robin van persie

West Ham v Arsenal Betting Tip & Odds: Can West Ham realistically outgun the Gunners? It is highly unlikely, even with home advantage. We are all aware of the threat which Arsenal carry up front, and with the Hammers back line being anything but water tight, it is likely that Arsenal will come away with three points here. The home side have shown a bit more resilience of late, but this is a  much bigger test for them now. Can they take at least a point off their London rivals? It is unlikely and not expected. Arsenal really should get the upper hand here, they have shown what they can do on the road. Arsenal -1 Asian Handicap Evens at Bet365

West Ham to win: 11/2 at Bet365
Draw: 16/5 at Victor Chandler
Arsenal to win: 8/13 at Stan James

EPL Match Preview:  A gripping London derby for Saturday afternoon in the Premier League, one which could have big ramifications at the top and bottom of the league. It wasn’t too long ago that West Ham boss Avram Grant was odds on favourite to be the next Premier League manager to leave his post, but after a run of five undefeated matches, the Hammers boss has had something of a reprieve. A crucial first leg victory in the Carling Cup semi final in midweek over Birmingham will have helped things along as well. But West Ham needed that, as their last Premier League outing resulted in a bad day at the office for the Hammers. They were thrashed 5-0 at Newcastle. The Hammers are bottom of the Premier League still, but at least their current form has shown something of a mini recovering, and being just two points behind Fulham who are in fourteenth place, there is still a lot to play for. There are certainly a few teams immediately above the Hammers who are in a worse run of form than they are, so can the Hammers perform an escape act? A win over Arsenal would certainly to them wonders. At least West Ham are showing some battling qualities (epitomised by their 10-man victory over Birmingham), and are offering their fans a glimmer of hope that they will be OK. They have drafted in former England Full Back Wayne Bridge on loan from Manchester City to try and boost them, but they really are struggling with a growing injury list at the moment. Just to add to their survival problems, Victor Obinna, who was sent off against Birmingham in the Carling Cup in midweek starts a three match suspension.

There is no doubt that there is still a lot of pressure on Avram Grant, but at least they can show some improvement, however, the Hammers have not really covered themselves in much glory when Arsenal have come to visit Upton Park. The Hammers have not picked up a win over the Gunners in eight home matches now, and the overall head to head heavily favours the Gunners. For a side which has only won three home matches all season, it begs the question of just what they will be able to get out of this match. The thing is, they need something out of it, but how? Their best effort recently came in a 2-2 draw at Upton Park, back in the 2009/10 season, and they have already succumbed to Arsenal at the Emirates this season. That was a 1-0 victory for Arsenal then, but these are the margins by which West Ham are being kept down. A look at the head to head stats, sees that Arsenal have a 39% win percentage at Upton Park, while the Hammers have just a 24% win percentage. That is a poor record at home against a top club, although the goals scored in those matches are pretty close. In the 61 West Ham v Arsenal fixtures at Upton Park, West Ham have scored 80, Arsenal have scored 90. However, that is not a great reflection of recent trends, as West Ham have only scored in one league match out of the last eight against Arsenal (again, in that 2-2 draw). For West Ham, who have one of the worst defensive records in the league, and are struggling for goals, it could be another bleak afternoon for them.

As for Arsenal though, they will be looking to pick themselves up after a midweek Carling Cup first leg defeat against Ipswich. That was a huge surprise, and after only picking up a 1-1 draw against Leeds in the FA Cup third round before that, combined with a 0-0 draw against Man City in the Premier League, Arsenal have now not won in three matches. Arsenal go into the match with back up keeper Wojciech Szczesny between the sticks, and without Squillaci and Sagna at the back. Up front, Arsene Wenger can again rotate his forwards, bringing Robin Van Persie and Samir Nasri back into the fold. Arsenal clearly are the better team of the two, and they need a win to close the gap on Manchester United, albeit temporarily with the Red Devils playing Spurs on Sunday. The potency of Arsenal is there to see, and they have produced the most shots on target all season out of all Premier League teams, but their form has dipped just a little bit, winning just one in five matches now. It has been more of a case of frustration than anything else. They did play poorly against Ipswich to be fair, but as exemplified by the match against Manchester City, who were dourly negative, teams shut up shop against Arsenal, knowing that the Gunners have the potential to run riot in the goal scoring department.

The Gunners need to put pressure on United now, and cannot afford to lose any more ground at all right now. Fortunately for the Gunners, their away form has been pretty strong this season, only losing twice on the road, and their only blips have come on visits to Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge. Arsenal will be better than they were in midweek, and against West Ham, you really would expect them to come away with a win. They showed tremendous character in a win over Birmingham in their last Premier League away match, and that is what they need more of. None of the soporific, retreating into their shells or suffering naivety which has frustrated them of late. They need to find that ruthless edge and pick up three points. With their great record against West Ham in recent times, they look a pretty safe bet to get back to winning ways again. It will be a battle, as the Hammers will huff and puff against them, but there will probably be enough space for the Gunners to do the business.

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West Ham v Arsenal Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Arsenal 1, West Ham 0
Arsenal 2, West Ham 0
West Ham 2, Arsenal 2
Arsenal 0, West Ham 0
West Ham 0, Arsenal 2

West Ham have an 27% win percentage at home in the league this season
Arsenal have a 55% win percentage away from home in the league this season

West Ham are on a streak of two home matches with no defeat
Arsenal are on a streak of two away matches with no defeat

West Ham have scored 14 goals, and conceded 16 at home
Arsenal have scored 20 and conceded 11 goals in their away matches

West Ham average 1.2 goals per match at home this season
Arsenal average 1.8 goals per match away from home this season

West Ham have scored the bulk of their goals in the 46-60 minute bracket
Arsenal have scored the majority of their goals in the 46-60 and 76-90 minute brackets

West Ham have opened the scoring in 31% of their matches
Arsenal have scored first in 61% of their matches

West Ham 2010/11 top scorer: Piquionne, 5
Arsenal 2010/11 top scorer: Nasri, 9

West Ham 2010/11 Season Form: P22 W4 D8 L10 GF22 GA38 Pts 20 (20th)
Arsenal 2010/11 Season Form: P21 W12 D4 L5 GF42 GA22 Pts 40 (3rd)

Wigan Athletic v Arsenal Betting Tip & Odds: Overall, Arsenal have a 78% win percentage against Wigan in all their matches. That’s eleven wins for the Gunners, one draw and just two for the Latics. Hard to see those records improving for Wigan to be honest, as they just aren’t good enough this season. Yes, they have had their moment, but Arsenal should be in high confidence after beating Chelsea, and Arsenal have goals in them, while Wigan are in the trouble that they are in simply because they cannot score. Realistically there is nothing to fear about taking Arsenal in a minus Asian Handicap, the only question is, how fresh will they be after their effort against Chelsea? Arsenal -1.75 Asian Handicap falls around the right mark, priced a 2-1 with Bet365

Wigan Athletic to win: 6/1 at SkyBet
Draw: 16/5 at Victor Chandler
Arsenal to win: 8/15 at Bet365

EPL Match Preview: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will be pleased with the way that his side responded after their most tepid display of the season had ended in defeat at Old Trafford. In a thrilling match, Arsenal, with their technical precision passing and finishing, punished a lackadaisical Chelsea back line, beating their London rivals 3-1. That was a huge boost for the Gunners, as it pulled them to within three points of leaders Manchester United. Clearly the wintery break suited Arsenal, who looked back to their fresh best, with Cesc Fabregas looking strong through the middle, and Robin Van Persie looking to have regained all of his match sharpness after a disjointed season. This means that Arsenal are getting better, and it has to be said, but at the moment, despite all their critics, they look to be the only team really capable of keeping pace with Manchester United at the moment. With Chelsea falling rapidly away, and Manchester City having played two matches more than both Arsenal and Manchester United, the Gunners have to keep the ball rolling. They look the most accomplished side in the title race, and now a trip to Wigan will need to see them show their battling, physical qualities as well as their passing abilities. The funny thing is, that this team in inherently more talented than their “Invincibles” who won the Premier League back in 2004 without suffering a single defeat, but they have their weaknesses.

For all of their pretty football, they can still get bullied out of matches. The Gunners go to Wigan without Cesc Fabregas, who picked up his fifth yellow card of the season against Chelsea, meaning that he sits this one out through suspension. Abou Diaby, who has missed most of the season, could be in line for a start, and that will immediately add a bit more grit into the Arsenal midfield. It is likely that Arsene Wenger will change up the starting eleven again, and this is where Arsenal may just prevail over the season. Out of all the squads challenging for the title, Arsenal’s is the best. Hands down, no contest. They can rest the likes of Van Persie and Fabregas and still bring in the quality of Andrei Arshavin and Marouane Chamakh. Neither Manchester United nor Chelsea have as much strength in depth. This is a big mental test for Arsenal too, as Wigan performed heroics in this fixture last year, coming back from 2-0 down to win 3-2. It was a match which put Arsenal out of the title race. Still, Arsenal will go into this as favourites, and one considerable stat to pay attention to for your football betting, is the fact that they have won seven of their eight matches against teams in the lower half of the table this year. Just one defeat in their last eight matches, puts Arsenal on good ground. You can pretty much bank on them to get on the score sheet in this one, against a Wigan side who are still stuck in the relegation zone.

It hasn’t been an easy ride for Wigan this year, as the quality simply is not there is the side. They did however score a huge victory over relegation bound Wolves on the weekends, and they will be boosted by the return of Hendry Thomas and Maynor Figueroa to the side. Wigan are badly struggling for goals this term, and their tally of just 15 makes them the lowest scoring team in the league. That is in contrast to Arsenal, who have hit over double of that amount in the same amount of games. It may not be all doom and gloom for Wigan though, who haven’t been beaten at home for five matches now. The last team to beat them at home was Manchester City back in September. Wigan are also undefeated in their last three matches now, but you still can’t see them turning over Arsenal. It really is unlikely to happen, with the Gunners winning eight of their ten league matches against Wigan. Wigan really have struggled against the Big Four in terms of results since becoming a Premier league team. The Latics will struggle again, as Arsenal are a very much improved away team this season. Of their six matches played at Wigan, Arsenal have won three of them.

