didier drobga

Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur Betting Tip & Odds: These London derbies are always entertaining affairs for your football betting, and there hasn’t been a 0-0 since 2004 between the two sides. So we can expect goals, and both sides should go for it as it is a crucial match for both. Chelsea just look to have the better defence, more options up front and of course, that all important factor of form. Form should be the only thing to separate the two sides in this one right now, and with the Blues having strong home form against Tottenham, sort of expecting a big response ahead of a trip to Old Trafford from Ancelotti’s men. Would be bold enough to go for odds of 6/5 for a Chelsea -1.5 Asian Handicap at Bet365

Chelsea to win: 8/15 at Boylesports
Draw: 17/5 at Victor Chandler
Tottenham Hotspur to win: 13/2 at Victor Chandler

EPL Match Preview: Chelsea v Tottenham betting is a great London derby to whet the whistle of Premier League title watchers ahead of Sunday’s Arsenal v Manchester United clash at the Emirates. Spurs head to Stamford Bridge to face Tottenham on Saturday, with both sides needing a win. Chelsea, who are the league’s most in form team with 22 points from their last eight matches, need to keep up the pressure on Manchester United for the title, while Spurs are clinging to faint hopes of getting back into the Champions league. This is the Premier League’s big match for Saturday with a lot at stake now we are really at the business end of the season. Will the in form Chelsea be able to down their old rivals in what promises to be a good open game? Will we see more from Fernando Torres? Will Spurs be able to stay strong enough at the back?

Chelsea Form: With Arsenal’s inability to win matches at the moment, Chelsea are realistically the one side who can now stop Manchester United from clinching the Premier League title. Chelsea have pulled themselves clear of Arsenal to sit in second place in the league, six points behind Manchester United (and just two behind on goal difference if it comes to that). This is simply a must win match for Chelsea if they are going to catch United, as there will be just three to play after this London derby. With a win, Chelsea would close to within three points of the top, and with the knowledge that United have a tricky trip to The Emirates on Sunday to play Arsenal. There will still be the small matter of Chelsea going to Old Trafford as well, so it’s not all over yet for Carlo Ancelotti’s men, who looked totally down and out of the running at one stage. It is to their credit they have bounced back with great aplomb. It will be interesting now to see what happens with Fernando Torres, now that he has finally opened his goal scoring account with Chelsea. Torres netted a goal after coming off the bench in the three-nil win over West Ham last weekend, so Ancelotti will have to decide whether to start with him this time. Was that the confidence boost he needed to get going? Chelsea are in blistering form at the moment, winning seven of their last eight matches (the other one a draw), a run which was all started by a 2-1 victory over Manchester United at Stamford bridge. Chelsea have conceded five goals in that time, scoring 18. After hitting three goals in each of their last three Premier League matches, it looks as if they have rediscovered their scoring touch. Goalkeeper Petr Cech is also in a race with Man City’s Joe Hart to be top keeper with the most clean sheets this year, so the Chelsea defence will need to stand tall again against their rivals. The two sides drew 1-1 at White Hart Lane in the midst of Chelsea’s huge dip in form when they didn’t win for six straight matches. Chelsea need better than that. The corresponding fixture last year ended in a big 3-0 win for Chelsea, and that would be the ideal tonic for them as the Premier League starts to wind up for the season. If Stamford Bridge crew want to cling to hopes of retaining their Premier League crown, they need to win, and they may need to win by good margins. The Blues have suffered just two losses at Stamford Bridge this season, and are holding steady now, not losing in their last nine Premier League matches.

Tottenham Hotspur Form: Spurs have gone off the boil a bit of late, struggling to pick up wins. Their dreams of getting back into the Champions League are fading somewhat now, with Manchester City looking favourites to book that all important fourth place. After another disappointment last weekend for Spurs fans, a 2-2 draw against West Brom which frustrated boss Harry Redknapp, it is Tottenham’s chance to at least finish the season with some sort of bang. One thing which will at least give Tottenham some confidence, is that they have picked up their form against Chelsea of late, following their long history of not being able to beat their London rivals. Spurs haven’t been prolific goal scorers to the calibre of the top three teams, but it is their leaky defence which has largely let them down. To put it frankly, Spurs are not that strong at the back, and if they have to face the bruising presence of Didier Drogba, they could come unstuck easily. Granted, Spurs have had more than their fair share of injury problems at the back, but even at full strength, out of the two defences on show, you would back Chelsea’s. Spurs have relied largely on the creative threat posed by Rafael van der Vaart and Gareth Bale, but it hasn’t really been enough. Spurs have put on some great home shows this season for the White Hart Lane faithful, but consistency has been a problem away from home. Have their Champions League endeavours, having to fit in those extra matches, left Spurs with not too much in the tank for the end of season run in? Lack of depth at the back has hurt them, and the club are currently on a run of one win in seven Premier League matches. Not good enough at this stage of the competition, and they have not won in their last three trips away from White Hart Lane in the league. Spurs have lost five matches on the road and their inability to turn substantial draws into more points will probably mean they miss out on the Champions League. While their recent form against Chelsea has improved, they still have not won at Stamford Bridge since February 1990. Spurs have lost just one of their last seven matches against Chelsea now in all competitions, and you would think that would put them in good stead for a draw. A draw wouldn’t help either side here, with Spurs four points back of fourth place, so they may have to open up, and that could be their undoing.

