betting tips

Chelsea v Aston Villa Betting Tip & Odds: Chelsea should win this one. Neither team are in great form, but Aston Villa’s is just worse than Chelsea’s. Chelsea will be relieved to have picked up a win over Bolton to end their winless streak, and if they are going to get back on the title campaign, they have to beat a miserable Aston Villa. Chelsea are still not looking too sharp going forward, so there is unlikely to be a heavy defeat for the visitors, to the magnitude of the 7-1 thrashing last season, but looking at an Asian Handicap tip, there have been a couple of things to weigh up. How well with Aston Villa defence stand up? Will the Chelsea forwards make Villa’s poor defence look good? Is this the right match for Chelsea, facing the Premier League’s leakiest defence? For the tip, we are leaning towards the latter. Chelsea have firepower, they just haven’t used it. The bookies are expecting a good win, so much so, there’s not a lot of value in a Chelsea minus on the handicap, unless you go out to -2 Chelsea Asian Handicap which is 7/5 at Victor Chandler. Otherwise you will be stretching 21/10 at Bet365 for Aston Villa +1 if you think they are good enough for a draw. However, assuming Chelsea are going to win (because if you think Villa are, then just take them outright!), then a Chelsea -1.75 should make a better prospect for Evens at Bet365.

Chelsea to win: 2/7 at Coral
Draw: 5/1 at Stan James
Aston Villa to win: 14/1 at BetFred

EPL Match Preview: Well, Chelsea have rediscovered their winning ways. The Blues picked up a 1-0 victory over high flying Bolton during the week, which was their first victory in seven matches. Certainly not title winning form at all, but that crucial victory just kept them in touch in the congested top five places. Down in fourth place, which is unfamiliar territory for Chelsea, they are four points behind Manchester United, which doesn’t sound all that bad really, considering the poor form they have been in, but it could be worse as United have a game in hand over Carlo Ancelotti’s men. So, the big question now, is that has Florent Malouda’s simple winning goal against Bolton, turned the tide on Chelsea’s season again? Is there now something to build upon? Well, the jury will be out on that one, as again the lack of depth at the squad comes into question against Aston Villa, as Branislav Ivanovic misses the match through suspension. Carlo Ancelotti will now have to rely on the services of much criticised Paolo Ferrera, or inexperienced youngster Jeffrey Bruma to fill in the hole. There will be no John Obi Mikel in the holding midfield role either, which means that the far from impressive Ramires should get another start in the middle of the pitch. In the match against Bolton, Chelsea had Van Aanholt, Bruma, Kakuta and McEachran along with sub goalie Ross Turnbull there. It is not a bench which is built to go on and win the Premier League title, and this will be their biggest downfall this season. There is not much room for injuries, not much room for loss of form, as Ancelotti can simply not change up and rotate the squad to the extent of which Arsene Wenger at Arsenal can.

So, this leads to another important question. Will Chelsea now spend in the January transfer window? It is easy to see that as being the solution to their problems, but it is not easy purchasing quality players at this time of year. Teams don’t want to let their stars go until the end of the season, and so usually it is only those football exiles which get bounced around in transfers. The thing about the youngsters which were on Chelsea’s bench, is that it is a very promising, very exciting crop of players which should form the future of the club. McEachran is highly touted, along with Bruma, and Gael Kakuta looks as if he could be a real star, once he gets a full run in the side and gains experience. So will the club stick with their youth, or find some kind of solutions by spending? We’re certainly not going to see any hints from owner Roman Abramovich, as he, as usual, is keeping completely quiet on the whole situation. Is there a place for David Beckham perhaps, on loan, to make a return to the Premier League? He could be the temporary experience that Ancelotti will bite with. The only other rumour around, is that Chelsea are pushing for David Luiz, a young Brazilian centre half, but don’t look ready to offer what Benfica want for him. So it could be the same old Chelsea pushing on for the rest of the season. This means that it will be a predictable line up on New Year’s Day for them, as they look to win back to back games. When Aston Villa went to Stamford Bridge last season, the Blues ran riot in a massive 7-1 victory. There is no chance of that happening again, and they will be happy at this stage to pick up another 1-0 win.

Chelsea have a decent 51% winning record against Aston Villa at home, and it should put them in good stead, simply because Villa are in a terrible run of form. This is not a clash of two in form teams by a long way. Both are falling short of the standards they set themselves last year, that is for certain. Chelsea have not lost a home match against Aston Villa since the 2001/02 season, and that is a run of eight Premier League matches. Midfielder Frank Lampard, who has just recently returned to the starting line up, has a fantastic scoring record against Aston Villa, which should be paid attention to. Lampard has hit nine career goals against Villa, which makes the team which he has scored most frequently against (Lampard is 6/4 at Paddy Power as Anytime Goalscorer). So the Blues have broken their winless streak, but the signs of plenty of goals flowing from their forwards is not there. Perhaps with Aston Villa’s leaky defence, this will give them a bit of breathing room to rediscover their scoring touch. They do have the comfort of a home match, and Chelsea still do have the best home defensive record in the Premier League. The victory against Bolton was crucial, after Chelsea had been embarrassed in the previous match against Arsenal. It was just what they needed, and they have a great opportunity to build now from that platform. Worth backing them for a good home win against the struggling Midlands side.

The festive period hasn’t not been one of much cheer for Aston Villa at all. After losing to ten man Tottenham at home on Boxing Day, they then were demolished 4-0 away at Manchester City. Those two defeats has seen Aston Villa lose five of their last six matches. This is not the water tight, organised team that Martin O’Neill sent out last season, and while the Villains have been wrought with injury for most of the season, and have had to rely on youngsters, they have fallen into dangerous territory and form. Their only salvation in recent times was a 2-1 victory at home over West Bromwich Albion, but for a team which has conceded the most set play goals of all Premier League teams, things are not looking bright. There are rumours that the board are losing patience with Gerrard Houllier, even though he hasn’t even been there for too long. There are rumours of discontent, pulling the dressing room apart Their defense is suffering badly at the moment, and they have not kept a clean sheet on the road all season long, while at the other end, they have failed to score in over 50% of their away matches. Aston Villa, along with West Bromwich Albion, have conceded the most goals in the Premier League this season.  It doesn’t make great reading for a trip to Stamford Bridge, where their good defence shipped seven goals last season. However, it’s unlikely to be that bad for Villa on Sunday, even though they are expected to lose. There is just too much wrong with Villa at the moment to expect a win for them.

So that leaves the summing up of whether or not Villa are even good enough for a draw. Chelsea are not in great form themselves, but the home side should enjoy plenty of possession. It seems as if this match will be a matter of just how long the Villa defence can hold out, but one weapon that Aston Villa do have is speed and width. If they get up a head of steam, then they may create the odd chance that could see them steal a point. You have to have faith thought that the Chelsea defence will be much better than Aston Villa’s, and Chelsea will carry more of a threat up front than Aston Villa will. When Stuart Downing is your top scorer with just five goals on the season, things are dire. Will Downing and Ashley Young be sold in the January transfer window, as rumours are suggesting? To be honest, with or without them, Aston Villa are in a slump and one that should see them suffer yet another defeat on the road. For the team who had one of the best away records in the Premier League last season, with just one win, one draw and seven defeats on the road, there doesn’t look to be much light at the end of the tunnel for them.

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Chelsea v Aston Villa Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Aston Villa 0, Chelsea 0
Chelsea 7, Aston Villa 1
Aston Villa 2, Chelsea 1
Aston Villa 0, Chelsea 1
Chelsea 2, Aston Villa 0

Chelsea have an 78% win percentage at home in the league this season
Aston Villa have a 11% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Chelsea are on a streak of 2 home matches with no defeat
Aston Villa are on a streak of 6 away match with no win

Chelsea have scored 19 goals, and conceded 4 at home
Aston Villa have scored 5 and conceded 22 goals in their away matches

Chelsea average 2.1 goals per match at home this season
Aston Villa average 0.5 goals per match away from home this season

Chelsea have scored the bulk of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket
Aston Villa have scored the majority of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket

Chelsea have opened the scoring in 52% of their matches
Aston Villa have scored first in 52% of their matches

Chelsea 2010/11 top scorer: Malouda, Drogba 8
Aston Villa 2010/11 top scorer: Downing, 5

Chelsea 2010/11 Season Form: P19 W10 D4 L5 GF33 GA15 Pts 34 (4th)
Aston Villa 2010/11 Season Form: P19 W5 D5 L9 GF20 GA34 Pts 20 (15th)

Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham Betting Tip & Odds: Hard to see anything other than a home win for this one. Big difference in quality between the two sides. You don’t really see Spurs breaking out and scoring more than two goals in a match (it has only happened three times this season) so it’s unlikely to be a massive victory in terms of goal difference. Fulham are also quite a stubborn side in picking up drawn matches. However, Spurs have won their last three New Years Day home fixtures and everything just points to a win. So we’ll take a look at an Asian Handicap bet, and while taking Tottenham at -1.25 for just better than Evens at Bet365 sounded a viable prospect, the value of 5/6 at Victor Chandler for a Fulham +1.75 Asian Handicap is just too much value coverage to pass up.

Tottenham Hotspur to win: 4/9 at BetFred
Draw: 7/2 at Bet365
Fulham to win: 8/1 at Boylesports

EPL Match Preview: Very steadily, very quietly, Tottenham are growing into a major force. After their successes of last season, there was a big challenge for boss Harry Redknapp to back it all up. It wasn’t all smooth at the start of the new season, but Spurs are coming along nicely, keeping pace with the teams above them. Back to back wins over Christmas has seen them strengthen their position more, and while Redknapp says that he may not go shopping in the January transfer window, chairman Daniel Levy has been urging Redknapp to go and splash the cash. The funny thing about the January transfer window, is that is usually dejected and disgruntled figures who are shopped around, and very rarely do major deals happen. While Redknapp must feel delighted to have the full backing of the club, bolstering the squad is simply not that easy during the January transfer window. Teams want to hold on to their best players for their own ambitions, and it is incredibly difficult to pick up a player who will make a great deal of difference to the squad. There’s certainly an unlikely scenario of picking up a player from the Premier League, so any transfer would probably come from another European league. In fact the very reverse may happen, in that Spurs may ship out players to trim their squad, names like Robbie Keane, Giovanni dos Santos, Niko Kranjcar and David Bentley. Redknapp has already assembled a very strong squad, brining in Rafael van der Vaart and enjoying the continued improvement of the likes of Gareth Bale and Luka Modric.

William Gallas is set to make his return for the club, which is just as well, because Younes Kaboul will be missing from the back due to a straight red card suspension. What sums up a lot about Tottenham at the moment, is that the two matches which they won over Christmas, against Aston Villa and then Newcastle, were done after going down to ten men. Spurs are one of the most in form teams in the Premier League, and have not lost in eight matches. Neither Man City, Chelsea or Arsenal can match that kind of form, and while the odds on Tottenham winning the Premier League have been cut, there is still a lot of work for them to do to really improve upon fifth in the league. They’ll be happy about facing Fulham at home, as Spurs have a huge head to head advantage over their fellow London club, which points to another three points coming Tottenham’s way. The head to head between the two clubs really are worth a mention here to influence to your football betting. Out of 36 matches between the two sides at White Hart Lane, Fulham have won just two. That leaves Spurs with a 61% winning percentage thanks to their 22 triumphs. The overall head to head record still leaves Spurs in a strong position, with a 49% winning record from seventy three matches combined. With Fulham struggling at the moment, there doesn’t seem to be much doubt about the outcome on this one. Spurs scored two solid success against Fulham in the league last season and should be backed to do so again. They have a good attacking flair, produce some of the best passing in the league and have that perfect mix of grit and resiliency when it is needed most.

It is not such a pretty picture of optimism for Mark Hughes at Fulham. Having to come into Craven Cottage and not have any money to spend, he is doing the best he can. Unfortunately it may not be enough to save his job, after winning just three matches all season. Their scored a huge 2-0 win over Stoke in midweek, which may have been a bit of a lifeline for Hughes. That was the first time in 26 away matches in the Premier League, that Fulham had picked up a win. Without those three points, Fulham would have gone into this match as the Premier League’s bottom club. As it is, they sit in 18th place, and not only have to overcome a terrible run of form, which has seen them win just once in their last nine matches, they also have to overcome their awful record in London derbies away from home. They have not won an away London derby in 33 attempts now, and have only managed to score once in their last six visits to White Hart Lane in the League. It really doesn’t look good for Fulham in this one. Following their home defeat against West Ham, the Fulham fans were vocal in their willingness to see Mark Hughes fired. It is a tough situation for him, and after Spurs had ended Fulham’s eight game unbeaten run at the start of the season, things have gotten progressively worse. The loss of Bobby Zamora for most of the season has really hurt them, because they haven’t had the firepower to cover for him. Things really could go either way for Fulham, as they have drawn ten of their 18 matches so far, and have only actually lost six matches, just one more than Arsenal and Chelsea have done. It has been the failure to turn those 1 point matches in 3 which has been their downfall.

All of the stats point to a good home win in this one, and while Spurs are not one of the most prolific goal scoring teams in the league, they work incredibly hard to get their results. It should all be just too much, too overwhelming for a Fulham side which are struggling. This is an interesting match to keep an eye from the perspective of both ends of the table. Tottenham striker Roman Pavyluchenko (5/4 at Unibet Anytime Goalscorer) will be the man to watch in your goalscorer bets, as the Russian has scored on both of his last appearances against Fulham.

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Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Fulham 1, Tottenham Hotspur 2
Tottenham Hotspur 2, Fulham 0
Fulham 0, Tottenham Hotspur 0
Tottenham Hostpur 0, Fulham 0
Fulham 2, Tottenham Hotspur 1

Tottenham Hotspur have an 80% win percentage at home in the league this season
Fulham have a 0% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Tottenham Hotspur are on a streak of
Fulham are on a streak of

Tottenham Hotspur have scored 13 goals, and conceded 4 at home
Fulham have scored 3 and conceded 10 goals in their away matches

Tottenham Hotspur average 2.6 goals per match at home this season
Fulham average 0.6 goals per match away from home this season

Tottenham Hotspur have scored the bulk of their goals in the 31-45 minute bracket
Fulham have scored the majority of their goals in the 31-45 minute bracket

Tottenham Hotspur have opened the scoring in 70% of their matches
Fulham have scored first in 50% of their matches

Tottenham Hotspur 2010/11 top scorer: Berbatov, 6 (5 of them at home)
Fulham 2010/11 top scorer: Jarvis, Ebanks-Blake, Fletcher, 2

Tottenham Hotspur 2010/11 Season Form: P10 W5 D5 L0 GF22 GA12 Pts 22 (3rd)
Fulham 2010/11 Season Form: P10 W2 D3 L5 GF10 GA16 Pts 9 (19th)

Arsenal v Chelsea Betting Tip & Odds: Should be a cracking match, with lots of permutations going on with it. There is a sense of balance between the two sides, with them both needing to be better than they have been of late. Chelsea’s form has deserted them more than what Arsenal’s have though, and it may prove crucial here. There is a lot of sense in backing a drawn match here, both would probably be happy at avoiding defeat. But, with Arsenal have a little more to offer up front, and being at home, they are worth backing in some form. Therefore it is to the Asian Handicap markets we go for our tip, and an Arsenal -1 Asian Handicap for 31/10 at Bet365 is pretty good value for a top three side being at home. If chances fall their way, you would expect the Arsenal strikers to finish better than the Chelsea ones at the moment. Therein could lie all the difference, albeit it a slight one. Arsenal do have a 49% win percentage against Chelsea at home.

Arsenal to win: 13/8 at Bet365
Draw: 23/10 at  Skybet
Chelsea to win: 7/4 at Extrabet

EPL Match Preview: This a great fierce rivalry to stoke up the fires for Monday, as Chelsea head to Arsenal. This is a match which now is a crucial must win for both sides. Arsenal are two points back of leaders Manchester United at the top of the league, but have played a game more. A loss now would put them further back, but the likes of Manchester United’s Patrice Evra and Nani may have just riled Arsenal up enough to see them put in a good performance against Chelsea. The Manchester United players have been saying that Arsenal won’t be winning the league this year, because basically they are not been good enough. Arsenal though have not enjoyed much of a good time against Chelsea though, including this year when they lost 2-0 on their visit to Stamford Bridge. It seems with Arsenal you are going to either get a win or a loss, as they have only drawn two matches this season. They have visibly missed the influence of captain Cesc Fabregas at times through the midfield, and they froze in the headlights when they went to Old Trafford recently, and they cannot afford to do the same at the Emirates against Chelsea. The big boost for Arsenal, is that both Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie are ready to start. It will be the first time since August that Arsene Wenger has had that luxury. However, they really don’t like playing Chelsea, especially Didier Drogba who just enjoys scoring against them. The defensive frailties and toughness of mentality are still the biggest problems with Arsenal, but of course the natural talent is there. They are the team with all of the flair, the ones who play the most attractive style of football. It may just be enough this time to get them past a below par Chelsea.

Arsenal do have a strong home record against Chelsea overall throughout history, but they have lost their last two matches there, in a run of four straight losses against Chelsea. They are still missing Thomas Vermaelen from the back, and it could be a factor with the menace of Didier Drogba threatening the Arsenal back line. While Arsenal are a prolific team, they have really struggled to break down Chelsea. Chelsea just seem to know how to play Arsenal perfectly, and the Gunners have managed just one goal in four matches now against the Blues. What is also a bit of a worrying trend for Arsenal fans, is the fact they are losing matches at home this season, something which has been pretty much unheard of. Three defeats out of eight home matches this season really isn’t the form of Champions to be honest. It is not the stronghold that it is meant to be. So can Arsenal raise their game to pick up an extremely vital three points? Well if ever there was a time to do it, now would be it. Winning would give them a huge advantage over London rivals Chelsea as well so there is a lot at stake. What could tip the balance in this match, is the firepower between the two sides. Arsenal rarely struggle to hit the back of the net, something which Chelsea have as of late. With Marouane Chamakh and Samir Nasri especially threatening, they have the creativity to undo Chelsea. In a current form of goal scoring, Arsenal would win this one. They won’t be as stifled as they were against Manchester United in their last outing.

Both sides have had a long time to rest, something which has helped both sides really. Back into the starting line up comes Frank Lampard, whose goals for Chelsea have been sorely missed this season. Chelsea put in a much more spirited and all round better performance against Tottenham in their last match, after boss Carlo Ancelotti had dropped Didier Drogba from the starting line up. The talisman came on to score though to help Chelsea secure an away draw, and he really should be in the line up against Arsenal. Drogba has an incredible 13 goals in 13 matches against Arsenal in all competitions. There really are not that many problems for Chelsea, certainly not as many as they have had through the season. They are now only missing Yossi Benayoun, Yuri Zhirkov and centre half Alex. Captain John Terry has voiced his concerns over the lack of depth now at the club, but Ancelotti has insisted that there is nothing wrong, there is a good crop of young players, ready to fill in important roles. The results of late though have told a completely different story though, as they have picked up just three points out of the last fifteen which have been available. That’s no win in five league matches. While the midfield has been lacking the same composure without Lampard and Michael Essien at times, the strikers seem to have, well, gone on strike. Didier Drogba has been in miserable form compared to his high standards, and Nicolas Anelka has completely forgotten where the goal is, not having score in over ten hours of play.

Chelsea are on a run of three drawn matches, and they are three points behind leaders Manchester United now, plus at a one game disadvantage, after leading the way for so long after an incredibly strong start to the season. They have to discover form immediately if they are going to keep in the race. A loss would put them a big four points back of Arsenal. They cannot afford that, but there is a lot of promise for Chelsea here, as Arsenal’s form against both them and Manchester United have been terrible really. Arsenal haven’t beaten either of their rivals in the league in their last eleven matches now, and the Gunners have only won just once out of the last seven home meetings against Chelsea now. But maybe the tables are about to turn, with Chelsea still searching for top gear. This is a big opportunity for Arsenal and will probably be worth backing. Will Frank Lampard have a big say though on his return to the Chelsea starting eleven? He will be worth having a punt on as Anytime goalscorer, especially at a price of 5/2 at Bet365. This match could swing either way, Chelsea have the better defence, Arsenal have the better attack in form at the moment. For your football betting, home advantage really should play a part, but Arsenal have shown big frailties at the Emirates. Chelsea haven’t traveled well. Is this a match of parity and a draw? Bookies seem to think so.

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Arsenal v Chelsea Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Chelsea 2, Arsenal 0
Chelsea 2, Arsenal 0
Arsenal 0, Chelsea 3
Arsenal 1, Chelsea 4
Chelsea 1, Arsenal 2

Arsenal have an 62% win percentage at home in the league this season
Chelsea have a 33% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Arsenal are on a streak of eight home matches with no draw
Chelsea are on a streak of four away matches with no win

Arsenal have scored 19 goals, and conceded 10 at home
Chelsea have scored 13 and conceded 8 goals in their away matches

Arsenal average 2.37 goals per match at home this season
Chelsea average 1.44 goals per match away from home this season

Arsenal have scored the bulk of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket
Chelsea have scored the majority of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket

Arsenal have opened the scoring in 64% of their matches
Chelsea have scored first in 52% of their matches

Arsenal 2010/11 top scorer: Nasri, 8
Chelsea 2010/11 top scorer: Drogba, 8

Arsenal 2010/11 Season Form: P17 W10 D2 L5 GF36 GA16 Pts 34 (2nd)
Chelsea 2010/11 Season Form: P17 W9 D4 L4 GF31 GA12 Pts 31 (17th)

Manchester City v Everton Betting Tip & Odds: Has draw written all over it. Neither team play the most expansive or attacking football that could be played, and it will all be about whether or not City can be ruthless enough to break down the visitors. That could all hinge on whether Carlos Tevez plays or not, but even then, City, who haven’t lit up the scoring charts this season, may still struggle to break down Everton. Yes, the Toffees are lingering down the bottom of the league, but they will work hard, just as they did at Stamford Bridge for their draw there. They have their threats from Cahill, and while City will probably have more possession, it will all likely be a matter of cancelling each other out. However, an Manchester City -1 Asian Handicap at 7/5 at Paddy Power is a decent enough price to warrant having a flutter.

Manchester City to win: 3/4 at Paddy Power
Draw: 11/4 at SkyBet
Everton to win: 9/2 at BetFred

EPL Match Preview: There’s only one big question surrounding this Premier League match, which looks as if it will survive the big weekend freeze, and that is, will Carlos Tevez play? Current indications, is that although there is a frosty atmosphere expected in the Manchester City dressing room, the Tevez storm front may blow over quicker than expected, to bring a little winter sun onto the pitch at Eastlands on Monday night. Terrible clichéd weather puns aside, it looks as if, despite handing in his transfer request, the unhappy Argentinean will play against Everton. The club are refusing to let him leave (although that may change in the January transfer window is some big money offers come flooding their way for the star player) and Tevez’s agent has said that Tevez will not refuse to play, so it all points to City’s top scorer pulling on his shirt, gloves and neck scarf for the visit of Everton. Boss Roberto Mancini will he hoping that Tevez will be giving his best, if he does pick him, as that is the danger now, half hearted performances from Tevez. That won’t help Manchester City’s push towards the top of the Premier League, as nobody else at the club has stepped up to claim goal scoring responsibilities.

Tevez has scored almost 50% of the club’s 24 goals in the Premier League this season, and so will be missed if he is there but not 100% there. The goal scoring department is actually letting Manchester City down this season. Yes, with a win here they could go top, but if Tevez departs then Mancini has problems. Emmanuel Adebayor has not got any kind of goal scoring touch at the moment, Jo doesn’t look as if he will be anywhere near as prolific as Mancini would want him to be, and the immature antics of big hope Mario Balotelli looks as if he may not have been worth the gamble after all. With David Silva anonymous as well, City do not have a lot of production up front. It doesn’t help with fielding quite a dreadfully dull midfield pairing of Gareth Barry and Nigel de Jong (although the Dutchman will be missing from this one because of a match suspension). City have not excelled at home in the way that Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United have, and it is the one thing which is really holding them back from being genuine title contenders. Fortunately Mancini’s incredibly cautious and uninspiring approach to the way football should be played, is serving them well. City have the second best defensive record in the league behind only Chelsea, and that is what has kept them in the hunt. City are now unbeaten in their last seven matches, and only Manchester United can boast a better record than that at the moment. With a win, City would go top by just one point, but will have played two more games than United. There is a long way to go though of course, but at least they are keeping pace.

This is exactly the type of game where they need to break out of their shell, but they won’t. This is a chance to go top so a lot is at stake. They are at home, and their opponents are in an uninspiring run of form. But City will continue to do what they have been doing, and take a steady approach to matters. They look a tough side to break down, but they need extra help in taking chances up front, and for someone to step up and be more creative from the midfield. England winger Adam Johnson sits on the bench, and that gives an indication of the approach from Mancini. Getting a draw one supposes is a better result than losing after all, but there just doesn’t seem enough impetus coming from City to go and take games by the scruff of the neck and impose themselves. One wonders if they have an extra gear. A bit of creative flair is exactly what they will need to try and break down Everton, who have now drawn five of their last eight matches. The other three have results in two losses and one win. It’s not great times on Merseyside at the moment, certainly Everton are not where they are supposed to be. Everyone expects David Moyes’ side to be a top half of the table team, and really they should be. They have the same problems which plague City though, in that they haven’t got any firepower up front to make a big difference. A quality striker or two would make a huge difference to the Toffees, who also like to play a very solid game all over the pitch. If they are heading to Manchester City for a match, then you can expect them to be going there and hoping not to lose. You can’t see them going there and being all gung ho about winning. That’s probably how this match will play out. City haven’t been prolific in front of goal at home, and neither side have a lot of punch up front. This could be a midfield battle, with defences being well on top for most of the match. Everton did win both encounters last season by a 2-0 scoreline, but everything about this one points to a draw. Everton work hard as a team and will do all they can to nullify the threats from Manchester City. Both teams are hard to break down actually and unless Tevez brings a spark of genius, to break a tight game, this one will probably end in a stalemate.

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Manchester City v Everton Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Man City 0, Everton 2
Everton 2, Man City 0
Everton 1, Man City 2
Man City 0, Everton 1
Man City 0, Everton 2

Manchester City have an 50% win percentage at home in the league this season
Everton have a 12% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Manchester City are on a streak of no defeat in 3 home matches
Everton are on a streak of no win in four away matches

Manchester City have scored 8 goals, and conceded 5 at home
Everton have scored 8 and conceded 8 goals in their away matches

Manchester City average 1 goal per match at home this season
Everton average 1 goal per match away from home this season

Manchester City have scored the bulk of their goals in the 16-30 and 61-55 minute brackets
Everton have scored the majority of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket

Manchester City have opened the scoring in 54% of their matches
Everton have scored first in 41% of their matches

Manchester City 2010/11 top scorer: Tevez, 10
Everton 2010/11 top scorer: Cahill, 8

Manchester City 2010/11 Season Form: P17 W9 D5 L3 GF24 GA13 Pts 32 (3rd)
Everton 2010/11 Season Form: P17 W3 D9 L5 GF18 GA20 Pts 18 (15th)

Let’s take a look at where the Premier League betting is at now, after the opening salvos of a crucial December have been completed. Things are really congested, and while that is a great thing for the fans, instead of just watching a two horse race, the managers at the top must be sweating a lot through this cold month. The pressure really is on now, with just three points separating 1st and 4th. The big three are there, but Manchester City are making a case for themselves now, but it is their neighbours which really have grabbed some initiative in the title race. We have gotten the big Manchester United v Arsenal and Tottenham v Chelsea fixtures out of the way, but there are still some massive matches to come over the holiday season, starting with Sunday’s Chelsea v Manchester United showdown at Stamford Bridge. With things so tight, December is going to prove to be a vital month in the race for the Premier League title. Here we look at the remaining fixtures in the month, and how the Premier League could be looking at the turn of the New Year.

Manchester United – 34 points (1st)

Premier League Outright Winner Odds 6/4 at SkyBet (7/4 at start of December)
Running as firm favourites now, as United are in their groove. To be honest they aren’t playing particularly great football, they still look only just above average, yet they are getting the job done. Cons with Man Utd, is that they are lacking any real punch in the midfield with Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher pretty much running around offering nothing going forward. Going sideways or backwards, great, but that is one area which may ultimately hurt United. They have also been hit by the absence now of Paul Scholes, until the turn of the year. If there are long term injuries to Nani, Berbatov or Rooney in the season run in, they may well hurt. Pro’s for United, is that the defence is carrying the team at the moment, and that will always be solid, and when you can count on flashes of genius from any of the aforementioned three, you are going to be ok. A long way to go, and while they are still unbeaten, they will lose games along the way. There is nothing to split the top teams in the league this year, but United have a slender lead with a game in hand. That is why they are favourites to win the Premier League and make a very strong case for doing so. You have to think that they will only get better as time goes along, once they start playing with some kind of fluency and cohesion. They are built for a grinding, enduring title run.

Manchester United December Fixtures
Blackpool (a) – Postponed (Tipped: Draw)
Arsenal (h) – Won (Tipped: Man Utd win)
Chelsea (a) – (Tip: Chelsea win)
Sunderland (h) – (Tip: Man Utd win)
Birmingham (a) – (Tip: Man Utd win)

Arsenal – 32 points (2nd)

Premier League Outright Winner Odds 5/1 at Coral (9/2 at start of December)
Annoyingly for fans of the Gunners, Arsenal still can’t seem to get over the hump of not being able to beat Manchester United and Chelsea. They have now dropped six points in the away fixtures against both clubs this season, and ultimately it may come back to haunt them. Out of all three teams though, Arsenal have the best midfield, hands down. United and Chelsea can’t compare to the creativity that Arsenal have on the field, and sat on the bench. They have plenty of goals in them and there will be more to come, it will be a matter of whether their defence can prop up a title run. In scrappy battles, like the one at Old Trafford, they just seem to come out second best and lose momentum. That was a crucial blow to their title hopes. Arsenal are stronger than they were last season, while Manchester United and Chelsea are not as good as they were. This is why everything is looking to be in such parity at the moment. Arsenal need to step up now and cannot afford to throw away many more points on the season. They still have time to redeem themselves against Chelsea and United later in the season. Potentially five points off the lead at the moment though, and playing catch up is always harder than holding onto a lead at the top of the Premier League. The Cons for Arsenal will be the question marks of their ability at the back, while the Pro’s are definitely the creative thrills they creative going forward. They need Cesc Fabregas and Robin Van Persie fit though for the rest of the season.

Arsenal December Fixtures
Fulham (h) – Won (Tipped: Arsenal win)
Man Utd (a) – Lost (Tipped: Man Utd win)
Stoke (h) – (Tip: Arsenal win)
Chelsea (h) – (Tip: Chelsea win)
Wigan (a) – (Tip: Arsenal win)

Manchester City – 32 points (3rd)

Premier League Outright Winners odds 8/1 at Extrabet
Jointly held top spot along with Arsenal because Manchester United ruined the Gunners parade at Old Trafford. You look at Manchester City’s December fixtures, and they definitely have a much easier time of things than the other three around them. How much will this help their title charge. First and foremost, they need to get the Tevez saga behind them, secondly they need Tevez at his very best, dedicated and hungry. Because Arsenal and Chelsea have suffered so many defeats between them already, and while United have struggled on the road, this has helped the cautious Man City creep further into contention. However, you have to question whether they have the ability to go all the way. It would be a big upset. The Cons surrounding Manchester City is definitely a far too cautious approach to games. But, adversely, it is that caution which has put them in the mix, however, they bottled out on bravery when playing Manchester United, against who, City had the better of things, and if they had pushed on, would have won the game. If they don’t develop a more cutthroat approach, especially at home, it may rule them out of the title. Similarly, like United, there is a dull centre midfield pairing of Nigel de Jong and Gareth Barry, which really stops the team going forward. Pros of course, would be Carlos Tevez, who is carrying the team offensively. However, with him being unsettled, have they potentially lost their ace in the pack? They haven’t got the quality in the side to go all the way without him. If they can grind out wins in their remaining three matches for December, they could well keep themselves in the hunt. Tricky games, but if they are potential league winners, then it’s the kind of opposition which they should be beating.

Manchester City December Fixtures
Bolton (h) – Won
West Ham (a) – Won
Everton (h) – (Tip: Draw)
Newcastle (a) – (Tip: Man City win)
Aston Villa (h) – (Tip: Man City win)

Chelsea – 31 points (4th)

Premier League Outright Winner odds 9/4 at Victor Chandler (13/8 at start of December)
The Blues are looking anything but title contenders at the moment, but they are still in the mix. Just about. Three points back of United at the moment, with the Red Devils having a game in hand, and the position does not look great for the defending Champions. However, with the big upcoming fixture against United at Stamford Bridge, there is a lot of fight left in Chelsea’s season. It has to start there with a win over Sir Alex Ferguson’s men, because if they fall six points and a game behind, then that will be a very long, hard trek back to the top. The Chelsea v Man Utd fixture really is the crunch one now, and Arsenal and Man City will be hoping that the London club prevail, as it will keep things wide open at the top. The cons of Chelsea is that they are lacking confidence at the moment, and their strikers really are nowhere to be seen. They also have problems in the middle of the park with Frank Lampard, Benayoun and Zhirkov missing, players who can create something out of nothing. The Pros are that they will get those players back and they should get stronger. They also have an incredibly strong attack when they are playing well, Drogba and Anelka can be formidable. They just need to find their groove quickly or else their current run of poor form, just two wins in their last eight matches, will keep them out of the title hunt. Chelsea still have two tough matches to come in December, but they performed pretty well against Spurs in their recent draw at White Hart Lane, but they are still missing that killer touch.

Chelsea December Fixtures
Everton (h) – Draw (Tip: Chelsea win)
Tottenham (a) – Draw (Tipped: Draw)
Man Utd (h) – (Tip: Chelsea win)
Arsenal (a) – (Tip: Chelsea win)
Bolton (h): (Tip: Draw)

Current Premier League Standings

Manchester United: P16 W9 D7 L0 Pts 34
Arsenal: P17 W10 D2 L5 Pts 32
Manchester City: P17 W9 D5 L3 Pts 32
Chelsea: P17 W9 D4 L4 Pts 31

Projected Premier League Standings based on Tips at December 31

Manchester United: P19 W11 D7 L1 Pts 40
Manchester City: P20 W11 D6 L3 Pts 39
Chelsea: P20 W11 D5 L4 Pts 38
Arsenal: P20 W12 D2 L6 Pts 38

Manchester United v Arsenal Betting Tip & Odds: Looking forward to this one with great anticipation as it should give a good indication of how the Premier League may pan out. Can Arsenal step up and beat one of their main rivals in their hunt for the title? Or will United take a big step ahead to lead the Premier League with a game in hand? A big month for these clubs, so who will draw first blood this season? Arsenal have already faltered against Chelsea this season away from home, and they can’t afford to do the same at Old Trafford. However, United are always bullish at home, and hard to knock down, even when they aren’t playing well. Huge forward power in both teams, so hopefully plenty of goals on the board. Two evenly matched teams, so home advantage may just swing this one. A nice Manchester United -0.75 Asian Handicap is good value for 5/4 at Paddy Power.

