Liverpool get another chance to go top against West Ham

WHU/Liverpool, Sat 5.30pm, Setanta Spts 1, Free Bets, Best Odds

This is the closest Liverpool have ever come to winning the Premier League and the TV schedulers seem to enjoy torturing them. Once again the Reds play before Manchester United, offering them the chance to experience being top with just two games to go, only to probably have it cruelly snatched away from them a day later. West Ham won’t be a pushover though - even if odds of 23/4 with 888sport suggest otherwise:

Key Trends

» West Ham have lost all five of their home games against teams above them in the league.

» Liverpool have the best record against top-half teams in the Premier League and haven’t lost to any of the top nine clubs.

» In only one of West Ham’s previous 13 Premier League seasons (2000-01) have they failed to beat any of the Big Four - this is their last chance to win against one of them this year.

Posted: May 8th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Man Utd are 6/4 to win to nil for the eighth successive game

West Ham/Man Utd, 4pm, Sky Sports 1, Free Bets, Best Odds

Manchester United have kept twelve consecutive Premier League clean sheets and have won seven straight matches during that streak but their opponents West Ham have made a habit out of derailing Sir Alex Ferguson’s title bids in the past. Here’s a breakdown of the stats in both team’s favour:

Could West Ham spring a surprise?

» West Ham have won their last two home games against Manchester United and the Red Devils have won on just four of their last fourteen visits to the Boleyn Ground.

» Gianfranco Zola’s side have won their last four home games and are unbeaten in eight games in all competitions. Since losing at Old Trafford in October, West Ham have taken points from all the other Big Four clubs.

Posted: February 8th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 2 Comments

Which teams does Fabio Capello watch play the most?

The England boss visits West Ham more than Everton and Villa

chickendinner have investigated how often Fabio Capello has watched every team in Premier League action this season and while the results make great reading for Matthew Upson and Carlton Cole, Joleon Lescott and Phil Jagielka won’t be pleased with their club’s position on the Italian’s radar.

Capello hasn’t watched Everton once in the league and despite Aston Villa’s recent reputation for nurturing English talent, the England boss has watched them in just three league games while checking out West Ham seven times:

Is the fact that all five London clubs are in Capello’s top seven most-watched a sign of a southern bias? Does his fondness of watching West Ham mean Upson will be joined by some club colleagues in the Spain squad? Let us know what you think with a comment below.

*08-09 refers to the league matches he has watched involving that team this season, while total refers to the number since becoming England manager*

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

Carlton Cole is 10/1 to be top English goalscorer this season

West Ham striker’s odds were slashed after he made it five in five

Carlton Cole is now 11.0 on Betfair to finish the season as the top English goalscorer in the Premier League after pulling within one goal of joint-leaders Jermain Defoe [3.25], Gabriel Agbonlahor [7.4], Steven Gerrard [9.8] and Frank Lampard [10.0].

The West Ham forward, who has already doubled his previous record of four goals in a Premier League season, has scored in five consecutive Premier League games and is now being tipped for an England call-up.

The goalscoring run will be put to the test over the next fortnight however as West Ham face Arsenal and Manchester United.

Click here to sign-up and claim a free £10 bet with Betfair

Posted: January 29th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Hull need to get back on track with another win in London

West Ham/Hull, 8pm, Sky Sports 2, Free Bets, Best Odds

West Ham have been in great form since Christmas while Hull have been in freefall. That should mean that the 4/5 odds on the home win is good value but the East London club have never been too well acquainted with the term “easy three points” in the past:

FORM GUIDE
West Ham are on their first four league match unbeaten run in fourteen months while Hull are bottom of the form league having lost their last five, the first time they have gone on such a run since 1998, when they were in League Two. Twenty years have passed since the Tigers last lost six league games in succession however.

WEST HAM VERSUS PROMOTED SIDES
Gianfranco Zola’s side have lost two of their three games against promoted sides this season although both of those came away from home. Last season West Ham won two and drew one of their three home games against newcomers but the year before they lost at home by Reading and Watford.

HULL VERSUS LONDONERS

Posted: January 28th, 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