Head to Head: Chelsea have a good record at home against Tottenham. Chelsea have won 34 matches, which is a 48% win percentage against the visiting Spurs. Tottenham have won at Stamford Bridge on 21 occasions, which is 30% of their trips there. There have been 15 draws at Stamford Bridge between the two sides. In the average goals scored, Chelsea average 1.46 goals per match at home against Spurs, while Spurs average 1.21 goals in matches at Stamford Bridge. Current form, sees Spurs having drawn two of their last three games at Stamford Bridge. In the overall head to head stats, Chelsea lead with 59 wins to Tottenham’s 49 (all competitions and venues).

Online Bookmaker Promotion: Paddy Power have announced their Chelsea v Tottenham betting promotion, and it is all about goals at the Bridge. If there are four or more goals scored in this match (doesn’t matter who scores them), Paddy Power will refund lost stakes on First and Last Goalscorer markets, Correct Score and Scorecast bets as well. This gives some good coverage, as these two teams will probably have to go all guns blazing at this must win fixture for both. Good value in the First Goalscorer, with Drogba priced at 7/2 with Paddy Power. Popular bookie Paddy Power offer a £50 free matched first bet for customers registering a new account.

Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Tottenham Hotspur 1, Chelsea 1
Tottenham Hotspur 2, Chelsea a1
Chelsea 3, Tottenham Hotspur 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1, Chelsea 0
Chelsea 1, Tottenham Hotspur 1

Chelsea have a 41% win percentage away from home in the league this season
Tottenham Hotspur have an 47% win percentage at home in the league this season

Chelsea are on a streak of 6 away games with no defeat
Tottenham Hotspur are on a streak of 2 home draws

Chelsea have scored 29 and conceded 17 goals in their away matches
Tottenham Hotspur have scored 27 goals, and conceded 17 at home

Chelsea average 1.7 goals per match away from home this season
Tottenham Hotspur average 1.58 goals per match at home this season

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

Chelsea have scored first in 53% of their matches
Tottenham Hotspur have opened the scoring in 36% of their matches

Chelsea 2010/11 top scorer: Malouda, 13
Tottenham Hotspur 2010/11 top scorer: Van der Vaart, 12

Chelsea 2010/11 Season Form: P33 W14 D13 L6 GF49 GA41 Pts 55 (5th)
Tottenham Hotspur 2010/11 Season Form: P33 W20 D7 L7 GF64 GA27 Pts 64 (2nd)

Chelsea v Bolton Wanderers Betting Tip & Odds: Really strongly fancy a 1-0 win for Chelsea in this one (see below for more details about that), but with Correct Scoreline bets more of a risky business, we will stick in the field of Asian Handicaps for the tip here. Chelsea aren’t playing well, Bolton are doing ok. This should be a tough match, for both sides really, but the impetus is on the home side. They need to break out of their shell and get forward with some confidence. They have a good record against Bolton and you really have to expect Chelsea to break out of their six match winless streak at some point. This could just be the match they need to heal their bruises after the footballing lesson that Arsenal handed them. Short on confidence, short on goals, but Chelsea are still worth backing to win. A Chelsea -2 Asian Handicap is worth a punt at 27/20 at Bet365. However, there are some decent prices taking Bolton in the positive here, somewhere around Bolton +1.5 Asian Handicap for 43/40 at Bet365 is decent value, but there is a great price of 13/10 at Victor Chandler for Bolton +1.75 which is even better value for the coverage, and just edges the tip here.

Chelsea to win: 1/3 at Paddy Power
Draw: 5/1 at Victor Chandler
Bolton Wanderers to win: 11/1 at Totesport

EPL Match Preview: Where do Chelsea go next? No win in seven matches, having blown a five point lead at the top of the Premier League, to now find themselves in fifth, seven points behind leaders Manchester United, is something of a dire position. For all of the heroics that Carlo Ancelotti performed last year in winning the double with Chelsea, that is not happening this year. It is still the same crop of players with which he operated last season, but they have hit a brick wall. Just four goals scored in their last six matches. Three defeats in their last six matches. It is a far cry from the Chelsea side which won their opening five fixtures of the campaign, scoring 21 goals and conceding just one. Ever since assistant coach Ray Wilkins mysteriously left the club, Chelsea have not won a match. Coincidence? Their performance in their 3-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates, suggested that they have a long way to go to get back to their best. They did get Frank Lampard back into the midfield, but as the game wore on, he became less effective, somewhat understandably. But having to keep him on the keep as he looks to get his match sharpness, highlights a major problem with Chelsea. They don’t have the strength in depth on the bench. They went into the match against Arsenal without a recognised striker on the bench, and when your main talisman Didier Drogba is not his formidable self, then you have problems. Strike partner Salomon Kalou was anonymous all night, and there was a stark lack of penetration, and even creation coming from Chelsea.

How does Ancelotti get over this? Does he deserve the boot? Realistically, no. There is just something not right at the club, a cog not turning in the machine properly. Immediately, the Lampard and Essien combination in midfield, gave them a better balance. Chelsea need Lampard, make no mistake about it. But Ancelotti’s hands are tied, in that he can’t change things up, because he hasn’t got the players at his disposal to do so. He has to stick with out of form players, he has no choice. The Blues defence looked very sloppy against Arsenal, gifting the Gunners two of their goals. The kind of mistakes which they made, come from lack of confidence. Chelsea do get Nicolas Anelka back into the squad, after missing the Arsenal match, but it has been over ten hours since he found the back of the net in the Premier League. Not inspiring stuff at all. Can they find something to get back on track? They can’t afford to drop more points, as already it is unlikely that Manchester United are going to drop over seven points during the rest of the season, just to allow Chelsea back in the title race. Ancelotti said that his side really need a wake up call, and their sleeping side have to shake off whatever Blues are plaguing them and beat Bolton. The defeat against Arsenal was a massive blow to Chelsea, now they are in an even deeper hole which they have to get out of. Chelsea do have a good record against Bolton at Stamford Bridge, winning 52% of the meetings between the clubs there, almost outscoring the Wanderers by a 2:1 ratio. The corresponding fixture last April produced a 1-0 win for Chelsea, and they would be extremely happy with that.

But Bolton are a much improved side this year, with boss Owen Coyle enjoying a wonderful season. This is the position which they are in. Bolton, with a win over Chelsea, could leap frog the Londoners in the league table, and take fifth spot. That would be an incredible achievement, and Bolton really are the surprise package of the season. They are in a spot of bother with injuries though, as they could barely fill their bench on Boxing Day, but they still triumphed over West Brom with a win. However, there are signs that their away form is taking a dip. They have lost their last two away matches, both by a score line of 1-0 (the same scoreline which they lost by at Stamford Bridge last season). They have struggled against Chelsea though, and haven’t won in their last thirteen attempts against the London side, and the weakened Wanderers may have to watch for Nicolas Anelka on his return. Anelka has hit four goals in his last six Premier League matches against the Trotters (15/13 Anytime Goalscorer at Unibet). There’s also Drogba, who has four goals in four matches against them (10/11 Anytime Goalscorer at Coral). Oh, and Frank Lampard, who has eight career goals against them (7/5 Anytime Goalscorer at Unibet). This really has the feel of a turnaround for Chelsea. A strong team is coming to Stamford Bridge, but it is a weakened one, and with history firmly on the side of the Blues, and with Bolton failing to keep a clean sheet against Chelsea in a staggering run of 19 matches, it points to a home victory. Chelsea need it, and their defence, which has the best home record in the league, should just seem them over the line.

