Tag: bournemouth

Can United Surge into the Top Four?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Manchester United certainly seem to be picking up momentum. Their recent unbeaten run seems to prove that. While they could have played better in the EFL Cup final on Sunday, a trophy will certainly have boosted confidence at Old Trafford. Roy Keane has recently commented on how he feels United haven’t made progress from last season. This is clearly wrong and is probably biased based on his bitter departure from the club.

United look well placed to reach the top four. Liverpool is looking like a team low in confidence. Their 3-1 loss at Leicester opens the door for United to move above them. United are only 2pts behind Arsenal. Apart from Chelsea, it is clear that United are playing the best football in the league at the moment.

Bournemouth are in Trouble

United host Bournemouth on Saturday in what looks like an easy three points for the Reds. Eddie Howe has got a big job on his hands to try to arrest the slide that his team have suffered in recent weeks. Bournemouth is now only 4pts above the drop zone. Recent good results for the bottom clubs have closed the gap on them even more.

Bournemouth was very poor in their 6-3 thrashing at Everton. They are still awaiting their first win of 2017. The rot seemed to set in when they capitulated from a 3-0 lead at home to Arsenal to draw 3-3. That result came on the 3rd of January and they haven’t played well since.

These are clearly troubled times and Bournemouth badly needs to start winning soon. That is unlikely to happen as Jose Mourinho now has further trophies in his sight as well as getting into the top four. Ibrahimovic and Pogba are really starting to play well and United look like a really fluent team. It is going to take either a very good side or a very lucky side to beat United at the moment.

Finding the Best Value Bets

The basic fact is that United are highly likely to win this match. Bournemouth is woeful at the moment. The odds of 1-4 for a United victory from SkyBet don’t really fire the imagination. Neither does picking up a string of losing bets backing the draw or Bournemouth to cause an upset.

The value seems to be in finding alternate bets. BetFred is a best-priced 4-5 for United to be ahead at half time and full time. This is by far the best value of all the bets that are on offer. Jose Mourinho will expect and demand a reaction from their EFL Cup final win where United was mediocre for large periods of the game. That is likely to happen against Eddie Howes’ boys and expect United to start quickly and on the front foot.

Bore Draw On The South Coast

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

TWO Premier League matches on Sunday and we start with a south coast derby between Bournemouth and Southampton at the Goldsands Stadium.

There is just goal difference separating these two arch-rivals in the Premier League table and of all the matches on the weekend coupon this one looks by far the toughest puzzle to solve.

The bookies can hardly split the two teams, and rightly so in my opinion, but those who can have made the visitors marginal favourites at 2.62, which does seem to me a surprise as they are really struggling for goals at the moment.

The Saints’ suffered a huge blow with the loss of top goalscorer Charlie Austin through injury against Hapoel Beer Sheeva, and since the former QPR striker has been injured they’ve only scored just the one goal.

The positives for Claude Puel is his side’s defence, as they are one of the strongest sides in the top flight with clean sheets in their last two matches and five in their last seven.

Bournemouth arrives in their biggest match of the season in a confident mood after a 1-0 home win against champions Leicester and a 4-3 famous win over Liverpool, so I am surprised that they are the outsiders of the two at the general 3.00.

One of my golden rules in football betting is whenever the bookies can’t split two sides and there is just a cigarette paper between these two, then the draw which is the biggest price of all three match outcomes cries out to be backed; and it certainly does on this occasion in what looks a massive 3.40 with Paddy Power.

Will we see goals?

This looks certain to be tight and under 2.5 goals backers have been cleaning up all season in Southampton matches, and in a local derby, this looks likely to be close again. Both under 2.5 goals and both teams to score as a no at 1.66 with BetVictor and both teams to score “no” at the general 1.91 are well worth support.

The two matches last season both ended in 2-0 home wins, which saw both of those markets as winners and if you are a big staking punter they are worth lumping on but for small stakes players, put them in the weekend accumulators.

This is going to be very, very tight and it wouldn’t at all surprise me to see after a fiery 25 minutes this develop into a bit of a damp squib, and at 9.00 no goalscorer in the match has caught my attention with William Hills.

Bournemouth vs Liverpool: Can Klopps Red Army March On

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Liverpool hasn’t been league champions since 1990. That is far too long for a club of this standing. They have sat back and watched a multitude of teams lift the trophy since then. Teams like Arsenal, Leeds United, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Manchester City and of course their fierce rivals Manchester United. This season could just see the end of that barren run because Jürgen Klopp is building something special this season.

They reached yet another semi-final this week by beating Leeds United 2-0 in the EFL Cup. Jürgen Klopp would love to win the EFL Cup, but it’s the league title that they all covet. It’s going to be very difficult for any team to win the league this term. The competition is very hot. Pep Guardiola and Manchester City are going to be there or thereabouts come May. It is also becoming apparent that Chelsea will come very close too.

Healing the Scars

Steven Gerrard may soon be back at Anfield in a coaching role. His recent retirement marks the end for perhaps the greatest player ever to wear a Liverpool shirt. Gerrard was also at the centre for what was one of the most memorable slips in football history. His slip that let in Chelsea to score, which gifted the title to Manchester City in 2014 will be remembered for years.

It is on a par with John Terrys’ famous penalty shootout slip in the 2008 Champions League final that would have won the cup for Chelsea. The scars from the Chelsea game still haunt the Liverpool fans. If Klopp could end that hurt, then he would surely go down in Anfield folklore. The next leg of their title challenge sees them travel to Bournemouth.

A Tough Place to Visit

The Vitality Stadium is becoming a tough place to visit for any team. Both Everton and Tottenham have gone there this season and failed to score. Eddie Howe has built an impressive team on the south coast. Once again they have made a solid start to the season and have 15pts so far. The bookies have Bournemouth at 4/1 to beat Liverpool with Coral and William Hill quoting those odds.

You can also get 16/5 on the draw with William Hill too, while the best odds for Liverpool are 8/11 with Boyle Sports. It is difficult to oppose Liverpool when they travel to any club in the bottom half of the table. The Premier League is the toughest league in Europe by none. There are no easy fixtures and Sunderland frustrated the Reds for long periods last week before conceding late goals. Liverpool only managed a 0-0 draw against Southampton recently at St Marys, and so the value seems to be either in backing Bournemouth or the draw.

Arsenal vs. Bournemouth: Will Wilshere Make the Difference?

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Could Jack Wilshere be the missing link on November 27 when Bournemouth travel to Arsenal? The Arsenal midfielder is currently on loan at Bournemouth following a spell of injuries and poor form, but he’ll have to sit this game out under the rules governing players on a temporary contract.

Since moving to Bournemouth, Wilshere has played nine games and looks to be returning to the sort of form that saw him hailed as one of Arsenal’s next great hopes. In fact, with injuries now a distant memory and his link-up plays starting to find their mark, Wilshere recently received an England call-up from Gareth Southgate.

Wilshere In Form but Out of Action

While it might be a little early to hail the “return” of the 24-year-old talent, he’s certainly looked comfortable in a Bournemouth shirt. Unfortunately, with the FA’s rules preventing him from playing, it looks as though Bournemouth will be up against it at the Emirates.

To date, Arsenal has faced Bournemouth three times and haven’t lost on any occasion. To heap more pressure on Eddie Howe, Arsenal has lost just once this season and currently sit fourth in the Premier League, while Bournemouth has lost five. In any other match, Howe would be looking to Wilshere for some inspiration in the middle of the park, but this Sunday he won’t have the luxury.

Fortunately, however, he does have Harry Arter. The feisty midfielder has been a powerhouse in the centre this season and often comes in with a crunch challenge when it really matters. According to the stats, Arter has won 25 tackles this season, which is the fifth-best total in the league so far this season.

Midfield Strength is Bournemouth’s Best Hope

With Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez often dropping deep from the frontline, a crunch battle between these two could define much of the match. If Arter can slow down Sanchez and prevent him from feeding into the likes of Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil, then it could stifle Arsenal’s attacks and give Bournemouth a chance to sneak a win.

