Archived Premier League Football Betting Tips

Only 2 goals and 1 place separate these two sides just outside the top four and both of them have shown much improvement this season in terms of realistically challenging for a top six place. According to some sources, Martin O'Neill appears to have ruled himself out of the England job and given Villa's promising recent form, one can see why. The only 2 blips Villa have had recently, home or away, are home defeats to Arsenal and United (so nothing too much to be disappointed about there). The visitors to Villa Park are high flying Pompey and ironically, their usually dependable home form has been called into question whilst their away form has been unusually good with 5 successive victories. However, this should be a tight affair and 1 goal could decide it; Villa tick the boxes as the most likely to take all 3 points.

Chelsea's undefeated home record is still intact but they were pushed all the way by West Ham last weekend and it eventually took Hammers old boy, Joe Cole, to break the deadlock. Since Grant took over he's had the luxury of returning players Terry, Drogba and Lampard; not a lot has changed since Mourinho left but the Chelsea players are grinding out victories once again. The Blues have remained in touch with the top two and no less than maximum points will be expected against a Sunderland side yet to secure a victory on the road. Their last 4 away games have all ended in defeat and though they made the most of a vital home game against bottom placed Derby, it bears little resemblance to the challenge they will expect to face at Stamford Bridge. Sunderland will dig in for as long as they can but it should only be a matter of time.

Everton's draw at Fratton Park lent some credulity to their current ninth position and confirmed that their improving home form can get them into the top six. It's been 3 wins from the last 4 at Goodison and whilst some of the fans may not be happy with Bill Kenwright and the proposed move to Kirkby, they seem firmly behind David Moyes. The return of Tim Cahill from injury has been fundamental to their revival in fortunes and they'll be fully expected to take Fulham apart from the off. The Cottagers have improved slightly in recent weeks under Lawrie Sanchez but results mean everything and they're just treading water without the necessary victories under their belt. A win on the road is still eluding them and though they weren't thumped at Old Trafford, it now reads as 2 successive away defeats. Whilst Fulham pose a threat they still remain vulnerable at the back and Everton currently look like a side well prepared to take full advantage.

The Magpies came out with something to prove at home to Arsenal and though they went behind early on they were well worthy of the eventual result; a point at home to the Gunners is not to be sniffed at. Maybe the rumours regarding Sam Allardyce's position will take a back seat for a while and he can get on with the job of steering the club towards better times. They take on yet another side with a new manager in place; Alex McLeish went through the whole range of emotions at White Hart Lane but was fortunate enough to enjoy a debut victory. That win was their first in 6 away games and maybe they now have the confidence to go elsewhere and build on that result. However, Newcastle look to have come out smiling after some poor results and have proved that they can be a match for most sides at St James Park.

It's Reading's home form that has kept them as high as 13th place (on the road they've taken just 1 point from 7 games) but they squandered the chance to snatch all 3 points against a weak Boro side that are rightly struggling to get out of the drop zone. The Royals have lost to both Arsenal and Chelsea at the Madjeski and now they take on another of the top four sides. Liverpool remain one of only 2 Premier league sides yet to record a defeat, have been scoring goals for fun whilst conceding just 2 on the road and surprisingly look more of a threat away from the safety of Anfield. In Fernando Torres, they finally have a striker that looks dangerous with and without the ball, can hold the play and bring others in, as well as possessing the ability to finish. If Benitez resists the temptation to rest key players then Liverpool should win by a comfortable enough margin.

Boro are still in the bottom three but it's tight around the foot of the table and they did themselves a big favour when Tuncay came up with a late leveller at the Madjeski to leave with a point. Southgate's biggest problem is where the goals are going to come from and realistically he'll probably have to wait for the January transfer window to resolve it. Boro have just 1 home win all season and will be hoping to emulate their Tyneside rivals when Arsenal visit the Riverside. Newcastle did very well playing a pressing game against the Gunners and probably deserved more than a point but the key factor for Arsenal was that without Fabregas, Flamini or Hleb they lacked some of the drive that they've shown in recent fixtures. The bottom line however is that Wenger's men are 4 points clear at the top and remain undefeated domestically this season; Boro are poor and unlikely to press as well as Newcastle did leaving it difficult to see beyond an away victory

This is unlikely to be much of a spectacle for the football purists; the long ball style is bound to be favoured by both sides in a bid to escape the bottom four. Gary Megson has taken a leaf out of Allardyce's book and reverted to the players that made Bolton's direct competitive style so successful last season. Likewise Steve Bruce has also adopted the no-nonsense approach since taking the reins at Wigan and though his strategy yielded a point at home to City, their new approach was allegedly not to everyone's liking; however, Bruce will be more concerned with results than making sure everyone gets a touch of the ball. Wigan have lost their last 6 successive away games whilst Bolton have avoided defeat in their last three at the Reebok. It won't be pretty but the home side should edge this six pointer.

City may have a 100% record at Eastlands this season but their form away from home has been rather more dismal with no victory and just 3 points from their last 6 fixtures. If they are to maintain their top four challenge they need to take more points on the road and though Sven knows this, they can't wait to address these issues after the festive period; the congestion at Christmas sorts the wheat from the chaff and if he wants his squad to be in contention come the New Year then they had better start pulling up their socks. They have a prime opportunity to get maximum points at White Hart Lane with Spurs proving that a change of manager is not always the answer to resolving more deeply rooted problems. The defensive naiveties at the Lane have proved their downfall and though they were a tad unfortunate with refereeing decisions against Birmingham, the same old consistency (i.e. poor defending) has come back to haunt them time after time. Spurs just cannot hold on to a lead. Rumour has it that Ledley King played 45 minutes of reserve football during the week and that sums up where Spurs' fans hopes lie; someone who can only just about kick a ball again. City should get the space to play against Spurs and the home side are likely to capitulate quite easily, especially since there'll be no saviour in Robbie Keane.

The big positive for West Ham has been the return of key players such as Dean Ashton and Scott Parker over the last game or two. Their form this season has been a bit mixed, probably because of injuries, but they're still comfortably positioned in mid-table. They travel to Ewood Park to play a Blackburn side 7 points and only 2 places above them. David Bentley remains the man to watch after scoring a couple of crackers against Newcastle and if rumours are to be believed, McCarthy wasn't too happy after being substituted in the same game. The one thing Rovers have is plenty of attacking options but they've won only half of their home games and can be guilty of not taking their chances. With West Ham an unknown quantity at the moment and Blackburn showing some inconsistencies, a draw could be the best bet.