Archived Premier League Football Betting Tips

Newcastle may believe the glass to be half full since Keegan's second appointment as manager but the honeymoon hasn't been great with 2 away defeats at the Emirates and a couple of home
draws against Bolton and Middlesbrough. The euphoria surrounding St James Park has died down and the hard work has to start if Newcastle are to challenge for honours. The Magpies have lost 8 of their 12 Premier league away fixtures with 5 of those defeats coming in their last 6 outings, so Villa Park is unlikely to be an easy ride. Villa are in contention for 4th spot and should at least make a UEFA Cup place come the end of the season. Gabriel Agbonlahor remains doubtful after missing out for England with a hamstring strain and O'Neill knows that the depth of their squad needs addressing; only Routledge signed for them during the transfer window with Cahill opting to move to Bolton. Villa have not lost in their last 4 home games and it looks too soon for the Newcastle revival.

Bolton grabbed their first away win of the season last weekend at Reading but after the departure of Nicolas Anelka, they look short on strikers and it remains to be seen whether the loan signing of Rasiak will fit the bill; he certainly doesn't match the quality of Anelka. The Trotters have got back to what they're good at under Megson and moved up to 14th but only 4 points separates them from relegation and safety remains the priority. They've lost just one of their last 6 home games but will need to be at their best to stifle a Portsmouth side that have established a successful counter-attacking style on the road. Pompey have won 7 of their 13 away fixtures although 3 defeats in the last 4 has resulted in them slipping down to 9th. New signing, Jermain Defoe, scored on his debut to earn them a point at home to Chelsea but Redknapp awaits the return of Kanu, Utaka and Muntari in the hope that he can get hopes of European qualification back on track. A risky one to predict and a draw looks the best bet.

Fulham finally secured a victory last weekend when a Jimmy Bullard free kick earned them a much needed win against Villa but failed to lift them out of the relegation places. Fulham's away form has been poor with no win and 10 defeats from 13 games. Hodgson hasn't had much success since taking over the helm but the Villa win at least gives them a fighting chance of escaping the clutches of the Championship. They travel to the Riverside where Boro are making
a rare attempt at negotiating safety before the last month of the season. Losing Woodgate has been a big loss but Southgate has at least strengthened his strikeforce with the signing of Alves; up until now only Tuncay and Downing have looked the part as far as goalscoring is concerned. Boro may have only won 3 home games this season but they've improved recently and Fulham look an easy target.

5 goals separate these sides just 2 points above the relegation places and a result is paramount; if either Sunderland or Wigan are to keep survival in their own hands they must beat the sides around them. The Mackems have been doing just that of late at the Stadium of
Light but their away performances have been below par, hence their spot of trouble near the foot of the table. The significance of Wigan's 3-0 victory at Sunderland in the FA Cup remains questionable but not many will deny that they've improved since Steve Bruce's appointment. The Latics have lost just once in their last 4 away fixtures (a narrow defeat at the Riverside last weekend) and are capable of gleaning some reward. Despite the importance of getting a
result, more often than not a draw is the inevitable conclusion.

The Hammers were disappointing at the JJB last weekend but to some extent could blame the state of the pitch. They'll fancy their chances of snatching a UEFA Cup place if they can put together a run similar to the one that kept them up at the end of last season. Injuries are still an issue for Curbishley but they've emerged victorious from their last 3 home fixtures and should continue that form against a Birmingham side struggling under new manager, Alex McLeish. Birmingham are back in the relegation mire and the draw at home to Derby last weekend will have done little for confidence. They've taken just 1 point from their last 5 games on the road and another defeat looks on the cards.

Once again United relinquished the coveted number one position to Arsenal after only scraping a draw at White Hart Lane with the last kick of the game; despite not winning the match, they showed plenty of endeavour in the last 30 minutes and probably deserved the point. They'll be pleased to be back on home territory for the local derby and will expect nothing less than the mandatory 3 points. Since drawing to Reading on the opening day at Old Trafford, United have won every subsequent home game. City's fortunes have taken a turn for the worse in recent weeks and the defeat at home to Arsenal marked their first home defeat of the current campaign. They haven't been too hot on the road either and won just 2 of their 12 away fixtures. Benjani looks to have finally made his way to Eastlands and will add some much needed firepower to a floundering attack, but it won't be enough to put one over on their closest rivals.

This is undoubtedly the crunch encounter of the weekend and though Liverpool's title aspirations are dead and buried, Chelsea could put a severe dent in their hopes for a Champions League place. Everton, Liverpool, Villa and City are all in the mix for fourth spot and given the Reds' recent form, there's nothing to distinguish them from the sides around them except a sense of disappointment. They've taken 2 points from their last 3 away fixtures and may now be without Torres after he looked to have sustained a hamstring injury whilst on
international duty. Although Chelsea are not out of the title race, they're reliant on the top two dropping points if they are to take advantage. The Blues still have key players absent through injury and away at the African Cup of Nations but they've coped well and continued to put together a good run of results. They're still undefeated at the Bridge and are likely to add to Liverpool's misery.

Arsenal reclaimed top spot after they secured maximum points at Eastlands and United slipped up at White Hart Lane. The Gunners' home record speaks for itself; whilst it may be second to United's, they've dropped just 4 points at the Emirates this season. Wenger may be without Flamini after the Frenchman suffered a slight knock playing for France 'B' but they have enough depth available to cover. They host a Blackburn side gradually falling away from the teams above them; they need to start winning games again and 3 successive draws, although not bad results in themselves (against Everton, Villa and Boro), are not enough if they want to maintain their challenge for a place in Europe. The man of the moment is bound to be the outspoken David Bentley given his midweek England performance and his return to the club that sold him. However, Arsenal are yet to fluff their lines and this should be their victory.