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

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

Chelsea are 9/5 with Bet365 to win against Barcelona tonight

Chelsea/Barcelona, 7.45pm, Sky Sports 2, Free Bets, Best Odds

Barcelona’s 6-2 demolition of Real Madrid has seen them installed as 13/8 favourites tonight while the hosts are available at 9/5 with Bet365.

Headline trends:

» Chelsea have won their last six Champions League home games against foreign opposition.

» Away-goal chasing Barcelona have scored in 21 consecutive La Liga and Champions League away games.

Posted: May 6th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 2 Comments

Chelsea need to repeat their Anfield heroics to get a good result away to Barcelona

Barcelona/Chelsea, 7.45pm, ITV1, Free Bets, Best Odds

Whereas the thought of Chelsea and Liverpool clashing again in the Champions League this season was greeted gloomily, the fifth pairing of Barcelona and the Blues in ten years has been eagerly anticipated. Hopefully it won’t fail to match expectations like Barca’s semi-final encounters with Manchester United did last season:

Click here for a free £10 bet with Ladbrokes

ADVANTAGE BARCELONA?
Chelsea haven’t won a Champions League game at the Nou Camp - losing two and drawing two - and Barcelona have a fantastic home record this season - winning 22, drawing three and losing just two of their 27 games there this season. They have scored in every home match since last year’s semi-final first leg against Manchester United. Chelsea haven’t won any of their last seven Champions League matches on foreign soil. Pep Guardiola’s side are generally available at 8/11.

Posted: April 28th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Aston Villa haven’t beaten a top ten team at home all season

Six stats about this weekend’s football

1. Aston Villa have played every team in the top-half at home this season and they have failed to win one of those games. Every other club in the Premier League have beaten at least one of the ten.

2. Spurs have lost just one of nineteen home games under Harry Redknapp and are now the sixth-best performing Premier League team since the weekend he arrived.

3. chickendinner felt Tony Adams was unlucky to get the sack two months ago but Portsmouth are flourishing under Paul Hart, losing just one of ten games under the former Nottingham Forest boss.

4. Lyon’s hopes of an eighth straight Ligue 1 title are in jeopardy after a run of two wins in seven, which leaves them four points off top with six to go.

5. Wolfsburg were languishing in eighth at the end of January before a run of ten straight wins propelled them to the Bundesliga top spot.

6. It’s easy to see why Arsene Wenger regrets not signing Didier Drogba when he had the chance; the striker has scored eight goals in his last seven meetings with Arsenal.

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

Why 13/10 Liverpool should be capable of beating Chelsea

Liverpool/Chelsea, 7.45pm, Sky Sports 2, Free Bets, Best Odds

Liverpool have clashed with Chelsea in each of the last four seasons in the Champions League and on every occasion, they have failed to win the first meeting. However, with the home side playing their best football of the season and having already got the better of Chelsea twice this year, they won’t have a better opportunity to end that run. Here’s why Liverpool should justify the 13/10 offered by Paddy Power:

» Liverpool haven’t been beaten at home in the Premier or Champions League since December 2007, when they lost 1-0 to Manchester United.

» The Reds have only lost one of their last eight meetings with Chelsea in ninety minutes, going unbeaten in five and winning the last two.

» Rafael Benitez’s side have won their last five games, scoring sixteen while conceding just once.

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