Manchester United to win: Evens at Totesport
Draw: 13/5 at Victor Chandler
Arsenal to win: 3/1 at Bet365

EPL Match Preview: Now we really enter the most decisive period of the Premier League so far. Manchester City have already laid down a marker by moving up level on points with Arsenal at the top of the league, and now Arsenal have the chance to respond as they head north to Old Trafford. This is always a match which stirs up old rivalries between the two managers, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, as well as between the two opposing sets of fans and the players involved. United’s full back Patrice Evra has taken a lot of criticism over his comments that Arsenal won’t win the Premier League this season because they aren’t good enough, and now he needs to help his team put their money where his mouth is. United have pretty much a full squad to choose from, apart from Owen Hargreaves which isn’t much of a surprise, and Michael Owen, who is training but still not fully fit. On the injury front, Ferguson has been boosted by Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand passing fitness tests after concerns about the veteran duo. This is one which the neutral fans enjoy, the clash of two of England’s biggest teams, and the atmosphere is usually hostile and we can expect plenty of action and strong challenges. Manchester United start the match in third place in the Premier League, but would leap frog above Arsenal and Manchester City with a win, and would hold a game in hand over their challengers. With Chelsea playing at Tottenham on Sunday, anything could happen in the standings come the end of Monday evening.

This is a tough month for Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea, with the three main title contenders all playing each other. This is a fixture which United have dominated over the past couple of seasons. They haven’t suffered a defeat to Arsenal in their last five encounters now (including Champions League in 2009). You do expect Manchester United to be strong at home, and they have only dropped two points there all season (in a 2-2 draw against West Bromwich Albion). That leaves them with an excellent 88% winning percentage at home this season, and still they remain unbeaten in the league. The only reason why all the teams are congested at the top of the league, is because Manchester United have had their problems on the road, only winning once away, and drawing the other six. That is a lot of dropped points from United, but they still haven’t completely crumbled, and if they beat Arsenal, then they will truly be in the ascendancy for the Premier League title race. United played out a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford against Valencia in the Champions League midweek, coming from a goal down in a game in which they only needed to draw to book top spot. Ferguson actually sent out a stronger side than many had expected him too, with Ferdinand, Vidic, Nani, Berbatov and Rooney all starting. That came after their Premier League match against Blackpool was called off due to a frozen pitch last weekend, so they have had a bit of time to get themselves together.

United’s ability to grind out victories over their title challengers is what has made them such a strong force down the years, and having beaten Arsenal in seven of the last nine encounters at Old Trafford, Alex Ferguson should be confident of putting three points in the bag, a fillip before having to go and play at Stamford Bridge. Wayne Rooney is back and fit again, and he has some great history against Arsenal. He scored his first Premier League goal against Arsenal (you may remember it) for Everton, and he came full circle when he netted his 100th Premier League goal against them also. He was a real thorn in the side of the Arsenal defence last season, finding the back of the net in both league meetings, with United winning 2-1 at home, and then 3-1 at the Emirates. Rooney is 7/5 at Unibet as Anytime Scorer. United are on a roll of two back to back wins in the league, including that 7-1 hammering of Blackburn at the end of December. They aren’t going to go out and do that against Arsenal, but they have to be tipped as favourites in this match. This is arguably their toughest match at Old Trafford this season, but with a full squad to pick from, it is hard to see United letting this chance to usurp their rivals slip through their fingers.

Arsenal haven’t enjoyed playing against Manchester United recently, and it has been their inability to beat Manchester United and Chelsea which has rendered their trophy cabinet devoid of new silverware for some years now. This current Arsenal team is probably a lot stronger that it has been for some time now, and now only that, Arsene Wenger has a better squad that what he has ever had. There really hasn’t been any problem with Arsenal’s form on the road, losing just one match out of their eight (against Chelsea) and it is form by which Champions are crowned. They are genuine title contenders this year, even though their home form has mysteriously slipped a little bit, suffering three home defeats this season already. However, Arsene Wenger knows that his team really has to step up and take points off United, if they are to be taken seriously at the top of the league, but they have been out-muscled and outwitted at Old Trafford far too often. Arsenal’s record at Old Trafford is nothing short of horrendous really. They have a paltry 17% win percentage at Old Trafford, whereas United have a strong 57% win percentage (with 25% of matches ending in draws). To put that into matches head to head at Old Trafford, that’s 57 wins for United, 17 for Arsenal and 25 draws. It hasn’t been happy hunting ground for the Gunners at all. Their last triumph at the home of their bitter rivals, was in 2007 when they stole away with a 1-0 victory.

Arsenal will probably be without Cesc Fabregas for this one, as he is still not fully fit. They are also still missing Thomas Vermaelen from the back, which at times has really hurt them defensively. To be honest though, there isn’t much to chose between the two sides in terms of stats in the Premier League this year, Arsenal have scored 34, United have scored 35. Arsenal have conceded 18, Man United just 16. Arsenal do have more wins than United though, and that is why they hold a slender advantage, even with their four losses to United’s none. Arsenal have won 10 of their 16 matches, where United have won 8 of their 15. Manchester United have won five and drawn three of their last eight, Arsenal have won six and lost two of their last eight. Nothing much to choose between them. One of the brightest sparks in Arsenal’s season so far has been the form of France star Samir Nasri, who has stoked the fires, saying that the current United team are not to be as feared as teams of past which included the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez. Nasri and strike partner Marouane Chamakh have covered well in the absence of main striker Robin van Persie’s absence this season, although the Dutch star is back. Arguably Arsenal are the better technical side of the two, and they are an absolute joy to watch. The question which will always surround them, until they win the Premier League, is whether they have enough fight, enough grit to battle for results, to win ugly when necessary. They must be doing something right with five away wins out of seven, including wins at Everton and Manchester City. Perhaps for the first time they’ll be happy they are not at the Emirates for this one, where their form isn’t so great.

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Manchester United v Arsenal Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Arsenal 1, Manchester United 3
Manchester United 2, Arsenal 1
Manchester United 0, Arsenal 0
Arsenal 2, Manchester United 0
Manchester United 2, Arsenal 1

Head to Head at Old Trafford: Man Utd 57 wins, Arsenal 17 wins, Draws 25

Manchester United have an 88% win percentage at home in the league this season
Arsenal have a 62% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Manchester United are on a streak of eight home matches with no defeat
Arsenal are on a streak of four away matches with no defeat

Manchester United have scored 24 goals, and conceded 6 at home
Arsenal have scored 15 and conceded 8 goals in their away matches

Manchester United average 3 goals per match at home this season
Arsenal average 1.87 goals per match away from home this season

Manchester United have scored the bulk of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket
Arsenal have scored the majority of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket

Manchester United have opened the scoring in 66% of their matches
Arsenal have scored first in 68% of their matches

Manchester United 2010/11 top scorer: Nasri, 8
Arsenal 2010/11 top scorer: Berbatov, 11

Manchester United 2010/11 Season Form: P15 W8 D7 L0 GF36 GA16 Pts 31 (3rd)
Arsenal 2010/11 Season Form: P16 W10 D2 L4 GF34 GA18 Pts 32 (1st)

Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea Betting Tip & Odds: No ifs, buts, or maybes about this one. Tottenham should win. They have the passing ability, confidence and form to beat Chelsea, especially at home. Check out the outright odds on this one for a home win, because they are incredible value. Chelsea are favourites, perhaps leaning on their good record against Spurs, but this match is longer a given for the Blues. Not too much value floating around in the Asian Handicaps, especially when you stand it up against the outright odds on Spurs below. However, if you want to back a brave Spurs performance with coverage, then a Tottenham -1 Asian Handicap for 19/5 at Bet365 is a very attractive price. If you want some good value, then there is a decent 7/2 Tottenham one goal winning margin at Bet365, which is the amount they have beaten Chelsea by in their last two encounters at White Hart Lane.

Tottenham to win: 2/1 at Victor Chandler
Draw: 5/2 at BetFred
Chelsea to win: 6/4 at Bet365

EPL Match Preview: Chelsea are not going to find things easy in December. Carlo Ancelotti stated that he was unconcerned about the fixture list facing his side during December, and that the games would not be critical in the outcome of the Premier League. That is hard to believe with Chelsea having to face Tottenham, Manchester United and Arsenal all in December. Three defeats there, and let’s face it, the way Chelsea are playing it is not beyond the realms of possibility at the moment, and Chelsea will be really struggling to defend their title. While Ancelotti isn’t worried about the club’s title chances, nor his job, John Terry has different views. The club Captain is concerned over Chelsea’s dire dip in form, which has seen them drop points in their last four Premier League matches. It is now just one win in six for Chelsea, and Terry recognizes the fact that they need to turn things around quickly or fall away quickly. Chelsea developed a strong attacking flair under Carlo Ancelotti, which won them the domestic double last year, but now Chelsea really need to go back to square one and become an Italian team which is hard to beat. It is working for Manchester City at the moment, and that is what Chelsea need, a steady defensive platform so that the forwards can relax just a little bit. There is no argument or question over the ability of the forwards at Chelsea, but again, a Frank Lampard-less midfield is letting the team down, along with nerves and lack of confidence, both of which were on display in a terrible second half performance at home against Everton last weekend.

