Fringe players impressed against Barnsley

Sir Alex Ferguson used the Carling Cup game against Barnsley to give some playing time to fringe players like Obertan, Macheda, Welbeck, Da Silva twins, De Laet and Tosic, and they all produced a solid performance to help the team win 2:0. the win was marred by the red card picked up by Gary Neville, who is suspended for this game, just like Nemanja Vidic. The boss will, nevertheless, be able to field a very strong squad and the hosts should score at least a couple of goals. Sportingbet is paying 1.91 on United to score over 2.5 goals.

Even though Vidic and Neville are out through suspension, the back line shouldnt have too many problems against poor Blackburn side that will be mostly concentrated on defence. United kept two clean sheets in their last three games and we really cannot see Rovers scoring at Old Trafford, not with all the problems in the scoring department. Betfair is paying 1.71 on United to keep a clean sheet.

Rovers through to Carling Cup quarter-finals

Blackburn suffered an embarrassing defeat at Stamford Bridge last weekend but they managed to recover and beat Peterborough in the Carling Cup game on Tuesday. However, the Rovers now face another very difficult task and we dont think they can get something from this match. The visitors will be looking to keep things tight just like they did in the first half of the Chelsea game, when they conceded just one goal and maybe you should consider betting on under 1.5 goals in the first half at 1.64 offered by Expekt.

Blackburn are now just two points clear of the relegation zone and we dont think they can avoid the survival fight. Sam Allardyces team are not playing to their potential at the moment and unless they soon improve, Rovers will have to fight for their lives. In that kind of situation everything is possible and we feel obliged to inform you that odds on Blackburn to get relegated are 9.00 at Ladbrokes.

Betting verdict

Manchester United will be eager to make amends for the Liverpool defeat and they are expected to win this match without too many problems. Blackburn conceded five at Stamford Bridge and we doubt they will fare much better in this game.

Young Guns beat Liverpool

Arsenal suffered a small setback at the weekend as they could only take one point from Upton Park after squandering a two-goal lead but they quickly returned to winning ways after the combined team beat Liverpool in the Carling Cup match. The players obviously dont need any special motives when they face Tottenham but the fact that three points from this match would see them remain in the title race is an extra incentive. It is still too early to be talking about title chances but the Gunners stand an outside chance of fighting for the league trophy and maybe this is the right time to back Arsenal to win the Premier League at 5.50 offered by 888sport.

Arsene Wengers side have been in remarkable scoring form this season and their scoring run is second to none in the Premiership. 29 goals in 9 league games give Tottenham every reason to fear for the outcome of this game. The Gunners scored at least two goals in 7 out of 9 league games this season and you should seriously consider backing Arsenal to score over 1.5 goals at 1.53 offered by Boylesports.

Time to step up the plate

Spurs fans didnt have a lot of reasons to cheer over the last few years but things have changed this term. The team have been playing great football and despite the home defeat to Stoke, Tottenham are sitting in fourth place at the moment. Harry Redknapps team look ready to challenge the top 4 place and whatever happens, they will be there or thereabouts come end of the season. Therefore, backing Tottenham to achieve a top 6 finish at 1.87 offered by Betfair looks like the right thing to do.

Even though Arsenal are the favourites here, our opinion is that the bookies have underestimated Tottenham a bit. Spurs are playing great football this season and they seem to have the quality to match the Gunners, whereas these derbies are always tightly contested affairs. The visitors are aware they need to get something from the Emirates if they are to contest that forth place and we see a good value in backing Tottenham not to lose at 2.38 offered by Paddy Power.

Betting verdict

We expect a very tight match between two evenly matched sides and Arsenal will definitely not have an easy job here. Guners remain the favourites but we are not so sure they will even take all three points, let alone win big. Therefore, our advice is to back Tottenham with +1.5 Asian handicap.

Can the Trotters improve in just three days?

Boltons physical style is hard to deal with and that is one of the reasons why even stronger teams than the Trotters struggle to beat them, just look at the Everton game. Gary Megsons side are especially convincing at their Reebok Stadium, where they scored no less than 9 goals in 6 games this season and Chelsea are bound to have some problems in defence, mostly at set-pieces. Even though we dont expect them to get anything from this match, the hosts could score a goal and backing Bolton to score at 1.80 offered by Boylesports looks like a nice bet.

As we have already mentioned, the hosts are a big threat from set-pieces as Gary Megson has players like Kevin Davies, Gary Cahill and Zat Knight who are difficult to contain. Chelsea defence conceded most of the goals this season after poor defending at set-pieces and that could be a problem in this match. England international defender Gary Cahill already scored two goals this season and odds on Cahill to score are no less than 15.00 at Bet365. Its worth a try.

The Blues want another resounding win

Carlo Ancelotti rested some key players in the Carling Cup game against Bolton, but his side managed to record third successive big win. 13 goals scored and not a single one conceded in those three games prove that the Blues are in top form at the moment and they should have no problems extending the great run against Bolton. The hosts dont have the means to stop the Blues from scoring and our advice is to back Chelsea to score in both halves at 1.83 offered by William Hill.

Terry, Carvalho, Lampard, Essien, Anelka and Drogba are back to the starting line-up and the hosts have every reason to fear this match considering they lost 4:0 to second string Chelsea side. The Blues have rediscovered their top form and they usually have no problems breaking the defensive-minded teams like Bolton. They recorded three big wins in succession and we believe another one of those is on the cards. Blue Square is paying 2.30 on Chelsea to win with -1 European handicap.

Betting Prediction

Second string Chelsea side beat practically full strength Bolton 4:0 on Wednesday and we expect a very similar game. It is more than obvious the Blues are in excellent form and a team like Bolton dont have the quality to stop them from winning this match.

Tottenham shocked by Stoke

Tottenham ruined the good start of the season as they lost at home to Stoke even though they were the better team throughout the match. Spurs are set to meet fierce rivals Arsenal on Saturday and that is why Harry Redknapp is set to rest most of his starters in this match. However, with players like Bale, Bentley, Pavlychenko, to name just a few, the hosts remain favourites to beat out-of-form Everton. Therefore, you should seriously consider backing Tottenham to score over 1.5 goals at 1.73 offered by Boylesports.

Harry Redknapp faces some selection problems as Defoe and Lennon are out through suspension and injury respectively, thus the hosts will not have an easy job against the Toffees. Everton are struggling for form but they have enough quality to match second string Tottenham side and you should take advantage of 1.71 odds offered by Bet365 on Everton to win with +1 Asian handicap.

The Toffees in big problems

Everton have major problems this season and they are playing way below the expectations. David Moyes again has a lot of injury worries but his side are not coping as well as they did last season. The busy schedule is starting to take its toll on the results and the boss simply has to rest the players that played full 180 minutes over the last four days. John Heitinga and Tim Cahill are the latest players to have picked up injuries and seeing that he wont have too many options, Moyes is likely to adopt defensive approach and thus try to record a good result. With Tottenham forwards misfiring at the moment, odds of 4.20 offered by William Hill on Everton to keep a clean sheet are definitely worth a shot.

Everton definitely have more potential then they are showing and it is only a matter of time before they came good. It is interesting that the Toffees won last three games at White Hart Lane and with a smile from Lady Luck, maybe they will be able to continue the impressive run. Betfair is paying no less than 5.70 on away win.

Betting Prediction

Both Tottenham and Everton are a bit short of numbers at the moment and the bosses are likely to field second string sides. We really cannot understand why online bookies see Tottenham as clear favourites and our advice is to take Everton with +1.5 Asian handicap.

Perfect time to be facing Liverpool

Considering the players Steve Bruce has at his disposal, Sunderlands high league position is by no means surprising and we are positive they will remain in the top part of the table, come end of the season. The Black Cats have been in very good form recently, winning last four home games, while one point from Old Trafford proves they can match even the best teams in the league. With Liverpool struggling to find their form, there is a great value in backing Sunderland not to lose at 2.00 offered by Expekt.

All new signings have proved they had what it takes to play at this level but one player in particular have been in outstanding form since arriving at Stadium of Light. Former Charlton and Tottenham forward Darren Bent is playing at a very high level this season and his 7 goals in first 8 rounds are one of the reasons for clubs high league position. Hes got an extra motive to score in this match as hes been left out of the past few England squads and we can see him score in this game. 888sport is paying 3.00 on Bent to score.

Is Rafa Benitez set to part ways with Liverpool?

The defeat at Stamford Bridge showed Liverpool were not ready for a serious title challenge and it also caused some unrest within the governing structure at the club. One of the clubs co-owners George Gillet has criticized Rafa Benitez for the poor start of the season, saying that the boss should have already won them the league title with the money he had had at his disposal. This is just another sign that the Spaniard could be entering the closing stages of his career at the club and maybe you should consider backing Benitez to win the Premiership Sack Race at 21.00 offered by William Hill.

The Reds have no choice but to try and win this game as they cannot afford to extend the gap behind the leaders and they are bound to adopt attacking approach. That will leave Sunderland a lot of space to exploit and we expect to see a very open match at the Stadium of Light. We are yet to see which team will profit from this kind of approach but one thing is for sure, we are bound to see some goals. Expekt is paying 1.76 on both teams to score.