Wigan Athletic v Arsenal Premier League Betting Statistics

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

Wigan Athletic have an 22% win percentage at home in the league this season
Arsenal have a 56% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Wigan Athletic are on a streak of 5 home matches with no defeat
Arsenal are on a streak of six away matches with no draw

Wigan Athletic have scored 8 goals, and conceded 17 at home
Arsenal have scored 15 and conceded 19 goals in their away matches

Wigan Athletic average 0.88 goals per match at home this season
Arsenal average 1.66 goals per match away from home this season

In the last three meetings, there have been five goals scored in the 89th minute or later

Wigan Athletic 2010/11 top scorer: Rodellega, 5
Arsenal 2010/11 top scorer: Nasri, 8

Wigan Athletic 2010/11 Season Form: P18 W4 D7 L7 GF15 GA29 Pts 19 (18th)
Arsenal 2010/11 Season Form: P18 W11 D2 L5 GF37 GA20 Pts35 (3rd)

Arsenal v Wigan Athletic Betting Tip & Odds: Home win without much shadow of a doubt really. Yes, Arsenal have had some uncharacteristic slip ups at home this season, but they are still a quality side. They showed a lot of mettle in beating Aston Villa on the weekend after some poor defeats, and they have the creativity to create hatfuls of goals. This could turn into something of a goal-fest again, as the Wigan defence is unlikely to be able to match the flair and quality of Arsenal. Arsenal to win by 2 goals: 16/5 at 888Sport

Arsenal to win: 2/7 at Totesport
Draw: 5/1 at SkyBet
Wigan Athletic to win: 14/1 at Victor Chandler

Carling Cup Match Preview: The Carling Cup quarter finals are upon us, and for Arsenal, they represent a great chance of ending a barren spell of silverware. Although the Gunners have, to many people’s surprise, lost their last two home games in the Premier League, there appears to be little chance of an upset here in the Carling Cup, against a Wigan side who are struggling to find form of their own. Arsenal bounced back from a bruising week in the Premier and Champions Leagues with a 4-2 away win at Aston Villa on the weekend, in a performance which was typically brave and attacking from the Gunners. That was without Cesc Fabregas and Robin Van Persie, but the latter could well be in line for an appearance. His return to the side would make a nice problem for Wenger, as fellow forwards Marouane Chamakh and Samir Nasri really are in excellent form at the moment. Arsenal will still be without the services of Cesc Fabregas for the visit of Wigan, but that really shouldn’t affect their chances of reaching the semi finals of the competition too much.

What Arsene Wenger has done this year, is buck the trend a little bit and fielded stronger sides in the Carling Cup that he has historically done. Usually this competition was used to give the young Gunners a first team run out, but not this season. This is how important it is for Arsenal to get some silverware into the club. For one of the best teams in England, and one of the best footballing teams around, it would really be deserving. Arsenal have seen off Newcastle and Tottenham in the competition so far, and have been pretty emphatic in the goal scoring charts. That is the power that Arsenal have, and it is one which should, more often than not, see them through. Arsenal have a 100% record at home against Wigan in all competitions, and have outscored their opponents 18 goals to four in their seven matches played at Arsenal. Wigan have only won twice in eleven matches, with one draw, so that shows the class and dominance that Arsenal have over Wigan, and that is exactly where your betting should go. Arsenal are strong favourites, so shop around in some of the alternative sub market betting for the Arsenal v Wigan Carling Cup match. It will probably serve you better in terms of odds.

For Wigan, it has been a season of struggles under Roberto Martinez, who have really struggled away from home this season. Fighting in the relegation zone in the Premier League, the Carling Cup could be their silver lining, having beaten Hartlepool, Preston and Swansea along the way. However, Wigan have one only once on the road in the Premier League this year, and their last four trips away have all ended in defeat. With a shaky defence on show, the last place a team wants to go to is the Emirates Stadium. But there is some interesting little bits of history between the two clubs, as Wigan knocked out Arsenal on their way to the Carling Cup final back in 2006, winning the tie on away goals. The sides also clashed last year in the tournament, with Arsenal running out easy 3-0 winners. When Wigan went to Arsenal last season in the league, Arsenal ran out 4-0 winners, and the time before that Arsenal won 3-0, so the Gunners have enjoyed plenty of success against the Latics. There doesn’t appear to much going for Wigan in this one. This is a third in the league placed team against third from bottom placed team. With Wigan only winning one of their last eight matches, there really is only one apparent outcome on the cards.

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

Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur Betting Tip & Odds: Always great for entertainment and goals is the North London derby. Arsenal usually prevail though, especially at home, just as they did 3-0 last season. Would fully expect them to do it again and keep their strong title challenge going. They have the extra level of class and scoring ability in the team, and with them being at home, they are the most likely winners. As much as Spurs have progressed over the past twelve months under Harry Redknapp, they have a woeful record against bitter rivals Arsenal, and are still trying to catch up to the level which Arsenal are at. Spurs do not have the consistency that Arsenal have, some home win. Arsenal to win by 2 goals: 15/4 at Bet365

Arsenal to win: 4/6 at Stan James
Draw: 16/5 at Victor Chandler
Tottenham to win: 9/2 at Unibet

EPL Match Preview: There is nothing quite like a feisty North London derby to stoke the fires on a cold winter afternoon. Tottenham are the visitors to the Emirates Stadium in Saturday’s big Premier League clash, as the two old rivals go head to head again. The two side have already met in the Carling Cup this season, with the Gunners walking away from White Hart Lane with a convincing 4-1 victory. Carling Cup results of course, don’t really have any bearing on Premier League matches, as the participants on the day will be vastly different from the Carling Cup attendees. Thanks to Chelsea and Manchester United failing to pick up three points last Saturday, Arsenal, with a good away victory at Everton, shot themselves into second place, and sit just two points behind leaders Chelsea. Arsene Wenger really cannot afford to let any further slip ups happen, and certainly not against their big rivals, Tottenham. There have already been some uncharacteristic hiccups in the Arsenal Premier League challenge this year, with home defeats coming against Newcastle and West Brom, something that really could not have been predicted. In a strange Premier league season, where the top three contenders haven’t always shown why they are regarded as the best in the league, Arsenal have not lost their way in terms of football ability. Although their win at Everton, which is no easy thing was more a victory of substance over style, it showed a great resilience from Arsenal, and why they really should be considered as title contenders. With all the title talk in the pre-season surrounding Manchester United and Chelsea, Arsenal are looking much stronger than they were last year, even though they have been struggling with injuries.

One of the brightest sparks for them this season, has been the inclusion of Marouane Chamakh, the Moroccan forward who has filled in admirably in the absence of Robin Van Persie, who was injured on international duty. Van Persie may finally get back into action against Tottenham, as he returned to the bench last week to face Everton. That will be some great news for Arsenal fans as they look to push on up front, but Arsene Wenger has also stiffened things up at the back. They will go into the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur game with Thomas Vermaelen still missing at the back, along with Abou Diaby and Aaron Ramsey, who are all still sidelined. After missing the England friendly defeat in the week, Jack Wilshere should be ready to play some part in the match. Thankfully for Arsenal’s title chances, keeper Lucasz Fabianski is showing much more promise than he did last season, and is becoming a vital cog in the machine, after the goalkeeping position was touted as being Arsenal’s big weakness. Arsenal have conceded just three in their last six matches, and one substantial difference between last season and this one, is their away form, which is going very well. What is surprising though, is having seen the Gunners lose two at home, which shouldn’t really happen in the space of thirteen games. Holding a strong record against North London rivals Spurs, can Arsenal keep up the pressure near the top of the league? Even with those two surprise defeats, plus one handed out by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Arsenal are seriously in contention. Five wins out of their last six matches shows a team in good form, and with a team who hold a strong upper hand over Spurs, is an Arsenal home win a banker?

With a 51% win percentage against Spurs at home, you would think so. With Spurs only winning once in all of the league matches played in 2000’s between the two sides, you would think so. But did that 4-1 victory at White Hart Lane last season start a new trend? Did it signify a shift in power in North London? As much as you can dress up that victory, the answer is no. Tottenham, under Harry Redknapp, find themselves seven points behind the Gunners already. There is the possibility that striker Jermain Defoe could at least be on the bench for the North London derby, as he returned to training this week. The chances of him playing though are only slight, but it is clear that Tottenham have missed his presence in front of goal this season. Tottenham have not been prolific in front of goal, certainly not to the degree of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United, against whom they need to set their standards. They need an extra spark of class up front, and while Rafael van der Vaart has been looking a great bargain since joining the club in the summer, and the rise and rise of Welsh star Gareth Bale, Tottenham don’t have the out and out firepower that Arsenal do. That could be the deciding factor on Saturday in the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur derby match. Tottenham have lost half of their matches on the road this season, and that really doesn’t put them in good standing for a visit to Arsenal. Naturally you can expect an up-tempo, hotly contested match, but Spurs have not registered a win away at Arsenal in the last seven North London Derbies. That is a long history to try and overcome, combined with the fact that they have only kept one clean sheet in 23 matches against Arsenal, they could be on the end of another bitter defeat. Spurs go into the match without Tom Huddlestone, Robbie Keane and Aaron Lennon. You may want a look at Jermaine Jenas getting in on the scoring action, as the Spurs midfielder has scored four in the last seven matches against Arsenal, and is 8/1 at Bet365 as Anytime Goalscorer. Spurs have been booed from the pitch this season already, following a draw against Sunderland. Both sides have Champions League matches in the week, with Spurs’ playing a more crucial one than Arsenal. Will they have one eye on that? Will there be more woes and boos to follow on Saturday?

Online bookmaker promotion: Wing Commanders at Paddy Power. The North London Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match always throws up a lot of football betting interest. For this one, popular online bookmaker Paddy Power are rolling out a money back special for Saturday’s big game. If Tottenham’s Gareth Bale or Arsenal’s Theo Walcott hits the last goal of the match, then Paddy Power will refund all losing first/last goalscorer, correct score and score cast single bets placed on the match. This is a great offer in the battle of the wingers at the Emirates! The highly recommended bookie also offers up to £50 in free bets for customers opening a new account.

Arsenal v Spurs Premier League Statistics

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

Arsenal have an 67 win percentage at home in the league this season
Tottenham Hotspur have a 33% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Arsenal have scored 15 goals, and conceded 6 at home
Tottenham Hotspur have scored 7 and conceded 10 goals in their away matches

Arsenal have scored the bulk of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket
Tottenham Hotspur have scored the majority of their goals in the 16-30, 61-75 and 76-90 minute brackets

Arsenal have opened the scoring in 61% of their matches
Tottenham Hotspur have scored first in 30% of their matches

Arsenal average 2.5 goals per match at home this season
Tottenham Hotspur average 1.1 goals per match away from home this season

Arsenal are on a 10 match streak with no draw
Tottenham are on a two match losing streak away from home

Arsenal 2010/11 top scorer: Chamakh, 5
Tottenham Hotspur 2010/11 top scorer: Van der Vaart, 5

Arsenal 2010/11 Season Form: P13 W8 D2 L3 GF26 GA12 Pts 26 (2nd)
Arsenal 2010/11 Season Form: P13 W5 D4 L4 GF18 GA17 Pts 17 (7th)

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.

We started the 2010 World Cup with thirty-two teams from all over the planet, although just four remain after 60 matches of football. On Tuesday night, the first place in the final is up for grabs, with Holland facing Uruguay at the Greenpoint Stadium in Cape Town.

It’s likely to be a huge betting contest and many bookmakers have special offers for the game which is well worth checking out. Over at bet365, they continue to run their ‘Penalty Payback’ promotion for the 2010 World Cup, where they’ll refund losing outright bets on any team that gets knocked out on penalties.

So far, bet365 have got away with only refunding losing stakes on Japan and Ghana, not two of the well-backed teams in the competition. However, it’s possible that at least one semi-final this week could go to spot kicks, not to mention the final. Spain are 15/8 favourites, Germany are 2/1, Netherlands are 21/10 and Uruguay are 10/1 with this firm.

Bet365 also have their 0-0 cashback offer available on the Holland v Uruguay and it’s likely that the south Americans will be looking to keep things tight. All losing first goalscorer, last goalscorer, anytime goalscorer, correct score and half-time / full-time bets will be refunded if the game is goalless after ninety minutes. Paddy Power and Blue Square are doing something similar for this game.

Meanwhile, Bet Fred are offering to refund all losing first/last goalscorer, correct score and scorecast bets on Holland v Uruguay if Dirk Kuyt scores in the game. The Liverpool striker likes to get forward and it’s not a bad offer at all.

Similarly, Stan James have used their imagination to create a Diego Forlan special for Tuesday night’s game. If the Uruguay striker scores at any point during the 90-minutes on Tuesday night, then the firm will refund all losing first/last goalscorer, anytime goalscorer and hat-trick bets placed on the game.

There’s been plenty of money for the Netherlands in the build-up to the match in Cape Town and it’s possible that Coral’s 4/6 won’t last until kick-off. Other bookmakers have been running for cover as a major gamble takes place on Bert van Marwijk’s team, with punters clearly being swayed by that victory over Brazil in the quarter final. Sporting Bet are now as short as 4/7 (Sporting Bet) about a Dutch win.

It’s good to see that Ladbrokes have also been giving their punters extra value throughout the World Cup and it’s worth checking out their Enhanced Doubles currently available on the World Cup semi-finals. You can back Holland and Spain both to win at odds of 10/3 or alternatively go for the 9/1 that Uruguay draw and Germany win.

The Magic Sign also have goalscorer doubles available and offer 3/1 that Robin Van Persie scores on Tuesday and David Villa finds the net on Wednesday. A Diego Forlan x Lukas Podolski double is on offer at 9/1.

Uruguay v Holland Betting Odds

Uruguay to win: 6/1 at Bwin
Draw: 5/2 at Bet365
Holland to win: 4/6 at SkyBet

Holland

Uruguay v Holland is the first of the 2010 FIFA World Cup semi finals, and a match which sees the Netherlands take on the mantle as outright favourites. This is simply a matter of weighing up the odds and stats, and it is easy to see why the Dutch are tipped to take the match over the South Americans. But there is a lot more to this match than meets the eye, as the Dutch go into this encounter on somewhat shaky ground. Holland won their group as expected, strolling to top spot ahead of Japan, Denmark and Cameroon, winning all three matches. That sounds mightily convincing, and the case for the Netherlands to reach the final is all the more compelling when you look and see that they beat Slovakia and then the mighty Brazil in the knockout stages. No-one really gave Holland much of a chance against Brazil, but it was they who ran out 2-1 winners over one of the tournament favourites, thanks to a brace from Wesley Sneijder, and some luck. Holland have simply not been convincing at all through their 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign, and the old whispers of them not being mentally composed enough to win football’s greatest prize are starting to get louder. The Dutch are generally a self destructive bunch when it comes to tournament football, usually cracking at the seams when the pressure starts mounting. What the Dutch do have in spades, is great technical ability, and they are set up to play a very attractive style of football, which does not always possess all of the qualities needed to win tournaments. Like mental fortitude.

The flaws with Holland, and they have been visible in this tournament, is the lack of desire to really dig deep and battle, and lack of creativity and invention. Some will argue that they showed great resilience in beating Brazil after going behind, but it was more of a case of Brazil beating themselves than anything the Dutch did in terms of football. Holland did a great deal of unsportsmanlike playing up to the referee, falling to the floor and making it seem as if Brazil were wearing sharp edged ice skates instead of football boots when any South American went near them. While it worked in getting Felipe Melo riled enough to get himself stupidly sent off, it was not a pretty picture which the Dutch painted, and it gave a great example of just why they always seem to remain on the fringe of great success. They are their own worst enemy usually, with arrogance and over confidence generally at the root of their downfall, and when you have you best players like Robin Van Persie publicly bemoaning his coaches decision to substitute him, all cannot be well. Instead of getting on with trying to play football, Holland degenerated their match against Brazil into a less than admirable spectacle of football quality. It was their way to regain control, after Brazil in the first half, had exposed many weaknesses in the Dutch formation, cutting through them with ease.

The Netherlands however, will have a tougher time of things when they face Uruguay in their semi final, because Uruguay are a lot more of a no-nonsense team than Brazil. Uruguay will really get stuck into the midfield of the Netherlands, and will physically drain the confidence out of the Dutch. Holland did not have the technically ability to beat Brazil in a toe to toe contest, and while they will be believing that they certainly have that advantage over Uruguay, underestimation of these South Americans would be perilous. The 2010 FIFA World Cup has not seen the best of Holland and there is a train of thought which leans towards the reasoning that coach Bert van Marwijk is hampered by his players. Tactically, Holland are very sound, letting Arjen Robben and Dirk Kuyt patrol out wide, supporting lone striker Van Persie, while helping out in midfield. This allows Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneijder to roam freely as the link up man between midfield and attack, which is why he is so dangerous. He is that a-typical South American floating number 10. The Dutch attack allows for a lot of movement and creativity, but behind that, they have problems with quality personnel. The distribution to the attack is not a quick, nor as sharp as it should be. Holland could learn some good lessons from Germany about quick transition play. Why is this important in World Cup betting? Because semi final opponents Uruguay have a much stronger midfield than Holland, in terms of work ethic. Snuffing out the supply line to the forwards, by pressing the Dutch defence when they are on the ball, is a sure fire way to frustrate Holland, and that will create chances for Uruguay. In technical ability, Holland win hands down. They have not been playing well and have been riding their luck, and that is why they are very vulnerable, especially with the added weight of breaking the mental barrier of actually winning the World Cup. Uruguay may not have to beat them, for they may do it to themselves again. They will already be without Nigel de Jong and Gregory Van Der Weil after picking up their second yellow cards against Brazil. They are lucky to have Mark Van Bommel too, who was lucky to escape a red card. Holland, beating themselves.

Uruguay

The South Americans are the surprise package of the tournament, and they are very proud of themselves for getting to the semi final. As a nation they have won the World Cup twice before, but that was a long time ago back in 1950 and since then, they have not been able to compete strongly. They are the last South American team left in the tournament along with three European nations. This in itself is as big of a surprise as seeing Uruguay in the semi’s, as Brazil and Argentina were supposed to be in the mix at this stage. South American teams are generally ones that have a great balance between attack and defence, and if they are lacking the out and out technical brilliance of say Brazil, they make up for it with a physical presence. Chile were a perfect example of this, as they and Uruguay are probably the two hardest working teams attending the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Uruguay like to defend from the front, and that is why they put out a three man attack, so that the middle of the park can be kept tight and narrow in defence, and the extra attack can drop back and help out in midfield. This is something which is expected of South American teams, even though the top players don’t always put in that top effort in defence. This sole reason was the downfall of Argentina, whose forwards were not dedicated enough in making sure their midfield was reinforced when they did not have the ball. That same concern is not there for Uruguay, although they will be missing their star striker, a team that the Dutch will know fairly well.

Ajax’s Luis Suarez was at the centre of the much publicised debate over whether his punching of the ball on the goal line in the dying seconds of their quarter final match, was deliberate cheating or not. Suarez stopped a sure fire goal with his hands, received a red card, and opponents Ghana missed the last gasp penalty, sending the match to a penalty shoot out, which the Africans lost. Suarez had pulled off the biggest save of the tournament, to which he is now citing that he has the “real” hand of God. Uruguay will miss the striker, but they have Diego Forlan, who has been one of the outstanding players of the tournament. Both he and Suarez are on three goals, one of the few teams in the tournament who have more than one player up front to rely upon for goals. Holland’s Robin Van Persie has just one to his name, in contrast. The way Uruguay will set up, will probably leave space down the flanks for Arjen Robben and Dirk Kuyt to receive plenty of the ball. That is how Uruguay like it. It is unlikely that they will let Holland go through the middle of them, and that means the Dutch will have to work a lot harder down the flanks. Uruguay will be happy with that, as their mean defence will be confident of handling a lone striker in Van Persie.

