Sunday Premier League betting preview
Arsenal v Chelsea 4pm
The Blues have an opportunity to go eleven points clear of their London rivals on Sunday and you can bet that Carlo Ancelotti will be sending his team out to win the game. Four consecutive league victories have sent Chelsea storming clear at the top of the Premier League and they are 7/4 (bet365) to collect an extremely valuable three points at the Emirates.
Although the visitors will be missing Frank Lampard and Jose Bosingwa, that is the extent of their walking wounded and they have a great chance to take advantage of an Arsenal team severely weakened by injury. Michael Essien (25/1 Bet Fred) scored twice against Wolves on Saturday and will be powering forward, although it’s Didier Drogba (6/1 Paddy Power) who is the key player for Chelsea. The Ivorian has scored eight goals against the Gunners in the past five seasons and could therefore rate as an excellent bet (2/1 Coral) to be on the scoresheet this Sunday.
Former Arsenal striker Nicolas Anelka (7/1 Coral) is also likely to line up for a fixture that Chelsea won 4-1 last season and the French forward scored the only goal of the game in Portgual on Wednesday night. Indeed, it’s the team’s defence which has helped them to a lofty position; with Terry and Co a 12/5 chance (Paddy Power) to keep a clean sheet.
The same can’t be said of the Gunners rearguard, although Arsene Wenger’s team do boast a 100% home record this term and they are 7/4 (Sky Bet) to subject Chelsea to their third away defeat of the season. Last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Sunderland illustrated that Robin Van Persie is a big loss, although Eduardo is 15/2 (Sky Bet) to open the scoring. The other two players likely to find themselves in advanced positions are Andrey Arshavin (8/1 Coral) and Cesc Fabregas (10/1 Bet Fred).
Everton v Liverpool 1.30pm
The first Merseyside derby of the season takes place on Sunday, with both teams having a difficult campaign thus far. Liverpool’s failure to make the Champions League knockout stages has been well-documented, although they have won this league fixture in the past two seasons and are 11/8 (Sky Bet) to make it a hat-trick. Much depends on whether Fernando Torres is fit, with the striker’s brace at Goodison Park last term making the difference. The Spaniard is 9/2 (888sport) to open the scoring and he’s prolific when free of injury!
Nevertheless, there’s no certainty that El Nino will be fit and the plain facts are that the Reds have lost four of their six away matches this season, including visits to Fulham and Sunderland. Can Everton take advantage at odds of 12/5 (bet365) and win their first derby since September 2006 (they did beat Pool in the FA Cup last season although that was in extra-time)? The Toffees have been struggling for form all term, although winning this game could really turn their season around. Louis Saha (13/2 Stan James) represents their best chance of scoring, with the Frenchman entering double figures for the season on Wednesday.
It’s worth noting that the last five encounters between these teams have resulted in two goals or less, so bet365’s 10/11 quote of Under 2.5 looks a good shout. If you think it will be really cagey at Goodison, then the same firm go 13/5 that there is no more than one goal, while No Goalscorer is possibly too big at 9/1 (Sky Bet). No Liverpool player will be hurting more than Steven Gerrard right now, with the captain clearly distraught after his team’s Champions League exit. He’s 11/5 (Boylesports) to be on the scoresheet and that looks a tasty price against a team that were 3-0 down by half-time at the KC Stadium during the week.
Wolves v Birmingham midday
While there are two high-profile televised matches taking place on Sunday, let’s not forget this west Midlands derby which could be more entertaining than both of them. After thrashings at the hands of Arsenal and Chelsea, Wolves have a golden opportunity to move out of the relegation zone and they are 13/10 (Victor Chandler) to get the win they so desperately crave. Before these two heavy defeats, Mick McCarthy’s team were putting a nice run together and they have the attacking players to cause City some damage.
Kevin Doyle (6/1 Sky Bet) will almost certainly return to partner Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (6/1 Coral), although it’s David Edwards (16/1 Paddy Power) who catches the eye on the First Goalscorer market. The Welshman is the outstanding player in the team and will look to burst forward at every opportunity.
After Saturday’s 1-0 win over Fulham, the Blues are five points better off than their rivals, and they are 2/1 (bet internet) to increase this margin to eight. Their away form reads 1-1-4 this season, although let’s remember that this includes trips to Spurs, Man United, Arsenal and Liverpool (where they landed a draw). Alex McLeish’s team are also four matches unbeaten and Victor Chandler’s 6/5 about the visitors on the Draw No Bet market make appeal. Lee Bowyer has four for the season and the former Leeds midfielder is 12/1 (Coral) to break the deadlock again.
Posted: 30/11/09