darren bent

Manchester United v Aston Villa Betting Tip & Odds: Well, Villa are finally showing some signs of improvement, but it is unlikely to be enough to go to Old Trafford and cause an upset. Manchester United are rolling along and dealing with everything which is getting thrown at them. United at home should be a banker for three points, and you have to look in that direction. They should have too much to offer up front against a Villa back line which isn’t renowned for keeping themselves out of trouble. Villa rattled United when they met earlier in the season, and still the Red Devils wouldn’t break. Not going to be great value in backing a United win, so it’ll be worth looking at Berbatov in the goalscorer markets. For the match outcome though, head to an Asian Handicap of Manchester United -1.75 for 6/5 at Bet365, paying out a half win for a two goal victory, full win on a 3 goal margin.

Manchester United to win: 1/3 at Paddy Power
Draw: 9/2 at Bet365
Aston Villa to win: 10/1 at SkyBet

EPL Match Preview: Manchester United will just not lie down. They were down at out at half time in last week’s away match against Blackpool, but then that old United resilience shone through in the last twenty minutes of the match, and their goals (including a brace from Dimitar Berbatov) saw the Blackpool hearts broken. All of Manchester United’s troubles have come on the road this season, and time and time again they have been backed into a corner, only for them to manage to find a way out. It is almost something which you come to expect from them on their travels this year, and they were at it again when they fell behind at Southampton in the FA Cup. It took a second half turn around to get them out of that mire as well. But, for all their ups and downs on the road this season, they still remain unbeaten at the top of the Barclays Premier League. It is quite remarkable, as prior to the season kick off, they did not look as sure fire a bet, with the level of quality throughout the squad, much poorer than it has been for years. They are still, despite their unbeaten record, far from being a great team, but the other teams challenging for the title race haven’t lived up to that mantle either. United don’t have the flair or passing quality of Arsenal, and they don’t have the quality in midfield that Chelsea can line up with, but despite all that they still get the job done. Does a home match against Aston Villa have the potential of being the one which ends their unbeaten run? No, even though Villa played a really great match earlier in the season when United went to Villa Park. Villa pulled out a two goal lead, but yes, inevitably, Manchester United managed to claw their way back to earn a point. Back in United’s back yard, you have to expect a home win.

Whatever Dimitar Berbatov (7/2 at SkyBet as First Goal Scorer) has been having for breakfast, Chelsea fans will want some for Drogba and Anelka. The Bulgarian is simply on fire, and unstoppable this season, and this was after much criticism last season, that he was lazy, unreliable and wasn’t fit to replace Rooney. How tables turn. Wayne Rooney is having a tough season, and seems to be a shadow of his former self. There is no indication of where the next goal is going to come from him, and with Berbatov carrying the can, Mexican striker Javier Hernandez (9/2 at SkyBet as First Goal Scorer) is really pushing hard with his goal scoring feats, to replace Rooney in the line up. Hernandez always seems to be right there when United need something special to salvage the game. He has done it time and time again, and he was a great capture by United in the summer. You have to think that United will find a way through the Aston Villa back line, although it was a back line which managed to keep out Manchester City in a recent match. However, this is at Old Trafford, where Manchester United  have won 65% of all matches at home between the two sides. They didn’t win in the corresponding fixture last year though, when Villa stole all three points, but that result really went against the trend of how this fixture has generally gone. United have had a lot of success against Aston Villa in recent times, and that, backed up with their record this season, it all points to a convincing home win. There is also a vast gulf in the goal tally’s when the teams play at Old Trafford, with United having scored over 100 more goals in the fixture than the visitors. Sounds as if more of the same is on the cards.

Aston Villa, despite being stuck in a relegation dog fight for a fair share of the season, really are not that bad a side, and finally are showing their true colours and are improving. Gerard Houllier is the man charged with taking them forward, and they went in with a big splash to get Darren Bent from Sunderland during the January transfer window, and that was a vital coup. Villa have been one of the lowest scoring teams in the Premier League all season, and one of the major reasons why they were in trouble. They have not been helped along this season with their terrible defence either, which are having a hard time not shipping and giving away goals. Aston Villa have climbed up to thirteenth in the league, and are giving their fans a lot more optimism than a few weeks ago. They are now unbeaten in their last three matches to their credit, and finally Houllier looks as if he is getting things together at the club. Villa have a lot of good young players at the club, and because of a tough break with injuries, they have suffered this season. However, maybe the youthfulness is beginning to pay off now, as more experienced is gained. Villa actually play some good football, and like to use width. They have a bit of quality in Ashley Young, Mark Albrighton and now with Darren Bent up front along with Gabriel Agbonlahor, they should have more firepower to ensure their safety. Villa really do have enough to play their way out of trouble, however, they aren’t going to do it at Old Trafford.

Villa did great last season, taking points of United in both games, including a victory at Old Trafford. They are not going to do it this season, as they are far less organized than they were last year. Still, this is good testing ground for them, to see just how much they have improved. They don’t have a particularly great record against United, and back to back wins there in the league? Unlikely. Villa won’t be helped by the fact that their away form has been pretty miserable, winning just two matches on their travels this season in the league. They have been beaten seven times in their twelve away matches, but as mentioned, they have shown better signs, going unbeaten in their last three road trips, including a 3-3 tie against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. There is still the feeling that Villa are a work in progress, and heading north to Old Trafford is just going to be too much for them. When you have conceded an average of 2.25 goals per match on the road this season, Old Trafford is pretty much the last place you want to go.

Online Bookmaker Promotion: Check out 888Sport for some great football betting promotions, including their 88th minute offer, which covers some late goal heartache. If a late goal happens in the match (after the 88th minute!) then 888Sport will refund lost stakes on the To Win, Last Goal scorer or Correct Score markets for the match. 888Sport are a very popular online bookmaker and run a great service. They are well worth checking out for their updated on ongoing sports betting promotions. There is also the added benefit of you getting a £20 no loss first bet when you open a new account with them! A great place to do your Premier League football betting.

Manchester United v Aston Villa Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Aston Villa 2, Manchester United 2
Aston Villa 1, Manchester United 1
Manchester United 0, Aston Villa 1
Manchester United 3, Aston Villa 2
Aston Villa 0, Manchester United 0

Manchester United have an 92% win percentage at home in the league this season
Aston Villa have a 17% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Manchester United are on a streak of 12 home games with no defeat
Aston Villa are on a streak of 3 away matches with no defeat

Manchester United have scored 34 goals, and conceded 7 at home
Aston Villa have scored 11 and conceded 27 goals in their away matches

Manchester United average 2.8 goals per match at home this season
Aston Villa average 0.9 goals per match away from home this season

Manchester United have scored the bulk of their goals in the 31-45 and 76-90 minute brackets
Aston Villa have scored the majority of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket

Manchester United have opened the scoring in 69% of their matches
Aston Villa have scored first in 50% of their matches

Manchester United 2010/11 top scorer: Berbatov, 19 (14 of them at home)
Aston Villa 2010/11 top scorer: Downing, 5

Manchester United 2010/11 Season Form: P23 W14 D9 L0 GF51 GA21 Pts 51 (1st)
Aston Villa 2010/11 Season Form: P24 W7 D7 L10 GF27 GA40 Pts 28 (13th)

Aston Villa v Manchester City Betting Tip & Odds: Manchester City are favourites and rightly so. They have had to take the back seat to Villa in terms of spending at the moment, but they will be the happier team. They are growing stronger all the time, and showing off their title credentials, especially on the road. They are just solid in the midfield and at the back (apart from a couple of recent rush of goals conceded), and with Tevez scoring freely and taking chances, they will continue to get better now Dzeko is there. Will Darren Bent make a different to Villa? In the long run maybe, as they are crying out for a genuine goalscorer. They aren’t good enough at the back though and half a chance is all that City need to close out a game. City have won the last two meetings between the sides convincingly. Worth a Manchester City -1 11/5 Asian Handicap for 11/5 at Bet365

Aston Villa to win: 11/4 at Boylesports
Draw: 12/5 at BetFred
Manchester City to win: 23/20 at William Hill

EPL Match Preview: Well, this could be the match of two new signings up front really. Aston Villa have landed the services of England striker Darren Bent, in a surprise move from Sunderland. Bent dropped from a top six club to a relegation threatened team, but the striker said that he understands Villa are in a false position and he has a chance to really spearhead a new revolution at Villa Park under Gerard Houllier. The Frenchman has broken the Aston Villa spending record in getting Bent from Sunderland, but the Black Cats boss Steve Bruce hasn’t been particularly happy about the way Houllier went about his business in getting Bent to move. Naturally Bruce would be a bit aggrieved at losing a player who has consistently found the back of the net for Sunderland, and it really must be doubly bitter to see Bent leave at a time when Sunderland are actually doing pretty well. Anyway, back to the matter at hand, and that is Aston Villa’s safety in the Premier League. Darren Bent is primed and ready to go for his new club, and he will be charged with the responsibility of breaking down one of the best defences in the league. Gerard Houllier hasn’t stopped the spending, grasping the opportunity to put his own identity on the team at last, with Jean Makoun waiting for clearance to play. Houllier also gets back Ashley Young  into the side.

Villa haven’t been good at all, it’s fair to say, and over their last ten Premier League matches, they have won just once, a Midlands derby at home against West Brom. The problem with Villa is that their defence can rarely stand up to any kind of attack, and they have leaked 39 goals this season, the second highest amount in the Premier League. They have also had their problems up front, with a very lean attack, and wide man Stuart Downing is top scorer with just 5 goals. It highlights a lot of the problems at Villa Park, but with the experience Houllier can bring to the table, and with a big of cash in the right place, Villa should be ok. They have actually played some attractive football, but they have been just too lightweight up front and too disorganized at the back. The arrival of Bent should at least cure one of those problems, and he will fit into quite a young Aston Villa side, which means that there is a lot of potential and ambition surrounding the club. Villa need to find a way to keep some clean sheets, starting right here, or else they are not going to be in this match at all, not with the threat up front Manchester City are now carrying with their new signing.

That signing is Edin Dzeko from Wolfsburg. He has already has his run out in Manchester City colours, and paired up front with Carlos Tevez, the blue half of Manchester suddenly carry a lot more attacking threat. Bizarrely though, now they are more threatening up front, something has happened at the back, and their highly impressive defence has been breached five times in the past two matches (one league and one FA Cup game). It started with a thrilling 4-3 win over Wolves really and that is the most important one, as we’re focusing on league form. Prior to that City had notched up three clean sheets, and while City conceding more than two goals in a match is not going to break out too often, it means they are going to continue to be a threat at the top of the Premier League. They have won four of their last five league matches now, a negative display, much in the defensive mould we have seen them in this season, ending in a 0-0 draw at Arsenal the only disturbance on that run of form. City are level with Manchester United at the top of the Premier League, but have played two games more. All they can do is keep on winning and hope United slip up somewhere down the line. Can City win this one? Yes, because they have shown that they really know how to get the job done on the road in the league this season, suffering only two losses. They are undefeated in their last six away matches, and are steadily showing that they are coming together as title contenders.

City will be bolstered by the return of Nigel de Jong, Gareth Barry and Kolo Toure, along with Edin Dzeko after they all missed the FA Cup win over Leicester in the week. There’s no Mario Balotelli though, as he is still out injured, but that hasn’t stopped him stirring up Manchester United and Barcelona and Jose Mourinho in his unabashed confident manner. It was Balotelli who netted a hat trick when City met Villa at Eastlands at the end of December. That match ended up 4-0 and Villa simply weren’t in the game. WE really should expect more of the same, and Carlos Tevez is still in the form of his life. Clearly one of the best players in the Premier League by a country mile, and now that he has a new strike partner with a formidable goal scoring record in Dzeko, City could go from strength to strength, and as for poor Villa, well their big splash into the January transfer market could all get washed away under a cloud of not being able to pick up any points at home on Bent’s debut.

Online Bookmaker Promotion: If Aston Villa new boy Darren Bent scores the last goal of the match, popular online bookmaker Paddy Power will refund all lost stakes placed on First/Last Scorer, Correct Score and Scorecast markets placed on the match. Will Bent perform? Good promotion again from Paddy Power, and if you need to open an account with them to take advantage of this coverage, then there is a great £50 free bet welcome offer to snap up as well!

Aston Villa v Manchester City Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Man City 4, Aston Villa 0
Manchester 3, Aston Villa 1
Aston Villa 1, Man City 1
Man City 2, Aston Villa 0
Aston Villa 4, Man City 2

Aston Villa have an 36% win percentage at home in the league this season
Manchester City have a 55% win percentage away from home in the league this season

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

Aston Villa have scored 15 goals, and conceded 13 at home
Manchester City have scored 19 and conceded 9 goals in their away matches

Aston Villa average 1.3 goals per match at home this season
Manchester City average 1.7 goals per match away from home this season

Aston Villa have scored the bulk of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket
Manchester City have scored the majority of their goals in the 0-15. 46-60 and 61-75 minute brackets

Aston Villa have opened the scoring in 45% of their matches
Manchester City have scored first in 60% of their matches

Aston Villa 2010/11 top scorer: Downing, 5
Manchester City 2010/11 top scorer: Tevez, 14

Aston Villa 2010/11 Season Form: P22 W5 D7 L10 GF24 GA39 Pts 22 (17th)
Manchester City 2010/11 Season Form: P23 W13 D6 L4 GF37 GA19 Pts 45 (2nd)

There are some interesting goal scoring football bets around at the moment, as some of the Premier League’s top performers are showing their early form. Here we take a look over the race to win the Golden Boot for the Premier League, as some of the familiar faces in the goal scoring charts hit their strider, while some unfamiliar names are encroaching near the top of the odds. With football odds forever changing, because of goal scoring feats in weekend and midweek Premier League matches, now is a good time to browse over this market, simply because there is now an international break for the Euro 2012 qualifiers, including England v Montenegro on October 12th. Here we not only take a look at the leading contenders to finish top of the Premier League goalscoring charts, but we also assess their pro’s and con’s to help you decide who to back in your football betting.

Didier Drogba, Chelsea 9/2 at BetFred

Total League Goals: 6
Goals All Competitions: 6
2009/10 League Goals: 29

Pros: The big talismanic striker has a proven track record of goals, and just keeps on going. He is the fulcrum of the Chelsea attack, and will be again this year, even though there is pressure on him from youngsters in the squad. He will remain the main source of goals, and if Chelsea are going to retain the Premier League title they need him. He does make for a strong bet again after winning the Golden Boot last year, out shooting main challenger Wayne Rooney. Chelsea are such a heavy goal scoring side, that he will get plenty of chances to fill his boots.
Cons: Age isn’t on his side any more, and sometimes goes missing in action. With such good form of players around him like Anelka and Malouda, may get a little less time on the pitch this season.

Carlos Tevez, Man City 6/1 at BetFred

Total League Goals: 5
Goals All Competitions: 5
2009/10 League Goals: 23

Pros: He is the main man at Man City, and his ability and class immediately stands out on the pitch. Had an incredible season last year, carrying the Man City attack, and it looks as if it will be that way again this season. A lot of the goals he scored are spectacular and is one of the best technical finishers in the league. Every team would like him, in their side, there’s not much doubt about that. Has better players around him than last season. Can he push Drogba?
Cons: He is not in the most attack minded team, even though City have spend big in the summer on attacking players. The City style is still caution first, and they don’t create as many chances as they should. With a quality strike partner and better service from midfield, he could do so much better.

Dimitar Berbatov, Man Utd 13/2 at 888Sport

Total League Goals: 6
Goals All Competitions: 7
2009/10 League Goals:

Pros: United’s record signing is finally starting to return the expectations surrounding him. He has gotten off to a blinding start, which is just as well for United as Rooney has disappeared. Has some quality touches and can unlock defences with his technical ability. On his day he can look a world beater, and in a United side which likes to attack, he should be in the mix heavily when he plays.
Cons: One thing which Berbatov has been labelled as, is lazy. He hasn’t always shown the commitment to his side in terms of putting in the leg work. That was his downfall last season, and you can’t help but feel that once Rooney returns to full fitness, and once the hard winter matches get here, Berbatov may just fade back into his shell. Does he have the commitment and consistency to deliver?

Darren Bent, Sunderland 7/1 at Blue Square

Total League Goals: 5
Goals All Competitions: 7
2009/10 League Goals: 24

Pros: Remarkable that he has picked up where he left off last year, and proving not be a flash in the pan as people thought he might be. His goal scoring feats at Sunderland were remarkable last year, and earned him and England call up. The club look to him for goals, and he keeps delivering. With a new strike partner Asamoah Gyan, Bent really could be even more potent instead of being a lone striker. May not be the classiest player, but he certainly gets stuck in a knows where the back of the net is.
Cons: Playing in a Sunderland side which is just lacking the quality up front to supply him with more chances. That’s all that is missing really from making him a true contender for the Golden Boot. If he was at Man Utd, then you would back him heavily for example. It sums a lot up when three of his five goals have been from the penalty spot. There is a lot of pressure and expectancy upon him, but probably doesn’t have enough support around him to give him the chances he needs.

