Category Archives: Premier League

Can a Fit and Firing Harry Kane Lead Spurs to the Title?

on February 19, 2019 None comments

When Harry Kane limped from the pitch after defeat against Manchester United with an ankle injury on January 13, it was widely thought that Tottenham’s title ambitions were over. However, with Son Heung-min returning from the Asia Cup in blistering form, Spurs remain right in the title race as we head to crunch time in the season. Kane is due to return towards the end of February, with the striker’s recovery ahead of schedule. So, can he fire Spurs to the title?

The Current State of Play

With under a third of the season remaining, Tottenham lie third in the Premier League table, a long way clear of the teams below them. The title is now a three horse race between Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City, with only five points separating the top three teams.

Do Spurs Have a Chance?

Following Kane’s injury, Spurs were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the semi-finals and the FA Cup in the fourth round by Premier League opponents Crystal Palace. Since his injury, however, Spurs are unbeaten in the Premier League.

For Spurs, even though they remain five points behind their title rivals, their destiny remains in their own hands. By the time Kane returns from injury at the end of this month, they will still have to play both Liverpool away (March 31) and Manchester City away (April 20). Should they win both of those games, the title could be within reach.

However, before then, they also face stiff challenges against Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as the second leg of their clash with Borussia Dortmund.

Recently, Tottenham have become very reliant on striker Son Heung-min for goals. With their other striker Fernando Llorente misfiring, the South Korean could do with some help.

The good news for Spurs is that, should he return in time, Kane has a phenomenal goalscoring record against Arsenal and, at the start of the season, he had only failed to score in one game he’d ever played against their north London foes. Likewise, Kane had also scored 21 goals in 32 Premier League London derbies, which bodes well for the Chelsea game, too.

Kane’s Other Commitments

Tottenham aren’t the only team who are relying on Kane to return and produce goals. Tottenham will be wary that Kane will resume his commitments with the England national team (who also play at Wembley) in March, when they begin their UEFA Euro qualification campaign against the Czech Republic and Montenegro. In the fixture with Montenegro particularly, where England are heavy favourites in the international football betting markets, Spurs will be hoping that Kane is rested so he can help their Premier League title tilt.

Immediately following the conclusion of the Premier League, Kane will also return to international duty as England take part in the finals of the UEFA Nations League. As a result, both Spurs and England will be hoping that the star striker remains fit and fresh throughout the rest of the season.

With Kane due to return shortly and Spurs well-positioned behind Manchester City and Liverpool, the North London side will be positive about the title run in. However, for Spurs to have any chance of overhauling the five-point gap to the leaders, Kane must hit the ground running.

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Who’s up for the drop?

on November 20, 2018 None comments

The Premier League season is now in full swing and no surprises that defending champions Manchester City and Liverpool sit at the head of the table. They have squads stacked with talent so are expected to fight it out for the title until the end of the season. But what about the other end of the Premier League table? Which clubs are looking most likely for the drop even at this early stage?

Typically each season the newly promoted clubs start as the favourites for the drop and it was a similar story on https://www.betfair.com/exchange/plus/football/today. Wolves, however, have started with high expectations following their dominant campaign in the Championship last season that saw them runaway with the title. Money has been pumped into the club and they now have a very exciting squad on their hands with expectations growing with each positive result. You only have to look at what can be done in a similar scenario such as at Leicester.

It will be a huge shock were Wolves to face the drop and it is difficult to call at present. Newcastle, Burnley and Fulham are all potential sides who are in danger of the drop looking at the current odds at Betfair. Fulham are 2/1 as they sit near the bottom of the table with just one victory from their opening seven fixtures. Burnley have started slowly with just two victories and are 15/8 for the drop. They achieved incredible things last season so possibly came in to this season with expectations too high but it would still come as a surprise if they were to be relegated this season.

Newcastle are one of three sides yet to win a Premier League game this season. They continue to struggle with the troubles of ownership so is it just a matter of time before they face the drop? Betfair make them 7/4 to do so. A club of Newcastle’s size with their incredible fan base need to remain in the Premier League so they need to find a way out of their troubles and find their form again on the pitch.

As things stand there are two sides who have an ominous task on their hands in order to remain in the league. They are Huddersfield Town and Cardiff City. Both sit at the bottom of the table without a victory as pressure continues to pile on both clubs. Huddersfield at present are 1/3 to face the drop and with just three points at present you can see why. They have had a difficult run of fixtures to start the season,with heavy defeats to the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, so it could just be matter of time before their fortunes change.. Huddersfield now have a run of fixtures that includes several of teams around them in the table so it will become much clearer where they stand. They must begin to pick up points before the pressure continues to pile on the squad.

The favourites to go down at present are Cardiff City who also have just two points following the opening seven fixtures. They had started the season as the favourites to face the drop following their promotion back to the Premier League, with their odds now as short as 1/5 with Betfair.They are really struggling for goals which is resulting in their failure to pick up points. They are another side to face heavy defeats against Chelsea and Manchester City. They now have a run of fixtures that includes tough games against both Liverpool and Leicester City. At present it looks like it is going to take a miracle for Cardiff City to extend their stay in the Premier League to next season.

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Do The Opposition Need To Stand Up To Manchester City?

on November 14, 2018 None comments

Manchester City marched back to the top of the Premier League table with an emphatic 6-1 win over Southampton, one that not only displays just how good the defending champions were at the Etihad but also the disparity between themselves and the teams in the lower reaches of the division.

That thrashing in front of their own fans was not one in isolation though. Only recently, they made light work of Burnley on the way to winning 5-0, while the second weekend of this season saw them record another 6-1 success, with Huddersfield this time feeling the full force of City’s attack.

These results certainly show that City are not only playing some of the most attractive football anywhere on the continent at the moment, but they are also on course to be the first team to win back to back Premier League titles since Manchester United 2009.

It’s a point that is easily reinforced when you look at the current football betting markets; bet365 have Pep Guardiola’s men as 4/11 odds-on favourites to be crowned Premier League champions once more come next May.

At the same time though, and impressive as the aforementioned trio of home wins have been, it does perhaps beg the question as to whether City’s opposition need to be doing a lot more when they are squaring off against the likes of Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane.

Of course, with the talent that these two and their teammates have at their disposal, it is a statement that is rather easier said than done. However, you do get feeling recently that clubs such as Burnley and Southampton have lost their encounters with City before the opening whistle has been blown.

It’s almost a case of knowing they are going to lose and wondering just how many goals they will concede, a mentality that almost says ‘let’s just get this over and done with’. But is that the wrong approach to take? Let’s take Leicester City as a way on how it should be done.

During their phenomenal run to the 2016 title, there were so many occasions where they were viewed as the underdog, a status that arguably played right into the hands of Claudio Ranieri and his players. A perfect example would have been when the Foxes made a trip to the Etihad of their own.

An early February clash between the two sides saw Leicester win by three goals to one, a result that, arguably, with a third of that season still left to play, gave them the timely boost to go and kick on during the final few months and towards English football’s greatest ever achievement.

That game showed that belief and hunger go such a long way not just in football but in any sport, while, perhaps, if the teams that are currently travelling to the Etihad and getting handsomely beaten showed a little bit more courage and will to win, then there might be a few more upsets along the way.

Of course, no-one is suggesting that there is going to be another fairytale winning of the Premier League anytime soon, but there is no doubting that, for the competition’s own long-term health, it would be good if there weren’t so many one-sided results such as the ones we have recently witnessed.

Then again, maybe Manchester City really are that ruthless after all.

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4 Transfer Gambles Taken by Premier League Clubs This Summer

on August 4, 2018 None comments

Another summer of big spending in the Premier League means inevitably means there will be transfer successes and flops.

As teams try to improve their lot or replace players that have left for new pastures, there are always risks attached with bringing in fresh faces. Some new arrivals may start out well and then tail off or take a while to bed in.
Which clubs look to have done risky deals and who are the players they have taken a punt on? We look at four examples as the 2018/19 season kicks off…

Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City)

You might think describing a former PFA Player of the Year in Riyad Mahrez as a risky signing for reigning Premier League champions Manchester City, who are hot football betting favourites to retain their title at 4/6 with bet365, is bold. Ask yourself this, though; was it worth paying £60 million for the Algeria international when it’s going to take a lot for him just to break into the Etihad XI?

Money is no object for the mega-rich Middle Eastern owners of City, so Pep Guardiola has extra depth in attacking areas where there is already so much talent at his disposal. Mahrez may regret leaving Leicester City – who are certainly weakened without him – especially if he ends up on the bench at his new club, because the likes of Kevin De Buryne, Leroy Sane, David Silva and Raheem Sterling continue to perform.

Max Meyer( Crystal Palace)

As a highly-rated Schalke academy graduate, Max Meyer let his contract expire at the Gelsenkirchen club and left the Bundesliga this summer joining Crystal Palace on a free. Reports claim Meyer is on massive wages of £170,000 per week for his three-year contract at Selhurst Park which, although good for him and seemingly a coup for Roy Hodgson, is worth closer inspection.

Why haven’t the top clubs around Europe signed this midfield player who has been so promising since breaking through as a teenager ar Schalke? Meyer has scored just one Bundesliga goal in the last two seasons and made three assists, so should we believe the hype? It’s actually a monster gamble from the Eagles and veteran manager Hodgson.

Richarlison (Everton)

There’s no doubt new Everton boss Marco Silva brought the best out of top Brazilian prospect Richarlison in his debut Premier League campaign last season before Watford sacked him. The Toffees’ interest in the Portuguese coach seem to destabilise everything at Vicarage Road, however, when Ronald Koeman was axed on Merseyside last autumn.

Richarlison played every league game for the Hornets, but scored all five of his league goals (and made all but one of as many assists) in the first 13 matches of the season. That means he simply wasn’t doing it on the pitch for two-thirds of the campaign and Everton, who signed him in a deal potentially worth £50,000,000 and are chasing a top-six finish at 7/2, cannot afford to carry passengers on the wing.

Jack Wilshere (West Ham)

Anyone who has paid attention to the Premier League in recent years knows why this is risky. Jack Wilshere’s career has been hampered by injuries; so, even though he left Arsenal for London rivals West Ham on a free transfer, he’ll always have fitness question marks hanging over him.

What new Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini has to do is get the England midfielder to put a run of games together. If he can keep Wilshere off the treatment table and in his XI, then this could be a great signing, but doing that is far easier said than done, so this is a definite gamble.

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Wolves Are Heading To The Premier League With Big Ambitions

on May 4, 2018 None comments

Wolverhampton Wanderers are on their way back to the Premier League, with Nuno Espirito Santo delivering promotion in his first year in English football. The Molineux outfit blitzed their way to the Championship title with three games to spare and are now gearing themselves up for a return to the top flight.

There is certainly a different feel around Molineux when compared to other promoted teams, with Wolves’ ambitious owners, Fosun, Nuno and his magnificent playing squad seeing the sky as the limit. Unlike many that earn promotion to the Premier League, survival will not be Wolves’ biggest aim – they will be aiming for the top half, with European football even on some people’s agenda.

That belief has come right from the top, with Wolves’ owners and the controversial Jorge Mendes, getting some of Europe’s finest young talent in alongside an inspiring young coach in Nuno.

The squad assembled at Molineux is perhaps the best the Championship has ever seen, with some experienced players like John Ruddy, Ryan Bennett and Danny Batth brought to a different level by the likes of Willy Boly, Helder Costa, Diogo Jota and, most of all, Ruben Neves.

Neves is the key that holds Wolves together, as he has shown all season. The 21-year-old midfielder, who cost Wolves a staggering £15.8m last summer, is going to be itching to get amongst the Premier League’s best and show his qualities, hopefully on the back of a successful World Cup.

Such is Neves’ talent, the likelihood is we will see him featuring in Portugal’s squad in Russia this summer, with the midfielder looking to help Cristiano Ronaldo and co, currently priced at 25/1 to win the World Cup with bet365’s international football betting market, back up the Euro 2016 they collected against the odds.

There is no doubt that Neves, formerly of Porto, has what it takes to play in an elite Premier League side, along with a number of his other teammates. They have shown an expansive style in the Championship this season, which has been combined with some gutsy defensive displays, notably when down to nine-men against Middlesbrough over the Easter period.

It is that mix of performances that will allow Wolves to compete in the Premier League, and also their ambitious owners, who it is impossible not to mention again. Over the last 18 months, they have gone big in the transfer window, bringing the likes of Neves, Helder Costa and Diogo Jota in, and it is likely we will see more big money spent in the coming summer.

Wolves are enjoying their moment, and rightly so, with the 2017/18 season one to remember. But now, focus will be slowly turning to the Premier League and an exciting journey that lies ahead.

Some of next season’s rivals will already be looking to get to that famous 40-point mark and guarantee safety, but that won’t be the case at Molineux. We might not have any real indication of the makeup of Wolves’ squad heading into the 2018/19 campaign, but one thing can be guaranteed, Nuno’s side will not be settling for 17th – they will want to make a lasting impression on the top flight.

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