Premiership Football Betting Preview
Pinnacle Sports is one of the world's leading online bookmaker, offering up to 50% better odds than its competitors, including 1.96/1.96 soccer pricing on Asian Handicaps.
United Bidding to Silence Gunners and Keep Chelsea at Bay
Arsenal v Manchester United - Get Your Free £50 Bet
Victor Chandler Betting Odds:
Arsenal Win: 6/4 (2.50)
Manchester United Win: 9/5 (2.80)
Draw: 21/10 (3.10)
Click Here To Place Your Bet With Victor Chandler (Free £50 Bet)
Manchester United visit Arsenal's Emirates stadium for the first time this Sunday, hoping to be the first Premiership club to leave the venue with all three points, thereby consolidating their lead at the top of the table. United are currently six points ahead of their only serious rival, Chelsea, who also face a tough away trip, travelling to Anfield on Saturday.
The Red Devils have been in inspired domestic form, stringing together an 18 game unbeaten run in the Premiership, but crucially the last team to beat them was Arsenal. The Gunners left Old Trafford with all three points in September so should be confident of repeating the dose in front of 60,000 of their own fans. Pinnacle Sports makes them favourite 1.794 (0/scratch) off a level handicap, though they are without the suspended Gilberto Silva, who provides a crucial protective role in front of the back four.
Arsene Wenger's side must be on a high, having comprehensively beaten Liverpool twice over four days in their own back yard, and following up with a gritty ten-man win at Ewood Park, which demonstrated a hitherto-absent resilience on the road. With a fifteen point gap separating the sides, Wenger is not dreaming about actually catching United, but this game is crucial in maintaining the Londoner's claims for a Champions League berth next season, as well boosting morale ahead of key European and domestic cup commitments.
Manchester United are priced as marginal under-dogs at 2.16 (0/scratch) by Pinnacle Sports though Arsenal have only won one of the last seven meetings with home advantage and the previous last two meetings at Highbury ended in goalless draws. Arsenal fans must be hoping their new stadium breaks that cycle, and ushers in an era of dominance over one of their biggest rivals.
Click Here To Place Your Bet With Victor Chandler (Free £50 Bet)
Make or Break Weekend for Mourinho and Chelsea
Liverpool v Chelsea - Get Your Free £50 Bet
Victor Chandler Betting Odds:
Liverpool Win: 7/4 (2.75)
Chelsea Win: 6/4 (2.80)
Draw: 21/10 (2.50)
Click Here To Place Your Bet With Victor Chandler (Free £50 Bet)
This could be a make or break weekend for Chelsea's defence of their Premiership title, and Jose Mourinho's future at the club. The media vultures have been circling the club picking up the scent of a rift between Mourinho and club owner, Roman Abramovich. There are several threads to the supposed fall-out, but the most divisive rumours relate to the absence of transfer funds in the January window, and the form of Andriy Shevchenko. The Russian billionaire sponsored the signing of Shevchenko, but the ex-Milan player has scored just three times in 20 Premiership appearances, and Mourinho must now decide whether to persevere with the misfiring Ukrainian or shun the club owner's golden boy.
Abramovich had been reported to have frozen transfers for the January window, despite Chelsea suffering badly from a defensive injury crisis. Last weekend's clean-sheet against Wigan was only the second in a six game league spell where the Blues have shown a vulnerability never before seen during Mourinho's time at the club, dropping six vital points which now separate them from Manchester United. The continued absence of captain, John Terry, has exposed the Champions' soft under-belly, illustrated in the 1-1 Carling Cup semi-final draw at Division Two Wycombe, though Pinnacle Sports still see them as marginal favourites, 1.901 (0/scratch).
The logical question punters must now ask is whether Liverpool can kick Chelsea while they are down, leading online bookmaker Pinnacle Sports rate the Pool slight under-dogs 2.03 (0/scratch). The Reds are still nursing the scars from two humiliating defeats by Arsenal at Anfield, and are at the psychological disadvantage of having lost every Premiership meeting since Mourinho took charge of Chelsea, including a 4-1 drubbing in this fixture last term. Given that Arsenal knocked Liverpool out of both the Carling and FA cups, Rafa Benitez must now focus on a rousing end to the Premiership season, starting with a victory here, which would close the eight point gap on Chelsea, and convince fans that the club is making progress toward the ultimate aim of one more being the biggest in the land. Last weekend's 3-0 win at Watford will have restored some confidence, but as on so many previous key occasions, the performance on Sunday of captain, Steven Gerrard, could dictate whether Liverpool pass or fail this test.
