Everton

Known for the spoiling and upsetting the rhythm of big teams, with the Merseysiders have a big say in the league title swing during Everton v Manchester City betting on Tuesday night? This enticing fixture sees David Moyes’ Everton aiming to put a dampener on City’s lead over rivals Manchester United at the top of the table, by turning around some poor form. The Toffees have been struggling lately, with no win in their last four Premier League matches, taking two defeats and two draws, the most recent a home point against Blackburn. Everton’s plight hasn’t been helped by a spate of injuries, and Jack Rodwell, Leon Osman, Sylvain Distin, Seamus Coleman all joining Phil Jagielka on the sidelines, as Everton battle for points. Trips to Goodison Park are never easy for teams, but this could be a good time for Manchester City to head there. But it is not as if Everton really have had the luxury of making Goodison Park much of a fortress this season, as they have picked up just three home wins in the League all season. Everton are the same as always, they don’t give too much away and they don’t score a lot of goals. They have managed more than one goal in a game since way back at the end of November, when they beat Bolton 2-0, so it suggests that they are going to set their stall out for a tight defensive display and hope to catch City out with the odd goal. You can’t see Everton running rampant and scoring a lot, so they will battle their way, probably to a rewarding result of a draw in the match. They can at least take some confidence by progressing in the FA Cup on the weekend, knocking out Fulham to move on. There is also the David Moyes factor against City boss Roberto Mancini, as the Scot has rattled off four wins out of the last five matches against the Italian. What stopped the rot was a City 2-0 home win over Everton at the start of the season, but Everton do have a good record against City at home, with just 16 City wins coming at Everton out of 83 attempts. Defence will be the key for Everton and they generally keep teams from getting too many chances in on goal, and so, will the great spoilers turn up and ruin Mancini’s night again in Everton v Man City betting.

Manchester City have been knocked out of the FA Cup and the Carling Cup in recent weeks, but they have rattled off three straight wins in the Premier League. The big news on the team sheet is that they get captain Vincent Kompany back in defence after his suspension, and they will need his influence. City should be nice and rested for this one, after not having to play on the weekend, and to their credit, while the free scoring overpowering performances have dried up, they have fought out a couple of narrow victories recently. There was a 1-0 away win over Wigan, and then the controversial yet massive three home points earned against Tottenham in their last Premier League match. The big thing about the Premier League season now, is that City can really throw everything they have at winning the Premier League title now that the domestic cups and the Champions League have gone. That, at the end of the day is going to be the benchmark for City and Roberto Mancini, especially with rumours that Jose Mourinho may be after his job. This should be a pretty fiercely contested match and a tight one. Everton are hit by injuries and with City really only missing Yaya Toure, the Manchester club need to flex their muscles here. They go into the match just three points ahead of their neighbours Man Utd on the night, and so the wins really must keep coming. Winning ugly right now by one goal will probably be the right way forward for City if they are to fulfil their title winning potential. City still have their 100% home record in the Premier League and all of their glitches have come on the road. That is what makes Everton v Man City betting so enticing, the serious potential there for City dropping points. Will they have the class and character to break down the stubborn Toffees?

Everton v Manchester City Betting Odds
Everton to win: 7/2 at Bet365
Draw: 13/5 at SkyBet
Man City to win: 17/20 at Ladbrokes

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A big night for Spurs at White Hart Lane in a tough test of their title winning credentials. Spurs can draw level in second place with Manchester United if they can overhaul Everton on Wednesday night. Spurs would still stay in third place (unless they win by fourteen clear goals against the Toffees) behind United on goal difference, but this is such an important game for them because it is their game in hand over the teams above them. So Spurs really need to pick up the three points in order to take advantage of the extra game they have held over the rest of the title contenders, after this clash against Everton was postponed from the first day of the new season. Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham have lost just once in their last seventeen league fixtures, and an impressive thirteen of those game have ended in three points collected by Spurs. So the London side are in great form and definitely flexing their title muscles. They will face Everton without William Gallas and Ledley King at centre half, so Younes Kaboul and Michael Dawson will pair up to face Everton. Spurs will leave Scott Parker to the last minute, to see whether or not he is fit enough to face the Toffees. So Redknapp is not able to put out his strongest starting eleven to face Everton in this crucial match for them. So does Spurs have the quality in depth to make an impact in the title race? This is could really be the cornerstone match of any success which will come their way this season. The confidence Spurs would take from drawing level with United and only three points then off the lead at this stage of the season would be immense. Spurs have dropped just five points at home in their nine matches at White Hart Lane this season, scoring 18 and conceding just 8.

Everton are simply doing what Everton do best. Scraping and battling along in the middle of the table. The Toffees were pretty poor in their last outing, which culminated in a defeat against struggling Bolton. That was very un-Everton like, but they are prone to running out those really bad matches every now and then. There are team selection problems for the trip to Spurs for boss David  Moyes, as Phil Jagielka, Seamus Coleman, Tim Cahill, Jack Rodwell and Tony Hibbert are all waiting to see if they are fit to play. That would be a huge chunk of their back bone gone, if they don’t make it. So it could be a testing trip to White Hart Lane for Everton. A good three points for the Toffees away from home would help solidify their median in the league, and with such a tightly packed group of teams below them, they would be happy with at least holding out for a resistant point in London. Everton have won four, drawn one and lost four on the road this season. The way Spurs are playing, it isn’t an easy trip there for any team at the moment, but Everton are the experts at frustrating teams and working hard to earn points in tricky situations. This is their solace for being in such a poor financial situation and will David Moyes be able to spoil the Tottenham party as the Londoners march towards the top of the league?

Spurs v Everton Betting Odds
Tottenham: 4/7 at Bet365
Draw: 3/1 at Totesport
Everton: 6/1 at BetFred

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Saturday 3rd December

Aston Villa v Manchester United

The evening kick off see’s Alex McLeish take on his former Aberdeen manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, as Aston Villa host Manchester United.

