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BERBA'S BACK

Tottenham players prepare to welcome back Berbatov

Paddy Power open betting on who will foul the Bulgarian first

Dimitar Berbatov makes his first return to White Hart Lane as a Manchester United player and it’s not just the home fans that Paddy Power are expecting to give him a cold reception. The Irish bookmakers have opened a market on which Spurs player will be the first to foul the Bulgarian striker and while Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate have been made obvious 4/1 favourites, here are a few outsiders who may challenge:

The scapegoat - Jermaine Jenas - 11/2
When Nigel Reo-Coker visited the Boleyn Ground for the first time since leaving for Aston Villa, it was West Ham’s scapegoat Luis Boa Morte who set about making the hated ex-player’s return an unhappy one in an attempt to curry favour. Jenas is the Spurs outfield player who struggles the most to win over the supporters but that could change if he gives Berbatov some grief.

The jilted lover - Didier Zokora - 8/1

Posted: December 11th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment comment

STAT ATTACK

Why Stoke should be safe and the Bale curse continues

Five stats regarding this weekend’s football

1. Brilliant news for fans of Fulham, Middlesbrough, Bolton, West Ham and Stoke: never in the history of the 20-team Premier League has a team with over sixteen points after fourteen games been relegated.

2. Sunderland have only had one spell of consecutive Premier League victories since 2001 and that came when they won three successive games late last season. Their last six league wins have been followed by defeat.

3. Tottenham have still never won a Premier League game that Gareth Bale has started after Benoit Assou-Ekotto replaced the Welshman in the starting line-up as Spurs beat Blackburn 1-0. If Harry Redknapp is aware of the curse he would be wise to play Bale in the UEFA Cup then restore Assou-Ekotto against Everton on Sunday, though Toffees’ fans will hope this isn’t the case.

Posted: November 24th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment comment

STAT ATTACK

Why Bale was just as responsible as Gomes for Redknapp’s first loss

Five stats regarding this weekend’s football

1. Harry Redknapp’s biggest mistake this weekend wasn’t sticking with Heurelho Gomes against Fulham, it was restoring Gareth Bale to the starting line-up. The Welsh left-back has now played seventeen Premier League games for Spurs without tasting victory.

2. While Gomes has become a laughing stock in England for his recent mistakes, his former club PSV Eindhoven are struggling in his absence. After eleven games last season they had lost just once, conceding six goals but this year they have already lost five, conceding twelve.

3. This is now Liverpool’s most successful start to a Premier League season ever and their best start to a campaign since 1990-91, although they ended up finishing second on that occasion.

Posted: November 17th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment comment