Tag: Burnley

Blue Army to Breach Claret Fortress: Betting Preview

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Hopeless (and winless) away from home, Burnley have already won at Turf Moor on nine occasions in this league campaign. As a result, the Clarets occupy a respectable mid-table spot as the 2016/17 season approaches its final third.

Home comforts will be an important asset for Burnley this weekend, with league leaders Chelsea imminently coming to town.

One step closer for Conte

Antonio Conte has forged a Chelsea side that looks unstoppable at present. Already, most pundits agree that Chelsea will be runaway champions, with the West London club boasting an at-times unplayable front three. Chelsea also possesses a fantastic Premier League record against Burnley, conceding just one point to the Lancashire side since 2009/10.

With momentum firmly in favour of the visitors, most respected bookmakers are offering nothing better than 2/5 for a Chelsea win. Meanwhile, a braver bettor can back a not unthinkable draw at 15/4 with Bet Victor.

A trip down Memory Lane?

With Burnley fired up, Sunday’s match could easily see a repeat of 2014/15’s opening weekend emerge.

On the evening of 18 August 2014, Burnley made a blazing start against Chelsea. Scottish-Canadian midfielder Scott Arfield opened the scoring on just 14 minutes and Turf Moor erupted. Sadly for the Clarets, the good times were short-lived.

The visitors roared back to win 3-1 that night. However, this Burnley side is eminently stronger than the relegated rabble of two seasons ago. With that in mind, the smart money is on Burnley’s top goalscorer Andre Gray to be the man who lets Chelsea know they have a real game on their hands. Gray is currently 11/1 with Betfred in the First Goalscorer market.

Burnout for the Burnley boys

Odds of up to 17/5 (Bet Victor) are available for a level half time score, followed by a Chelsea win. Chelsea’s superior fitness will be the telling factor where stamina is concerned. That noted, bettors should respect the fact that this Burnley squad has a sufficient team ethic to remain level with Chelsea until half time.

Such a bet could also combine potently with the 2+ Goalscorer market, as the league’s most improved player prepares to take centre stage once again.

Healthy Hazard

Eden Hazard is flourishing in his new role. Under Conte’s system, he has used his athleticism and ball control to more efficiently turn midfield play into all-out attack. This should work extremely well against a Burnley defence which rode its luck in the last home game against Leicester.

On paper at least, it is a farce of a matchup between Hazard and his likeliest personal opponents – Michael Keane and Matt Lowton. This is reflected in unusually short (yet tempting) odds of 17/2 with Bet 365 for Hazard to enjoy a two-goal Sunday salvo.

Predicting the unpredictable

Sky-subscribing Chelsea acolytes, from Quito to Queenstown, should enjoy a fascinating encounter on the big screen. It will be a sign of true championship credentials if Chelsea can break down a resolute Burnley side on hostile turf.

Burnley will surely put up a fight, so the official Betcirca prediction for this encounter is Burnley 2-3 Chelsea (available at 33/1 with Stan James).

Picture Source: Wikipedia Commons / Credit: Aleksandr Osipov

Burnley vs. Southampton – Saints in a Turf War

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This weekend sees Southampton travel to the North to bounce back against a Burnley side who are as strong at home as they are so desperately poor away.

Coming back from the dead

December started and ended brutally for Claude Puel’s Southampton; the beginning of the month saw them crash out of their Europa league group, the end saw 3 consecutive league defeats in 7 days. Some are pointing to Southampton as an example of a victim of the packed Premier League Christmas scheduling, and it’s easy to sympathise with those claims. Fortune favours the bold, however, and Southampton will have to return to form immediately if they want to keep pace with their rivals for the Europa league spots.

The Saints won the corresponding fixture 3:1 in October, and the only other previous meeting between these two in the top flight was in the 2014/15 season, which saw both teams winning at home.

Puel has a few injuries to add to the general squad fatigue. The long-term absences of Austin, Pied and Targett are compounded by the doubt around McCarthy and Boufal, with Martina and Soares who potentially lack match fitness. They also have a midweek EFL Semi Final against Liverpool which could easily exacerbate their existing fitness problems.

A tale of two seasons

It is hard to think of another team in the Prem whose season can be so starkly divided as Burnley; their home form would put them sixth, having only dropped points in 4 games and have 7 home wins at Turf Moor, while their away form would put them bottom of the table, with 1 solitary point from 9 games. Currently 12th, Burnley are only one point behind Southampton, and a win on Saturday would see them leapfrog them by two points. Considering their poor away record, it’s a bit of a push to start thinking about Burnley competing for 7th place, but a victory here against an immediate rival could galvanise them into something truly surprising. A continuation of their great home form will be vital to consolidating or improving on their current position come May. They will go into this game looking for strategic points against a demoralised rival, confident of their ability to win.

In contrast to their opponents, Burnley’s festive fixtures proved fruitful, giving them 6 points from 9, including a 4:1 thumping of Sunderland and a spirited 2:1 defeat to Man City. Sean Dyche will certainly be thankful for a more forgiving schedule than Southampton, but his squad isn’t without injury concerns: Gudmundsson, Bamford and Arnfield are all definitely out, and there is concern for Flanagan and Boyd.

The value

Bookies are favouring Southampton for the win here, with Bet 365 having Southampton at 11/10, Burnley and Draw are both at 12/5. These odds seem pretty tasty, and with Burnley Double Chance at 3/4, going with the home side could be profitable, if a bit risky. Southampton is a very capable on their day, but considering Burnley’s home form, and the fact they have had a 7-day break (compared with Southampton’s 3 days) suggest that it might be worth going with the outsider.

Looking at the goals market, Under 2.5 goal is backed by the bookies, at 8/13 with Bet Victor. Southampton does statistically favour Under, and Burnley goes either way. However, Southampton’s last 5 games in all competitions have gone Over 2.5. I would definitely consider putting a small stake on Burnley to Win & Over 2.5.

Premiership Preview – April 25th

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It’s another cracking weekend of Premiership football action including the London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea on Sunday. A win for the Blues would put them on the brink of lifting the title and I shall be previewing that game separately.

Saturday’s action kicks off at 12.45 with a really tricky fixture between Southampton and Tottenham. Both sides have taken their foot off the gas in recent weeks as the dream of a Champions League spot disappeared over the horizon. Whatever magic Ronald Koeman used in the early months of the season at St Mary’s seems to have worn off and they are struggling for goals and points. Tottenham are totally unpredictable at present and this looks like a game to swerve.

While the title battle seems to be heading to a predictable conclusion, the same cannot be said of the battle for Premiership survival. You have to admire the battling qualities of Burnley and Leicester in recent weeks and the two sides clash on Saturday afternoon at Turf Moor.

The Clarets have home advantage but they are meeting a Leicester side with an incredible never-say-die attitude. Sometimes these games can be disappointing but I just have the feeling that this could be a thriller and it may be worth looking at some ambitious score draw prices.

QPR have also won many admirers with their battling performances in recent weeks. They are at home to London rivals West Ham who have lurched into obscurity after a promising first half of the season. It’s almost as if they reached their points total too soon and did not really believe they could maintain that level of form. QPR are in their position because of their horrific away form but they have always been difficult to beat at home. Take Charlie Austin to score in a home victory.

Aston Villa did this column a massive favour last week when knocking Liverpool out of the FA Cup. Christian Benteke’s contribution helped us to a 20-point profit on the game and they now travel to Manchester City. Villa are still not safe from relegation so any thoughts of Tim Sherwood picking anything other than his best team are wide of the mark. City beat a lack-lustre West Ham to end their own miserable run but is this match really a foregone conclusion as the bookmakers suggest? Maybe we should re-invest a little of last week’s profits in the hope of another Villa upset.

Burnley 2 Leicester 2 @15-1 BetVictor

Burnley 3 Leicester 3 @80-1 BetVictor

QPR to beat West Ham @29-20 BetVictor

Charlie Austin to score and QPR win @3-1 Paddy Power

Christian Benteke to score at any time @7-2 Totesport

Christian Benteke to score and Villa win @20-1 Paddy Power

Premier League Preview 14th – 16th March

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After the midweek debacle at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League, Jose Mourinho’s Premiership leaders have a point to prove at home to Southampton on Sunday. Chelsea have been widely condemned for their approach to the second leg of their tie with PSG and Manchester City have a chance to apply extra pressure on Saturday.

City travel to Burnley who fought back so valiantly to grab a point at the Etihad earlier in the season. More recently, they snatched an unlikely point at Chelsea following the dismissal of Nemanja Matic for retaliation. Burnley have a habit of playing better when they are behind but they cannot afford to take any liberties against City.

The champions had to work hard to beat Leicester 2-0 in their last league game and will have one eye on next week’s Champions League clash with Barcelona. Very few people are expecting them to win against the Spanish giants but Schalke’s performance against Real Madrid will certainly have reminded them that anything is possible. Even a narrow victory would be enough to reduce Chelsea’s lead to three points, until Sunday at least.

Arsenal face an uphill task recovering from a 3-1 home defeat by Monaco next week but must first make sure they take three points against West Ham. The Gunners have plenty of strength in their squad so can afford to rotate while the Hammers seem to be on a slippery slope. There is also a London derby in the early kick-off with Crystal Palace hosting QPR.

Rangers’ 2-1 defeat at home to Tottenham summed up their season. They fought valiantly but never really looked like getting anything out of the game. Their away form is already the stuff of legends and Alan Pardew’s side can inflict another painful blow. Tim Sherwood has already taken Aston Villa to an FA Cup semi-final and inflicted two defeats on midlands rivals West Brom.

Unfortunately their FA Cup clash was marred by a moronic crowd invasion that revived memories of the late 1970’s. They now travel to relegation rivals Sunderland who also had more trouble off the pitch than on it last week as Gus Poyet and Steve Bruce almost came to blows. It should be a tough battle and a draw may be the smartest option.

Whether or not there is any merit in Jose Mourinho’s on-going siege mentality at Stamford Bridge, it has to be said that his side were awful against PSG. They played the type of football that is the polar opposite to everything that is good about the Premier League. Southampton are no mugs and Ronald Koeman will sense an opportunity here. The Saints haven’t given up on a top four finish odds of 11-2 are tempting. Chelsea did play extra-time on Wednesday and I’ll be surprised if they don’t make a nervous start.

Man United and Louis van Gaal came in for heavy criticism following their FA Cup exit against Arsenal and now face Tottenham at Old Trafford. Spurs picked themselves up well from their Wembley disappointment and 3-1 is also quite generous against a patchy United side. Liverpool conclude the week’s fixtures at Swansea on Monday and can boost their Champions League hopes with a narrow victory.

Crystal Palace to beat QPR @5-6 Bet365

Arsenal (-1.0) to beat West Ham @11-10 Sportingbet

Sunderland v Aston Villa DRAW @23-10 Sportingbet

Man City to beat Burnley by 1 goal @13-5 Bet365

Southampton to beat Chelsea @11-2 Bet365

Tottenham to beat Man United @10-3 Coral

Premier League Preview 4th March

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There are some cracking Premier League matches lined up for Wednesday night as Chelsea and Man City continue their chase for the title.

The Blues were given some valuable breathing space by City’s 2-1 defeat at Anfield on Sunday but will need to be at their best to take three points at West Ham. Sam Allardyce usually has a trick or two up his sleeve against the Blues and managed to enrage Jose Mourinho with a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge last season.

West Ham’s season is in danger of petering out but they will surely be up for a London derby. Oscar only played a few minutes as substitute in the Cup final on Sunday and he could be worth a bet to score the opener in a narrow win for Chelsea.

City are not exactly in a slump after losing to Barcelona and Liverpool and it is worth remembering that they scored nine in their previous two matches. Normal service should be resumed at the expense of Leicester City at the Etihad. The bookmakers aren’t giving much away here but Sergio Aguero could be worth a look in the goal scorer markets.

