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Hyundai A-League Preview – Week 21

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Week 21 of the Hyundai A-League kicks off on Friday night and we’re now getting to the business end of the season. Just 5 rounds remain before the finals series gets underway and there is still plenty of places in that top 6 up for grabs.

The Mariners head into the last few weeks with a 5 point lead over the Brisbane Roar and also have a game in hand against Gold Coat United tonight. This lead is far from insurmountable but it will take a mighty effort from the Roar to peg them back.

Heading into this weekend, no less than 6 teams are fighting it out for the last 4 spots in that all important top 6. Sydney’s win over Adelaide last weekend all but rules them out of the running as they now sit 7 points outside the finals places. Gold Coast United have been out of it for a while and also have to contend with their coach being sacked/quitting whoever you choose to believe.

This should be a cracking weekend of football, and should set the tone for the remaining 4 weeks heading into the finals. Check out our previews of each match in this weeks Hyundai A-League below, including our tips and best bets.

Hyundai A-League Preview

Newcastle United v Adelaide United – Hyundai A-League Preview
AusGrid Stadium, Friday 24 February, 8.00pm

Newcastle head into this match on 28 points, just two points outside of the top 6. They’re still in with a massive chance of making the finals but will need to get a move on with Sydney FC and Melbourne Heart sure to put up a fight.

Adelaide United went down to Sydney FC 2-1 on Sunday to all but end their hopes of making the finals. They’ll need to pick themselves up this week and try and get as high up the table as possible. Anything can happen, and has already this season, so despite being 7 points outside the top 6 they need to continue to fight. 

Newcastle have more to play for and are hard to beat at home so I think they may just put the final nail in Adelaide United’s coffin for this season.

Sydney FC v Wellington Phoenix – Hyundai A-League Preview
Sydney Football Stadium, Saturday 25 February, 5.30pm

Sydney FC head into this match on the back of two straight wins that have propelled them back into the top 6. They’ll want to end the season on a high for departing coach Vitislav Lavicka and it appears they’ve already started their run. They don’t have the best record against the Phoenix and have lost to them twice already this season, conceding 6 goals.

Wellington Phoenix have had two straight losses, albeit to league leaders the Mariners, and second placed Roar. They head into this match with no form on the board, against a Sydney FC side looking to avenge those two earlier defeats. They will have their work cut out for them here.

With Sydney FC coming into this one with a bit of form behind them I can’t see them losing. I do think that Wellington will bounce back from their two defeats though so I think this one will end in a draw.

Gold Coast United v Melbourne Victory – Hyundai A-League Preview
Skilled Park, Saturday 25 February, 7.45pm

Gold Coast United had the news of Miron Bleiberg’s departure to deal with this week which no doubt would have knocked them about a bit. There is still confusion as to whether he quit or was sacked due to comments he made to the media before Gold Coast United made the announcement. Gold Coast say he was sacked for those very comments. Whether they can pick themselves up after this is questionable, they already have the wooden spoon all but wrapped up.

Melbourne Victory will feel hard done by after their defeat to the Roar 3-2 on the weekend. A brace from star man Harry Kewell was not enough as the Victory went down in a cracking match. Carlos Hernandez also hit the crossbar to deny Victory a share of the spoils.

The Victory’s season is on a knife edge at the moment, they’re 5 points outside of the all important top 6. They should get a win here against a struggling Gold Coast who will be backing up from Wednesday night though. 

Perth Glory v Brisbane Roar – Hyundai A-League Preview
Members Equity Stadium, Saturday 25 February, 9.45pm

Perth are coming off the back of a 2-0 win over Newcastle Jets at the weekend, they get the bonus of not having to travel again this week too. They currently sit in third place after a fantastic second half to the season so far.

The Roar have gotten their season back on track over the last month and will push the Mariners all the way to the final week. In their win over the Victory they displayed some of the entertaining football that saw them go 36 unbeaten. Their key players in Broich, Berisha and Nichols are on form and they will be hard to stop come finals time.

This should be a beauty, two top of the table sides slugging it out in a preview of what we can expect come the finals. With Brisbane in top form and looking to catch the Mariners I can’t go past a Roar win in this one.

Melbourne Heart v CC Mariners – Hyundai A-League Preview
AAMI Park, Sunday 26 February, 5.00pm

Melbourne Heart head into this week in 5th place, only ahead of Sydney FC on goal difference. They haven’t had the best time of it of late, but they turned their results around last week with a 1-0 win over Gold Coast United. A scrappy win, but a win nonetheless and a confidence booster.

The Mariners come into this one having got their form back on track with a win over the Phoenix last weekend. Prior to this win, the Mariners had been beaten by both the Roar and the Victory in consecutive weeks. The Mariners have a 5 point lead and a game in hand to come which could extend the lead to 8 by the time this weekends games take place.

The Mariners have been a bit shaky recently and I think they are still a bit out of form despite their last win. I think the Heart could capitalise on this but I have a feeling that both sides will share the points in this one.

Twitter - Hyundai A-League Preview

Hyundai A-League Preview – sportsbanter.com.au Tips:

Newcastle United v Adelaide United – #HALjetsau – Jets
Sydney FC v Wellington Phoenix – #HALsydwp – Draw
Gold Coast United v Melbourne Victory – #HALgcumv – Victory
Perth Glory v Brisbane Roar – #HALpgbri – Roar
Melbourne Heart v CC Mariners – #HALmhccm – Draw

Hyundai A-League Preview – Banter’s Best Bets

Newcastle United v Adelaide United – Newcastle +0.5 @ $1.26
Sydney FC v Wellington Phoenix – Total Game Score Over +2.5 @ $1.83
Gold Coast United v Melbourne Victory – Victory @ $1.83
Perth Glory v Brisbane Roar – Roar + 0.5 @ $1.46
Melbourne Heart v CC Mariners – Total Game Score Under +2.5 @ $1.71

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English Premier League Preview – 2011/12 – Week 25

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Week 25 of the English Premier League kicks off tonight with a bang. What better game to kick off a Saturday night then probably the biggest rivalry in the history of the English Premier League, Manchester United v Liverpool. Old Trafford is the scene for this one and it should be a beauty.

Manchester United are coming off the back of a 3-3 comeback draw against Chelsea last weekend. Liverpool are coming off a much less exciting 0-0 draw with Tottenham at Anfield on Tuesday morning and should be up for this one. The last time these two met in an English Premier League, Luis Suarez ended up with an 8 match ban for allegedly racially abusing Patrice Evra. The scene is now set with Suarez just returning from that ban and was only on the bench against Tottenham. He could start this one!

English Premier League Preview

In other matches, Blackburn host QPR at Ewood Park following a 7-1 thrashing at the hands of Arsenal. They will want to bounce back for this one and QPR at home may be a good way to start.

Two of the bottom sides compete when Wigan travel to the Reebok Stadium to tackle Bolton. Bolton are coming off a demoralising loss to Norwich City and Wigan had a hard fought 1-1 draw with Everton. Both sides will be looking to pull themselves out of the drop zone with the seasons end approaching.

Everton host Chelsea following last weeks 1-1 away draw with Wigan. Chelsea head into this one having squandered a 3-0 lead against Manchester United at home to eventually draw the match 3-3. That match could affect their confidence and I have a feeling Everton may just take advantage of that this week.

Also on Saturday night, Fulham host Stoke City at Craven Cottage. Fulham were humbled 3-0 by Manchester City last weekend and will looking to try and get back into the top half of the table with a win here. Stoke went down 1-0 to Sunderland last weekend and will be looking for a win for the same reason.

Arsenal travel to Sunderland next following their 7-1 thrashing of Blackburn last week. They’ll hope that van Persie and Oxlade-Chamberlain can repeat last weeks efforts and help their push for a top 4 spot. Sunderland had 120 minutes of FA Cup action midweek which could affect them in this one. They won that game to set up a match against this weeks opponents in the next round.

Swansea host Norwich this week in another battle of the promoted teams. These matches usually provide plenty of entertainment as the teams adjust to life in the English Premier League. Both sides have exceeded expectations and will be looking to stay in the top half of the table come seasons end.

Last up on Saturday (Sunday morning Australian time) we have another beauty. Tottenham currently sit 3rd on the ladder and look like getting themselves back into the Champions League. They take on Newcastle who are also looking to try and grab one of those Champions League places. It will be interesting to see whether the Harry Redknapp drama has any effect on the Tottenham players for this one.

In Sunday’s matches, first up we have Wolves taking on West Bromwich Albion. Wolves has a 2-1 win over QPR last week while West Brom lost by the same scoreline to Swansea City. Both teams will looking to move themselves up the ladder, particularly Wolves who sit just a point outside of the relegation zone.

Last up this week, we have Aston Villa hosting Manchester City. Villa have been disappointing so far this season, they will want to get something out of this one for their home fans. Manchester City, despite having all the talent in the world, have self imploded recently. Perhaps they have too many egos in that dressing room and Mancini is having trouble controlling them. They do not look the same side that tore the English Premier League apart earlier in the season. The English Premier League is their last real shot at a trophy unless you count the Europa League in that.

This should be a cracking week of English Premier League action and we could see a bit of movement at the top of the table around the Champions League places. Check out our tips and best bets for the weekend below!

Twitter - English Premier League Preview

English Premier League – sports banter.com.au Tips:

Manchester United v Liverpool – #mufcvlfc – Man Utd
Blackburn Rovers v QPR – #brfcvqpr – Blackburn
Bolton Wanderers v Wigan – #bwfcvwigan – Bolton
Everton v Chelsea – #efcvcfc – Draw
Fulham v Stoke City – #ffcvstoke – Draw
Sunderland v Arsenal – #sfcvafc – Arsenal
Swansea v Norwich – #scfcvncfc – Swansea
Tottenham v Newcastle – #thfcvnufc – Draw
Wolverhampton v West Brom – #wolvesvwba – Wolves
Aston Villa v Manchester City – #avfcvmcfc – Draw 

English Premier League – Banter’s Best Bets – Multi

Manchester United v Liverpool – Man Utd +0.5 @ $1.22
Blackburn Rovers v QPR – Blackburn +0.5 @ $1.40
Bolton Wanderers v Wigan – Bolton @ $1.95
Everton v Chelsea – Draw @ $3.20
Fulham v Stoke City – Stoke + 0.5 @ $1.83
Sunderland v Arsenal – Arsenal @ $2.05
Swansea v Norwich – Swansea +0.5 @ $1.21
Tottenham v Newcastle – Total Game Score Over +2.5 @ $1.68
Wolverhampton v West Brom – Wolves + 0.5 @ $1.40
Aston Villa v Manchester City – Total Game Score Under +2.5 @ $1.88

Total Multibet Odds – $224.92

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English Premier League Preview & Team News – Week 24

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Week 24 of the English Premier League kicks off tonight, we preview this week by taking you through the team news and giving our tips and best bets. Be sure to check out the BetWithAus English Premier League Football Tips for a more detailed betting analysis of this weeks matches!

Also included below are the Twitter Hashtags for this weeks English Premier League matches so you can follow along with all of the action and banter!

English Premier League Preview

Saturday’s Matches – English Premier League

Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee) will be assessed. Full-back Kieran Gibbs (groin) has returned to full training, but Carl Jenkinson (back), Andre Santos (ankle) and midfielder Abou Diaby (hamstring) are still out. Ivory Coast forward Gervinho is still away at the African Nations Cup. Morocco striker Marouane Chamakh is due back, although not in time. Midfielder Jack Wilshere suffered a setback in his rehabilitation from an ankle injury. 

Blackburn captain Christopher Samba will again be missing as he is not in the right frame of mind after having a transfer request turned down. Samba is fit and available but will not be included. New signings Bradley Orr and Marcus Olsson – twin brother of fellow Rover Martin – could make their debuts. Leading scorer Ayegbeni Yakubu serves the last of a three-match ban and David Goodwillie (flu) may miss out again.

Norwich City v Bolton

Norwich will again be without left-back Marc Tierney, who is suffering from a groin injury. However, centre-back Elliott Ward made his long-awaited return to the squad following a pre-season knee injury for the midweek defeat at Sunderland and could be included again. Striker James Vaughan has also recovered from his knee ligament injury, but may need more time to get fully match fit.

Ryo Miyaichi and Marvin Sordell could make their Bolton debuts. Fellow new arrival Tim Ream, the centre-back signed earlier in the January window from the New York Red Bulls, is flying in from the United States too late to be considered for selection. While another defender, Gretar Steinsson, is a major doubt having picked up a knock in Wednesday’s 0-0 draw with the Gunners.

QPR v Wolverhampton Wolves

Bobby Zamora is in line to make his QPR debut in partnership with Djibril Cisse. Adel Taarabt and Armand Traore are back from African Nations Cup duty and Jay Bothroyd could return from a groin problem. However, Heidar Helguson (groin), DJ Campbell (hamstring) and Alejandro Faurlin (knee) are out while Akos Buzsaky (Achilles) is a major doubt. 

Mick McCarthy has no fresh injury worries. Sebastien Bassong could make his first start for the club after moving from Tottenham on loan until the end of the season. Midfielder Jamie O’Hara is back in contention after recovering from a double hernia operation. Midfielder Karl Henry is still suspended for the trip to west London.

Stoke City v Sunderland

Matthew Etherington is a doubt due to a virus and will be assessed ahead of kick-off. Aside from that concern, manager Tony Pulis has virtually a full squad to select from, with only long-term absentee Mamady Sidibe (knee) unavailable.

Martin O’Neill will be without defender Wes Brown and midfielder David Vaughan. Brown (knee) will be missing for up to two months, while Vaughan (ankle ligaments) is expected to be out for a lesser, but still significant, period. Midfielder Lee Cattermole (hamstring) is hoping to return to training at the end of next week, while defenders Matt Kilgallon (ankle) and Titus Bramble (Achilles/foot) are still sidelined. Sotirios Kyrgiakos is available to join fellow loan signing Wayne Bridge in the squad.

West Brom v Swansea City

Roy Hodgson is weighing up whether to give full debuts to newcomers Liam Ridgewell and Keith Andrews. Ridgewell has completed only one game so far in 2012 while midfielder Andrews, signed from Blackburn, has not figured since playing on loan for Ipswich on Boxing Day. Winger Jerome Thomas (calf) remains a doubt but right-back Steven Reid (ankle), striker Shane Long (digestive problem) and midfielder Paul Scharner (Achilles) are close to fitness. Albion skipper Chris Brunt (fractured ankle) and fellow midfielder Zoltan Gera (knee) are long-term absentees.

Brendan Rodgers has to decide whether to include new signing Curtis Obeng in his squad. The Swans will be without Ferrie Bodde for at least two weeks after he suffered a knee injury in a reserve game and will be assessed over possible surgery. Fellow midfielder Andrea Orlandi is also out for six weeks with a hamstring strain.

Wigan v Everton

Wigan will welcome back key midfielder Mohamed Diame following his return from the African Nations Cup. Striker Hugo Rodallega was only fit enough for a place on the bench against Tottenham on Tuesday because of a soft tissue injury but should be in contention to start along with David Jones (calf). Franco Di Santo was forced off at White Hart Lane with a badly cut leg while Antolin Alcaraz has a groin injury but both could be involved. 

Nikica Jelavic and Steven Pienaar are set to be included in Everton’s squad. The pair joined on deadline day but the former is closer to match fitness than Pienaar, who has returned to his ex-club on loan and has struggled for pitch time at Tottenham this season. Defender Sylvain Distin and midfielder Jack Rodwell (both hamstring) are edging closer to fitness but are not quite ready while Phil Jagielka (knee), Leon Osman (knee) and Seamus Coleman (thigh) are still some way off a comeback.

Manchester City v Fulham

Manchester City are again without suspended striker Mario Balotelli. Defender Kolo Toure and midfielder Yaya Toure are still at the African Nations Cup but playmaker David Pizarro, signed on loan from Roma this week, is in contention. Defenders Vincent Kompany and Micah Richards are expected to overcome minor knocks.

Mousa Dembele and Mark Schwarzer return. Andrew Johnson (groin) and Steve Sidwell (hernia) both miss out, while Pavel Pogrebnyak may not feature as he awaits international clearance.

Sunday’s Matches – English Premier League

Newcastle v Aston Villa

Demba Ba and Papiss Demba Cisse are included following their country’s exit from the African Nations Cup. Cisse in line for a debut following his big-money January move from Freiburg. Midfielder Yohan Cabaye serves the second game of his three-match suspension after being found guilty of violent conduct. While defender Steven Taylor (Achilles) and midfielders Sylvain Marveaux (groin) and Sammy Ameobi (knee) continue their respective recoveries.

Gabriel Agbonlahor is again a major fitness doubt with back and hamstring spasm. He will undergo a special fitness programme with the club’s conditioning coach, Adrian Lamb, to try and eradicate such problems after missing the midweek home draw with QPR. Winger Marc Albrighton (thigh) and central defender James Collins are also battling to be fit while midfielder Chris Herd continues to recover from an ankle injury.

Chelsea v Manchester United

John Terry will miss out with the knee problem that kept him out of Tuesday’s match at Swansea. Terry, who was this morning stripped of the England captaincy for the second time in his career, has been unable to train this week. This means Gary Cahill may make his debut. Frank Lampard could return from the calf injury that has kept him out of the last two games. Ashley Cole is suspended, while Ramires (knee) and John Obi Mikel (hamstring) are still out.

