Everything you need to know about the 2009 FA Cup Final

Chelsea/Everton, Saturday 3pm, ITV1, £25 no loss Bet

The Big Four had a 12 year period of uninterrupted FA Cup dominance until Portsmouth gatecrashed the party last year and it’s been left to Everton to ensure that the crown doesn’t return to one of the Premier League’s elite. Check out the Big Match Wizard we have produced with Betfair to find out about Ashley Cole’s unprecedented FA Cup record, Chelsea’s fantastic defensive record when Alex plays, Louis Saha’s habit of scoring against the Blues and loads more. The stats have persuaded us to back Everton to win 1-0 with Saha grabbing the winner but take a look now to help you decide.

Posted: May 26th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Arsenal and Chelsea tear up the Big Four form book

Six stats about this weekend’s football

1. Chelsea’s 4-1 win over Arsenal yesterday was their first against a fellow Big Four side in the league all season, while it was the Gunners’ first loss. It also ended their 21-match league unbeaten run.

2. Arsenal lost just one home match in their first two seasons at the Emirates but they have been beaten there four times in this campaign. It was the first time since October 2002 that they have lost successive home games.

3. Hull have taken just eight points from their last 20 games, winning just once. Stoke have taken 23 over the same period and even West Brom have managed 19.

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

Captain Fabregas should get off to a winning start

Arsenal/Dynamo Kiev, ITV4, 7.45pm, Best Odds, Free Bets

By refusing to comment in detail about the appointment of Cesc Fabregas as Arsenal’s new captain, Arsene Wenger has ensured that there is no sense of great anticipation surrounding tonight’s game, nor no sense that the corner is about to be turned under the Spaniard’s leadership. The good news though for Arsenal is that new captains normally get off to a winning start in North London:

BEGINNER’S LUCK
Arsenal are entering this game in terrible form with one win in five and having failed to score in three of their last four. However, the Gunners’ last three permanent captains - Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry and William Gallas - all tasted victory in both their first home match after inheriting the armband and their first European match.

KIEV FORM CURBED
Dynamo Kiev’s twelve match domestic winning streak was finally ended in their last outing when they were beaten 1-0 by Shakthar Donetsk, the reigning champions who have started the season in a very similar fashion to Arsenal - stuck in fifth having won just seven (of sixteen) games. The Ukrainian side have also lost their seven-match unbeaten run this season in Europe after being beaten 2-1 at home to Porto having held a half-time lead.

GALLAS MAY REDEEM HIMSELF

Posted: November 25th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

How many of England’s absent stars will score for their clubs this weekend?

Paddy Power offer 7/2 on three or more stayaways grabbing goals

Before they surprised most critics by winning 2-1 in Berlin, England’s friendly with Germany was labelled a farce because of the number of regulars who pulled out with injuries.

Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney weren’t criticised too strongly because they had actually missed Manchester United’s game against Stoke but Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard’s withdrawals were met with suspicion after both played ninety minutes last weekend.

Paddy Power have decided to test just how serious these injuries are by opening a market on how many of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, Ashley Cole and Wes Brown score this weekend.

For none of them to score is 2/1, for one to score is 7/4, for two to score is 5/2 while three or more is 7/2. After the jump is the chickendinner verdict on each player’s likelihood of scoring, although of course it will all depend on how many of them start:

Posted: November 20th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment