Man City forward to fall behind on return
Carlos Tevez is expected to return for Manchester City against Sunderland on Sunday having sat out the trip to Chelsea and Argentina's friendlies with USA and Costa Rica because of a groin injury, and his comeback should herald another thrilling finale to a Premier League top goalscorer battle.
The last two scraps have been decided on the final day and a similarly tense finish is on the cards this year with Tevez trailing current chart-topper and former team-mate Dimitar Berbatov by two goals, with Darren Bent, Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan and Robin van Persie seven behind Tevez on 11.
Berbatov appeared to have the honour sewn up earlier in the campaign but has been scuppered by the recent form of Manchester United colleagues Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez, which has ended the Bulgarian striker's run as a near-guaranteed starter at Old Trafford.
Yet while Berbatov's occasional appearances on the bench for the Red Devils has presented Tevez with an opportunity to seize the initiative, the Argentine forward has so far failed to take advantage, enduring a drought of five league games without finding the net.
Betfair punters aren't too sure which way it's going to go, rating Berbatov the marginal favourite at [2.08] to see out his two-strike lead over the closing eight fixtures, with Tevez just behind at [2.12].
Most would predict that this will be a good weekend for Tevez's chances with the Citizens at home, however he has scored only once in six appearances against Sunderland, missing a sitter at the Stadium of Light in August.
By contrast, Berbatov regularly delivers moments of magic against Manchester United's weekend opponents West Ham, in addition to four goals in eight collisions with them, so combining that trend with the fact that he is in action first, it could be a shrewd time to back him.
Who do you think will be top goalscorer? Share your predictions below...
Published: 31 Mar 2011
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