While Holland have received good news about a scan on Robin Van Persie’s elbow which showed no problems, Uruguay have been hit with bad news about creative playmaker midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro who will definitely miss the showdown after picking up a knee injury against Ghana. Uruguay are also anxiously waiting news about captain Diego Lugano, who is a serious injury doubt after having to come off against Ghana as well. The South Americans will also be without Suarez and defender Jorge Fucile who is also suspended. These are the small things which can accumulate into a big problem. It is a shame that Uruguay may not be able to field their strongest side at such an important juncture in their World Cup history. They are the underodgs for the match and the rank outsiders of the four teams left in the tournament. Their teamwork has gotten them this far, and now it looks as if it is being sadly broken apart through injury and suspsension. While Paraguay rang a lot of changes to their starting eleven against Spain and still put up an admirable fight, Uruguay will be hoping that the incoming players will give the benefit of fresh legs, which they will need after playing extra time in the semi finals. Uruguay will run and chase and pressure Holland all day long, and they will probably sit back and look to launch counter attacks, and look to make the most of their chances from dead ball situations. Forlan is the key man, along with Diego Perez in the centre of midfield, who will be putting in the heavy tackles. A great, disciplined team, Uruguay are on the brink of repeating successes of their peers, but they face their toughest challenge yet in one of Europe’s top sides. The margin between them will be small, and it may just take another flash of genuis from Forlan to sneak it.

Betting Tip – To Win – Uruguay 6/1 at Bwin

Match Verdict: Uruguay are the ideal team to be the thorn in the side of another Holland World Cup dream. They are so disruptive in midfield, and so tight at the back, that they can cope with slicker passing and faster paced teams. They do not flex their attacking muscles as much as one would hope, but they have a system which works for them, and its gotten them this far. This is a quality passing and moving attacking team versus a disciplined defence one. Uruguay though have goals in them, and can step up into the role of an attacking side, whereas Holland probably can’t switch to a defensive one so well. Uruguay can very well sneak this by a goal, or even take it all the way to penalties. They probably won’t get overwhelmed or overrun, not unless the Dutch come out and play by at least a couple of levels better than they have done during the tournament so far.
Uruguay +0.75 Asian Handicap 41/40 at Bet365

Top Uruguay v Holland Bets

Correct Score
Uruguay to win 1-0: 12/1 at Paddy Power
Holland to win 1-0: 5/1 at Boylesports

To Qualify
Uruguay – 13/5 at SportingBet
Holland to win: 1/3 at Totesport

Anytime Goalscorer
Robin Van Persie – 5/1 at Coral
Wesley Sneijder – 7/1 at Bet365
Diego Forland – 3/1 at ExtraBet

Greenpoint Stadium in Cape Town plays host to the first semi-final of the 2010 World Cup and it might be a lot closer than people are predicting. Indeed, everyone seems to be raving about the Dutch since they beat Brazil in Port Elizabeth, although let’s not forget that Bert van Marwijk’s team didn’t look like scoring until Felipe Melo and Julio Cesar got themselves into a right tangle which led to the Netherlands grabbing an equaliser in the quarter final match.

Therefore, while Coral’s stand-out 4/6 is likely to be popular about Holland winning in normal time and booking their place in a World Cup final for the first time since 1978, there will also be people on betfair laying the Oranje at odds of around 1.66. Yes, they have won all five of their games in South Africa, although the team have only shown glimpses of attacking play and they are sure to continue with the slow tempo start which has served them well up to now.

Uruguay are also unbeaten in this World Cup, something which enabled them to win Group A and enter what many have described as an easier half of the draw. La Celeste then squeezed past South Korea in the last sixteen before the luckiest of victories against Ghana in the quarter final, something which saw Asamoah Gyan miss an extra-time penalty and then Oscar Tabarez’s team eventually triumphing on spot kicks. Perhaps the south Americans will now believe it’s their fate to win the World Cup for a third occasions and you can get 11/2 (bet365) that they land a ninety minute win.

Indeed, while the Black Stars were flying the flag for Africa on Friday, Uruguay are doing the same for their continent after the demise of Argentina and Brazil. Unfortunately, they will be missing the excellent Luis Suarez, whose ‘hand of God’ was spotted by the referee and led to a red card. It means that Diego Forlan (17/2 bet365) will weigh heavy with the burden of trying to score for his team, although the remarkably confident Sebastian Abreu (14/1 bet365) might get his first start of the 2010 World Cup.

As for the Dutch, they will be missing Gregory van der Wiel and Nigel de Jong from the team due to suspension but it won’t stop van Marwijk playing two holding midfielders in front of the defence and hoping that Wesley Sneijder (7/1 Paddy Power) and Arjen Robben (6/1 Ladbrokes) can conjure some magic in the middle of the park. Robin Van Persie is the 4/1 favourite (Paddy Power) to break the deadlock and the Arsenal forward might be up against a weakened defence due to injury concerns over Diego Godin and Diego Lugano.