Betting verdict

Sunderland showed they had the team capable of matching the best in the league and we believe they can get a positive result from this game. Liverpool are unlikely to win this match but they should be able to earn one point. Therefore, we see draw as the most likely result.

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Potters only losing to title contenders

Stoke boasted one of the best home records in the league last season and they have continued where they left off. The Potters won all their home games except when playing title contenders and as a result nobody is too confident when playing at the Britannia Stadium. Seeing that West Ham are largely struggling this season, we wouldnt be surprised if the Potters extend the great home record. Betsafe is paying 2.20 on home win.

Neither team are probably too happy with the amount of points they won so far and we have no doubts both sides will be looking to win the game. West Ham are more dangerous from open play, whereas Stoke are a real menace from set-pieces and we can see both sides scoring at least one goal each, Therefore, betting on both teams to score at 1.83 offered by William Hill is the right thing to do.

Hammers not ruthless enough

We are at pain to explain what is happening to West Ham, the team that played extremely well last term and almost clinched Europa League place. The Hammers were expected to build on that success but they instead took just 5 points from 7 Premier League games and are now desperate for a win that would boost their spirits. It is interesting that West Ham have won all three games at Britannia Stadium and maybe they can extend the run. Pinnacle is paying 3.93 on away win.

Gianfranco Zola is aware this match is very important for his side as the defeat to Stoke would push them deeper down and even though the visitors will be going for a win, they are unlikely to risk too much in the first period. Stoke will also play patiently as even one point from this match wouldnt be such a bad result and our advice is to bet on under 1.5 goals in the first half at 1.38 offered by Expekt.

Betting verdict

Judging by the current form of both sides, we see Stoke as favourites in this match and seeing how well they play at home, we are tempted to back them in this match. However, it is about time this West Ham side come good as they definitely have too much quality to remain in the relegation zone. Therefore, we see draw as the most likely result.

All Guns blazing

Many people expected Arsenal to fight to keep their place in the Big 4 this season but Arsene Wengers team are so far defying the odds and they look like serious title contenders. A couple of good signings and the fact that some key players have recovered from injuries are the reason why Arsenal are playing their best football in years and no wonder they are scoring goals for fun. The Gunners are scoring more than three goals on average and this match should resemble that against Blackburn when they scored six. Therefore, backing Arsenal to score over 2.5 goals at 1.80 offered by Sportingbet is the right thing to do.

Arsene Wengers team to finish the job within first 45 minutes so that they could take the foot off gas and keep the energy levels high for the remaining games in the busy schedule. Birmingham are a solid side but they have some problems with injuries and they simply cannot match Arsenal at the Emirates. We expect them to concede a couple even before half-time and recommend backing Arsenal to score over 1.5 goals in the first half at 2.75 offered by Sportingbet.

The Blues still finding their feet

After the good start of the league campaign, Birmingham have started to slip down the Premiership ladder and defeats to fellow strugglers Bolton and Burnley can cost them dearly later in the season. Alex McLeish has got a good and experienced team at his disposal but due to the numerous injuries, he hasnt been able to put all the pieces together. Nevertheless, the visitors will have a lot of space to exploit at the Emirates and we are positive they will score at least one goal. Odds of 1.95 offered by Sportingbet on Birmingham to score at least one goal are too good to pass.

With Jerome, Bent, Murphy and McFadden all struggling with injuries, Christian Benitez is likely to start as a lone striker. The Ecuadorian has shown a lot of potential since coming to Birmingham but he is yet to score his first Premiership goal. He will have a lot of space to exploit behind the enemy lines and we expect him to finally break the duck. William Hill pays 6.00 on Benitez to score.

Betting verdict

Arsenal are in incredible scoring form and this looks set to continue, while we are confident the Blues will score at least one goal at the Emirates. We expect a very exciting match and to see goals galore.

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The Toffees aim to close the gap behind the leading pack

Everton ended the tremendous run of results as they failed to beat Stoke but are now aiming to quickly return to winning ways. David Moyess side want to achieve a top 6 finish and in order to do that they will have to win games like this one. The situation with injuries is improving and the boss now has big squad to choose from, while there is no doubt they are much better and more experienced team than Wolves. With Saha, Jo and Yakubu all ready to contribute to the scoring department, odds of 1.83 offered by William Hill on Everton to score in both halves do look tempting.

