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

A point at Fulham will send Liverpool top of the league

Fulham/Liverpool, Sat 5.30pm, Setanta S1, Free Bets, Best Odds

If the international break has halted Liverpool’s momentum somewhat then Rafael Benitez will be hoping the same holds true for Fulham, who flew into the interval with their first consecutive wins of 2009.

POSITIVES FOR FULHAM
The main reasons for Liverpool to fear the trip to Craven Cottage are that they have lost two of their last three games there, while Fulham have already beaten Arsenal and Manchester United and held Chelsea there. In addition, the Reds haven’t won consecutive away league games since early December.

IGNORE THE DRAW
The two sides may have drawn 0-0 at Anfield but none of Liverpool’s last ten trips to the Cottage have finished level while Fulham are yet to draw a home game in 2009. The last time that Fulham and Liverpool drew both of their league meetings was in 1966/67.

Posted: April 4th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Newcastle and Spurs should provide Arsenal and Chelsea with tough tests

A stat on every Premier League game taking place this weekend

Portsmouth v Everton (Saturday, 12.45pm, Sky Sports 1)
There have been under 2.5 goals in each of Everton’s last four trips to Fratton Park and their last ten away games.
Best Bet: Under 2.5 goals at 1.66 on Betfair

Blackburn v West Ham
West Ham have won six straight games against Blackburn but have lost all five of their Premier League away games against Sam Allardyce sides.
Best Bet: The home win at evens with most bookmakers

Fulham v Manchester United
Both teams have scored in each of the champions’ last three league games and six of their seven Premier League trips to Craven Cottage.

Posted: March 20th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Jose Mourinho falls short and Fulham lose at home again

Five stats about Wednesday night’s football

1. Roberto Mancini had no problem winning Serie A so the main reason Jose Mourinho was brought in to replace him as Inter boss was to achieve European success. However, Mourinho went out last night at the same stage the Italian champions fell in each of Mancini’s last two seasons.

2. And there has been no domestic improvement either. Inter are a point worse off than they were at this stage last season, despite last year’s runners-up Roma struggling down in sixth.

3. Fulham have gone from losing just one home game in ten-and-a-half months to being beaten three times in the space of eight days at Craven Cottage.

Posted: March 13th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

A good omen for Everton, another Charlton collapse

Five stats about this weekend’s football

1. Everton have lost just one of their last seventeen games, with their only defeat over that period coming away to Manchester United. The last four teams to knock Middlesbrough out of the FA Cup have reached the final (and lost), meaning that Everton could be the team to end the Red Devils sextuple bid in the semis.

2. Arsenal have failed to score in their last three home league games but they have managed eight in their three cup games at the Emirates over the same period, winning each game to nil. The only team to have scored against the Gunners in their last eight games was West Brom.

3. Fulham’s 4-0 home loss to Manchester United was the first time since last April that they have been beaten by more than one goal at Craven Cottage.

4. Charlton’s 3-2 loss at home to Watford at the weekend marked the third time in seven games that they had led at half-time only to end up being beaten.

5. Now that they have rediscovered some form, Wolves look likely to become the sixth team in six seasons to win automatic promotion a year after finishing just outside the play-offs in either seventh or eighth.

Posted: March 9th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Fulham will test Manchester United’s sextuple credentials

Fulham/Man Utd, Saturday 5.15pm, ITV1, Free Bets, Best Odds

On Wednesday night the task facing Manchester United this weekend looked a lot less daunting than it previously did as Hull inflicted Fulham’s second home defeat of the season. However, this is still going to be a big hurdle for the sextuple chasers. Roy Hodgson’s side remain the third best home side in the Premier League, they have a strong record against the big teams this season and Manchester United were knocked out at this stage last season, ending their treble bid. Can Fulham stop them? Here are the key facts:

Upset…

» Fulham have lost just two of their last sixteen home games, winning eleven.

» The Cottagers have played the top five on six separate occasions this season, keeping clean sheets on four and losing just once.

Posted: March 6th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment