Eight steps to identify this season’s Golden Boot winner

Click here for the latest odds on who will be 2009-10’s top-scorer

The bookmakers seem to agree on who the 15 leading contenders to be next season’s Premier League top-scorer are: Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen, Robinho, Robin van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor, Dimitar Berbatov, Jermain Defoe, Carlos Tevez, Andrey Arshavin, Frank Lampard and Roque Santa Cruz. We’ve used some trends to whittle down the 15 and leave one man standing:

Over the last decade Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (2000-01) is the only player to have won it in his first season with a new club.
That rules out: Michael Owen, Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz

The last nine winners were all playing for a Big Four side.
That rules out: Robinho, Jermain Defoe

Cristiano Ronaldo is the only player to have been Premier League top-scorer without always playing as an out-and-out striker.
That rules out: Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Andrey Arshavin

The last British top-scorer was Kevin Phillips in 1999-00.
That rules out: Wayne Rooney

Still standing: Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Robin van

Posted: July 10th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Five reasons why it’s not worth backing Manchester City to be the best of the rest

Click here to claim a free £25 no loss bet with Betfair

chickendinner aren’t stupid enough to say that Man City have no chance of a top-five finish - after all they could have Robinho, Samuel Eto’o and Carlos Tevez up-front. They should have challenged for fifth last year though but ended up closer to West Brom than Arsenal, so the odds of 5/4 with Bet365 on them being best of the rest this season seem far too short. Here’s why we think you’d be better off backing Everton or maybe even Spurs:

Click here for the latest odds on who will be the “best of the rest”

1. Manchester City are still yet to finish any higher than eighth in the Premier League, a feat they achieved under Stuart Pearce in 2004-05.

2. Since Blackburn’s title win in 1994-95, just four sides have ended the season as the best of the rest: Newcastle, Leeds, Tottenham and Everton. Spurs and Everton are the only two to have done it in the last five years.

Posted: July 9th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 6 Comments

Starting the season at home doesn’t actually help Arsenal

Countering a popular North London conspiracy theory

The fixtures for the 2009-10 season are released on Wednesday and the luck of the draw can have a significant impact on a team’s fortunes.

Cynical? Well take the example of Stoke, who faced the Big Four seven times in their opening 22 fixtures last season. By the end of that period they were in the relegation zone with 21 points but it mean that they had 15 successive games against tiring, less intimidating teams before facing Arsenal on the final day. They took 24 points from those games, guaranteeing safety with two games to spare and rendering a 4-1 loss at the Emirates irrelevant.

There’s a popular conspiracy theory among Tottenham fans that the fixture generators favour Arsenal and neglect them, which is backed up by the fact the Gunners have started 13 of their 17 Premier League campaigns at home, while Spurs have kicked off just four of theirs at White Hart Lane.

Those figures suggest that they have a case, although they don’t take into account that Arsenal actually fare better when they start on the road.

Posted: June 15th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 2 Comments

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

Positive signs for Liverpool, Rangers poised for the SPL

Five stats about this weekend’s football

1. Victory over West Brom guarantees Liverpool their best points finish (83 possibly rising to 86) since taking 90 in 1987-88.

2. Barring a very unlikely set of results next week, it is also likely to be the first time in 19 seasons that Liverpool have finished the season with the strongest goal difference in the division.

3. Nine teams have failed to beat a Big Four side in the Premier League this season, an improvement on last season’s 11 and Sunderland still have a chance to strike themselves off that list against Chelsea next weekend.

Posted: May 19th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Stats for all of this weekend’s Premier League matches

For Man Utd/Arsenal stats, check out our Correct Score wizard

Baffled by Sky’s decision to broadcast a nothing match between Chelsea and Blackburn over games that will have a huge impact on the relegation battle and the race for seventh, we’ve decided to instead publish a stat for every league match taking place this weekend:

Bolton v Hull
Gary Megson’s side are unbeaten at home to sides below them in the table and have won their final league game at the Reebok in three of the last four years.

Everton v West Ham
The Toffees have lost just one of their last 13 home games in all competitions while West Ham haven’t beaten a top-six side all season.

Middlesbrough v Aston Villa

Posted: May 15th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment