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Manchester United need a win on Sunday to get back to the top of the Premier League, after seeing Chelsea and Arsenal leap-frog above them with wins on Saturday. Fulham are not the easiest of opponents that Manchester United could face right now, as Fulham have beaten them in the previous two encounters, which includes a 3-0 hammering of the Red Devils earlier in the season. Fulham, who went through a bad run of form, have picked up their game again, and have gone the last five league games unbeaten. They have also been making progress through the Europa League, beating favourites Shaktar Donetsk, but suffered a heavy 3-1 defeat against Juventus in midweek.

That was in contrast to United’s European triumph on Wednesday, in which they demolished a slow and labouring AC Milan 4-0, to secure their passage through to the quarter finals of the Champions League. Alex Ferguson, who has pretty much not had a full strength squad all season, has got more injury problems on his hands. Wes Brown has broken his foot, Michael Owen is out of the picture for the season, and John O’Shea, Anderson and Owen Hargreaves are still missing from action. Ferguson does get England midfielder Michael Carrick back, after missing the Champions League game. All of the team changes has not stopped their progress towards the top of the league, and they have put immense pressure on title favourites Chelsea. With just about 8 games to go in the title race, the Premier League title can still go one of three ways.

United briefly occupied top spot, and a win would put them back on top by two points ahead of Chelsea, but with the London side still having a game in hand over them, and Arsenal. After winning the Carling Cup and beating AC Milan, sandwiched in between was a scrappy 1-0 win at relegation bound Wolves in their last Premier League outing. Fulham will present a much tougher proposition, as boss Roy Hodgson is winning plaudits with his style of management. Fulham like to play football the right way, and looked a strong side for most of the season, until suffering a dip in form. They are out of contention for a place in Europe, but will finish safely enough in mid-table, which will allow them to concentrate on trying to overcome Juventus in the Europa League. When they last met United, they put on one of the best performances of the season, outplaying the defending champions in all areas of the field. They now have the chance to do the unthinkable, as gain a double over United this season.

United have bigger ambitions of course, with the Premier League and Champions League still in their sights. They have Wayne Rooney, who just cannot stop scoring at the moment, and once again he will be the key figure in their title hopes. Rooney has hit 23 league goals this season, with no other player on double figures. That is the amount upon which they rely on the England striker, and his tally alone, nearly equates for all the total amount of away goals they have scored this season. A Rooney-less United would be a whole different level of opposition, and he is the one Fulham will have to successfully close out of the game again. The reverse side of that, is Bobby Zamora, who is enjoying his best season in the top flight. There have been calls to give him a chance for England, but his tally of 8 league goals pales into comparison alongside the likes of Rooney and Drogba, as the league’s top scorers. Fulham will have to overturn a run of five consecutive defeats at Old Trafford though, and with a poor away win record for the season, that could be a bridge too far.

BETTING STATS

Last 5 Head to Head
Fulham 3, man Utd 0
Fulham 2, Man Utd 0
Man Utd 3, Fulham 0
Fulham 0, Man Utd 3
Man Utd 2, Fulham 0

Last 5 Match Goals
Man Utd: 11 For, 4 Against
Fulham: 6 For, 1 Against

Last 10 Match Form
Man Utd: W7, D2, L1
Fulham: W3, D2, L5

Win Percentage
Man Utd have an 85.7 win percentage at home
Fulham have a 7/1 win percentage away from home

Match Prices
Man Utd to win: 1/4 at Coral
Draw: 5/1 at Bet365
Fulham: 15/1 at Paddy Power

Asian Handicap Betting Advice: Fulham have not had a great deal of success in terms of winning away from home, while Man Utd are pretty rampant at home. They will expect to this one, maybe not at so much of a canter, as Fulham are solid at the back, and with keeper Mark Schwartzer in fine form, it could be a game of patience for United. The Red Devils, well, Wayne Rooney is full of goals, and you could back them to overcome a deficit, but this is a pretty good price for added security:
Fulham +2 Asian Handicap: 4/6 at Paddy Power

Arsenal, who have somehow managed to claw their way level on points with Chelsea at the top of the Premier League, will be looking to capitalise on any mistake made by the Blues or Manchester Untied over the weekend. After a storming win over Porto in the Champions League midweek, the Gunners have bounced back from looking well out of the title race in the Premier League. Back to back defeats against Chelsea and Manchester United, had seemed to put them completely out of the picture as far as winning the league went. But less than perfect form by Chelsea and Man Utd, have let Arsene Wenger close the gap, and once again become a real candidate for the title. This is all without some of their key players, and shows the resilience of the London side.

They travel to the KC Stadium for Saturday’s evening kick off, to take on Hull, who have only won once in 14 league games. Thanks to that dire form, Hull are rooted second from bottom, and have a bit struggle on their hands to ensure that they will play Premier League football again next season. They have taken a battering on the road, failing to pick up a single win, and having the worst defensive away record in the league. Therefore, all five of their wins have come at home, but they have big problems. These is a battle of two contrasting fortunes, with just about eight games left to go after the weekend, if Arsenal can pick up another three points against the struggling Hull, they will be having big ambitions. There is doubt over whether Cesc Fabregas will be fit enough to play, and Tomas Rosicky is also a doubt. With the likes of Aaron Ramsey, William Gallas, Kieron Gibbs and Robin Van Persie missing, there are a lot of starters missing for Wenger. They will await a late decision on whether Sol Campbell will be fit enough too.

Arsenal are the Premier League’s top scorers, despite all of their problems. They manage to find goals from somewhere, and will be cheered by Nicklas Bendtner’s hat trick in midweek, as he was under some pressure to deliver goals after coming back from injury. One thing Arsenal have is a good team spirit, something which has come into question this week at Hull. There was, apparently, a bust up between Jimmy Bullard and Nick Barmby, which Hull boss Phil Brown has had to make a public apology for. This is the last thing which Hull needs as they go in search of a win which could lift them out of the relegation zone. Having only scored once in their last three games, there doesn’t appear to be much hope for them going into the match against the free scoring Gunners.

It has been another tough season for Hull, who only remained in the Premier League by the skin of their teeth last season. There is a little spice in this Saturday Premier League fixture, as there were reports of a brawl in the tunnel when the two sides met in December, and Wenger had previously snubbed Brown after the Hull boss had made comments about Arsenal’s star player Cesc Fabregas.

BETTING STATS

Head to Head
Arsenal 3, Hull 0
Hull 1, Arsenal 3
Arsenal 1, Hull 2

Last 5 Match Goals
Hull: 4 For, 11 Against
Arsenal: 9 For, 4 Against

Last 10 Match Form
Hull: W1, D4, L5
Arsenal: W6, D2, L2

Win percentage:
Hull have a 38.5 win percentage at home
Arsenal have a 50.0 win percentage away from home

Match Prices
Hull to win: 8/1 at ExtraBet
Draw: 10/3 at Paddy Power
Arsenal to win: 4/9 at Boylesports

Asian Handicap Betting Advice: This really should be a banker for the Gunners. Will they romp to another 3 goals? Quite possibly, more so if they were at home. They need to keep the pressure up on Chelsea and Man Utd and should secure the win. With that strong advantage, it’ll be wise to back Hull at a positive handicap.
Hull +1.75 Asian Handicap: 9/10 at Victor Chandler

Chelsea v West Ham betting, will favour the home, although at such a crucial turn of the season, with the run in to the title well under way, Premier League title hopefuls Chelsea have goalkeeping issues. Number One Petr Cech picked up an injury in their Champions League first leg tie against Inter Milan, which is keeping him out of action, and now back up goalie, Portuguese veteran Hilario has fallen foul of injury. This means that England under 21 keeper Ross Turnbull will get his debut in net for the blues. There is also serious doubt as to whether either Hilario or Cech will be fit enough for Tuesday’s Champions League return fixture against Inter Milan, in which Chelsea need to overcome a 2-1 deficit. Boss Carlo Ancelotti has insisted that he is not worried over the goalkeeping position, and has every faith in Turnbull, both in the Premier League, and against Inter Milan, should he start there as well.

Turnbull has only played twice for Chelsea this season, once in the Champions League and once in the Carling Cup, and with Chelsea trailing Manchester United at the top of the Premier League, the Blues’ injury list could be a telling factor in the race for the title. Where Manchester United had their injury woes earlier on in the season, and have now pretty much gotten back to full strength, the loss of Cech combined with Ashley Cole, Michael Essien, Jose Bosingwa and Ricardo Carvalho too, who are missing from action, has come at a bad times for the Blues. Chelsea have had some players returning to action, with stand in left back Yuri Zhirkov returning, along with Michael Ballack who was serving suspensions after being sent off in Chelsea’s defeat to Manchester City in the league. Chelsea have now lost two of their last three Premier League matches, which has seen them concede the top spot to Wayne Rooney United.

Stamford Bridge legend Gianfranco Zola will be hoping to throw a further spanner in the Blues’ title hopes, as his West Ham side needs points to stave off the threat of relegation. The Hammers have been struggling all season, and will welcome back the striking power of Benni McCarthy for the London derby. Zola left Italian side Parma, when Ancelotti was coach there, miserable at being played out of position. He will always be a welcome figure at Stamford Bridge, and to his credit, he took two points off Chelsea last season, and need something similar this time. The Hammers are just three points away from safety, and need to pick themselves up after two consecutive defeats. West Ham though have only won once away from Upton Park this season, highlighting the fight that Zola has on his hands. Their only away victory came on the opening day of the season, and have only managed to score 12 times on their travels.

A defeat for West Ham, along with other results, could see them back in the relegation zone on the weekend. They will need a major step up in form, as well as trying to overturn a 10 game winless streak against Chelsea, if they are going to help their relegation case. Chelsea need to be in a dominant mood, and perhaps the presence of Turnbull, will inject their back line with a lot more steel and determination, as they don’t have the saving power of Petr Cech behind them. They are stuttering at the moment, and no doubt the great form of Manchester United is giving them headaches, and London neighbours Arsenal have also played their way into contention. There are questions being asked of Chelsea’s unity, especially after the lions share of bad publicity concerning player’s private lives. This is a must win game for the Blues, and although they lost their unbeaten record at Stamford Bridge recently, they will start as strong favourites against a team they have beaten 8 times out of the last 10 meetings.

BETTING STATS

Last 5 Head to Head
West Ham 1, Chelsea 1
West Ham 0, Chelsea 1
Chelsea 1, West Ham 1
West Ham 0, Chelsea 4
Chelsea 1, West Ham

Last 5 Match Goals
Chelsea: 8 For, 7 Against
West Ham: 7 For, 7 Against

Last 10 Match Form
Chelsea: W6, D2, L2
West Ham: W3, D3, L4

Win Percentage
Chelsea have an 85.7 win percentage at home
West Ham have a 7.1 win percentage away from home

Match Prices
Chelsea to win: 2/9 at Bet365
Draw: 5/1 at Paddy Power
West Ham to win: 14/1 at Totesport

Asian Handicap Betting Advice: A game Chelsea should, and need, to win. They are not in particularly great form at the moment, and have a big Champions League game on Tuesday. Combined with the injuries they have, they won’t be at their very strongest. Hard to judge whether Chelsea will be at their rampant and dominant best, as this is somewhat a pressure game for them. This Premier League match from an Asian Betting point of view, will be a judgement on how many you think West Ham will lose by, or whether they are capable of snatching a draw. Therefore, West Ham plus should be the way to go:
West Ham: +1.75 Asian Handicap: 10/11 at Paddy Power

What next in the season for Liverpool? Every game is a must win for them now, as boss Rafa Benitez looks to salvage something from the season. Their highest priority is reaching fourth spot in the Barclays Premier League, and they are only one point away from there in sixth at the moment. The story does not read as simple as that though, because they will have a tough fight on their hands from Tottenham, Man City and Aston Villa for that. A defeat against Wigan would leave them reeling, with both Man City and Aston Villa having games in hand over them. Failure to reach the final Champions League spot for next season, would be a massive blow for the Anfield outfit, but that is what Benitez has promised.

The Reds have picked up their form somewhat, at least in terms of results, even if their play has still been leaving a lot to be desired. Six of their eight defeats have come on the road this year in the Premier League, something that looked unheard of at the start of the season, when they were expected to book a Champions League spot as one of the Big Four. They are lagging some way behind Chelsea, Man Utd and Arsenal this season, but there have been signs that they are not going to give up on the season without a fight. Having only lost one of their last 10 Premier League Matches, and that to Arsenal, has seen them play their way back into contention. They do have the failure of the other teams around them to capitalise on chances to pull away to be grateful for, but it has left them firmly in the hunt.

Liverpool failed to get out of the group stage of the Champions League, and now have the uphill task of trying to play their way back into next year’s competition. Failure to do that, could have a big impact on their summer signings, and financial resources for next season. They have extra reason to be hopeful, because star striker Fernando Torres is back, and being the main source of goals, the Spaniard is crucial to securing any success. Wigan’s fortunes however, have been the reverse of Liverpool’s, as they started out strongly this season, but just one win in the last thirteen matches in the league, has seen them fall rapidly backwards towards the relegation zone. The reverse fixture of this match in December, saw Liverpool win 2-1 at home, with goals from Ngog and Torres.

Wigan are pretty much at full strength, but what has happened to Roberto Martinez’s side, is a bit of a mystery.  History is not on their side for this one, neither is current form. Wigan have never beaten Liverpool, but now would probably be the best time ever. It is all falling apart for Wigan, as their try and battle their way out of their enormous slump without much luck. They were a difficult team to play against, and gave teams a good run for their money, but this season has been a different story altogether and their leaky defence, especially away from home, has left them just one point above the drop zone. Suddenly not getting relegated will seem like a success, in contrast to putting in a challenge for a top half of the table finish.

As well as gaping holes at the back away from home, Wigan have become incredibly shy in front of goal as well, just like Liverpool have on their travels. It is hard to see where the next win for Wigan is coming from, but they have to start finding ways soon to correct the situation, or else it may be too late to prevent them from playing Championship football next season. Their tally of just 11 goals at home this season, is just one better than Wolves, who have the worst record at home in the Premier League. They are ready to throw midfielder Victor Moses into the action, after the youngster, who moved from Crystal Palace, has injected a bit of life and enthusiasm into the middle of the park. But that does not always equate to quality, and lack of quality does not bring in those crucial points.

BETTING ADVICE

Last 5 Head to Head
Liverpool 2, Wigan 1
Wigan 1, Liverpool 1
Liverpool 3, Wigan 2
Liverpool 1, Wigan 1
Wigan 0, Liverpool 1

Last 5 Match Goals
Wigan: 2 For, 6 Against
Liverpool: 5 For, 2 Against

Last 10 Match Form
Wigan: W1, D4, L5
Liverpool: W6, D2, L1

Win Percentage:
Wigan have a 23.1 win percentage at home
Liverpool have a 28.6 win percentage away from home

BETTING PRICES
Liverpool: 8/13 at Bet365
Draw: 3/1 at Victor Chandler
Wigan: 11/2 at BetFair

Asian Handicap Betting Advice: The Reds should win this one, but their form on the road is not great, especially not in front of goal, having failed to score in five of their last seven away fixtures. That combined with Wigan’s lack of goals, should draw betting strategies towards a draw, or at least a Draw No Bet on the side of Liverpool. The form of Wigan is shocking, and they were thumped 3-0 at home by Spurs recently, a side which Liverpool beat. Bets will naturally lean towards Benitez picking up another vital three points, and a draw is more than possible, but a Wigan win would really come out of the blue. As a draw is likely, backing Wigan with a positive will bring a decent price:
Wigan +1 Asian Handicap: 11/10 at Victor Chandler

Saturday 6^th March

English Premier League

Arsenal v Burnley

4 weeks ago there were Arsenal fans calling for their manager’s head after back to back defeats against Manchester United and Chelsea – 1 month on they go into tomorrow’s match at home to Burnley with a chance to go top of the table.

