Positive signs for Liverpool, Rangers poised for the SPL

Five stats about this weekend’s football

1. Victory over West Brom guarantees Liverpool their best points finish (83 possibly rising to 86) since taking 90 in 1987-88.

2. Barring a very unlikely set of results next week, it is also likely to be the first time in 19 seasons that Liverpool have finished the season with the strongest goal difference in the division.

3. Nine teams have failed to beat a Big Four side in the Premier League this season, an improvement on last season’s 11 and Sunderland still have a chance to strike themselves off that list against Chelsea next weekend.

Posted: May 19th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

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

Aston Villa versus West Brom: The betting superfacts

Aston Villa/WBA, Sat 12.45pm, Sky Sports 1, Free Bets, Best Odds

chickendinner is aware that Aston Villa are overwhelming 2/5 favourites to overcome local rivals West Brom tomorrow lunchtime but rather than letting that put you off betting on the game, our researcher Danny Harris has looked into loads of possible bets to consider backing:

» Don’t expect an upset - Villa have lost just one home league game this season while Scott Carson has only managed one clean sheet in his past fourteen games for the Baggies.  Bottom of the league West Brom also have the worst goal difference (-19) and have lost eight out of their 10 away games.

» Villa have scored three or more goals seven times this season and West Brom have only managed three away goals in ten games, making the 10/1 offered by Betfair for 3-0 Villa an attractive bet. West Brom have also shipped in 19 goals away from home – the second worst record in the league.

» Bet British - Ashley Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Gareth Barry and Steve Sidwell have scored 20 of the sides 33 league goals this year. A non-English player hasn’t scored a league goal for them (excluding own goals) since October.

Posted: January 9th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 1 Comment