Andy's Sunday tips - First loss for Man Utd
There are four massive matches taking place in the Premier League on Sunday. Here's what our top tipster Andy Gray is backing in each...
Birmingham v Aston Villa
There isn't a single player, fan or staff member at Aston Villa who won't be disappointed with the way things have gone so far this season, especially the results. The manager and the players are far too good to be in the position they're in at the moment but the table doesn't lie and they just need to start getting some wins on the board.
Everyone around the club will have enjoyed their FA Cup win last week and that's the good thing about still being involved in the competition - it's a welcome distraction that can give everyone a boost when you win matches in it.
Pound-for-pound there isn't much to choose between these two teams at the moment, but Birmingham secured a good 0-0 draw when they went to Villa Park earlier in the season. A 2-1 victory in the Carling Cup perhaps gives the Blues greater momentum.
I hope we get another good game of football here and that it has all the passion that you'd expect from a game of this nature. But I also hope that the players don't allow the feverish atmosphere to get the better of them and turn it into a dirty match.
And above all, I hope we don't have a repeat of the ugly scenes we saw in the aftermath of the Carling Cup match. Real football fans don't behave that way and it just spoils the game for everyone.
I've thought long and hard about this match and I could make a very good case for the home win but with a few key players coming back from injury and Villa having had a little more recovery time, my money is on a draw.
Recommended Bets:
Back the draw at [3.3]
Back the 1-1 draw at [7.4]
Back under 2.5 goals at [1.78]
Liverpool v Everton
Fans of these two teams won't be used to seeing them in their respective league positions, though what's gone wrong for both this season is a discussion for another day.
The thing about a local derby is that the result has consequences that are magnified in comparison to a regular match: a win is twice as sweet whereas a defeat is twice as hard to stomach. Three points here for either side will provide a massive boost for the rest of the season.
Liverpool will of course be missing Steven Gerrard after his sending off against Manchester United last Sunday but Everton are also missing their main man with Tim Cahill away on international duty so that pretty much levels itself out.
If anything, Everton are more reliant on the Australian's goals than Liverpool are on Gerrard's all-round contribution. If the former Millwall man was playing, my whole view of this match would be quite different, he really is that important to the way Everton play.
On the plus side, Louis Saha is one of those strikers who is extremely hard to contain when he's in-form and pretty ordinary when he's not. His two goals in his last two matches suggest he may have a good game on Sunday.
Blackpool caused Liverpool all manner of problems and if Everton can draw first blood they have every chance but that's a big if and as much as it pains to me to say this as a former Everton player, I just have a feeling that it will be the red side of Liverpool celebrating on Sunday.
Recommended Bets:
Back Liverpool to win at [2.34]
Back Liverpool to win 2-1 at [11.0]
Back Louis Saha to score at anytime at [3.6]
Tottenham v Manchester United
This could well end up being the most entertaining match of the weekend between the most successful side of the last two decades and a young, entertaining and dynamic side which plays a positive brand of attacking football.
Manchester United have made a habit of winning tight matches without actually playing that well and cliché though it is, that's always the sign of a good team. But this Spurs outfit isn't afraid of anyone these days, can live with the very best and may be the ones to inflict the first defeat of the season on the title favourites.
As ever, much will depend on the fabulous Rafael van der Vaart. He has plenty of experience of playing the best Europe has to offer and strikes me as the sort of player who saves his best performances for the biggest stages.
My money is on Spurs' great entertainers putting an end to Manchester United's super run and blowing the Premier League title race wide open once again.
Recommended Bets:
Back Tottenham to win at [3.05]
Back Tottenham to win 2-1 at [12.0]
Back both teams to score at [1.75]
Sunderland v Newcastle
I expect the Black Cats to demonstrate that they've still got a couple of lives left after that drubbing at St James' Park and to win narrowly.
Recommended Bets: Back Sunderland to win at [2.2]; 2-1 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: 15 Jan 2011
Fred A (January 15, 2011 9:04 PM) said:
Andy i hope u did not put all your money on spurs becos mark my words, would d end up a BROKE man!!!