Andy's Saturday tips - Newcastle will lose
This is a weekend of Premier League football that could have a huge impact on where the title ends up come May. A struggling Chelsea side travel to White Hart Lane whilst Manchester United play host to bitter rivals Arsenal at Old Trafford. One thing is for certain, whoever comes out on top in those two matches will feel very good about life at the moment and be bullish about their chances of going all the way. These aren't easy matches to call this weekend, far from it, but let's try and use what we've seen so far and what we know, to make another profit this week...
Newcastle v Liverpool
The dismissal of Chris Hughton may have come as a shock to many but the rumours are that the board never really felt he was the right man to be at the helm once they'd returned to the Premier League and were just waiting for a slightly bad run of results before giving him the chop.
I won't discuss the ins-and-outs of that decision here other than to say I think he did a pretty decent job whilst he was in charge and that I wish him all the best. Instead, it's more relevant to focus on what sort of form they're in right now and how I think they'll fare against an improving Liverpool.
Newcastle were poor against West Brom. They failed to keep possession, didn't create enough chances and got caught on the break time and time again when they decided to chase the game. It's impossible to know how the players will be feeling after Hughton's dismissal but I'd be surprised if they all of a sudden put in a blinding performance here against Liverpool; the way they've been playing of late suggests any improvement will be minimal and, if that's the case, it's unlikely to be enough to see them getting anything from this match.
Liverpool haven't all of a sudden become world beaters themselves but they will have taken great heart from their 3-0 win against Aston Villa on Monday night. They had no Steven Gerrard, no Fernando Torres and no Jamie Carragher yet they looked in control for the whole match and played some good stuff at times, keeping a clean sheet in the process.
I've been impressed with how quickly Raul Meireles has settled in the Premier League and Sotirios Kyrgiakos has shown some good leadership qualities and put in some uncompromising displays in the absence of some of the senior players. One of those, Torres, is expected to be back for this match and that is just one further reason why I'm backing Liverpool to take all three points.
Recommended Bets:
Back Liverpool to win at [2.1]
Back Liverpool to win 1-0 at [8.6]
Back under 2.5 goals at [2.0]
Andy's predictions for Saturday's 3pm kick-offs...
Aston Villa v West Brom
The return of some key players back from injury could make all the difference here as Villa edge out their midlands rivals.
Recommended Bets: Back Aston Villa to win at [2.2]; 2-1 at [10.0]
Everton v Wigan
It's been a while since Everton have won but their performances have been better than their results have suggested. This may be the match in which they rediscover their winning ways.
Recommended Bets: Back Everton at [1.47]; 2-0 at [7.0]
Fulham v Sunderland
I don't expect this to be the first game shown on Match of the Day but I do expect it to be a tight game so bet accordingly.
Recommended Bets: Back the draw at [3.3]; 1-1 at [7.2]
Stoke v Blackpool
Matthew Etherington has been excellent in recent weeks and I wouldn't be surprised to see him involved in the goals as Stoke get the better of Ian Holloway's boys.
Recommended Bets: Back Stoke to win at [1.66]; 2-0 at [11.0]
West Ham v Manchester City
The absence of Carlos Tevez will take away some of Manchester City's bite but they should have enough to go back home with the points.
Recommended Bets: Back Manchester City at [1.9]; 1-2 at [10.0]
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: 10 Dec 2010
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