Five stats about Sheffield Utd and Preston’s play-off clash

Sheff Utd/Preston NE, 7.45pm, Sky Sports 1, Free Bets, Best Odds

1. Preston haven’t won on any of their last 12 visits to Bramall Lane.

2. Neither Sheffield United’s home points tally or Preston’s away haul were worthy of the play-offs, therefore both sides should find this encounter harder than the first.

3. Alan Irvine’s side won just five of their 26 away games this season but significantly they won their most recent two.

4. Despite their struggles on the road this season, Preston won away to both automatically promoted sides - Wolves and Birmingham.

5. Ten of the last 13 clashes between the two sides finished with under 2.5 goals.

Posted: May 11th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

All the stats on this weekend’s televised FA Cup football

Preston face Liverpool and Southampton challenge Man Utd

It’s FA Cup third round weekend but instead of Motson and Lawro it will be Tyldesley and Pleat putting words to the pictures as ITV and Setanta take charge of proceedings. Here are some statistics about the three matches they have decided to screen this weekend:

Preston v Liverpool
Saturday evening sees the Mark Lawrenson derby take place at Deepdale as the club the BBC pundit supports face the one he spent most of his career at. Alan Irvine’s side have a good record in the FA Cup, having reached the fifth round in each of the last three seasons while Preston have won ten of their thirteen home league matches. Lawro predicted a draw in his column and while that sounds like a reasonable shout, there hasn’t been a draw at Deepdale since last April and that was the only one in the last fourteen months. Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres are both expected to figure for Liverpool, who have gone out at this stage twice in four seasons under Benitez, while being taken to a replay in another.

Southampton v Manchester United

Posted: January 2nd, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment