Sports Blog 20/03/2015: Match Preview – Premier League, Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd March 2015

As the finish line slowly creeps into sight the tightest contest in the Premier League is for one of the (feasibly) three undecided Champions League spots, with this weekend seeing some key battles in this race.

First up on Saturday is Manchester City’s tougher-than-they-would-like tie against West Brom, at 12.45pm on BT Sport 1. City are fresh off their latest last 16 Champions League exit at the hands of Barcelona, with only a heroic performance from Joe Hart preventing the current English champions from utter embarrassment. And whilst City are still sitting in second, their position (and Pellegrini’s) is far from secure; a strong win against West Brom is exactly the kind of game City need to get their season back on track. Luckily for the Manchester side they have won their last 6 meetings with the Baggies, even if City have lost 4 of their past 6 games. A shake-up from Wednesday’s losing starting line-up is expected, with Sergio Aguero at 5/2 to score first, alongside Wilfred Bony at 15/4 and David Silva at 7/1.



Yet for all the stats, West Brom will be no walkover. The Tony Pulis turnaround that has seen West Brom realistically leave the relegation battle could see a spectacular coup if they can beat City in Manchester. However, the Baggies have only scored 9 goals in 14 league away games, and will be missing first-choice keeper Ben Foster through injury. At the same time, they have more wins than City in their last 6 games, with 5 clean sheets in their last 7. Include a possible return for Victor Anichebe, at 14/1 to score first, alongside strong performances from Saido Berahino (8/1) and Brown Ideye (11/1) and Tony Pulis could pull off a shock result. Yet this does remains a tall order, and City are fancied by our traders at a Man City/West Brom Goal Supremacy spread betting quote of 1.5-1.7 with a Total Goals spread of 2.85-3.05.

The other televised game on Saturday has less impact on the top of the table, but may be a decisive step in Sunderland’s attempts to stay in the top flight as they visit West Ham at 5.30pm on Sky Sports 1. With 4 losses and 2 draws in their last 6 games, one win in 12 league games and only 6 goals in 9 matches, Sunderland are in dire straits. Unsurprisingly this led to the departure of Gus Poyet at the start of the week, with Dick Advocaat taking the helm in his place. The Black Cats are in 17th, one point above Burnley and desperately need a win to keep the relegation wolves at bay.



Fortunately for Sunderland and Advocaat, they are facing a West Ham side whose pre-Christmas form has all but disappeared. They match Sunderland’s form with 4 losses and 2 draws, and are stuck in 10th, a far cry from their top four flirtations in the first half of the season. Sam Allardyce appears to be winding down his tenure at West Ham, with no sign of a new contract despite Big Sam only having a few weeks left; a loss against Sunderland may cement that fact. The Hammers should see the return of Carl Jenkinson and Carlton Cole, but more importantly will still be missing the presence of Enner Valencia. Given how dismal both teams have been, with West Ham being marginally less worse, the Hammers have the edge at a West Ham/Sunderland Goal Supremacy spread betting quote of 0.55-0.75 with a Total Goals spread of 2.5-2.7.

The biggest game of the weekend, in terms of rivalry AND league importance, is Manchester United’s trip to Anfield at 1.30pm on Sky Sports 1. A narrow win against Swansea sees Liverpool on one defeat in 12 matches in all competitions, and unbeaten in 13 league games. Whilst Liverpool haven’t ascended to last season’s heights, sitting in 5th only 2 points behind United in 4th is an impressive feat given the issues the Reds had in the first half of the season, including a 3-0 defeat to United at Old Trafford. Sunday’s game would be the perfect time for Daniel Sturridge’s post-injury form to click, and he is 9/2 to score first, with Raheem Sterling at 15/2 and an inconsistent Steven Gerrard at 9/1.



It has been a similar story this season for Manchester United; like Liverpool they have struggled at points but have seen a turnaround since Christmas that leaves them in a strong position for making a return to Europe. Louis van Gaal will want to, and in fact needs to, change the tide of Man United’s last 7 visits to Anfield, where the Manchester side have only won once. If they can build on the form that saw them beat Tottenham 3-0, looking like the United of old in the process, then they can gain a greater hold on a top four spot. A lot of pressure, then, will be on Angel di Maria, still stuck in a bad spell but the nevertheless at 12/1 to score first, alongside Rooney at 5/1 and Falcao at 7/1. It’s a close game to call, with our Spreadex traders narrowly favouring the home side at a Liverpool/Man United Goal Supremacy spread betting quote of 0.3-0.5; and given how tense this famous rivalry will be, we are offering a Bookings spread of 62-66.

Finally, Chelsea will want to capitalise on their position top of the table when they visit Hull at 4pm on Sky Sports 1. Chelsea currently sit 6 points clear at the top of the league with a game in hand; however they will still be smarting from their Champions League defeat to PSG and a draw against Southampton that left the Blues feeling aggrieved after they claimed they were denied a penalty. They will be even more eager than normal to stake their claim on 1st place and see off any last minute title pushes from Man City or Arsenal. Considering they have won their last three games against Hull without conceding, Mourinho will likely feel confident his side can do what’s needed.



Hull are sitting in 15th place, and on paper should prove to be a breeze for Chelsea. Yet they are growing in confidence with only one loss in their past 6 games, and given their very tough run in know that losses against teams like Chelsea have little chance to be made up with wins against bottom-half sides. One point, or three, is then key to maintain Hull’s escape from the grips of the relegation battle, and Chelsea can expect a tougher time than the table would suggest come Sunday. However, it remains hard to see beyond the Blues, and the away side are favourites at a Chelsea/Hull (h) Goal Supremacy spread betting quote of 1.1-1.3 with a Total Goals spread of 2.4-2.6.