Birmingham v Man Utd Betting – Premier League Saturday

Where do Manchester United go next? After their abysmal showing in the FA Cup last weekend, losing to League One leaders Leeds United, and having their Carling Cup semi final against rivals Manchester City called off due to the bad weather conditions, Alex Ferguson may have welcomed the break to rally his men. The defeat against Leeds came off the back of two strong Premier League victories for the Red Devils, and those in turn came off the back of a shock 3-0 defeat at the hands of Fulham. No one in the league is looking as impervious as they have been in previous seasons, and this has brought a lot of excitement back into the Premier League.

Manchester United and Chelsea are still the strongest challengers for the title, with Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal in hot pursuit. But with defeats for both Chelsea and Manchester United coming against opposition that would have simply been brushed aside in the past. Now games which should have been bankers for the might of Manchester United are having small shadows of doubt cast over them. Their next difficult task comes at St Andrews on Saturday when they take on a resurgent Birmingham, who are having an excellent season under Alex McLeish.

Birmingham are currently 8th in the league and are right in the mix along with Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester City as clubs look for that fourth placed finish behind the big three. Birmingham are in no way shape or form a team full of goals, but they are getting the job done in climbing up the table with narrow victories and stubborn drawn games. The Blues have only scored 20 goals this season, at an average of one per game. Six of the seven teams above them in the league, have scored more than that just at home. Birmingham’s plight in front of goal is shown perfectly in the fact that they have the lowest total of goals scored at home in the league, which stands at a paltry eight.

Fortunately though, their defence is proving to be just a stubborn, having only conceded 5 goals at home. Their latest conquest was to hold league leaders Chelsea to a 0-0 tie. They have also held Liverpool and Manchester City to draws. Goalkeeper Joe Hart is courting a lot of attention with his excellent performances, many which think that he deserves a call up to the full England squad for the World Cup. He is being praised from all departments, and is, inevitably, at the centre of some transfer speculation. Their weekend FA Cup Third Round tie didn’t quite go to plan, as they could only manage a 0-0 draw against lower opposition Nottingham Forest.

A win for Alex McLeish would really spark some excitement amongst the home fans, who, with the lack of goals scored and conceded at home, must be feeling a little frustrated in amongst all of their success. They are now on a run of 11 games in the league without conceding defeat, and that, this season, looks like an admiral stat to cling onto. Now they will be relishing taking on one of the best teams in the country again, and seeing if their defence can stand up to the likes of Wayne Rooney. The Blues seem to gently poking around the transfer scene to try and bolster their challenge for a top six finish, and they could use a little extra edge up front.

If they are going to beat Manchester United, then it is more than likely that it will be a victory stolen by just one goal. It is hard to see them busting out and scoring a hatful of unanswered goals against the defending champions. Manchester United need the win to keep the pressure on Chelsea at the top. The gap is down to two points at the moment after Birmingham did the Red Devils a favour by blanking Chelsea. Now they have the chance to turn the tables and give Chelsea a reprieve at the top by taking points off Alex Ferguson.

Betting Stats
Saturday, January 9th
St Andrews
Kick Off 3pm

Head to Head
Man Utd 1, Birmingham 0
Man Utd 1, Birmingham 0
Birmingham 0, Man Utd 1
Man Utd 3, Birmingham 0
Birmingham 2, Man Utd 2

Last 5 Matches Goals
Birmingham – 5 For, 2 Against
Man Utd – 11 For, 5 Against

Last 10 Matches Form
Birmingham – W6, D4, L0
Man Utd – W7, D0, L3

Match Prices
Manchester United to win – 8/13 at Bet365
Draw – 14/5 at Boylesports
Birmingham to win – 23/4 at Expekt

Betting Advice: It is unusual to talk about Manchester United blowing hot and cold, but that is exactly what has happened this season. The performances against Fulham and Leeds were well below the standards of a team challenging for the Premier League title. Still, on their day, they have the mettle to grind out results, if not with as much flair as the Old Trafford crowds are used to. This will be a stern test for them, to see if they can break down a resilient Birmingham. Manchester United don’t seem to draw games, and Birmingham like to sneak odd goal victories. This could be tight if Birmingham continues to live up to their expectation, and it could all hinge on the fitness and shake-up of the Manchester United players after their latest defeat.
Birmingham +1 Asian Handicap – 4/5 at Bet365

*Manchester United’s two-legged Carling Cup semi final against Manchester City, has been rearranged for January 19th and 27th.