good bets in the past week, notably the games between Real and Atletico Madrid and Man City and Aston Villa. Both looked nailed on for landing out bet on a draw only for a late goal to spoil the party.

There are two midweek games in the Premiership this week, both pitching relegation threatened sides with those from the top. Champions-elect Chelsea travel to in-form Leicester on Wednesday but first it is Hull at home to Liverpool.

Hull seemed to be heading towards the exit door until producing a vital 2-0 win at Crystal Palace on Saturday. Both goals came from Dame N’Doye and a striker in form is worth his weight in gold at this stage of the season. Steve Bruce has kept plugging away in the belief that things would eventually come right for the Tigers and his faith looks as though it could finally be vindicated.

They showed signs of a revival against Chelsea when drawing level at 2-2, only to fall to a late goal from Loic Remy. They certainly lacked nothing in terms of fighting spirit on Saturday and they could be worth a bet to upset Liverpool.

It has been a mixed bag this season from the Reds. No doubt their supporters will be sick of hearing how much they miss Luis Suarez but they have not been the same team without him. Mario Balotelli has been nothing short of disastrous for the club while Daniel Sturridge has spent more time on the treatment table than on the pitch.

A fine win over champions Manchester City raised hopes for Brendan Rodgers’ side of a top four finish and a Champions League place but their form has dipped again. A home defeat to Manchester United and a mauling at Arsenal have been followed up by an FA Cup exit against Aston Villa. If Hull play in exactly the same way as Villa, we could see the same result on Tuesday night. Liverpool’s one bright spark has been Philippe Coutinho and he is still at a fair price to hit the target.

Hull to win @100-30 Bet365

Hull 2 Liverpool 1 @16-1 Bet365

Philippe Coutinho to score at any time @4-1 Spreadex

Dame N’Doye to score at any time @3-1 Ladbrokes

N’Doye to score and Hull win @7-1 Ladbrokes

FA Cup Semi-Final Previews

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FA Cup holders Arsenal face Reading on Saturday with Liverpool playing Aston Villa on Sunday in the semi-finals at Wembley.

The Gunners are the in-form team in the Premiership and have stormed into second place. They are now going in pursuit of leaders Chelsea who have been far from convincing in recent weeks. The clash between Chelsea and Manchester United could open the door for an unlikely Premier League title for Arsene Wenger’s side who host the Blues next weekend.

In the meantime, they will look to take another step towards retaining their treasured silverware in the FA Cup against Reading. With eleven victories in their last twelve matches, confidence could not be higher at Arsenal. They have Olivier Giroud almost scoring at will with ten goals in as many matches and a fully fit squad heading into the final games of the season. This time last year, Arsenal needed penalties to get past Wigan before stumbling to a two-goal deficit in the final. The pressure of ending their long wait for a trophy seemed to be almost too much.

They are now free from such concerns and I cannot see them faltering against an out-of-form Reading. Since sneaking past Bradford in a replay, Reading have lost three of their last four matches. They have failed to score in almost six hours of football and this looks set up for the Gunners to go through to the final in style.

Sunday’s clash between Liverpool and Aston Villa looks far more competitive with Tim Sherwood having led a revival in Villa’s fortunes. They are still fighting for their Premiership lives but the return to form of Christian Benteke has given them a very powerful weapon. When he is at his best, he can torment any defence in the league and Liverpool could be in for a difficult time.

Liverpool’s form has deteriorated in recent weeks and a top four spot seems to have slipped away from them. They are clinging on to the hope that Man City go into freefall and allow them to overtake them but it looks unlikely. Their extra motivation for reaching the final is to secure another trophy for departing skipper Steven Gerrard. On their best form, they should certainly beat Villa but it may be worth taking a chance on Benteke causing an upset.

Arsenal (-2.0 handicap) @15-8 Skybet

Arsenal 4 Reading 0 @12-1 Skybet

Giroud to score and Arsenal win @Evens Totesport

Christian Benteke to score and Villa win @13-1 Bwin

Benteke to score at any time @11-4 Ladbrokes

Villa to win by a single goal @7-1 Paddy Power