The hosts are obviously hot favourites to win the game against out-of-form Wolves and we believe they will do so without conceding. Everton conceded just two goals in last five home games and Wolves are not really team that can make one of the best defences in the league worried. Therefore, our advice is to take odds of 2.40 offered by 888sport on Everton to win to nil.

Mick McCarthy wants more from his side

Wolves have seen a downtrend in form after the good start of the season and they are now dangerously close to the relegation zone. Even though it is still early into the season, it is evident they need to do a whole lot better when facing the relegation rivals and the defeat to Portsmouth, the team that had no points before that game, definitely hurts. It is unlikely they will get anything from the match with very good Everton side and we believe they will be a goal or two down even before half-time. 188bet is paying 2.06 on Everton to lead at half-time.

Everton are bound to score a couple of goals here as they are simply much better side than their opponents and Wolves will have to open up once they have conceded a couple. The visitors have got some attacking potential and maybe they can even score one at Goodison Park. All things considered, odds of 1.73 offered by Blue Square on over 2.5 look very tempting.

Betting verdict

This is a no contest in our opinion as everything points to the home win. The quality, experience and current form are on Evertons side and we dont see how the Toffees can fail to win this match.

Villa underachieving

Aston Villa havent had the best of starts to the league campaign but they are now sitting in seventh place and are just three points adrift of the top 4. The Villans always play attacking football at their Villa Park and we are sure they will try to win this game. With Agbonlahor, Milner and Young all in very good form, we expect them to score at least one goal even though they will be facing one of the best defences in the league. Sportingbet is paying 1.45 on Villa to score at least one goal.

Martin ONeills newly-shaped defence has been playing extremely well recently with Cuellar, Dunne, Collins and Warnock all in great form. As a result, Villa conceded just one goal in their last four home games and even a team like Chelsea will have problems breaking them, especially since the visitors will be tired after returning from international duty. Therefore, our advice is to back Chelsea to score under 1.5 goals at 1.73 offered by Sportingbet.

Chelsea won the first big derby

Carlo Ancelotti has been a breath of fresh air for the Blues as the team have been playing great football ever since the Italian replaced Guus Hiddink. Apart from the defeat at Wigan few weeks back, Chelsea won all their games this season and they are definitely the favourites in this match. The Blues face a difficult job but they enter the match in great spirits following the win over Liverpool and we can see them taking all the points from Villa Park. Victor Chandler is paying 1.85 on away win.

Chelsea are obviously the better team here but we cannot guarantee you they will survive the pressure from the hosts in the opening exchanges. Villa could take the lead as they have some great players up front and very quick also, but they cannot be expected to hold on to the lead as the Blues can practically score from everywhere. William Hill offers 4.80 on Chelsea to come from behind and draw or win and this is definitely worth a shot.

Betting verdict

We expect a very close match between two very strong sides but we dont think they will risk too much in the first period. The game is likely to open up after the break and we expect to see more goals in the second period.

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United ended the winning run

Manchester United recovered well from somewhat slow start to the season and they even took over the top of the standings after Chelsea lost to Wigan but 2:2 draw with Sunderland in the last round saw them drop to 2nd place. Sir Alex Fergusons men now need to beat Bolton in order to keep up with the Blues and they should have an easy job against one of the weakest teams in the league. The hosts should have no problems in the scoring department and our advice is to back United to score in both halves at 1.53 offered by William Hill.

With both Rooney and Owen likely to miss the game through injuries, Dimitar Berbatov will probably be employed as a lone forward, although he will have a big help from midfield area. The Bulgaria has finally started showing signs of potential and the hat-trick for his national team against Georgia proves he is in top form at the moment. Therefore, backing Berbatov to score at 2.10 offered by Blue Square is the right thing to do.

Bolton are improving

Bolton managed to rediscover their form after the poor start of the league campaign and Gary Megsons men picked up 8 points from last four games. It is interesting they are scoring much more goals than last season and seeing they will be afforded a lot of space, maybe they can score one at Old Trafford as well. Uniteds defence has been far from impressive lately and you should back Bolton to score at 1.95 offered by Sportingbet.

The visitors are obviously set to adopt defensive approach but not too many teams can contain United when they are in top form. The hosts will be looking to put the tie beyond doubt as early as possible in order to put their foot off gas in the second half as their key players need some rest following the busy schedule. We dont think Bolton will be able to hold on for too long and our advice is to bet on first goal to be scored within first 27 minutes at 1.83 offered by Stan James.

Betting Prediction

United have been playing really well lately and they should have no problems against poor Bolton side. The Trotters have picked up quite a few points lately but they were only playing teams from the bottom part of the table. Therefore, we expect a big home win.

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