Betting comments on the Premiership games on Saturday 22/09/01.
Remember betting can damage your wallet so bet within your means.
A guide to Saturday Soccer Betting By Steve Jones of Sportinglife.com
FIXED ODDS VERDICT
Manchester United lose at home about as often as someone scoops the jackpot
on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire without the help of an asthmatic relation.
Sir Alex's men entertain Ipswich and although there will be no repeat
of the 9-0 drubbing of a few years ago it should be a banker bet.
Liverpool have yet to hit fire and without Steven Gerrard some are talking
up the chances of Tottenham getting a result at Anfield. However, Spurs
have terrible injury worries and will employ a make-shift defence as Dean
Richards failed to make his switch from Southampton before the cut-off
time. Some of the fringe players are likely to get their chance for the
Reds and will be hungry to impress.
No matter how many times one looks at the Filbert Street clash one cannot
get away from Fulham. They have performed with credit away from home this
year and are ready to catch fire with Louis Saha and Steve Marlet being
paired together for the first time. Leicester are looking woeful and have
injury doubts over key players.
Just as a saver in case a freak day occurs Sunderland and Charlton should
end in stalemate. A draw has been the most common result between the two
sides and both teams are solid in the rear-guard department.
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ARSENAL v BOLTON
Arsenal are extremely hard to beat on their home patch and the layers
obviously know this and have priced the match up accordingly. It is not
often a team who top the league being quoted at 9/1 to win any game but
that is the position Bolton are in. At the other end of the scale Arsenal
are a best-priced 4/11 to win the game and this offers little value despite
their decent start to the season which has seen them move to third behind
the Trotters. Although the Gunners have not been near their best so far
they have still managed to beat Leicester and Middlesbrough 4-0 and Fulham
3-1. Surprisingly they are not unbeaten at home this season as Leeds robbed
the Highbury bank at the end of August. Sol Campbell is still settling
in to his role under Arsene Wenger and his hamstring injury causes problems
for the Frenchman as Martin Keown and Giles Grimandi looked decidedly
dodgy against Schalke in the Champions League in midweek. Bolton have
had a dream start to their latest Premiership adventure after winning
promotion through the play-offs. They have had a good string of good results
under shrewd manager Sam Allardyce. They are unbeaten away from home having
thrashed Leicester 5-0 on the opening day of the season and then held
Leeds and Blackburn to draws. This is going to be no pushover for Arsenal
but they should just edge it. Considering Bolton have not conceded more
than one goal in any league game this season it should be low scoring.
Verdict: 1-0
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BLACKBURN v EVERTON
Blackburn are unbeaten at Ewood Park having beaten Tottenham and drawn
with Lancashire rivals Manchester United and Bolton. Their away form has
not been so good and they are yet to record a win on their travels since
their return to the Premiership. Everton are doing surprisingly well this
season and have been able to laugh at those who tipped them for relegation.
They started the new term with a 2-1 win at Charlton and their only other
away game was when on the wrong end of a 4-1 result at Manchester United.
Walter Smith's men folded a bit tamely in the Merseyside derby last week
and need an improved showing from their dangerous front men Duncan Ferguson
and Kevin Campbell. That reverse against Liverpool capped a horrible week
with an embarrassing Worthington Cup exit to Crystal Palace the obvious
low point. Walter Smith is likely to have the same players at his disposal
as Scot Gemmill, Mark Pembridge, Alessandro Pistone and Niclas Alexandersson
are all still on the injury list. Graeme Souness is expected to name the
same 16 which drew with Bolton in midweek. That means Keith Gillespie
and David Dunn are still out injured joining Craig Short, John Curtis
and Martin Taylor in the treatment room. Everton have the firepower to
cause an upset but under Souness, Blackburn look the type of orgainsed
and hard working side that will not lose many games at home.
Verdict: 2-1
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LEICESTER v FULHAM
How fickle football really is. Roughly this time last year many were championing
Peter Taylor as the next England manager after his fine start to the Premiership
campaign with the Foxes. Now most neutrals accept it is a matter of when,
not if, he gets the boot from Filbert Street. A crippling injury list
has seen Leicester continue their dreadful form of the last backend and
only last week's last-gasp victory at Derby has offered any comfort. They
looked set to follow that up with victory against Middlesbrough in midweek,
but two goals in the last few minutes saw them slip to another defeat.
Their injury problems have deepened this week with Matthew Jones set to
miss the clash with a head wound and Muzzy Izzet, vital to the Foxes,
is doubtful along with James Scowcroft. There were mixed feelings about
how runaway Nationwide One winners Fulham would do in amongst the big
boys. Their summer spending was relentless and they have brought in numerous
quality players. The London club has looked capable of making a game of
it with anyone, while still finding their feet in the Premiership. They
gave Arsenal a fright before two late goals gave the Gunners a flattering
scoreline last week. That came off the back off Premiership draws against
Derby and Charlton. Their home win against Sunderland remains their only
victory, but others are sure to follow. Their opening away game saw a
narrow defeat by Manchester United so it is obvious they are not phased
by traveling to the top clubs – although Leicester can hardly claim to
fit into that category. Louis Saha has already proved a hit this season
and he will have a new strike partner in Steve Marlet, who is expected
to make his full debut. They should be more than a handful for the confidence
hit Leicester defence. The Foxes desperately need the points but it should
be Fulham who take all three from them.
