Didier Drogba

Liverpool v Chelsea Betting Tip & Odds: While Liverpool have strung together three wins in a row now, you have to ask whether they are flattering to deceive? They haven’t faced tough opposition, but now they will. Chelsea breezed through Anfield last season and picked up a 2-0 win, and there is no reason why they shouldn’t do it again. Chelsea have only won 15% of their visits to Anfield, but look for a nice away win here. Chelsea are the stronger of the two sides,  with the calm and collected Carlo Ancelotti getting the better of Roy Hodgson, who doesn’t look entirely convincing in his role. Draw/Chelsea Half Time/Full Time bet 9/2 at Unibet.

Liverpool to win: 3/1 at Boylesports
Draw: 12/5 at Bet365
Chelsea to win: 11/10 at Bet365

EPL Match Preview: Less than two years ago, Livrtpool v Chelsea would have been billed as a clash between two of the Big Four. However, with Liverpool’s demise under Rafa Benitez last year, the Big Four crumbled, leaving a Big Three and some new hangers-on. Liverpool can not genuinely class themselves as one of the top teams in the country at the moment, and while they are a great club with some of the most enviable history and traditions, the current crop simply isn’t living up to par. Hopefully the takeover and the end of the financial to-and-fro will help them get their act back together on the pitch. It was the Steven Gerrard show on Thursday night when Liverpool needed their captain’s heroics to come and save them from a 1-0 half time deficit against Napoli in the Europa League, and that paints a pretty good picture of Liverpool right now. There is quality in the side, for they have Gerrard, Torres, Kuyt and keeper Pepe Reina isn’t all that bad either. It is the fringe players which really aren’t doing the job expected of them, and instead of the old Liverpool putting trust in youth, and buying young players, Hodgson has had to go with the pieces left behind by other clubs. All expect Portugal’s Raul Meireles, none of the players that Hodgson has brought in, really look like they are going to turn the fortune of the club around. Even the normally reliable Joe Cole hasn’t found his feet, and with him out injured and unable to face his old club Liverpool are crying out for some creativity. If they could just find some, then beating Chelsea really would see them spring into life this season one would think.

That is all it boils down to. They really need someone to back them up from midfield, and not just have to rely on Gerrard having to do so. When you have Torres up front, irrespective of whether he goes and is replaced by a proven goalscorer, you simply have to supply quality balls forwards. Liverpool haven’t done that this season and it is why they are struggling. Things may well turn around in the January transfer window with some spending cash on the table, but for now Liverpool are in something of a limbo. They gave Arsenal a good game on the opening day of the season at Anfield, and the Kop is still not easy to face for visiting teams, no matter how poorly Liverpool may be playing. There has been one other glaring flaw of Liverpool this year, and that is lack of work ethic and passion. In their defeats against Manchester City and Everton this season, that was probably the biggest factor in their downfall, they were bullied all too easily out of the game. Chelsea of course will fancy their chances of a good three points to maintain a five point lead at the top of the Premier League. They enjoyed a comfortable home win over Spartak Moscow in their midweek Champions League to keep their fine season going along. Michael Essien was rested for that match, along with John Terry and of course Frank Lampard was still missing. The Chelsea midfield may not be at its naturally strongest one on Sunday, as Lampard looks set to miss out again, and there are doubts over Essien.

During the week, there were positive signs that Lampard may make a return to the side, but now it seems at the eleventh hour, he may be held back. It’s not that Chelsea have missed him too badly, but put him back in the side and he will make a great team even better. Chelsea will also be without top goalscorer Florent Malouda, has he recovers from injury, and the Blues will be hoping that the influential Michael Essien will be fit again in time. He is crucial to the side in the absence of Lampard. You are not going to see much of a variation in tactics or formation from Chelsea, they do what they do best with a nice 4-3-3 formation, with Anelka, Malouda and Drogba spearheading the attack. The likelihood is that Salomon Kalou will simply slot straight in to replace Malouda, and with the back line fully in tact again, the Blues will be hard to break down. Chelsea haven’t been flawless away from home again this season, and they have dropped four points by losing to Manchester City, and only drawing against Aston Villa. However, they are the Premier League’s top goal scorers away from home and also happen to be the Premier League’s top team in not conceding away from home. That is how good Chelsea really are, and when you cast your eye over the stats below, you see a big gulf between the two sides, and there is where your betting has to lean towards.

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Liverpool v Chelsea Premier League Betting Statistics

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

Liverpool have an 40% win percentage at home in the league this season
Chelsea have a 60% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Liverpool have scored 7 goals, and conceded 6 at home
Chelsea have scored 11 and conceded 3 goals in their away matches

Liverpool have scored the bulk of their goals in the 46-60 and 61-75 minute brackets
Chelsea have scored the majority of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket

Liverpool have opened the scoring in 50% of their matches
Chelsea have scored first in 70% of their matches

Liverpool average 1.4 goals per match at home this season
Chelsea average 2.2 goals per match away from home this season

Liverpool 2010/11 top scorer: Gerrard, 3
Chelsea 2010/11 top scorer: Malouda, 7

Liverpool 2010/11 Season Form: P10 W3 D3 L4 GF10 GA14 Pts 12 (3rd)
Chelsea 2010/11 Season Form: P10 W8 D1 L1 GF27 GA3 Pts 25 (1st)

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.

Didier Drogba has now gone level with Florent Malouda in the scoring charts after his brilliantly-taken goal against Arsenal and the Ivorian is a best-priced 7/4 with Paddy Power to win the Premier League Golden Boot this season. There seems to be no stopping the Chelsea striker retaining his prize this term and he didn’t disappoint by keeping up his goal-a-game strike ratio for the English champions.

Carlos Tevez was also on the scoresheet on Sunday to fire home the opening goal against Newcastle and that means that the Argentinian has five Premier League goals to his name this season. Paddy Power offer 5/1 that he wins the Golden Boot and you can only imagine that the former Manchester United striker will get more chances as his Manchester City team continue to gel and create more chances.

Are these two players going to be the ones battling it out for the Golden Boot this season? It’s hard to see who is going to trouble them in the scoring charts, although some people might be taking a punt on Dimitar Berbatov, who is 9/1 with Ladbrokes to land the spoils. The Bulgarian has six goals to his name this season, although three of them were against Liverpool and his disadvantage could be the eventual return of Wayne Rooney to form.

The England striker will be playing a little catch-up when he next pulls on a Manchester United jersey, although the bookies aren’t quite ready to write him off just yet and Ladbrokes offer 16/1 that we see Rooney finish top of the pile. He is only five goals behind and did score in big volumes last term.

Darren Bent is 10/1 with Coral after failing to add to his tally of five goals against the Red Devils on Saturday, although the Sunderland striker could be the each-way value as he was last season, especially if a few penalties come the way of the Black Cats.

Of course, we shouldn’t forget Florent Malouda, who has scored as many goals as his team-mate Didier Drogba and also gets into advanced positions for a team who could easily score 100 times this season. The Frenchman will be aiming for 20+ goals and he is on offer at 16/1 with bet365 to win the Golden Boot.

Arsenal’s Marouane Chamakh is on offer at 40/1 (bet365) and the Moroccan has managed to score two goals for the Gunners this season and could be open to rapid improvement under manager Arsene Wenger. Andrey Arshavin has also scored a couple for the North London team and Paddy Power make him a 50/1 shot to be a surprise winner.

As for Fernando Torres, many punters will have given up on the Spaniard after incurring another injury for Liverpool during Sunday’s match with Blackpool. Bet365 lead the way in taking on the Spaniard with their quote of 16/1 and they might not find too many takers.

We’re now a few games into the season and the Premier League Top Goalscorer has a completely different complexion from the one at the start of the season. It’s been no surprise to see Didier Drogba among the goals as Chelsea have ran riot against lesser opposition and perhaps the biggest surprise is that the Ivorian has only managed five goals. Even so, he’s available at 2/1 with Ladbrokes and this could be the last chance to back him at this price.

However, the Chelsea player who is joint-top of the scoring charts at the moment is Florent Malouda, with the Frenchman benefitting enormously from Carlo Ancelotti’s 4-3-3 formation which sees the winger get forward and into goalscoring positions. Despite being a sub for the West Ham match, Malouda has scored half a dozen goals and Paddy Power offer 16/1 that he produces a shock by claiming the Golden Boot.

While Wayne Rooney pushed Didier Drogba all the way last season, it could be another Manchester United player who is racking up the goals this season. Nobody can question Dimitar Berbatov’s class after the Bulgarian managed a hat-trick against Liverpool last Sunday and Ladbrokes offer 7/1 that the forward wins the Golden Boot.

However, we shouldn’t discount Rooney just yet, with the striker on fire last season and more than capable of embarking on another scoring run of goals. He has had well-documented personal problems and could yet come into the reckoning at odds of 12/1 with Ladbrokes.

Will the Top Goalscorer this season come from outside of Manchester United and Chelsea? Perhaps Carlos Tevez is the striker that can challenge for the award and the Argentinian international has started well with three goals in the opening five matches. He can be backed at 8/1 with Blue Square which is a good deal shorter than the 14/1 that was available at the beginning of the season.

Another player from outside the Big Two proving to be ultra-reliable is Darren Bent and the Sunderland striker scored once again last Saturday when his team pinched an equaliser against Arsenal. It’s impossible to discount him from the reckoning and Coral offer an eye-catching 16/1 that the England striker finishes top of the pile. It certainly doesn’t appear as though manager Steve Bruce is prepared to rest him very often.

Arsenal have been scoring lots of goals and Marouane Chamakh seems to be improving every match, so he could have his supporters at odds of 33/1 with Ladbrokes, while Liverpool’s Fernando Torres (12/1 Ladbrokes) might only have one goal to his name so far but could yet spring into life for the Reds.

Nicolas Anelka is the other player that could go on a scoring spree and the Frenchman is 25/1 with bet365 to land the spoils. However, he might only score lots of goals if Didier Drogba was to get injured and even then, his compatriot Malouda might deny him!

Wigan v Chelsea Betting Odds

Wigan to win: 14/1 at Bet365
Draw: 5/1 at SkyBet
Chelsea to win: 1/4 at Ladbrokes

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Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Chelsea 8, Wigan 0
Wigan 3, Chelsea 1
Chelsea 2, Wigan 1
Wigan 0, Chelsea 1
Chelsea 1, Wigan 1

• Wigan had a 31.6% win percentage at home in the league last season
• Chelsea had a 52.6 win percentage away from home in the league last season
•  
• Wigan scored 19 goals, and conceded 24 at home
• Chelsea scored 35 and conceded 18 goals in their away matches
•  
• Wigan scored the bulk of their goals in the 61-75 minute bracket
• Chelsea scored the majority of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket
•  
• Wigan opened the scoring in 44.74% of their matches
• Chelsea scored first in 73.68% of their matches
•  
• Wigan 2010/11 top scorer: N/A
• Chelsea 2010/11 top scorer: Didier Drogba (3)
•  
• Wigan injuries: n/a
• Chelsea injuries: Alex, Jose Bosingwa
•  
• Wigan 2010/11 Season Form: L
• Chelsea 2010/11 Season Form: W

Wigan v Chelsea Betting and Match Preview:

Is this one as much of an away win banker in your football betting as it first looks? Certainly Chelsea are the major powerhouse in the Premier League as they start the season as defending Champions, but on the road last season they lost five matches, and one of them was a 3-1 loss against Wigan. That was a huge surprise in something of a topsy-turvy season for most clubs in the Barclays Premier league, but Chelsea of course redressed the balance on the final day of the season, when they hammered the hapless Wigan 8-0 at Stamford Bridge. This looks a stronger bet this time around for Chelsea to win, but it will be the first tricky test of the new season for them. Naturally they will start the match as strong favourites in the football betting, and not only because the Blues are so strong under Carlo Ancelotti, Wigan adversely, seem to be going backwards under Roberto Martinez. This puts the ball firmly in the court of the Premier League Champions, and no doubt betting will lean towards a comfortable and perhaps hefty victory for the Stamford Bridge crew. What can Wigan realistically get out of this match? A draw would be a step in the right direction after a howler on the opening day, and Martinez needs to use last season’s home win over Chelsea as a rallying point and perhaps mark them turning the corner. Betting should go towards a Chelsea win, which won’t bring wonderful odds on an outright bet, so play the Asian Handicap game with Wigan in the plus. That way, if the unexpected happens and Wigan do shut up shop for a draw, you will get more coverage and probably better odds.