Villa were outclassed when they travelled to Tottenham just under two weeks ago and it was alarming to see the gap between two sides who were pretty even 18 months ago. The 2-0 scoreline does not really tell the full story as Spurs were by far the better team and looked stronger in every department. Since then Villa played out a 0-0 draw with Swansea at the Liberty Stadium last Sunday. The game was overshadowed by the tragic death of Wales manager Gary Speed that morning. Both sets of players done well to remain professional and do their jobs but there was certainly more than a few affected by the news. McLeish, who took over in the summer, will be anxious for his side to hit back infront of their own fans tomorrow night and make amends for the Spurs game where they never turned up at all. Their home record has been good and they have suffered just one defeat at Villa Park all season. That defeat was when they went down to 10 men in the first half against West Brom so the home fans will be expecting another big performance from their heroes.

Manchester United were the victim of a terrible decision from the assistant referee last Saturday which proved crucial as they dropped a couple of points in the 1-1 home draw against Newcastle. The equaliser came from the penalty spot after Rio Ferdinand was adjudged to have brought down Hatem Ben Arfa in the area. The United player clearly played the ball but the penalty was given and converted. It was United’s first dropped points since losing 6-1 at home to rivals Manchester City. Ferguson is not silly, he knows that they can’t afford to slip much further behind the league leaders as their big squad will no doubt negate the usual problems such as injuries and suspensions later in the season. Away from home United have looked more clinical than last season when they drew too many games. Four wins and two draws from six matches is certainly heading in the right direction and what will be pleasing from the manager’s point of view is the fact they have conceded just three goals on their travels – the lowest amount in the league.

History also suggests tha this will be a close game. This fixture is often tight and there’s not much between the sides when they face each other at Villa Park. United managed to rescue a late draw in their last meeting in the Midlands whilst their last win was in December 2009.

As mentioned, Villa have only lost once at home but they have yet to play any of the bigger sides at home. Wins against Norwich, Wigan and Blackburn as well as a couple of draws against Wolves and Newcastle means that they are hard to beat but the big test will come when the current champions visit tomorrow.

United have already seen off the likes of Swansea and Everton in recent weeks, team’s who are often hard to break down when playing at home. It’s likely that they’ll set out in a similar fashion tomorrow by looking to get the goal on the break and keeping things tight at the back. WIth City playing earlier and big favourites to win their match, United will be determined not to drop any further behind and should collect all three points.

My Selection: Mancester United to beat Aston Villa

Best odds available: 3/4 available with William Hill

English Championship

Portsmouth v Coventry City

Our attention turns to the bottom end of the Championship as Coventry travel to Portsmouth with both teams looking for the points to lift them away from the relegation zone.

Michael Appleton took over the Portsmouth job after Steve Cotterill left for Nottingham Forest and it’s fair to say that it his first game could have went better as they lost 2-0 to Watford. His next match was against big spending Leicester at Fratton Park and it was much more encouraging as Pompey took the lead only to have to settle for a share of the points. Now he has a loss and a draw to his name, the natural progression will be for tomorrow’s match to be his victory. He couldn’t ask for a much better chance as Portsmouth have a strong record at home and the opposition tomorrow are on a dire run of form at present. Peterborough and Brighton are still the only two teams to have won at Fratton Park this season. Up until the Leicester match, Pompey had been on a run of three straight victories, all of them comfortable. It’s also worth noting that two of those wins were against the other two sides who sit in the relegation zone – they face the third club tomorrow.

Coventry were previewed a couple of weeks ago and even then it was obvious that they were in the midst of a crisis as they just couldn’t score goals. It’s much of the same as they have still yet to win a match since October, going through the whole month of November without picking up a victory. Their only point last month was a 1-1 draw at home to Cardiff whilst their last away match was a 2-1 loss to Brighton. Andy Thorn is still entrusted with the job of turning things around but you have to wonder how long he will get before the board decide it’s better off in someone elses hands. If they are to end the rot they must do something they haven’t achieved since April – win an away game in the Championship. Funnily enough, their last away win in the Championship was against tomorrow’s opponents. That may provide a source of comfort for the travelling players and fans and at this stage, they need every positive they can get their hands on at the moment.

Pompey are certainly part of the relegaton picture as well as they are only out of the bottom three places on goal difference. With only one win in five things need take to a turn for the better if they wish to climb the table and alleviate some of the pressure which will no doubt be building. Coventry are in deeper trouble however as they are without a win in nine and are seven points adrift of safety.

Portsmouth’s home record swings this for me having seen a couple of Coventry’s recent games. They look toothless upfront and are always liable to concede a goal at the other end. Pompey were unlucky not to collect all three points last week against Leciester who are a much better side than the one they face tomorrow.

My Selection: Portsmouth to beat Coventry City

Best Odds available: 5/6 available with Betfred

Sunday 4th December

Everton v Stoke City

Everton play host to Stoke at Goodison on Sunday with just one point seperating both sides in the league.

Everton are on their best run of the season thus far as it’s the first time they have managed to record back to back victories in the league. It may not be championship winning form but it’s certainly a sign of some sort of consistency being restored to a club who have been severely lacking in it in recent months. Last weekend’s 2-0 win away to Bolton followed on from their home win against Wolves. The late penalty against Mick McCarthy’s men could be one that shape’s the season for the Toffee’s as they looked much better last weekend. Davie Moyes will be hoping that they can kick on from that and boost their league position. It has taken them a wee while to get adapt to the loss of Mikel Arteta, now at Arsenal, but things are coming together and other players are starting to take more responsbility. Having already lost three times at Goodison this season they will be looking to put on a good show for their supporters who have been short changed at times.

Stoke managed the draw they needed to qualify for the next stage of the Europa League against Dynamo Kiev on Thursday night. It’s a magnificent achievement for Tony Pulis and his men as it’s their first season in the compeition. It’s also impressive as they have qualified with a match to spare. As with a lot of clubs who are not used to playing European football, league performances have sometimes suffered and they have found it difficult to balance their midweek matches wit domestic action at the weekend. Everytime Stoke have played a group match in the Europa League, they have lost their next league match. They have been unlucky in the sense that every match that has followed has been away from home but it’s something Pulis will have been tearing his hair out at. The latest example was a 5-0 hammering away to Bolton after a very good win in Israel. The travelling abroad doesn’t seem to be the biggest reason in their domestic defeats as they have lost to Arsenal and Swansea after playing at home in Europe beforehand.

Everton could always rely on Tim Cahill to pop up with a goal when the going got tough but it’s not been the case this season. The midfielder come striker has not scored in the Premier League since the middle of December last year. It’s an incredible record when you consider how many goals he is used to scoring throughout his career. Worryingly for Stoke, however, is that he is getting closer and closer to breaking his duck for the season and it would be a brave man to bet against him doing it before too long.

