Liverpool’s goal difference, Spurs’ revival and Villa’s terrible record in March

Five stats about this weekend’s football

1. Ten days ago Manchester United’s goal difference was eleven goals superior to Liverpool’s, which was also worse than Chelsea’s. Over the course of just two games, there has been a 13-goal swing in Liverpool’s favour and the reigning champions now only have the league’s third-best goal difference.

2. Only once in the last ten years has the team with the best goal difference not won the league. That was in 2002-03 when Arsenal’s was superior to that of the champions Manchester United.

3. Tottenham’s six-match unbeaten league run is their strongest since the end of 2006-07, when they finished fifth. If they take a point at Blackburn in a fortnight it will be their longest since September-October 2005.

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

Struggling Portsmouth look to end Villa’s run of away wins

Portsmouth/Aston Villa, 8pm, Sky Sports 2, Free Bets, Best Odds

Photo Credit: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

Last season just three points separated these two sides but with sixteen to play, Portsmouth are already twenty short of Aston Villa this year. Both sides failed to impress against Championship opposition in the FA Cup but Martin O’Neill’s side are unbeaten in ten league games, although this is the first time this season they have been without their “genius” Ashley Young:

VILLA’S AWAY RECORD
Aston Villa have won five consecutive away games, something they had last achieved in May 1998. If they win tonight it will be the first time in Premier League history that they have won six in succession. Villa are one of only two clubs, the other being Bolton, who are yet to experience an away draw, which is odd considering they, alongside Liverpool, have drawn more home games than anyone else (five). Overall, Villa have won eight and lost three of their eleven on the road and they are 2.34 on Betfair to triumph again.

PORTSMOUTH’S WINLESS RUN
Pompey have gone six Premier League games without a win, although the last time they went longer than that without picking up three points was at the start of 2006 when Harry Redknapp led them through an eight game winless streak. The South Coast side have won just two of thirteen league games under Tony Adams.

VILLA AT FRATTON PARK

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

Betfair punters expect Santa Cruz and Bellamy to be sold

Use Betfair to garner public opinion on who’s staying and going

In the summer there were so many ongoing transfer sagas that ended with the player in question staying put, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Emmanuel Adebayor, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Andrei Arshavin and Samuel Eto’o just being a few examples.

With so many players’ futures again up in the air this month it is tough to figure out which rumours to believe and which to immediately dismiss. One way of establishing the general opinion is to check Betfair’s transfer specials markets, which offer prices on a number of players staying or leaving their current clubs in the transfer window

To make things easier, chickendinner have compiled a list of each player you can bet on and what their current prices are to stay and go:

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