Chelsea v Bolton Wanderers Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Chelsea 1, Bolton 0
Bolton 0, Chelsea 4
Chelsea 4, Bolton 3
Chelsea 4, Bolton 3
Botlon 0, Chelsea 2

Chelsea have an 75% win percentage at home in the league this season
Bolton Wanderers have a 22% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Chelsea are on a streak of two home games with no win
Bolton Wanderers are on a streak of two away matches with no goal scored

Chelsea have scored 18 goals, and conceded 4 at home
Bolton Wanderers have scored 11 and conceded 13 goals in their away matches

Chelsea average 2.25 goals per match at home this season
Bolton Wanderers average 1.22 goals per match away from home this season

Chelsea 2010/11 top scorer: Drogba, 8
Bolton Wanderers 2010/11 top scorer: Elmander, 9

Chelsea 2010/11 Season Form: P18 W9 D4 L5 GF32 GA15 Pts 31 (5th)
Bolton Wanderers 2010/11 Season Form: P19 W7 D8 L4 GF32 GA25 Pts 29 (6th)

Newcastle v Chelsea Betting Tip & Odds: Chelsea need to get themselves together. On their last two trips to St James Park, they have come away 2-0 winners, and that looks a good trend to jump on. Chelsea still have the best defensive record in the Premier League by a long way, and that is something which should serve them well, even though they are not at full strength with John Terry out still. You have to picture Chelsea breaking out of their mini slump with some style soon, and how open Newcastle are, it could just be an invitation for Drogba, Malouda and Anelka. Chelsea to win by two goals: Chelsea -1.5 Asian Handicap 7/4 at Bet365

Newcastle to win: 9/2 at Bet365
Draw: 3/1 at Victor Chandler
Chelsea to win: 7/10 at Totesport

EPL Match Preview: If ever Chelsea needed a wake up call, then they received one on Saturday. The Blues have fallen from the top of the Premier League, after seeing Arsenal secure a 4-2 win over Aston Villa yesterday, and a Manchester United thrash Blackburn at Old Trafford. After losing their last two matches, Chelsea need to respond, and respond well. Suddenly the wheels are coming off at Stamford Bridge, or so it would appear. The biggest problem with Chelsea is that the goals have dried up. They are playing the same old Chelsea way which has served them so well, and which saw them get off to a strong start to the season. However, having hit just one goal in their last four Premier League matches, Chelsea are struggling to buy a goal at the moment. The same strikers are there, so what has happened to Chelsea? Carlo Ancelotti will be looking at the midfield he is putting out and the moment, and praying that Frank Lampard and Michael Essien get back into action soon. Lampard is still on the sidelines with an injury, while Essien sits out the trip to Newcastle, serving the final match ban of his current suspension. The downward turn in form can really be spotted when Essien was sent off in a win against Fulham. The following two matches without him, Chelsea have suffered. That is how influential the Ghanaian is.

So it is up north they head now, with no game appearing easy for them. They left it late in the week to beat Zilina in the Champions League after falling behind at Stamford Bridge. That was only a 2-1 victory for the Blues, and while the youngsters were given a run out by Ancelotti, the lack of clinical finishing and good execution in getting balls forward, was still evident. It’s not that Chelsea are doing anything wrong, they just need a tonic. A pick-me-up to get over this hump. These skids happen in sport and Chelsea haven’t become a bad team overnight. This is the same double winning team from last term. It is the same coach. But speculation is mounting over how long Ancelotti will be in charge at the Bridge. Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich isn’t happy at the moment, if the media rumours are to be believed. That is the pressure which managers are under. Lose at your peril. One big problem, is that Chelsea really don’t have a lot of cover at the back either, and with John Terry unable to play, and centre half partner Alex playing on while he needs surgery, the back line have been weakened. But they need to get on with things, and forget about that.

This is not the first meeting of the two sides this season, as the sides butted heads in the Carling Cup at Stamford Bridge. Newcastle stunned the home side in a thrilling 4-3 victory on that night, and games with Newcastle in them are never really short of goals. Therefore, this could be just the fixture that Chelsea needs to break out of their slump. Surely Didier Drogba (5/4 at Extrabet Anytime Scorer) or Anelka (2/1 at Boylesports Anytime Scorer) will get them firing again, because there is too much class up front for Chelsea to go on a barren run for too long. It just doesn’t make sense, and therefore both of them are worth looking at in Goalscorer markets. Check out Florent Malouda too (7/4 at Bet365 Anytime Scorer), who just seems to be in the right place at the right time for Chelsea this year, and is a marked improved player in front of goal. Do Chelsea have the courage and confidence in themselves to win away? Arsenal had to do it on Saturday to get out of their slump, and now Chelsea have to react to losing their lead at the top of the Premier League. Chelsea are now three points behind leaders Manchester United, who hit seven goals past a hapless Blackburn yesterday. Chelsea do have a good run going at St James Park, having not lost there on their last three visits, and Newcastle have failed to score on Chelsea in their last three meetings.