Since losing to Chelsea at the beginning of February, Arsenal have won 3 league games in a row. When you consider they were well adrift of top of the league, it doesn’t sound like the sort of form to catapult them back into the title race, yet, with both sides above them dropping crucial points of late, it has. They are 3 points behind Chelsea and two points off of 2^nd placed United. Last weekend’s victory over Stoke at the Britannia was a key win considering they have lost on their two most recent visits and also because of the horrendous injury suffered by Aaron Ramsey. The last time such an event occurred in a match involving Arsenal, they crumbled and dropped points before their whole title push caved in on them. There definitely seems to be a more steely resolve about the team from the Emirates this time around and they old saying goes that any experience is good experiences, certainly rings true here.

Burnley lost a massive game in their bid to avoid the drop last Saturday at home to Portsmouth. I foolishly tipped the Clarets to get all 3 points. What I didn’t legislate for was their captain for the day, Clarke Carlisle, giving away two penalties in absurd circumstances. Pompey may have missed the first but they capitalised on the 2^nd and as such went on to bag all 3 points. Steven Fletcher missed a big chance at 1-1 and you wonder whether their season will turn on that glaring miss. Their away form is well documented as being horrendous and easily the worst in the league so it’s hard to hold much optimism for them when they head south tomorrow. Their last 8 league games away from home have ended in defeat with an aggregate score of 24-5. All 5 of their goals in that run have come in two games, against West Ham and Aston Villa – they’ve lost 5 goals in each of these games. In total they have scored 10 goals on the road but they’ve only managed to score in 4 of their 14 away games this term which suggests they do not have enough quality in the final third when they go away. 1 point from a possible 42 is treacherous form and is basically the reason they are where they are.

I’ve never been a big fan of his, but Nicklas Bendtner has made a big difference to Arsenal since returning from injury last month. He provides a focal point up top which they’ve missed since Robin Van Persie got a serious knee injury in November. Andrei Arshavin and Eduardo have tried to fill the void but their diminutive size and qualities are best utilised elsewhere and when they have someone to feed off of. Bendtner has now notched 2 in 2 for Arsenal and also scored for Denmark during the week. He takes a lot of the battering from the opposition’s defenders allowing the likes of Arshavin, Samir Nasri, Fabregas and Theo Walcott to take advantage of the space he creates. He’ll be a massive player for the Gunners between now and May and will prove very troublesome for the Burnley defenders tomorrow.

The 1/7 generally available for an Arsenal win is measly, quite rightly, so it pays to look elsewhere for a bet in this fixture. I’ve picked out 3 which I believe to be value with the first one being Arsenal to win both halves. The home side will be determined to carry on the feel good factor after last week’s win so are sure to come out firing. They are masters at taking goals off weak defences at home and I expect nothing less tomorrow. Another bet I like is for Bendtner to score during the 90 minutes. The Dane is quick, powerful, direct and most importantly, on form. He’ll relish the chance to go up against the worst defence in the league and as he’ll play as Arsenal’s lone striker, can be expected to get more than a few opportunities tomorrow. The third and final bet I like is for the first booking of the game to come in the first 15 minutes of the match. Arsene Wenger has not stopped talking about the rough treatment giving to his players of late and the home crowd will be at the referee from the start to clamp down on anything untoward from the Burnley players. Referees tend to be a bit more lenient early on in games nowadays but I think Arsenal will come roaring out the traps and expect Burnley to be a yard short against superior quality. With that in mind, an early booking is not unthinkable.

My selections:  Arsenal to win both halves against Burnley at a best priced Evens with Paddy Power

                             Nicklas Bendtner to score at anytime at a best priced 5/4 with Bet65

The first booking of the match to come between 0-15 minutes – Best price 15/2 with William Hill

English Premier League

West Ham United v Bolton Wanderers

It’s another big clash at the bottom of the table as Owen Coyle leads his Bolton charges to London to take on West Ham at Upton Park.

I’ve made no secret of my admiration for how Gianfranco Zola set’s his side up to play so it will come as no surprise to see them previewed again. West Ham have managed to give themselves some breathing space in the battle against the drop with only 2 defeats in their last 7 league games. It’s a run which has seen them rise to 13^th but they’re still only 3 points above 18^th placed Hull City. As ever, it is likely going to be their home form which will keep them in the division if they survive. They’re undefeated in their last 5 home games with 3 wins and two draws, conceding only 1 goal during that time. They’re proving to be tough to breakdown infront of their home fans and Robert Green has been in fantastic form in goals for them – which he was rewarded for with 90 minutes for England in midweek. Matthew Upson was also playing in that match and his return from injury has coincided with the Hammers being more resolute. It’s upfront, however, where you win games and Carlton Cole’s presence has helped massively of late. He scored against Hull in the last home match and looks like being the catalyst for the rest of the season.

