Sports Blog 11/12/2015: Match Preview – Premier League, Saturday 12th to Sunday 13th December 2015

With 5 out of a potential 6 sides progressing in Europe attention turns back to the Premier League this weekend, with more than a few top vs bottom ties on the cards.

First up on Saturday sees Norwich try and escape the pull of the relegation battle when they host Everton at 12.45pm on BT Sport 1. The Canaries have struggled since returning to the Premier League, winning only 3 games and losing 8 out of the 15 played. Most recently Norwich lost 2-0 to fellow promotees Watford (who have far and away dealt with the step up to the top flight the best out of last season’s Championship sides), slipping to 16th but with the same 13 points as 18th place Newcastle. It doesn’t help that Norwich has struggled going forwards, their top scorer being midfielder Nathan Redmond, whose 4 goals leaves him at a Super Mega PGM of 16-20.



In contrast Everton have been more than competent up front, Romelu Lukaku’s 11 league goals (and 14 in total) leaving him as the season 2nd highest scorer behind Jamie Vardy. Not that this has helped the Toffees scale the same heights as Leicester, a few too many draws leaving Everton in 9th with 22 points. Currently Everton lurch between 6-2 and 4-0 demolitions against the likes of Sunderland and Aston Villa, and lucky draws against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and, in the League Cup, Norwich themselves. However, with Lukaku in such formidable form (having scored in each of his past 6 games) our Spreadex traders fancy an away win, offering an Everton/Norwich (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 0-0.2 with a Total Goals spread of 2.65-2.85.

Shifting to Saturday afternoon and the gaps between sides only increases, with Manchester United travelling to Bournemouth at 5.30pm on Sky Sports 1. Anything but a win this weekend will put considerable pressure on Louis van Gaal, who is already under near-constant attack at the moment following a string of dull displays that culminated in United crashing out of the Champions League after losing 3-2 to Wolfsburg. That leaves the Manchester side with draws against PSV Eindhoven, Leicester and West Ham, and that aforementioned loss to Wolfsburg, in their last 4 games, playing football that is not only ineffective but unentertaining at the same time. The continued absence of Wayne Rooney means Antony Martial, at a Super Mega PGM of 23-28 with 6 goals, has another chance to impress, his early goal in Germany one of the few mid-week bright sports for van Gaal.



They may still be hovering precariously above the relegation zone (like Norwich they are level on points with 18th place Newcastle) but Bournemouth have been steadily improving over the last few weeks. Hard-earned draws against Swansea and, especially, Everton then gave way to arguably the Cherries’ greatest ever victory, a 1-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. It may be a bit too much to ask of Bournemouth for them to repeat that feat against this weekend, though with Glenn Murray (at 11/2 to score first) ending his 6 game drought against Chelsea it might not be impossible. Not that are Spreadex traders are too confident, offering a Manchester United/Bournemouth (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 0.2-0.4 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.3-2.5.

Turning to Sunday and it’s a (near) top to actual bottom affair, with Arsenal travelling to Aston Villa at 1.30pm on Sky Sports 1. The Gunners pulled off a Great Escape on Wednesday, overcoming an awful start to their European campaign, and very specific set of conditions, to reach the Champions League last 16 for the 16th consecutive season. Wenger will be hoping their 3-0 masterclass against Olympiakos, the kind of game Arsenal have lost too many times in the past, will mark the beginning of a fecund Christmas period, one that has Manchester City and Southampton on the horizon. The Arsenal manager will also be hoping he can keep Olivier Giroud off his book-sized injury list, the Frenchman on 13 goals this season (and at a Super Mega PGM of 42-49) following his hat-trick in Greece.



Without a league win since the opening weekend, Aston Villa are in truly dire straits at the moment. The arrival of Wenger’s semi-protégé (and former Arsenal man) Remi Garde at the start of November hasn’t done much to enliven the Villains, even if they did manage notable draws against Man City and, most recently, Southampton in amongst the losses to Tottenham, Everton and Watford. It’s hard to pick what has been worst for Villa this season: a front line that, on 13 goals, has the joint worst tally with Stoke or a back line that, despite having the best record of the bottom 5 sides (not saying much), has conceded 11 goals since Garde took over. At an Arsenal/Aston Villa (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 0.95-1.15 our Spreadex traders seem to think the latter, with a Total Goals spread of 2.65-2.85 also on offer.

Finally Sunday afternoon sees a triumphant(ish) Tottenham host a hopeful(ish) Newcastle at 4pm on Sky Sports 1. An arguably lucky 2-0 victory over Liverpool last weekend nevertheless gave Steve McClaren his 3rd league victory in charge of the Toon, something that still leaves them in the relegation zone, but only by goal difference. It also gave Georginio Wijnaldum his first goal since he put 4 past Norwich back in the middle of October, leaving the Dutch striker on a Super Mega PGM of 10-14 ahead of Sunday’s game. Yet McClaren needs to build on that win if he wants to keep Newcastle in the Premier League AND keep his job (not necessarily in that order), something he may struggle to do against an in-form Spurs side.



Tottenham didn’t need a win mid-week to reach the Europa League’s last 32; in fact they only needed a draw to secure the top spot in Group J. Yet in an example of the side’s burgeoning class Spurs romped to a 4-1 win over Monaco, complete with an Erik Lamela hat-trick (the Argentinian going into the weekend at a Super Mega PGM of 16-20). In the league Tottenham have lacked that same bite, drawing 3 of their last 4 games; however with confidence riding high after their Thursday’s impressive display our Spreadex traders are expecting big things from Mauricio Pochettino’s side, offering a Tottenham/Newcastle Goal Supremacy spread of 1.4-1.6 with a Total Goals spread of 3-3.2.