Andy's Sunday tips - Chelsea will triumph
Liverpool will try to continue their revival under Kenny Dalglish at the Stadium of Light and we have a huge match at Stamford Bridge where one of Chelsea or Manchester City will be out of the title race should they lose. Here's what I make of it all...
Sunderland v Liverpool
Sunderland's draw at Arsenal was a good enough result anyway but when you consider what an awful run they were on, it was even better. Prior to that 0-0, they had lost four Premier League games on the trot and all the good, hard work done in the first few weeks of the campaign looked like it was going to waste.
If there's one thing the Black Cats have consistently done though, it's raise their game when the big boys come to town. They've held Manchester United and Arsenal and beaten Manchester City. They did admittedly lose to Chelsea and Spurs but they seem more motivated and focussed when the glamour sides come to the north east. I think they'll give Liverpool a really hard time on Sunday.
If you're looking for more good omens supporting the view that the Reds are worth taking on, look no further than the corresponding fixture at Anfield earlier this season which finished 2-2.
That scoreline included the super controversial Dirk Kuyt goal that many felt shouldn't have stood after Fernando Torres pounced on a ball that the Sunderland defenders felt wasn't in play. Fans of Steve Bruce's side will argue they should actually have won 2-1!
Speaking of Kuyt, I was glad to see him finally get some recognition and his moment in the spotlight with that hat-trick against Manchester United. I've always felt he's more a of a striker than a right winger, although the presence of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll in the squad now will probably mean he spends most of the time out on the wing over the next couple of years. Irrespective of where you play him, he's an honest footballer who gives his all and very much my sort of player.
Liverpool have a far better idea of how to go about winning matches these days and the squad looks happier and more relaxed. But I've said Sunderland like these big games and the stats back this up so I'm going to say that I don't think Liverpool will win this.
Recommended Bets:
Lay Liverpool at [2.8]
Back under 2.5 goals at [1.7]
Back the half-time draw at [2.1]
Chelsea v Manchester City
Last season this fixture produced one of the most entertaining and ultimately unexpected results of the year. Craig Bellamy put in a virtuoso performance, Wayne Bridge refused to shake hands with John Terry, Carlos Tevez then squared up to the Chelsea skipper and Manchester City ran out 4-2 winners.
Chelsea did of course still end up winning the league, whereas Manchester City missed out on a top-four spot despite those heroics at the Bridge. The gap between the two has narrowed since last year's match with more star players arriving at Eastlands and the side beginning to gel.
Roberto Mancini seems to like preparing his sides for big matches and draws at the likes of Spurs and Arsenal are proof that they are hard to beat on the road, but I still think Chelsea will avenge last year's defeat.
It's easy to say they were average against Copenhagen in midweek but they didn't need to be anything more than that because they'd done all the hard work in the first leg.
Frank Lampard is back pulling the strings in midfield and the fact Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Fernando Torres are such different players means Carlo Ancelotti can adopt a horses-for-courses approach and pick the pairing he feels is most suited to playing against a particular opposition.
Chelsea look a far better side than they did a few weeks ago and I fancy them to win. Wouldn't it be just like football if Fernando Torres popped up with the winner?
Recommended Bets:
Back Chelsea to win at [1.7]
Back Chelsea to win 1-0 at [7.8]
Back Fernando Torres to be first goalscorer at [7.0]
Andy Gray is now on Twitter so follow him for his exclusive tips and his take on the biggest stories in football each week.
Published: 19 Mar 2011
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