Stoke will once again freshen things up after their midweek exertions. Peter Crouch is likely to come back in alongside Jon Walters upfront after being rested on Thursday. The two first choice strikers were a thorn in Blackburn’s side last Saturday in the 3-1 success. That was Stoke’s first win in the league since the middle of October. Like Moyes, Pulis will be drilling into his players the importance of consistency in this league.

Everton impressed me last weekend against Bolton and Stoke’s European hangovers speak for themselves. The home win is very tempting in this instance. Another bet I believe is worth a go is for Tim Cahill to finally get off the mark this season. He is getting into all the right positions and is going to take one of the chances sooner rather than later.

My Selections: Everton to beat Stoke at a best priced 3/4 available with PaddyPower
Tim Cahill to score anytime at a best priced 2/1 available with Coral

Everton v Chelsea Carling Cup betting sees the two sides go head to head again. The two of them met recently in the Premier League, with Chelsea running out comfortable 3-1 winners at Stamford Bridge. The Blues look as if they are growing in stature in the season, under new boss Andre Villas Boas, and with Everton having been a bit of a bogey side at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea killed off the challenge, without Everton really mustering any kind of response or threat whatsoever. We will probably see changes for Chelsea, as they rotate their squad again in this busy period, where the Carling Cup does not exactly take the highest priority. The Blues came through a penalty shoot out in the Third Round against London neighbours Fulham, a match which both sides could easily have won in regulation time. But chances went begging at Stamford Bridge, but it was the Blues who held their nerve. Everton needed extra time to get past Premier League opposition of their own in the Third Round. The Toffees ran out 2-1 winners in extra time against West Brom to book safe passage through to the Fourth Round. It has been another testing season for Everton and their limited resources, struggling to find the back of the net and to pick up points in the Premier League. So this will be a bit of light relief for them you would think in Everton v Chelsea Carling Cup Betting, and a chance for David Moyes to get a look at some of his younger players. Even though they will be at home, the Toffees will start off as underdogs, because Chelsea’s firepower up front is beginning to click. The home side need to find some way of putting the Chelsea defence under pressure at Goodison Park on Wednesday night, something they didn’t do at all at Stamford Bridge recently.

Everton v Chelsea Carling Cup Betting Odds
Everton to win: 5/2 at Bet365
Draw: 12/5 at Bwin
Chelsea to win: 6/5 at Boylesports

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Chelsea v Everton Betting Tip & Odds: Can see a Chelsea win here. Matches between the two sides at the Bridge have generally been dull, because it has been a quagmire in midfield, with neither team going anyway. However, Chelsea are playing a wider game, largely thanks to Juan Mata and the pace of Daniel Sturridge. While the stats suggest heavily that a draw is worth looking at (see the head to head stats below), there is a different feel about the match this season. There is no reason why this game shouldn’t take on a difference complex and Chelsea win comfortably. Chelsea -1.5 Asian Handicap for Evens at Paddy Power.

Chelsea to win: 3/8 at Unibet
Draw: 4/1 at SkyBet
Everton to win: 10/1 at Totesport

EPL Match Preview: There is a big opportunity for Chelsea to perhaps close the gap on Manchester United this weekend, as the Red Devils head to Anfield, while Chelsea stay at Stamford Bridge. A win for Chelsea and defeat for United would leave them both level on points, and would in some way, make up for Chelsea’s lost three points against United earlier in the season. So a big chance which Chelsea really need to step up and take, but they have struggled recently to finish the stubborn Everton off at Stamford Bridge. David Moyes’ cash strapped Everton need to pick themselves up after back to back defeats, including a demoralising home defeat in the Merseyside derby before the International break. Can the Toffees respond and cause Chelsea some home headaches again?

Chelsea Form: The Blues picked themselves up well after defeat by Manchester united on September 18th. Since then, they have hit nine goals in two matches, and have conceded just two. Granted it was wins against Swansea and Bolton, teams which a title contending team should be beating, but it looks as if they have found their goal scoring touch a little. For all his critics this season, and time spent on the bench, Frank Lampard is Chelsea’s top scorer with four goals so far (from just five shots!), but young Daniel Sturridge is perhaps looking the brightest spark up front for the Blues, netting three times so far since having been given a chance. That is just one goal less than Torres, Anelka and Drogba have combined for this season. Fernando Torres though has been looking as if he is getting back to his best, and one of the key factors in all of this has been the arrival of Spaniard Juan Mata (who scored for Spain in the week). The youngster has been creating so much with little through balls and telling crosses and runs, he is going to be an important part of Chelsea’s successes this season. The Blues will be happy to get all of their international players back with out any injuries, as they look to defend a 100% home record this season, in Chelsea v Everton betting. That is three wins from three at home in the league so far for Chelsea, having scored nine goals and conceded three. Chelsea have been a bit prone to slow starts this season, only opening the scoring in 57% of their matches. But if the form of their last two matches is anything to go by, they may just finally be settling down under Andre Villas Boas and hitting their stride. Most of Chelsea’s goals have come in the final fifteen minutes bracket of matches, but they have actually spread their scoring quite well, looking dangerous in the opening half hour and just after the break. It is a little surprising that Chelsea’s defensive record is nothing more than average at the moment, which is on par with the likes of Everton, Sunderland, Liverpool and Stoke. They certainly are not as tight at the back as they have been, and that is because they do lack a bit of pace back there. Chelsea are playing with more width this season and that could be the key to them breaking down Everton. Didier Drogba has netted seven goals in nine Premier League matches for Chelsea against Everton. Worth an Anytime Scorer bet for Evens at Bet365.

Everton Form: Things have just started to go a little bit sour for Everton, losing back to back games against Manchester City and Liverpool. That means that the Toffees have lost 50% of their league matches this season, which doesn’t make great ready for their fans. Everton have only two away matches under their belt, winning one and losing one this year, but they have only managed to find the net once. Goal scoring is always going to be an issue with Everton, and with Tim Cahill looking a doubt for the match, then you don’t see Everton getting more than one break in the match. There has been just six league goals in six matches for Everton now, and three of them have come in the last fifteen minutes of matches. Interestingly enough, Everton, who are known for their resilience and meanness in defence, have conceded six of their eight goals in the last half hour of matches. So they are getting ground down much easier before and if Chelsea get out to an early lead, it is going to be hard for the Toffees to respond. Luis Saha will be the focal point up front, and he has given John Terry a few problems in the past, and a big boost for Everton as well, is that Jack Rodwell is available to play. His red card against Liverpool was rightly rescinded and so he escapes a ban, much to the relief of David Moyes. It will be interesting to see if Rodwell is hesitant about 50/50 tackles now though. Everton seem to enjoy playing Chelsea, because they just seem to know how to frustrate Chelsea. It should be much harder for it to happen this time around, because Chelsea have more width and more craft in the middle of the park, and Mata really could be the big difference.

Head to Head: Chelsea have a great home record against Everton, winning 42 matches out of 83 encounters between them at the Bridge. There has been just 14 wins for Everton but 27 draws. Chelsea average 1.82 goals per match against Everton at Stamford Bridge, while as visitors there, Everton average just 0.94 goals per match. The corresponding fixture last season produced a 1-1 draw, in which Everton really played well in the second half, looking the better of the two sides. That was one of four meetings between them last season because of an FA Cup replay, three of those matches ending in 1-1 draws, and Everton won their home match 1-0. The last four meetings between the two at Stamford Bridge in the league have all ended in draws. Six of the last nine meetings in all competitions have been draws.

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Everton v Liverpool Betting Tip & Odds: Hard to discern much from the starts that the two Merseyside clubs have had so far this season. Everton have not been as quite as solid and tight at the back as one would have expected, while Liverpool have not secured title contending consistency. Everton outsmarted Liverpool last season, and it is all pointing to a bit of parity. The Reds have much better options up front, but do they have the craft to unlock Everton in the heat of battle? We’ll suggest they will in a narrow victory and we’ll take Luis Suarez as First Goalscorer for 5/1 at Paddy Power to split the difference, in conjunction with the bookies’ money back special below.

Everton to win: 21/10 at Totesport
Draw: 23/10 at SkyBet
Liverpool to win: 6/4 at Bet365

EPL Match Preview: Big derby day on Saturday in the Premier League on the weekend, with the top action kicking off at Goodison, with Everton v Liverpool betting topping the bill. Both sides have had indifferent starts to the season, but the expectancy levels between the two are quite a bit different. Big spending Liverpool were expected to be title challengers this season, while Everton look to solidify just a solid season again with a top half of the table finish. Just three points separate the two sides going into the derby encounter, with Liverpool ahead but having played a game more. So, aside from the passion and bragging rights of beating a neighbour, there is actually big points at stake here. Everton to avoid back to back defeats and for Liverpool to address their away form and keep touch with the two Manchester clubs.

Everton Form: Blues boss David Moyes will have been happy with the way things were going in the season up until last week. After not having the money again to splash around in the transfer market in the summer, the Toffees went down 1-0 at home to Premier League new boys QPR in their first match of the new league season. But, resilient as they always are, Everton bounced back with two wins and a draw to put them firmly in the top half of the table. However, their first real big test came last weekend when they travelled to Eastlands to face Manchester City. Everton against set out their stall to close down and try and restrict the bigger attacking threat from City, but try as they might, they crumbled in the end to a 2-0 defeat and really never looked like threatening to take all three points. Now with a big derby match against neighbours Liverpool, another dropped three points here could be a major blow for Moyes. So far out of the new season, Everton have played three at Goodison, winning one, drawing one and losing one, so there is no real form to read from that, apart from unpredictability. However, they are undefeated in their previous two home matches, but one worrying stat for Everton fans, is that they have scored five goals at home but their defence has  not been as tight as it could be, conceding four goals in their home games. That adds up to no clean sheets at Goodison so far, and in the past, Everton’s defence and stinginess at home has been their big selling point. With Mikel Arteta moving to Arsenal, Everton have lost a lot of creativity in the middle of the park, and while Moyes has brought in some replacements, but they look as if, over the course of the season again, they are going to struggle for goals. They need the experience of Louis Saha to click in up front if they are going to mix things up in the top half of the table. But this is a derby match and the score line doesn’t matter, just the result in the Merseyside match up. Everton start this match just three points behind rivals Liverpool, but with a game in hand, so a win here would be a massive shot in the eyes.

Liverpool Form: Kenny Dalglish, in contrast to David Moyes, was happily splashing the cash around over the summer and so far, they look as if they are heading in the right direction. It has not been perfect at all, and while they did attract a lot of backers in the pre season Premier League betting for the outright winner, their slight unpredictability is likely to hold them back from that. The Reds have picked up three wins out of their six matches so far, but have suffered two defeats and a draw. It is the defeats which are perhaps most indicative of just where Liverpool are at the moment. The first came away at Stoke, a 1-0 defeat in which they just couldn’t raise their game against a difficult side to produce a cutting edge. Worse was to follow a week later in a big clash at White Hart Lane, where they just couldn’t compete with the flowing attacking football that Spurs produced on the night. The London side ran out 4-0 winners, but at least Dalglish’s men bounced back with a 2-1 home win over Wolves last weekend. But we have to look at Liverpool’s away record here in this match as they head to Goodison. One win and two defeats away from home does point to a trend which could be their undoing over the course of the season. The Reds are now on a two away game losing streak, and just as much of a concern is that they have not scored in their last two matches either. Liverpool have a good balanced squad, but so far striker Luis Suarez looks to be carrying everything on his shoulders at the moment. England striker Andy Carroll has yet to make the impact his big money moved was expected to have, and with the injection of fresh blood, like Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing, Craig Bellamy and Jose Enrique, many were expecting a bit more of an explosive start to the new season. But regardless of the new faces, the passion levels should be all there for the big derby match on Saturday. There’s not too much wrong with their play, and they have been missing influential captain Steven Gerrard to rally the troops, especially away from home, but Reds fans were probably hoping for just a little more stability. Liverpool are up in fifth in the Premier League and need a win to keep pace with the top, as they are already six points behind leaders. After beating Arsenal away, and then losing to Tottenham, Liverpool’s form is unpredictable, but they will be out for revenge for their away defeat at Goodison last season.

Head to Head: There have been 105 meetings between the two Merseyside clubs at Goodison Park, with the head to head record pretty tight. Everton have picked up 40 wins, Liverpool 37 and there has been 28 draws. In the overall head to head, Liverpool do lead with 82 wins to 66. In last year’s corresponding fixture, Everton scored a good 2-0 victory, and then held the Reds to a 2-2 draw at Anfield. Everton have won two of the last three derby matches at Goodison.

Online Bookmaker Promotion: Paddy Power have a money back special promotion running for the derby match. If Liverpool’s Luis Suarez or Everton’s Marouane Fellaini scores the last goal of the match, then the bookie will refund losing First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score and Scorecast Single bets placed on the match. Paddy Power welcome new customers to their service, with a free £50 bet when registering a new account.

Manchester City v Everton Betting Tip & Odds: Well, no doubt as to where the firepower is. City have netted 17 goals compared to 6 from Everton, so that tells a tale this season. City have thrown off the shackles a little bit this term and are gunning hard, creating plenty of chances. They genuinely look like a good scoring side, and at home it should be too much for Everton, who will set their stall out to frustrate and defy City. So we will take a Man City -1.25 Asian Handicap for 21/20 at Victor Chandler.

Manchester City to win: 4/9 at Boylesports
Draw: 15/4 at Stan James
Everton to win: 15/2 at Bet365

EPL Match Preview: It looks as if this is going to be a fascinating match up between these two sides on Saturday. Manchester City will be back in Champions League action in the week, so it will be interesting to see what Mancini does with his squad after giving run outs to Kolo Toure and Owen Hargreaves in the Carling Cup. City need to carry on all guns-a-blazing if they are going to keep up with Manchester United at the top of the Premier League. As for Everton, they would be happy to borrow a few goals from City. City’s Aguero has scored more on his own than Everton have managed all season. But Everton are a tough nut to crack as always, very organised, hard to break down and more than capable of causing an upset. This is a big test for City, but will home advantage be the thing that tips the balance? Everton also hold a very good record against Man City recently. A fascinating tussle awaits.

Manchester City Form: The form of City at the start of the new season, genuinely sees them as a serious title contender, even if boss Roberto Mancini is playing it down a little bit. City have definitely turned up the intensity of their attacking play from last season, with Uruguayan striker Sergio Aguero looking like one of the best Premier League signings of the summer. Aguero (8) and strike partner Edin Dzeko (6) have hit 14 goals between them this season, a showing of attacking power that we didn’t quite expect from City, who were extremely cagey last season. But four wins and a draw from their first five games has seen them come out of the blocks firing, and that is the form which they need to keep up to track down rivals Manchester United. There is a bit of a feeling that no matter what City do, United just seem to do it a little bit better. You would think that 18 goals in five matches which City have hit would be a league leading tally, but no, United have 21. Thirteen points from their first five games is a tremendous return, but no, United have picked up 15 from 15. So all is well at Manchester City you would think, but apparently not. Even though they have spent around £400 million in players over the past couple of summer’s, Mancini has said that he needs to bolster his squad. Why? Well, because they threw away a two nil lead against Fulham at Craven Cottage last weekend, and the demands of the Champions League (in which City drew 1-1 away at Napoli) could be too much for his squad. Injuries to midfielders James Milner and Nigel de Jonge aren’t helping things at the moment either. But City genuinely look to have one of the stronger squads in depth of all Premier League teams. Mancini will have been delighted to see Owen Hargreaves score on his City debut against Birmingham in the Carling Cup midweek (great goal too), but it is the challenge of balancing Premier League and Champions League matches which is often the biggest test. What City are doing very well though, even in their draw against Fulham, is controlling possession for long periods of their matches, and creating chances. They should have scored more against Fulham, and they should have been tighter at the back. But you can’t really argue with scoring three or more goals in each of their first four matches, before the meeting with Fulham. City do hold a 100% clean sheet record at home this season, and a 100% record of their home matches being over 2.5 goals. Most of City’s goals have come in the 46-60 minute period of games and they have opened the scoring in all of their matches this season. Strong performers, and will look to flex their goal scoring muscles again.

Everton Form: The Toffees, by their own reckoning, have gotten off to an above average start to the new season. After having their opening fixture at Spurs cancelled because of the London riots, Everton are up in 7th place already, having played a game less than everyone else around them. So a strong start from David Moyes and his side, who appear to have limited depth in their squad, but always work hard as a team. Everton don’t really spend money and that limits how much they can go forward, but Moyes always seems to work his magic and make the Toffees a highly respected and strong side. With two wins, one draw and one defeat this season, it has been a strong start from Everton, but some usual worrying trends are still there. There have only been six goals in their four games, and that is largely down to them trebling their season tally with a 3-1 win over Wigan last weekend. Everton opened the season with a home defeat against newly promoted QPR and a lot of flak was thrown their way, but they have responded well. Everton are generally a tough side to break down, even if their threats going forward are a little bit limited. But there is some positive vibes about the future with some of the new crew in the Everton pack. Greek teenage striker, who has been called a rough diamond which needs polishing, Apostolos Vellios got himself on the score sheet against Wigan last weekend, and with the likes of Royston Drenthe and Denis Stracqualursi keen to make a mark in the squad, Everton look a tight unit with a bit more future potential. They came through a tight Carling Cup fixture against West Brom during the week, in which Phil Neville banged in the winner, but they head to Eastlands with no fear of City whatsoever. That is because Everton hold a very good record against City and should be considered for your Man City v Everton betting. Not too much to read into Everton’s away form this season, as they have only played one match away from Goodison, a 1-0 with at Blackburn. Most of their goals have come in the final 15 minutes of matches this season, suggesting that you can never write them off. With the Carling Cup win, they are on a five match unbeaten run.

Head to Head: The record between these two sides makes for very interesting reading. Everton have won seven of the last eight meetings with Man City, and have won the last four straight when visiting City. In last season’s corresponding fixture, Everton ran out 2-1 winners at Eastlands, and won by the same score line back at Goodison. That has been four straight wins for Everton over City now, which is fascinating given the season projections for these two. City are expected to efficiently see off teams like Everton, but it didn’t happen last season. There is a strong trend which suggests backing Everton here, certainly in recent form. Overall head to head between the two in matches at Man City, has produced 45 wins for City, 19 for Everton and 18 draw. So City have a decent home record against Everton. In this fixture, City average 1.73 goals per game, and Everton average just under one goal per game when visiting City.

Online Bookmaker Promotion: Online bookmaker BetFred have a Money Back Special running for Man City v Everton betting on the weekend. If Sergio Aguero scores the last goal of the match, then the bookie will pay out refunds on losing First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score and Scorecast bets. With Dzeko at 7/2 and Carlos Tevez at 4/1 as First Goalscorer, you have pretty good coverage in the markets at BetFred. The popular bookie offers a free £50 bet for new customers registering an account with them.

Saturday 20th August

English Premier League

Everton v QPR

Everton’s start to the season was delayed due to the riots in London whilst QPR would have been wishing for such a circumstance as they crashed 4-0 at home to Bolton last Saturday. The two sides go head to head in the hunt for their first points of the campaign.

Goodison Park has probably been the quietest of grounds in the Premier League when it comes to transfer business in the close season. There has been virtually no movement either in or out of Everton since the end of last season. The most pleasing thing for manager Davie Moyes will have been that, to date, the club have managed to be keep hold of their star players including Phil Jagielka, Leighton Baines and Mikel Arteta. There is, of course, still time between now and the close of the window but it’s doubtful that Everton would sell with so little time left to reinvest the funds gained from the sale in replacements. The Toffee’s finished seventh last term, just four points off their city neighbours Liverpool. A repeat of that finish would surely be considered a success for the fans, management and players. Heading into tomorrow’s game they will be hoping that they can get off to a better start than what they did last season. They had to wait until October, a run of seven games, before recording their first win. The slow start is what killed them in their quest for a European spot so Moyes and his players will be under no illusions as to how important getting that first win on the board really is.

QPR were torn apart by Bolton in the second half last Saturday despite starting the game quite brightly. A Gary Cahill goal just before the break knocked the stuffing out of last season’s Championship winners but they will have to learn quick that the Premier League is not only a tough league physically, it’s also extremely draining mentally as well. Since that defeat, the club have been bought over which, for Neil Warnock’s sake, will hopefully mean that more transfer funds become available to sign the players they desperately need. A bid for Scott Parker has been rejected by West Ham but it does signal some sort of intent on Rangers’ part. What Warnock will have to avoid is another trouncing tomorrow as it will not only drain the players of confidence and motivation, but also make it more difficult for he himself to avoid suffering as a consequence. With a new owner on board, it doesn’t take much for them to throw their weight about and start looking for their own people.

Everton are normally strong at home and will look to use that form from the off tomorrow. They have not lost at home this year which bodes well. However, they are notoriously slow starters and they usually perform better when they are underdogs. They will be expected to go for it from the first whistle against a newly promoted side and there is cause for thinking that it may well play into QPR’s hands. Warnock will be looking to hit on the counter attack and with a new air of optimism surrounding the Hoops, I can see this being an entertaining game.

Everton with Louis Saha and Tim Cahill will always be a threat whilst QPR have plenty of options going forward and were a tad unlucky to to score in the first half last Saturday. Two bets I fancy are both teams to score and for their to be more than two goals in the game.

My Selection: Both teams to Score at a best priced EVENS with Skybet
            Over 2.5 goals at a best priced 5/6 available with Victor Chandler

English Championship

Derby County v Doncaster Rovers

Derby have surprised many with their 100% start to the new season whilst Doncaster too have a 100% start to their season – unfortunately for them however, it’s 100% of losses as they have failed to grab a point from their first three matches.

Nigel Clough is now into his third season in charge of County and know’s that time is fast running out for him to convince the fans and the board that the can lead Derby back into the Premier League. They’re a massive club with an excellent stadium but have done nothing of note fore over four years. Their fans will be bouyed by the start to the season but will also be well aware that it is just the start, there is still over 40 games to go. Their most recent win, a 1-0 over Blackpool, is their most impressive to date as they too had a 100% record going into the match. They looked resolute and determined from the outset and come the end of the season, I can’t see too many teams going to Bloomfield Road and leaving with all three points. Craig Bryson got the winner in the second half of the season and his signing has brought energy and drive to what was a pedestrian midfield at times last season. Clough also has a lot more options upfront than he did last season with the signings of Chris McGuire and Nathan Tyson. As yet, both have yet to play any part but it makes the squad a lot stronger and once they do get fit and get games under their belt, they will score goals.

Donny have been likened to Arsenal because of their style of play but like Arsenal, they may need to sacrifice part of their philosophy and attempt to put a run of results together in order to prevent them from being cast adrift at the bottom of the table. Admittedly, Rovers have not had the easiest of openings to their league campaign as they have faced Brighton, West Ham and most recently Nottingham Forest. They have also not been hammered as they have lost by the odd goal in each of their matches. A 3-0 cup win over Tranmere also shows that they are capable of scoring goals which they have struggled to do in the league thus far, with just one goal for. Part of the reason for that is the absence of Billy Sharp who is injured. Their top scorer from last season has not played since the opening day of the season when he got stretchered off after opening the scoring earlier in the match. He is likely to be out for several months which deals a massive blow to Sean O’Drisscoll who has delved into the transfer market in an attempt to soften the blow of losing his star striker.

Derby were the last team that Doncaster beat in the division back in March. It means that the away side have won just once in 22 games, and the match was also their only away win in the last nine months. Could it be that they can record their second win in that time at the same ground? Possibly, but not for me. The vibes coming out of Derby County after their success in midweek were very positive and I feel than can continue their excellent start to the new season.

My Selection: Derby County to beat Doncaster Rovers

Best odds available: 5/6 available with Totesport

Sunday 21st August

English Championship

West Ham v Leeds United

A match that wouldn’t look out of place in the Premier League takes place at Upton Park on Sunday as recently relegated West Ham look to continue their good form when Leeds, fresh from a resounding 4-1 over Hull, come to visit.

Sam Allardyce suffered a defeat in his first league match in charge when Cardiff scored in the last minute to win on the opening day of the season. Since then however, West Ham have looked far more accomplished and are getting the results that many expected of them before a ball was kicked. Still with Scott Parker onside, Allardyce is looking to galvanize a support who were disillusioned with many at the club, from the owners down to the players on the park. The only way he will succeed in doing that is by winning games. Tuesday’s emphatic win over Watford will have done no harm at all but consistency is the key. There’s no point in winning two matches on the road if they are unable to get maximum points in their home games. Key to that is Kevin Nolan who Allardyce worked with at Bolton, which is arguably the main reason why the former Newcastle midfielder dropped down a division when he left the Tyneside club. Nolan is forming a formidable relationship with Scott Parker, Jack Collison, Mark Noble and Matty Taylor in the West Ham midfield. There is a mix of everything and is the envy for all the other Championship managers.

