Tag: Stoke

Stoke City vs. Man United: Can Stoke Stall Mourinho’s Machine?

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This Saturday sees Man United travel to the Bet365 Stadium, hoping that a win against Stoke will keep the dream of 4th place within reach.

Mid table giants

There really aren’t any surprises when looking back across Stoke’s last 10 or so league games. We can sketch out a rough pattern of taking points against teams around or lower than them in the table and being beaten by teams in the top 4. They’ve racked up victories against Sunderland, Watford and Burnley, drew against Southampton and Leicester, and lost their games with Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. Having performed well and taken the necessary point in targeted matches against mid-table rivals, Stoke can be forgiven for coming up short against the bigger clubs.

However, assuming this pattern of losing against the bigger clubs will continue through the game against United could prove dangerous, as the games they lost were all played away. If we take a look at the head to head stats, Stoke hasn’t lost to United at home since 2013 and has managed to take at least a point in three out of the last four meetings, including a grabbing a draw at Old Trafford in October. I expect a tight and organised performance from Stoke in this game. Playing from the back, frustrating their opponents and grabbing goals where they can, Mark Hughes will be quietly confident in his team’s ability to take a point, maybe more.

Want-away Bojan Krkic has a hip injury and is in doubt for Saturday, alongside longer term injuries to Butland, Walters, Cameron and Ireland.

Improving United

United has been going from strength to strength since their terrible start to the season. Their draw against Liverpool last Sunday ended a 6 game winning streak that had seen them steadily close the gap that had emerged between them and the pack at the top of the table. The game against their bitter rivals was hard fought, and Mourinho can be forgiven for being frustrated by not taking 3 points in a game that saw one of Liverpool’s best defensive displays of the season so far. Should they beat Stoke, United will leapfrog Man City into 5th spot, and with a fraught and fraying City entertaining an ever improving Spurs in the 17:30 Saturday fixture, they very well might be keeping it.

As mentioned earlier, United don’t have the best recent record playing at Stoke, but this is a very capable squad in some of the best form they have had in the past few seasons. Bouncing back from the game against Liverpool in time to pip Pep is a prospect Mourinho will relish.

With no first team injuries to contend with, Mourinho will be able to pick freely from a fit squad. He will certainly be hoping for an improved performance from Paul Pogba, who has been heavily criticised for a poor display last weekend, particularly in defence. I expect United to dominate possessions and chances, constantly probing for weakness, and should they find any, it will come down to whether they can capitalise.

The value

My instinct here would be to back Under 2.5 goals (at 17/20 on Bet365). The bookies are giving this a very slight nod over Over 2.5. Only one out of the last 6 Stoke home games have finished with more than 2.5 goals and considering they will likely have their backs against the wall, I really don’t see a goal fest here. Man United Win & Under 2.5 at 13/5 is good value, as a 0:1 or 0:2 result seems fairly likely. If you fancy Stoke to get a result, William Hill has Double Chance Stoke or Draw at 11/10.

Premiership Preview April 4th – 6th

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The Premier League returns after the International break and kicks off with the lunchtime clash between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates.

Arsenal have the incentive of moving above Man City into second place with the champions not due to play until Monday. Their recent form has been impressive, including their brave attempt to overturn a 3-1 deficit in the Champions League against Monaco. They could not quite manage the 3-0 win that they needed but I was impressed with their all-out attack that night.

Olivier Giroud is the man in form with Alexis Sanchez having gone off the boil slightly in recent weeks. Arsene Wenger has plenty of attacking options including Theo Walcott and they should be able to unlock the Liverpool defence. The visitors are currently on a run of six away games without conceding but the suspension picked up by Martin Skrtel could prove damaging.

Liverpool’s hopes of a top four spot will be severely dented if they lose this one with Manchester United also having improved in recent weeks. The Red Devils grabbed a 2-1 win at Anfield last time, courtesy of two goals from Juan Mata. The Spaniard has been steady rather than spectacular this season but produced a piece of individual brilliance to seal the points.