After an away defeat to Marseille in the Champions League in the week, really has Chelsea on the ropes, however there is still a glimmer of hope for them. Even though they have really gone downhill with their form, they are just two points behind leaders Arsenal and Man City going into Sunday’s match against Tottenham, and if Chelsea can get wins over United and Arsenal as well, then they will be well in the hunt again at the end of December. Their strong start to the season has given them this cushion, but now that has evaporated with just three goals and one win in six matches, and conceding eight along the way. That hasn’t been the Chelsea way, and the problems need to be fixed at the back. Alex will miss the big fixture through injury, and John Terry plays on through the pain. Breaching the Chelsea back line was almost mission impossible at the start of the season, but now, because of lack of depth at the club, there is a fragility about them which is completely out of character. Especially for having an Italian in charge. Problems at the back, big problems in midfield and problems up front. Can Chelsea turn this around against an in form Tottenham? Chelsea have been dominant over Spurs in the record books, but things have just turned around of late, with Spurs turning the table on Chelsea. Along with Alex and Lampard, Benayoun, Bosingwa and Zhirkov, who was playing an important role in Lampard’s absence all remain out.

So to Sunday’s big London derby itself. Can Chelsea beat Spurs? Yes. Will they? Probably not. Even though there is still class elements at Chelsea, you have to look at form, and for the first time this season, really start to not back them. That is because they go against a Tottenham side which are running hot at the moment, and that should be a big factor in your betting. Chelsea do still have a good record at White Hart Lane, almost matching Tottenham there. Spurs have won 26 meetings between the two clubs at home, while Chelsea have won 25 of the matches, with 18 draws between them there. Overall head to head stats lean heavily in Chelsea’s favour, holding a 41% win percentage, and Spurs having just 34%. Tottenham though have gotten the better of Chelsea at White Hart Lane in the last two encounters, both by a 1-goal margin, which is a good trend to look at in your football betting. Chelsea have now won just one of their last five matches against Spurs. The worm has finally turned. It is just difficult to see how Chelsea are going to score goals at the moment, with Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba both extremely goal shy at the moment. It is because of the midfield, which is letting the defence and attack down. It is an area in which they will possibly lose the match, because Spurs will have the edge over them there. There is little creativity, little drive from the midfield at the moment, and while there is a threat from the big strikers, unless they get the ball in dangerous areas, they are not going to be a threat.

Spurs also have key players missing, with Rafael van der Vaart having to sit this one out because of injury, along with Niko Kranjcar and Tom Huddlestone. Ironically, the weakest part of Tottenham’s game is in the middle of the park, but it is the area in which they should be able to take control of against Chelsea. Tottenham are as good of a passing team as Chelsea are on their day, but the added bonus is that Tottenham have great width to their team, whereas Chelsea tend to go a lot more narrow on the pitch. The width that Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon can provide to Spurs, is crucial to their success and it should allow them to really get in behind the Chelsea midfield and put the Blues defence under pressure. While their London rivals are struggling for form, Tottenham couldn’t be enjoying themselves much more at the moment. They won their Champions League Group over Inter Milan in the week, for which Harry Redknapp deserves a lot of credit for, and now they could pull to within just one point of Chelsea with a home win. Spurs are unbeaten in five league matches now, winning three and drawing two of their last five, and have only lost one Premier League match at White Hart Lane this season. They recently turned over Arsenal at the Emirates, from a 2-0 half time deficit, to win 3-2 against their bitter rivals. More of the same against Chelsea on the weekend, will put them well in touch for another fourth place finish in the league.

Chelsea still have the better defensive record than Tottenham, but Spurs should have the pace and the confidence to really take the game to the Blues. There is no reason why they should be afraid of Carlo Ancelotti’s men in the form that they are in. Tottenham have been far from flawless this year, but they are a side which seem to be growing into the season. They have the ability to really hurt Chelsea on Sunday, and having won four of their seven league matches coming off the back of a Champions League match, it looks as if Redknapp has found the balance between European and domestic hectic schedules. Even though Tottenham have the edge in form, they are still not favourites with the bookmaker to win, which means that you can find some great odds on them. Remember this is a team in form, at home, against a side which they have beaten at White Hart Lane in their last two matches. It will probably be worth investing some time in having a punt on Tottenham outright just to win this one, as odds of around 2/1 for a top five team at home, is pretty unusual. They have the tools, they have the confidence, they just need to go out there and get the job done. It could be pushing Carlo Ancelotti further out of his.

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Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea Premier League Betting Statisitics

Last 5 Head to Head
Tottenham Hotspur 2, Chelsea 1
Chelsea 3, Tottenham Hotspur 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1, Chelsea 0
Chelsea 1, Tottenham hotspur 1
Tottenham Hotspur 4, Chelsea 4

Tottenham Hotspur have an 50% win percentage at home in the league this season
Chelsea have a 38% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Tottenham Hotspur are on a streak of six home matches with no defeat
chelsea are on a streak of three away matches with no win

Tottenham Hotspur have scored 13 goals, and conceded 8 at home
chelsea have scored 12 and conceded 7 goals in their away matches

Tottenham Hotspur average 1.62 goals per match at home this season
chelsea average 1.5 goals per match away from home this season

Tottenham Hotspur have scored the bulk of their goals in the 61-75 and 76-90 minute bracket
chelsea have scored the majority of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket

Tottenham Hotspur have opened the scoring in 31% of their matches
chelsea have scored first in 56% of their matches

Tottenham Hotspur 2010/11 top scorer: Van der Vaart, 6
chelsea 2010/11 top scorer: Malouda, Drogba, 7

Tottenham Hotspur 2010/11 Season Form: P16 W7 D5 L4 GF24 GA21 Pts 26 (5th)
chelsea 2010/11 Season Form: P16 W7 D5 L4 GF30 GA11 Pts 30 (4th)

West Ham United v Manchester City Betting Tip & Odds: Let’s make no mistake about this. City should win, and have to be backed. We’re going to look at something a little different for the betting tip on this one. The signs have to point to a Manchester City win, as this is basically a top v bottom match. But consider looking for a 2 goal winning margin for City, as it should be some prime betting property. City aren’t overly prolific themselves, yet they have not won 1-0 away from home this season. They have won 2-0 away from home twice, and for West Ham, two of their four home defeats have been by a two goal margin. This is a nice little trend to jump on and a Manchester City 2 Goal Winning Margin fetches a hefty 5/1 price at ExtraBet. Well worth looking at.

West Ham to win: 7/2 at BetFred
Draw: 13/5 at BetFred
Manchester City to win: Evens at Stan James

EPL Match Preview: Manchester City could find themselves joint leaders of the English Premier League by the end of Saturday afternoon. What a warm feeling of justification that would give manager Roberto Mancini after all of the criticism which he has received this year. The Italian has been under a lot of scrutiny because of his summer spending, which was high again, in an attempt to bring the league title to the club. However, his defensive approach to doing that, hasn’t really won him a lot of fans, and when City went on a run of just one win in five matches, it was almost certain that Mancini would be out of the door. However, the hierarchy at Eastlands seem to like the job he is doing, even when Mancini admitted that he would be satisfied with fourth place in the Premier (because of entry to the Champions League) and a cup. That doesn’t illuminate the club with great ambitions, but at least it is a start, and perhaps that is how this season should be summed up for City. It is perhaps the beginning of something better, and perhaps that hard task of pulling an expansive band of summer signings together as a team is finally happening for Mancini. There are still reports of bust ups coming from the training ground, reports that star players are unhappy, that Mancini has no control in the dressing room, and that players are falling out with the boss himself, but the cool and collected Mancini seems to be rising above it. Now he has a chance to put a big feather in his cap, and smirk smugly at his critics.

City take on West Ham who are bottom of the league, and you have to be looking for a big response from City here. Let’s be clear here also, that they would not be in this position to get their teeth into top spot, if Chelsea were not on such a poor run of form, if Manchester United could win away from home, and if Arsenal could win at home. The demise of the big three really has helped Mancini’s cause it has to said. They are still overly cautious to a fault, but at least they are keeping pace with the top pack, no matter the real reason behind it. Manchester City’s un-expansive, rather dull approach is keeping them afloat and it is serving them pretty well on the road. This is a perfect example of a time when it would into play, because these away matches to bottom of the league teams are potentially hazardous all the same. It is the defensive capabilities of the side which is at least giving them a platform to pick up points. City have the second best defensive record in the Premier League, with only Chelsea bettering them, and that is only by just one goal. So that should be more than enough to close out a West Ham side who have only scored two more goals than City have conceded all season. Not so long ago City were eight points off the lead, and now they can claim a share in alongside Arsenal, who play on Monday. There’s an extra little stat, that Roberto Mancini has not been defeated in London while he has been in charge of Manchester City. City will have enough to win this one, and it will be because of their defence, which will probably need applauding again. Two clean sheets in four now for City. Enough to beat the bottom side.

