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English Premier League Preview – Weeks 19 & 20

December 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

With the holiday season upon us Premier League matches are coming thick and fast. In this English Premier League preview we look at the next 2 match days, giving our tips and best bets for all of the action. Let us know in the comments section if you agree or disagree with our tips, or if you have any special bets that you think we need to know about.

English Premier League Preview 2011/12 - Week 19

We start this weeks English Premier League preview at Anfield with Newcastle United travelling to Merseyside to take on a Liverpool side that has had a bad run of results recently. A 1-1 draw with Blackburn at the weekend followed a scoreless draw with Wigan prior to that, this has seen them drop to 6th on the ladder behind Arsenal.

Newcastle have dropped to seventh on the table after being as high as 3rd just over a month ago. They finally got their season back on track with a 2-0 win over Bolton last time out and will be looking to build on that.

Liverpool will be without Luis Suarez for an additional 1 match after he was banned for his middle finger salute against Fulham a few weeks ago, this in addition to his 8 match ban for alleged racist comments to Patrice Evra.

Despite this I think Liverpool will still have too much for a Newcastle side that has lost their edge recently, It will be tight and I can’t see anymore than 1 or 2 goals in this one.

We continue our English Premier League preview into new years eve with a run of 7 matches to take us into the New Year.

First up Manchester United take on Blackburn Rovers at Old Trafford looking to take the lead over Manchester City, they don’t play until the following day.

United have been on fire over the last few weeks, a 5-0 win over Fulham last week culminated in a 5-0 win over Wigan just a few days ago. They have finally found their scoring boots and it just highlights that Sir Alex Ferguson is a genius when it comes to having his side peak at the right time. The holiday period is notorious for all the big sides dropping points and United have steamrolled their way through this period so far.

Blackburn still sit at the bottom of the table despite their point against Liverpool last start, and the odds are against them avoiding relegation with the side bottom of the English Premier League at Christmas 6 times out of the last 7 being relegated. West Brom in 2004/05 were the last side to avoid the drop despite being bottom at Christmas. Every side after this has ended up bottom of the table come the end of the season.

I can honestly see another 5 goals from Manchester United here. Blackburn put up a fight against an out of form Liverpool side, I don’t think they’ll provide the same resistance here at Old Trafford.

Next up Arsenal host QPR in a match that could see the English Premier League calendar goals record fall. Robin van Persie needs 2 goals to equal the record set by Alan Shearer, and a hat-trick would see the record tumble. Against a QPR side who are notoriously bad travellers this is not over by any stretch of the imagination.

English Premier League Preview - Robin van Persie - Arsenal v QPR
Courtesy of goal.com

Arsenal were far from their best against Wolves a few days ago and will want to make amends for that against their home fans. Arsenal weren’t poor, they just struggled to find the back of the net against a Wolves side that barely put together an attack all game. Arsenal fans have been buoyed by the news this week that Thierry Henry may be returning to the club for a 2 month loan spell while he is on holidays from the MLS. He still has something special and a clinical striker such as Henry may be just what the doctor ordered.

I can’t see QPR getting close to Arsenal in this one, that match against Wolves should serve as a wake-up call and Arsene Wenger will have his team primed for this one.

Next up in our English Premier League preview, we have a bottom of the table clash with Bolton taking on Wolves at the Reebok Stadium. Wolves earned a solid draw against Arsenal during the week while Bolton went down 2-0 to Newcastle at the Reebok. Bolton and Wolves sit 19th and 17th on the ladder respectively and this could be one of those matches that produces some great entertainment despite the position of both sides.

I can see a Wolves win here, Bolton have been absolutely atrocious at home all season with just 1 win and 8 losses from their 9 games. I can’t see them turning that around for this one.

Chelsea host Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge in the next match of our English Premier League Preview. Chelsea could only manage a 1-1 draw with Fulham earlier in the week and Andre Villas-Boas will not be happy with this at all. There are reports that the Chelsea boss may be handed a £150m war chest for the January transfer window, how this will get past the FFP rules I don’t know. The Chelsea players will have one last chance to show the boss that they deserve a place in the team.

Aston Villa couldn’t break the deadlock against Stoke earlier in the week and they currently sit in 12th place on the table halfway through the season. Away from home they have been shocking though so I can’t go past a heavy Chelsea win in this one.

Norwich host Fulham next at Carrow Road. Fulham battled to a 1-1 draw with Chelsea earlier in the week while Norwich went down 2-0 to a Gareth Bale brace in their match against Tottenham. Norwich have been quite good at home this season while Fulham haven’t been too crash hot away from home, for that reason I’ll run with a Norwich win here at home.

Still on New Years eve and next up in our Premier League Preview we have Stoke City hosting Wigan at the Britannia Stadium. Stoke couldn’t manage to put any goals past Aston Villa in a 0-0 stalemate earlier in the week, while Wigan were thumped 5-0 by Manchester United at Old Trafford. Surprisingly Wigan have actually won more games away from home this season, Stoke have been quite solid at home though so I can’t see anything other than a Stoke win in this one.

The last of the New Years Eve games in our English Premier League Preview sees Tottenham travel to Swansea following their 2-o win over Norwich earlier in the week. Swansea could only manage a 1-1 draw against QPR at home which saw them remain steady on the table in 14th place. Tottenham have had a fantastic season so far but I feel that they will eventually crumble and normal order will return to the top of the EPL table, I think we’ll see a draw here in this one.

On New Years day we have two matches to cover off on in our Premier League preview, first up is West Brom v Everton at the Hawthorns. Both sides are coming off draws earlier in the week, but most notably West Brom managed to keep Manchester City scoreless which is no mean feat. Everton had a 1-1 draw away from home against Sunderland. West Brom are currently in 9th place on the table, they’ve never finished on the top half so this would be a fantastic result for them. A win against a team also playing for a spot up there couldn’t hurt their chances either. I think this one will end up in a draw though to be honest.

Last up in our English Premier League Preview we have Manchester City looking to restore order at the top of the table as they take on Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Earlier in the week they were kept scoreless and Roberto Mancini will not have been happy with that. No doubt the owners will now have sanctioned £200m or so to buy a striker who can actually put the ball in the back of the net. Seriously though, it seems buying players is a quick fix for the new giants of Manchester, I for one would love to see them fail again this season! It won’t happen here though, they should be able to account for Sunderland.

So there you have it, let us know in the comments section any tips you have, or bets that you think are certainties!

English Premier League Preview 2011/12 - Week 19

sportsbanter.com.au Tips:

English Premier League Preview – Week 19

Liverpool v Newcastle – #lfcvnufc – Liverpool
Man Utd v Blackburn – #mufcvbrfc – Man Utd
Arsenal v QPR – #afcvqpr – Arsenal
Bolton v Wolverhampton – #bwfcvwolves – Wolves
Chelsea v Aston Villa – #cfcvavfc – Chelsea
Norwich v Fulham – #ncfcvffc – Norwich
Stoke v Wigan – #stokevwigan – Stoke
Swansea v Tottenham – #scfcvthfc – Draw
West Brom v Everton – #wbavefc – Draw
Sunderland v Man City – #sfcvmcfc – Man City

English Premier League Preview – Week 20
Aston Villa v Swansea – #avfcvscfc – Draw
Blackburn v Stoke – #brfcvstoke – Stoke
QPR v Norwich – #qprvncfc – Draw
Wolverhampton v Chelsea – #wolvesvcfc – Chelsea
Fulham v Arsenal – #ffcvafc – Arsenal
Tottenham v West Brom – #thfcvwba – Tottenham
Wigan v Sunderland – #wiganvsfc – Draw
Man City v Liverpool – #mcfcvlfc – Draw
Everton v Bolton – #Efcvbwfc – Everton
Newcastle v Man Utd – #nufcvmufc – Draw

English Premier League Preview – Banter’s Best Bets:

Liverpool v Newcastle – Total Game Score Under +2.5 @ $1.95
Man Utd v Blackburn – Total Game Score Over +2.5 @ $1.40
Arsenal v QPR – Total Game Score Over +2.5 @ $1.56
Bolton v Wolverhampton – Wolves +0.5 @ $1.65
Chelsea v Aston Villa – Chelsea @ $1.28
Norwich v Fulham – Norwich +0.5 @ $1.44
Stoke v Wigan – Stoke @ $1.68
Swansea v Tottenham – Swansea +0.5 @ $2.15
West Brom v Everton – Total Game Score Under +2.5 @ $1.74
Sunderland v Man City – Man City @ $1.50

 

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A-League Preview – Week 13 – 2011/12 – Bumper Holiday Special

December 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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Week 13 of the A-League is upon us and this A-League preview will run you through both the new years fixtures for each club. A bumper holiday special of our A-League preview for the festive season!

We start off week 13 of the A-League tonight with Sydney FC hosting Melbourne Heart from the Sydney Football Stadium after a 2-2 draw with Adelaide United last week. Melbourne Heart have climbed up to second on the ladder after their 3-2 win over local rivals Melbourne Victory and are looking the real deal.

A-League Preview - Week 13 - Sydney FC v Melbourne Heart
Courtesy of tatts.com

The last time these two sides met Sydney FC managed to scrape a last minute goal to tie the game at 1-1, a result they probably didn’t deserve. Melbourne Heart will think the same and will want to make amends for that tonight.

I think Sydney FC at home will be a more difficult proposition though, despite the Heart being in such good form. Sydney FC should get the points but it will be a close game.

Tomorrow night sees Adelaide United taking on Wellington Phoenix from Hindmarsh Stadium. Adelaide got themselves a point against Sydney FC last week but it wasn’t enough to stop them sliding to last spot on the ladder. Gold Coast United winning against the Roar means Adelaide go into the match in last spot for the second time this season. The first was early on when they were on a shocking run which started with the 7-1 hammering by the Roar.

A-League Preview - Week 13 - Adelaide United v Perth Glory
Courtesy of adelaidenow.com.au

The Phoenix dished out a hammering to the Newcastle Jets last weekend to lift themselves up to 5th on the table and get their season back on track. They have been on a win-loss-win run for the last 5 weeks and will want to make this 2 wins in a row for the first time this season.

I have a feeling that Wellington may need to settle for a draw in this one, I can’t see them getting that second win in succession but at the same time I can’t see Adelaide winning this one either.

The Jets are up next, on New Years Eve, and they will want to make amends for that 5-2 hammering at the hands of Wellington this week in front of their home fans. They take on Perth Glory who are coming off a 3-1 loss to the Mariners last weekend.

Last time these two sides met the Jets got the points in a 2-0 victory at AusGrid Stadium, they will be hoping for the same result here. The Jets have dropped down to 8th on the ladder and are only 2 points off the bottom, should they fail to get a result here they could find themselves at the bottom come the new year.

I have a feeling that this will be the week that the Jets finally get their act together after 3 losses in a row. They should be able to get the job done at home.

Our A-League Preview continues with the Central Coast Mariners taking on giant killers Gold Coast United from Bluetongue Stadium on New Years Eve. Last week both sides got all 3 points, Central Coast over Perth Glory 3-1 and Gold Coast United over the Roar 1-0, the goal coming in the last 3 minutes of the game.

These 2 sides last met in round 2 where Gold Coast managed to scrape a 1-1 all draw at Bluetongue Stadium, they’ll be hoping for at least that again with the Mariners on a remarkable run of form. They currently sit 5 points clear of second spot on the ladder after a run of 8 wins in their last 9 games, the other being a draw with the Victory.

I can’t see any result other than a Mariners victory here despite last weeks heroics from United, the Mariners aren’t top of the table for no reason.

Last up for our A-League Preview, on New Years Eve we have an absolute belter of a match, with the Roar taking on Melbourne Victory at Suncorp Stadium. What a way to end the calendar year, if their last match is anything to go by. That one ended up in a 2-2 draw after the Victory had been reduced to 9 men in an action packed match at Etihad Stadium.

We can only hope that we get a similar amount of action in this one as the Roar look to try and snap a 5 game losing streak that followed their record breaking 36 match unbeaten run. Melbourne Victory have just started to find their goal scoring boots but they succumbed to a 3-2 defeat at the hands of their neighbours Melbourne Heart at the weekend.

This should be a beauty, and I for one couldn’t think of a better match to end what has been a great 2011 for the A-League. I have a feeling the Roar will end the year with 6 straight losses though, they started it on an unbeaten streak, how quickly things change!

For part 2 of week 13 we have provided our tips below, we’ll provide a more in depth A-League Preview closer to game day including our best bets and team news.

From all of us at Sports Banter, have a great New Years Eve and we’ll see you back here in 2012!

Twitter hashtags - Week 13 A -League Preview - 2011/12

sportsbanter.com.au Tips:

Sydney FC v Melbourne Heart – #HALsydmh – Sydney FC
Adelaide Utd v Wellington Phoenix – #HALaduwp – Draw
Newcastle Jets v Perth Glory – #HALjetspg – Jets
CC Mariners v Gold Coast Utd – #HALccmgcu – Mariners
Brisbane Roar v Melbourne Victory – #HALbrimv – Victory

Wellington Phoenix v Sydney FC – #HALwpsyd – Draw
Melbourne Heart v Adelaide Utd – #HALmhadu – Heart
Newcastle Jets v Gold Coast Utd – #HALjetsgcu – Jets
Perth Glory v Brisbane Roar – #HALpgbri – Roar
CC Mariners v Melbourne Victory – #HALccmmv – Draw

Banter’s Best Bets

Sydney FC v Melbourne Heart – Total Game Score Under +2.5 @ $1.90
Adelaide Utd v Wellington Phoenix – Wellington +0.5 @ $1.68
Newcastle Jets v Perth Glory – Jets +0.5 @ $1.28
CC Mariners v Gold Coast Utd – Mariners @ $1.60
Brisbane Roar v Melbourne Victory – Total Game Score Over +2.5 @ $1.80

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Vodafone Test Series – Decision Review System (DRS) Needs to be Embraced!