Leeds lost their first two league games in a whimper before thrashing Hull on Tuesday night. It will have boosted everyone’s confidence and giving some belief back to the players who were so close to finishing in the play-off’s last season. Simon Grayson has refused to make wholesale changes during the summer instead trusting the players who have done so well for him and the club. Darren O’Dea is arguably their biggest transfer of the summer coming in on loan from Celtic. The defender has slotted straight into the first eleven and will make an impact at the club. Last weekends defeat to Middlesbrough will have hurt Grayson in more than one way. Not only did they lose the match, but certain players lost their discipline as well resulting in two yellow cards. This will be a worry for Grayson as Leeds were dogged with suspensions through all of last season. In order to have the best possible campaign this time around, Grayson and his players must keep their heads and concentrate on playing football.

It’s sure to be a fiery match as there is not much blood loss between the two sets of fans. Both are massive clubs and will be hoping that this season is just a stepping stone for better things in the near future. Leeds have been soundly beaten on their only away game to date when they lost 3-1 to Southampton, whilst as mentioned, West Ham lost their only home match thus far. Something has to give and with the form West Ham are in at the moment, I’m siding with Big Sam’s boys to do the business.

My Selection: West Ham to beat Leeds United

Best odds available: 3/4 available with William Hill

The Club:
Everton just seem to keep on doing what they do best, not causing any great drama or fuss for their fans. They started slowly last year but ended up in the top ten, and that is just what we can expect from them again. The odd thing about Everton, is that there does not seem to be a great deal of ambition there. They seem to be happy floating around as a mid table team, and they are not going to push on unless they bring in a couple of high quality missing components. Still, the Everton faithful enjoy what Moyes does for the club, and they are a side capable of hitting a massive result in upsetting higher ranked teams, or collapsing to out of the blue heavy defeats. Everton are not blessed with one of the deepest squads in the Premier League, but somehow what the players which come in are ready to fight for the cause, something which can’t be said for all teams. The financial problems at Everton, and with them being so desirous of a move, will hinder any real plans of silverware and success for Everton. You have to feel that their best chance of shining will be in the Carling Cup or the FA Cup, while solidifying their Premier position and hoping that funds do come their way. Everton Premier League betting is not going to get much more complicated than that.

Players/Manager:
It is going to be same old same old for Everton. David Moyes has said that he is happy at Goodison, and there are not going to be any great waves made in the transfer market by the Toffees. Perhaps the most exciting thing about Everton is the saga over their England centre half Phil Jagielka, who Arsenal have been putting in bids for. Everton will hang on to their stars like Jack Rodwell and Leighton Baines of course, and they are not ready to sacrifice their future for help now. David Moyes knows how to get the best out of what he has to work with. We are sure that he would like a whole bunch of money to go spending, especially in bringing in quality strikers, but it is not going to happen. But, Everton do have a very good crop of young players who could step up and break through, but a lot of focus will fall on Jermaine Beckford up front, and whether some of the raw rookie mistakes he showed last season have been drilled out of him. They need the goals to come from the potential to deliver. Otherwise, very much the same Everton we will have seen last season. Nothing much changes at Goodison, but they make the best of what they have. At times though, it feels like David Moyes is really their biggest asset.

Last Season: 7th
A seventh place finish was a decent return for Everton and credit due again to David Moyes, who keeps doing a solid job. For all their critics, Everton played some very good football last year. Granted the end quality was often not there to back up what had gone before them, but at times they played with some good adventure and flair, never negating their defensive duties which have been instilled in them by Moyes. Their defence does carry them a lot and they are always hard to break down. They did have a lot of injury problems last year too. Can they offer just that little bit more going forward this season? They need to find something.

2011/12 Everton Premier League Betting Projection:
Everton will struggle for goals again, and they really need Tim Cahill to stay fit to keep them in mid table anonymity. Cahill is crucial to the Toffees for his goals from midfield, and without him, they would have been very barren in front of goal. The lack of strike power will hurt them at times, but they have good  youngsters in the squad who show a promising future for Everton. Unfortunately it is the way which they have to do business. They can’t rival their rivals Liverpool in terms of spending, so they have to rely on the shrewdness of Moyes in preparing his teams and in the transfer market. Moyes knows how to put out a side which is efficient, which plays smart football and causes opposition a lot of problems. That is what he is good at, that is what Everton are good at. With a striker in place who can be relied on, Everton would be a very comfortable top ten side, but without one, they will have to work and fight hard to get back into that position.

Finishing Position: Top Half of Table

Premier League Top Ten Finish Odds:
2/7 at Bet365

First Three Fixtures
August 13th: Tottenham v Everton
August 20th: Everton v QPR
August 27th: Blackburn v Everton

BACK TO 2011/12 PREMIER LEAGUE BETTING GUIDE
 

Saturday 7th May
 
English Premier League
 
West Ham United v Blackburn Rovers
 
Massive match at Upton Park on Saturday as both West Ham and Blackburn are still right in the thick of a relegation battle and desperately need points in their bid for survival.  
 
West Ham put in a decent enough performance last Sunday when away to fourth placed Manchester  City. They went down narrowly losing 2-1 but it’s yet another game, in a list of many, where they’ve came away with no points. Last weekends fixtures saw the Hammers fall to bottom of the division and no team has managed to beat the drop when in last place this late on in the season. Avram Grant is of course no stranger to relegation as he was in charge of Portsmouth when they were demoted last season. He would have been expecting a much easier season in charge of West Ham but that has not been the case. Everyone expected the clarets to kick on when they brought in reinforcements during the January transfer window. They managed a decent enough run of form between February and March but have since tailed off and are now without a win since March. In actual fact, they have lost six of their last seven so it’s no real surprise to see where they are at this point. Their last point was gained in the middle of March so they are certainly right out of form heading into the final three matches of their season.  
 