West Ham fans will know a thing or two about Carlos Tevez, as the Argentinean star served them so well. Will he be back to haunt his former club? No. Because he’s suspended. Will it change the outcome of this match? No. Well, West Ham are rooted to the bottom of the league, but at least there are some signs of positivity creeping in. They have not lost at home now in their last three matches, and manager Avram Grant believes that his squad is good enough to stay up. He is desperately trying to hold on to midfielder Scott Parker, who Tottenham and Liverpool are very keen on picking up in the January transfer window. But, back to business, West Ham have only failed to score in one of their home games this season, the trouble is that they cannot keep them from going in at the other end. It doesn’t help their fight against relegation, by playing against a team against who, the Hammers have only beaten once in the last ten meetings. If they are going to add a rare triumph to that stat on Saturday, then they need to keep find a way through a solid City back line. At least their own back line won’t have to worry about Tevez, but Emmanuel Adebayor (17/10 at Paddy Power Anytime Goalscorer) is fit and ready to go again for City, and with Mario Balotelli (6/4 at Bet365 Anytime Goalscorer) in there, there are still big threats. Avram Grant still has a longer list of injured players than he would like, but Valon Behrami could be back to settle things in midfield again. Not surprisingly, West Ham have one of the worst defensive records in the Premier League, but this is a team which thumped Manchester United 4-0 in the Carling Cup recently.

Can the Hammers score back to back home victories over the Manchester clubs? That seems like a very big stretch, and there is nothing to suggest the Hammers will upset City, simply because they lack the firepower against a strong back line. Incidentally, the Hammers hold a decent record at home against City, as they have only conceded 25% of the matches there to City. So that’s actually not bad. The overall head to head though, Cit pretty much dominate, and would stick with that for your betting. West Ham will probably scrap well, but at the end of the day, you have to look at the quality in the Manchester City squad and expect them to edge it. The Hammers are bottom for a reason, and that is because they find winning hard. Manchester City are potentially top because for a reason, they win the hard way.

West Ham United v Manchester City Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
West Ham United 1, Manchester City 1
Manchester City 3, West Ham United 1
West Ham United 1, Manchester City 0
Manchester City 3, West Ham United 0
Manchester City 1, West Ham United 1

West Ham United have a 25% win percentage at home in the league this season
Manchester City have a 50% win percentage away from home in the league this season

West Ham United are on a streak of three home matches with no defeat
Manchester City are on a streak of three away matches with no defeat

West Ham United have scored 10 goals, and conceded 12 at home
Manchester City have scored 13 and conceded 7 goals in their away matches

West Ham United average 1.25 goals per match at home this season
Manchester City average 1.62 goals per match away from home this season

West Ham United have opened the scoring in 31% of their matches
Manchester City have scored first in 62% of their matches

West Ham United 2010/11 top scorer: Varney, 5
Manchester City 2010/11 top scorer: Piquionne, Parker, 4

West Ham United 2010/11 Season Form: P16 W2 D6 L8 GF14 GA27 Pts 12 (20th)
Manchester City 2010/11 Season Form: P16 W8 D5 L3 GF21 GA12 Pts 29 (3rd)

Newcastle United v Liverpool Betting Tip & Odds: This should all come down to Andy Carroll v Fernando Torres. Who will take their chances and perhaps the biggest question of all, is how will the Newcastle players respond to the appointment of Alan Pardew as manager? Pardew may have his work cut out in winning over the dressing room, after the unpopular decision on Tyneside to ditch Chris Hughton. Well, this is a prime Asian Handicap market, as it is hard to see Newcastle really having enough cohesion for ninety minutes to beat Liverpool. Newcastle, poor at home. Liverpool, poor away from home. Expecting something of a disjointed display here which leans heavily towards a draw. There have been plenty of goals in this fixture down the years and seeing Newcastle battering the Liverpool defence isn’t too far of a stretch, so not having hesitation in taking a brave Newcastle +0.75 Asian Handicap for 11/20 at Bet365. That’s half of your stake back as profit, so not a bad return on a match which the bookies are leaning towards a draw on themselves.

Newcastle United to win: 11/4 at SkyBet
Draw: 12/5 at SkyBet
Liverpool to win: 23/20 at 888Sport

Newcastle v Liverpool EPL Match Preview: It looks as if it will be a fresh start for Newcastle after the dismissal of boss Chris Hughton in the week. The club wanted someone with a little more experience to take them forward, so that they not only survive in the Premier League, but they thrive. So, strangely they turned to Alan Pardew for that, the former West Ham manager whose career is littered with controversies and unspectacular league finishes. There were certainly more experience and proven hands available, and perhaps the “mad” decision which this has been dubbed, really is up Pardew’s street. He’s not one to back down from a difficult challenge, or to back down from speaking his mind. Pardew seems to be fully aware of what he is getting into and is ready for the pressure. Sacked from West Ham, left Charlton Athletic by mutual consent and dismissed by Southampton. In a poll done by Sky Sports as to who Newcastle fans wanted to be next manager, Pardew earned just 5% of the votes and now has to stand in front of a fierce Toon Army week in week out, who will demand success from him. So this is where Newcastle are at, and Pardew needs to make an immediate impact because he needs to stops the Toon from extending their five match winless skid in the Premier League. A run of form, which ultimately sealed the fate of Chris Hughton. Will the “new manager impact” play a part in your football betting for Saturday’s match against Liverpool?

Pardew steps in against Liverpool, the side which cruelly denied his West Ham side victory in the FA Cup final in 2006. Liverpool was the side against which he faced in his last Premier League match in the 2006/07 season. That was with the relegated Charlton. Newcastle are sitting 12th in the Premier League at the moment, and really need a win so that they do not slip back any further. They haven’t been shy in front of goal, but they really haven’t learnt how to keep things tight at the back either, which as been their downfall. It will probably be so again on Saturday, when Liverpool come to town, as Liverpool have a decent record against the Magpies of late. In fact, Newcastle have been on the wrong end of some thumpings by the Reds in their last four Premier League matches. Newcastle have hit just one goal in reply to Liverpool’s 14 goals against them. That totals up to four matches where the Magpies defence has conceded three or more goals against Liverpool. That doesn’t make such good reading for the home fans on Saturday, but in fact, Newcastle really have a decent record against the Reds at St James Park. Newcastle have a 42% winning percentage in matches against Liverpool at home, with the visitors picking up 29% and the draw ending 29% of the time also. The draw actually is worth a bet for this one, and that prediction lies in the fact that Newcastle have not picked up many points at home, and Liverpool, by and large, have not done very well on the road this season.

Seven wins out of the last eight Premier League matches now for Liverpool against Newcastle. There is a definite trend going on here. Liverpool scored an impressive 3-0 win over Aston Villa in the week, to push themselves up towards a top six place. It has been slow going for the Reds, but they look to be on the right path. That is what boss Roy Hodgson does, he fixes things, pulls together the pieces of clubs in desperate need and pulls them into mediocrity. That is where Liverpool are at the moment, and having won just one away match all season, really shows the problems with Liverpool. When things are going OK, then they can pull through, especially in front of their home fans, but hit the road and they just have not got that battling edge in them which will grind out enough successes away from home for them. They do get Fernando Torres back into the starting line up (13/10 at Coral Anytime Goalscorer), which will naturally be a boost, and this match will probably be about which striker is in better touch on the day. Neither defence is spectacular, but somehow you still feel that Newcastle would have the better of things up front at home. Matches involving Newcastle United at home average well over three goals per game this season, and matches involving Liverpool away from home average over 2 goals per game. That leaves a lot of room for plenty of goals on Saturday, so can Liverpool turn in another good performance without Steven Gerrard? It’s not happened away from home very much this season.

Ryan Babel may be the unsung hero for Liverpool, and may be worth an outside punt in an Anytime Goalscorer market (3/1 at Extrabet). He has scored in his previous two visits to St James Park, so worth looking out for. Two wins out of their last seventeen away matches for Liverpool now in the Premier League. It doesn’t look good, but you would expect Liverpool to be the favourites here. However, if this game comes down to attitude, Newcastle will win. If it comes down to desire, Newcastle will win. If Newcastle don’t play with pace or to the strengths of Andy Carroll, they probably won’t win. Would Liverpool be satisfied with a point away from home? Probably at this stage yes, having suffered two straight defeats away from Anfield this season. Liverpool should be the better team, the only question is over their ability to out work Newcastle and that will only come into play if Newcastle get behind their new manager immediately. Weighing up everything, there really is a feeling of a draw at St James Park, and one which one of the sides will be happy to come away with at the end of the day. The physical presence of Andy Carroll should be a huge factor in it all and is 2/1 at Coral to find the back of the net as Anytime Goalscorer. A lot of uncertainties, which probably means a draw is on the cards.

Newcastle United v Liverpool Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Liverpool 3, Newcastle United 0
Newcastle United 1, Liverpool 5
Liverpool 3, Newcastle United 0
Newcastle United 0, Liverpool 3
Newcastle United 2, Liverpool 1

Newcastle United have an 25% win percentage at home in the league this season
Liverpool have a 12% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Newcastle United are on a streak of three home matches with no win
Liverpool are on a streak of three away matches with no win

Newcastle United have scored 16 goals, and conceded 10 at home
Liverpool have scored 5 and conceded 13 goals in their away matches

Newcastle United average 2 goals per match at home this season
Liverpool average 0.62 goal per match away from home this season

Newcastle United have scored the bulk of their goals in the 31-45 minute bracket
Liverpool have scored the majority of their goals in the 46-60 minute bracket

Newcastle United have opened the scoring in 27% of their matches
Liverpool have scored first in 62% of their matches

Newcastle United 2010/11 top scorer: Carroll, 9
Liverpool 2010/11 top scorer: Torres, 5

Newcastle United 2010/11 Season Form: P16 W5 D4 L7 GF24 GA25 Pts 19 (12th)
Liverpool 2010/11 Season Form: P16 W6 D4 L6 GF20 GA19 Pts 22 (8th)

Group E

Bayern Munich P5 W4 D0 L1 Pts 12
Roma P5 W3 D0 l2 Pts 9
FC Basel P5 W2 D0 L3 Pts 6
CFR Cluj P5 W1 D0 L4 Pts 3

Bayern Munich v Basel

Just the game that Bayern needs to wrap up Group E without too many worries. A home match against a side they have ready beaten. Bayern have no worries really about losing top spot because even if the unthinkable happened and they lost, Roma would need to win by a big margin in order to overturn the goal difference between the two sides, which stands at eight in favour of the German side. Roma are not going to overturn that. You would expect the strong German side, even though they aren’t playing quite to their full potential at the moment, to push on and take another three points. Basel have performed decently enough in the Champions League this season, and will want to cling on to third place, which would see them in the Europa League. They would only need a point to do that, and while they haven’t been overwhelmed by any of the higher opposition in the group this year, the Swiss side should come up short on their trip to Germany. Bayern have two wins from two there, and they will probably make it three from three in order to secure top spot in the group. Home win.
Tip: Bayern Munich 4/5 at BetFred
Others: Draw 3/1 at William Hill, Basel 19/5 at Totesport

Cluj v Roma

This group was always going to see Roma and Bayern Munich progress, although Claudio Ranieri’s Roma have made much harder work of things than their German counterparts. They have lost two matches in the group so far, have a -1 goal difference and got thumped by Basel at home. However, Roma showed a bit of bottle in beating Bayern Munich in a great 3-2 match in the Italian capital, and now they only need a point to ensure that they finish second. More than likely they won’t even need that if Bayern Munich beat Basel as expected. However, this has been a fascinating group, with both Cluj and Basel  making a real nuisance of themselves, and pushing the top two sides hard. There have been plenty of goals in this group, and all but three of the matches have been won by just a one goal margin. Including Bayern beating Cluj 3-2, Roma beating Basel 3-2, Bayern beating Basel 2-1. Anyway, the bottom line is that Cluj could well put up a fight against Roma, but they aren’t going to score enough to take over Basel for third place on goal difference. Basel will probably lose to Bayern but not by a lot, and Cluj needs to make up six goals on the Swiss side and beat Roma in the process. Not going to happen. It’s been a great group, but would expect Roma to do enough with a draw just to make sure there are no scares, and knowing that they aren’t going to catch Bayern.
Tip: Draw 13/5 at William Hill
Others: Roma 8/11 at Bet365, Cluj 9/2 at Boylesports

Group F

Chelsea P5 W3 D0 L0 Pts 15
Marseille P5 W3 D0 L2 Pts 9
Spartak Moscow P5 W 2 D0 L3 Pts 6
Zilina P5 W0 D0 L5 Pts 0

Marseille v Chelsea

It didn’t look as if Marseille really had enough to get through this group at one stage, but they have responded well. They take on a Chelsea side which are looking to become the first English side in the history of the tournament to win six group matches from groups. The Blues are not in good form though. Will Didier Drogba’s return to former club be spoiled? Read our full match betting preview here:

Zilina v Spartak Moscow

Well, everything is done and dusted in this match. Spartak will be in the Europa League with a third place finish, no matter what happens on Wednesday night in this group. They looked favourites to go through to the knockout stage with Chelsea at one point, but they blew their lines in a 3-0 home defeat by Marseille, the team which they needed to beat to secure second place. Their chances went out of the window with that somewhat unexpected result, as Spartak have shown that they are a solid and well organised side. So all that is left to do is to enjoy a trip to Slovakia to face the bottom side club, and just relax in a match which really has no importance whatsoever. Zilina have had a rough ride in their Champions League debut, thumped 4-1 by Chelsea, 3-0 by Spartak and them 7-0 at home by Marseille, they have been out of their depth. If the full Spartak side show up in Slovakia then it will be a win for the Russians at a canter.
Tip: Spartak Moscow 7/5 at Bet365
Others: Zilina 9/4 at SkyBet, Draw 12/5 at Totesport

Group G

Real Madrid P5 W 4 D1 L0 Pts 13
AC Milan P5 W2 D2 L1 Pts 8
Ajax P5 W1 D1 L3 Pts 4
Auxerre P5 W1 D0 L4 Pts 3

Real Madrid v Auxerre

This group had the promise of showing a lot more interest than what it has petered out to. Auxerre really woke themselves up with a win over Ajax, but then blew everything with a home defeat by AC Milan. The French side aren’t great really, and their enthusiasm didn’t carry them far enough. There is a slim chance that they could sneak third place in the group for a place in the Europa League, but for that to happen they would have to beat the unbeaten Real Madrid. Jose Mourinho has Real Madrid going well in the Champions League, as expected, as his only hiccup was a 2-2 draw away at AC Milan. Cristiano Ronaldo is firing on all cylinders at the moment and even though Madrid got embarrassed by Barcelona in El Clasico recently by Barcelona, they are good enough to win this match without hitting top gear. Mourinho is too efficient to let chances slide like this, even if this match has no real baring on the outcome of the group. Auxerre are not good enough to get wheat they want from a trip to Madrid. Real Madrid won 1-0 in Auxerre, but you can probably expect a few more goals on the score sheet than that. Auxerre don’t carry enough threat, so a home win here.
Tip: Real Madrid 1/2 at 888Sport
Others: Draw 15/4 at Bwin, Auxerre 7/1 at BetFred

AC Milan v Ajax

This would have been a fantastic match in prospect if they were battling it out on Match Day Six for second place. However, the big threat that was supposed to come from European giants Ajax simply never emerged. Their inability to beat either AC Milan and Real Madrid has really hurt them, and has rightly left them back in third place. Technically they could be caught by Auxerre, if the French side pull off a incredibly result away to Real Madrid, and Ajax beat AC Milan by a couple of clear goals. It’s unlikely to play out that way, both top seeds losing on the same night in the same group? No. Ajax were hammered by Real Madrid in their last match at home, running out to a heavy 4-0 defeat at the hands of Cristiano Ronaldo and co. AC Milan aren’t quite on the same level as Real Madrid, but they are still good enough to secure a home win. A win for AC Milan really would do nothing, as they can’t be caught for second place, and they can’t catch Real Madrid for top spot, no matter what happens. This could just peter out in a drawn match really, with Ajax showing a bit of fight late on and Milan not really all that interested in the match. The two sides drew 1-1 when they met in Amsterdam early in the tournament.
Tip: Draw Evens at Boylesports
Others: Draw 13/5 at Totesport, Ajax 3/1 at Coral

Group H

Shakhtar Donetsk P5 W4 D0 L1 Pts 12
Arsenal P5 W3 D0 L2 Pts 9
Braga P5 W3 D0 L2 Pts 9
Partizan Belgrade P5 W0 D0 L5 Pts 0

Arsenal v Partizan Belgrade

The Gunners may just have blown their chance to win the group, suffering two away defeats in a row, first to Shakhtar and then to Braga. That has left them trailing in second place, and needing a huge favour from Braga if they are going to steal away top spot. A win for Arsenal and a loss for Shakhtar would put Arsenal top on goal difference. This match needs to be won first, as second place in the group is not even secure yet. So how will the Gunners respond? Read our full match betting preview here for tips

Shakhtar Donetsk v Braga

The most interesting match of the night on Wednesday. You have to assume an Arsenal win will come in the other match against bottom side Partizan who have not picked up a single point yet, so that leaves this one in a very interesting situation. Shakhtar Donetsk will only need a point to secure top spot in the group if Arsenal win. That will be just reward for some excellent performances, including the vital win over the Gunners. However, Braga are in an interesting situation themselves as they have a lot to play for. The Portuguese side pulled of a late, but great win over Arsenal on Match Day five, drawing themselves level with Arsenal on nine points. So a win for Braga would be enough so send them through if Arsenal fail to beat Partizan. If both Arsenal and Braga win, then those two, plus Shakhtar Donetsk would all end up on twelve points. All the head to head records would be identical incidentally, so it would be a free for all on goal difference. Arsenal hold the trump card there, so Braga would need to beat Shakhtar by five goals to be safe in that situation. This is the only group where the two places have not been secured. Is there a surprise on the cards?
Tip: Shakhtar 8/11 at Stan James
Others: Draw 14/5 at Totesport, 9/2 at Boylesports