Paddy Says….Gameweek 5

A return to domestic affairs means we’re back spending Saturday morning peering through the letterbox at Paddy Power towers, scanning their odds to introduce yet another variable into our pre-deadline thinking.

Before we move to assess their anytime goalscorer and clean sheet reckoning, a reminder that our bookmaker partners are always on hand to give new customers enhanced odds on some prime weekend markets.

This time around new accounts can get Manchester United at 7/1 or Liverpool at 16/1 for this evening’s clash of sleeping giants. This offer also dangles over £300 in free bets over the course of the season – check the terms and conditions for details.

If a cheeky accumulator is more your bag, you can get a huge 28/1 on wins for Arsenal, Man City, Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona over the weekend and money back if your selection loses. Again, check the terms and conditions on this for the full details.

ANYTIME GOALSCORER ODDS – GAMEWEEK 5

Paddy are backing Sergio Aguero (1.36) to kick-start his campaign away to Crystal Palace this Gameweek, once again handing him the shortest odds to score despite the absence of playmaker David Silva.

Manchester City’s talismanic marksman ranks third among forwards for attempts (15) and shots inside the box (12), while only Mame Biram Diouf (eight) has fashioned more shots on target. The Sky Blues lead the league with regards to goals (10) and shots on target (29), while the Palace backline have kept just two clean sheets in 22 matches under Alan Pardew.

Priced identically at 1.83, Arsenal duo Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez boast just one goal between them ahead of a home tie against Stoke City. The former ranks second among his counterparts for attempts (16) and shots inside the box (15) this term, while the latter ranks top of the league for total attempts (20).

Theo Walcott (1.90) and Aaron Ramsey (2.10) also occupy the top 10, reflecting the fact that the Gunners tallied more attempts (83) and shots inside the box (56) than any team over the opening four Gameweeks. Paddy has Sanchez as top ranked option in terms of goals from midfield, compounding the Chilean’s claims to the Gameweek captaincy.

Diego Costa (1.90) lies in fourth place and stands as the only representative from Chelsea in our table, with a trip to Everton on the horizon. The combative frontman opened his account in Gameweek 3 and only two forwards recorded more attempts (four) last Gameweek.

Further down the leaderboard, Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy are both offered odds of 2.10. Kane is yet to net this campaign but will be galvanised by two excellent finishes for England during the international break as Spurs travel to Sunderland. Meanwhile, Vardy scored last time out against Bournemouth and will fancy his chances against an Aston Villa defence that conceded the second most number of shots inside the box (12) in their last road match.

Propping up the table are West Ham pair Diafra Sakho and new signing Nikica Jelavic, who are both tipped at 2.40 for Newcastle United’s trip to the Boelyn Ground on Monday evening. Only Man City (10) have scored more than the Hammers (nine) this season, which can largely be attributed to their league-best shot conversion rate (22.5%).

CLEAN SHEET ODDS – GAMEWEEK 5

In the wake of back-to-back shut-outs, Arsenal (1.83) are favoured to snuff out Stoke’s forays forward and claim a clean sheet at the Emirates. Only three teams have conceded fewer big chances (three) than the North London club this campaign, while the Potters rank in the bottom four for shots inside the box (22).

Manchester United are some way back of Arsenal at 2.29. The Red Devils are yet to concede at Old Trafford but face their toughest home match-up up yet when Liverpool make the journey. Nonetheless, the fact that the Reds possess the second worst shot conversion rate (3.7%), plus the absence of Philippe Coutinho, serves as encouragement for Man United’s robust rearguard which could be boosted by David de Gea’s presence.

Spurs stand alone at 2.40, having earned their first clean sheet of the season last Gameweek against Everton. Their pursuit of successive shut-outs is boosted by the revelation that their Gameweek opponents, Sunderland, place second-bottom for attempts (34) and shots inside the box (18).

Chelsea, Manchester City and Leicester have all been pitched at the 2.50 mark. Only Sunderland (10) have conceded more goals than the Blues (nine) ahead of their encounter with the Toffees, while the Sky Blues are perhaps under-priced for their trip to Selhurst Park in light of their four straight clean sheets. As for the Foxes, they’ve conceded just four big chances in as many outings.

Southampton (2.62) and West Ham (3.00) round off Paddy’s top-rated defences this Gameweek. The former look to make it three clean sheets on the trot when they visit West Bromwich Albion later today. The latter host Newcastle and will be desperate to tighten up after shipping six goals in their previous pair of home clashes.