Wigan v Chelsea Betting Tip: Chelsea to win by 2 Goals for 3/1 at Bet365

Wigan Betting:

Poor Wigan have a lot of problems as they seem to be losing their grip on life in the Premier League. Roberto Martinez is an exciting manager who has promised a lot, but the players he has at the club just don’t seem to work into his way of thinking any more. That maybe down to him, or that maybe down to lack of funds in getting the types of players he wants into the club to move them forward. The 4-0 home defeat on the opening day against Premier League newcomers Blackpool will be an extremely bitter pill to swallow. There is much work to do in order to try and turn it around, but with the next game against such a strong side in Chelsea, the task is not being made much easier. But on the positive side, should they pull off another miraculous home result like they did last season, then it could just be the fillip that Martinez has been looking for. Nothing brings confidence like beating the Premier League Champions. In all honesty, the 8-0 thrashing at Stamford Bridge showed a complete gulf in class between the two teams, and Chelsea have the ability to turn on the afterburners away from home as well. Perhaps keeping the score respectable will be a pointer for your Wigan betting on this one, and the best they could hope for is to salvage a draw. On the whole it looks unlikely though, with not enough class on the pitch to contain a strong Chelsea side. The longer they keep things tight, the more frustrated Chelsea will be, and Wigan will need to use long balls as their most dangerous weapon. It could be another torrid afternoon for Wigan and their fans, and your football betting should reflect that by leaning towards a Chelsea win.

Chelsea Betting:

Anytime Goalscorer bets are always worth a punt, and naturally with Chelsea you look towards Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda who is starting to come into his own as just as much of an influential player. Chelsea don’t really change much in their system when they go away from home, as coach Carlo Ancelotti likes his consistency, and that is why you won’t see major changes in the side unless injuries occur. Realistically as a football betting tip, Chelsea should be a good couple of goals better than Wigan, but in their last three visits to Wigan, they haven’t managed more than two goals in any of the appearances. That is something to bear in mind for your football betting strategy on this one. A two goal winning margin for Chelsea would probably bring home the bacon, because, as mentioned above the void between the two sides seem to be growing at the moment. Chelsea really had to scrap and grind out some away results last season, but in this early part of the new proceedings, players should be a lot fresher, and if you count the 8-0 drubbing of Saturday’s opponents at the end of last season, that’s fourteen goals in two Premier League games for Chelsea. Can Wigan live with that at all? Absolutely not. Anything can happen on the day of course, but you have to look at averages and statistics when making your football bets, and everything points to Chelsea maintaining a 100% record at the start of the new season. However comfortable or uncomfortable it may be, it should be three points in the bag for Chelsea.

Wigan v Chelsea Football Betting Prediction: Away win

2010 Community Shield Betting Odds

Chelsea to win: 13/8 at Stan James
Draw: 23/10 at BetFred
Manchester United to win: 15/8 at SkyBet

Premier League Champions and FA Cup winners Chelsea have named their Community Shield side already. Boss Carlo Ancelotti has said that that he will make only one change from the side which lost a pre-season friendly against Hamburg on Wednesday night. Ancelotti’s will field nearly as strong a side as possible, with the notable names missing from the starting eleven being goalkeeper Petr Cech, Ricardo Carvalho and Didier Drogba. Veteran Portuguese goalkeeper Henrique Hilario will continue in goal, while Didier Drogba will start from the bench as he recovers from a pre-season injury. Summer signing Yossi Benayoun, who came from Liverpool, is also out of the line-up because of injury. Chelsea have lost three pre-season friendly matches in a row now, and they have not had the ideal preparations ahead of the new season. What this will mean in terms of Community Shield betting, is that confidence will be with Manchester United, and may just confirm that Ancelotti needs to re-stock his squad with some younger legs. Chelsea are hunting Brazilian midfielder Ramires, who they hope will be with them before the end of the summer transfer window.

While the 2010 Community Shield is nothing more than a friendly showcase to raise the curtain on a new domestic season, it could have some influence in Premier League betting. In the past three season, the winners of the Community Shield have gone on to win the league title, with Chelsea being the last winners of the Community Shield, beating United on penalties last year. The last three Community Shield encounters have all ended in a penalty shoot out. With their poor form at the moment, will Chelsea be ready for Manchester United on Sunday? Defeats against Ajax, Frankfurt and Hamburg have not been a good indicator of things to come for Chelsea, and they need to step up their performance if they are ready to compete again on all front. They will certainly need to tighten things up at the back, and the loss of Petr Cech is a huge factor in the potential success of Chelsea. Midfielder Frank Lampard is glad to be back in the fold of his Chelsea team mates after a disappointing summer at South Africa 2010. The international stars on both sides who played in the World Cup, really have not had much of a rest over the summer, and the England fixture on Wednesday has been criticized for poor timing.

For Manchester United, they have injury concerns of their own, but are generally looking in much better shape than Chelsea at the moment. They have been rocked by the news that Michael Carrick will miss the start of the season after picking up an injury in a pre-season friendly. The prognosis is that he will miss a couple of weeks of action, and could seriously put his already under-threat England position on the line, as he will miss the international friendly against Hungary on Wednesday as Fabio Capello looks to reshape his squad. Red Devils boss Alex Ferguson has said that Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney will play 45 minutes each, probably giving new signing Javier Hernandez a full match as he gets used to his new team mates. The main concerns for Ferguson is over the long term fitness of Owen, and the much maligned Wembley turf could be a problem on his fragile hamstrings.

Community Shield First Goal scorer Odds:
Wayne Rooney: 4/1 at Bet365
Didier Drogba: 4/1 at Bet365
Nicolas Anelka: 7/1 at SkyBet
Frank Lampard: 7/1 at Blue Square
Michael Owen: 15/2 at Bet365
Javier Hernandez: 15/2 at Bet365

There will be no Rio Ferdinand, Gabriel Obertan or Owen Hargreaves, nor midfielder Anderson who has been linked with a transfer to Werder Bremen as a lure to get Germany stat Mesut Ozil, but promising young midfielder Tom Cleverley will be staying at the club and is being groomed as a Paul Scholes replacement. Mexican Hernandez could really be the biggest coup that United have pulled off in some time, after looking very impressive during the pre-season. He has found the back of the net three times in United colours, plus he also netted against United for his old club Chivas Guadalajara when he played forty five minutes for each club in a recent friendly. United missed out on a record fourth consecutive Premier League title when they were edged out by Chelsea in a fascinating season last year. With both sides losing more matches than was ever expected in the league last year, there are hopes for another exciting battle at the top of the table, especially with Manchester City spending big.

Community Shield Method of Victory Odds
Chelsea in 90 minutes: 13/8 at Stan James
Man Utd in 90 minutes: 15/8 at Blue Square
Chelsea on Penalties: 5/1 at Bet365
Man Utd on Penalties: 5/1 at Totesport

But the 2010 Community Shield kicks it all off, and starts a busy week in football. After Sunday’s Community Shield, England play Hungary on Wednesday, before the Premier League starts on August 14th. Even though Chelsea haven’t hit full stride yet, clearly, Alex Ferguson has started his mental games by saying that Chelsea remain the biggest threat to them. Both managers have concerns over the full fitness and energy levels of the World Cup players, and Ferguson is more likely to keep players back a little bit in preparation for the new season. Ancelotti has lain down the gauntlet by naming as close to his strongest side as he can, but United may mix it up a little bit more. Chelsea don’t look a happy or settled side at the moment, while United have been gaining momentum in their pre season friendly matches. That should swing the Community Shield odds towards the northern club, but at most online bookmakers you will still see that Chelsea are favourites to win the match. United could just have that extra spring in their step, especially if Ferguson blends in some of their keen  youngsters. For both of England’s top sides, it will be another step towards full fitness and form ahead of the new Premier League season, but looking at things at the moment, United may just have the early edge on the new season.

Chelsea: Hilario, Ivanovic, Terry, Ferreira, Cole, Essien, Lampard, Mikel, Kalou, Anelka, Malouda.

Odds for the Chelsea v Manchester United Community Shield and 2010/11 Barclays Premier League betting are still leaning towards success for Chelsea, even though they have received more bad news on the injury front. Premier League champions Chelsea will start the season without their talismanic striker Didier Drogba for the opening salvos of the new football year. The Ivorian Coast star has undergone surgery for a groin problem that was bothering him for the greater part of last season, and being the main threat up front for the Stamford Bridge outfit, the decision was made to put him under the knife now. While Drogba, who finished at the Premier League’s top scorer last season, will likely miss the start of the Premier League season it is something of a pro-active move by the club. The trouble is how quickly will he be able to get up to match fitness and sharpness? His absence will leave just Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou up front for the Blues. But there are other injury worries for boss Carlo Ancelotti to deal with too, as goalkeeper Petr Cech will be sitting out the start of the season, along with defender Alex. The club are also waiting for new signing Yossi Benayoun to recover from a groin problem as well. Chelsea have yet to make a big splash into the transfer market yet, but they, along with Manchester City, seem to have the deepest pockets if they do want to go shopping. Could these early injury problems swing a little bit of advantage to rivals Manchester United? The online bookmakers have Chelsea still as favourites to win the league, and they are 6/4 at Bet365 to retain their title, while Manchester United are 2/1 at Ladbrokes.

Community Shield Odds
Chelsea to win: 27/20 at SportingBet
Draw: 12/5 at Stan James
Manchester United to win: 2/1 at Totesport

Chelsea v West Brom Odds (Chelsea’s first Premier League Match of 2010/11 season)
Chelsea to win: 1/6 at BetFred
Draw: 13/2 at Bwin
West Brom to win: 14/1 at William Hill

On the injury front, England captain Rio Ferdinand could be out still for a lot longer than Drogba. The United centre half, who missed the 2010 FIFA World Cup, may not make a return to action until September because of the ligament damage which he did while training with the International side. While that will put him out of the start of the season, it could also mean that he won’t be fully fit when England take to the field in their two Euro 2012 qualifying matches at the start of September. United will also be missing Michael Owen and Owen Hargreaves, but one of their most impressive and positive players from last season, Antonia Valencia has recovered to take part in full training. Alex Ferguson was pleased to sign defender Nemanja Vidic to a new long term contract. United are currently in the United States waiting to take on the MLS All Stars on Wednesday. After beating Celtic and then the Philadelphia Union, Manchester United fell to the Kansas City Wizards 2-1 on Sunday, who aren’t the best side in the MLS by a long shot. But, United have been fielding a mix of youngsters and veterans, as expected, and their inexperienced back four, which included the less than impressive looking Chris Smalling, simply could not handle the pressure exerted by the speed and physicality of the Wizards’ front line. Don’t read anything into it though, it will be a much stronger United at the start of the Premier League season. United, who start their season on August 16th, plays Premier League returnees, Newcastle United. Both United and Newcastle have been linked with Real Madrid legend Raul, who is leaving his home club. The Spanish striker was expected to go to Germany, but there are hints that he could end up in the Premier League.

Manchester United v Newcastle United
Man Utd to win: 2/9 at Bet365
Draw: 5/1 at Boylesports
Newcastle to win: 12/1 at Paddy Power

News from Anfield is still surrounding striker Fernando Torres. Main protagonists in the race to sign him, Manchester City are reportedly not really that interested in pursuing his services after all. City are looking elsewhere and weighing up their options. The future of the Spanish striker is still up in the air, as he has yet to come out and confirm what he wants to do. Online bookmakers are still leaning towards him going to Eastlands, if anywhere, and Torres to Manchester City is Evens at SkyBet, while Torres to Chelsea is 2/1 at SkyBet. Meanwhile, new boss Roy Hodgson is on the hunt for striking bargains to fill out his squad, and he has been trying to get rid of Frenchman David Ngog. It looks as if the striker, who has failed to make an impression at the Club, is shooting himself in the foot by demanding £2 million in wages. That high price for a striker who hasn’t proven himself in the Premier League, means no-one else will want him and he could find himself further down the pecking order at Anfield this season. Liverpool are currently 13/8 at Paddy Power to land themselves a Top Four finish this season. Which is an incredibly long way from 4/9 at Paddy Power not to.

Where there are transfer rumours there will be Manchester City. The ongoing sage of Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli took a new turn as reports came out that he had signed for Roberto Mancini. This was quickly refuted by the agent of the promising youngster, who said that the player has signed nothing. Balotelli has been attracting the attention of quite a few top Premier League clubs, but there appears to be no definite direction to where he may end up. City are also looking at Wolfsburg’s Edin Dzeko, which looks as if it would be a huge coup if they could land him. Mancini is looking at offers for Brazilian star Robinho though. Are Manchester City buying their way to success. Even after they spent big last summer, this is looking like a further step up in terms of the quality of players being head-hunted and brought in. Manchester City are 5/1 at Bet365 to win the Premier League, third favourite behind Chelsea and Man United. City can also be taken for 8/1 at SkyBet to do the double over United in the league in the 2010/11 season, which would sound something of a shift in power in the city.

Manchester City are also at the transfer saga over Aston Villa’s England international James Milner. The 24 year old, who seems to have been around forever, has stated that he wants to leave Villa Park. He has held talks with manager Martin O’Neill, talks which have been labelled amicable, but the problem for Manchester City, is that clubs selling players know that City have money, and are jacking up the price. There is a hint of that going on over James Milner, who would be a great capture for Manchester City, and probably a boon for the England international side too. O’Neill has said that the offer which came in for Milner, was not up to his valuation of the player, and unless that valuation is met, then Milner won’t be going anywhere. Milner himself joined up with the rest of the squad on the weekend, and took part in full training and is expected to fly out to training camp in Portugal with Villa midweek. Man City are still favourites to capture the signature of Milner, and are priced at odds of 1/10 at SkyBet to do so.

Fulham have still not appointed a manager, with stand in Ray Lewington holding things together at the moment. The club failed in their attempt to get Martin Jol from Ajax, and they don’t seem to be in too much of a rush to fill the spot vacated by Roy Hodgson. Sven Goran Eriksson’s name is still firmly in the hat, but Cardiff’s Dave Jones has ruled himself out, committing himself to stay with the Welsh side.

Next Permanent Fulham Boss
Sven Goran Eriksson: 6/4 at Bet365
Mark Hughes: 3/1 at Bet365
Dave Jones: 15/2 at Paddy Power
Jurgen Klinsmann: 9/1 at Blue Square
Alan Curbishley: 11/1 at William Hill
Ray Lewington: 20/1 at Bet365

Upcoming Club Friendly Odds

July 27, 2010

July 28, 2010

In my opinion, there are only three players who can win this prize next season, providing that they stay with their respective clubs! The first of these is Wayne Rooney who will definitely be a Manchester United player throughout the forthcoming campaign and the 24-year-old will also be eager to put a disappointing World Cup summer firmly behind him.

Until last season, the Red Devils striker was not exactly prolific in front of goal, although 26 league goals for Manchester United illustrates that he has to be seriously considered to win his first Premier League Golden Boot. Stan James and Bet Fred are currently laying Rooney at odds of 11/2 and the England international is going to be a major threat in front of goal now that he’s figured out how to score goals with his head.

A former Manchester United team-mate of Rooney’s could be the biggest threat, someone now plying his trade down the road at Eastlands. Indeed, Carlos Tevez has to be classed as the ‘form horse’ on the Top Goalscorer market after scoring a stack of goals during the second half of last season. Hitting the ground running might see the Argentina international get his nose in front, especially as he will be part of a strengthened Manchester City team that has added Yaya Toure and David Silva to its ranks.

Tevez is a stand-out 14/1 (Bet Fred) to win the Premier League Golden Boot and this looks like tremendous value. Although he has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, it’s unthinkable that City will want to let this quality forward leave and it’s telling that Sky Bet have decided to lay him at odds of just 8/1. It’s hard to believe that the 14/1 will last until the start of the new football season.

However, Rooney and Tevez were left trailing by a Chelsea striker last season and Didier Drogba could be the one who leads the charge this time around. There is a slight doubt whether the striker will remain at Stamford Bridge next season (especially with the player’s agent making strange comments that link him to Manchester City). The Ivorian was just one short of 30 Premier League goals last term and Paddy Power’s 6/1 about him retaining his Golden Boot look tasty.

We shouldn’t forget that Drogba missed several games due to injury last season and was also absent throughout January due to the African Nations Cup. Providing he enjoys an injury-free season, there should be a bounty of chances that fall his way, although he doesn’t take the penalty kicks for the Blues.

Outside of this trio, it’s hard to have confidence in any other player winning the Golden Boot. Stan James have taken a big position on Fernando Torres, offering 8/1 about the Liverpool striker compared to the 9/2 available with Paddy Power. However, the Spaniard doesn’t seem to last a season without getting injured several times and the Reds are going through a transitional period at the moment, even if they did manage to land Joe Cole.

Robin Van Persie (10/1 William Hill) is another player who would be worth a second glance were it not for the fact that he bruises easily, while the best each-way propositions are Darren Bent (20/1 Bet Fred) and Jermain Defoe (20/1 Stan James). It was the former who scored 24 goals to land the each-way money at 40/1 last season.

Once again, it appears that Manchester City are going to spend over £100 million on players this summer, with David Silva and Yaya Toure the first of the new arrivals at Eastlands. This is the first time that the bookmakers are considering them to be serious Premier League title contenders and the 5/1 currently available with Ladbrokes and bet365 might only get shorter as the new season approaches.

There are two schools of thought regarding Manchester City winning the Premier League. Some might argue that Roberto Mancini might take at least another twelve months to mould this team into something special, especially as they finished a full 19 points behind champions Chelsea last season.

However, the flip side of the argument is that having significant spending power will enable Manchester City to outmuscle any rival bidder in the transfer market and they look set to reunite James Milner with former Aston Villa colleague Gareth Barry. With a couple of other new signings certain and a squad already packed with international players, they might be worth a second look at 11/8 on Coral’s betting without Manchester United and Chelsea.

Chelsea are the marginal favourites to retain the Premier League title, although much depends on whether Didier Drogba stays at Stamford Bridge. Although Carlo Ancelotti has insisted that the Ivorian will be with the Blues next season, it appears his agent has been in discussions with City and the striker’s departure would leave a big gap in the team’s attack. If Drogba stays, then bet365’s 6/4 is a fair price, although his departure would make life difficult – even if Michael Essien is back to full fitness.

Another reason that Manchester City might win the Premier League this season is the fact that Chelsea and Manchester United won’t be any stronger than last season. Sure, the Red Devils might not have as many injuries in defence, although Sir Alex Ferguson has declared that Chris Smalling and Javier Hernandez will be the only players to arrive at Old Trafford this summer. Perhaps the midfield will therefore remain short of creativity, even if Wayne Rooney is likely to score a hatful of goals. Victor Chandler are happy to lay the Red Devils and that’s where you will find a best price of 11/4.

Arsenal seem to have spent most of the summer fending off Barcelona’s interest in Cesc Fabregas, with the Spanish champions swooping over the Emirates like a hungry vulture determined to eat some juicy prey. So far, the Gunners have succeeded in keeping their captain on the books and Arsene Wenger is playing a typically shrewd game with a club that aren’t blessed with money after splashing out on David Villa. Wenger is also set to recruit a new goalkeeper and his team are 7/1 (Paddy Power) to win the title.

The only other two teams with a realistic chance of winning the Premier League are Liverpool (16/1 Bet Fred) and Tottenham Hotspur (40/1 bet365). It was the Reds that won the race to sign Joe Cole recently and the retention of Steven Gerrard means there is cause for optimism at Anfield.

There is a breakaway leader at the top of the scoring charts, with Wayne Rooney’s recent four-goal salvo against Hull shooting him clear of his nearest competitors. With the England striker scoring at the Emirates on Sunday, the bookmakers aren’t expecting anyone to usurp the Manchester United striker, with Coral prepared to offer a best price 4/9 ahead of the Red Devils’ encounter with Portsmouth on Saturday. It’s in this match where the 24-year-old could effectively win the contest, although stranger things have happened than someone bridging the five-goal gap at the top.

Especially when you consider that Didier Drogba has fifteen goals to his name this term after scoring the equaliser at the KC Stadium on Tuesday night. The Ivorian has a phenomenal strike rate in a blue shirt and Stan James’ 8/1 could be an interesting price when you consider he’s playing against favourite team Arsenal on Sunday! The bookmakers are still also offering each-way betting on the contest, with firms like bet365 offering 1/3 odds for the first two places and Sporting Bet offering 1/5 odds for the first three places.

Indeed, it’s crying out for a bookmaker to offer a “without Wayne Rooney” market, with Jermain Defoe (7/1 bet365) also having fifteen goals to his name and Darren Bent (20/1 bet365) having scored fourteen despite playing for a Sunderland team who have been struggling for months. Fernando Torres was the original favourite on this market at odds of around 4/1 and, while the Spaniard got off to a flying start for Liverpool, it was almost inevitable that injury would halt his in his tracks this term. Definitely one to swerve at short odds next term if he’s still playing at Anfield!

Meanwhile, there is a big chase for fourth place in the Premier League this term, something which would provide access to next season’s Champions League. There is a massive financial gulf between qualifying for Europe’s blue riband club competition and the Europa League, with Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham and Aston Villa all pushing hard to be in the top quartet. It’s Spurs who currently occupy that golden fourth place, with bet365 offering 10/3 that they are rubbing shoulders with the likes of Barca and Real next term.

However, the bookies think it’s more likely to be Manchester City who take their place among Europe’s elite. They certainly have the biggest finances, although they look defensively suspect away from home and odds of 10/11 (Paddy Power) that they snare a place in the Champions League might not be to everyone’s liking. Liverpool are still realistic contenders, having finished in the top four for several consecutive seasons and bet365 offer 15/8 that they feature in next season’s competition. Aston Villa might be the outsiders, although they have a strong first team and the backers of the 9/2 (Sporting Bet) might just have themselves a value bet.