Premiership Preview – Saturday 16th May

Saturday’s Premiership action revolves around the relegation struggle with Hull City currently facing the drop. They travel to Tottenham and, with a game against Manchester United to come, only a win would revive their flagging hopes of survival.

They were very poor against Burnley last weekend and even a below par Tottenham should have too many guns for them. Harry Kane has gone off the boil in recent weeks but Hull cannot afford to sit back and hope for a draw. Spurs are still in a good position to qualify for the Europa League, even if that competition is regarded as something of a booby prize these days.

Newcastle’s miserable run of defeats finally ended with a point against West Brom last weekend. They are away at QPR who said goodbye to the Premier League with a thumping 6-0 defeat at Man City. I cannot believe that QPR can perform so badly again here and a draw might be the way to go. Sunderland and Leicester will also be looking anxiously over their shoulders while they clash at the Stadium of Light.

If Hull are beaten at Tottenham, Leicester will need only a point at Sunderland to guarantee safety. That would be celebrated like a Cup final win after looking doomed for much of the season. An incredible run of six wins in seven has put them on the brink of safety. That half-time score from White Hart Lane will definitely have a bearing on this match and I fancy another draw here.

Aston Villa look virtually certain to survive the drop but Tim Sherwood won’t be taking any chances. They travel to Southampton who have gone right off the boil in recent weeks. The Saints could even miss out on a European place and it would not be a surprise to see Villa take three points here. Christian Benteke has outscored everyone else in the Premier League since Sherwood arrived and he is worth a bet to open the scoring.

The late kick-off looks more like a Steven Gerrard Testimonial match than a Premier League game as Liverpool face Crystal Palace at Anfield. Gerrard will naturally want to make it a memorable occasion so the 7-1 about him opening the scoring may be worth a bet. Palace have no real incentive here and Alan Pardew may well introduce some youngsters.

Aston Villa to win @17-4 Bet365

Christian Benteke to score first @13-2 Paddy Power

Benteke to score and Villa win @8-1 Paddy Power

QPR v Newcastle DRAW @5-2 Bet365

QPR 1 Newcastle 1 @13-2 BetVictor

Sunderland v Leicester DRAW @23-10 Bet365

Sunderland 1 Leicester 1 @6-1 William Hill

Harry Kane to score first @4-1 Coral

Harry Kane to score and Spurs win @19-10 Ladbrokes

Spurs 3 Hull 1 @14-1 Ladbrokes

Steven Gerrard to score first @7-1 Ladbrokes

Liverpool 2 Crystal Palace 0 @7-1 Ladbrokes

Liverpool can ease past injury-hit Bolton

Liverpool’s goalless draw against Bolton at Anfield in the FA Cup fourth round went almost unnoticed following the shock exit of Man City and Chelsea. The Reds travel to Bolton on Wednesday night as third favourites to lift the trophy behind only Arsenal and Man United.

That ought to be enough of a carrot but there are other reasons why Brendan Rodgers and his side should be setting their sights on Wembley. Last week’s stormy 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge ended their hopes in the Capital One Cup in which Steven Gerrard played 120 minutes. He suffered a mild hamstring injury in the process and was left out of last weekend’s 2-0 win over West Ham. Gerrard will end a 26-year association with the club in the summer and would dearly love one last trip to Wembley.

Rodgers has been keeping his cards close to his chest as regards Gerrard’s participation on Wednesday but it seems likely that he will play. If he does, it will be his 700th appearance for the club and provide a perfect opportunity for him to mark the occasion with a goal.

Liverpool were poor in the reverse fixture, although Bolton keeper Adam Bogdan made some crucial saves. Unfortunately for the home side, he has joined a long injury list that leaves Neil Lennon with no choice other to put out a weakened team.  His new signings are ineligible and even veteran Emile Heskey is side-lined. A fine atmosphere is guaranteed but Bolton are clear underdogs despite a decent run of form in the Championship.

Liverpool may give striker Daniel Sturridge further game time after he scored against West Ham in his first match for five months. Rodgers has made it clear that he is not yet ready to play 90 minutes but he will be a good option to have on the bench. Liverpool have the Merseyside derby with Everton this weekend and the Europa League is due to return shortly with the Reds having been eliminated from the Champions League. Even so, I believe there are enough reasons for them to make sure that they are not the latest Premiership side to slip up in the FA Cup.

Gerrard has scored three times in his last two FA Cup games and is worth supporting in the goal scorer markets. If he plays no part, bookmakers will refund your stake. Liverpool have only kept three clean sheets in their last 18 matches in the competition so I am going for a 3-1 scoreline in favour of the Reds.

Steven Gerrard to score at any time @9-4 Bet365

Gerrard to score and Liverpool win @100-30 Paddy Power

Bolton 1 Liverpool 3 @13-1 888Sport

Chelsea can gain upper-hand in Cup Semi-Final

Chelsea moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League on Saturday with a superb 5-0 victory at Swansea. Champions Man City were unable to respond when beaten 2-0 by Arsenal on Sunday and the two teams are set to clash at Stamford Bridge next weekend. The Blues now turn their attentions to the small matter of a Capital One Cup semi-final first leg at Anfield on Tuesday night.

Clashes between Liverpool and Chelsea are rarely without drama and this is unlikely to be an exception. The Reds were beaten 2-1 here earlier in the season by Jose Mourinho’s side and are still bitter about last season’s 2-0 defeat, a result which effectively ended their title hopes. There were also those epic Champions League clashes with the “ghost goal” and the incredible 4-4 result at the Bridge. Chelsea have certainly had the edge when it has mattered most, beating Liverpool in Cup finals for this trophy and the FA Cup.

It is slightly surprising that the two-legged format for the semi-finals still exists, given the European commitments of top Premiership sides these days. Chelsea can approach this game knowing that a draw would make them favourites to reach Wembley while Liverpool will be hoping that the Blues show the defensive weaknesses that were exposed by Tottenham recently.

Chelsea have not conceded in three games since and scored ten in the process so the signs are not that encouraging for Brendan Rodgers. He is likely to recall Steven Gerrard who will be desperate to atone for his slip that let in Demba Ba last season. Liverpool are on a very good run of form having only lost once in fourteen matches.

The Reds have tightened up their own defence after a sloppy start to the season and have been getting the results without doing anything spectacular. Apart from a 4-1 win over Swansea, they have still looked short of ideas going forward and may struggle to break through here. They took the lead earlier in the season, courtesy of a wicked deflection. This could end in a draw and it may be worth taking the 1-1 with William Hill, given that a “bore draw” will earn a refund.

It is difficult to be confident about Chelsea’s starting line-up but, assuming Ivanovic starts, he looks over-priced at 28-1 to break the deadlock. He has his own reasons for remembering this match after his clash with Luis Suarez. Ivanovic was in great form at Swansea and is dangerous from dead-ball situations.

Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1 @6-1 William Hill*

*0-0 money refunded on correct score bets up to max. £50

Branislav Ivanovic to score first @28-1 BetVictor