Tag: Man United

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

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

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

Premier League Preview Nov 22nd to 24th

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Premier League returns on Saturday after the International break with Chelsea four points clear at the top.

Bookmaker Paddy Power has already paid out on the Blues winning the title and you can actually back them at better odds to win on Saturday than to win the league. Their next opponents are West Brom who have given Chelsea a few problems in recent matches. The Blues have only beaten them once in their last five meetings.

Of course, there are differences with this Chelsea team. Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas were declared unfit for Spain’s International fixtures but are both fit to start on Saturday. It would be no surprise to see Costa on the score sheet yet again.

Manchester City were probably glad of the International break after a poor run of form in League and Cup. Sergio Aguero has kept City in touch at the top of the table but they cannot afford to let the gap get any bigger. They already trail Chelsea by eight points and will be tested by the visit of Swansea. The Welsh side have made a very impressive start to the season and could draw level with City if they were to pull off a shock win. The bet here is for City to edge it by a single goal.

Newcastle have turned their season around with five straight wins. Full credit for Alan Pardew who has been under intense pressure from the media this season. They face QPR who have also shown signs of a revival under Harry Redknapp. A win over Aston Villa followed gallant efforts against Liverpool and Manchester United. Newcastle can extend their winning run with the advantage of home support.

The big game on Saturday is the tea-time kick-off between Arsenal and Man United. The Gunners will be sweating on late fitness tests for Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck but they should be fit to start. Welbeck would be dismayed if he were to miss a clash against his former club but Sanchez is the man with the golden touch lately. He can again be Arsenal’s match winner against a United side that continues to have defensive problems.

Liverpool and Spurs both have tricky looking fixtures at Crystal Palace and Hull respectively. You just don’t know what you will get from either side at the moment so I am going to swerve both matches. Finally, the Saints should go marching on at Villa Park on Monday night. Villa were desperately poor against QPR while Southampton seem to have plenty of attacking options.

Diego Costa to score and Chelsea win @10-11 Ladbrokes

Sergio Aguero to score and Man City win @11-10 BetFred

Man City to win by one goal @11-4 Bet365

Alexis Sanchez to score and Arsenal to win @11-4 Paddy Power

Newcastle to beat QPR @5-6 Bet365

Southampton to beat Aston Villa @4-5 William Hill

Premier League Preview Oct 25th – 27th

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The highlight of this weekend’s Premier League action has to be Sunday’s game at Old Trafford between Manchester United and Chelsea.

The Blues start the weekend five points clear at the top of the table but United are potentially dangerous rivals with their summer influx of stars. They have improved offensively but their defence is another matter and Jose Mourinho will be looking to exploit this with the pace of Hazard and Willian.

At the time of writing, Costa’s availability is unknown but Loic Remy is definitely out. That could leave Didier Drogba as the only realistic option at centre-forward. He has looked a long way short of his best but Hazard was brilliant against Maribor in midweek and Chelsea can create goals from almost anywhere on the pitch. Take Hazard to score in another victory for the Blues.

Man City blew a two-goal lead in Moscow and that will have made it a miserable journey home. They now play a confident West Ham who have found a new scoring machine in Diafra Sakho. He gave us a 5-1 winner last week when scoring for his sixth consecutive game. Sam Allardyce patted himself on the back for working out how to beat Everton after their Europa League match and will have a similar plan for the champions. The Hammers might be worth supporting on the handicap.

Southampton were superb last week in demolishing Sunderland 8-0 and will be full of confidence for the visit of Stoke. You can’t help but think that Ronald Koeman’s side have to slip up sooner or later but I would be surprised if it is on Saturday. Take Pelle to score in a Saints win.

Another man in form is Wilfried Bony of Swansea and he can get on the score sheet at home to Leicester. The Swans were hard done by at Stoke last week and should be able to grab all three points here. Arsenal are not the ideal opponents for Sunderland after last week’s humiliation at St Mary’s and it is difficult to see any other result than a win for the Gunners. It should be routine win for Everton at struggling Burnley and Tottenham can put the pressure back on Alan Pardew by defeating Newcastle.

Monday night’s game is QPR versus Aston Villa. Harry Redknapp’s side fought manfully at home to Liverpool last week but somehow managed to lose 3-2 after twice appearing to have salvaged a point. Villa are not the most reliable of teams but this game could be draw material along with Saturday’s game between West Brom and Crystal Palace.

West Ham (+1 handicap) to beat Man City @6-4 Bet365

Graziano Pelle to score and Southampton to win @17-10 Ladbrokes

Arsenal to beat Sunderland @4-5 Stan James

Wilfried Bony to score and Swansea win @9-4 Paddy Power

Eden Hazard to score and Chelsea win @5-1 Coral

QPR v Aston Villa DRAW @9-4 Bet365