December 28, 2011 By 2 Comments

The Vodafone Test Series between Australia and India is but a couple of days old and already there has been controversy regarding India’s decision not to embrace the Decision Review System (DRS).

On day one of the first test Australia got off to a flying start after weathering some quality Indian bowling. However, only to be let down by two decisions which could go a long way in deciding the result. Not only for this test but possibly the series.

Australia were looking solid on the first day at 4-205. They had just lost Michael Clarke but had Cowan and Hussey at the crease and were just about to unleash on an older ball before the umpires took that away from them.

First, Mike Hussey was adjudged to have hit a Zaheer Khan delivery and sent on his way. Replays showed there was no contact and he should not have been walking back to the sheds. Had the Decision Review System been in place for this series, Hussey would have questioned the decision and Australia would have continued with the loss of just 3 wickets.

Mike Hussey - Decision Review System - Australia v India
Courtesy of the Courier Mail

Another duck for Hussey but this one extremely unlucky. It shows that umpire decisions don’t just have an effect on results, they can also end or prolong careers. Should Hussey fail in the second innings that could spell the end of his career and give another chance to someone like Usman Khawaja.

Not long after Hussey’s dismissal, the omission of the Decision Review System was called into question once again. Ed Cowan was adjudged to have nicked an Ashwin delivery behind to Dhoni to leave Australia 6 down.

Replays once again showed that the ball was not touched and an Australian was harshly given out. All due to a decision by the BCCI not to embrace technology that has proven to improve decision making in International Cricket.

The fact that the tourists are allowed to pick and choose which technology they embrace is an absolute embarrassment for our game. It came to light yesterday that India have allowed umpire reviews which enabled Rahul Dravid to escape losing his wicket to a Peter Siddle delivery.

Dravid was bowled but the umpires received a call from above telling them Siddle had overstepped the line. This allowed Dravid to remain at the crease and end the day not out on 68.

It really makes no sense that the Indians are allowing some technology but have decided against the Decision Review System. The double standard really is baffling and I fear that this could come back to haunt Australia in the four test series. Ed Cowan has already been robbed of a possible debut century. Mike Hussey could have played his last test for Australia following his unfortunate dismissal.

The Decision Review System was implemented for a reason. The sooner the Indian’s get with the times, the quicker the sport can move out of the dark ages and we can avoid this sort of controversy.

Let us know your thoughts on this in the comments section. Do you agree that the Decision Review System needs to be implemented in all Test Matches or are India right in deciding not to embrace the technology?

Sportingbet Australia

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Steve’s Sports Bet of the Week – Holiday Special 2011

December 26, 2011 By 2 Comments

With the Holiday season upon us, it’s very hard to put a decent sports bet together due to most of the European football leagues going into a winter hiatus. We thought a bit of Christmas cheer was in order so we tried our best to find some good value for this weeks sports bet.

We’ve managed to search out some of the best bets across a variety of the leagues that are in action though and have come up with an 8 leg sports bet with odds of $42.51/1. Not too bad considering what was on offer. In addition to our usual sports bet, I thought I would go one step further this week. So I put together a bumper Barclays Premier League sports bet to try and bring us a bit more Christmas cheer!

Our Christmas EPL sports bet is paying $91.88/1 so it’s good value and we haven’t really taken too many risks in this one either, unlike last week where we topped it up with a draw, although that leg did get up we figured we’d play it a bit safer this week.

With most of the big guns playing at home against weaker opposition we figured that the over 2.5 option would be the basis for our EPL sports bet this week, with the remainder of the legs split between unders and outright wins or handicaps to give us a bit more value in the multi

Anyway, hope everyone had a great Christmas and good luck with this weeks multibet!

Traditional Weekly Football Sports Bet!

Sportingbet Sports Bet of the Week - Holiday Special 2011

Barclays Premier League Sports Bet!

Barclays Premier League Sports Bet- Christmas Special

Join Sportingbet Australia

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Luis Suarez, John Terry…..Kick Racism Out of Football!

December 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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What a couple of days it has been for the EPL, plenty of goals to whet our appetite for the festive season, however the quality of the matches has been overshadowed by the racism controversies surrounding two of the EPL’s best players.

A couple of days ago Luis Suarez was banned for 8 matches for alleged racial abuse against Patrice Evra during the Manchester United v Liverpool clash over 2 months ago. If this wasn’t bad enough, news filtered through yesterday that John Terry also has a case to answer in regards to the racial comments he allegedly made to Anton Ferdinand in Chelsea’s match against QPR just a week after the Suarez incident.

The difference between the two as it stands is that the FA have no evidence that Luis Suarez made any comments to Patrice Evra, the FA admitted as much yesterday. While in John Terry’s case there was enough evidence to suggest something occurred as England’s Crown Prosecution Service has authorised criminal charges to be laid against Terry.

Racial abuse in Football is something that will never be condoned, I just don’t know whether the FA are digging themselves a hole here by banning a Uruguayan for 8 matches and fining him £40,000 based on no evidence, while the Englishman who has been criminally charged has yet to be punished. The most John Terry could be fined if he is found guilty in the courts is £2,500 and this would obviously not carry a ban from any number of matches.

Kick Racism Out of Football - Luis Suarez, John Terry

The John Terry matter won’t be seen in the courts until February at the earliest and any decision may not come from this until April/May of 2012. Meaning John Terry would be free to play out the remainder of the 2011/12 EPL season with no consequences while Luis Suarez sits out the busiest time of the year.

Should John Terry be found guilty of racial abuse it will be interesting to see whether the FA takes any further action against him on top of the punishment dished out by the courts, or whether they try and justify no action against Terry stating that the decision of the courts is punishment enough.

That would be a cop out and would mean that Liverpool would be without their best striker over the busy holiday period, while Chelsea keep their best defender for much of the Premier League season despite evidence suggesting that Terry actually has a case to answer while Suarez was banned for 8 matches based on no evidence.

The FA need to take action against Terry now if they want to avoid another racial controversy, this time it would be the FA’s favouritism of an Englishman over a Uruguayan!

