Tag: Watford

Spreadknowledge tips for EPL’s midweek matches

Watford v Man City
This is a fixture that haunts Watford simply because they have lost the last two meetings with Manchester City by a combined score of 14-0. A 6-0 victory in last season’s FA Cup final was embarrassing enough before City went two better to win 8-0 in the first meeting this season at the Etihad. Watford has just sacked their manager Nigel Pearson despite the Hornets winning two of their last three to sit three points clear of the relegation zone. City were 5-0 within 18 minutes of the reverse fixture and after losing their FA Cup semi-final to Arsenal on Saturday, Pep Guardiola’s side are looking to take their frustrations out on somebody. Watford has been warned. Watford has failed to score the first goal in any of their previous eight EPL games while City has opened the scoring in their last three league matches. Since the lockdown, City has scored 12 first half goals to Watford’s one and it’s going to take an incredible effort for the home side to win this game. In the last seven meetings, over 2.5 total goals has paid out and that looks a solid bet in this game with City winning.
Bet: Man City win and over 2.5 total goals

Aston Villa v Arsenal
This game in hand for Aston Villa is the ideal opportunity for them to move level on points with Watford on 34 points and make Sunday’s final day of the season very interesting indeed. Villa has shown signs of improvement in recent games. They have scored first in their last two matches which helped them beat Crystal Palace 2-0, but they could not hold on against Everton in a 1-1 draw when Everton equalised in the 87th minute which has been a trend for Villa since the league restarted. Seven of the 10 goals Villa has conceded have come in the final 30 minutes of matches. One of Arsenal’s two goals to beat Manchester City came in the final third so Villa will need to be on their guard for a late surge from the Gunners whose best hope of qualifying for European football next season will be to win the FA Cup. Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 17 league and cup away games against Villa and they have won the last seven meetings. Five of those seven were won to nil.
Bet: Both teams to score

Manchester United v West Ham
This is Manchester United’s biggest game of the season by a long way. Victory and they will climb above Leicester with a three points gap. Defeat and United and Leicester meet at the King Power Stadium level on 62 points in their battle to secure fourth spot and the final Champions League berth. United could climb to third if they beat West Ham and Chelsea loses at Liverpool. As for West Ham, the 37 points they currently have could be enough to ensure they are playing in next season’s EPL. If Aston Villa drop any points from their last two games, then the Hammers will be safe. West Ham’s recent revival in which they have taken 10 points from their last five matches, has seen them get to half-time in their last six games either winning or drawing. The last time West Ham won at Old Trafford came in May 2007 and since then, they have not one of any of their last 14 visits to the Theatre of Dreams. United, still smarting from their FA Cup semi-final defeat, has scored in both halves and won both halves in five of their last six league games. West Ham could look to do what Bournemouth and Southampton and take the game to their hosts and open the scoring. United will look to attack at every opportunity and after resting Paul Pogba against Chelsea, he should return to join Bruno Fernandes in United’s midfield.
Bet: Both teams to score

Liverpool v Chelsea
Tonight, after a 28-year wait, Liverpool get their hands on the Premier League trophy. They clinched their 19th domestic titles a couple of weeks ago, but only now will their coronation be confirmed when they are presented the trophy after this fixture with Chelsea. Chelsea may be invited to the party, but they will be keen to play the role of party poopers at Anfield. A win and Frank Lampard’s side will be guaranteed a place in next season’s Champions League. Defeat and it comes down to the final game of the season at home to Wolves on Sunday. While Liverpool are the champions, they haven’t exactly been playing like champions with just one point taken from their last two EPL games. When the two sides meet, a total of 344 days will have passed since the season’s first meeting in the European Super Cup on August 14. Liverpool will hope to maintain a remarkable record of not conceding a goal in the final 10 minutes which they have managed to do in their previous 23 league matches. This could and should be an open game if Liverpool want to mark their trophy presentation with a win. Chelsea has the players to hurt Liverpool which means there could be goals for both sides.
Bet: Both teams to score

