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Sunderland v West Brom

In form West Brom face a trip north to the Stadium of Light this Saturday lunch time to face the struggling Sunderland.

West Brom have certainly been the surprise package so far this season as they sit comfortably in fourth spot. Steve Clarke has enjoyed a fantastic start to his first stint as a full time manager after working as the understudy to some of the games finest bosses.

Last week’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea was the epitome of the Baggies brilliant start. Also the golden form of Nigerian striker Peter Odemwingie, whose hit three goals in as many games, will be particular pleasing for the West Brom fans.

Furthermore they’ll be boosted by the news that goalkeeper Ben Foster should be fit enough to return in goal after being sidelined for a couple of games. Midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu is still struggling with a hamstring injury and may miss the trip north.

Martin O’Neil has had a torrid time of late with his Sunderland side who have been extremely shy in front of goal apart from their ray of hope Steven Fletcher. The Scottish powerhouse has netted six times so far this season with the rest of the team only getting four more making them the equal second-worst scoring team in the competition. However after winning 3-1 against Fulham at Craven Cottage last Sunday Martin O’Neil will hope his team may have turned the corner.

Summer signing Adam Johnson has been mediocre since his move and he’ll be desperate to put this right for his boyhood team. Martin O’Neil has a basically injury free team minus the long term absence of Wes Brown.

Written by @AndyClark19

Match PredictionsWest Brom have been in sparkling form so far this season and will look at the low scoring Sunderland team and be confident of gaining all three points. At odds of 15/8, this could be a strong fixture to start off the weekend.

With Sunderland the home team, this won’t be easy for West Brom, so backing Under 2.5 goals may be a safer bet for this one due to Sunderland’s low scoring form.

Shane Long got a goal and an assist against Chelsea last weekend so his confidence will be high coming into this game and him and Steven Fletcher look the most likely to get on the scoresheet again, but we will probably stay away from this game for goalscorers.

www.flickr.com/photos/cliche

Wigan v Reading

The DW Stadium will be host to a fairly interesting game as Reading travel to face Roberto Martinez’s Wigan side.

Despite being 16th in the league table, Roberto Martinez has done a fantastic job at Wigan, and he continues to thrive under these difficult situations and stick to his footballing principles, which can only be admired. The Latics are struggling though as expected, and a 3-0 loss at Liverpool last week underlined the potential problems they have defensively at times. Compound that with their recent injury woes and with Ben Watson out until at least February with a fractured shin That being said, Wigan always have the ability to spring a surprise; their win at White Hart Lane against Spurs recently provides a perfect example, and they can sometimes produce some amazing performances where they look unplayable at times, so they will be looking forward to playing Reading this weekend.

As for Reading, they will be full of confidence after claiming their first win of the season over Everton last weekend, and now they have that winning feeling back, it will be interesting to see how they perform and see what they are capable of. Brian McDermott’s side don’t play the same style of football as Wigan; they play fast, direct football and defend well as a unit, and their team cohesion is up there with the best I have seen from a team, so they will be perfectly set up for this game. Adam Le Fondre will be dangerous if he starts; his goals were vital last weekend and he has a real eye for goal, so don’t be surprised if he’s on the scoresheet.

This will be a major clash of styles so is a very unpredictable game, but I can see Reading turning up for this game to claim a second win of the season, and further stake their claim as candidates for survival this season.

Written by @Liam1992LUFC

Match PredictionsAs Liam says, this is a very unpredictable game and it could really go either way. Reading’s counter attacking style of play has given mixed results so far this season, so it’s hard to know which side will turn up.

Wigan will be keen to put last weekends defeat behind them, and being back at home they should at least get a goal. Reading’s win will give them confidence and should also mean that they get at least one goal. This leads us to believe both teams to score is the best bet in this unpredictable fixture.

After two goals last weekend, Adam Le Fondre should be brimming with confidence. The fast football Reading like to play suits him well and he looks most likely to add another goal this weekend.

LIAM’S PREDICTION: 2-1 Readingwww.flickr.com/photos/cliche

Everton v Norwich

As the Christmas period approaches rapidly, things are starting to fall into place in the Premier League. Chelsea have dropped off the pace, and consequently have now dropped their manager. The Manchester sides are back at the top, the North London sides are both fighting for the top four, with Arsenal in the driving seat, surprise surprise. West Bromwich Albion are currently still gatecrashing the party in the top half, but it is assumed that natural order will resume sooner rather than later with three of their next four games away from home.

But what of Merseyside? Are Everton still on top in the battle for Bragging rights?

In terms of form, Everton seem to have lost the consistency that they started off the season with, much like Chelsea the amount of praise they received may have been given too early and although they still sit above Liverpool in the table, surrendering to the not so mighty Reading last week was a shock and David Moyes will be looking for an immediate reaction from his players. A match against Chris Hughton’s Norwich side might not be the easy task the Toffees would have liked. Buoyed from their hard fought victory over Manchester United last weekend Norwich will go to Goodison Park looking for at least a point.

Norwich city are industrious, and the outcome of the match will be decided by how Everton use the resources they have at hand. The Goodison atmosphere should by raucous and on paper Everton have far superior players, with Fellaini, Pienaar and Jelavic much more threatening to see on a teamsheet than Hoolahan, Pilkington and Holt.

That is not to say that it will be easy for Everton, the recent loss of Phil Neville to injury will be a big blow but they should be able to cope with the depth of their squad. Norwich have no new injury worries and will be optimistic in the lead up to the game, but whether they can be as solid away from home as they were last weekend will be interesting to observe.

Written by @JW1987

Match PredictionsAfter Norwich’s win last weekend, this should be a really good game, with both teams performing well this season.

As both teams are doing so well, this is a difficult match to predict, I expect an Everton win or a draw. In terms of bets, this game doesn’t seem as straight forward as the match odds suggest so I’ll be steering clear of that market.

11/8 for Naismith to score at any time seems a decent bet for the in-form Scotsman and if you’re looking for something a bit more risky Norwich to be winning at Half Time is 6/1 and might be value with Everton’s penchant for comebacks.


Man Utd v QPR

Both Manchester United and QPR were beaten last weekend in the Barclays Premier League but only one of those defeats came as a real shock to the fans. Despite their recent run of fine form, no-one saw Norwich City beating United at Carrow Road. QPR suffered yet again at the hands of relegation rivals Southampton.

Everyone expected the axe to fall at Loftus Road after the result last weekend; Mark Hughes had been in charge of 34 games but has lost an incredible 20 and won just eight, and the board decided they had had enough just this morning. The R’s have only recorded one victory at Old Trafford in their history, that famous 1-4 triumph on New Year’s Day in 1992.

Sir Alex Ferguson was not impressed with his side’s showing last weekend and will demand an improvement at home. First-team regulars Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand and skipper Patrice Evra did not travel to Turkey in midweek, but can expect to return for Saturday’s clash.Van Persie hasn’t taken long to settle into his new surrounds at Manchester Utd with the former Arsenal forward already knocking in eight goals from 12 matches, he will be keen to add to that tally against the second worst defence in the Premier League.

QPR, who are still searching for their first league win of the season, remain rooted to the bottom of the table with just four points to show from their opening 12 games. QPR’s cause hasn’t been helped by news that striker Bobby Zamora could miss the remainder of the season due to a hip injury. The forward had been playing with the injury for six weeks, but decided it was too painful to go on, with surgery looking like the only option. With Andy Johnson already out long-term and Jay Bothroyd loaned out to Sheffield Wednesday, it leaves Djibril Cisse as QPR’s only out-and-out striker. The Frenchman, who scored six goals in eight appearances late last year, has struggled to find the net this campaign with just one goal in 11 matches.

Written by @NigelSmalley

Match PredictionsMark Bowen and Eddie Niedzwiecki will be in charge of QPR this weekend, and will need the players to show more commitment on the pitch on Saturday, and could revert back to a team that has the pride and passion to play.

However Fergie will be demanding his players keep a cool head and don’t let the change in QPR personel affect the way his team play. It’s essential they record a win in this fixture to try and take top spot off rivals City.

Match Prediction

Man Utd 3 – QPR 0RVP 2Scholes


Stoke v Fulham

Two teams who are free from the burden of midweek European football are Stoke and Fulham, who meet in one of the few Saturday games that kicks off at the traditional hour.Expect an uncompromising clash of styles: Tony Pulis’s men are renowned for their gritty, no frills play, whilst Fulham have taken a more avant garde approach to the beautiful game under the stewardship of Martin Jol.

The stats make for interesting reading (if that sort of thing floats your boat). Stoke have scored a meagre ten goals in their twelve starts to date, but are second only to Man City in terms of defensive solidarity (eleven conceded).

Fulham meanwhile are second only to Manchester United in terms of goals scored (25), yet have one of the worst defensive records in the division, having shipped 22. As I say, a real contrast of styles to be expected at the Britannia!

The Cottagers took a bit of a spanking from a rejuvenated Sunderland side last week – although the sending off of Brede Hangeland really was the defining moment of that encounter. Jol will miss the lanky Norwegian, but will take solace from the form of Dimitar Berbatov, who continues to astound and enrage in equal measure. The Incredible Sulk is flourishing as the key figure in this Fulham line-up.

Stoke fans may have less of a spring in their step than usual if their current league form is anything to go by. They haven’t won since September, and have only had three different goal scorers this season.

Is the Pulis magic wearing off? Hs side will be perilously close to the drop zone if results don’t go their way this weekend, although it is still relatively early days of course.

Written by @ItsRouteOne

Match PredictionsThis game really looks too close to call, as to many of them this season. Stoke will be looking to finally record a much needed win, but with a lack of attacking prowess, goals will be hard to come by. The leaky defensive line of Fulham could be exactly what Stoke need to get going, especialy with Hangeland missing.

A stoke win is tempting to back in this one, but I would prefer to back Over 2.5 goals. This is a bet I would very rarely associate with Stoke but Fulham are good going forward and definitely capable of a goal, and the number of Fulham injuries mean that Stoke will most likely get on the scoresheet as well.

Crouch could be the shining light for Stoke in this game, especially with Hangeland missing who would undoubtedly have been marking him. Crouch to score anytime is our bet in this one.


Aston Villa v Arsenal

Aston Villa go into this game following an absolute thumping from Manchester City. After a great and resilient performance against Manchester United, Villa lost that game too.

It’s hard to know what to expect from the Villains; one week they’re out-playing teams, the next they’re playing awfully. Benteke and the re-emerging Agbonlahor will spell trouble for the Arsenal back-four. Aston Villa will probably look to pack out the midfield and keep Cazorla and Arteta isolated. Paul Lambert may go with the ‘forgotten’ Darren Bent, who loves a goal against Arsenal – six in the last eight in the Premier League.

Arsenal, following another 5-2 win over their North London rivals and a 2-0 Champions League win against Montpellier, will have the confidence and fire to pummel Aston Villa’s shaky defence.

The forward three of Podolski, Giroud and Walcott will undoubtedly cause havoc, predominantly because the two wingers are naturally strikers. The defence, following a clean-sheet against Montpellier, will be looking to produce another solid display. Szczesny in goal and Gibbs returning at left-back is a massive sigh of relief for the Arsenal. Aston Villa will need a performance of the season display in midfield to prevent Arteta, Wilshere and Cazorla from sprinkling a bit of gold dust over the team.

So, in a nutshell, Aston Villa will need to regroup massively in order to prevent an in-form Arsenal from taking them to the sword very early on. Statistically, there has been a goal after the 87th minute, in this fixture, seven times in the last nine premier league games. Something tells me that stat won’t be a decisive goal if it comes to fruition; either a consolation or another Arsenal goal if so.

Written by @GB1886

Match PredictionsBack to back wins in all competition will have given Arsenal the confidence they need at this stage of the season and unless Arsenal suffer from complacency, I can’t see the Villains taking anything from the Gunners.

As well as the form looking good for Arsenal, they also have a strong record over Villa historically, remaining undefeated in 25 of the last 27 matches between the two sides.

The North London contingent, going forward, have been quite scary lately following Giroud hitting form, Podolski banging them in from the left and Walcott making a case for playing in that centre-forward role. I’d say 3-1 Arsenal. Podolski, Giroud and Koscielny with Arsenal’s goals; Bent(eke) with Aston Villa’s only goal.


Swansea v Liverpool

One of the most high-profile manager moves this summer was when Brendan Rodgers took the vacant Liverpool job, leaving Swansea, to replace sacked Kenny Dalglish. The game at the weekend will be the first time Rodgers returns to Swanseas Liberty Stadium, and it should definitely be an interesting encounter.

Swansea had quite a busy summer, as they saw two of their best players from last season depart to bigger clubs, as Joe Allen was reunited with Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool and Scott Sinclair moved to Manchester City, however, they haven’t been missed too much, thanks to Laudrups shrewd signings, who have hit the ground running. His best buy so far has been Michu, bought for roughly £2Million from Rayo Vallecano. He finished last season with 15 goals, and his goalscoring form has carried through to England, scoring 7 goals in his first 12 games, and has already looked more than worth the fee paid for him. After a good season last season, Nathan Dyer has started this season even better, with pace, skill and an end product, he will be looking to run at Jose Enrique when these sides clash.