Even so, the Uruguayans will stick manfully to the task of trying to prevent their opponents from scoring and Boylesports offer 5/2 that the match is a draw and goes to extra-time. If you fancy Tabarez’s team to go through on spot kicks once again, Sporting Bet offer 11/1.

While France, Italy and England have not lived up to their billing and are already out of the tournament, two of the biggest names in world football are safely through to the quarter finals of the World Cup and the match at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium threatens to be a classic.

Holland v Brazil conjures many exciting memories, such as their last eight clash in Dallas back in 1994 when the Dutch produced a stirring comeback from 2-0 down to draw level at 2-2. Unfortunately they couldn’t complete the turnaround and lost 3-2, although they fared a little better in 1998 when the teams met in the semi-finals. Patrick Kluivert’s late equaliser took the game to extra-time, although the Selecao were once again victorious, this time on penalties.

Can the current Netherlands gain vengeance for these defeats of the last millennium? There’s two schools of thought on the matter. The first states that Holland have been disappointing in all four of their matches despite winning them all and might be easily beaten in Port Elizabeth. The other suggests that the Dutch have been conserving energy and will now move through the gears when it really matters. If the latter occurs, then the 100/30 (Ladbrokes) that they win this match will seem like a big price.

You can also back Bert van Marwijk’s team at 7/4 (bet365) to go through to the semi-finals where they would have a winnable match against either Uruguay or Ghana. Indeed, such an easy route through to the final suggests there will be extra pressure on this match and Under 2.5 Goals at 8/11 (Stan James) seems like a very fair price considering that Holland will surely look to keep things tight in the opening stages.

Indeed, it’s possible the Dutch are trying to use the same tactics employed by Jose Mourinho’s Inter during last season’s successful Champions League campaign and Brazil are sure to be wary about falling prey to the counter-attack trap. That said, the south Americans played some excellent football when beating Chile and demonstrated that they also can be a threat on the break, not to mention from set piece situations.

It’s possible that people will consider the two matches that took place last Monday and arrive at the conclusion that Brazil are a better team and should almost certainly win the game in normal time. If you are one of these people, it might be worth considering a bet at even money (bet365) on the Samba Kings, especially as manager Dunga is demanding a big improvement from his team!

Robinho is looking a million times better than his Manchester City playing days last season and could rate as a decent bet at 6/1 (bet365), while Luis Fabiano now has three goals and the Sevilla striker can be backed at odds of 9/2 (Victor Chandler). For the Dutch, there’s no escaping the fact that Arjen Robben is the player likeliest to score and he’s on offer at 10/1 (bet365).

Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie has declared that “this is our moment” as his Netherlands team prepare to take on Slovakia for a place in the quarter finals of the 2010 World Cup. "This is the best team I have played in so far. We have been on a great run in matches and when you look at the level in training, it is unbelievable” said the 26-year-old, who broke his World Cup duck when opening the scoring against Cameroon last Thursday and is the 7/2 favourite with Ladbrokes to do the same again on Monday afternoon.

Indeed, the match in Durban sees the Dutch installed as very strong favourites to book their place in the last eight of the 2010 World Cup. You might just about get 1/2 on betfair that Bert van Marwijk’s team, although the best price with a fixed-odds bookie is 4/9 (bet365). As a backer of Holland myself on the outright, I have been watching the Oranje matches with great interest and feel as though they do need to move up a gear or two to improve. Perhaps they will achieve this with Arjen Robben ready to make his first start of the competition.

The Bayern Munich winger’s World Cup hopes appeared to be over during a warm-up match against Hungary due to a torn hamstring, although some fast recovery means that the former Chelsea man could be lining up to give the Slovakian defence a testing time. He showed during his substitute’s appearance during the match against Cameroon that he can be a real threat and is on offer at 6/1 (Ladbrokes) to score the first goal and 2/1 (bet365) to feature on the scoresheet at some stage of the game.

Slovakia will go into this match as obvious underdogs, although perhaps they shouldn’t be afforded odds as big as 15/2 (bet365) that they win this match. While their first Group F match resulted in a disappointing 1-1 draw with New Zealand and the second was a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Paraguay, Vladimir Weiss’ team saved their best until last with a dramatic 3-2 win over Italy to finish second in the section and dump out the Azzurri in the process.

While Marcello Lippi’s team were a shadow of the side that won the 2006 World Cup, Slovakia will be well served by a repeat of that fearless attitude and they might at least be worth a bet at +1 on the Asian Handicap at odds of 21/20 (bet365). The Dutch only managed to beat Cameroon and Japan by a one-goal margin and it could be a tight contest in the initial stages.

Robert Vittek is one of several players in this World Cup who has managed three goals and he’s 12/1 (bet365) to send his team into a shock lead, although you might think that Robben can propel this exciting Dutch team to new heights. William Hill offer 6/5 that they lead at half-time and full-time.