Let us know your thoughts on this issue in the comments section!

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10 Worst Sporting Moments of 2011

December 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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As promised, here is our view of the worst sporting moments of 2011. There were plenty of scandals, disgraceful acts, poor team and individual performances and even a failed TV attempt in 2011. We sifted through the wreckage and picked our top 10 worst sporting moments of 2011, enjoy!

10. Shane Warne’s Failed Attempt at his own Talk Show

Shane Warne is unanimously known as the greatest bowler Australia has ever seen, he has taken 708 test wickets and over 1,000 international wickets but his career also included plenty of scandal which detracted away from his performances on the pitch. The latest of Warnie’s failures was his attempt at a self titled talk show during the summer of Cricket.

Warnie failed TV attempt - Worst Sporting Moments of 2011
Courtesy of dailytelegraph.com.au

After many weeks of hype and countless advertisements of the show, the ratings nosedived and it only lasted 5 weeks before it was pulled from our screens never to be seen again. I think Warnie needs to stick to commentary and the occasional playing comeback!

9. Simon Katich Axed from the Australian Cricket Team

Simon Katich was unceremoniously dumped from the Australian Test Cricket side after a few poor performances, fair enough, but the fact that he was also not included in the list of 25 players contracted to Cricket Australia was an absolute disgrace. We’ve covered the interview he gave in June here http://sportsbanter.com.au/the-simon-katich-press-conference-brilliant/ and what a press conference that was.

Simon Katich laying into Australian selectors - Worst Sporting Moments of 2011
Courtesy of skysports.com

Katich rightfully had a go at the selectors in regards to their ridiculous decision and it was great entertainment, he should never have been dropped from the test squad let alone the 25 man list of contracted players. A disgraceful decision and Australia have been paying for it ever since!

8. Ricky Nixon and the St Kilda School Girl Scandal

It all started out seemingly like a schoolgirl who had been embarrassed by a bunch of footballers and wanted to get her own back by releasing pictures that she had of some of those said players, however it soon turned more scandalous. It was revealed that Ricky Nixon, a player agent, had had an affair with the schoolgirl and when this became public the media could not get enough of it.

St Kilda - Ricky Nixon - Scandal - Worst Sporting Moments of 2011
Courtesy of the Herald Sun

While the truth eventually came out, the girl admitted on National television that everything she had said was a lie, it didn’t take away any of the embarrassment that was left at the St Kilda Football Club or Ricky Nixon himself.

7. Quade Cooper’s Poor 2011 Rugby World Cup Performances

Quade Cooper was supposed to be the next big thing in Australian Sport, a fantastic Rugby player who was being coveted by a host of Rugby League clubs to switch codes with some staggeringly large offers rumoured to have been offered. After his shocking Rugby World Cup performances most of those offers were off the table and Quade was left with slim pickings in terms of clubs to choose from.

Quade Cooper poor 2011 Rugby World Cup - Worst Sporting Moments of 2011
Courtesy of foxsports.com.au

Things went from bad to worse for Quade as he ended up injuring his knee in the 3rd place play-off match against Wales. The injury is expected to keep him out of action for another few months and he may miss the start of the 2012 Super Rugby competition as a result.

6. Pakistan Cricketers Disgraceful Match Fixing – Bans and Subsequent Jailings

In February this year, the deliberate no-ball allegations against 3 of Pakistan’s star cricketers resulted in 5 year bans for all three players being dished out, soft if you ask me. Criminal proceedings were launched against all three players and in November this year all three players were found guilty and were sentenced to prison time. Salman Butt received 30 months, Mohammed Asif 12 months and youngster Mohammed Amir 6 months.

Pakistan Cricketers Jailed 2011 - Worst Sporting Moments of 2011
Courtesy of the Daily Mail

The fact that the players only received 5 year bans is disgraceful in my book, especially in the case of Amir who would still only be 24 after his ban expires. All of these players should have been given life bans for bringing the game into disrepute!

5. Australia’s Capitulation at the Wanderers – All Out for 47!

Australian Cricket reached a new low in November when they were embarrassingly bowled out for 47 against South Africa in the First Test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. At one point Australia were 9-21 and it was left up to tail-enders Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon to ensure that Australia were not bowled out for the lowest score in test cricket history, the 26 scored by New Zealand in 1955.

South Africa v Australia - All out for 47 - Worst Sporting Moments of 2011
Courtesy of abc.net.au

One thing that the embarrassing result highlighted was that Australia is indeed in a rebuilding phase at the moment, something that really should have been done prior to the exodus of 2006-2008 when we lost Warne, McGrath, Hayden, Langer, Gilchrist and a host of other experienced players all in a short period.

4. Qatar Being Handed the 2022 World Cup by FIFA

One of the most disgraceful decisions of 2011 was FIFA awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. The only reason Qatar was chosen was money, and there are still investigations underway in relation to potential bribery allegations against the Qatari administration. Some say this decision was a result of Sepp Blatter wanting to leave a legacy seeing as he won’t be FIFA President forever, but I can only see one reason for this decision….$$$.

Qatar World Cup 2022 - Worst Sporting Moments of 2011
Courtesy of the Guardian

The fact that Qatar has no infrastructure, 50 Degree Celcius heat and is considered to be an unsafe place for players and fans alike, should have been enough for FIFA to overlook them, however obviously money overruled common sense on this occasion. It will be interesting to see what comes of the bribery allegations and whether Qatar is ultimately stripped of the hosting rights to the World Cup.

3. New South Wales Blues Losing Six Straight State of Origin Series

As promised, this one makes both lists. As a proud New South Welshman I was devastated when we lost the series earlier this year. It was inevitable with the imminent retirement of Darren Lockyer but that didn’t help soften the blow one bit. NSW have been going through somewhat of a rebuilding period and with Ricky Stuart back in the fold the passion returned and NSW really look to be heading in the right direction.

NSW 2011 Origin Series Loss - Worst Sporting Moments of 2011
Courtesy of the Daily Telgraph

Queenslanders have shown throughout the last 6 years that they are arrogant and have short memories. Just six years ago Mal Meninga was on the verge of being sacked and the State of Queensland was over Origin football. Turn the clock forward 6 years and Queenslanders have the nerve to accuse New South Welshman of being sore losers, the difference is that we haven’t given up on our team and will be there supporting them again in 2012!

2. Australia Fails to Win Back the Ashes on Home Soil

In January this year, Australia suffered their most embarrassing series defeat since I have followed Cricket, over 20 years, by losing to England in the Ashes on home soil. In the end Australia lost the series 3-1, that’s bad enough but what makes it even harder to take is that all 3 of those defeats were by an innings. We were absolutely carved up and none of our bowlers came away from that series with any credibility.