Liverpool have had a mixed start of the season, but have started to pick up form as of late, and things seem to be clicking into place. Suarez has proved he isn’t all about goals, as he offers lots to the team as a whole, assisting 2 and contributing 35 key passes. Liverpool just have to make sure they don’t become too reliant on him, as he is the only player in scoring form. Another huge player for Liverpool is Joe Allen, who has received criticism from Alan Shearer, which is all completely undeserved. He was accused of playing the easy pass, or not going forwards enough and only going sideways because it looks good on the eye – but the reality is that he serves an important job for the side. He sits infront of the defence and offers solidity, and his passes spread the play, in order to try and create space, whilst retaining possession.

These two players are crucial to how Liverpool play and will both need to be on form if they want to take maximum points from the game at the Liberty.

Written by @Playedofthepark

Match PredictionsLiverpool hit a bit of form last weekend and recorded a comfortable 3-0 win over Wigan. Many people will be looking at this game as the perfect opportunity to record back to back wins, but the long trip to Swansea is always tough for any team.

Both teams to score looks the most likely of bets to come in in this match, with a score draw our favourite prediction. Swansea and Liverpool both have players that can make a difference when it matters, so goals in this fixture looks a given.

The players that have come up for these sides when called upon are Luis Suarez and Michu. Suarez is our bet every week and rarely lets us down so he will be who we back in this game to score any time.


Southampton v Newcastle

Southampton have an opportunity to build on their win at QPR last week when they take on Newcastle United at home this weekend.

Last week’s win in a huge relegation battle was a real test of character for Nigel Adkins’ side, and they came out of it playing some really good football at times, and I assume there will be a real feel good factor at the club after that win. Adkins will be keeping his feet firmly on the ground though, and will be looking to keep up this form and put some points on the board in their fight against the drop. Summer signing Gaston Ramirez has yet to set the world alight so far this season, but this weekend will prove a good opportunity for him to justify his price tag and show why Adkins put his money where his mouth is for him.

Newcastle will be missing out on a few key players for this game, as Yohan Cabaye, Hatem Ben Arfa, Shola Ameobi & Papiss Cisse all struggling with injuries, Fabricio Coloccini is suspended and Jonas Gutierrez is only just returning from injury, meaning they may have a tough time of things when they travel to Southampton this weekend. This is not the ideal situation for manager Alan Pardew, who hasn’t seen his team win in 5 outings in all competitions, and have yet to register a win this month.

However, with quality players such as Demba Ba available, they are still a threat, so you can’t just rule them out and will still be in with a chance of taking all three points against Southampton’s weak defence.

This could be a game where we see a fair few goals, but Newcastle may lack the cutting edge in this tie, so I expect to see Southampton taking the points here.

Written by @Liam1992LUFC

Match PredictionsSouthampton gave the fans something to cheer about last weekend with a win over relegation rivals QPR, keeping Nigel Adkins in a job for at least another week. Newcastle haven’t yet demonstrated the form of last year, and may have another stutter in this match against a team that have scored a lot of goals so far this season.

Newcastle’s problem has been draws away from home, and another one looks likely in this game. It is very likely that it will be a score draw however so backing BTTS in this match as well looks like a strong bet.

Demba Ba didn’t start midweek for Newcastle but did come on to stretch his legs. He shouldn’t be too tired for this one, and we will back him to add to the 8 goals he has already scored this season.


Tottenham v West Ham

West Ham United take on André Villas-Boas’ Tottenham at White Hart Lane in Sunday’s London derby, at a slightly later time of 16:00.

Tottenham have had a slightly unsettled campaign as of yet, and currently find themselves one place behind the visitors, who sit occupy the 7th place spot. Spurs’ home form has been inconsistent this season, picking up two wins, two draws and two losses. AVB will want to rectify the uneasy start, although West Ham will be no pushovers, as they have shown time in time out this term.

Spurs come of the back of a 5-2 league defeat to North London rivals Arsenal, and AVB’s team will want to quickly put that game behind him, as they were well and truly out played, partly down to Adebayor’s red card whilst Tottenham were 1-0 up. Spurs haven’t struggled for goal scorers though, and England frontman Jermain Defoe tops the list with five league goals, with Gareth Bale only just behind him, having netted on four occasions.

