English Football League / Editor / 20 April 2007 /

Charlton Athletic v Sheffield United - Saturday 3:00pm

After Sheffield United's relatively predictable defeat at Old Trafford on Tuesday, this clash with Charlton at The Valley becomes one of the single biggest games in the Premiership relegation race this season.

The defeat leaves Sheffield United in perilous danger of a quick return to the Championship, something which they are now priced up at 3.9 to do, with Charlton at 1.84 in the same market after some recently contrasting form. Watford and West Ham are all but through the trap-door according to Betfair punters.

The Blades (4.1 to claim a crucial win at the Valley) are chasing a rare double in their first season back in the top flight after downing the Addicks 2-1 at Bramall Lane back in December. On that occasion they battled back from the concession of an early goal to grab two second-half strikes, pleasing any punters who had backed the away-home option in the half-time/full-time market.

Neil Warnock's side have had troubles early in games all season, and the goal they conceded to Michael Carrick in the opening minutes of the 2-0 defeat at Manchester United was the 13th they have leaked in the first quarter of games this season, tied for the worst record in the league with Bolton.

Other than that, it has been their general form away from home that has stopped them already having secured their Premiership safety as, although they have managed three wins, the 12 defeats they have suffered is also tied for the worst record along with their hosts and West Ham.

So the scene is set for this game with Charlton in a position to climb above the Blades with victory, as they continue to buck the trend of their past Premiership seasons by actually finishing a campaign far stronger than they started it. A home win (2.08) would certainly have a big effect on the relegation market, one that punters should keep an eye on.

Although they have not won in their last three games, Charlton have lost only one of their last seven games, a spell over which they have conceded only four goals and kept five clean sheets. 'Yes' in the Addicks 'Clean Sheet' market can be backed at 2.02, which looks a decent bet with the Blades having scored only seven goals away from home all season.

On the other hand, United have only taken four points from their last seven games to go from a position of security to fall into a desperate fight for survival that seemed to be very unlikely back in February and March.

The Blades also have to overcome a lengthy run of games without a victory at The Valley, with their last success coming some 13 visits ago in 1971 - they went down 1-0 the last time they were in south London, back in the year 2000, when John Robinson scored the only goal as the two sides met at Championship level. A repeat 1-0 win for the home side is available at 7.6.

Charlton are expected to have both Darren and Marcus Bent available despite injury scares, while Hermann Hreidarsson could return after a knee injury.

Luton Shelton could keep his place up front for the Blades, with Neil Warnock tipped to name the same side that put on a decent performance at Old Trafford in midweek.

Manchester United v Middlesbrough - Saturday 5:15 (live on Sky Sports 1)

After their wins over Sheffield United and West Ham in midweek, Manchester United can again open up a six-point gap over Chelsea at the top of the table, even if only for a day, with victory over Gareth Southgate's Middlesbrough in their second game at Old Trafford this week.

Although United had dropped three points against Portsmouth in their previous Premiership outing, they had little trouble in seeing off a blunt Blades attack and will expect to make it 27 wins from 34 league games when they take on the Teessiders. The league leaders are overwhelming 1.25 favourites to take the points.

While their away form has been outstanding - their 11-2-3 record is inferior only to Chelsea's - Old Trafford has been a fortress this season with only five points dropped in 16 games. The 43 goals they have scored is the best record in the top flight by a clear seven goals, and only Liverpool and Chelsea have conceded less goals at home.

So that should make the total goals market for this game quite an interesting one to look at, with 53 goals having come in 16 games, but unlike last season when Middlesbrough gave up a ton of goals on their travels, things have not been quite so bad this time around.

Sadly for Southgate, Boro (as big as 20 to claim a victory on Saturday) have won only once away from home this season but at least they have only conceded 22 in their 16 away games, a record which is only equalled by Manchester City of teams outside the Premiership's top five - the 11 goals scored will be a worry though.

But they will have been able to glean little in the way of hope from United's recent form, the defeat at Fratton Park apart, with Sir Alex Ferguson's men having scored 13 goals in their last three games, games that have included some of the most sensational play to be seen in any competition this season.

Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and, when required, Alan Smith, have all been in superb form and even the absence of a number of key defenders and goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, has not stopped their progress. They had midfielders in Darren Fletcher and Kieran Richardson at full-back for a long spell of Tuesday's game, after Patrice Evra went down with a calf injury.