Although Rovers won last weekend at home to Bolton, they are still not safe from the drop. They are six points clear of tomorrow’s rivals but only half that margin ahead of the third bottom side, Wigan. Steve Kean will have been delighted with last Saturday’s victory as it does provide a bit of breathing space, but will be under no illusions that a point at worst tomorrow could provide so much more and would mean they would all but end West Ham’s hopes of staying up. It may not guarantee safety for Blackburn, but it would eliminate one of the many sides battling to beat the drop. Rovers will have to overcome a horrendous away record which has seen them win just three of 17 matches on their travels. Their last win on the road was against West Brom at the back end of last year. It means a run of eight away games without a win. They have lost seven of those but they can take some encouragement from their last trip to the capital when they held Arsenal to a goalless draw.  
 
Tensions will be understandably high tomorrow. West Ham know that anything but a win and there season could be as good as over depending on results elsewhere so they will be going all out for a win. Scott Parker, recently crowned Player of the Year, will have a lot of responsibility on his shoulders once again, but the likes of Robbie Keane and Matthew Upson will also be important as their experience should come to the fore. Blackburn are in diabolical form away from home whilst West Ham are in terrible form overall. With so much at stake and with confidence set to be so low in both camps, the bet I like tomorrow is for their to be more goals in the second half. Often in games, teams who are in low in confidence are very susceptible to conceding late goals as they retreat deeper and deeper into their own half inviting pressure on to them. When you think of how nervous players will be in the opening 45, it looks a sound bet.  
 
Not every bookmaker offers such bets and I apologise in advance if you are unable to place such a bet but I often do these type of wagers in such games and believe it is the best bet of this fixture
 
My Selection: More goals in second half of the match  
 
Best odds available: 11/10 available with Coral
 
 
English Premier League
 
Everton v Manchester City
 
Manchester City look to have secured the fourth and final Champions League spot but as it’s not totally sealed, will be looking for all three points when they visit Goodison to face Everton.
 
Everton are really only playing for pride as they approach the final few games of the season. They had faint hopes of getting into the final Europa League spot but those seemed to be distant memory now as Spurs are seven points ahead having played a game less. Moyes will be disappointed as he is very ambitious and would have been targeting Europe through a league finish or from a domestic cup success. Neither will happen now but you can expect the Toffee’s to be kept up to their business as Moyes will be hoping to cement seventh place and hold off the challenge of Bolton and Fulham, with the latter of the two finishing the season strongly. Every position counts in the Premier League as more prizemoney is awarded the higher you finish. With Everton one of the clubs who can’t rely on massive investment, it can make a big difference to their budget for the following season.  
 
Roberto Mancini looked to be a couple of games from the sack about a month ago when they were struggling for form but football’s a funny old game and City have not only strengthened their grip on the final Champions League spot but they have also defeated their city rivals, United, in the semi final of the FA Cup which means they have the curtain piece to the domestic season to look forward to in a fortnight when they face Stoke at Wembley. It would be a unique ‘double’ of sorts for the Italian and his players who had to achieve something this season or their knives would have been out for him. Last weekends win over West Ham, aligned with Spurs defeat to Chelsea has all but ruled the London side out of the running whilst Liverpool’s late surge has come to late as they have also played a game more than City.  
 
Everton’s recent record against the light Blues has been excellent. They have won six of the last seven meetings between the two including the one just before Christmas where they were very impressive. Recent results, and performances against City may suggest that Moyes has the Indian sign over the mega-rich club and it’s something that the man in the away dugout will be hoping that it’s a run which comes to an end starting tomorrow.
 
Mancini can obviously call on a far bigger squad of players than tomorrow’s counterpart but it’s not exactly hindered Everton in the past. The players work so well as a unit and despite the lack of numbers, there is certainly a great deal of quality in the squad. They have had to contend with massive injury problems this season which has stretched their squad so it is testament to Moyes and his players that they are in the position they are currently in.  
 
Everton have certainly performed really well against City of late and it’s a run I envisage continuing tomorrow simply because of their ability to raise their game when they wish. They’re not always consistent but the odds on a home win are too attractive to knock back.
 
My Selection: Everton to beat Manchester City
 
Best odds available: 7/4 available with Victor Chandler
 
 
English League One
 
Southampton v Walsall
 
We delve into League One for the third preview of the weekend and pay a visit to St Mary’s where recently promoted Southampton play host to relegation threatened Walsall.
 
Nigel Adkins and his side have been the team to follow in recent weeks as they have powered themselves into the second automatic promotion spot behind runaway leaders Brighton. Adkins, who took the job after Alan Pardew was sacked earlier in the season, will be thrilled that his side have achieved their goal with a game to spare and that they can enjoy playing infront of their fans without any real pressure put upon them. This is further enhanced because of their opponents tomorrow as Walsall will be scrapping for their lives looking for points to ensure they are still in the division come next season. The Saints won’t be in the division but they will be plying their trade in the next level of English football. They have won 12 of their last 14 league games, an incredible record by anyone’s standards in any division. It may not come as a surprise considering the players at the club and the quality they have within the squad but they still have to have the right attitude and desire to go and perform and win matches which they certainly have had in recent weeks and months.  
 
Walsall currently sit on the threshold of relegation, one point above Dagenham and Redbridge who occupy the final relegation spot. They are in decent enough form of late as they are unbeaten in three and won last time out but they would have liked a better game to finish with than they one they are currently faced with. Any side would like their destiny in their own hands which the Saddlers have but they would have preferred to be at home on the final day. As it is they have to travel to the form side in the division, if not the country, and attempt to win which would guarantee their survival. Of course, they could end up losing the match and still stay up depending on results elsewhere but it’s hardly something they’ll wish to experience as their nerves will be bad enough when they stop on to that pitch tomorrow.  
 
Looking at the prices for this game and you can obviously see that the fact Southampton have nothing but pride to play for and Walsall everything to play for, has played a massive part in the pricing of the fixture. If this games was played last week you would never have gotten close to the price Southampton will be whilst Walsall would have been much bigger, probably double what they currently are.  
 
Walsall can console themselves with the fact that Dagenham too are away and face a difficult match against free-scoring Peterbrough at London Road – not a gimmee by any stretch of the imagination.  
 
It will be party time for the home side tomorrow and the fans will expect a good performance to sign off what has been a successful season. They have so much quality and so many goals in the side that their price is a false one to me and I believe the bookies have got this one wrong.  
 
My Selection: Southampton to beat Walsall
 
Best odds available: 4/6 available with Betfred