Bolton have improved their football considerably since Coyle took charge in January but they are still perilously close to the relegation zone. Last weekend’s win over Wolves at home was a huge relief as they had went 6 league games without even scoring. It’s obviously where their problems lie so Coyle has attempted to be more attacking in midfield to aid his non-scoring strikers. Jack Wilshere was brought in on loan from Arsenal and he’s made a difference out wide whilst he has went 4-4-2 as opposed to the bewildering formations used under previous manager Gary Megson. They look more of a threat when in possession as to only really looking like scoring from set pieces beforehand. As a result of this however it does leave them more open at the back. They’ve conceded 14 goals in 9 league games under Coyle which has to improve between now and the end of the season if they wish to remain in the Premier League.

Bolton’s record at Upton Park is not terrible with 2 wins and 2 draws from their last 9 visits. It may not sound impressive but it’s a decent record for a side who have a lot more restrictions in terms of money. You just wonder where Bolton’s goals are going to come from on Saturday. Zat Knight scored their winner last weekend whilst their strikers continued to be wasteful infront of goal. West Ham will be up for the fight at set pieces and are a relatively big side with Upson, Cole, Tompkins and Mido all likely to stand up to the physical battle.

In terms of the home side, they’ll look to Cole to get the better of Knight and Sam Ricketts. Both are decent enough defenders but Cole has a point to prove in order to book his seat for South Africa. Bolton would have targeted last week’s game at home to Wolves as a must win whilst tomorrow’s is probably a must not lose for the away side. West Ham, however, know that their home form is good and also realise that a win will take them 4 points clear of tomorrow’s opponents. It’s a big incentive for Zola and his troops and one I think they’ll use to their advantage.

My selection: West Ham to beat Bolton at a best priced 5/6 available with Stan James

All eyes will be on John Terry and Wayne Bridge in the Chelsea v Man City betting fiesta, for Saturday’s early kick off at Stamford Bridge. Enough has been said about them in the media, but now they come together for the first time since all of the revelations broke. There have been questions over the focus of John Terry at the back since all the of the media coverage, with fingers being pointed at him for some of Chelsea’s conceded goals since then. Boss Carlo Ancelotti insists that Terry’s attention is not in doubt, despite the fact that the duo have refused mediation by the PFA. Still, there will be floods of punters making the most of online betting for this one, as it dominates the league matches.

Chelsea failed to get the better of ex-manager Jose Mourinho on Wednesday when they travelled to the San Siro to take on Inter Milan. The organised Inter defence highlighted Chelsea’s lack of creativity on the night, and Ancelotti oddly stuck to a 4-3-3 formation which wasn’t helping at all. This could be important tidbits of information to plan your betting strategies for Saturday. Malouda at left back, filling in for Ashley Cole looked a liability, and with Petr Cech picking up and injury that will keep him out of action for a month, this are things which can sway betting. Staying on the injury front, Chelsea are still without Essien and Deco in the midfield.

Still, their attention turns back to premier league and veteran keeper Hilario will take over the mantle of number one goalie for a while, with only England under-20 international Ross Turnbull as backup availability. Despite dominating possession, Chelsea couldn’t break down an organised and stubborn defence. This is the approach that Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini would be wise in adopting against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, where the London side have only dropped two points all season. They saw their lead at the top of the Premier League cut back to one point, as Manchester United picked up a comfortable win over West Ham midweek. Chelsea still hold a game in hand over their rivals though, which will even out this weekend, as United are in the Carling Cup final on Sunday.

Manchester City are going through a rough time at the moment, only winning two of their last eight games. Roberto Mancini must be feeling the pressure, as they have looked dour and without confidence, largely sparked by the absense of Argentinean genius Carlos Tevez. Tevez was given leave to return to his home country after the premature birth of his daughter. He has returned and should be available for selection on Saturday, which is quite timely as fellow striker Emmanuel Adebayor picked up a red card in City’s FA Cup replay exit to Stoke in midweek, which means that he will miss the match.

Mancini is under pressure already in his new job, and Manchester City need to get going again. They are still firmly in the hunt for a top four finish in the Premier League, but only if they can find some consistency and start winning games again. Two lacklustre drawn games in a row and a defeat in the FA Cup, isn’t a sign of the true direction that the Eastlands hierarchy want the club to be going in. The FA Cup was seen as their best chance for silverware after spending big in the summer, but they seem to be stuck in the mud a little bit. There is a lot riding on this game, purely from a football perspective. Chelsea need a good win to send them four points clear at the top of the league, while City could be hurting if they drop more points.

