PREMIER LEAGUE football comes thick and fast as the festive schedule kicks into gear.
We’ve got betting tips for your from four weekend games across the top-flight, including Arsenal’s trip to Everton, Leicester’s tussle with Man City and two huge matches on Super Sunday.
Arsenal were stunned as Man City scored twice in 15 minutes at the EmiratesCredit: Reuters
Everton vs Arsenal, Saturday 12.30pm
WHAT a difference a fortnight makes.
Two weeks ago we’d be bigging this game up as Emery vs Silva – the fight of the flops.
Instead, it’s looking likely that we’ll have club legend Mikel Arteta taking charge of his first Arsenal game, with Carlo Ancellotti potentially in the home dugout.
Even if it isn’t the Italian maestro, Big Duncan Ferguson will once again take charge of Everton and that’s reason enough to trust them – in part – with your cash this weekend.
If you’re looking for a winner in the lunchtime kick-off at Goodison, do what we’ve done for weeks now with Arsenal and stay away from the results market.
With the Gunners, it’s impossible to determine which team turns up.
Everything clicked for eight minutes against West Ham and all that summer promise of pace, trickery and above all goal threat oozed from the Arsenal front-four.
Sadly, just six days later against Man City their defence was shown up for what it is. Abject.
Kevin De Bruyne almost looked embarrassed as he tore the Gunners apart infront of their home crowd.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was a passenger for most of the match against CityCredit: Reuters
Even with the prospect of a new manager to impress, we doubt that Arteta is going to sort out this absolute disaster of a back-line in less than two days.
Everton were solid against Man Utd and have picked up four points from six under Big Dunc.
They were too relentless for Chelsea in his first match and look like a side reborn and re-energised.
The bookies have cottoned on and both teams to score is a tiny 4/9, so only use that to top up an acca – but back it with confidence.
Arsenal are ranked the 11th best away side in the division this term and odds of 13/10 on an Everton win is overpriced, especially considering the wave of optimism sweeping Merseyside.
Even if a new manager is in place in the visiting dugout, we wouldn’t expect to see any real progress until Chelsea at home on the 29th.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin looks a player reborn since Marco Silva left and only needs one more goal to reach the tally he achieved in all of last season.
He ran hard against Utd and was a constant threat with Bernard and Richarlison looking to provide – against this hapless Gunners rear-guard, get on him to score anytime at a generous 13/10.
SunSport’s best bets
Both teams to score at Goodison: 4/9
Everton to beat Arsenal: 13/10
Dominic Calvert-Lewin to bag sixth of the season: 13/10
Man City vs Leicester, Saturday 5.30pm
IS this now simply the battle for second?
Leicester’s relentless winning run was ended last week as Norwich came to the King Power and frustrated Brendan Rodgers’ side in a 1-1 draw.
It still took them to 39 points from 17 games – a terrific return which is higher than at the same point in their title winning season.
Sadly for the Foxes, in 2015/16 there wasn’t a machine-like Liverpool to deal with.
City got back in their groove at the Emirates last time out, dispatching Arsenal by half-time and then sauntering through the second period.
Kevin De Bruyne was in inspired form and the defence picked up it’s first clean-sheet in TEN games.
Leicester are ahead of City in the league, have the third best away record in the division and are up against a side winless in their last two home games.
So we’re at a loss to explain the 13/2 you can get on a Leicester win on Saturday evening.
City have struggled all season against sides that come at them, looking to get in behind that high-line defence. Just take a look at the Norwich debacle.
And Leicester’s No1 attacking style? Getting Jamie Vardy in behind a high line.
Kevin De Bruyne tore Arsenal apart in a 3-0 win for Manchester CityCredit: Rex Features
Jamie Vardy headed in an equaliser against Norwich but it was ruled a Tim Krul own goalCredit: AFP or licensors
It’s a recipe for disaster and Pep will have to get his leaky defence drilled if he’s to stop this Foxes side from scoring – the last side to do that was Man Utd on September 14.
Don’t you dare touch the 4/11 on City, who are no longer the banker bet of the weekend when playing at home.
That gives you a pitiful £3.60 profit from a tenner – who is risking you hard-earned to win that?!
Admittedly Leicester have lost comfortably on their last three visits here, but in that title-winning season – when they were in a groove similar to now – they held no fear.
As a result, they sauntered up to Eastlands and played City off the park, winning 3-1.
We’re not suggesting that is definitely going to happen again, but the 2/1 double chance on a side unbeaten in ten games is simply too big to turn down.
That gets you £30 for your tenner if Leicester win or hold City to a draw. No brainer.
And if you are feeling nostalgic, having a quid on history to repeat itself and Leicester to win 3-1 is a whopping 55/1.
Vardy’s incredible scoring streak was ended last week, but in a fixture which should suit him well we’re all over the 13/8 on him to net anytime.
SunSport’s best bets
Leicester draw or win: 2/1
Jamie Vardy to score once again: 13/8
Leicester to mirror title-winning season and win 3-1: 55/1
Watford vs Man Utd, Sunday 2pm
THERE were signs of life for the Hornets last weekend at Anfield.
Nigel Pearson only had a couple of days to work with his new side, but they were a team who looked free of the shackles and about to enter a new era.
If they’re to avoid relegation there is still plenty of work to do at Vicarage Road.
But in going up to Anfield and putting in a stellar performance against the probable champions, they’ve at least brought back what many Watford fans thought had gone – hope.
For United, their topsy-turvy season continues to lurch from highs to lows.
After the ecstasy of a derby win in City’s own backyard, they were limp against Everton and had to rely on a kid coming off the bench to steal a point.
We’ve told you all year not to back United on their travels – they’ve just two wins to their name and haven’t kept an away clean-sheet this season.
And we don’t think that streak ends here.
With Pearson whipping up the always vocal Vicarage Road crowd, this could be an uncomfortable afternoon for Ole’s fragile side.
Watford were wasteful in front of goal against Liverpool but there were positivesCredit: Getty – Contributor
They do have a decent record here, but one thing this fixture always seems to produce is goals.
Since 2000 the teams have faced each other eight times on this ground – and every single meeting has produced three goals or more.
Get on the 3/4 for over 2.5 goals as a result, whilst we like the look of United winning at half time but failing to win the game.
They’ve proved to be fast starters in three of their last six away games, taking the lead into the break against City, Chelsea and Norwich.
But with Watford scrapping for their lives at the bottom, a play on that market nets you a massive 10/1. Hard to turn that down.
Gerard Deulofeu looked like a player who wanted to leave a fortnight ago – but his cameo at Anfield demonstrated that the player Barcelona thought they’d got all those years ago is still there somewhere.
In a game where we’re backing the Hornets to score and he’ll likely be on set-piece duty, he can grab a goal at 14/5.
SunSport’s best bets
Both teams to score at Vicarage Road: 7/10
Man Utd to be winning at HT, but fail to win the game: 10/1
Gerard Deulofeu on the scoresheet at any time: 14/5
Solskjaer has a worse record in charge of United than Mourinho did when he was sacked
Spurs vs Chelsea, Sunday 4.30pm
WHAT has happened to Chelsea in the last few weeks?!
Four defeats in five Premier League games and the wheels are threatening to come off Super Frank’s first season in charge.
Any coincidence the downturn in form has been centred around the news that the club’s transfer ban has been lifted? Just me? Okay.
Away from Stamford Bridge this term you can pretty much guarantee a goal-fest, with 37 goals being scored at both ends in just EIGHT games.
But after back-to-back defeats on the road at City and then Everton, the Chelsea young guns are starting to feel the pinch.
They come to the shiny Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at just the wrong time.
Spurs’ 2-1 stoppage time win at Wolves was token Jose Mourinho and he’s starting to grind out the victories with four in their last five.
As a result, Tottenham can actually leapfrog Chelsea into the Champions League spots with three points here – that was unthinkable just a month ago.
History isn’t exactly on the Blues’ side either.
Harry Kane led by example with a double as Spurs coasted against BurnleyCredit: Reuters
In their last seven visits to North London they’ve won just once, an early season 2017/18 victory when Spurs were forced to play at the soulless Wembley Stadium.
Tottenham have very much settled into their new ground and it feels like home.
So we’re all over their chances of piling more misery on Lampard as Mourinho looks to get one over his former club.
You can get a whopping 27/20 on a Spurs win, which is more than generous for a side with third-best home record in the Premier League.
Like we mentioned earlier, we’re expecting goals. And a lot of them.
Over 2.5 goals is 8/15 and for this fixture, we reckon that’s overpriced.
Harry Kane found his groove against Burnley and now has 25 goals in 27 games for club and country this season.
He loves a London derby and we just can’t understand how he’s not an odds-on shot to score anytime.
Get on King Kane to do the business.
At 13/10 – remember this is to score at ANY time – that’s our bet of the weekend right there.
SunSport’s best bets
Over 2.5 goals in North London: 8/15
Spurs to beat Chelsea: 27/20
Harry Kane to score anytime: 13/10
*All odds correct at time of publication
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