Verdict: 0-3
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LIVERPOOL v TOTTENHAM
Liverpool's players may be getting all the plaudits with their performances
with England but back at club level the Reds are struggling to transfer
their brilliant cup form of last season to the Premiership. In the summer
their supporters claimed they were set to return to the glory days when
Liverpool ruled the land. They arrogantly presumed after a decent season
last year they would automatically challenge the dreaded Manchester United
for their Premiership crown. They had every right to think they had a
chance but recent performances have been far from impressive and only
an emphatic 3-1 win in the Merseyside derby against an average Everton
side has spared their blushes. Gerard Houllier's have yet to win either
of their Champions League games and Aston Villa proved it is possible
to go to Anfield and win. That said Liverpool have a fine record against
Tottenham. They have won the last five encounters between the sides at
Anfield and have not lost to Spurs since 1993. That statistic is too overwhelming
to ignore especially given Tottenham's crippling injury list. Dean Richards
did not arrive from Southampton in time to make his debut and that is
sure to leave them light in defence. With the quality of the Liverpool
strikers you need an organized defence and this is something Tottenham
will struggle to assemble. Glenn Hoddle's men did claim their first away
win of the season in midweek against Sunderland and few teams go to the
Stadium of Light and get a result. But there is just a feeling Liverpool
will have to come up with the goods sooner or later and Tottenham have
the feel of Everton about them. Teddy Sheringham is proving to be his
usual reliable self where scoring goals is concerned but they lack the
depth to take a scalp like Liverpool with so many injuries. The Reds will
have to make do without Steven Gerrard, who is suspended, and with Dynamo
Kiev arriving at Anfield in the Champions League next week Houllier may
choose to rest some of his stars following a busy period. If he does that
there will be no let up for Tottenham as the players coming in are likely
to be Robbie Folwer, Jari Litmanen, Nick Barmby and Jamie Redknapp. There
have been plenty of goals is this fixture lately and it may well be wise
to go for a repeat of last year's result.
Verdict: 3-1
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MANCHESTER UNITED v IPSWICH
There was a time when this fixture was one-way traffic. Sir Alex Ferguson's
men put nine past the East Anglian side in 1995 but a lot of water has
flowed under Ipswich's bridge since then. A place in the UEFA Cup must
have seemed a million miles away on that fateful day. But George Burley
has turned Ipswich into a competitive side not to be taken lightly by
anyone. The problem is they have not started the season as well as they
performed last year and Old Trafford is not the sort of place you want
to be going out of form. They have recorded draws against Blackburn and
a dreadful Leicester side with their only win coming against an equally
poor Derby team. United have had their problems this season, especially
defensively, but their home record is still 100 per cent. They have yet
to win away but have a potent enough strike force to overwhelm any side.
Brace yourself for some goals and expect them to be at both ends.
Verdict: 4-2
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SUNDERLAND V CHARLTON
Sunderland are extremely hard to beat at home so it was something of a
shock when Tottenham came away with three points in midweek. Peter Reid
will be doing everything in his power to make sure normal service is resumed
and it would be no surprise if the Black Cats repeated their previous
two home games when they ground out 1-0 victories. The problem with Sunderland
is their scoring – which is a bit of a surprise considering they have
the prolific Kevin Phillips leading the line. Charlton have only played
one game away from The Valley this season but it was a happy one for Alan
Curbishley as it was a 1-0 win at Ipswich. They are a similar side at
home to Sunderland so it would be unwise to write their chances off completely.
Three of the last eight meetings between these two sides have finished
1-1 with two others ending goalless. The draw looks the logical result.
Verdict: 1-1
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SPREADS VERDICT
There are some teams it just pays to oppose throughout the season. Last
year it was Bradford, this year it looks likely to be Leicester, at least
for the time being.
They have managed to scrape results against some poor sides like Derby
but even the distinctly average Middlesbrough were able to pinch three
points in midweek.
Muzzy Izzet and Matthew Jones are both unlikely to play paving the way
for Fulham's midfield to control the game with John Collins sure to enjoy
himself.
One would expect Leicester to at least make an attempt to attack on their
own patch and that could play right into the hands of the pacey Louis
Saha and his equally quick new strike partner Steve Marlet.
The Foxes have leaked goals all season and there could even be a repeat
of the four or five nil defeats they suffered at the start of the season.
A buy of Fulham's supremacy at 0.4 looks good value. There is sure to
be goals at Old Trafford so there was a temptation to buy the goals in
that game.
However, the quotes are plenty high enough and there is no point playing
when a 3-0 victory would still make a loss.
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Source Sportinglife by Steve Jones