Spreadknowledge betting tips for the EPL

Watford v Leicester 
Watford are fighting to stay out of the bottom three while Leicester have their sights on ending the campaign in second spot. The Foxes go into this game with an impressive half-time record this campaign. In their last 10 EPL matches, Leicester have not trailed at the interval – leading four times and being tied in the other six. Watford have not led at the break in their last three league games. Brendan Rodgers’ side have not conceded a first half goal in their last seven league encounters while the home side have gone three league games without finding the net in the first half.
Prediction: Leicester to lead at half-time
Brighton v Arsenal 
Arsenal’s return to action on Wednesday was going to plan for 44 minutes at Manchester City. The game was goalless but two errors from David Luiz either side of half-time took the game away from them. It ended their eight-game unbeaten run and they will hope to bounce back at Brighton who are without a win in their last nine league games. Neither side is used to going into the half-time interval ahead on the scoreboard. Wednesday’s defeat was Arsenal’s sixth game in which they have not been leading at the break (four ties and losing twice) while Brighton have not led in their last six EPL matches (losing three times, level three times). Arsenal cannot afford to lose this game and I expect changes to be made to the starting line-up that should win by two or more goals.
Prediction: Tie at half-time 
West Ham v Wolves
If West Ham manager David Moyes has done his homework during the lockdown, then he will know how slow Wolves have been to start matches this season. Of their last 13 league games, Wolves have scored the first goal just once. The last time they opened the scoring in an away fixture was on December 8 at Brighton. Since then, their last six journeys to opposition grounds have seen them fail to score first. West Ham, who have taken four points from their last two home games, have been first to register on the scoreboard in each of them. Incidentally, three of the last five league games Wolves have played were goalless draws. West Ham haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last 10 matches since beating Bournemouth 4-0 on January 1.
Prediction: West Ham to score the first goal
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace
Don’t be surprised if Crystal Palace win this game 1-0. Palace’s last three EPL games before the break were 1-0 victories against Newcastle, Brighton and Watford – all sides 13th in the standings or lower. This is a match-up between Roy Hodgson’s well-organised Palace side and Eddie Howe’s squad of players who are in the middle of the relegation battle. Another bet that might land is Palace to win the second half. Of their last 15 goals scored, 11 have come after the interval, while the home side have been outscored 6-17 in the second half. Bournemouth have scored nine goals in their last 10 EPL contests and if that scoring does not improve, they could be playing in the second tier of English football next season.
Prediction: Palace to win to nil
Newcastle v Sheffield United 
Sheffield United were denied a comeback win at Aston Villa on Wednesday night when they were denied a legitimate goal just before half-time due to a technical fault with the goalline technology which failed to see Villa keeper Orjan Nyland carry the ball over the line. The two points they missed out on at the end of their 0-0 draw could be the difference between qualifying for next season’s Champions League and settling for a spot in the Europa League. Newcastle has drawn their last two home games 0-0 and another goalless draw should not be a surprise too many people. Steve Bruce’s side has managed to score just once in their last four at St James’ Park while the Blades have not given up the first goal in their last three matches and they have kept their opponents to nil in their last two.
Prediction: Under 2.5 total goals 
Aston Villa v Chelsea 
Dean Smith’s side will hope Lady Luck stays with them for the remainder of the season after getting a fortuitous break against Sheffield United on Wednesday. That was the eighth successive EPL game in which Villa had not led at half-time. Technology helped them break a run of seven games in which they had trailed at the interval. Chelsea went into lockdown buoyed by their 4-0 win over Everton at Stamford Bridge. It was the third consecutive match in which Chelsea scored the first goal. Can Villa finally open the scoring for the first time in eight home games? Aston Villa’s second half performances could decide the outcome of this encounter. The Villans have been outscored 6-19 after half-time which could be a weakness Chelsea will exploit.
Prediction: Chelsea to win the second half 
Everton v Liverpool 
The good news for Everton is that Liverpool cannot win their 18th domestic league title at Goodison Park. The bad news for Everton is that they haven’t beaten their Merseyside neighbours in 21 attempts. However, the Toffees have Carlo Ancelotti in charge of them now who has already inflicted defeat on the league leaders this season when he guided Napoli to victory in the Champions League. The stat that jumps out from this game is the impressive half-time records of both sides. Everton have not trailed at the interval in their last 11 home EPL matches while Jurgen Klopp’s side has not been behind at the break in their last eight league games away from Anfield. Nine of the last 17 meetings have finished in a tie (+320) which would not be the worst result for either of these two sides.
Prediction: Draw at half-time
Manchester City v Burnley 
Matchday 30 concludes with Burnley’s trip to Manchester City on Monday. The Etihad Stadium holds plenty of bad recent memories for the Clarets who have been beaten 5-0 on their last two visits. In fact, City have scored five goals in four of their last nine home games with Burnley in a fixture that generally produces a lot of goals. Since the last goalless draw in October 1975, a total of 46 goals have been scored in the 10 meetings at Maine Road and the Etihad with City scoring 36 of them. While City have dominated this fixture in recent years, Burnley won’t make life easy for their hosts. In their last six EPL games, Burnley has failed to give up the first goal. However, with just three first half goals scored in their last 17 league matches, the visitors cannot afford to fall behind to a City side that has taken maximum points in the seven games in which they have scored the first goal.
Prediction: Manchester City HT/FT double