Premer League tips

Last weekend: Loss of £20.41
Overall: Loss of £8.09

All odds are given by either Paddy Power or Skybet unless stated.

Weekend accumulators:

To win - Norwich, Chelsea, Tottenham, West Brom and Manchester United. Five pounds returns £100.84

Goals galore - Manchester United, Fulham, QPR, Swansea and West Brom. Five pounds returns £56.95

Manchester United vs Arsenal
It's safe to say there won't be a repeat scoreline from last year, but in a week where both clubs were involved in high scoring Capital One games, expect there to be goals at Old Trafford come Saturday lunchtime.

More fuel has been added to the United Arsenal fire with the summer move of Robin Van Persie! The Dutchman was the league's top goal scorer last campaign, and has started in fantastic form for the Red Devils, and I'm sure there will be many bets on him to score!

Manchester United haven't reached top gear yet but find themselves just a point off the leaders Chelsea, whilst Arsenal at times have been brilliant, but their points return isn't as high as they had hoped for.

Teams have beaten Arsenal when they've kept Santi Cazorla quiet, and if Manchester United can do so here, expect them to win!

Manchester United 3 Arsenal 2 - 22/1 - Lose £2.50

Manchester United to win - 8/11 - Returns of £4.31

Other Tips:
Robin Van Persie anytime goalscorer - 10/11 - Returns of £9.55
Both teams to score - 8/13 - Returns of £8.07
Over 2.5 goals - 4/6 - Returns of £8.33

Match returns - Profit of £10.26

Fulham vs Everton
Both sides came from early set backs to earn draws on last time out, however Everton will be the happier with their point considering Fulham had turned the game on its head against Reading to lead.

Martin Jol and David Moyes can both be pleased with how their sides have started the season, and if Fulham hadn't conceded late away to two of the three promoted sides then Fulham would be higher in the league.

Everton won at Craven Cottage 3-1 last year, but I can't separate them this time around.

Fulham 1 Everton 1 - 11/2 - Lose £2.50

Draw - 12/5 - Returns £8.50

Other Tips:
Nikica Jelavic anytime goalscorer - 7/4 - Lose a fiver
Both teams to score - 4/7 - Returns of £7.85
Everton first team yellow card - 10/11 with Bet365 - Lose a fiver

Match returns - Loss of £3.65

Norwich vs Stoke
Their 1-0 win over Arsenal appears to be a turning point in Norwich's season, as, including the win over the Gunners, they've won two from three in all competitions and rescued a point away to Aston Villa last week.

Leon Barnett was dismissed when these two met at Carrow Road last year

Stoke have started the season with too many draws, six from nine games to be precise, and at the moment they lack at cutting edge. With Michael Owen getting more minutes under his belt, I'm sure he'll start to score goals and help the Potters win more games.

Norwich need to win these sort of matches, and I fancy them to just edge it.

Norwich 2 Stoke 1 - 17/2 - Lose £2.50

Norwich to win - 8/5 - Returns of £6.50

Other tips:
Stoke first team yellow card - 4/6 with bet365 - Returns of £8.33
A headed goal to be scored - 22/10 with 188bet - Returns of £16
Draw HT/ Norwich FT - 5/1 - Lose a fiver

Match returns - £10.83

Sunderland vs Aston Villa
Both sides are in horrible form ahead of the game at the Stadium of Light, with Sunderland winning just one league game in 16, with Villa's form even worse, with just the solitary victory from their last 19 games!

Stephen Fletcher aside, Sunderland have struggled to find the net this year, whilst Aston Villa have continuously left their best out and out goalscorer on the bench, with Darren Bent failing to start any of their last three league matches.

I fancy the draw between these two out of sorts sides!

Sunderland 1 Aston Villa 1 - 5/1 - Lose £2.50

Draw - 12/5 - Lose £2.50

Other tips:
Christian Benteke to score anytime - 11/4 - Lose a fiver
Under 2.5 goals - 8/13 - Returns of £8.07
Half with most goals, Tie - 21/10 - Lose a fiver

Match returns - Loss of £11.93

Swansea vs Chelsea
Both sides bounced back from narrow Premier League defeats to win impressively in the Capital One cup. For long periods Swansea competed well with Manchester City, and only a Carlos Tevez wonder goal was the difference. Chelsea came back well from 2-0 down against the other Manchester side, but being reduced to nine men meant a late winner was inevitable.

Chelsea needed a late own goal to rescue a point last year, and Paddy Power are offering 7's on an own goal.

Back Chelsea to continue their fine league start with a win at the Liberty Stadium.

Swansea 1 Chelsea 3 - 12/1 - Lose £2.50

Chelsea to win - 4/5 - Lose £2.50

Other tips:
Both teams to score - 8/13 - Returns £8.07
Juan Mata to score anytime - 11/8 - Void as player didn't play
Chelsea to score in both halves - 7/5 - Lose a fiver

Match returns - Loss of £6.93

Tottenham vs Wigan
Tottenham put their defeat to Chelsea well and truly behind them with an impressive away win against Southampton, whilst Wigan won for only the second time in their 2-1 home victory against West Ham.

This fixture has seen all manner of results. Tottenham thrashed Wigan 9-1 in 2009, but the following year Wigan stunned White Hart Lane with a 1-0 smash and grab.

Last year Spurs won 3-1, and back the same result here.

Tottenham 3 Wigan 1 - 10/1 - Lose £2.50

Tottenham to win - 4/9 - Lose £2.50

Other tips:
Over 2.5 goals - 4/7 - Lose a fiver
Tottenham to score three or more goals - 6/4 - Lose a fiver
Jermaine Defoe and Clint Dempsey to score - 7/2 - Lose a fiver

Match returns - Loss of £20

West Ham vs Manchester City
West Ham got what they deserved as they lost to Wigan for a third consecutive time! Roberto Mancini's side are starting to do what their city rivals have done for donkey's year, win when playing poor, and that was on show in their 1-0 win over Swansea last Saturday.

Manchester City have conceded first in all of their four away matches, but have recovered to at least gain a point in all of them, and considering West Ham took the lead against Arsenal and lost, a bet on the Hammers to score first and fail to win is a good one!

Upton Park is never the easiest of places to go to, with West Ham losing just one league home game this year! Manchester City are now the only unbeaten Premier League side left and I fancy them to edge it!

West Ham 1 Manchester City 2 - 7/1 - Lose £2.50

Manchester City to win - 4/6 - Lose £2.50

Other tips:
Both teams to score - 4/6 - Lose a fiver
West Ham to score first - 13/8 - Lose a fiver
Edin Dzeko last goalscorer - 11/2 - Lose a fiver

Match returns - Loss of £20

Day returns - Loss of £41.42

QPR vs Reading
The only two sides still without a Barclays Premier League go head to head at Loftus Road on Sunday, and it's fair to say, the loser will be in a lot of trouble!

Pogrebnyak got the winner when these two sides met earlier this year in the Capital One Cup

Indiscipline cost Queens Park Rangers once more as they conceded a late winner away to Arsenal last week following Stephan M'Bia's stupid dismissal. Reading have shipped in 10 goals in their last two games, culminating in an incredible Captial One match midweek against Arsenal where they let a 4-0 lead slip.

I think it's safe to say there will be goals, and I fancy QPR to just edge it!

QPR 3 Reading 2 - 25/1

QPR to win - 5/6

Other tips:
Over 3.5 goals - 7/4 
Both teams to score - 8/13
Bobby Zamora and Pavel Pogrebnyak to score - 8/1

Liverpool vs Newcastle
Liverpool's week started brilliantly as they raced into a two goal lead in the Merseyside derby; however they failed to hold onto that lead and were eliminated from the Capital One Cup by Brendan Rodgers' old club 3-1 at Anfield.

Newcastle were fortunate to beat West Brom last weekend, with a Sammy Ameobi shot deflecting in off Papiss Cisse for a much needed victory!

Newcastle will fancy their chances at Anfield, but I think Liverpool will edge it in a  low scoring affair.

Liverpool 1 Newcastle 0 - 6/1

Liverpool to win - 4/7

Other tips:
Liverpool to win to nil - 6/4
Luis Suarez first goalscorer - 9/2
Under 2.5 goals - 11/10

West Brom vs Southampton
Back to back last minute 2-1 defeats for West Brom means for the first time questions are being asked of Steve Clarke's side, and Southampton at home is arguably their biggest game of the season so far, as a win will get them back on track!

Southampton were very poor in the first half against Tottenham last weekend, and that was only worsened by a rubbish 90 minutes against Leeds in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday! Manager Nigel Adkins apparently has a fight on to keep his job, and an away points are vital if he is to do so!

I don't think West Brom will walk it, but I fancy them to win, especially given their impressive form at the Hawthorns.

West Brom 2 Southampton 1 - 7/1

West Brom to win - 8/11

Other tips:
Both teams to score - 8/13
Over 2.5 goals - 8/13
Romelu Lukaku to score anytime - 11/8

Another good season for Pardew and Newcastle

Newcastle at times were superb last year and surprised many as they finished 5th in the Barclays Premier League. Alan Pardew defied his critics and despite the sales of previous key figures in Jose Enrique, Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton were well worth their high finish. Pardew has added in Ajax's Vurnon Anita and Gael Bigirimana from Coventry.

Papiss Cisse, an arrival from German side Freiburg in January, took the Premier League by storm as he completed an all Senegalese strike force with Demba Ba. Cisse scored an incredible array of goals, many worthy of challenging for the goal of the season crown, with his strike away to Chelsea in a 2-0 victory winning the said trophy. Whether Cisse can continue his form from last season is up in the air; however if his strike rate is half as impressive as his first 14 games, then he'll certainly be challenging for the top goalscorer.

For once Newcastle haven't sold during a Summer transfer window, keeping their midfield duo of Check Tiote and Yohann Cabaye despite rumoured interest from some of Europe's finest clubs. Their midfield ranks with the best in the Premier League; however they don't have as much depth as those who finished above them, meaning any injuries will hit Pardew's side hard.

Club captain Fabricio Coloccini was immense at the heart of Newcastle's defence, earning a place in the PFA Team of the year. The Argentine had many doubters following the clubs relegation in 2009, and despite interest from abroad stayed with the club during their season in the Championship, making him a fans favourite in the progress. With Steven Taylor's return to full fitness, Newcastle again have a solid partnership at the back.

Key player - Hatem Ben Arfa. Ben Arfa towards the back end of the season was one of the Premier League's best players, and with injury cutting short his previous two campaigns, this season is a big one for Ben Arfa. At times his attitude is questionable, having fall outs at both of his former clubs leading to his exit; however if he reaches his undoubted potential then Newcastle will do very well to keep him.

Prediction - 6th. I think Newcastle will just be short in their pursuit of a top four finish; however under Pardew the club have improved immensely and will finish in a Europa League spot. 

View from a fan - Scott Anthony Carr

What would be an ideal season?

A perfect season would be finishing fourth as well as a decent run in the Europa League

What would be a nightmare year?

My nightmare year would be finishing in the bottom half of the league because all of the momentum would be lost.

Do you have the right manager in charge?

I like Pardew, I was skeptical and annoyed when they first put him in charge because I thought Chris Hughton did a good job but he's been doing the business and with the set up of the club we need a manager who is happy not to have all the power such as a Ferguson or Moyes, with transfers etc, which he seems happy to do. 

Which Premier League player would you sign given the chance?

Realistically I'd like us to sign Michael Dawson after his move to QPR has hit the rocks. He's a great centre back and Steven Taylor has his injury problems and is shaky at times.

Can Papiss Cisse really keep up the form he shew in the back end of last season?

I think he'll still be a regular scorer, just not as frequent as last season. I still reckon he'll get 15+ goals for the season.

Is this Ben Arfa's big season?

Ben Arfa showed in the back end of last year what a quality player he is, and I think now he's in the side and the fans and the manager realise how much ability he has he's going to get more freedom and be a great player this season. I'm just worried one of the big club will come in for him!

Vermaelen caps another Arsenal late show

An added time Thomas Vermaelen winner saw Arsenal edge out a strong Newcastle side 2-1 at the Emirates last night.

The late winner meant Arsenal not only extended their lead over Chelsea, but closed the gap on their city rivals Tottenham to one point in the race for third.

Hatem Ben Arfa gave Newcastle an early lead; however Arsenal drew level barely a minute after, in the form of Robin Van Persie. With the game looking set to finish all square Vermaelen popped up to create a Premier League record for Arsenal, who have now come from behind to win their last four games, a feat never before achieved in the English top flight.

Arsenal made one change from their epic encounter with AC Milan, with Mikel Arteta returning to add a bit of flair to the Arsenal midfield, whilst Newcastle made two changes with Pape Cisse and Ryan Taylor replaced with Gabriel Obertain and Ben Arfa.

Newcastle opened the scoring in the thirteenth minute through the returning Ben Arfa. Cheick Tiote won the ball back in Arsenal’s half, after a poor Laurent Koscielny pass, who found Obertan, whose first time pass was clever and Ben Arfa, who cut inside Kieran Gibbs too easily, smashed home inside Wojciech Szczesny’s front post.

Literally seconds latter Arsenal levelled through their likeliest of sources. Walcott did well to engineer a brilliant cross, which Van Persie controlled exquisitely, in doing so taking Mike Williamson out of the game, and the Premier League’s leading scorer comfortably slotted past his Dutch counterpart Tim Krul to equalise.

Walcott, who looked dangerous in the early proceedings, came the closest to a third goal in the first half; however his shot was cleared of the line by Danny Simpson.

Half time came and went and Davide Santon, who was given the run around by the improving Walcott, didn’t come out for the second half, as the former Nottingham Forest man James Perch came on for the Italian.

Arsenal came out in the second half stronger and dominated possession as well as increasing their threat in the Newcastle half, as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlin, who wasn’t having the best of evenings, came close twice in quick succession.

Tomas Rosicky, who signed a contract extension with the club earlier in the day, was again fantastic and the Czech captain was behind Arsenal’s best moments in the early stages of the second half.

Gervinho, a second half replacement for Oxlade-Chamberlin, really should’ve given Arsenal the lead, only to screw wide with the goal at his mercy inside the six yard box.

With five minutes extra time announced, it looked like Arsenal were set to drop points, only for the rampaging Vermaelen to win it for the Gunners. With Newcastle in possession deep in the Arsenal half, Alan Pardew’s side should’ve seen the game out; however Arsenal broke in the shape of Alex Song, who found Walcott, and the England internationals cross feel perfectly for Vermaelen who beat Krul to ball and gave Arsenal the all important win.

The goal was harsh on Newcastle, who had defended brilliantly through out the game. Captain Fabricio Coloccini was again superb at the heart of Newcastle’s defence; however for a second successive Premier League game, Arsenal sealed the three points with an added time winner.

Man of the match – Tomas Rosicky.

Newcastle and Demba Ba in particular, an apology!

I didn't for a second think they'd go down but at the start of the season I did feel that Newcastle would be in the lower regions of the Barclays Premier League this year.

My reasons for this were as follows:

The loss of key players
Alan Pardew and Newcastle United lost not one but four of their best players during the two previous transfer windows in Andy Carroll, Jose Enrique, Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton. These four players didn't just help Newcastle regain their top flight status but they ensured that the club were more of a threat to the top 10 then the bottom three.

Alan Pardew's lack of transfer budget
The £35million sale of Carroll hasn't been used to enhance Pardew's transfer budget with the relatively cheap additions of Yohan Cabaye and Gabriel Obertan the highlight of an otherwise low key transfer window for Newcastle United.

Small squad
Their recent 4-2 defeat away to Norwich City exposed how thin of a squad Newcastle have. A back four of Ryan Taylor, Danny Simpson, James Perch and Davide Santon only highlighted how vital Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor are to Newcastle. Their first XI are very good, but I felt if Pardew had to rotate the squad for any reason, the club would suffer; however I was wrong as the likes of Danny Guthrie and Ryan Taylor when called apon this season have been brilliant.

Despite my pre-season expectations of Newcastle United they have not only exceeded them, but probably their own too. The Geordie side currently find themselves 6th in the Barclays Premier League, a point clear of Liverpool following their 1-0 victory over QPR on Sunday, and a Europa League finish is now a distinct possibility.

Newcastle have learnt massively from their brief spell in the Championship and despite the addition of talented forward players, they have built from the back this season conceding just 25 goals in their 21 Premier League matches. Club Captain Coloccini has been one of the players of the season, and after opting against leaving the club two years ago, he has been in the form of his life. Prior to his arrival at Newcastle, the Argentine international had played for seven different clubs in a period of just 10 years; however he finally appears to have settled in the North of England, much to Newcastle's gain. The curly-haired defender's form is sure to have alerted Alejandro Sabella, as Argentina look to re-structure a defence that was so horribly exposed at the recent Copa America. Coloccini hasn't been the only excellent defender at the club this year; the whole back four have performed at a consistently good standard, and until the recent 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea, Pardew hadn't made a change to their defence in 14 Premier League matches.



Another key member of the Newcastle back five has been the goalkeeper Tim Krul, who despite his tender age for a shot stopper has been in incredible form. During a season you can usually lay blame with the keeper for on average three goals a season; however Krul for me is yet to have been at fault for a single goal, admittedly we are only just past the half way stage in the season, but that's still an impressive feat. As a goalkeeper for me Krul has the lot: he's excellent shot stopper, good in the air and appears to communicate well with his defence, and with man of the match displays a common occurance this season, Krul's form doesn't appear to be a temporary thing. Krul's fantastic season hasn't gone unnoticed and with rumoured interest from Spurs, Pardew will hope his Dutch number one won't be joining the recent exodus at the club.



Newcastle on the road this season have been impressive, with their only three defeats coming at Manchester City, Liverpool and Norwich, with the latter down to their lengthy injury list. A reason for why they've been successful away from home this year is because of their excellent team work with another Argentine Jonas Gutierrez a perfect example of the commitment and heavy workload put in. Gary Neville perfectly highlighted the tracking back Gutierrez did following their recent 3-1 success away to Stoke, as the winger helped an out of position Ryan Taylor deal with the threat of Jermaine Pennant. Gutierrez isn't alone in his tremendous commitment with the summer signing Cabaye another who you wouldn't suspect to be a hard worker off the ball, putting in a fantastic shift during the same game.

The loss of Nolan and Barton left a huge hole in the middle of the field; however Pardew was quick to address this with the £6million addition of Cabaye. The Frenchman and Check Tiote work beautifully together and despite both suffering little knocks this season, they both are instrumental in any Newcastle success. The duo's passing success rate is the highest in the club, with Cabaye (up to the 9th December) averaging a brilliant 80%. Danny Guthrie has come in to replace Tiote frequently this season when the Ivorian has been injured, and with the Ivory Coast international off to the African Cup of Nations, the former Liverpool man will have to step up to the plate to replace the hugely popular Tiote.


If my pre-season expectations of Newcastle were wrong, then my prediction that Ba would flop in English football were incredibly wide of the mark. When the Senegalese international first joined West Ham, before he played a game I had written him off as another poor Hammers foreign import; however seven goals in just twelve Premier League matches for a relegated side proved he could cut it in the Barclays Premier League. If his first six months in English football were good, then his second were fantastic. 15 goals in just 19 games means only Robin Van Persie is above him in the Premier League goal scorers list and with two hat-tricks to boot, Ba has been the bargain of the season. Ba has not only showing an eye for a goal, but his movement and ability to find space in the box is up there with the best in the league. As you will see in the video below, Ba always manages to pull clear of the last defender in the penalty area, giving himself space to get a tap-in. The boy doesn't only score tap-ins; he is fantastic in the air; has a great first touch and can score a set-piece. With Ba now off to the African Cup of Nations, Newcastle face a tough few fixtures ahead of them as for me Best and Ameobi aren't in his league. With rumours circulating about a possible release clause in his contract, it wouldn't surprise me to see a really big side take a punt on the injury-prone forward as after seeing him, I believe he has everything a top class striker needs.

The gaffer Alan Pardew deserves a lot of credit too. The former West Ham manager was unfairly sacked in his last three managerial jobs and his last stint in English football was in League One with Southampton, so he wasn't the fans number one choice to replace the popular Chris Hughton during last season; however he has proved many people wrong, including myself. From the outside looking in Pardew appears to have great man management ability and despite Hatem Ben Arfa's recent comments about the long ball football at Newcastle, for me they have played some attractive stuff this season, only using the long ball when appropriate or a set tactic, with the Manchester United game a perfect example of this. Pardew has had a relatively small budget available to him, despite the massive income of transfer fee's from the recent sale of big players, but the big two additions in Cabaye and the injury prone risky move of Ba have proved fantastic deals. At this stage of the season there are four managers who are up for the manager of the year award: Paul Lambert at Norwich; Brendan Rodgers at Swansea; Harry Redknapp at Tottenham and Pardew, and for me Pardew gets it everytime.

The real question is can Newcastle maintain their brilliant start and I believe they can! If they can get through a difficult January, due to the African Cup of Nations taking Ba and Tiote away for a month and possibly add players then I honestly don't see why they can't finish seventh, which when you consider those who are above them and what they've spend and the squad depth available to them, then it would be an incredible achievement.