BTSport are at St James’s Park to see Newcastle play Man United, traditionally a fixture that brings plenty of goals. United have made steady if not spectacular progress under Louis van Gaal and can just edge this one. You are not going to get rich by backing Liverpool to beat Burnley following their impressive win over City on Sunday. The Clarets usually put up a brave fight and may give Reds’ supporters a few nervy moments.

If there is to be an upset on Wednesday it could come at White Hart Lane. Mauricio Pochettino looked a thoroughly miserable figure in the Wembley rain as he saw his side crash out of a second Cup competition within the space of a few days. He will doubtless ring the changes for the visit of Swansea but may find it difficult to motivate his dishevelled troops. The Swans look worth a bet to sneak a victory with 1-0 being generously priced.

Arsenal bounced back from their embarrassing defeat against Monaco with a comfortable 2-0 win over Everton. They now face struggling QPR and should come away with all three points. Stoke play Everton in the night’s remaining fixture. The Toffees are proving impossible to predict at present, following their impressive Europa League form with a poor display at Arsenal. Stoke have a way of grinding out the results lately and will fancy their chances of another three points here.

Sergio Aguero to score two or more @7-2 Boyle Sports

Man United to win by one goal @11-4 Skybet

Santi Cazorla scores and Arsenal win @100-30 Paddy Power

Stoke 1 Everton 0 @13-2 Bet365

Tottenham 0 Swansea 1 @15-1 BetVictor

Swansea to beat Tottenham @9-2 Totesport

Oscar to score and Chelsea win @4-1 Paddy Power

Liverpool to win by one goal @14-5 BetVictor

Premiership Preview Feb 21st – 22nd

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After last week’s FA Cup matches, the Premiership returns this weekend as Chelsea and Man City renew their chase for the title.

The Blues maintained a 7-point advantage thanks to Willian’s 89th minute winner against a stubborn Everton side last week. They are at home to struggling Burnley while City welcome Newcastle to the Etihad in the late kick-off. Chelsea will be eager to apply the pressure on Manuel Pellegrini’s side by stretching their advantage to ten points.

Chelsea fought out a 1-1 draw in Paris on Tuesday, albeit with a rather negative display. Diego Costa looked a bit rusty after his three-match ban for the stamping incident against Liverpool and will be looking to improve on his performance on Saturday. Burnley have been playing well without much reward in recent weeks. Even if they do break the Chelsea back line, the chances are that the Clarets will concede. The value may be in the goalscorer market with Juan Cuadrado impressing in his limited playing time so far. This could be the ideal platform for the Colombian to open his account for the Blues in a comfortable home win.

City should beat Newcastle, especially now that Sergio Aguero has rediscovered his shooting boots. Two goals against Stoke should have cleared away any cobwebs and he can hit the target again so ensure that City hang on to Chelsea’s coat tails.

There are two cracking games on Sunday with Tottenham facing West Ham and Southampton at home to Liverpool. The Hammers took a beating at West Brom in the Cup while Spurs spluttered to a 1-1 draw against Fiorentina in the Europa League. Sam Allardyce’s side have been suffering with injuries recently and could be on the receiving end of another hiding at White Hart Lane. Mauricio Pochettino tried to rest Harry Kane on Thursday, ironic considering he was a regular starter in Europe at the start of the season before forcing his way into the side. No prizes for imagination but Kane can score in another home win.

Liverpool have scraped a couple of nervous victories with goals from Mario Balotelli recently and it will be interesting to see whether he makes the line-up on Sunday. He did himself no favours with his insistence on jumping the queue to take the penalty. Southampton were unlucky not to get a result at Anfield at the start of the season and can make amends here.

Juan Cuadrado (Chelsea) to score at any time @9-4 Betfred

Chelsea 3 Burnley 1 @12-1 Bet365

Sergio Aguero (Man City) to score first @7-2 Betfair

Sergio Aguero to score 2 or more goals @19-5 Boylesports

Man City 4 Newcastle 2 @50-1 Betfred

Tottenham 3 West Ham 1 @14-1 Coral

Harry Kane (Spurs) to score first @7-2 Coral

Southampton to beat Liverpool at 8-5 Paddy Power