BETTING STATS

Last 5 Head to Head
Man City 2, Chelsea 1
Chelsea 1, Man City 0
Man City 1, Chelsea 3
Man City 0, Chelsea 2
Chelsea 6, Man City 0

Last 5 Match Goals
Chelsea: 8 For, 4 Against
Man City: 6 For, 3 Against

Last 10 Form
Chelsea: W6, D3, L1
Man City: W6, D2, L2

Win Percentage:
Chelsea have a 92.3 win percentage at home
Man City have a 23.1 win percentage away from home

Match Prices:
Chelsea to win: 5/11 at Expekt
Draw: 7/2 at Bet365
Man City to win: 15/2 at Bet365

Asian Handicap Betting Advice: City caused Chelsea headaches at Eastlands back in December, when they won 2-1. While Chelsea still look a little uneasy on the road, things are a different matter at Stamford Bridge, where the fans expect nothing less than three points. City, who are the draw specialists, could drag the game down into something of a stalemate as they try desperately not to lose. Chelsea should be the stronger team, as they do have quality and class. Crucial injuries will hurt them at the moment, but the scales should still be tipped slightly in their favour.
Chelsea -1 Asian Handicap: 4/5 at Stan James

Manchester United have found themselves playing catch up to Chelsea again in the race for the Premier League title, and they need to pick up three points on Tuesday night against West Ham. The Red Devils lost heavily to Everton on the weekend at Goodison Park, which allowed Chelsea to open up a four point gap at the top of the table. A home tie against a lower table, may before have tempted Ferguson to put out a weaker side, especially with a big date coming up on Sunday in the final of the Carling Cup against Aston Villa.

But they cannot afford to lose more ground on Chelsea, as the final stretch of the Premier League approaches, and Ferguson will be seething after being beaten so comprehensively by Everton, who had just beaten Chelsea previously. The loss came on the back of a good second half performance at the San Siro, in beating AC Milan 3-2. But the signs were there in the first half of that match, that United may be on a little shaky ground, as they were overran and outplayed, exactly what Everton did against them. Now they face a West Ham side who have been struggling at the bottom of the league all season, and finally managed to string two wins together.

West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola is a Chelsea legend, and he could do his old club a massive favour by masterminding Manchester United’s downfall at Old Trafford. The likelihood of that happening is not all that high, as the Hammer’s away form has been dismal all season, as they fight to stay above the drop zone. West Ham rely a lot on England World Cup hopeful Carlton Cole for their attacking power, and he has hit the back of the net nine times in the league, for a decent return. The last time the two sides came together at Upton Park, the defending Champions cruised to a 4-0 win, and need something like that again. After scoring clean sheet wins against Birmingham and Hull at home, the Hammers now face a tough task at Old Trafford. Facing a United side who are looking to fiercely bounce back, probably isn’t what they wanted right now.

BETTING STATS

Last 5 Head to Head
West Ham 0, Man Utd 4
West Ham 0, Man Utd1
Man Utd 2, West Ham 0
Man Utd 4, West Ham 1
West Ham 2, Man Utd 1

Last 5 Match Goals
Man Utd: 14 For, 5 Against
West Ham: 7 For, 3 Against

Last 10 Form
Man Utd: W6, D2, L2
West Ham: W3, D4, L3

Win Percentage:
Man Utd have an 84.6 win percentage at home
West Ham have a 7.7 win percentage away from home

Match Prices
Man Utd to win: 2/9 at SkyBet
Draw: 6/1 at Totesport
West Ham to win: 16/1 at Boylesports

Asian Handicap Betting Advice: Hard to see anything other than a good win for United. That’s it basically. Rio Ferdinand returns after serving his four match ban for United.
Man Utd +1.75 Asian Handicap: 11/10 at Paddy Power

Sunday’s big Premier League game is between the two main forces in the race for fourth spot in the league, which equates to that all important Champions League spot next season. Usually this spot would be reserved for Liverpool, but this season they are having to work extremely hard to get it. After crashing out of the Champions League this season, having to make inroads in Europe in the Europa League, Liverpool’s Champions League participation for next season is in serious jeopardy. They are coming under fire from not only Sunday’s opponents, but from Tottenham and Aston Villa as well, who are all in the hunt. Sunday’s game against Manchester City throws up the prospect of them falling four points behind fourth placed City in the race for the Champions League.

Add to that equation the fact that Manchester City will still have a game in hand over Liverpool, and the task will start looking monumental. Reds boss Rafa Benitez has made a promise to the Anfield faithful, that he will get Liverpool into fourth place, after enduring a season which has been full of disappointments. The Europa league is all that the Reds have to play for this season in terms of silverware, and it has been quite a fall from grace for them, with Benitez having to shoulder most, if not all of the blame. Liverpool have lacked a cutting edge going forward, even when Fernando Torres has been fit, for the level of support around him and Steven Gerrard, just has not been up to par. Still, they are battling on and trying to get something out of what is left in the season.

Liverpool beat Europa League opposition Unirea Urziceni in midweek, by a 1-0 scoreline. The match was uneventful and dour, largely thanks to the visitors playing ten men behind the ball, and Liverpool lacking the creativity to do much about it. They lost their last league outing, which was a trip to the Emirates against Arsenal, and that allowed Manchester City to sneak ahead of them in midweek. This is an extremely crucial match in the scheme of things, as with Aston Villa and Tottenham both in action on Sunday as well, the standing could take on a major shift, with Liverpool finding themselves down in seventh place if things don’t go their way. But they can take heart, that it is a rare occasion when Manchester City pop up with a win over the Reds.

Manchester City have had their problems this season, after spending big in the summer. They have seen the departure of manager Mark Hughes, with replacement Roberto Mancini looking to really shake things up at the club with a strong start. They have fallen back into less than impressive ways again though, looking unconvincing in their abilities to win matches. They drew with Stoke in the FA Cup, and then tied with them again a few days later in the league, and that is exactly the type of opposition which they need to be ruthless against. Now, with suspensions, injuries and personal lives stacking up against them, they need to dig deep to get back to fluent, convincing, winning ways. A win for City on Sunday, could be a huge turning point in the season.

There have been rumours of a bust up between boss Mancini and striker Craig Bellamy, but Mancini may need him for Sunday’s game, as star player Carlos Tevez is back home in Argentina looking after family affairs with the birth of his daughter. With the fuss surrounding full back Wayne Bridge in the John Terry scandal, recent signing Patrick Vieira’s charge of violent misconduct, and the inability to get Robinho up to scratch, it appears that Mancini really needs to tighten the ship and get some team spirit and belief going. They do have one good thing in their favour, and that is their great home form this season. Like league leaders Chelsea, they have yet to lose a home game at Eastlands this season, and have lost fewer than Arsenal and Manchester United, who are above them in the league. In contrast to Sunday’s opponents Liverpool, who have lost 8 times in the league this season, City have only lost four times, all on the road. But they have let far too many chances slip though, and have piled up the drawn matches under Mark Hughes, which could cost them dearly in the end.

BETTING STATS

Last 5 Head to Head
Liverpool 2, Man City 2
Liverpool 1, Man City 1
Man City 2, Liverpool 3
Liverpool 1, Man City 0
Man City 0, Liverpool 0

Last 5 Match Goals
Man City: 6 For, 5 Against
Liverpool: 5 For, 1 Against

Last 10 Form
Man City: W6, D1, L3
Liverpool: W6, D2, L2

Win Percentage
Man City have a 75.0 win percentage at home
Liverpool have a 30.8 win percentage away from home

Match Prices:
Man City to win: 13/8 at Victor Chandler
Draw: 23/10 at Totesport
Liverpool to win: 2/1 at SkyBet

Asian Handicap Betting Advice: This looks to have draw written all over it. Liverpool have developed of knack of picking up vital wins against the teams immediately around them, and their defence will keep them in with a good chance. With no Tevez to inspire them, City may struggle again for fluency, and it could all peter out into a non-event. A draw wouldn’t be a disaster for either side, neither would it be satisfactory. If anything, backing City, simply because of their great home form, would be the way to lean in betting.
Manchester City -0.5 Asian Handicap: 6/4 at Paddy Power

This may not be the most enticing looking fixture on the weekend’s Premier League card, but it has a lot of significance, and worth taking a look at. Portsmouth’s problems have been well documented as they fumble from one financial crisis to the next. The most recent development is that they have asked for permission to sell players outside of the transfer window, in order to desperately raise some funds so that they try and avoid a winding up order which would place them into administration. The cost of that happening would mean they would lose 9 points and for a team seven points adrift at the foot of the Premier League, that would spell certain relegation from the top flight.

Unfortunately, the Premier League is unlikely to endorse Pompey’s wish of being able to sell players to get some cash to put towards their debts. This is because some members feel that it would be an unfair advantage to other teams who are battling relegation. The first impression is that the team would be weaker if they sold their stars, but what other managers are about is that a player sold by Portsmouth could pop up and score a crucial goal and send the other team down. The players sold by Portsmouth under their plan, would probably only be eligible to play in the Premier League. While there is a lot of sympathy around for Portsmouth’s plight, their salvation won’t come at the expense of other clubs putting themselves at risk.

Most notably, Burnley’s boss Brian Laws summed everything up by saying that Portsmouth got themselves into the mess, and they should get themselves out. Burnley are second from bottom in the Premier League and are fighting for their own survival. But, back to football, and while Portsmouth enjoyed a happy day in the FA Cup against rivals Southampton, their league form is dreadful. They have won just four games all season, and have amassed only 16 points. Not only do they not have the quality to play their way out of trouble, boss Avram Grant already needs to perform some kind of miracle already to get them safe, but if they are taken down to just 7 points, it would be season over for them. Grant was not happy at the prospect of seeing more players being sold.

Portsmouth picked up a point against rapidly slumping Sunderland in their last Premier League outing, and now they take on Stoke, with no idea really what is coming next. Stoke beat Portsmouth 1-0 in the league at the end of November, but Portsmouth thumped them 4-0 in the Carling Cup in October. Sadly Portsmouth’s lack of goal production is there for all to see, and Stoke, who are enjoying a steady season, will be eagerly eyeing up three points. Stoke have had their critics under boss Tony Pulis, not that he would bat an eyelid at them. They recently gained back to back draws against Manchester City, once in the league and then in the FA Cup, with the replay still to come.

Stoke have drawn four of their last six games, but are enjoying a run of going unbeaten, including a 1-1 draw against Liverpool. Stoke critics have lambasted their direct and physical approach to the game, and there isn’t much flair about the side. Still, they’ll be happy enough when they are in the Premier League next season, something the Pompey fans probably won’t be able to enjoy. Stoke have a few injury worries, most notably Matthew Etherington and Danny Higginbottom, while Portsmouth’s injury list accounts for about half of their team. Stoke’s unbeaten 2010 looks set to continue on Saturday, and Portsmouth plight looks set to deepen.

