English Prem 31st Dec

[Swooperman]

31 Dec-12:45 Aston Villa v Arsenal 4/1 5/2 8/13
31 Dec-13:00 Charlton v West Ham 6/5 21/10 21/10
31 Dec-13:00 Chelsea v Birmingham 1/7 11/2 12/1
31 Dec-13:00 Tottenham v Newcastle 1/1 9/4 12/5
31 Dec-15:00 Liverpool v West Brom 2/9 4/1 10/1
31 Dec-15:00 Man Utd v Bolton 4/11 10/3 6/1
31 Dec-15:00 Middlesbrough v Man City 5/4 11/5 15/8
31 Dec-15:00 Portsmouth v Fulham 5/4 11/5 15/8
31 Dec-15:00 Sunderland v Everton 17/10 11/5 11/8
31 Dec-15:00 Wigan v Blackburn 6/5 11/5 2/1

odds Bet365

[all_funkt_up]

As mentioned in the Sports Banter thread. Everton are in big trouble. Sunderland on the other hand should be well rested and in good spirits, having put in a few good performances of late. They have played just 3 games in December due to a re-scheduled match and one being abandoned.

Everton are shipping goals for fun at the moment and cant score for toffee.... Geddit?

Arrr, Sunderlando all the way for me in this one - Arca looks to be returning to form and fitness and he is a very very important player for them. Probably he and Whitehead are the only ones of Premiership class.

2.74 currently on betfair so marginally better than bet365 - will have a look at the Sunderland Echo tomorrow and report back about team news.

[Keith]

Man U v Bolton

Sam was the most outspoken about teams having to play 4 times in 8 days. Funny how Boltons undersoil heating failed tonight!!

8.50 on a team in form with fresh legs is the sort of bet that attracts me even if it means going to the TOD to get the 3 points.

For the same sort of reasons

Wigan v Blackburn

Blackburn at 3.20 is worth a punt even if Wigan are going great guns. Tiredness can catch up with all teams

[farnerud]

Originally Posted by all_funkt_up

As mentioned in the Sports Banter thread. Everton are in big trouble. Sunderland on the other hand should be well rested and in good spirits, having put in a few good performances of late. They have played just 3 games in December due to a re-scheduled match and one being abandoned.

Everton are shipping goals for fun at the moment and cant score for toffee.... Geddit?

Arrr, Sunderlando all the way for me in this one - Arca looks to be returning to form and fitness and he is a very very important player for them. Probably he and Whitehead are the only ones of Premiership class.

2.74 currently on betfair so marginally better than bet365 - will have a look at the Sunderland Echo tomorrow and report back about team news.

I'll wait for latest news. Everton played a tough match with a high tempo and I think they will be exhausted. Sunderland is likely to take first home win.

[corsair]

Everton will do well if Moyes just drop Beattie.... When U see your front 2 shooting blanks throughout the game, the confidence throughout the team just wanes....

[crowie]

Newcastle game may have been off, players rested and Tottenham rather surprisingly lost at WBA but I would still take Spurs at 2.00 at home to Newcastle.

[farnerud]

I wrote something about Tottenham yesterday, West Brom's win didn't surprise me. Tottenham is the worst playing team of Boxing Day. But Newcastle is poor too, no bet for me until latest news.

It's a tough fixture at Saturday, I think best valuable bet is Sunderland and may be Fulham on the road.

[keemanan]

Good grief AFU , I'd need more than 2.74 to back Sunderland . No wins at home all season scoring 7 goals!

How much confidence can you have in this bet? maximum 2 out of ten I'd say.
Everton are poor but the makems are poor on a whole new level.

Nothing at all in the premiership excites me , maybe the free money available on Liverpool again. Robson's hasn't got a clue how to play away from home. 3 points from 27 , that's before you consider mighty Pool

Crap odds yes , gaurenteed win , well as near as football gets

stick it in a double with Reading

Liverpool 2/7 (10/10)

[Swooperman]

I gotta agree Keem....AFU's on a wind up never in a month of sundays are Sunderland value at that price

[keemanan]

I agree with Crowie on the Spurs odd's , they lie 4th in the division beaten only by Chelski at home this season . Let's face it Souness doesn't know what he's doing at this level and cant be expected to outthink Jol.
They'll rely as usual on outscoring spurs and also on Givens talents. There have been only 4 goals scored in the last four meetings of these two usually free scoring teams.
anyroad
Spurs 5/6 (6/10)

[A.M.P]

Don't Newcastle have a crap record "Dan Saaath"??????

[mrmuzeman]

Everton will do well if Moyes just drop Beattie

Not true Beatties been good of late and hes been scoring his share (4 in last 7 homes) even though he gets the most woeful supply possible. Its not Beattie whos the problem its the supply to him. Beatties putting a real effort at the moment and is fast gaining my respect and always gets chances even if he doesnt always finish them.

Need to get Weir out the side hes been absolutely shocking lately and must be low on confidence. Nuno Valente also looks like the biggest waste of space ive seen, god knows how he gets in thr Portugal team, he is an awful marker.

My advice on the game is not to bet. I have no idea what will happen whatsoever.

[Swooperman]

Weir didnt play against us did he Muze ?? what was the story there ??

[natrass]

Sunderland - Everton is a bugger isnt it? Its like the inverse of Chelsea-Barcelona or something. Two very poor teams at the mo. Most people big up Sunderland because they will bust a nut to get something from a game now, but will Everton be any different?

And Everton do have the quality in there somewhere (this is a team who drew with Chelsea and at Old Trafford, beat Newcastle, Blackburn, etc) whereas Sunderland ... beat Mboro and drew with west ham and WBA at home ... and thats it ... that is all they have achieved in half a season almost.

But, to even it out further, Everton must be tired and have Arteta and Neville out. Its one of those where all three results are totally possible so not bet for me. If I had to, I mean really had to, then Id think theyd both be happy with a draw at the moment.

Spurs? I think I have said somewhere else that I see them as Liverpool were a while ago. They definately do seem to be finding and building a great team 'model' but results are inconsistent. Their defeat to WBA didnt suprise me as the stats didnt back up the hype (and WBA have just beaten Arsenal and Man City at home as well). Newcastle away with owen wont be embarrassed but, yeah, under Souness we always look just one bounce of the ball away from everything going pear shaped again.

Id say all three results could be argued, but Spurs perhaps around 50% - 60% .. so the odds arent far off and no bet for me.

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Wigan v Blackburn

Blackburn available at 5/2

I would've had them about 6/4, 7/4 max so this is a pretty big imo for a side with Blackburns quality.

Weary about Wigan's superb season so far and their home record which reads 6-1-3. Their only 3 defeats have been very narrow wins for Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs so they are a very tough side to beat at home.

I like this more for Blackburns ability to counter attack and play very well on the road which cancels each other out in a way.

Blackburns away record reads 2-2-6 but i wouldn't read into this too much as their performances have been absolutely superb.

Middlesbro 0-2 Blackburn
Fulham 2-1 Blackburn
Arsenal 3-0 Blackburn
Man.City 0-0 Blackburn
Chelsea 4-2 Blackburn
Liverpool 1-0 Blackburn
Man.Utd 1-2 Blackburn
Bolton 0-0 Blackburn
Aston Villa 1-0 Blackburn
West Ham 3-1 Blackburn

Their away results there. Now take out the Villa and West Ham results as i didn't catch them matches and how they went.

But the Bolton, Man Utd, Man City and Boro games speak volumes imo. These are places where very little teams come away with 1 point, nevermind the 3 points they picked up in some of the games.

Then you have Chelsea. To go and battle against a side with such a solid backline and score two goals speaks volumes again. They played the perfect counter attacking game there soaking up pressure then using the base of Bellamy and Pederson to get in behind the defence.

The Arsenal and Fulham games were both very undeserved victories for both London sides.

Against Arsenal they were more than a match for them and i don't think i can recall a side creating so many opportunities as an away side at Highbury. On another day Blackburn would've been toasting themselves a famous victory and it would've been thoroughly deserved win

Hughes has really improved on from last season. The defence which was solid last season is still in place albeit conceding some more goals than they have.

Their main problem was scoring goals and their midfield getting in and supporting the attackers.

Now they have 3 strikers very capable of goals in Bellamy, Dickov and Kuqi with a supporting role from Pedersen adding to this threat.

Bellamy is a player i think is top top class. If it wasn't for his bad boy reputation he would be in a far better side imo.

He caused mayhem against the Chelsea, Man Utd and Arsenal backline in their own backyards and isn't a player you'd like to be marking.

The outright bet is maybe a bit dodgy as i wouldn't be surprised to see a draw so the asian handicap bet would be the safest imo.

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