Wednesday, 12 February 2014

Why moneys on Man United bouncing back and Tottenham toppling toothless Toon

15:03

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Why moneys on Man United bouncing back and Tottenham toppling toothless Toon

Why moneys on Man United bouncing back and Tottenham toppling toothless Toon

Posted: 11 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

Another midweek round of top-flight matches in England to tickle your tastebuds is upon us, and Bet Butler can help you boost yout bank account. They've got tips on two of the Premier League games, starting with 7th against 2nd as both Arsenal and Manchester United look to bounce back from disappointing results last weekend; the Gunners being obliterated by Liverpool at Anfield and United dropping points at home to bottom-of-the-table Fulham. Meanwhile, at St James' Park, the goals have dried up for Newcastle, who have failed to net in six of their last seven league games. The Magpies host Tottenham who are still harboring hopes of bagging fourth place after beating rivals Everton. We'll also give you the lowdown on the sides missing key men and begging to be taken on - featuring Aston Villa, Manchester City and Liverpool. Arsenal vs Man United (Wed, 7:45pm) Arsenal displays against the best teams continue to let them down - in the four seasons prior to this their record was a poor W10 D12 L18 against top-six finishers. They've lost all three trips to the current top seven this term, and while they've been better at home against these teams (W2 D2 L0), they are still unconvincing. Man United also had a disappointing weekend but they have a great record against Arsenal, having won 7 of their last 10 meetings with just 1 defeat. United have lost their last 2 away games but will be desperate to prove they are still one of the league's finest teams, and offer some value to get at least a point. Furthermore, while they've failed to win their last 2 games, which Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney both started, they have lost only 2 of 30 games since the start of last season with both starting compared to 11 of 33 matches otherwise. With Arsenal still reeling from the beating they took at Anfield,United should be backed at 1.85 on the Asian Handicap +0.5. United have struggled defensively on the road this season, keeping just 2 clean sheets in their last 15 away games, but they've scored in all but 1 of their last 24 matches on the road. Twelve of those 15 games have had at least 3 goals, as have 6 of their last 10 trips to top-six sides. There have been 3 or more goals in 14 of Arsenal's 18 home games since the start of last season when they've conceded,and Over 2.5 Goals looks a good price at 1.80. Newcastle vs Tottenham (Wed, 7:45pm) Newcastle continue to struggle with injuries and suspension as all of Loic Remy, Cheick Tiote, Fabricio Coloccini and Mathieu Debuchy are out, while Yoan Gouffran is a doubt. And, of course, they failed to replace Yohan Cabaye. They've scored just 1 goal in the 5 matches Remy has missed this season, while they've lost 7 of their last 11 home matches without Coloccini. Recent absences have hurt Newcastle's form as they've failed to score in 6 of their last 7 matches, losing 5 times, and they've lost half their 16 home games against top-half sides since the start of last season. Spurs have an excellent away record this season with a W8 D2 L0 record when excluding against the top three. Moreover, they've won 11 of their 14 trips to middle-third finishers last season and teams currently in the middle-third this term. At 2.35 Tottenham look good value for the win as they try to maintain their challenge for a top-four finish. With Newcastle struggling to score, Under 2.5 Goals is a tempting price at 1.90. However, Spurs' last 5 away wins have all come despite conceding and 71% of their away games since the start of last season have had more than 2 goals. Therefore the goals markets are probably best left alone. Missing men Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa) Vlaar missed Villa's game at the weekend and is a major doubt for their midweek clash against Cardiff. In the last 13 matches the Villa captain has failed to start they've picked up just 2 points, and Cardiff look a decent price to take all three points at 2.40. Fernandinho (Man City) Fernandinho has started 20 of City's 25 games this season, but without him they've failed to score 4 times, including dropping points at Stoke, Sunderland and Norwich. Sergio Aguero is also still out, and without him City's average supremacy has fallen by 50% from 1.46 points per game to just 0.73. Therefore Sunderland look a great price on the Asian Handicap +2.0 at 2.10. Lucas Leiva (Liverpool) Liverpool were superb on Sunday, but they failed to keep a clean sheet. Since the start of last season they've had clean sheets in 41% of the 41 matches Lucas has started, but just 27% of the 22 he's missed, and they've also won just 2 of their 10 away games without the Brazilian. Fulham are coming off a great point at Old Trafford and look worthwhile supporting on the Asian Handicap +1.5 at 1.80.

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Moyes dismisses Ferdinand retirement rumours

Posted: 11 Feb 2014 07:42 AM PST

The veteran centre-back had been tipped to retire by some sections of the British media after reportedly being left out of the club's mid-season training camp in Dubai. However, manager Moyes dismissed the stories as pure speculation. "Whatever was written today was a load of rubbish," he fumed. "Complete nonsense." United visit Arsenal on Wednesday hoping to bounce back from a disappointing 2-2 draw at home to basement club Fulham on Sunday, but Moyes put that result down to persistent bad luck. "In any other game you would have scored many goals from it," the Scot continued. "We had plenty of chances to win the game. "We're doing the right things, we need to keep going. Our luck will change. "Football does that sometimes. We've just got to try to make sure it doesn't happen too often." Moyes' men picked up a 1-0 victory in the reverse fixture against Arsenal, and the Scot his hopeful his charges can rediscover that form this time around. "We got a good result against them at Old Trafford and we'll try for the same again," he added. "We're a top side and hopefully we'll show that. We'll do everything to pick up the three points."

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Can Arsenals defence stand up to its biggest week of the season?

Posted: 11 Feb 2014 07:24 AM PST

Tensions are running high at London Colney this week, after Arsenal's weekend hammering at the hands of Liverpool raised questions over the Gunners' title ambitions. Last week there was a reported training ground row between Per Mertesacker and Yaya Sanogo, the sort that only comes to light when all is not well. It shouldn't be forgotten that the club is in with a decent chance of silverware, they made a record signing in August, and their younger players are turning promise into worth. Arsene Wenger's team have the second best defensive record in the Premier League, having conceded just 26 goals. At this stage last season it was 29, so at first glance the improvement doesn't seem that significant. Of their seven defeats last term, only two came against sides that didn't finish in the top five. At the Emirates they lost to Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City. This time around they've lost four times, but all of them felt meaningful; the opening-day embarrassment to Aston Villa, and then defeats at Old Trafford, the Etihad and Anfield. Once again in the biggest matches, Arsenal are struggling. Taking away their 11-goal negatives at the latter two grounds, however, the Gunners conceded a mere 15 goals in 23 games. This year Wenger's men have won 10 home games by a 2-0 scoreline, but this week will test how far they have really come. Manchester United, Liverpool and Bayern Munich all visit in the space of eight days across three different competitions. Wenger's Franco-German alliance Until last weekend, Arsenal were undefeated whenever Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny had played the full 90 minutes together, and no goalkeeper had more clean sheets in the league than Wojciech Szczesny's 11. The former record was blown away in dramatic style, while Petr Cech moved level with Szczesny after Chelsea's 3-0 win over Newcastle. Before this season, the north Londoners' centre-back pairing was changing regularly due to injuries. There's an argument that captain Thomas Vermaelen is their best defender indvidually, but it's the combination of the other two's characteristics that work best. Koscielny is a proactive defender who likes to win the ball high up the pitch. He is mobile, excellent in possession, intercepts the ball well and is good at making recovery tackles. Mertesacker, meanwhile, is a reactive defender who prefers to drop deep because of his lack of pace. He is strong, comfortable in the air and also decent when bringing the ball out of defence. Despite these contrasting attributes, the two still need to stay close together. It's not simply a case of allowing Koscielny to deny space between the lines and letting Mertesacker drop to the edge of his own box; the back four has to work in tandem. Of course, this would be less of a concern if Mathieu Flamini was available to shield the centre-backs. The suspension of the holding midfielder means he will only play against Bayern. Against Liverpool on Saturday they were facing four attackers in top form. If the defence were to push high up, then Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling would use their pace to exploit the space. But if they played deeper, it would have given Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho room to manoeuvre. Knowing when to sit and when to sprint is the difference that marks out top full-backs - and top teams. Wenger's quandary was obvious from the first whistle. Mertesacker gave away the foul on Suarez which led to the opening goal, while Koscielny was the nearest defender as Martin Skrtel used his thigh to score from the resulting free-kick. The second was down to Koscielny's inability to stay close to Skrtel again, but the corner came as Nacho Monreal was backing away with Sterling sprinting towards him. Wednesday's visitors Manchester United might not be strong at present, but the Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata trio are capable of causing problems. As Liverpool's opening two goals came from crosses, albeit set-pieces, David Moyes will likely persist with the strategy which saw his side attempt 82 against Fulham. Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, will watch the Liverpool DVD with a wry smile on his face. He knows his forwards can be just as ruthless in front of goal, while Bayern's midfield will press their opposite numbers into relinquishing the ball. At full-back Wenger might restore Kieran Gibbs to the starting XI after the abject performance of Monreal against Liverpool. The English youngster has been on the bench for the last month after recovering from injury. Arsenal's full-backs like to support the attack, but it would be better for them to do so against Manchester United rather than Bayern Munich. Both teams will fancy their chances on the wings, but United will be more keen to get to the byline and put the ball into dangerous areas for the likes of former Gunner Van Persie to pounce. The Gunners should be able to dominate the ball against Moyes' men, but few teams get the better of Guardiola's side in the possession stakes.Bayern like to use inverted-wingers and move directly towards goal, but the news that Franck Ribery will be missing is a huge blow for them. If only he had other good players to do the job, eh?

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Parlour: Arsenal must believe in own ability

Posted: 11 Feb 2014 06:30 AM PST

Arsenal were two points clear at the top of the Premier League before their capitulation at Anfield. The defeat saw Chelsea leapfrog the Gunners and take pole position in the race for domestic silverware. Only six points separate the Blues and Brendan Rodgers' team in fourth, with Arsenal and Manchester City sandwiched in between. The Gunners' thrashing on Merseyside has cast major doubts over their title-winning credentials, but Parlour thinks they can still lift the Premier League trophy for the first time since 2004 if they believe in their ability. "They've have got to just keep believing. They're a very good side if they can get their best 11 out," the former England international told FourFourTwo. "Everyone is expecting Man City and Chelsea to do the business, but I still think they have got every chance of going all the way. "The Arsenal players have to believe they can win and think, 'You know we are a very good team ourselves. If we can play to our ability we can get a result.'" Parlour was part of the Arsenal team that pegged back a 12-point gap on reigning champions Manchester United to win the league in 1998. During that title-winning season the Gunners had to recover from back-to-back home defeats against Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool. Parlour also played for the Arsenal side that led the Premier League by eight points in March 2003, but collapsed and handed the title to the Red Devils. With experience on both sides of the run-in, Parlour knows what psychological damage a poor run of form can do. "If you lose a game you have to focus on the next one and win that," Parlour explained. "If you lose two then confidence suddenly lowers in the dressing room. Players start to think, 'Are we good enough?'." Before the weekend's defeat, the Gunners were unbeaten in 10 games; their last loss coming in a 6-3 mauling at the Etihad Stadium. Parlour is hopeful Arsenal can show similar resolve after the Anfield wreckage. "We saw the way Arsenal responded to the City result. That's what they have to do again after the loss to Liverpool," he said. "You can't play well every week. Sometimes it's all about getting results. What I have seen from Arsenal this year is when they play poorly they have managed to grind out a result. You're going to suffer setbacks throughout a season – it's how you respond that matters." Parlour, who won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups during his 12 years at Arsenal, believes crunch time is still to come for the Gunners. "People keep talking about this month, but March isn't going to be easy. They've got Bayern Munich, Tottenham and Chelsea away from home and then Man City at the Emirates," he said. "Arsene Wenger will be hoping they still have a chance with six or seven games to go – that's when the pressure kicks in, when every point is so important and when you need your players to really perform." Ray Parlour was talking to FourFourTwo at theBudweiserOpen Trials, in association with BT Sport, helping decide which London based amateur footballers will have a dream opportunity to play in front of professional scouts at Wembley. Watch the first part of theBudweiserOpen Trials on BT Sport on Saturday March 8, as part of its FA Cup coverage. Subscribe toYouTube.com/BudweiserUKto keep up with all the action.

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Burn meant no disrespect in United Conference jibe

Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:14 AM PST

Despite Uniteds well-documented problems this season, Premier League strugglers Fulham headed to Old Trafford on Sunday as rank outsiders but returned to London with a commendable point. Steve Sidwell opened the scoring in the 19th minute but goals from Robin van Persie and Michael Carrick looked to have secured all three points for United until Darren Bent headed a stoppage-time equalier. Burn, who made only his fourth Premier League appearance against the champions stated after the game that he had not made as many headers in a game since he turned out for Darlington in non-League. But the centre-back has since clarified his comments, stating that he had not intended to criticise the champions style of play. He told Fulhams official website: I didnt mean that quote to sound as disrespectful as it sounded. There were a lot of crosses in the game statistically more than any since stats started so I just joked that I hadnt headed as many balls since the Conference. Burn had orginally said:I was just saying to the lads that Ive never headed that many balls since the Conference. But at the end of the day Im happy for them to play like that. We knew that was going to happen. Once we were dropping further back, we were going to get more compact and make them play around us because we thought we had the strength in numbers. Im 6ft 7in. It helps when dealing with them sort of balls. They had plenty of crosses, loads of chances and stuff but the second goal was quite lucky. I always felt we had something left. Its the first time Ive played against Man U. Its still a massive club and with the players theyve got there, they know that they should be doing better.

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Wenger wary of threat posed by Van Persie

Posted: 11 Feb 2014 02:36 AM PST

The Netherlands striker moved to Old Trafford from North London in 2012 and won the Premier League title in his first season at the club, but United have struggled since David Moyes replaced Alex Ferguson.. However, Wenger knows his former frontman could come back to haunt the Emirates Stadium outfit on Wednesday when Arsenal attempt to bounce back from a 5-1 humiliation at Liverpool at the weekend that saw them drop down to second in the table behind Chelsea.. "Van Persie is a great player," he said. "It's down to how well we defend against him tomorrow "I think the Liverpool game was an accident and we want to treat it like that "We will respond tomorrow (Wednesday) in a very positive way, I'm convinced of that. We know our form at the Emirates will be decisive. "We've been very stable until now defensively, we have to consider how well we have done until now." Arsenal have not won a major trophy since 2005 and Wenger believes his players deserve to end the club's trophy drought following their exploits so far this season. "Winning the Premier League will be a big achievement when we do it but we have a long way to go," he added. "We tend to forget how good we are when you are not successful. "We have worked very hard until now. These players deserve success" Manchester United were 1-0 winners when the two sides met at Old Trafford back in November.

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The FourFourTwo Preview: Arsenal vs Man United