England celebrate winning ashes 2011 - Worst Sporting Moments of 2011
Courtesy of totalsportsmadness.com

It was that defeat at the hands of England that got the ball rolling on the rebuilding of Australian Cricket. First the selectors were dumped, Ricky Ponting was replaced by Michael Clarke, a new generation of young stars were uncovered and hopefully by 2013 we will be ready to take back the Urn that rightfully belongs in Australia!

1. Manly Win the 2011 NRL Premiership…. Then Self Implode!

Is there anybody out there, apart from Manly fans, that actually wanted this mob to win this years NRL Premiership? I didn’t think so. The Manly Sea Eagles are the team that everybody loves to hate, and moreso when they are actually winning things. It all started back in the 80′s when there was no salary cap and the Silvertails bought there way to several premierships. People haven’t forgotten that, me included, and when they won this years Premiership I thought here we go again.

Manly Win 2011 NRL Premiership - Worst Sporting Moments of 2011
Courtesy of the Daily Telegraph

Just as I was dreading another Sea Eagles dynasty, the board decides to self implode and the club falls to pieces. Out goes Premiership winning coach Des Hasler to the Bulldogs, and a host of players not happy with the decision considering their own futures. Only the Sea Eagles could manage to turn a Premiership win into post season controversy, couldn’t happen to a nicer club!

So there you have it, our take on the Worst Sporting Moments of 2011. Let us know if you agree or disagree with our selections in the comments section, and be sure to let us know what you think should be in the list.

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Hyundai A-League 2011/12 – Week 12 Preview

December 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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Week 12 of the A-League gets started early due to Christmas this weekend with Sydney FC hosting Adelaide United at the Sydney Football Stadium tomorrow night. We preview all of the matches for this week and stay tuned at the end for our tips and best bets for week 12.

So first up we have Sydney FC looking to make it 2 in a row after their 2-1 victory over the Jets on Saturday night, while Adelaide were absolutely smashed against Gold Coast at home on Friday night. Adelaide United are really having a shocker this year, especially at home, and it really makes a mockery of the system that determines which teams qualify for the Asian Champions League.

Adelaide have conceded 7 goals in their last 2 home games and are lucky that Gold Coast United have been equally poor this year, saving them from bottom spot on the ladder. Sydney had goals from Bruno Cazarine and Juho Makela to thank for the win, cancelling out Jeremy Brockie’s volley from the first half.

Sydney FC v Adelaide United - Hyundai A-League Week 12 Preview
Courtesy of abc.net.au

Much has been written this week about Sydney’s ability to come from behind and win games and it’s been revealed that Sydney FC have been using GPS technology to get a jump on their competitors. This explains their ability to keep peak fitness late in games and no doubt other teams will start looking at employing this sort of analysis if they aren’t already.

I think Sydney will have far too much for an Adelaide United side clearly out of form, there shouldn’t be any need to come from behind for Sydney in this one.

Friday night sees 3 matches for the first time I can remember, with no matches planned for Saturday and Sunday due to wanting to give the players a chance to be with family etc. over the Christmas period, this left a bit of a hole in the scheduling with Friday night seen as the best option.

With Wellington and Perth in the competition the opportunity to stagger the match times was present so we’ll see a triple header on Fox Sports from 5.30pm.

Wellington Phoenix are first up at 7.30pm local time, 5.30pm our time, as they host Newcastle from Westpac Stadium. Last week they went down 3-1 to the Victory at AAMI Park. Another drama filled day in Melbourne saw the Victory skip out to a 3-0 lead within 25 minutes and they continued to look threatening for the rest of the match. There was the customary send-off and the Phoenix got a late consolation goal but they were thoroughly outplayed for the entire match.

Newcastle Jets took the lead against Sydney FC but couldn’t hold on eventually going down 2-1 and dropping to 7th on the table in the process. They will want to bounce back against Wellington this week but their away form hasn’t been great and they’ll really need to step it up if they want to get anything out of this match. They have a record of 1 draw and 4 losses from 5 games away from home and I can’t see them getting off the mark in this one. Wellington for the 3 points I feel.

Next up on Friday night we see the Melbourne derby between the Heart and the Victory from AAMI Park. I have feeling there will be plenty of entertainment in this one if recent events at AAMI Park are anything to go by. Last time these two sides met they played out a 0-0 draw but it was far from boring, I’m not actually sure how it remained 0-0 to be honest.

Both clubs had good solid wins last week and seem to have finally found their goal scoring boots so I think we’ll see a cracking match here. There have already been over 20,000 tickets sold for this one which shows the strength of the A-League in Melbourne and I can’t wait for this one to kick off.

Melbourne Heart v Melbourne Victory - Hyundai A-League Week 12 Preview
Courtesy of foxsports.com.au

There’s nothing better than a clash between local rivals, they’re usually fiery and provide plenty of talking points, I can’t see this one being any different. The main worry for the Victory this week is the injury to Archie Thompson, and the fact that they will be without Billy Celeski after he was sent off late last week. I have a feeling that will even out the sides and this will be a high scoring draw, I’m going for 2-2.

Last up on Friday night we have Perth Glory hosting the Central Coast Mariners at nib Stadium in Perth. Both sides were on the opposite side of 2-1 scorelines with the Mariners handing the Roar their 4th straight loss, while the Glory went down to the Heart at home.

Last time these two sides met the Mariners got the points with the same scoreline, 2-1, at Bluetongue Stadium. Perth have lost 6 of their last 8 games and the only reason they aren’t on the bottom of the table is because they started the season in blistering fashion with wins in their first 3 games.

I can’t see anything other than a Mariners victory on Friday night to be honest, their lead will extend to 6 points before the Roar play on Monday.

Speaking of the Roar, the last match of week 12 sees them travel slightly south to the Gold Coast to take on a Gold Coast United side that has been rooted to the bottom of the table for as long as I can remember. Brisbane are on a bad run of form though, losing 3 in a row following their record breaking 36 match unbeaten streak.

The Roar will be as hungry as ever and will want to get back to the top of the table so I can see them going all out for the win here, I feel sorry for the Gold Coast as I think they are going to be subjected to a bit of a hammering from a side that is hurting after their streak was ended and culminated in those 3 defeats. They’ll get their season back on track here despite Thomas Broich looking like he may miss this match with that injury which has seen him miss all of the Roar’s defeats.

Twitter hashtags Barclays Premier Leaguesportsbanter.com.au Tips:
Sydney FC v Adelaide United – #HALsydau – Sydney FC
Wellington Phoenix v Newcastle Jets – #HALwpjets – Phoenix
Melbourne Heart v Melbourne Victory – #HALmhmv – Draw
Perth Glory v CC Mariners – #HALpgccm – Mariners 
Gold Coast United v Brisbane Roar – #HALgcubri – Roar

Banter’s Best Bets:
Sydney FC v Adelaide United – Sydney @ $1.60
Wellington Phoenix v Newcastle Jets – Phoenix +0.5 @ $1.22
Melbourne Heart v Melbourne Victory – Draw @ $3.20
Perth Glory v CC Mariners – Mariners @ $2.15
Gold Coast United v Brisbane Roar – Roar +0.5 @ $1.33

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10 Best Sporting Moments of 2011

December 20, 2011 By 1 Comment
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What a year 2011 has been from a sporting perspective. With so many amazing triumphs this year, both individual and team based, here at Sports Banter we thought it was necessary to go through our top 10 sporting moments.

On the flip side, 2011 was also a year of sporting scandals, infamous matches and failed attempts at tv careers. We’ll get to that one tomorrow though. For now, here are our top 10 sporting moments of 2011, let us know if you agree or disagree with any of these in the comments section.

10. Manchester Clubs Knocked out of the UEFA Champions League

I had to include this one as this was one of my highlights of the year. Both clubs were earmarked to progress quite far in the competition and I don’t think I was the only one who enjoyed seeing both teams crash out early.

Manchester United exit the UEFA Champions League - Best sporting moments of 2011
Courtesy of the Telegraph.co.uk

As an Arsenal fan, it was made even more special by the fact that supporters of both clubs had been giving it to me over the 8-2 hammering (Man Utd) and the defection of two of our best players to Manchester City.

Manchester City exit the UEFA Champions League - Best sporting moments of 2011
Courtesy of The Guardian

It really couldn’t have happened to two classier clubs or supporters!

9. Queensland Reds Win the Super Rugby competition for 2011.

2011 was a great year for Australia in the Super Rugby tournament with the Queensland Reds taking out the title defeating the always strong Crusaders in the final 18-13.

Queensland Reds Super Rugby Final Champions - Best sporting moments of 2011
Courtesy of the Daily Telegraph

Both areas, Queensland and Christchurch, had been devastated by floods and earthquakes respectively and you could tell it meant a lot to the players in what was an emotional send off to season 2011.

8. Kelly Slater’s 11th World Surfing Title

What more is there to say about this bloke, a true champion and despite being 39 he is still going strong, he did leave it until the last two minutes of his heat to take out the title but this just shows his character.

Kelly Slater 11th World Title - Best sporting moments of 2011
Courtesy of Salt Water Dreaming

There was controversy too as Slater was handed the title prematurely and had to wait another few days for the boffins to sort out the numbers before being officially crowned for his 11th Title.

7. Barcelona Win the 2011 UEFA Champions League Against Manchester United

It seems like I’m picking on Manchester United but I truly believe that Barcelona winning the Champions League, and in the fashion that they did, is a vindication for the beauttiful game and the way it should be played. As an Arsenal fan I’m no fan of either side, in fact I probably hate Barcelona more than United due to the amount of tapping up they did to lure Cesc Fabregas back to Barcelona.

Barcelona 2011 UEFA Champions League Winners - Best sporting moments of 2011
Courtesy of Sport360

However, the way that Barcelona plays the game on the pitch is something to behold and it would have been a travesty had United got the better of them with their boring style of football.

6. Six Series Wins in a Row for the Queensland State of Origin Team

This would have been higher up my list if I was not a proud New South Welshman, and the fact that Queensland probably had 4 future immortals making up the spine of the side in Billy Slater, Darren Lockyer, Jonathan Thurston and Cameron Smith. Still a mean feat to go 6 series wins in a row in this day and age so it definitely warranted a spot in my top 10.

Queensland State of Origin - Six Straight - Best Sporting moments of 2011
Courtesy of the Courier Mail

You may see this pop up again in the worst sporting moments of 2011 though, it may even rate higher in that list!

5. Black Caviar – 16 Straight Wins

Wow, what more can I say about this magnificent creature, many already consider Black Caviar to be the best sprinter in the world and I would not disagree with that. Pharlap had 14 straight wins, so I think you can see why there is so much hype about this horse!

Black Caviar 16 Straight Wins - Best sporting moments of 2011
Courtesy of foxsports.com.au

We now have to wait until the end of January to see her in action again when she takes part in the Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley. There are also plans to test her out on the International stage, with a run at Royal Ascot planned for mid 2012.

4. Brisbane Roar – 36 Match Unbeaten Streak in the Hyundai A-League

The Brisbane Roar made Australian sporting history just a few weeks ago when they passed the total of 35 matches unbeaten set by the Eastern Suburbs Rugby League club, now known as the Roosters, on their way to 36 matches unbeaten in the A-League. The Roar’s run was ended in early December by Sydney FC at Kogarah in atrocious conditions.

Brisbane Roar 36 matches unbeaten A-League - Best sporting moments of 2011
Courtesy of foxsports.com.au

As is usually the case with these sorts of records, once they end the team tends to go on a bit of a downward spiral and it seems that the Brisbane Roar have been affected, with 4 losses in a row now since they broke that long standing record.

3. New Zealand All Blacks Winning the 2011 Rugby World Cup on Home Soil

Favourites right from the start of the competition, the New Zealand All Blacks got the job done albeit in a tight finish against Les Blues at Eden Park. Like the Crusaders before them, the All Blacks were doing it for a Country in mourning after the devastating earthquakes in February of this year.

New Zealand All Blacks win 2011 Rugby World Cup - Best sporting moments of 2011
Courtesy of the Mirror

The All Blacks had not won the Rugby World Cup since it’s inception in 1987, a 24 year gap between wins, and did it with Captain Richie McCaw playing on a bung foot for much of the tournament.

2. Novak Djokovic Going 43 Matches Unbeaten in the ATP

What a year for the Joker as he swept all before him, including Federer and Nadal. on his way to an unbelievable 43 match winning streak which only ended in June at the hands of Roger Federer in the French Open. Clay obviously isn’t his forte so it was no surprise that he was eventually undone on that surface.

Novak Djokovic 43 Unbeaten - Best sporting moments of 2011
Courtesy of tennis.si.com

I think it will be a while before we see that sort of winning streak again, an amazing achievement by the Joker and at his age he will be around for many years to come!

1. Cadel Evans – 2011 Tour de France Winner!

I think this easily rates as the best sporting moment of 2011. Cadel Evans finished runner-up in the Tour de France on two previous occasions, that alone would be enough to hang up the bike and call it a day. Not for Cadel though, at 34 years old, the fifth oldest winner in the Tours history, Cadel became the first Australian to win the event in it’s 108 year history.