Onto the visitors, and they have impressed everyone on their return to the top flight, after gaining promotion through the npower Championship play-offs. They come off the back of a 1-1 draw at home to Stoke, where they had numerous opportunities to snatch the three points. Upton Park has been where the Hammers have played their best football, and Sam Allardyce will want to copy that home form when they are away. The Hammers’ away form has seen them win twice, lose twice and draw once, and that will no doubt please Big Sam. Kevin Nolan has been influential for the Hammers so far, notching five vital league goals, and Mark Noble has netted twice, both being incredibly impressive.

West Ham have the ability to cause an upset, and I wouldn’t bet against Big Sam’s men.

Written by @AMay132

Match PredictionsAnother tough fixture to predict, as Spurs return to White Hart Lane in the middle of a poor run of form. West Ham are unbeaten in their last 3 matches, and will be feeling that they have a great chance at keeping that run going.

Tottenham haven’t conceded a goal in their last 5 home matches against West Ham but that record looks pretty likely to go this weekend if West Ham can find some goalscoring form. We will pick both teams to score in this one, and feel confident about it as well.

West Ham’s main problem at the moment is getting Andy Carroll to score a goal. If he can start scoring, West Ham will be looking like a serious contender for a top half finish. He will need to be on form holding the ball up against Tottenham, and we wil back him to score at any time at last.


Chelsea v Man City

Rafael Benitez will take charge of Chelsea for the first time on Sunday, as the Blues welcome defending champions Manchester City to Stamford Bridge.

Following the surprise sacking of Roberto Di Matteo on Wednesday morning, Roman Abramovich wasted no time in installing the ex Liverpool and Inter Milan boss as Chelsea’s interim manager. Whilst Benitez was not a popular choice amongst certain sections of the Chelsea faithful, it will be interesting to see how the Spaniard copes in this fixture. Additionally, many see this as one last throw of the dice from Abramovich to bring the best out of the misfiring Fernando Torres.

With this in mind it is likely that Torres will be recalled to the starting line up after being dropped for the game in Turin, where Eden Hazard featured as lead striker. It was evident that Hazard lacked the physical prowess to compete with Juventus’ central defenders and Chelsea will need someone to challenge with Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott. Chelsea will however still be without captain John Terry and Frank Lampard who are both injured.

Following their disappointing exit from the Champions League on Wednesday, Manchester City will have a serious point to prove. Roberto Mancini is under increasing pressure from the fans and owners of the club and will be looking to silence his critics with a strong performance at Stamford Bridge. Despite drawing 1-1 with Real Madrid, City won their last league game in emphatic style, putting five past Aston Villa. What is perhaps even more promising for City fans is the form of Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero. After slow starts to the season, the Argentinean duo look to be firing on all cylinders now, scoring five goals in two games between them. Super sub Edin Dzeko will also be looking to add to his tally this season which currently stands at seven.

Both Benitez and Mancini have massive points to prove and this is a must win for both clubs. A win for Chelsea will put them a point behind City, whilst the Eastlands club can extend their lead at the top with three points on Sunday.

Written by @SebBudd

Match PredictionsThis game should be a cracker. Four o’clock on Sunday couldn’t come any sooner for me at the moment. As is often the case with these big clashes, you are probably best to just sit back and enjoy the match, but there are some bets that you can take advantage of without having to stick your neck on the line for a winner.

The one that sticks out in this match is Over 2.5 goals. Chelsea have scored at least two goals in 7 of their last 8 home matches and I think everybody would expect City to get at least one goal against a currently unstable Chelsea side.

Rafa has joined this week, and his arrival has been greeted with much talk that he will get Torres firing again as he was the one to bring him to England. We will back this theory and go for Torres to score at any time.


Acca’s Galore!

Wigan v Reading

Middlesbrough v Bristol City

Man Utd v QPR

Barnsley v Cardiff

Derby v Birmingham

Yeovil v Carlisle

Coventry v Portsmouth

Cheltenham v Barnet

Morecambe v Wimbledon

Wycombe v Burton

Wigan

Middlesbrough

Man Utd

Cardiff

Derby

Yeovil

Coventry

Cheltenham

Morecambe

Wycombe

5/6

4/7

1/6

5/4

6/5

6/5

4/5

4/6

1/1

6/4

Betfred Goals Galore Banker Coupon

Blackburn v Millwall

Bury v Bournemouth

Coventry v Portsmouth

Leeds v Crystal Palace

Yeovil v Carlisle

York v Torquay

Man Utd -1.0 - 8/15

Wigan - Win - 5/6

Middlesbrough - Win - 4/7

Weekend Long Shot

10-fold pays 548/1

6-fold pays 28/1 3-fold pays 3.41/1

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