With Wayne Rooney also in good form, it is difficult to see Aston Villa coming away with anything from Old Trafford this weekend. Tim Sherwood should be able to steer them to safety and they still have the FA Cup to chase.

Jose Mourinho has been busy with his calculator and the Blues need six wins and a draw to seal the title from their remaining nine games. Those fixtures include Arsenal, Liverpool and Man United so they cannot afford to drop points at home to Stoke. They have a phenomenal record against the Potters but may start without Diego Costa. His hamstring is still an issue, although he is in Saturday’s squad.

Harry Kane did not hit the target for England against Italy but will still be basking in the glory of his goal against Lithuania on his debut. Tottenham travel to Burnley on Sunday and should be good enough to take all three points. Sunderland take on Newcastle in desperate need of points but they cannot expect any favours from their Tyneside rivals.

Man City could find themselves in fourth place by the time they face Crystal Palace on Monday night. They could be trailing Chelsea by nine points so they will need to dig deep to keep their title hopes alive. Sergio Aguero has a habit of bailing them out when they need it and he can do so again on Monday.

Arsenal to beat Liverpool @10-11 William Hill

Olivier Giroud to score at any time @13-10 Bet365

Man United (-1) to beat Aston Villa @5-6 Paddy Power

Juan Mata to score at any time @2-1 Totesport

Chelsea (-1) to beat Stoke @5-6 Paddy Power

Tottenham to beat Burnley @5-4 BetVictor

Harry Kane to score at any time @6-5 BetVictor

Sergio Aguero to score at any time @9-10 BetVictor

Premiership Preview Feb 28th – March 1st

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What a miserable week that was for British teams in Europe! Manchester City and Arsenal are on the ropes in the Champions League while Liverpool, Tottenham and Celtic all went out of the much-maligned Europa League. City really should be dead and buried but Lionel Messi’s incredible double miss left their hopes dangling by a thread. There was no such reprieve for Arsenal and they will need to produce something spectacular to get out the hole that they have dug for themselves against Monaco.

Premiership leaders Chelsea play Tottenham in Sunday’s Capital One Cup final as Jose Mourinho bids to win his first trophy since re-joining the Blues. It can hardly be called a drought after one season but they won’t have it easy having lost 5-3 against Spurs in the league this season. Mourinho’s side will also be keeping an eye on title rivals City who could cut their lead to just two points if they win at Liverpool on Sunday.

It was ironic that Mario Balotelli was substituted before the penalty shoot-out, one of the few things that the Italian is good for. Perhaps not the most inspired piece of management by Brendan Rodgers but he won’t care if they can beat City on Sunday. The Premiership title holders seemed to be back firing on all cylinders after scoring nine goals in two Premiership matches but they looked clueless against Barcelona. If in doubt, go for the draw seems the best policy.

That could apply to a number of games this weekend with the clash between Stoke and Hull and London derby between West Ham and Crystal Palace looking evenly matched. The Hammers have flattered only to deceive on a number of occasions in recent weeks and their failure to hold on to a 2-0 lead at Tottenham last week summed up their season.

Man United stumbled against Swansea but should get back on track at home to Sunderland. There is no sign yet of the miraculous form that took the Black Cats to safety a year ago, but it is still early days in the relegation battle. Everton could end up being the sole surviving British team in Europe and they travel to Arsenal who must be stunned by their Champions League defeat. Will the Gunners be able to resume normal service? 11-2 looks a big price for Everton.

High-flying Southampton were disappointing against Liverpool last weekend and could suffer a further blow at West Brom on Saturday. Albion are looking much better under Tony Pulis and 5-2 under-estimates their chances.

West Ham v Crystal Palace DRAW @5-2 Ladbrokes

Man United to beat Sunderland @2-5 Paddy Power

Stoke v Hull City DRAW @5-2 Totesport

West Brom to beat Southampton @5-2 BetBright

Liverpool v Man City DRAW @13-5 Bet365

Everton to beat Arsenal @11-2 William Hill

United revival to continue against Stoke

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Chelsea’s failure to beat Sunderland at the weekend has offered a glimmer of hope to those pursuing the Premiership leaders. The busy Christmas fixture list always plays a vital part in the title race and there are some interesting midweek fixtures to kick-off a hectic month.

Manchester United have climbed back up to fourth place after a run of three consecutive victories, the first time that they have achieved this since Louis van Gaal took over in the summer. They still have defensive problems but have plenty of options going forward. Angel Di Maria picked up a hamstring injury inside ten minutes against Hull on Saturday and will miss tonight’s clash with Stoke.

Wayne Rooney is enjoying one of the most consistent scoring spells of his career at present, seemingly revitalised by being awarded the captaincy at club and International level. Van Persie scored a vital goal to silence his critics and they also have Falcao waiting in the wings. Juan Mata has been completely overshadowed since the influx of new players in the summer but he has been showing signs of his best form recently and could be the key player on Tuesday. Take a chance on the former Chelsea man opening the scoring in a comfortable home win.

Liverpool scrambled a 1-0 win over Stoke on Saturday, although they were clinging on grimly in injury-time. Brendan Rodgers will re-instate with Steven Gerrard in the line-up at struggling Leicester. The Foxes were unlucky not to get a point at QPR in a match that saw an incredible 51 attempts on goal. I don’t expect tonight’s game to be anything like as entertaining and can see Liverpool sneaking another 1-0 victory.

One of the key stats tonight is the fact that QPR are yet to register a single point on their travels. That does not bode well for the visit to eighth-placed Swansea who have only lost once at home this season. Wilfried Bony has been leading their attack well and he can add to his tally of six goals in another poor away-day for Harry Redknapp’s men.

Newcastle’s revival hit the buffers at West Ham on Saturday, ending a run of five consecutive wins. Alan Pardew will be looking for an immediate response at Burnley, another side who have pulled their socks up recently. The home side are unbeaten in three games and their fans will make sure that there is a cup tie atmosphere at Turf Moor tonight. I can see this game ending in a draw, not a bad result for either side.

Burnley v Newcastle DRAW @23-10 Bet365

Leicester 0 Liverpool 1 @9-1 William Hill

Wilfried Bony to score and Swansea win @9-4 Betfred

Juan Mata to score first @7-1 Paddy Power

Wayne Rooney to score and Man United win @11-10 Paddy Power

Football Preview May 11th and 12th

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FA Cup Final – Manchester City v Wigan

It is a sign of the times that the FA Cup final is almost a sideshow to the Premier League action this weekend. Gone are the days when the Cup final was the grand finale to the season and dominated the sports pages. This year’s final also has a one-sided look to it as Manchester City seek some consolation for losing their Premiership title to archrivals United against a Wigan side staring down the barrel of relegation.

City look assured of second place but grateful for the opportunity of pocketing a bit of silverware at the end of a slightly disappointing season. There is no doubt that they have the firepower to beat Wigan, although they only scrambled past them by a single goal in their recent league clash. Roberto Martinez approached the FA Cup in the same manor as most Premiership managers these days, using it as a platform for his youngsters to gain valuable experience. By virtue of a favourable draw and an impressive 3-0 victory at Goodison, the Latics have found themselves in the final for the first time in their history. Had they managed to perform their usual Houdini act and escaped the drop, this would be a momentous occasion. Unfortunately, a 3-2 defeat at home to Swansea in midweek has left them in deep trouble.

I would love to be able to tip Wigan here but it is looking increasingly bleak for them. The most likely scenario is defeat on Saturday, relegation and even the loss of their manager in the summer. They have simply failed to find the consistency needed this season and I don’t think City will pass up this golden opportunity for a trophy. I take City to win by 2 goals at odds of 3-1 and City to be winning at half-time and full-time at 10-11 with Skybet.

Manchester City to win by 2 goals 3-1 Paddy Power
Manchester City to be winning at half-time and full-time 10-11 Skybet

Aston Villa v Chelsea

Saturday’s lunch-time kick-off sees Chelsea going in search of the win they require to secure a top four finish and a Champions League spot. That looked to be within their grasp on Wednesday night before a late Tottenham goal forced them to settle for a 2-2 draw. Chelsea supporters will not have been at all surprised to see the agony prolonged after a hectic but, as yet, unproductive season at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea may have thumped Villa 8-0 earlier in the season but it is a very different side they are facing on Saturday. Villa dished out a 6-1 thrashing to Sunderland to put themselves within reach of Premiership survival and received a further boost when Wigan were defeated in midweek. Another complication for the Blues is the prospect of the Europa League final next Wednesday. They do not have the strength in depth of previous seasons and have suffered when fielding a weakened side. They rely heavily on Juan Mata and Eden Hazard to provide the spark in their attacking play and both have been showing signs of a long season recently. Chelsea may again be frustrated and have to settle for a draw, putting their supporters through the agony of going to the last match against Everton in the process.

Draw 14-5 Bet Victor

Stoke v Tottenham

Spurs managed to hold Chelsea to a draw on Wednesday and will be hoping that Aston Villa can do them a huge favour on Saturday. They were not at their best at Stamford Bridge but it is to their credit that they managed to get a result and they will need the same sort of determination to get all three points at Stoke on Sunday. Gareth Bale has been largely responsible for keeping them in the hunt for a Champions League spot and they will look to him again this weekend. I think they can grab a vital win and Bale to score at any time looks a fair bet at 6-5.

Tottenham to win 10-11 William Hill
Gareth Bale to score 6-5 Bet Victor

Premier League 20th & 21st April Preview

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Saturday

Fulham v Arsenal

Arsenal will be expected to come away with three points here after the Cottagers were comprehensively beaten 3-0 at home by Chelsea in midweek. However, their record at Craven Cottage is not that great with only one victory in their last four visits. They were not at their best when held to a goalless draw by Everton but are still enjoying a fine run of form that has seen them suffer only one defeat in eleven matches.

Arsenal to win 4-5 Paddy Power

QPR v Stoke

QPR are on the very brink of relegation and Stoke have slipped into the relegation fight with an appalling run since the New Year. The injury-time equaliser by Wigan last week summed up QPR’s season and left them hopelessly adrift. The players have been on the receiving end of some heavy criticism from their manager in recent weeks and it is surely only a matter of time before they are consigned to the Championship. Stoke, on the other hand, have time to respond to their perilous situation and could take all three points.

Stoke to win 13-5 Bet Victor

Sunderland v Everton

Everton held Arsenal a draw to keep alive their slender Champions League hopes but nothing less than a win will do here. Unfortunately for them, they meet a Sunderland side that produced their best victory of the season at Newcastle last week under new boss Paolo Di Canio. The Stadium of Light will be electric for his first home game in charge and this looks like being a very tight affair. With so much at stake for both sides, the draw looks the safest option.

Draw 12-5 Bet365

West Ham v Wigan

Much has been made of the return to form of Andy Carroll in recent days but he has flattered to deceive before. West Ham will not have things all their own way against a Wigan side buoyed by reaching the FA Cup final for the first time in their history. Coach Roberto Martinez has repeatedly stressed that Premiership survival is their priority and they gave Manchester City plenty to worry about in midweek before losing to a single goal. Wigan are the masters at escaping the drop and I can see them coming away with all three points on Saturday.

Wigan to win 9-4 Paddy Power

Sunday

Tottenham v Manchester City

Tottenham have suffered another late season mini-collapse and they have looked a moderate side without Gareth Bale. Their talisman winger could return on Sunday but he seems to be carrying an awful lot of responsibility and City can move within touching distance of securing second spot if they win this weekend. Spurs desperately need a win to put the pressure on Chelsea and Arsenal in the battle for Champions League places. The last four meetings between the sides have gone City’s way and they could extend that run here.

Manchester City to win 7-5 Bet365

Liverpool v Chelsea

Chelsea look destined to finish the season without a trophy but they still have their eyes firmly on a top four finish and they have every reason to give this game their maximum attention. They were too slow out of the blocks when losing 2-1 to City in the Cup last week but had no problem in seeing off Fulham on Wednesday. Liverpool rely heavily on Suarez but remain frustrating and the Blues could take a giant step towards a return to Champions League football with a win on Sunday.

Chelsea to win 13-5 William Hill