A mixed bag of results in midweek finds our Champions League representatives heading into the weekend with varying levels of confidence.
Arsenal and Chelsea cruised and were able to rest bodies in advance of their Gameweek fixtures; that will prove handy for Wenger’s men who face the potentially bruising trip to the Stadium of Light – a fixture they never enjoy. Chelsea meanwhile have their sights set on Blackpool at the Bridge and will go into the game with the likes of Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda rested and ready for mass destruction. Ian Holloway won’t have been sleeping easy this week.
As for Spurs and United – they face games against Wolves and Liverpool respectively off the back of midweek draws. United in particular will be feeling fidgety having failed to breakdown the Rangers resistance. Harry Redknapp meanwhile will just be pleased to get eleven fit players out against Mick McCarthy’s side at the Lane. The visitors will fancy this, particularly after Spurs demonstrated a major hangover against Wigan following their last European outing.
With the dust of European battles now settled, how does Paddy Power feel the dizzy heights of victory and the weary scars of a hard-fought draws will influence Premier League outcomes?
Anytime Goalscorer
- Drogba 1.28
- Anelka 1.44
- Kalou 1.72
- Lampard 1.72
- Malouda 1.83
- Crouch 1.90
- Pavlyuchenko 1.90
- Tevez 2.10
- Rooney 2.20
- Chamakh 2.25
- Keane 2.25
- Beckford 2.50
- Adebayor 2.50
- Yakubu 2.50
- Berbatov 2.60
- Jones 2.60
- Carew 2.70
- Agbonlahor 2.70
- Arshavin 2.80
- Fabregas 2.80
- Cahill 2.87
Well rested, it’s no surprise to find Didier Drogba heading the field of anytime scorers. Paddy has posted five of Chelsea’s attacking force odds on, as they look to echo Arsenal’s 6-0 drubbing of the Seasiders. The majority of Fantasy Managers will have surely loaded up on Ancelotti’s assets by now with the big three of Cole, Malouda and Drogba looking obvious selections, but Michael Essien is beginning to catch the eye and is an outside bet with Paddy and in Fantasy terms.
Arsenal tallied another six goals in midweek, a popular scoreline this season. Cesc Fabregas and Marouane Chamakh were amongst the scorers but their odds are perhaps lower than expected – a reflection of just how well-drilled Sunderland can be at the Stadium of Light.
Spurs gave a good account of themselves against Werder Bremen, with Peter Crouch’s strong performance and goal earning him a short price to score against Wolves. But as West Brom showed, constant travelling and a long list of injuries might be too much for Spurs to break down the stern Wolves defence.
Man United were unfortunate to draw against Rangers and lacked Paul Scholes’ inspiration and against a resolute Scottish back-line. With Rooney odds against to score and Berbatov fairly long, Paddy is predicting this slump in performance to continue at Anfield, even though Liverpool have also had problems finding solid performances of late. A tight game with more frustration for United could be on the cards here.
Paddy predicts West Ham’s misery to continue at the Britannia and Kenwyne Jones’ price is fairly short as a result. He’s in the running for thsi week’s Scout Picks. Elsewhere Man City are still finding their feet with a host of new signings yet to settle, but Tevez is the constant and he is strongly tipped here to crack the obliging Wigan back four.
Who Will Keep A Clean Sheet?
- Chelsea 1.57 (BLP)
- Tottenham 2.00 (WLV)
- Man United 2.10 (LIV)
- Everton 2.20 (NEW)
- Arsenal 2.30 (sun)
- Man City 2.30 (wig)
- Aston Villa 2.40 (BOL)
- Blackburn 2.40 (FUL)
- Stoke 2.40 (WHM)
- West Brom 2.80 (BIR)
It’s no surprise to see Chelsea on top of the pile again here with their home fixture with Blackpool looking a strong option despite the visitors’ attacking intent. Elsewhere the prospects look shaky.
Paddy clearly fancies the Spurs backline against a Wolves side who will come to defend with a 4-5-1 but, but having won at the Lane last season and with injuries in the home defence, McCarthy’s men could just sneak one here.
Similarly the United back four are rated in the big clash with Roy Hodgson’s Liverpool but, although Fernando Torres is struggling and is at long odds to score, it will be just like him to silence the critics and give the United back four the run-around.
Clean Sheet hunters may need to take risks this weekend then with Everton at home to Newcastle and Blackburn at Ewood agianst a wounded Fulham strike force, amongst the best opportunities.
Paddy fancies Arsenal at Sunderland and City at Wigan but both come up against strikers in Bent/Gyan and Rodallega who can fetch a goal from scraps. Aston Villa at home to a Bolton side who may well be without skipper Kevin Davies and Stoke at the Britannia against a goal-shy West Ham look to be more generous options.
Paddy’s Scout Specials
This week’s selection of Scout specials includes the chance to back shutouts for Blackburn, Stoke and Chelsea at odds of 8/1 in the Clean Sheet Accumulator.
In the Scout Picks Market you can get decent looking odds of 11/1 on Mikel Arteta, Kenwyne Jones and the might Drogba all to score one or more goals this weekend.
Finally, there may not have been a ScoutCast this week but Fantasy Island Risks lives on regardless. We’ve put a special together for you handing you odds of 15/1 on both Blackburn’s Nikola Kalinic and Villa’s Stewart Downing finding the net over the Gameweek.
Paddy’s Money Back Special
This week Paddy are using the Old Trafford encounter as the foundation of their “Money Back Special”. They are willing to refund all losing first/last goalscorer and correct score and scorecast bets on the match if it ends in a score draw.
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