Cadel Evans - 2011 Tour de France Winner - Best sporting moments of 2011
Courtesy of news.com.au

I personally can’t think of a better achievement in the sporting landscape that was 2011. To come back and win the Tour de France after numerous setbacks is an outstanding achievement. To think of all the setbacks that he has endured, being born with a broken nose, kicked in the head by a horse as an eight year old that put him in a coma for weeks, then to finish second in 2007 and 2008 by less than a minute…. Anyone else would have given up!

Let us know your thoughts on our 10 Best Sporting Moments of 2011 in the comments section, and be sure to check back tomorrow for our 10 Worst Sporting Moments of 2011.

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Barclays Premier League 2011/12 – Week 17 Preview

December 19, 2011 By 1 Comment
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Week 17 of the Barclays Premier League comes to us midweek with the league now hotting up for the festive season. Get used to it too as over the next few weeks we are treated to a smorgasboard of EPL action before we have a 10 day break in the middle of January.

Over the weekend we had some cracking matches, culminating in the match of the round between Manchester City and Arsenal this morning at the City of Manchester Stadium, and what a match it was. The scoreline may have only read 1-0 to Manchester City but that doesn’t tell the real story. Countless chances, unbelievable saves from both goalkeepers, a controversial disallowed goal for offside against Arsenal which would have levelled the scores, and an even more controversial penalty turned down by referee Phil Dowd for a blatant handball.

Manchester City v Arsenal - Premier League preview

Courtesy of the Telegraph.co.uk

Let’s just hope we get the same sort of action in this run of midweek games.

The matches kick off tomorrow morning our time and rather than a detailed preview like we’d normally produce, time restrictions have forced us to go with a shortened version of the preview for these midweek fixtures, I promise we’ll produce a bumper holiday version of our EPL preview for the weekends matches!

Of all the matches this week, probably the most crucial to the makeup of the top 4 is the Tottenham v Chelsea match on Thursday morning. Chelsea could only manage a 1-1 draw with Wigan over the weekend, while Tottenham had a narrow 1-0 win over Sunderland this morning. 

A win for Chelsea here would propel them back into third place ahead of their London neighbours.

All of the other top 4 contenders have relatively easy matches to contend with but this time of year has been known to throw up some surprises, so I wouldn’t bet against an upset or two over the course of the next few days.

Twitter hashtags Barclays Premier League

sportsbanter.com.au Tips:

Wolves v Norwich City – #wolvesvncfc – Draw
Blackburn  Bolton – #brfcvbwfc – Draw
Aston Villa v Arsenal – #avfcvafc – Arsenal
Man City v Stoke City – #mcfcvstoke – Man City
Newcastle v West Brom – #nufcvwba – Newcastle
Everton v Swansea – #efcvscfc – Everton
Fulham v Man Utd – #ffcvmufc – Man Utd
QPR v Sunderland – #qprvsfc – QPR
Wigan v Liverpool – #wiganvlfc – Liverpool
Tottenham v Chelsea – #thfcvcfc – Chelsea

Banter’s Best Bets:

Wolves v Norwich City – Draw @ $3.40
Blackburn v Bolton – Total Game Score Over +2.5 @ $1.70
Aston Villa v Arsenal – Arsenal @ $1.75
Man City v Stoke City – Total Game Score Over +2.5 @ $1.45
Newcastle v West Brom – Newcastle @ $1.90
Everton v Swansea – Total Game Score Under +2.5 @ $1.75
Fulham v Man Utd – Man Utd @ $1.65
QPR v Sunderland – Total Game Score Under +2.5 @ $1.75
Wigan v Liverpool – Total Game Score Over +1.5 @ $1.25
Tottenham v Chelsea – Total Game Score Under +3.5 @ $1.33


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English Premier League 2011/12 – Week 16 Preview

December 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Over the coming weeks we are going to be treated to a festive feast of football with the English Premier League going into overdrive over the holiday season. Just a few days after the conclusion of week 16 we get struck straight into the next match week, but we’ll get into that in another preview. 

Stay tuned at the bottom of the preview for our tips and best bets of the week. 

Some quality matches are in store for us this weekend, most notably though is Manchester City v Arsenal at the City of Manchester Stadium. This match is like David v Goliath in terms of the way each football club is run. Manchester City with their moneybags and Arsenal with their reliance on youth, this will be an intriguing match to say the least. Last season Arsenal were unbeaten against City with a 3-0 in Manchester, and Man City played out a 0-0 draw at the Emirates.

English Premier League Preview 2011/12
Courtesy of Talksport.co.uk 

To add to the hype surrounding this match, it’s made even more tasty by the fact that two of Arsenal’s best players jumped ship in the summer, their destination, you guessed it, Manchester. For any player to say that their sole reason for going to Manchester City is the chance to win trophies is a crock of you know what. It all came down to money and everybody knows it.

Money though, hasn’t been able to buy Manchester City progression to the knock out stages of the Champions league, something Arsene Wenger has managed for Arsenal for 15 consecutive years, on what many would call a shoestring budget. A win for Arsenal here would almost vindicate all of the decisions Arsene has made in recent seasons. Not many have given them a chance here but that’s the beauty of the English Premier League, upsets are common.

The disappointing thing after last weeks loss against Chelsea is that we won’t get to see Machester City’s Gael Clichy turn out against the club he called home for over 7 years. Samir Nasri is no guarantee to start the match either, condemned to the bench for many of City’s games so far this season, most notably the important games too, he’s moved from being an integral part of Arsenal’s first team, to being a bench warmer, not about the money my ass!

Anyway, back to the preview, the Manchester City v Arsenal match isn’t on our screens until Monday morning, in fact only one of the top 6, Chelsea, are in action on Saturday this week, all of the others play on Sunday, until then we have the following matches to keep us busy. 

First up on Sunday morning our time is Blackburn v West Brom at Ewood Park. Blackburn went down 2-1 to Sunderland last weekend and are currently sitting second last on the ladder, West Brom went down 2–1 to Wigan and dropped to 15th on the table. It’s safe to say that both these teams are not in good form at the moment and relegation looms should it continue.

Blackburn’s manager Steve Kean must be on his last legs at the club, he apparently has the backing of the board but the fans are less impressed with a number of protests already taking place to try and oust Kean. This can’t be good for the club and the lack of unity only seems to be making things worse. I can’t see much more than a draw in this game, both teams in poor form should cancel each other out.

English Premier League Preview - Everton
Courtesy of Football365.co.uk

Next up we have Everton hosting Norwich City at Goodison Park. Everton are coming off a 1-0 loss against Arsenal thanks to a piece of van Persie magic, but didn’t really look like threatening at the other end, they actually looked better going forward when Saha went off and was replaced by Distin. Norwich got up over Newcastle in a goal fest, winning the match 4-2 to condemn Newcastle to their 3rd straight defeat.

Norwich overtook Everton as a result of last weeks matches and Everton will no doubt like to climb back into the top half of the table after dropping to 12th this week. A win for Everton will see them go ahead of Norwich on goal difference and that’s the way I see this one heading.

Bolton travel to London next to take on Fulham at Craven Cottage. Bolton currently sit dead last on the table and really look void of any confidence at the moment. Fulham have dropped down to 15th after their 2-0 loss to Swansea on the weekend and the news didn’t get any better for them midweek with the news that Mark Schwarzer will miss the next 6 weeks with an injury.

Bolton, they went down 2-1 to Aston Villa at home, they still have just the one win at home and that really says it all about their season so far. Despite Schwarzer’s injury I still think Fulham will get the win here.

Newcastle United and Swansea City lock horns next and this may just be the best chance for Newcastle to get some much needed points and stay in touch with the top 6. Newcastle have lost their last 3 matches and have just 1 point from the last 12 available which saw them drop from outright 3rd on the table to now being outside the European places. They’ll also be without Dan Gosling after he got himself sent off against Norwich on the weekend.

Swansea got a 2-0 victory over Fulham at the Liberty Stadium and they’ll fancy their chances in this one, although their away form has been dodgy to say the least with just 2 points from 7 matches on the road. I think Newcastle will get their season back on track with a win at home.

The Molineux Stadium is the scene for our next English Premier League encounter with Wolves hosting Stoke City. Wolves are coming off a 4-1 hammering at the hands of Manchester United last weekend, but in all fairness anyone was going to struggle against a Unted side hell bent on taking out their UCL exit frustrations on someone. Stoke City handed Tottenham their first loss since the end of August and Tony Pulis’ men currently sit in 8th place on the table.

Wolves have been fairly good at home with 10 of their 14 points coming at the Molineux, while Stoke have been less than convincing away from home picking up just 7 of their 21 points on the road. I fancy this one to end in a draw to be honest, I’ll go with 2-2.

English Premier League Preview - Cech
Courtesy of ChelseaFC.co.uk

The only top 6 side to take part in English Premier League action on Sunday morning, Chelsea, take on Wigan at the DW Stadium. Chelsea’s confidence would have skyrocketed during the week following their fantastic 2-1 win over Manchester City on Tuesday morning. Andre Villas-Boas has turned his Chelsea side around in recent weeks, qualifying for the next stage of the Champions League and culminating in that win over high flying Manchester City, their first loss of the season.

Wigan came away from the Hawthorns last week with a win, beating West Brom 2-1. It wasn’t enough to get them clear of the relegation zone but they are definitely improving. The problem is that Chelsea tend to give them a walloping each season and I think this may just be the case again this weekend, Chelsea by a few goals seems a good bet here.

Sunday night our time sees QPR host Manchester United from Loftus Road. QPR are coming off a narrow 1-0 defeat to Liverpool last weekend, the first win Liverpool have had this season against the 3 promoted sides. Manchester United put 4 past Wolves with both Rooney and Nani scoring braces, Wolves goal merely a consolation in an emphatic win for United.

Manchester United have moved to within 2 points of neighbours Manchester City at the top of the table and a win here will actually see United go top for the first time this season as Man City don’t play until the following day. I can’t see any other outcome here to be honest, but there won’t be many goals, I think we’ll see one of Man United’s customary 1-0 wins on this occasion.

English Premier League Preview - Suarez
Courtesy of goal.com

Liverpool travel to Villa Park on Monday morning our time, they take on an Aston Villa side who are coming off a 2-1 win away to Bolton last weekend. Liverpool themselves are coming off a win, a 1-0 victory at home to QPR. Liverpool currently sit in 6th place on the ladder and a win could propel them to 5th if they win by 3 goals or more with Arsenal not playing until later that day.

Liverpool will still have the services of Luis Suarez as the FA have granted the Uruguayan a stay of execution, he now has more time to prepare a defence for the two charges that have been laid against him. That’s great news for Liverpool heading into the busy festive period, they can use all the firepower they can get and Suarez is a match winner. I just hope that he will eventually learn to stay on his feet as he is a better player than all the diving lately would suggest, it’s not something we need in the game!

I think Liverpool will win at Villa Park, their away record isn’t too bad with 4 wins from 7 games, there shouldnt be too many goals in this one either and I wouldn’t be surprised to see another 1-0 on our hands here.

Just prior the the match of the week, Tottenham will be looking to get their season going again with a clash against Sunderland at White Hart Lane. Tottenham suffered their first defeat since the end of August when they were taken down 2-1 by Stoke last week. Sunderland were on the other end of that same scoreline defeating Blackburn at the Stadium of Light.

Tottenham’s loss let Chelsea overtake them on goal difference although they do have a game in hand still to come against Everton, they do say it’s better to have the points on the board though as there’s no guarantee they’ll come out of that game with anything. I think Tottenham should hit back this week and could put a few goals past this Sunderland outfit that is still getting used to the way that Martin O’Neill wants them to play.

Last but definitely not least, the big one, Manchester City v Arsenal. I’ve already previewed the match so I guess all that’s left is to give my tip. Well I wouldn’t be loyal to my team if I tipped against them, and I actually think they are a big chance in this one given the recent disappointments Man City have had to endure. For that reason, and a player named Robin van Persie, I think the Gunners will get the points and continue this season’s resurgence.

English Premier League – sportsbanter.com.au Tips:

Blackburn v West Brom – #brfcvwba – Draw
Everton v Norwich – #efcvncfc – Everton
Fulham v Bolton – #ffcvbwfc – Fulham
Newcastle v Swansea – #nufcvscfc – Newcastle
Wolves v Stoke – #wolvesvstoke – Draw
Wigan v Chelsea – #wiganvcfc – Chelsea
QPR v Man Utd – #qprvmufc – Man Utd
Aston Villa v Liverpool – #avfcvlfc – Liverpool
Tottenham v Sunderland – #thfcvsfc – Tottenham
Man City v Arsenal – #mcfcvafc – Arsenal

English Premier League – Banter’s Best Bets:

Blackburn v West Brom – West Brom +0.5 @ $1.60
Everton v Norwich – Everton @ $1.60
Fulham v Bolton – Total Game Score Under +2.5 @ $1.91
Newcastle v Swansea – Total Game Score Over +2.5 @ $1.80
Wolves v Stoke – Draw @ $3.20
Wigan v Chelsea – Total Game Score Over +2.5 @ $1.65
QPR v Man Utd – Man Utd @ $1.44
Aston Villa v Liverpool – Total Game Score Under +2.5 @ $1.68
Tottenham v Sunderland – Total Game Score Over +2.5 @ $1.68
Man City v Arsenal – Arsenal +0.5 @ $2.15


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