Newcastle can empathise with Chelsea a little bit, in that their starting centre half pairing are both missing. Both Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson are starting their three match bans, which depletes the Newcastle back line. Who may have to step into the breach? Ex Arsenal man, Sol Campbell, who would be making his first start with Newcastle. That’s not good news for boss Chris Hughton, who has seen his side skid to no win in three Premier League matches. This isn’t a match between two teams in great form, that is for sure. Newcastle will also be without Joey Barton buzzing around in midfield, and that will be a big blow, because if anyone was going to upset and irritate a fragile Chelsea midfield, then it would probably have been him. The Toon Army have slipped down to thirteenth in the league and were routed 5-1 by Bolton last weekend. However, Newcastle really have had their moments this season, thrashing Sunderland 5-1, thrashing Aston Villa 6-0 (both at home), while grabbing a cheeky 1-0 away win at Arsenal. With only a 29% win percentage at home though, you have to look for a Chelsea victory to come really. But Newcastle to pose a big threat up front, with Andy Carroll (27/11 at Unibet Anytime Scorer) throwing his weight around. He really could cause the Chelsea back line problems, and with strike partner Kevin Nolan (7/2 at SkyBet Anytime Scorer) having hit 6 home goals out of his 7 total tallied this year, Newcastle know where the goal is. They are a brave side, and that was seen in their performance in beating Chelsea in the Carling Cup. Can they deliver a harsh kick to Chelsea while they are down?

Online Bookmaker Promotion: SportingBet are offering refunds on losing Anytime Scorer, First Scorer, Correct Score and Scorecast bets, up to the value of £25 per bet, if there is five or more goals in the match. This is a good offer, and certainly may well apply to the Newcastle v Chelsea match. We know Chelsea have awesome firepower, we know Newcastle have scored well at home, and we know both defences aren’t at their best? Well worth a punt with the coverage on offer from SportingBet. SportingBet are also offering a £50 free bet as a sign up bonus. New customers can only get this generous welcome offer, up until the end of November 30th!

Newcastle v Chelsea Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Newcastle 0, Chelsea 2
Chelsea 0, Newcastle 0
Newcastle 0, Chelsea 2
Chelsea 2, Newcastle 1
Newcastle 0, Chelsea 0

Newcastle have an 29% win percentage at home in the league this season
Chelsea have a 43% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Newcastle are on a streak of 2 home games without a win
Chelsea are on a streak of two away games without a win

Newcastle have scored 15 goals, and conceded 9 at home
Chelsea have scored 11 and conceded 6 goals in their away matches

Newcastle average 2.14 goals per match at home this season
Chelsea average 1.57 goals per match away from home this season

Newcastle have scored the bulk of their goals in the 31-45 minute bracket
Chelsea have scored the majority of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket

Newcastle have opened the scoring in 35% of their matches
Chelsea have scored first in 57% of their matches

Newcastle 2010/11 top scorer: Carroll, 8
Chelsea 2010/11 top scorer: Malouda, 7

Newcastle 2010/11 Season Form: P14 W5 D3 L6 GF22 GA21 Pts 18 (12th)
Chelsea 2010/11 Season Form: P14 W9 D1 L4 GF28 GA9 Pts 28 (3rd)

Chelsea will look to reclaim their top spot in the Premier League, after being leap-frogged by both Arsenal and Manchester United. Chelsea are on 48 points, two behind leaders United, but have two games in hand over Alex Ferguson’s men. They can give themselves a huge advantage by leaping one point ahead with a win over Birmingham at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. Boss Carlo Ancelotti has injury worries over Frank Lampard, and is hopefully that he will be fully fit as Chelsea push on with their title charge. Lampard was withdrawn early from their FA Cup victory over Preston on the weekend, as a precaution over his fitness.

Some good news for Chelsea is that Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou are heading home, after favourites Ivory Coast crashed out of the African Cup of Nations to England’s World Cup opponents, Algeria. That will boost the challenge of the Blues, not that they have struggled without the big centre forward, as Nicolas Anelka has been in possibly the most sparkling form of his career. He won’t be back in time to make Wednesday’s line-up, but should make a return to action on the weekend. First the London side need to find a way to overcome Birmingham, who are proving that they are no pushovers in the league this year. Bad news from the African Cup of Nations, is that influential midfielder Michael Essien will be missing for up to 6 weeks after picking up an injury.

Under Alex McLeish, Birmingham have recently gained draws against both Manchester United and Chelsea. They have climbed to seventh in the Premier League and are on a fantastic unbeaten run of 12 Premier League games without defeat. That is a club record for the Midlanders, and having been the first team to stop Chelsea scoring this season in a 0-0 draw, they will be hoping for more of the same at the Bridge. Chelsea have the best home record in the Premier League and Birmingham will meet the Blues in a confident mood, having found the back of the net 14 times in the last three matches.

Birmingham, thanks to a lot of consistency, should field the same side which they have done for the large part of the season. They had been in the hunt for Liverpool’s Ryan Babel to boost their scoring, but nothing has come of that of yet. Instead they have confirmed that they want to sign Ranger’s striker Kris Boyd to look for more potency up front. Birmingham have only scored 9 home goals all season, so there is a lot of room for improvement. McLeish has already signed a new playmaker for midfield, with Michel joining them from Spanish side Sporting Gijon. He won’t be available for Wednesday night’s match though.

BETTING STATS

Last 5 Head to Head
Birmingham 0, Chelsea 0
Birmingham 1, Chelsea 1
Chelsea 3, Birmingham 2
Birmingham 0, Chelsea 0
Chelsea 2, Birmingham 0

Last 5 League Match Goals
Chelsea – 12 For, 5 Against
Birmingham – 5 For, 3 Against

Last 10 Matches Form
Chelsea – W6, D3, L1
Birmingham – W6, D4, L0

Win Percentage
Chelsea have a 90.9 win percentage at home
Birmingham have a 40.0 win percentage away from home

Match Prices:
Chelsea to win: 5/19 at Expekt
Draw: 5/1 at SkyBet
Birmingham to win: 14/1 at Totesport

Betting Advice: Two thoughts come to mind when looking at this game. One, is that Birmingham’s great unbeated run has to end some time, and the second is that Chelsea won’t like having been pushed down into third. Even with the games in hand they have, it should give them enough incentive to put on a confident display. Both factors lean heavily towards backing a comfortable Chelsea win at Stamford Bridge, even though Birmingham are tight at the back.
Over 2.5 Goals: Evens at Coral

Despite all the tragic surroundings involving the Togo team ahead of the African Cup of Nations, the tournament is still pressing ahead, with its opening game on Sunday between hosts Angola and Mali. The events may be a little overshadowed by the horrific scenes at the border, on which gunfire fatally opened up on the Togo team bus, which has led to the Togo team withdrawing from the competition. They would have opened their account against Ghana on Monday, but it is not to be. The tournament pressing ahead, seems to be a positive move in the face of adversity. It would be all too easy to cancel everything, but, as the old axiom goes, the show must go on. While a lot of thought will spared for the victims involved, positivity comes from moving on and the tournament now has a big chance to unite everyone.

Didier Drogba’s Ivory Coast will be strong favourites to lift the cup, and the draw has thrown together in a group with team mate Michael Essien’s Ghana, though in Group B. They place a nice style of football, and with Togo’s withdrawal, it leaves them and the Ivory Coast as clear favourites to qualifying, with Burkina Faso being the only other team. The African Cup of Nations does provide some great football, and hopefully it will not just be remembered as the tournament which Togo pulled out of for tragic reasons. The colourful Cameroon side will be entertaining and dangerous as well, and they should have a comfortable qualification from group D, with on Tunisia who should be able to challenge them.

While a winner of the tournament is not going to come from Group A, which includes the hosts Angola, Egypt and Nigeria square off in Group C, which should be entertaining. Egypt are the current holders of the African Cup of Nations trophy, and will be looking for a big tournament again, seeing as how they have nothing to do in the summer, after losing out on qualification to the World Cup to bitter rivals Algeria. Algeria are of course, in England’s World Cup 2010 group, and it will be a good chance to assess the unknown quantity, and there will be members of the England management watching them at some point (though it won’t be Fabio Capello himself).

So who to look at when making a bet? Well, this will depend on whether you like betting on favourites or not. To be honest, looking at the state of affairs for the African Cup of Nations, there doesn’t appear to be an outright favourite, but there are three teams which are on a very close par. No surprises that they are the Ivory Coast, Ghana and Cameroon. There are World Class players on show for all of them, with a lot of players from Europe, including the Premier League. If anything, the draw is going to heavily favour Ghana and Ivory Coast, because they will have to play their quarter final matches against the teams from the weakest group, Group A. That should influence things a bit, and while smart money will probably go on Ivory Coast, look for good prices on Ghana and Cameroon, even if they are each way bets.

African Cup of Nations Outright Winner:
Ivory Coast – 9/4 at SkyBet
Cameroon – 11/2 at SkyBet
Ghana – 6/1 at Ladbrokes
Nigeria – 17/2 at Expekt
Egypt – 9/1 at William Hill

Stamford Bridge
Sunday, 8 November 2009
Kick-off: 4pm

The Premier League’s top two go head to head on Sunday at Stamford Bridge, when Manchester United hit the capital. This is the biggest match of the season so far, with Chelsea enjoying a two point advantage over their northern rivals at the top of the league. Both teams go into the important clash on the back of drawn games midweek in the Champions League. Chelsea were denied a late away victory by Atlético Madrid, while Manchester United had to fight their way back from 3-1 down against CSKA Moscow at Old Trafford. Both sides will be looking to pick themselves back up from that, and press home an advantage in the race for the Premier League.

A win for the home side will send them five points clear, the best advantage they will have had all season. Manchester United need a win to keep them in touch with the top, as Arsenal are breathing down their neck. The Gunners are just three points behind United with a game in hand. This could be a huge weekend at the top of the league, with Arsenal in clinical form and travelling to Wolves for their game on Saturday. Chelsea recently had some good news that their transfer ban has been suspended, pending a final decision on the whole case. Chelsea were cited for wrong-doing in the signing of Gael Kakuta from Lens, which led to FIFA slapping their wrist, by not being able to sign any new players until 2011. But with the suspension of the sentence, it leaves the January transfer window open for Ancelotti. Despite rumours, The Italian, who Alex Ferguson has shown some admiration and respect for ahead of Sunday’s game, has stated that they are not going to rush into the market.

Chelsea’s title ambitions in both Europe and the Premier League could all rely on what happens there. Ancelotti has stated that the transfer ban would not affect them too much, as he was happy with his squad, but there are considerations to take into effect. Chelsea will be without Drogba, Essien, Kalou and Mikel for the best part of January, because of the African Nations cup. That is the price to pay for having Africa’s elite playing for you, and the club will be wary of that, and the consequences of the fact that the ban could still stand as punishment when a final decision is made. This could still be their last chance to sign players for some time, and the Chelsea team is not exactly a young one.

It is a little surprising that Alex Ferguson never really cashed in on the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. He has gone the Arsenal route of trying younger players such as Anderson and Nani in his place, as well as picking up Valencia and Michael Owen. But with all the wealth and status that the club has, they could attract some of the biggest names across Europe to bolster their squad. Another world class striker to partner Rooney, a world class creative midfielder, and a steadying influence at the back would make all the world of difference to the Old Trafford side, who haven’t not looked to be firing on all cylinders this season. They are trailing both Arsenal and Chelsea in the number of goals for an against, which is an unusual sight. It is hard to argue that the spend-thrift Scot Ferguson doesn’t know what he is doing, but they seem content to take on Chelsea’s stars by making the best of what they have. Not that is too shabby or anything, but perhaps they lack an edge that they had, which is why Chelsea are favourites to take the Premier League – 6/5 at Totesport.

TALE OF THE TAPE:
Managers. Well, there’s hardly anyone who can come close the amount of achievement that Alex Ferguson has under his belt. Eleven Premier League titles, five FA Cups and the Champions League twice, to name but a few. Twenty three years at the helm of the Old Trafford team, has seen the great man earn respect all across the world for his style of management. His opponent Carlo Ancelotti is no slouch either though, having won the Champions League twice with AC Milan, as well as the Serie A title. His first English silverware came at the 2009 Charity Shield. Both good men, but Ferguson wins out every time.
Manchester United win Managerial 1-0

Goalkeepers:
Chelsea keeper Petr Cech is widely regarded as being one of the best keepers in the world. Watching him keep net over the years for Chelsea, it is easy to see why. The big man makes a huge difference when he is playing, and he is the pivotal linking contributor to the amount of Chelsea’s clean sheets over the seasons he has been at the club. In the opposite net, Edwin Van der Saar still keeps on performing, but he had a bit of a howler in the midweek match against CSKA Moscow. The veteran perhaps is being more exposed this season, with United’s defence not being what it was.
Chelsea win goalkeeping 1-0

Defence:
This is where the big difference could be on the day. Chelsea clearly have the edge in this department, especially at home. The Blues defence have only conceded one home goal, where in contrast, United have let in seven. That’s a big difference in terms of easy pressure from your forwards. With England Internationals John Terry and Ashley Cole at the heart of it, the Chelsea defence has the steadying influence of Ricardo Carvalho. The poor form of Rio Ferdinand has been much publicised throughout the entire season so far. He has been suffering from a niggling injury, but he has not looked anywhere near his best. The calf injury has kept him out of recent games, and he will be missing again from the line-up at Stamford Bridge, as well as from the England team which take on Brazil in a friendly on November 14th.  United fielded John O’Shea, Evra, Johnny Evans and Wes Brown as their back four in their 2-0 win over Blackburn last weekend. The gaping holes that Moscow exposed in midweek will be cause for concern for Ferguson, especially trying to work out how to stop Didier Drogba from dominating things. Drogba is in some sparkling form and will be hard to stop, and Ferguson will no doubt still be reeling from the run-around which a half fit Fernando Torres gave his defence in the 2-0 loss to Liverpool. Torres and Drogba are probably the best two strikers in the Premier League at the moment, and United have to find a way to deal with Drogba, better than they did against Torres.
Chelsea win defence 2-0

Midfield:
Chelsea’s midfield reads like a dream shopping list of world class footballing names from across the world. Michael Essien has to be considered as one of the most accomplished midfielders in the world. His name often goes understated amongst the likes of Frank Lampard, Deco and Michael Ballack, but he is just as, if not more important than the rest of them. He has the complete game in his locker, the defensive duties, poise and time on the ball to pick off passes, as well as possessing a lethal shot. Reminiscent of Chelsea favourite Claude Makalele, the type of player who is always there, goes about his business quietly and yet is missed immensely when they aren’t there. He is the fulcrum of the midfield, which allows Lampard, Deco and Ballack to go about their creative business. With Florent Malouda and the return of Joe Cole to the ranks, Chelsea have a very strong, and world class midfield. Manchester United have always been built around a strong midfield, but it is fair to say that it is not quite as strong as it has been in past years. Ryan Giggs is still missing through injury, as is Owen Hargreaves, which may not be a bad thing. They did get the industrious Darren Fletcher back from injury recently, but in the last league fixture, Ferguson went with Anderson, Valencia, Carrick and Nani, who’s play needs a lot of work if he’s ever going to really fill fellow countryman Cristiano Ronaldo’s boots. On paper, Chelsea have all the strength in the midfield, because of the fine balance they have there.
Chelsea win midfield 2-1

Forwards:
Wayne Rooney is Wayne Rooney, and the presence of the England international was perfectly highlighted in midweek, where he came off the bench and gave one of his irrepressible performances to spark some forward life into his team. He is the edge that Manchester United need fully fit all of the time. Their back up forwards are Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov, which, when you look around Europe at the best teams from the leagues, probably fall along way short of class and quality. Then there is Didier Drogba, Chelsea’s Wayne Rooney. Drogba makes such a phenomenal difference to Chelsea, with his size and brute force, combined with surprising moments of footwork brilliance. He has netted on each of his last six appearances for Chelsea, and since the desperate of big Phil Scolari, Drogba has found a new lease of life. He is on a current streak of having scored 36 times in 42 games since a two month goal drought under the failed Scolari experiment at the Bridge. He backed up by Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou, neither of which are as good as Drogba, but Anelka looks sharp and creates a lot of problems of his own.
Chelsea win Forwads 2-1

Injuries:
Chelsea are only missing one name, and that is full back Jose Bosingwa, while Manchester United’s absentee list is a little longer. They will be without Rio Ferdinand, with still doubts hanging over defensive partner Nemanja Vidic, Ryan Giggs and Dimitar Berbatov. Gary Neville is also out because he is serving a suspension.

History:
United have not won at Stamford Bridge since 2002, which spans a run of eight games at Stamford Bridge which have ended in four wins for the Blues. In overall Premier League meetings, both teams have won 10 games each, with fourteen ending in drawn games. Drogba is top scorer for Chelsea with 9 league goals, while Wayne Rooney has netted himself 7 in the league.

Chelsea to win: 11/10 at Ladbrokes
Draw: 23/10  at Coral
Manchester United to win: 3/1 at Bet365

Betting Advice. Chelsea on paper should be stronger, especially being at the fortress that is Stamford Bridge. A struggling-for-form Liverpool exposed some of Manchester United’s frailties, as did CSKA Moscow in the week. With Drogba on fire, and Lampard getting back into the scoring groove, Chelsea should be able to open up a five point gap at the top of the Premier League.
Chelsea to win 2-1: 17/2 at SkyBet
Didier Drogba anytime scorer: 9/5 at Paddy Power