Sir Alex Ferguson is ready to welcome Ashley Young and Tom Cleverley back into his squad for this English Premier League clash. Young has been missing for six weeks with a knee problem, while Cleverley has not featured since injuring an ankle at Everton in October. Wayne Rooney (ankle) and Nani (foot) are also back after missing two games. David De Gea is set to return in goal as United look to record their first Premier League win at Stamford Bridge since 2002. Danish goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard will be sidelined for at least a month with an ankle injury.

Monday’s Match – English Premier League

Liverpool v Tottenham

Striker Luis Suarez returns to the English Premier League from an eight-match suspension and will go straight back into the squad. The Uruguay international has not played since Boxing Day and is likely to be given a place among the substitutes. Captain Steven Gerrard is also back having been rested for the midweek win at Wolves.

New signing Louis Saha could make his Tottenham debut. Jermain Defoe (hamstring) is unlikely to play, Rafael van der Vaart is struggling with a calf problem and Emmanuel Adebayor hobbled off during Tuesday’s win over Wigan with a hamstring complaint. Aaron Lennon (hamstring) is extremely doubtful, William Gallas (calf) and Tom Huddlestone (ankle) are unavailable, but Kyle Walker (groin) and Ledley King (knee) should be fit.

Twitter - English Premier League Preview

sportsbanter.com.au English Premier League Tips:

Arsenal v Blackburn – #afcvbrfc – Arsenal
Norwich v Bolton – #ncfcvbwfc – Norwich
QPR v Wolves – #qprvwolves – QPR
Stoke v Sunderland – #stokevsfc – Sunderland
West Brom v Swansea – #wbavscfc – Draw
Wigan v Everton – #wiganvefc – Draw
Manchester City v Fulham – #mcfcvffc – Man City
Newcastle v Aston Villa – #nufcvavfc – Newcastle
Chelsea v Manchester United – #cfcvmufc – Draw
Liverpool v Tottenham – #lfcvthfc – Liverpool

Banter’s Best Bets – English Premier League

Arsenal v Blackburn – Total Game Score Over +2.5 @ $1.58
Norwich v Bolton – Norwich +0.5 @ $1.26
QPR v Wolves – QPR @ $1.91
Stoke v Sunderland – Total Game Score Under +2.5 @ $1.63
West Brom v Swansea – West Brom +0.5 @ $1.29
Wigan v Everton – Draw @ $3.25
Manchester City v Fulham – Man City @ $1.30
Newcastle v Aston Villa – Total Game Score Over +2.5 @ $1.88
Chelsea v Manchester United – Man United +0.5 @ $1.52
Liverpool v Tottenham – Total Game Score Over +2.5 @ $2.05

Total Multibet Odds – $197.89


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EPL Football Tips with Bet With Aus

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Welcome to the weekly EPL tipping blog from Bet With Aus bringing you free football tips for the EPL.

Week 24 of the English Premier League features a top of the table clash between Chelsea and Manchester United which will be included in our selection of football tips for you to take a look at. So, here it goes…

English Premier League - Football Tips

Chelsea vs Manchester United – Football Tips

Chelsea have won three of their previous five home games including a 2-1 victory over leaders City, albeit aided by the sending off of Gael Clichy. During these five games, however, the Blues have also been held to a 1-1 by Fulham and inexplicably lost 3-1 to an Aston Villa side struggling for goals. United have won six of their last seven games on the road, keeping five clean sheets in the process.

Chelsea have kept just two home clean sheets all season, with 81% of their games seeing both teams scoring. United on the road are a different prospect, they don’t concede too many, but when you consider their games away to sides in the top half they are yet to keep a clean sheet and both sides have scored in three of these four games. United have failed to score in only one of their 11 away games and may have Rooney and Nani back in the start line-up.

As such, we’re going for both teams to score at 1.71 with Sportingbet.

Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur – Football Tips

Liverpool are still unbeaten at home this season, but the problem lies with their inability to pick up three points, having won just four of their eleven home games this season. They have also failed to score more than once in 72% of their matches at Anfield and managed just 25 goals all season, while Spurs have scored 20 just in their away matches. Tottenham’s away record is admirable but in games away to sides in the top half they have managed just one victory, with three losses and a draw making up the numbers.

Liverpool will be looking to keep their unbeaten run in tact and, as discussed, Tottenham’s away record against the top sides is poor, and I think they will struggle to break down a mean Liverpool home defence. With Luis Suarez returning to the Liverpool line-up and the way the Anfield crowd really come out for the ‘big’ games I think everything points to a Liverpool victory which you can get at 2.10 with Sportingbet.

Newcastle United vs Aston Villa – Football Tips

After a brilliant start to the season Newcastle have been very inconsistent, losing six of their last 12 matches, including three of their last five home games. They’ll be looking to build on their victory and clean sheet at Blackburn in midweek after their 5-2 thrashing at Fulham last weekend. Aston Villa have picked more points away from home than they have at Villa Park this season and have lost just two games on the road, to Manchester City and Spurs. Their problem comes with turning the draws into three points, but they clearly are capable of it after beating Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on New Years Eve.

Having watched plenty of Newcastle’s home games this season I’ve noticed how open the game is right from the kick off. Five of their last six home games have seen goals in the first half while in five of Villa’s last seven away games two or more goals have been scored by half time. Newcastle may also be able to call upon Demba Ba and new signing Papiss Cisse after Senegal were dumped out of the African Cup of Nations; combine this with an in-form Darren Bent and I think there will be goals in this match.

Our tip for this one is Ov 1.5 goals at Half-Time at 2.88

QPR vs Wolverhampton Wanderers – Football Tips

QPR have a poor home record this season, winning just two of their eleven games at Loftus Road; the recent 3-1 victory over Wigan and the 1-0 win over Chelsea back in October. Wolves have an equally poor away record, winning just one of their eleven games away from Molineux managing just nine goals in the process.  QPR will go into this game disappointed that didn’t manage to hang onto 3 points at Villa Park in midweek, while Wolves will be looking to erase the memory of the 3-0 beating Liverpool dished out to them earlier in the week.

Although neither side are flush with goals this season, they do tend to concede quite a few; QPR have conceded an average of 1.63 goals per game at home while Wolves have conceded 1.82 per game on their travels. QPR have failed to score at home only once in nine matches while Wolves have scored in each of their last four matches away from home.

For this game we’re going for both teams to score at 1.70 with Sportingbet.

West Brom vs Swansea – Football Tips

West Brom’s home form has been poor this season; they have managed to win just two of their eleven home games and have actually picked ten more points when away from home. They have failed to win a home game since November 19th and since then they have managed just one point from a possible fifteen. Swansea, in contrast, are struggling away from home and have the worst away record in the division, managing just one away win all season. Manager Brendan Rodgers will see the Hawthorns as a good opportunity to grab some valuable away points.

It is often the case that when you have a home side struggling for points against a visiting side with a poor away record that, for some reason, you get yourself an entertaining game. Well, sorry to disappoint but we can’t see that happening with this one. The two sides’ respective home and away records concerning goals is identical; both have managed just eight goals this season and both have seen over half their games contain under 2.5 goals.

And that is where our thinking lies; we’re going for this game to contain under 2.5 goals at 1.75.

All comments and criticisms are welcome so please do have your say in the comments section and I’ll make every effort to get involved with discussion about our football tips.

Happy Punting!

Author: Stan Jackson

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English Premier League Preview – Midweek Fixtures – Week 23

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Week 23 of the English Premier League kicks off tomorrow morning, we briefly preview this midweek round and give our tips and best bets below.

The FA Cup fourth round dominated the weekend and we now get back into the English Premier League with 2 rounds within the space of a few days. Both Manchester clubs have now been eliminated from all cup competitions so I feel sorry for the clubs chasing them in the English Premier League. They will find it tough chasing the pacesetters now that they only have the one competition to focus on.

English Premier League Preview

English Premier League – Tuesday Matches

This week Manchester City travel to Goodison Park to take on Everton, and Manchester United take on Stoke City at Old Trafford. These will be tricky fixtures for the Manchester Clubs, Everton away is never easy and Stoke City will want to bounce back at home after 3 matches without a win.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham are also in action on Tuesday (Wednesday morning our time). They will all be looking to make ground on the top 2 as well as push their claims for a top 4 spot. Chelsea travel to Swansea City, their last home game saw a shock 3-2 win over Arsenal. Chelsea’s last away game was a 0-0 draw with Norwich City in a game that deserved at least a couple of goals.

Liverpool are on a roll in the cup competitions after knocking out both Manchester Clubs in the Carling Cup and also knocking United out of the FA Cup on the weekend. They haven’t fared as well in the English Premier League though, their last match a 3-1 loss to Bolton Wanderers.

Tottenham are without a win in their last two matches and they host bottom club Wigan Athletic. They’ll be looking to bounce back and consolidate their position in the top 3. They do have manager Harry Redknapp’s court situation which must be messing with their preparations though, he could be in deep trouble!

English Premier League – Wednesday Matches

Ther only side in the top 6 in action on Wednesday (Thursday morning our time) is Arsenal. They are fresh off a 3-2 comeback win over Aston Villa in the FA Cup but last time out in the English Premier League they suffered a 3-2 loss at the hands of Swansea City. They may have turned a corner with that come from behind win though and they are still alive in 3 competitions despite their poor season so far.

Aston Villa were shell shocked to say the least after that loss to Arsenal. They led 2-0 at half time and looked destined for the 5th round of the FA Cup. They will need to pick themselves back up for home game against QPR, who smashed Wigan 3-1 in their last outing in the premier league.

Newcastle United have moved themselves up to 6th place on the EPL table thanks to Liverpool’s poor form. They take on Blackburn Rovers away from home and will be looking to move into 5th at Arsenal’s expense this time. Blackburn have once again dropped into the relegation spots and will find it difficult to move themselves out of there. They have been in better form though with a win over Fulham and draw against Everton in their last to English Premier League matches.

Fulham, they host West Brom at Craven Cottage following their 5-2 thrashing of Newcastle at the same ground last week. They will look to continue that but West Brom have a decent away record so this won’t be easy.

The alst match of the midweek English Premier League fixtures sees Sunderland host Norwich City at the Stadium of Light. Martin O’Neill has done wonders with this Sunderland side, they’ve moved up into the top half of the table after battling relegation earlier in the season. Norwich are in decent form though with a 0-0 draw against Chelsea and a 2-1 away over West Brom making up their last two matches.

Twitter - English Premier League Preview

sportsbanter.com.au Tips:

Swansea City v Chelsea – #scfcvcfc – Chelsea
Tottenham v Wigan – #thfcvwigan – Tottenham
Wolverhampton v Liverpool – #wolvesvlfc – Draw
Everton v Manchester City – #efcvmcfc – Man City
Manchester United v Stoke – #mufcvstoke – Man Utd
Aston Villa v QPR – #avfcvqpr – Draw
Blackburn v Newcastle – #brfcvnufc – Draw
Bolton v Arsenal – #bwfcvafc – Arsenal
Fulham v West Brom – #ffcvwba – Fulham
Sunderland v Norwich – #sfcvncfc – Sunderland

Banter’s Best Bets – Multibet

Swansea City v Chelsea – Total Game Score Under +2.5 @ $1.83
Tottenham v Wigan – Total Game Score Over +2.5 @ $1.56
Wolverhampton v Liverpool – Wolves +0.5 @ $2.10
Everton v Manchester City – Man City +0.5 @ $1.23
Manchester United v Stoke – Total Game Score Over +2.5 @ $1.60
Aston Villa v QPR – QPR +0.5 @ $2.00
Blackburn v Newcastle – Draw @ $3.30
Bolton v Arsenal – Arsenal @ $1.65
Fulham v West Brom – Fulham +0.5 @ $1.21
Sunderland v Norwich – Total Game Score Under +2.5 @ $1.88

Multibet odds – $292.27

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Hyundai A-League Preview – 2011/12 – Week 17

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Welcome to our Hyundai A-League preview for week 17 of the Hyundai A-League. We preview all 6 matches including an analysis, our tips and best bets for each match.

Week 16 of the Hyundai A-League concludes tomorrow night when Adelaide United clash with the Newcastle Jets at Carrington Park in Bathurst. The other 5 matches produced 16 goals between them and some cracking football along the way. Ther Mariners kept up their unbeaten record and stretched their lead at the top of the Hyundai A-League table to 11 points. Sydney FC got over the disappointment of conceding late goals against the Roar and Glory by doing the same against Gold Coast United. That win lifted the pressure on Vitislav Lavicka for the time being. Melbourne Victory was the biggest shock though, going down 4-1 to Perth Glory.

Hyundai A-League Preview

Week 17 of the Hyundai A-League commences on Australia Day, we preview each match below. Also, don’t forget to use the twitter hashtags in the A-League preview below when tweeting about any of this weeks matches!

Melbourne Victory v Sydney FC – Hyundai A-League Preview
AAMI Park, Thursday 26 January, 4.00pm

I think I can safely say that Melbourne Victory have been the biggest disappointment of the A-League season so far. They have a side that, on paper, rivals the best in the league but so far they have not lived up to that potential. Harry Kewell has just started to find his feet in the league but that hasn’t stopped the Victory from losing four of their last six games.

Sydney FC finally broke their winless streak at the weekend by downing Gold Coast United 2-1 at the SFS. Prior to this, Sydney FC had not won a match since mid December and it took a last minute Bruno Cazarine goal to settle this one.

Both sides have generally been a disappointment this year considering the calibre of players they have on board. Not to mention the acquisitions of high profile players in Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton. This match should be a cracker though, as most of the games between these two turn out. I think this one will end up in a draw to be honest, neither side will be happy with this outcome though.

Gold Coast United v Central Coast Mariners – Hyundai A-League Preview
Skilled Park, Friday 27 January, 7.00pm

They don’t come any more lopsided than this. The Central Coast Mariners are on a 15 match unbeaten streak, they have not lost a game since round 3 of the competition. Gold Coast United, on the other hand, they sit bottom of the ladder by a clear margin. In saying this though, the last time these two sides met the Mariners failed to take the home ground advantage. That match ended in a 0-0 draw and never looked like finishing any differently.

The Mariners have a clear 11 point advantage at the top of the table. It was only a couple of months ago that the Roar were being talked up as the best team in the A-League by a clear distance. How times have changed! While the Mariners are nowhere near the 36 match unbeaten record set by the Roar, they still have to be considered the best team in the A-League right now.

The Mariners have been far from convincing in a lot of their victories this season, the 3-2 win over Adelaide last weekend a prime example. They should have enough in them to dispose of Gold Coast though. I doubt very much that Graham Arnold will be pleased with another draw like in week 13.

Brisbane Roar v Newcastle Jets – Hyundai A-League Preview
Suncorp Stadium, Saturday 28 January, 6.45pm

Brisbane head into this match on the back of 2 wins and 3 draws in their last 5 matches to start them on the road to another unbeaten run. Newcastle Jets have been patchy to say the least, their last match a 1-0 loss to the Wellington Phoenix at home. They also have the annoying task of a mid-week game in Bathurst before having to fly up to Brisbane and take on the reigning champions.

Brisbane have managed to climb back up to second spot following their dip in form that saw them lose 6 in a row. They still trail the Mariners by 11 points though so it looks as though second will have to suffice. Newcastle, they sit in second last spot on the table and have just 1 win in their last 8 matches.

Brisbane did well to bounce back from a goal down in injury time to beat Sydney FC a fortnight ago. They couldn’t back that up last weekend but they should have enough in them to take care of the Jets in this one.

Wellington Phoenix v Melbourne Heart – Hyundai A-League Preview
Westpac Stadium, Sunday 29 January, 2.30pm

Sunday afternoon sees 2 matches coming to us in the A-League. First up, Melbourne Heart travel across the tasman to tackle the Phoenix at Westpac Stadium. The last time these two played, Melbourne Heart got the 3 points in a dour 1-0 victory. We can only hope that we see a bit more entertainment this time around.

The Heart sit in 4th place now after their loss to the Mariners in week 16 and draw against the Roar last week. Wellington moved up to 3rd spot following their wins over Gold Coast and Newcastle, bottom of the table clubs but crucial wins nonetheless. At one point mid season, the Heart were the form team in the competition. This just shows how close this competition actually is with the Roar, Mariners and Heart all looking like world beaters at various stages this season.

Travelling to Wellington is never an easy task and I just have a feeling that the Phoenix may restrict the Heart to a single point here.

Adelaide United v Perth Glory – Hyundai A-League Preview
Hindmarsh Stadium, Sunday 29 January, 4.30pm

Perth Glory have managed to keep themselves in touch with the top 4 following a convincing 4-1 thumping of Melbourne Victory over the weekend. Adelaide have moved themselves outside the bottom 2 but still have a lot of work to do to catch the top 6 and earn a finals berth.

Adelaide also have to contend with that mid-week clash with the Jets in Bathurst before heading home for this weekend clash. A win in that match could move them up to 7th on the table, just a point outside the top 6.

Perth have been fairly consistent this season with both home and away fixtures garnering a similar amount of points. After last weeks performance and being the fresher of the two sides I can’t go past a Glory win here.

Melbourne Victory v Gold Coast United – Hyundai A-League Preview
Aurora Stadium, Wednesday February 1, 7.00pm

The last of the Regional fixtures sees the Victory take on Gold Coast United at Aurora Stadium in Launceston on Wednesday week. This has been a great initiative by the A-League and hopefully they’ll bring it back again next year.

Gold Coast United could potentially, although unlikely, get themselves off the bottom of the table should they win their two matches this week. Melbourne Victory could make a charge for the all important top 6 should they beat Sydney on Australia day and then manage to take down Gold Coast here.

I think Melbourne will get the 3 points in this one and make a play for that top 6 with 1/3 of the season remaining.

Twitter - Hyundai A-League Preview - Week 17

sportsbanter.com.au Tips – Hyundai A-League Preview:

Melbourne Victory v Sydney FC – #HALmvsyd – Draw
Gold Coast United v CC Mariners – #HALgcuccm – Mariners
Brisbane Roar v Newcastle Jets – #HALbrijets – Roar
Wellington Phoenix v Melbourne Heart – #HALwpmh – Draw
Adelaide United v Perth Glory – #HALaupg – Glory
Melbourne Victory v Gold Coast United – #HALmvgcu – Victory

Banter’s Best Bets – Hyundai A-League Preview

Melbourne Victory v Sydney FC – Victory +0.5 @ $1.31
Gold Coast United v CC Mariners – Mariners @ $1.75
Brisbane Roar v Newcastle Jets – Roar @ $1.50
Wellington Phoenix v Melbourne Heart – Draw @ $3.40
Adelaide United v Perth Glory – Perth +0.5 @ $1.61

Total odds of Multibet – $18.82/1

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A-League Teams – Week 16 – Ins and Outs

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Here are all of the A-League teams for week 16 including all of the ins and outs for each match. Check out our Hyundai A-League preview for week 16 as we analyse each game and give our tips and best bets.

Hyundai A-League Teams

A-League Teams, Newcastle Jets v Wellington Phoenix 
AusGrid Stadium, Friday 8pm (EDT)

Newcastle Jets: 1. Ben Kennedy (gk), 2. Taylor Regan, 4. Nikolai Topor-Stanley, 6. Ben Kantarovski, 8. Jeremy Brockie, 9. Michael Bridges, 10. Ruben Zadkovich, 11. Tarek Elrich, 12. Jobe Wheelhouse (c), 13. Sung-Hwan Byun, 14. Labinot Haliti, 18. Marco Jesic, 19. Matthew Nash, 22. Ali Abbas, 23. Ryan Griffiths, 25. Jacob Pepper, 26. Connor Chapman *two to be omitted*

In: 26. Connor Chapman (promoted), 11. Tarek Elrich (returns from suspension), 12. Jobe Wheelhouse (returns from virus)
Out: 5. Tiago Calvano (suspended – 1 match)
Unavailable: Sam Gallaway (knee), 24.Francis Jeffers (ankle)

Wellington Phoenix: 1. Mark Paston (gk), 2. Manny Muscat, 3. Tony Lochhead, 6. Tim Brown, 7. Leo Bertos, 8. Paul Ifill, 9. Chris Greenacre, 11. Daniel, 12. Nicky Ward, 15. Cameron Lindsay, 18. Ben Sigmund, 19. Jimmy Downey, 20, Tony Warner (gk), 21. Dani Sanchez, 22. Andrew Durante (c), 24. Alex Smith *one to be omitted*

In: Cameron Lindsay (promoted)
Out: Nil
Unavailable: Vince Lia (knee injury 1 to 2 weeks), Lucas Pantelis (knee injury – indefinite)

A-League Teams, Central Coast Mariners v Adelaide United
Bluetongue Stadium, Saturday 5:30pm (EDT)

Central Coast Mariners: 1. Mathew Ryan (gk), 2. Daniel Mcbreen, 3. Joshua Rose, 4. Pedj Bojic, 5. Brad Porter, 6. Patrick Zwaanswijk, 7. John Hutchinson, 8. Rostyn Griffiths, 9. Bernie Ibini, 10. Adriano Pellegrino, 11. Oliver Bozanic, 12. Troy Hearfield, 13. Stuart Musialik, 14. Michael Mcglinchey, 15. Brad Mcdonald, 16. Trent Sainsbury, 17. Tomas Rogic, 18. Alex Wilkinson (c) 20. Justin Pasfield (gk), 21. Sam Gallagher, 22. Mustafa Amini, 23. Adam Kwasnik *seven to be omitted*

In: 5. Brad Porter, 10. Adriano Pellegrino, 13. Stuart Musialik, 15. Brad Mcdonald, 16. Trent Sainsbury, 17. Tomas Rogic, 21. Sam Gallagher (All Promoted)
Out: Nil
Unavailable: Nil

Adelaide United: 1.Eugene Galekovic (gk) (c), 2.Osama Malik, 3.Nigel Boogaard, 5.Daniel Mullen, 7.Zenon Caravella, 9.Sergio van Dijk, 10.Dario Vidosic, 11.Bruce Djite, 12.Antony Golec, 14.Cameron Watson, 15.Jacob Melling, 16.Spase Dilevski, 17.Iain Ramsay, 18.Fabian Barbiero, 20.Mark Birighitti (gk), 21.Francisco Usucar *one to be omitted*

In: Spase Dilevski (returns from injury)
Out: Nil
Unavailable: Milan Susak (hamstring), Cassio (foot), Jon McKain (knee), Evgeniy Levchenko (groin)

A-League Teams, Melbourne Heart v Brisbane Roar
AAMI Park, Saturday 7:45pm (EDT)

Melbourne Heart: 1. Clint Bolton (gk), 2. Michael Marrone, 3. Brendan Hamill, 4. Simon Colosimo, 6. Matt Thompson, 7. Rutger Worm, 8. Kristian Sarkies, 9. Maycon, 11. Alex Terra, 13. Jonatan Germano, 15. David Williams, 16. Aziz Behich, 17. Jason Hoffman, 18. Curtis Good, 19. Eli Babalj, 23. Mate Dugandzic, 30. Sebastian Mattei (gk) *two to be omitted*

In: Eli Babalj (promoted), Simon Colosimo (returns from injury)
Out: Nil
Unavailable: Nick Kalmar (back – 4 weeks), Kliment Taseski (foot – 4 to 6 weeks), Fred (groin – 4 to 6 weeks), Wayne Srhoj (quad – 1 week)

Brisbane Roar: 1. Michael Theoklitos (gk), 2. Matt Smith (c), 3. Shane Stefanutto, 4. Matt Jurman , 5. Ivan Franjic, 6. Erik Paaratlu, 7. Besart Berisha, 8. Massimo Murdocca, 9. Kofi Danning, 10. Henrique, 11. Issey Nakajima-Farran, 14. Rocky Visconte, 16. Mohamed Adnan, 17. Mitch Nichols, 18. Luke Brattan, 19. Jack Hingert, 20. Andrew Redmayne (gk), 22. Thomas Broich *three to be omitted*

In: 19. Jack Hingert (promoted), 18. Luke Brattan (promoted), 9. Kofi Danning (promoted)
Out: Nil
Unavailable: Nil

A-League Teams, Sydney FC v Gold Coast United
Sydney Football Stadium, Sunday 5pm (EDT)

Sydney FC squad: 1. Liam Reddy, 2. Sebastian Ryall, 4. Pascal Bosschaart, 5. Michael Beauchamp, 7.Brett Emerton, 8. Karol Kisel, 9. Bruno Cazarine, 10. Nick Carle, 12. Shannon Cole, 15. Terry McFlynn (c), 17.Terry Antonis, 19. Mark Bridge, 20. Ivan Necevski, 21. Scott Jamieson, 22. Nathan Sherlock, 23. Rhyan Grant, 24. Mitch Mallia
*two to be omitted*

In: Pascal Bosschaart (returns from suspension), Shannon Cole (promoted)
Out: Dimi Petratos (not selected)
Unavailable: Nil

Gold Coast United Squad: 20.Jerrad Tyson [gk], 3.Michael Thwaite (c), 4.Zac Anderson, 5.Kristian Rees, 10.Tahj Minniecon,13.Ante Rozic, 14.Ben Halloran, 15.Adama Traore, 16.Maceo Rigters, 17.Chris Harold, 18.James Brown, 21.Daniel Severino, 22.Peter Jungschlager, 23.Dylan McGowan, 24.Jonas Salley, 28.Daniel Bowles, 29.Mitch Bevan, 40.Chris O’Connor [gk] *three to be omitted*

In: 4.Zac Anderson, 10.Tahj Minniecon,17.Chris Harold, 23.Dylan McGowan, 28.Daniel Bowles (all promoted).
Out: 12.Dylan Macallister (hamstring – 6 weeks), 6.Paul Beekmans (personal leave – 2 weeks),
Unavailable: 1.Glen Moss (groin injury – 6 weeks), 9.Joel Porter (calf – 3 weeks), 19.Chris Broadfoot (ankle injury – indefinite)

A-League Teams, Perth Glory v Melbourne Victory
nib Stadium, Sunday 7:30pm (EDT)

Perth Glory: 1.Danny Vukovic (gk), 2. Josh Mitchell, 3.Bas van den Brink, 4.Billy Mehmet, 5.Steve Pantelidis, 7.Jacob Burns (c) 8.Adam Hughes, 9.Shane Smeltz, 10.Liam Miller, 14.Steven McGarry, 15.Tommy Amphlett, 16.Evan Berger, 17.Todd Howarth, 18 Jesse Makarounas, 19, Josh Risdon, 21.Mile Sterjovski, 22.Adam Taggart, 27. Andrezinho 30. Lewis Italiano (gk), 35. Dean Heffernan *five to be omitted*

In: 2. Josh Mitchell (returns from injury), 4.Billy Mehmet (returns from injury) 15.Tommy Amphlett (promoted), 18 Jesse Makarounas (promoted), 35. Dean Heffernan (promoted)
Out: Nil
Unavailable: 6.Chris Coyne (Achilles), 11.Victor Sikora (hip – long term injury list), 12.Scott Neville (knee), 13.Travis Dodd (abdominal strain)

Melbourne Victory: 2. Matthew Foschini, 4. Petar Franjic, 6. Leigh Broxham, 7. Matthew Kemp, 8. Grant Brebner, 9. Jean Carlos Solorzano, 10. Archie Thompson, 11. Marco Rojas, 12. Rodrigo Vargas, 13. Diogo Ferreira, 16.Carlos Hernandez, 17, Jimmy Jeggo, 18. Danny Allsopp, 19. Isaka Cernak , 20. Lawrence Thomas (GK), 21. Ante Covic (GK), 22. Harry Kewell, 23. Adrian Leijer (c) *three to be omitted*

In: 7. Matthew Kemp, 17. Jimmy Jeggo (both promoted)
Out: 3. Fabio (suspended), 14. Billy Celeski (groin), 15. Tom Pondeljak (back)
Unavailable: 14. Billy Celeski (groin), 15. Tom Pondeljak (back)

Hyundai A-League Preview – Week 16

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Hyundai A-League Preview – 2011/12 – Week 16

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Week 16 of the Hyundai A-League kicks off tomorrow night, our A-League preview takes you through all of the action. In week 15 we saw the Central Coast Mariners extend their unbeaten run to 14 games. We also saw Brisbane Roar score two injury time goals to defeat Sydney FC in a thriller. If week 16 provides the same level of drama we’re in for a great weekend.

Hyundai A-League Preview

Hyundai A-League – Week 16 – Weekend Matches

Newcastle Jets v Wellington Phoenix – Hyundai A-League Preview
AusGrid Stadium, Friday 20 January, 8.00pm

Friday night sees Newcastle Jets host the Phoenix at AusGrid Stadium in Newcastle. Last weekend, the Jets managed to hold the Mariners to a draw on the weekend and will head into this one in 2nd last place. They’re four points clear of last placed Gold Coast United. Wellington had a hard fought 1-0 win over Gold Coast and have moved up to 4th on the ladder.

This week, the Jets will be hoping that AusGrid Stadium continues to bear fruit. So far this season they have secured 16 of their 18 points at home. That is a remarkable record and if they could get their act together away from home they would push for a top 6 spot.

Wellington don’t tend to travel too well and for that reason I think the Jets will get all 3 points in this one. Newcastle will move into the top 6 with a win, which shows just how close the Hyundai A-League is this year.

Central Coast Mariners v Adelaide United – Hyundai A-League Preview
BlueTongue Stadium, Saturday 21 January, 5.30pm

Next up in our A-League preview and after playing a mid-week game, the Mariners host Adelaide United. The Mariners have stretched their unbeaten streak to now with a 1-1 draw against the Jets on the weekend. A win against Melbourne Heart away from home extending that run to 14 games.

Adelaide are the most improved team in the competition, it seems a new coach has done wonders for them. John Kosmina only took over a month ago and he has instilled passion in the players that was missing under Rini Coolen. They’ll fancy an upset in this one.

I don’t have the same amount of confidence, I think the Mariners will be far too good in this one. The only thing that could mess them up us some tired legs from the mid-week game but Arnold will no doubt have that covered.

Melbourne Heart v Brisbane Roar – Hyundai A-League Preview
AAMI Park, Saturday 21 January, 7.45pm

Our A-League preview continues with the Brisbane Roar travelling down to Melbourne to tackle the Heart. Melbourne Heart are coming off a late 1-0 loss to the Mariners overnight and a 2-1 loss to Perth on the weekend. Brisbane Roar came from a goa down in injury time to defeat Sydney FC 2-1 at Suncorp on Saturday night.

The form of both teams seems to have switched again with the Roar moving back up to second place. Melbourne Heart have had 2 losses and a draw in their last 3 while the Roar have had 2 wins and a draw. Just a month ago the Roar had lost 6 in a row and the Heart were the form team in the competition.

This should be a beauty, both teams like to attack so we should have plenty of entertainment. I think both sides will have to settle for a point though, AAMI Park should be the leveller here.

Sydney FC v Gold Coast United – Hyundai A-League Preview
SFS, Sunday 22 January, 5.00pm

On Sunday our A-League preview takes us to the SFS as Sydney FC host Gold Coast United. Sydney FC are still without a win since mid December, including 4 losses in a row in this terrible run. Gold Coast aren’t faring much better despite their improvement as they sit dead last on the ladder by 4 points.

Sydney FC could have had 2 wins in the space of 4 days that would have moved the up to 3rd on the ladder. However despite leading 1-0 in both games with just minutes to go, they came out with just a solitary point. Vitislav Lavicka’s days at the helm must surely now be numbered. The question is, who do you replace him with at this stage of the season?

I think Sydney FC will bounce back here against Gold Coast. Their away form is atrocious and Sydney are due for a win.

Perth Glory v Melbourne Victory – Hyundai A-League Preview
nib Stadium, Sunday 22 January, 7.30pm

The last of our weekend matches for this Hyundai A-League preview sees Melbourne travel to Perth to take on the Glory. Last weekend the Victory could only manage a point from the match in what was considered to be Harry Kewell’s best performance to date. Adelaide turned up ready for a fight and earned a valuable point. Perth managed a last gasp 1-1 draw with Sydney FC overnight. They also had a 2-1 win over the other half of Melbourne, both were away matches.

At home, Perth have been shaky of late. They haven’t won a match at home since the start of December. On the other side, the Victory haven’t won an away match since the end of October and have been this season’s draw specialists.

For this reason, I’m tipping a draw for this one. There shouldn’t be too many goals so I’ll go for 1-1.

Week 16 Mid-Week Fixture

Adelaide United v Newcastle Jets – Hyundai A-League Preview
Carrington Park, Wednesday 25 January, 8.00pm

On Wednesday night week 16 continues from Carrington Park in Bathurst with Adelaide United giving up a home match. This season the A-League has incorporated regional venues into the mid-week matches and they’ve been received well so far. This bottom of the table clash should provide us with plenty of entertainment.

With Adelaide more than likely staying in NSW following their trip to the Central Coast on Saturday, travel shouldn’t be an issue. Playing 2 games in 4 days might though. The Jets have the advantage of an extra days rest for this one and as this is technically a home game for them, I think they can take at least a point.

Twitter - Hyundai A-League Preview - Week 16

sportsbanter.com.au Tips – Hyundai A-League:

Newcastle Jets v Wellington Phoenix – #HALjetswp – Jets
CC Mariners v Adelaide United – #HALccmau – Mariners
Melbourne Heart v Brisbane Roar – #HALmhbri – Draw
Sydney FC v Gold Coast United – #HALsydgcu – Sydney FC
Perth Glory v Melbourne Victory – #HALpgmv – Draw
Adelaide United v Newcastle Jets – #HALaujets – Draw

A-League Preview – Banter’s Best Bets – Hyundai A-League:

Newcastle Jets v Wellington Phoenix – Jets +0.5 @ $1.29
CC Mariners v Adelaide United – Mariners @ $1.80
Melbourne Heart v Brisbane Roar – Total Game Score Over +2.5 @ $1.72
Sydney FC v Gold Coast United – Sydney FC @ $1.85
Perth Glory v Melbourne Victory – Victory +0.5 @ $1.55

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English Premier League Preview – 2011/12 – Week 21

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Welcome to our English Premier League preview for week 21. After a weeks hiatus due to round 3 of the FA Cup, the Premier League returns back to our screens this weekend in all its glory. This should be a cracking week too with things heating up at both ends of the table now that we are over half way through the season.

Tottenham continue to surprise, they had a 2-0 win over Everton mid-week and now sit just 3 points off the top of the table. Manchester City still sit alone at the top, but now have 2 sides chasing them. All teams have now played 20 matches so from here on in we have no teams with a game in hand. This should make it easier to keep track of where teams stand in the race for the title, and the battle to avoid relegation.

English Premier League Preview

English Premier League Preview
Saturday 

We kick off this Premier League preview with a run of 7 games at 2am our time Sunday morning. 4 of the top 6 sides are in action in this timeslot with Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham all at home.

Chelsea take on a rejuvenated Sunderland side at Stamford Bridge following a last up win over Portsmouth in the FA Cup. Sunderland also had a win in the 3rd round of the FA Cup with a 2-0 victory over Peterborough United. Both sides also won their respective Premier League matches just over a week ago. Chelsea with a 2-1 win away from home against Wolves, and Sunderland thrashing Wigan 4-1, also away from home.

Sunderland have climbed up into the top half of the ladder after being close to the relegation zone just before Christmas. This is no doubt due to the influence of new manager Martin O’Neill. The club is now going from strength to strength following the sacking of Steve Bruce. Chelsea sit 11 points behind Manchester City at the top of the table. They’re currently in 4th place and they have been inconsistent at best under Villas-Boas. It will be interesting to see whether the deal for Gary Cahill goes through in time for this match and whether the manager is given any further funds for reinforcements.

With this one being at Stamford Bridge I think Chelsea will grab the win here but it won’t come easy.

Liverpool take on Stoke City at Anfield following their 1-0 win over Manchester City in the Carling Cup Semi Final First Leg mid-week. However prior to this they were taken apart in a 3-0 demolition by that same club in week 20 of the Premier League.

Stoke had a 3-1 win over Blackburn Rovers last time out, and currently sit in 8th place on the table. They have not had a great record away from home this season with just 8 goals scored and 20 against in 10 matches. Liverpool are undefeated at home, however 60% of those matches have ended up in a draw, with just the 4 wins from 10 matches.

I think this one will go in Liverpool’s favour though, that win over Manchester City mid-week would have got them pumped up. They also have a fit again Steven Gerrard to control their midfield again.

Manchester United host 18th placed Bolton Wanderers and are coming off the back of a surprise 3-0 defeat to Newcastle United in the Premier League. They made up for that with a 3-2 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup 3rd round last weekend. Bolton are resigned to losing their star centre back, Gary Cahill, to Chelsea and will hope that he is still a Bolton player at least for this match.

This match should be pretty cut and dried, I can’t see Bolton coming close to Manchester United at Old Trafford. You can almost bet your house on this one.

Tottenham take on Wolves at White Hart Lane and they are coming off the back of a 2-0 mid-week win over Everton. This match was postponed earlier in the season and they no longer have that game in hand, they say that it’s better to have the 3 points in hand though. Now Tottenham sit in equal second place on points with Manchester United, only goal difference has them in 3rd place. They have surprised so far this season and it will be interesting to see whether they can keep it up for the second half.

Wolves currently sit in 16th place on the table and are coming off a narrow 2-1 loss to Chelsea in their last Premier League match. They also have an FA Cup replay to contend with soon as they drew 0-0 with Birmingham last weekend.

I can’t go past Tottenham at home in this one as much as it pains me to say. They could be level on Points at the top of the table with Manchester City not playing until Monday.

In other earlier matches Aston Villa host Everton at Villa Park. Aston Villa are coming off a 2-0 loss to Swansea in the Premier League but made it through to round 4 of the FA Cup with a 3-1 win over Bristol Rovers. Everton went down 2-0 to Tottenham in their mid-week fixture, and 2-1 to Bolton a fortnight ago. They currently sit outside the top half in 11th place for the first time I can remember. They will need some serious reinforcements if they are going to get anywhere near the European places this season.

These mid table clashes usually produce quality football, I think Everton will bounce back in this one and get themselves back into that top half.

Bottom placed Blackburn Rovers host Fulham at Ewood Park following their exit from the FA Cup at the hands of Newcastle United. Fulham annihilated Charlton 4-0 in their match and are also coming off a last start Premier League win over Arsenal. They won that match 2-1 but they still sit in 14th place on the table, they’d like to be a lot higher and a win here could push them into the top half.

Blackburn have little hope of avoiding relegation if statistics are anything to go by. West Brom are the only team in the last 7 years to finish bottom at Christmas and avoid relegation. The other 6 finished on the bottom.

I think Fulham will grab the 3 points in this one, Blackburn’s home record is enough to sway me in that direction.

The last of the Saturday matches sees West Brom hosting Norwich City at the Hawthorns following their 4-2 win over Cardiff City in the FA Cup. Norwich also had a big win in the FA Cup, beating Burnley 4-1 to progress to the 4th round. West Brom had a 1-0 loss in the Premier League against Tottenham a fortnight ago, while Norwich beat QPR 2-1.

Norwich have impressed this season and are currently sitting in 9th place on the table. West Brom sit in 15th and don’t have a very good home record. For that reason I will take the draw in this one, Norwich’s away form is enough for me to see a share of the spoils in this one.

English Premier League Preview
Sunday

The first of the Sunday matches (Monday morning our time) in the Premier League sees Newcastle United hosting QPR at the Sports Direct Arena. Newcastle surprised everyone with a thumping 3-0 win over Manchester United in their last EPL match, and continued their form in the FA Cup with a 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers. QPR have an FA Cup replay to look forward to after their match with MK Dons was drawn 1-1. They also lost 2-1 to Norwich City in the English Premier League and sit just a point outside the relegation zone.

QPR now have a new manager in Mark Hughes after Neil Warnock was given the boot. Rumours are floating around that QPR have a fairly hefty war chest to hand the new manager in January, so we’ll see what comes of this over the next couple of weeks.

A new manager can do amazing things to a team, as seen with Sunderland, so I think QPR will be up for this one. I predict a high scoring match but Newcastle should just have enough in them to get the 3 points.

Next up we have Arsenal away to Swansea following their narrow 1-0 win over Leeds in the FA Cup. They had the legend that is Thierry Henry to thank for that goal and I thought it only fitting to include footage of that in this preview, enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gINlrSLbAq8

Despite the King’s return, Arsenal still have to contend with the fact that they didn’t create much against Leeds on that night. Also, their 2-1 loss to Fulham dropped them down to 5th on the table with Liverpool and Newcastle breathing down their neck.

It will be interesting to see how Wenger uses Henry in this one after resting Robin van Persie for the last match. An Henry – van Persie partnership up front would be unbelievable to see and I don’t think Swansea would be able to cope. Arsenal should have too much for Swansea despite playing away from home, this match should have plenty of entertainment.

English Premier League Preview
Monday

Last up on Tuesday morning our time we’ll see league leaders Manchester City away from home to second from bottom Wigan Athletic. Manchester City have been knocked out of the FA Cup and are looking at an elimination from the Carling Cup following their first leg loss. They lost 1-0 to Liverpool courtesy of a Steven Gerrard penalty and they’ll also go into this one without their best defender in Vincent Kompany. He’ll miss a couple more too following his straight red card a couple of weeks ago.

Wigan at home have not been too crash hot this season, and Manchester City have also been a bit susceptible away from home so far. I can’t see this one going any other way than a win to Man City though to be honest. They’ll be hurting following their recent losses and they’ll put all of their best available players out for this one.