However, even if Bournemouth can contain Sanchez, Arsenal are still a threat, and more importantly, the Cherries haven’t exactly been firing on all cylinders this season. With more conceded (16) than scored (14), Bournemouth is struggling for goals and that could be the deciding factor on Sunday.

The current betting line at Sun Bets has Arsenal as the 2/5 favourites and the visitors way out at 13/2. Although Ladbrokes and Paddy Power are both offering 4/1 on a draw, the market is clearly split between the two opposites of wins and losses. Of course, for a bit more value, Sun Bets will give you 8/1 on the familiar one nil to the Arsenal, but this game looks to have more goals in it.

If There Are Goals, They’ll Probably be Arsenal’s

Bournemouth is vulnerable at the back and Arsenal has netted 25 in 12. That would suggest we’re in for two or more goals from the Gunners, which makes 2-0 at 7/1 and 3-0 at 15/2 look highly attractive. For those that want to take advantage of a timely betting offer, Paddy Power is currently offering an instant payout if your team goes two goals up at any stage in the game.

Valid for all pre-match singles in the Win-Draw-Win market, this offer will see you paid out in full as a winner if your selection nets a two-goal lead. Given Arsenal’s current form and goals-per-game average just over the 2.0 mark, this looks like an offer that’s worth taking advantage of.

That deal aside, Arsenal certainly look like the clear favourites heading into this game and it could well be Wilshere’s absence that’s helped this fact. The Arsenal player might not be contributing to his team’s current run, but he may still end up earning three points when Bournemouth travel to London on Sunday.

The Best Premier League Bets This Saturday

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Two of the biggest clubs in London are in action this Saturday. In fact our Premier League betting recommendations feature both of these clubs. Tottenham and Arsenal will look to continue their good midweek results in the Champions League with wins in their respective Premier League clashes. Tottenham travel to Bournemouth while the Gunners host Middlesbrough.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger seems to have silenced his critics with a string of good results of late. The big question is how long will this last? We have highlighted some cracking bets from these two encounters starting with Bournemouth vs Tottenham.

Will Spurs Survive the Bournemouth Test?

Bournemouth were many people’s favourites to be relegated last season. In fact their story was almost as remarkable as Leicester’s title win, given how much money they had to spend. Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has worked miracles on a shoestring budget and a small squad. That good work has certainly continued on into this season.

Solid results have led to Bournemouth climbing the table in recent weeks. They beat Everton 1-0 and crushed a dismal Hull City 6-1 at the Vitality Stadium. The question is will Tottenham have a European hangover after a tough midweek Champions League encounter?

The Vitality Fortress

Bournemouth can be backed at odds of 14/5 with SunBets and that seems like the standout bet here. This is closely followed by the draw at 5/2. Tottenham are Evens with SunBets but that seems too short given how erratic Tottenham can be. Couple this with Spurs having a tough game at Bayer Leverkusen in midweek, and we have the perfect ingredient for an upset.

The Arsenal Juggernaut Rolls on

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will be happy at the recent run of results his team has had. He has certainly silenced the critics for a while. Many of the harshest critics were their own fans. The opening day loss at home to Liverpool now seems a distant memory and the Arsenal faithful are starting to believe again.

The Gunners are currently joint top of the Premier League, and just behind Man City on goal difference. Arsenal also lead their Champions League group with 7pts and look strong favourites to progress there too. The 6-0 thumping of Ludogorets merely confirmed to us how good Arsenal are playing at the moment.

The Home Banker

So can Middlesbrough stop the red tide and hold back the mighty Gunners? Arsenal can be backed at 1-4 at SunBets with the draw at 5-1. Middlesbrough are deemed to be no hopers at 11/1! Usually after a Wednesday night Champions League encounter, energy levels are often a serious problem with teams playing Premier League fixtures on the Saturday.

However Arsenal had such an easy time of it against Ludogorets that this will hardly matter. It is very difficult to see Middlesbrough taking any points from the Emirates, and the best bet in this encounter is surely a home win for the Gunners!