Wayne Rooney, Man Utd 10/1 at BetFred

Total League Goals: 1
Goals All Competitions: 1
2009/10 League Goals: 26

Pros: One of the most naturally gifted strikers in the league, and a fully fit and match sharp Rooney is something to be feared as shown last season where he was lethal. Give him a chance and he will finish it, or he has the ability to go and create his own chances out of nothing. The benefits of playing at United in a system which suits his game as lone striker will always help him.
Cons: Looks as if he is starting to feel the pressure from the media and the weight of expectation. Again missing out because of injury at the moment, and looking as if he is playing second fiddle to Berbatov. It’s been a long time now since we’ve seen the best of Rooney, you probably have to go back to March for that, and it’s just not there for him at the moment. United aren’t on top of their game either, with lack of quality coming from the middle of the park. Not looking good for Rooney this year.

Fernando Torres, Liverpool 12/1 at BetFair

Total League Goals: 1
Goals All Competitions: 1
2009/10 League Goals: 18

Pros: The Spaniard is still one of the world’s best finisher when he fit and enjoy himself. Last season he was plagued with injury but still managed to weigh in with a decent tally. A world class finisher, and if he moves to Man City as rumours are expecting to in January, it could boost his tally a lot.
Cons: In a very poor Liverpool team. In very poor health and fitness. In very poor match fitness. Torres deserves better and he has looked increasingly frustrated at Liverpool. He has had his critics, but he has not been getting any quality service this season. Was rushed back to quickly for the World Cup, and like Rooney hasn’t looked his best for a long time. Needs to be fully fit and on a better team to challenge and even fitness looks a long shot at the moment.

Florent Malouda, Chelsea 16/1 at BetFred

Total League Goals: 6
Goals All Competitions: 6
2009/10 League Goals: 12

Pros: Has really come on in his Chelsea career. Remember how long it took Didier Drogba to look like a class act after moving to Chelsea? Well, Malouda looks to just been finding his feet this year. Getting more involved in games, and making a more direct impact up front along with Drogba and Anelka. Could weigh in with a decent tally of goals, although it would be something special to beat his team mate Drogba.
Cons: Playing wider and behind the main front man, he doesn’t get as many chances. He is flourishing, but his place in the team is for support as opposed to being a main source of goals.

Nicolas Anelka, Chelsea 20/1 at Blue Square

Total League Goals: 2
Goals All Competitions: 7
2009/10 League Goals: 11

Pros: Carries the can a lot when Drogba goes missing, but when playing with Drogba, Anelka falls back into a support role and doesn’t find the goals to easy to come by. He stands up well in European matches, but just doesn’t have that quantity of league goals in him. Class player, brilliant in his support role, and should have his fair share of goals.
Cons: Anelka is not a main goalscorer, not in the league anyway, and that is because of how Chelsea set up, and focus the attack around Drogba. Will score important goals but just doesn’t have the amount of impact that Drogba has.

Marouane Chamakh, Arsenal 22/1 at 888Sport

Total League Goals: 2
Goals All Competitions: 4
2009/10 League Goals: n/a

Pros: Looking very sharp early in his Arsenal career, and will only get better. Arsenal play some of the best football in the league, and a technically gifted striker roaming around up front for them, will be in amongst the goals quite a bit. With Robin Van Persie missing, he should get plenty of action as Arsenal will look to him for goals. Playing on such a fantastic football side will also help, and Arsenal are big scorers in the league, and they could be rewarded well through Chamakh.
Cons: Unknown and untested in the physical Premier League over a full season. Other than that, the Gunners should be able to get a decent return on him.

Seeing as we’ve reached the midway point in the season, we thought it would be shrewd to quickly assess who the best punts are in terms of who will finish the Premiership season as the leagues most prolific striker. With 20 matches already played for some teams, we have three frontrunners setting the standards with 14 goals-a-piece; Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur), Didier Drogba (Chelsea) and Wayne Rooney (Man Utd). Each are plying their trade with a team currently occupying a top four berth, which just goes to show that having quality assistance makes a tremendous difference to a strikers goalscoring return.

 

English Premiership Top Goalscorers (As of 31/12/09):

 

Jermain Defoe 14

Didier Drogba 14

Wayne Rooney 14

Darren Bent 13

Fernando Torres 12

Louis Saha 10

Cesc Fabregas 9

Carlos Tevez 9

Gabriel Agbonlahor 8

Carlton Cole 7

 

 

Jermain Defoe – The former Pompey front man made his return to Tottenham nearly a year ago today and has proved a shrewd acquisition ever since, even if the Spurs fans didn’t know what they already had in front of their own noses. In his second stint at the club, Defoe has bagged 17 goals in just 24 appearances in all competitions. This season, Defoe has been the catalyst for Tottenham’s top four push and has scored exactly a third of their league goals this term.

 

Main Strength: Pace

 

Defoe’s biggest asset is his pace, without a doubt, but his all around striking ability has gradually improved since his spell at Portsmouth under the same manager, Harry Redknapp. His movement, both on and off the ball, has come on leaps and bounds, while his quick ability to read the play has been one of several positive reasons why Defoe has been such a handful for opposing defences during the early parts of the season.

 

Goals: 14

Starts-Sub: 16-2

Club: Tottenham Hotspur

Top Goalscorer Odds: 10/3 Boylesports

 

 

Didier Drogba – The Ivorian has not only been Chelsea’s best player this season but also probably the best performer in the league on current form, possibly even in Europe. When Drogba goes on one of his free-scoring, confidence beaming runs, the 6ft 2in powerhouse is close to unstoppable. After a difficult season last term, Drogba has come on strong in the early part of this season, but now his priority’s turn towards his International duties with the Ivory Coast in the African Cup of Nations. The former Marseille front man will be sorely missed as, like Defoe, Drogba has scored a large part of Chelsea’s goals this season and has been one half of a lethal striking duo involving himself and Nicolas Anelka. A partnership many thought would never work.

 

Main Strength – Strength

 

You don’t appreciate just what an athlete Didier Drogba is until you see him in person, strutting his stuff on that green acre of grass. His 6ft+ height enables him to tower over even the tallest of defenders but it’s his abundance of strength which makes him stand out from the rest and what makes him one of the most feared strikes on the planet. He has the strength to brush even the strongest and bulkiest of defenders aside and yet he still has the composure to finish with aplomb when given a sniff of a chance. Arguably the worlds best striker on present form but his International stint will stop him firmly in his tracks, especially if Ivory Coast do go all the way.

 

Goals: 14

Starts-Sub: 18-0

Club: Chelsea

Top Goalscorer Odds: 5/1 Bet365

 

 

Wayne Rooney – Just the name should be enough for all you Englishman and women out there. He is, quite simply, England’s brightest talent and he’s not only pivotal for his club, Manchester United, but even more so for England’s chances in the forthcoming summer World Cup in South Africa, although the conditions will be far from sun & shades out in Africa come July.

 

Rooney has been embracing our screens with scintillating displays ever since his arrival onto the scene at Everton, with his memorable long range strike against Arsenal catapulting him into the arms of Sir Alex Ferguson. However, his performances in a United shirt have confirmed what we pretty much knew all along, that Rooney is a world-class player. He has been United’s stalwart this season, driving the Red Devils forward whenever they have had their backs to the walls. Rooney never cowers away, he thrives on difficult situations and he’s actually been the only shining light in what has been a pretty poor United outfit this season.

 

Main Strength: Work Rate

 

Wayne Rooney has similar characteristics to Carlos Tevez, a former team-mate of Rooney’s. Whenever United have looked sluggish, which has been a lot this season, Rooney has picked up the pace by closing down every single opponent who dares to come into possession of the ball. Rooney just doesn’t know when to give in and you’ll often see him running right back to defence in order to make a tackle just so United can gain possession and start another offensive push. This sort of attitude infects those around him to do the exact same and try match his high levels. Those at the club strive to match Rooney’s work rate and high footballing standards, while those outside the club just want to be like him. What’s more, he is actually a decent chap off the field, although he’s like a possessed bulldog on it at times.

 

Goals: 14

Starts-Sub: 19-0

Club: Manchester United

Top Goalscorer Odds: 13/5 Boylesports

 

 

Darren Bent – Bent was the loser of the Tottenham camp under Harry Redknapp, and even with some newspaper columnists, but the England hopeful has put them all to shame with a superb start to the season which has seen the former Spurs man score 13 goals in 20 appearances for Sunderland, a club that were struggling to fend off relegation last season. Bent’s goals this term has enabled Sunderland to challenge for a top ten finish, and, outstandingly, claim the scalps of both Arsenal & Liverpool, with Bent scoring the only goal in the two 1-0 victories over both sides. His confidence at Spurs may have taken a battering but his morale will have sky-rocketed through the roof after a superb opening to the campaign with the Black Cats.

 

Main Strength: Awareness

 

Bent has always possessed a fair amount of pace and acceleration, whilst his finishing has generally been OK, but it was his off-the-ball awareness that tended to let him down as he didn’t have that predatory striker instinct which made the likes of Les Ferdinand & Alan Shearer so prolific in front of goal at club level. However, Bent appears to have got the knack of that old adage ‘being in the right place at the right time’ as time and time again this season, Bent ends up with the ball at his feet inside the penalty area. It’s not always about scoring the perfect 20 yard goal but more about sticking the tap-in’s into the goal, as those sort of goals come about more often, which is why Bent has prevailed this season.

 

Goals: 13

Starts-Sub: 20-0

Club: Sunderland

Top Goalscorer Odds: 7/1 SportingBet

 

 

Fernando Torres – Does this lad really need any introduction? The Spaniard stormed onto the scene with an unbelievable début season, scoring 24 in just his first ever season in the Premiership, two season ago, before enduring an injury ravaged season last term. To be fair, he has had his fair amount of injuries this season, with a hernia the latest in a long list of Torres injuries. However, even a cast-iron cast wouldn’t stop this lad scoring as he’s just unstoppable on his day, and he has his day just about every other week, which is why he’s just so deadly. This season, despite starting just 14 times for Liverpool, has notched up 12 goals, just two off the leaders who have played a good handful of games more than him. He narrowly missed out on the Golden Boot in his first season, but will be eager to go one better this season providing he eases off the injuries.

 

Main Strength: Finishing

 

I can’t think of a better finisher of the ball than Fernando Torres in today’s game. Stick the Spaniard in a one-on-one situation, heck even a three-on-one, and, chances are, he will skin both defenders and stick it away with ease. He makes goalscoring look so easy, with some composed finishing and neat ball work in tight spaces. That’s another thing with Torres, he not only has the pace to skin a defender but the skills to do so, as well as the know-how to beat a man to the ball from set-peices. You’d be hard-pressed to find a defender who hasn’t been made to look foolish by the Liverpool No.9, just ask Nemanja Vidic (Man Utd), who was supposedly one of the world’s best defenders last season, and yet Torres tore chunks out of him at Old Trafford, both last season and this season.

 

Goals: 12

Starts-Sub: 14-1

Club: Liverpool

Top Goalscorer Odds: 4/1 Coral

 

 

The four mentioned above are what I consider to be the main contenders for the crown. Carlos Tevez (Man City) could be a possible outsider but I can’t see him scoring enough regular goals to put him in the frame.

 

 

A few factors that could affect the outcome:

 

• Injuries (both to themselves and team-mates, as players like Defoe thrive on a quality supply)

• International Duty

• Discipline (Be careful of fiery characters; such as Wayne Rooney, who can lose his cool when things aren’t going his way which could then lead to a suspension)

• Form (For both the player and the team)

 

There are others, things like off the pitch problems with club debts, transfers, hiring and firing of managers etc. All of which could affect the overall morale of a camp, but they are the main ones that could come up with off the top of my head.

 

 

Our Golden Boot Pick: Fernando Torres

 

If he’s fit; he starts. If he starts; you’d fancy him to score. It’s as simple as that for us. Torres could go games without a goal and yet he would still have it within him to pull a hat-trick out of the blue. He’s immensely talented, one of the very best strikers on the planet when in tip-top shape, and an injury free end to the season would make him a very strong candidate for the crown as the two goal deficit he faces at the moment is nothing for him, especially now Drogba will miss the best part of January’s fixtures.

 

Odds: 4/1 Coral

We’re approaching the halfway stage of the English football campaign, with most top flight teams having played at least fifteen matches. As usual, the Premier League can only be won by champions Manchester United or Chelsea, with both showing the sort of consistency required to land the title. However, it’s a different story when we look at the Top Goalscorer market, with no less than five players being quoted at single figure odds by the bookmakers.

This market traditionally goes down to the wire, with Nicolas Anelka winning the Golden Boot on the final day of last season. However, it’s his Chelsea strike partner who is proving to be prolific this term, managing 11 in the Premier League to date. Didier Drogba might be a great bet at 3/1 (Sporting Bet) if it wasn’t for the fact that he’ll be jetting out to Angola for the African Cup of Nations in January. This will see him miss at least four matches for the Blues and it could knock the player out of his stride.

It’s Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe who leads the way at the moment, with the pocket-sized Spurs striker managing 12 goals this season. He looks to be in great form as he looks to cement a place in Fabio Capello’s England squad, although it’s worth noting that five of his dozen goals came in one match. I often think that it’s better to back players who score on a game-to-game basis rather than lots of goals in one go. Ladbrokes share the same view and go 4/1 that he finishes at the top.

It’s possible that Fernando Torres would be top of the tree had injury not played a part this season. The Spaniard has missed the last few games for Liverpool, although he has a tremendous scoring record when he has played in a red shirt this season. A tally of ten league goals sees him just two off the pace and it appears he’ll be back for the visit of Arsenal on Sunday. El Nino has pretty much returned to the odds (4/1 Sky Bet) that were given to him at the start of the season but can he now stay fit and kick on?

The other player to have hit double figures in the Premier League this term is Wayne Rooney, who is certainly what you’d describe as streaky in front of goal. Before United’s game at Portsmouth on 28th November, the England striker had scored just one goal in six games, although class is permanent and he’s now up to eleven goals this season after a hat-trick at Fratton Park. If he stays free of injury, he should easily reach the 20 goals mark, a tally which has been enough to win this contest on two of the past three seasons. Victor Chandler go 3/1 that he goes into the World Cup looking for a Golden Boot double.

Will the top goalscorer come from this group of four? You have to go back to the 1999/2000 season to find the last time a player from outside the ‘Big Four’ won this market, with Kevin Phillips banging in 30 for Sunderland. The Black Cats have a new prolific striker this term, with Darren Bent on the tails of the leaders with nine goals. Although the England hopeful has failed to score for the last three matches, he is the penalty taker for the Wearside club and won’t have the distraction of Europe in the New Year. Ladbrokes offer 10/1 that the former Spurs striker lands the spoils.

White Hart Lane Saturday, 7 November Kick-off: 3pm Tottenham will be looking to pick themselves up after last weekend’s heavy North London defeat against rivals Arsenal. There is another, albeit less impressive rivalry on stake on Saturday, when former Spurs striker Darren Bent returns to White Hart Lane. He left in the summer amidst a bout of Twitter mania, in which he criticised the White Hart Lane management for the way everything was handled. It is fair to say that Bent never really settled at the club, incurring the public humiliation from Spurs manager Harry Redknapp over an easily missed chance that Bent had let go begging. Bent will be laughing on the other side of his face now, as he is the Premier League’s top English goal scorer, and seems to have found his home with the Black Cats. Sunderland need to get some momentum going again, after having drawn the last two Premier League games. The visitors will be without both Kenwye Jones and Lorik Cana, both of which are suspended. Perhaps the biggest blow that Sunderland have suffered, has been the injury to Lee Cattermole, which has coincided with them struggling to pick up victories. Spurs, who will likely be without Aaron Lennon, which means he’ll also probably miss the England v Brazil friendly match on the following weekend, but will be glad to see the end of Jermain Defoe’s suspension. The England striker will be necessary if Spurs are going to get back on track. The defeats against Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea, have highlighted perfectly just how wide the gap between Spurs and the other big four really is. Despite what may appear to be advances in quality, they have really come up short when faced with the best. They will want to sort out defensive errors, as Sunderland continue to show that they know how to score goals. Sunderland, who spent well in the summer, have also been enjoying life in the top half of the table, much like Spurs. The London side have a two point advantage over the northerners, but have lost two games at home this season. Sunderland, despite pulling out some good results and performances against teams around and above them, are not to brilliant away from home, having secured just the one victory out of five attempts. Sunderland’s strengths lie at home, and that is something which will probably be puzzling and frustrating boss Steve Bruce, as he looks to make Sunderland a real force to be reckoned with. Tottenham to win: 4/7 at Bet365 Draw: 16/5 at ExtraBet Sunderland to win: 6/1 at Expekt Betting Advice: Form and history is all with Spurs on this one, having only failed to win one of the last eight matches between the two sides at White Hart Lane. Spurs problems all came about after playmaker Luka Modric disappeared from the line up through injury, and Robbie Keane is not having a particularly productive season up front. It is a battle of the strikers, Jermain Defoe on 7 league goals, and Darren Bent on 8. This is not just all about the return of Darren Bent though, as Sunderland players Steed Malbranque, Frazier Campbell and Andy Reid are all ex-Spurs players. Correct score 1-1: 15/2 at SportingBet Darren Bent to score: 11/4 at William Hill Jermain Defoe to score: 5/4 at SkyBet