Twitter - English Premier League Preview

sportsbanter.com.au Tips:

Aston Villa v Everton – #avfcvefc – Everton
Blackburn v Fulham – #brfcvffc – Fulham
Chelsea v Sunderland – #cfcvsfc – Chelsea
Liverpool v Stoke – #lfcvstoke – Liverpool
Manchester United v Bolton – #mufcvbwfc – Man Utd
Tottenham v Wolves – #thfcvwolves – Tottenham
West Brom v Norwich – #wbavncfc – Draw
Newcastle v QPR – #nufcvqpr – Newcastle
Swansea v Arsenal – #scfcvafc – Arsenal
Wigan v Manchester City – #wiganvmcfc – Man City

Banter’s Best Bets – Multibet 

Aston Villa v Everton – Total Game Score Under +2.5 @ $1.65
Blackburn v Fulham – Fulham +0.5 @ $1.44
Chelsea v Sunderland – Total Game Score Over +2.5 @ $1.65
Liverpool v Stoke – Total Game Score Under +2.5 @ $1.88
Manchester United v Bolton – Total Game Score Over +2.5 @ $1.36
Tottenham v Wolves – Tottenham @ $1.26
West Brom v Norwich – Norwich +0.5 @ $1.80
Newcastle v QPR – Total Game Score Over +2.5 @ $1.83
Swansea v Arsenal – Arsenal @ $1.71
Wigan v Manchester City – Total Game Score Over +2.5 @ $1.60

Multibet Odds: $113.82

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Hyundai A-League Preview – 2011/12 Season – Week 15

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Welcome to our A-League preview for week 15 of the Hyundai A-League. This week we have 7 games to get through with additional midweek games scheduled between the league leading Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne Heart who currently sit in third place. Also scheduled is the match from week 9 between Sydney FC and Perth Glory. This should be a cracking round of action with some exciting match-ups, and the possible return of Thomas Broich for the Brisbane Roar, who has been out for well over a month now.

Brisbane have been well below par over the period Broich has been out, and suggestions that they are a one man team can no longer be thought of as wide of the mark.

The future of Vitislav Lavicka is also in question after a run of poor performances by his Sydney FC side. How much longer will the Sydney FC management be willing to back their under fire coach. All of this and more in our A-League preview for week 15 below.

Hyundai A-League Preview

Melbourne Victory v Adelaide United – Hyundai A-League Preview
AAMI Park, Friday, January 13, 8.00pm 

First up in our Hyundai A-League preview is the match between Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United from AAMI Park. Adelaide United have probably been the most improved team in the A-League over the last month or so. They’ve moved themselves off the bottom of the ladder and a win would see them move into 5th place, although temporarily. Melbourne Victory have been up and down all season, they currently sit in 6th place on the table and have a new coach on board following the sacking of Mehmet Durakovic.

Jim Magilton is the man recruited from Northern Ireland to take the Victory to another level, something definitely required this season with the Victory nowhere near their best. Durakovic rarely got the best out of his players and it seemed he did not know where to play Harry Kewell in a strike force that rivals any in the Hyundai A-League. A new coach will be a boost to the Victory and I think they will go from strength to strength with 11 weeks still remaining in the season, and top 6 spots open for the taking.

Adelaide will be one of those teams fighting for a top 6 spot come the end of the season, after a miserable start they’ve finally got their season back on track. They’ll be looking to build on their impressive form over the last month. They did receive a blow during the week though with Jon McKain expected to miss the next 4-6 weeks with a knee injury.

Melbourne Victory with a new coach should be up for this one, and I think they will take all 3 points at home.

Central Coast Mariners v Newcastle Jets – Hyundai A-League Preview
Bluetongue Stadium, Saturday, 14 January, 5.30pm

Next up in our Hyundai A-League preview is the top of the table Mariners hosting the Jets at Bluetongue Stadium. The Mariners are on fire at the moment and have an 8 point lead over the second place Roar. The frightening thing is the Mariners also have a game in hand which could mean they come out of week 15 with a 14 point lead.

The Jets’ season has gone from bad to worse, they succumbed to a 2-1 loss against the Victory on the weekend. They sit in second last place on the table and have only won 1 of their last 6 matches. Things won’t get any easier as they take on the Mariners in this F3 derby. The last time these two sides met, the Mariners scored a comfortable 2-0 victory at this same ground.

To be honest I can’t see this result turning out any differently, if anything the scoreline could get embarrassing if both sides form is taken into account. Mariners by a few goals for mine.

Brisbane Roar v Sydney FC – Hyundai A-League Preview
Suncorp Stadium, Saturday, 14 January, 7.45pm 

The third game in our Hyundai A-League preview sees Sydney FC travel north to take on Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium. The last two times these two sides met, Sydney FC ended the Roar’s 36 game unbeaten streak with a 2-0 win at WIN Stadium. The Roar will have that in the back of their minds as they now sit 8 points behind the Mariners and have only won 1 of their last seven since that defeat. 

Sydney FC have had a festive period they would rather forget to be honest. They haven’t won a game since their 2-1 win over Newcastle in mid December, almost a month now. Vitislav Lavicka is under some serious pressure and with the sacking of Mehmet Durakovic at the Victory, Sydney FC bosses will feel justified if they let him go. In the second half against the Mariners last week, Sydney FC looked much more dangerous and could have snatched a draw on a number of occasions.

This will be a cracking match, the scene is set with Thomas Broich set to make his long awaited return for the Roar. Sydney FC also have Nick Carle back to full fitness after he played with the handbrake on against the Mariners. I think this match will provide plenty of entertainment and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a couple of goals in the back of the net for each side. I’m going to tip a 2-2 draw for this one.

Melbourne Heart v Perth Glory – Hyundai A-League Preview
AAMI Park, Sunday, 15 January, 4.00pm

Next up in our Hyundai A-League preview, Perth Glory travel to AAMI Park to take on Melbourne Heart. The Heart have gone from one of the form teams in the competition to having a loss and a draw against what were the league’s bottom clubs in Adelaide and Gold Coast United. They now sit 3rd on the table, level on points but behind on goal difference with the Roar. 

Perth Glory have had 2 draws and a win in their last 3 games to sit 7th on the table going into this week. Last time out they had a 1-0 win over Wellington Phoenix away from home, no mean feat, and they’ll head into this one with a bit of confidence. The last time these two sides met, Perth scored a 2-1 victory at AAMI Park so Melbourne Heart cannot take this one lightly.

Both of these sides also have midweek fixtures to look forward to, with the Heart taking on the league leading Mariners at home. Perth Glory take on Sydney FC in the rescheduled match at Campbelltown Stadium that the Glory were unable to make due to bad weather. We’ll have updated team news for these matches closer to match time.

With Melbourne Heart’s form dipping, and Perth starting to get some semblance of form back, I think the Glory could get themselves at least a point here. 

Gold Coast United v Wellington Phoenix – Hyundai A-League Preview
Skilled Park, Sunday, 15 January, 6.30pm 

The last match for the weekend’s week 15 action is the match-up between Gold Coast United and Wellington Phoenix from Skilled Park on the Gold Coast. Last weekend, Gold Coast United managed to take a point off Melbourne Heart at home, whereas the Phoenix went down 1-0 to the Glory at home.

Wellington Phoenix still sit 4th on the table despite their 1-0 loss courtesy of a festive season that saw them win 2 and lose 2 of their 4 games. They’re 4 points off the 3rd placed Melbourne Heart, and only 2 points in front of 5th placed Sydney FC. A loss here could see them drop to as low as 7th on the table depending on other results.

Gold Coast, despite their improved form over the last month, remain rooted to the bottom of the table. This shows just how close the competition is and that the sides at the bottom of the table are still capable of making that all important top 6. Away from home, Wellington have been less than impressive this season, and with Gold Coast’s improved form I think they can get all 3 points at home in this one.

Week 9 & 15 Midweek Fixtures – Hyundai A-League Preview
Wednesday, 18 January

Week 9 of the A-League finally sees it’s postponed match go ahead after the Glory were unable to make a flight to Sydney in early December. Bad weather in Perth meant the match was abandoned, both sides felt the effects too with neither side able to post a win the following weekend.

Week 15 of the Hyundai A-League continues with a top of the table clash between Melbourne Heart and the Central Coast Mariners from AAMI Park. It will be interesting to see whether any players are rested in their respective weekend matches in preparation for this one. With the Mariners 8 points clear at the top, and possible 11 going into this one, they don’t really have to worry too much about this one. This may be the perfect opportunity for Graham Arnold to rest some key players heading into the back end of the season.

We’ll have more team news and analysis after the weekend’s matches.

Twitter - Hyundai A-League Preview - Week 15

Hyundai A-League Preview – sportsbanter.com.au Tips:

Melbourne Victory v Adelaide United – #HALmvau – Victory
CC Mariners v Newcastle Jets – #HALccmjets – Mariners
Brisbane Roar v Sydney FC – #HALbrisyd – Draw
Melbourne Heart v Perth Glory – #HALmhpg – Draw
Gold Coast v Wellington Phoenix – #HALgcuwp – Gold Coast

Hyundai A-League Preview Banter’s Best Bets – Multibet 

Melbourne Victory v Adelaide United – Victory @ $1.95
CC Mariners v Newcastle Jets – Central Coast @ $1.50
Brisbane Roar v Sydney FC – Sydney FC +0.5 @ $2.28
Melbourne Heart v Perth Glory – Glory @ $1.98
Gold Coast v Wellington Phoenix – Total Game Score Under 2.5 @ $1.80

Multibet Odds – $23.77

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