BETTING STATS

Last 3 Head to Head League
Stoke 1, Portsmouth 0
Stoke 2, Portsmouth 2
Portsmouth 2, Stoke 1

Last 5 Match Goals
Portsmouth: 2 For, 10 Against
Stoke: 6 For, 3 Against

Last 10 Form
Portsmouth: W1, D3, L6
Stoke: W2, D5, L3

Win Percentage
Portsmouth have a 25.0 win percentage at home
Stoke have an 8.3 win percentage away from home

Match Prices:
Portsmouth to win: 7/5 at Boylesports
Draw: 12/5 at SkyBet
Stoke to win: 9/4 at Coral

Asian Handicap Betting Advice: Don’t think that there is going to be too much at it. If it was an away match for Portsmouth, you could see them crumbling, but the home fans may give a little boost now their backs are against the wire. They probably aren’t going to go out and score a hatful, but whichever way you lean, whether it is Stoke by a small margin in the plus, or Pompey in a slight minus, it should even out to a little profit, but be backed up in the case of a likely draw.
Stoke + 0.25 Asian Handicap: 10/11 at Paddy Power

An 8/11 bet at Boylesports on Wayne Rooney as anytime scorer, is a fair price for a player in the form of his life. After a relatively successful night in the Champions League away at the San Siro, Manchester United turn their attention back to the immediate task at hand, trying to get their noses in front of Chelsea in the Premier League. United, after being completely overran in the early stages of their match against AC Milan, turned the screw in the second half, with another startling performance from two goal hero Wayne Rooney. All of the furore about David Beckham playing against his old team, sort of filtered out, with him looking a spare part in an unusual central midfield role. Star of the night, Rooney, has netted 21 league goals this season, and now he comes up against one of his old clubs, Everton.

As good as they are looking at the moment, with momentum apparently behind them to retain the Premier League title, Alex Ferguson’s men will have watched closely as Everton inflicted a defeat upon league leaders Chelsea just over a week ago. That was the same Everton which took the first points of the season from Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, earning a well deserved 2-2 draw there earlier in the season. Manchester United though, will draw some consolation from the fact that they thumped Everton 3-0 at Old Trafford back in November, but will also be aware that the Toffees have much improved since then. United sit just one point behind Chelsea, as they failed to capitalise on Chelsea’s defeat, as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa.

United will be without Rio Ferdinand at the back, who is still serving a ban, and Nani will also be in the stands, as he is suffering the same fate. Nemanja Vidic is fit again, after missing most of the season through injury, but despite that, he is still the centre of trade speculation that he wants out of Old Trafford, and that European giants AC Milan and Real Madrid are head hunting the Serbian international. Everton have themselves been struck with some selection problems, as Tim Cahill, the cornerstone of their midfield will be out of action for a few weeks. This is more trouble in midfield for boss David Moyes, as he will miss creative midfielder Marouane Fellaini for the rest of the season. These are two key players to have go missing, after an impressive run of form.

Injuries have been plaguing poor David Moyes for most of the season, and the likes of Phil Jagielka and Steven Pienaar have also been missing from the line-up for a long time. After being stripped to the bare bones of resources at the club, Moyes has persevered and worked with what he has got, to turn Everton around and get them back into the top half of the table. Even with all of their injury worries, they were still difficult to break down, and now they have gotten most of their first team back, the Toffees enjoyed a steady, but unspectacular climb towards the top. Sitting in 9th place and ten points out of fourth place, they are not going to be strong enough to claim a Champions League place, but a top six finish would be a particular rewarding success for Moyes in a turbulent season.

Their win over Chelsea recently showed what they can do, and success in the Europa League further strengthens their resilience to grind out results. They beat Sporting Lisbon 2-1 at home in the first leg of their Europa League tie, but conceding a late goal will have caused much frustration. Now one of the biggest challenges of the domestic calendar awaits them, as Manchester United roll into town. The loss of Cahill and Fellaini are major factors, but Moyes should be confident enough to push on through some more hard times, as well as giving Manchester United at better game than they did at Old Trafford.

BETTING STATS

Last 5 head to Head
Man Utd 3, Everton 0
Man Utd 1, Everton 0
Everton 1, Man Utd 1
Man Utd 2, Everton 1
Everton 0, Man Utd 1

Last 5 Match Goals
Everton: 7 For, 2 Against
Man Utd: 16 For, 2 Against

Last 10 Form
Everton: W5, D4, L1
Man Utd: W7, D2, L1

Win Percentage
Everton have a 46.2 win percentage at home
Man Utd have a 53.8 win percentage away from home

Match Prices
Everton to win: 4/1 at Coral
Draw: 13/5 at Bet365
Man Utd to win: 5/6 at 888sport

Asian Handicap Betting Advice: Still hard not to fancy Man Utd to win this. It could be a matter of by how many, especially with the form that Everton old boy Wayne Rooney is in. But Everton are a decent team, who can generally hold their own. It will be surprising if they roll over to another emphatic defeat like did earlier in the season against United, but they are stronger than since then, only losing once in 11 matches. For Everton to win it, it will most likely be by the odd goal, but a draw will be rewarding for them, and Chelsea fans.
Everton +0.75 Asian Handicap: 17/20 at Bet365