Tag: Liverpool

Premiership Preview February 7th

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Last weekend’s top of the table Premiership clash between Chelsea and Man City proved something of a damp squib. The absence of Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa sowed the seeds of doubt in the mind of Jose Mourinho and he elected to play for a draw. The Blues went ahead through Loic Remy but never threatened once City had drawn level, seemingly content to protect their five-point lead at the top.

Costa is serving the second of his three-match ban at Villa Park tomorrow when the Blues face Aston Villa. The home side were put to the sword by Arsenal last week and will need to pick themselves up quickly if they are to avoid further embarrassment. The good news for Chelsea fans is that Fabregas returns and Chelsea should win relatively comfortably.

Rivals Man City are at home to another struggling side in Hull City. The visitors have never won at the Etihad and have not scored in 400 minutes of football. City were poor against Arsenal recently but will take heart from their draw at Stamford Bridge and have a fully fit squad. It would be no surprise to seem them resume normal service with Aguero and Dzeko back on the scoresheet.

Assuming there are no dramas at the Chelsea and City games, it is the two big derby games that will get most of the media attention. Steven Gerrard plays his final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park against an Everton side that tasted victory for the first time this year on Saturday. An early goal from Romelu Lukaku was enough to beat Crystal Palace and the Toffees will be looking to build on that against their old rivals.

Despite a good run, Liverpool are still not entirely convincing and came perilously close to being knocked out of the FA Cup by an injury-hit Bolton in midweek. Everton will be up for this one and a draw could be the value bet.

The early kick-off is the North London derby between Spurs and Arsenal. The Gunners have a much stronger squad than they did at the season with several long-term injuries having returned to action. Arsene Wenger’s biggest problem will be team selection and he could probably afford to leave out Sanchez even if he passes a late test. This game finished 3-3 last year and it would be no surprise to see another goal feast here. Arsenal just look the stronger side and can grab three vital points in the battle for a Champions League place.

Arsenal to beat Tottenham @13-10 Bet365

Chelsea (-1.0 handicap) to beat Aston Villa @11-10 William Hill

Man City (-2.0 handicap) to beat Hull City @6-4 Paddy Power

Everton v Liverpool DRAW @5-2 Stan James

Liverpool can ease past injury-hit Bolton

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Liverpool’s goalless draw against Bolton at Anfield in the FA Cup fourth round went almost unnoticed following the shock exit of Man City and Chelsea. The Reds travel to Bolton on Wednesday night as third favourites to lift the trophy behind only Arsenal and Man United.

That ought to be enough of a carrot but there are other reasons why Brendan Rodgers and his side should be setting their sights on Wembley. Last week’s stormy 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge ended their hopes in the Capital One Cup in which Steven Gerrard played 120 minutes. He suffered a mild hamstring injury in the process and was left out of last weekend’s 2-0 win over West Ham. Gerrard will end a 26-year association with the club in the summer and would dearly love one last trip to Wembley.

Rodgers has been keeping his cards close to his chest as regards Gerrard’s participation on Wednesday but it seems likely that he will play. If he does, it will be his 700th appearance for the club and provide a perfect opportunity for him to mark the occasion with a goal.

Liverpool were poor in the reverse fixture, although Bolton keeper Adam Bogdan made some crucial saves. Unfortunately for the home side, he has joined a long injury list that leaves Neil Lennon with no choice other to put out a weakened team.  His new signings are ineligible and even veteran Emile Heskey is side-lined. A fine atmosphere is guaranteed but Bolton are clear underdogs despite a decent run of form in the Championship.

Liverpool may give striker Daniel Sturridge further game time after he scored against West Ham in his first match for five months. Rodgers has made it clear that he is not yet ready to play 90 minutes but he will be a good option to have on the bench. Liverpool have the Merseyside derby with Everton this weekend and the Europa League is due to return shortly with the Reds having been eliminated from the Champions League. Even so, I believe there are enough reasons for them to make sure that they are not the latest Premiership side to slip up in the FA Cup.

Gerrard has scored three times in his last two FA Cup games and is worth supporting in the goal scorer markets. If he plays no part, bookmakers will refund your stake. Liverpool have only kept three clean sheets in their last 18 matches in the competition so I am going for a 3-1 scoreline in favour of the Reds.

Steven Gerrard to score at any time @9-4 Bet365

Gerrard to score and Liverpool win @100-30 Paddy Power

Bolton 1 Liverpool 3 @13-1 888Sport

Chelsea to bounce back from FA Cup shock

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Chelsea were stunned by Bradford in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday and will be desperate to bounce back against Liverpool in Tuesday’s Capital One Cup semi-final second leg.

The two sides shared the spoils at Anfield a week ago with the Blues grateful to escape with a draw after a second half onslaught from the home side. Jose Mourinho made nine changes for the FA Cup and all looked to be going well as they moved into a 2-0 lead. The wheels came off dramatically after that with matters going from bad to worse after the introduction of Fabregas, Hazard and Willian.

It would be dangerous to read too much into one defeat. After all, Chelsea had put up a similar performance when conceding five goals at Tottenham but came back strongly with three victories. The last of those was a thumping 5-0 win at Swansea, a result which had the pundits spouting superlatives once again.

It seems safe to assume that Courtois, Terry, Matic and Costa will return to the side on Tuesday. Presumably Hazard, Fabregas and Willian will also start as Chelsea bid to book a Wembley place. The Capital One Cup would have been fourth in the order of preference for silverware this season but takes on new significance in the wake of Saturday’s result.

Liverpool did not exactly set the world alight with a bore draw against Bolton and face a tricky replay. The weak performances by Liverpool and Man United were almost forgotten with Chelsea and Man City crashing out so dramatically. Raheem Sterling gave Brendan Rodgers’s team a lifeline at Anfield and will be the danger man again on Tuesday night. Chelsea’s central partnership of Cahill and Terry has looked slow at times this season and it is easy to imagine Liverpool breaking through at some point.

Unfortunately for them, they are less certain to score twice with want-away skipper Steven Gerrard currently leading goal scorer with five. Meanwhile, Diego Costa has racked up 17 for the Blues and he will be trying to get under their skin again here. There was apparently some “afters” in the tunnel between Costa and Jordan Henderson so the game will have its usual spice. Chelsea are well equipped to deal with a physical contest and they can come through a typically tough encounter.

Chelsea to win in 90 minutes @4-6 BetVictor

Chelsea 3 Liverpool 1 @12-1 Bet365

Diego Costa to score and Chelsea win @7-5 Ladbrokes

Chelsea can gain upper-hand in Cup Semi-Final

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Chelsea moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League on Saturday with a superb 5-0 victory at Swansea. Champions Man City were unable to respond when beaten 2-0 by Arsenal on Sunday and the two teams are set to clash at Stamford Bridge next weekend. The Blues now turn their attentions to the small matter of a Capital One Cup semi-final first leg at Anfield on Tuesday night.

Clashes between Liverpool and Chelsea are rarely without drama and this is unlikely to be an exception. The Reds were beaten 2-1 here earlier in the season by Jose Mourinho’s side and are still bitter about last season’s 2-0 defeat, a result which effectively ended their title hopes. There were also those epic Champions League clashes with the “ghost goal” and the incredible 4-4 result at the Bridge. Chelsea have certainly had the edge when it has mattered most, beating Liverpool in Cup finals for this trophy and the FA Cup.

It is slightly surprising that the two-legged format for the semi-finals still exists, given the European commitments of top Premiership sides these days. Chelsea can approach this game knowing that a draw would make them favourites to reach Wembley while Liverpool will be hoping that the Blues show the defensive weaknesses that were exposed by Tottenham recently.

Chelsea have not conceded in three games since and scored ten in the process so the signs are not that encouraging for Brendan Rodgers. He is likely to recall Steven Gerrard who will be desperate to atone for his slip that let in Demba Ba last season. Liverpool are on a very good run of form having only lost once in fourteen matches.

The Reds have tightened up their own defence after a sloppy start to the season and have been getting the results without doing anything spectacular. Apart from a 4-1 win over Swansea, they have still looked short of ideas going forward and may struggle to break through here. They took the lead earlier in the season, courtesy of a wicked deflection. This could end in a draw and it may be worth taking the 1-1 with William Hill, given that a “bore draw” will earn a refund.

It is difficult to be confident about Chelsea’s starting line-up but, assuming Ivanovic starts, he looks over-priced at 28-1 to break the deadlock. He has his own reasons for remembering this match after his clash with Luis Suarez. Ivanovic was in great form at Swansea and is dangerous from dead-ball situations.

Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1 @6-1 William Hill*

*0-0 money refunded on correct score bets up to max. £50

Branislav Ivanovic to score first @28-1 BetVictor

Barkley can be Boxing Day star for Everton

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The holiday period can sometimes prove pivotal in the title race and Chelsea go into Christmas three points clear of champions Manchester City.

Goals by John Terry and Cesc Fabregas were enough to claim all three points against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium on Monday and the Blues now face London rivals West Ham. The game gets under way at 12.45 and it will be interesting to see whether Sam Allardyce employs the same defensive policy which yielded a 0-0 draw last season.

Jose Mourinho labelled it “19th century football” but that did not concern Allardyce. His side are performing with a lot more credit this season and a top ten finish looks distinctly possible. A feisty encounter seems assured but Chelsea can match any team physically and can grab another victory.

Man City are on their travels at West Brom and they should keep up the pressure on Mourinho’s side with the minimum of fuss. They have won all but one of their last nine meetings with the Baggies and can be backed with confidence on the handicap.

Arsenal did not impress everyone with their 2-2 draw at Anfield but they should have too much fire power for QPR. Harry Redknapp’s side are still seeking their first away point of the season and this does not look like providing it. Olivier Giroud is in unstoppable form at present and he can fire the Gunners to victory.

Liverpool deserved their point against Arsenal, even if they required a goal deep into injury-time. They were down to ten men at the time so Brendan Rodgers will not doubt their commitment. They visit struggling Burnley who have failed to score in five of their last six games. The home side will see this as an opportunity to cause an upset but Liverpool’s superior quality can see them home.

Stoke were very poor against Chelsea on Monday night, other than a few fleeting moments in the second half. They are unlikely to get any change out of a visit to Goodison Park who will be looking to Ross Barkley to continue his return to full fitness. He will give their attack a new dimension which has been lacking in the early part of the season.

Manchester United’s progress was temporarily stalled by Aston Villa at the weekend, a costly result for those attempting accumulator bets on the top teams. They host a Newcastle side that has failed to progress from their shock 2-1 win over Chelsea. Van Persie has a fine scoring record against the Magpies and can again feature in an entertaining fixture.

Tips

Chelsea to beat West Ham by one goal @14-5 Ladbrokes

Liverpool to beat Burnley @17-20 Coral

Ross Barkley to score and Everton beat Stoke @7-2 Bet365

Van Persie to score and Man United beat Newcastle @7-5 Bwin

Olivier Giroud to score and Arsenal beat QPR @11-10 Bwin

Man City (-1.0 handicap) to beat West Brom @13-8 Spreadex

United revival to continue against Stoke

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Chelsea’s failure to beat Sunderland at the weekend has offered a glimmer of hope to those pursuing the Premiership leaders. The busy Christmas fixture list always plays a vital part in the title race and there are some interesting midweek fixtures to kick-off a hectic month.

Manchester United have climbed back up to fourth place after a run of three consecutive victories, the first time that they have achieved this since Louis van Gaal took over in the summer. They still have defensive problems but have plenty of options going forward. Angel Di Maria picked up a hamstring injury inside ten minutes against Hull on Saturday and will miss tonight’s clash with Stoke.

Wayne Rooney is enjoying one of the most consistent scoring spells of his career at present, seemingly revitalised by being awarded the captaincy at club and International level. Van Persie scored a vital goal to silence his critics and they also have Falcao waiting in the wings. Juan Mata has been completely overshadowed since the influx of new players in the summer but he has been showing signs of his best form recently and could be the key player on Tuesday. Take a chance on the former Chelsea man opening the scoring in a comfortable home win.

Liverpool scrambled a 1-0 win over Stoke on Saturday, although they were clinging on grimly in injury-time. Brendan Rodgers will re-instate with Steven Gerrard in the line-up at struggling Leicester. The Foxes were unlucky not to get a point at QPR in a match that saw an incredible 51 attempts on goal. I don’t expect tonight’s game to be anything like as entertaining and can see Liverpool sneaking another 1-0 victory.

One of the key stats tonight is the fact that QPR are yet to register a single point on their travels. That does not bode well for the visit to eighth-placed Swansea who have only lost once at home this season. Wilfried Bony has been leading their attack well and he can add to his tally of six goals in another poor away-day for Harry Redknapp’s men.

Newcastle’s revival hit the buffers at West Ham on Saturday, ending a run of five consecutive wins. Alan Pardew will be looking for an immediate response at Burnley, another side who have pulled their socks up recently. The home side are unbeaten in three games and their fans will make sure that there is a cup tie atmosphere at Turf Moor tonight. I can see this game ending in a draw, not a bad result for either side.

Burnley v Newcastle DRAW @23-10 Bet365

Leicester 0 Liverpool 1 @9-1 William Hill

Wilfried Bony to score and Swansea win @9-4 Betfred

Juan Mata to score first @7-1 Paddy Power

Wayne Rooney to score and Man United win @11-10 Paddy Power