The only real problem they have had since the middle of March has been in keeping clean sheets and in fact the only one they succeeded in keeping in nine games before Tuesday night, came against Middlesbrough in the replay of their sixth round FA Cup clash. But despite their defensive problems, Betfair punters are likely to edge towards a United shutout when the market gains more liquidity nearer kick-off.

This will be the fourth meeting between the sides this season and Boro have competed well in the first three, never losing by more than a goal for those interested in the closer of the correct score options. United won the previously mentioned replay 1-0 after coming from behind to draw 2-2 in the first game, while the reverse league fixture went to United 2-1 after a very tough battle at the Riverside. A 1-0 success for the title hopefuls is available at 7.8, while a 2-1 home victory is trading at 10.

Both Rio Ferdinand and John O'Shea will return for the home side, but Patrice Evra is almost certain to miss out with an ankle problem. The game could come just too soon for Gary Neville, who is expected back in the squad for the midweek Champions League clash with AC Milan.

Julio Arca faces a fitness test for the visitors, having been sidelined for the last month with a groin problem. Gareth Southgate has to decided to stick with the 4-5-1 formation used at Liverpool or to partner Viduka and Yakubu up front.

Newcastle United v Chelsea - Sunday 1:30 (live on Prem Plus)

Chelsea face yet another maximum pressure game at St James' Park on Sunday, when they look to close what could be a gap of six points on Manchester United (dependant on Saturday night's result) with one of their toughest remaining games this season.

Seemingly since the start of the season, Jose Mourinho's side have been trying to make up the gap on United, trying to repeat United's victories and with a degree of futility until now, trying to eat into the gap their fierce title rivals have built.

They will be hopeful of securing a 13th away victory on Tyneside, which would extend their league leading record to two games over United with only one more away game to come this season, a first trip to visit Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium - which comes just three days before what looks like a potential title decider against the Red Devils at Stamford Bridge on May 9.

Although it is still three weeks away, punters have been busy in the outright market which has now had more than £12m invested in it, with the Blues available at 3.9 to make up the inroads over the last five games of the season...starting right here.

Chelsea (1.58 to claim victory at St James' Park) are looking for a couple of hat-tricks in this fixture, the third meeting between the two sides this season, with both games having ended in 1-0 victories for them and on both occasions thanks to goals from Didier Drogba. The correct score market will no doubt be a source of interest to those playing the coincidence line, with another 1-0 Chelsea success available at 7.

Those who need any more convincing might be interested that those two results make it four 1-0 scores on the trot in this fixture, with Chelsea winning by that score in the FA Cup last season ahead of Newcastle's 1-0 success in a meaningless end-of-season game last season. Newcastle to win by a single goal this time can be backed at 16.

One or the other team has kept a clean sheet in eight of the last nine meetings between the sides and, as ever, there will be markets developing on both teams keeping a blank scoreline closer to kick-off time - the ninth of those games (a 1-1 draw) - was the only stalemate in the last 15 encounters. Punters taking note of the previous tight encounters, could be tempted by the 1.76 on offer for under 2.5 goals.

We have already made mention of Chelsea's away form this season, and the 12 goals they have conceded in 17 games away from Stamford Bridge is the best record in the Premiership, as is their overall defensive record, which could interest total goals punters expecting another close low-scoring game.

Goals have been problematic for Newcastle in the last month, since their exit from the UEFA Cup, with Glenn Roeder's men hitting the back of the net only three times in six games, games which have brought them only four points. The Magpies (7.4 to take the points) have also been shut-out in both of their last two home games and the last time they scored at St James' Park in the Premiership was at the end of February.

Only one member of their squad has scored more than four goals this season - Obafemi Martins with 11 - and without the likes of Michael Owen and Shola Ameobi for all or most of the campaign, they have only been averaging only just over a goal a game. Not exactly the form of a team that had been expected to compete for a European place and leaving Roeder under pressure for his job this coming summer.

The game could come a week to soon for Owen, who is getting ever nearer to full fitness, but Scott Parker is hopeful of facing his former club after a recent ankle problem.

Andriy Shevchenko is set to miss out with a thigh injury suffered in the FA Cup win over Blackburn, but Joe Cole appears to be over his injury problems and should start.

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