Posted: 11 Feb 2014 12:05 AM PST

Billed as Moyes' softies prepare to feel the wrath of angrier-than-ever Wenger. The lowdown "Today was probably as bad as it gets," lamented David Moyes after bottom-of-the-table Fulham's 94th-minute leveller made it 18 points that Manchester United have dropped at Old Trafford this season. There's plenty of time yet... The team famed for scoring last-gasp goals are now conceding them; four in the final five minutes of league games this term, while late concessions also contributed to their exit of both domestic cups to Swansea and Sunderland. The regularity of United's crossing is no new revelation, yet their one-dimensional approach reached unprecedented levels on Sunday. The team formerly known as champions wanged in a whopping 81 balls from wide areas, 30 more than any team has attempted in a Premier League game in 2013/14. Goalkeeper David de Gea and captain Nemanja Vidic were the only players not to have a go at sticking one in the mixer. "I hadn't headed as many balls since the Conference," quipped Fulham's 6ft 7in former Darlington defender Dan Burn. Moyes bemoaning his side's "mental softness" has only attracted more finger-pointing at the manager himself rather than the players, having been able to call upon Rooney, Van Persie and Mata in recent outings. The Scot's hard luck story is starting to wear thin. Still, what better than a trip to the Emirates to focus the minds; a venue where United have lost just one of their last five visits. The knives are also out in the red half of north London, after Arsenal's latest 'big test' resulted in a Merseyside mauling. "After 19 minutes we were 4-0 down and it was like a car crash," opined Mikel Arteta on being blown away by Liverpool. "The manager was really upset at half-time. It was the angriest I have seen him."Poor performances in crunch clashes have shaped Arsenal's season (and several before it) with Mesut Ozil copping considerable flack for his Anfield failings; not the first time the Gunners' club-record signing has struggled in games of significance. While United pose no immediate threat – 14 points behind them in the table – a second stumble against Moyes' men, particularly at such a low ebb, will set a worrying tone with Liverpool and Bayern lying in wait. Team news Thomas Vermaelen is returning to fitness, but don't expect to see Aaron Ramsey, Yaya Sanogo, Theo Walcott, Abou Diaby and Kim Kallstrom anytime soon/ever. United have a sextet of sidelined souls in the form of Nani, Rio Ferdinand, Jonny Evans, Phil Jones, Marouane Fellaini and Tom Cleverley. Player to watch: Juan Mata (Man United) Moyes must start getting much more from attacking trident 'Juan van Rooney' and varying the play would be a good place to start, rather than the 'get it wide and get it in' approach that Rene Meulensteen's men were able to combat at Old Trafford. Mata swung in 11 crosses against Fulham and 9 at Stoke; in just three outings for United he has put in almost a third of the total number of crosses he did all season for Chelsea. The Spanish schemer scored on each of his last two outings at the Emirates for the Blues, also teeing up Fernando Torres to net in last season's league meeting. With license to roam in the final third, Mata was Chelsea's best passer and completed 3 of his 4 take-ons while making a team-high 8 ball recoveries. The managers Wenger's November defeat at Old Trafford was only his fourth loss against a side managed by Moyes, who can boast a 100% success rate as United boss against the Frenchman. In one game with Preston and 25 with Everton, the Scot drew six and lost 17 against the Gunners, including a 7-0 humping at Highbury in 2004/05. The pair have not always seen eye-to-eye, with Wenger's claims that Everton were over-physical in last season's goalless draw at the Emirates attracting the ire of the Toffees' boss. "I'm not here to make friends... I thought [Wenger was disrespectful]," he snapped. Facts and figures 12 of Arsenal's last 14 home games against top-half teams have had fewer than 3 goals. Arsenal have lost 7 of their last 9 league matches against United. United won 4 of 6 trips to top-four finishers in the previous 2 seasons (W4 D1 L1) but have lost all 3 of their trips to the current top four this term. United have kept just 2 clean sheets in their last 15 away matches but have scored in 23 of their last 24 games on the road. Arsenal have drawn the first half in 8 of their last 11 home games following a defeat. Best Bet:Between 2-3 goals scored in 90 minutes @ 2.05 More FFT Stats Zone facts • Find the best odds with Bet Butler FourFourTwo prediction Another 2-2 draw for United, but this one they're more satisfied with after an entertaining tussle. Arsenal vs Man United LIVE ANALYSIS with Stats Zone

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Mourinho backs Man United top-four hopes

Posted: 10 Feb 2014 11:56 PM PST

A last-gasp draw at home to Fulham on Sunday - secured by Darren Bent's 94th-minute header - heaped further pressure on Old Trafford manager David Moyes, with United falling nine points behind fourth-placed Liverpool, occupying the final UEFA Champions league qualification spot. The champions' longest winning run in the league this season remains a four-game streak put together in December, with injuries and poor form costing Moyes dearly. Last season's top scorer Robin van Persie has missed 11 of United's 25 top-flight games this season due to hamstring, groin and toe injuries. Though Moyes has regularly pointed to poor fortune, his tactical nous has come into question in some quarters after Sunday's game, in which United persisted with a game plan to attack Fulham from wide areas, despite a lack of success from their numerous crosses. However, Mourinho has backed Moyes to use all his experience and turn United around, though he warned they will have to show excellent form to chase down the leading pack. When asked if United can still finish in the top four, Mourinho said: "They can, it's not easy, they know that. "They know that they are in the limit for the top four. "And they also know that teams like us, Liverpool, Arsenal, are doing okay and it is not easy for them to close such a big gap, but it's possible. "I feel sorry for them, I never enjoy when somebody is having some problems like they have but United is United and David is experienced enough to cope with the situation and the future will be better for them." United and Moyes' credentials will be seriously tested on Wednesday when they travel to Arsenal, who will be keen to atone for Saturday's embarrassing 5-1 thrashing at Liverpool.

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