Five reasons why Arsenal will get some revenge on Burnley

Arsenal/Burnley, Sunday 1.30pm, Setanta Sports 1, Best Odds

Everyone was starting to believe that Arsenal’s youngsters were invincible and destined for Carling Cup glory until they went to Burnley and got knocked off their perch in December. Now Arsene Wenger is ready to use his big name players to gain revenge as Arsenal look to record consecutive wins for the first time since mid-January.

1. Arsenal have won eight of their nine home cup games this season and have conceded just one goal over the course of those games.

2. The Gunners haven’t lost a home FA Cup match for over twelve years, with their last defeat coming against Leeds in February 1997. They have hosted 28 games in the competition since.

3. Despite underperforming at the Emirates recently, Arsenal are brilliant when welcoming opposition from the North West. They have won five and drawn one of their six to date.

Posted: March 5th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 1 Comment

When did winning everything become so straight-forward?

Our friends at spread betting firm IG Sport look at Manchester United’s attempts to get their hands on every trophy going…

“When I was a kid ‘the double’ was spoken about with a sense of awe and wonder.  Some folk even doubted it had ever really been achieved; it was the stuff of legend.  Then came the 1990s and teams started doing it for fun, with the double achieved four times in the last six years of the 20th century. Then came the treble and now, well now the Holy Grail has become the quadruple, although there’s a fairly exclusive potential guest list for that one this season.

Manchester United’s next step on their way to the footballing nirvana comes this weekend against Fulham in the FA Cup.  IG Sport are offering an 80 index on that competition which awards 80 to the winner, 60 to the runner-up, 40 to the losing semi-finalists and 20 to the losing quarter-finalists.  United are priced at 53-56 with Chelsea slightly lower at 51-54 and Arsenal 42-45.

Posted: March 5th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Five reasons why Tottenham could retain the Carling Cup

Man Utd/Spurs, Sunday 3pm, Sky Sports 1, Free Bets, Best Odds

We’re not pretending for a second that you spend your whole month’s wages betting on a Tottenham triumph but here are five reasons why a Manchester United victory isn’t the sure thing that many are suggesting:

1. Tottenham have a brilliant record against the Big Four and have only lost one of their seven meetings with them this season - the 2-1 FA Cup loss to Manchester United when they played their “mish-mash” side.

2. And Spurs have already got past the other three Big Four sides in this competition over the last fourteen months - beating Arsenal in last season’s semi-finals, Chelsea in the final and Liverpool in this year’s fourth round.

3. Both sides have contested six Carling Cup finals but Tottenham have a 67% win rate in them compared to Manchester United’s 33%. Spurs have triumphed on four occasions, with United lifting the cup just twice.

Posted: February 27th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Five stats about West Ham’s daunting trip to Hartlepool

Hartlepool/West Ham, Sat 12.40pm, ITV1, Free Bets, Best Odds

Nottingham Forest, Luton, Bolton, Grimsby, Stockport, Wrexham, Swansea, Northampton, Tranmere, Sheffield Wednesday, Reading, Oldham, Chesterfield and Watford. That is the expansive list of lower league teams West Ham have bowed out of either the FA or League Cup to over the course of their thirteen-and-a-half years in the Premier League. It’s no wonder Hartlepool are best-priced at 4/1 with Bet365 and 888sport to win tomorrow lunchtime:

1. West Ham have won four and drawn one of their last five games, their longest unbeaten streak since November 2007.

2. Carlton Cole has scored in each of those five games but in none of those matches has he been the first goalscorer. The striker is 13/8 with Boylesports to score at any time.

Posted: January 23rd, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Spurs 7/4 to retain the Carling Cup after sneaking through

Tottenham get out of jail thanks to the ridiculous away goal rule

When chickendinner yesterday advised you to back a Burnley win to nil at 11/4 even though they still wouldn’t qualify, we had no idea just how close they would come. For the second time in four years Arsenal fans had reason to curse the ridiculous Carling Cup rule whereby away goals only count after extra-time.

In 2006, Arsenal overcame a 1-0 defeat away to Wigan to win 1-0 at Highbury but in extra-time both teams scored a goal to send Wigan through on away goals and last night, despite Burnley being ahead on away goals at the final whistle, they were forced to hold on for another thirty minutes because of the bizarre rule.

Posted: January 23rd, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 1 Comment

Why Burnley should bow out of the Carling Cup with pride

Burnley/Tottenham, 8pm, Sky Sports 1, Free Bets, Best Odds

Anyone hoping to see Tottenham suffer the humiliation of having their 4-1 advantage overturned will probably be left disappointed. Even at their worst this season Spurs have yet to lose a game by more than two goals.

The last time they lost by a margin of three goals or greater was last March when Newcastle, yes Newcastle, thrashed them 4-1 at White Hart Lane, and even a defeat of that margin would only be enough to take the game to extra time and penalties.

Posted: January 21st, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment