It looks like forty points won’t be enough to survive this year

Five stats about this weekend’s football

1. Eighteen Premier League teams are currently on course to score forty points this season, which is supposedly enough to keep you up. This will be a concern to West Ham, who in 2002-03 became the only team ever to be relegated with over 40 points in the 20 team Premier League.

2. Last week chickendinner revealed that Blackburn have half as many points now as they did at this stage last season. However Paul Ince’s predecessor Mark Hughes has experienced just as much of a decline at Manchester City. They have eighteen points compared to 33 points after seventeen games last year and are fourth-bottom compared to fourth-top twelve months ago.

Posted: December 15th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Das Big Match: Bayern Munich host surprise league leaders Hoffenheim

Bundesliga, 7.30pm, Setanta Sports 1, Best Odds, Free Bets

Newly-promoted Hoffenheim, whose town has a population of 3,272, tonight host title favourites Bayern Munich in a battle of the Bundesliga top two.

Earlier this season Bayern Munich boss Jurgen Klinsmann’s job was supposedly under threat after a slow start but they are now the form team in the division with seven wins from their last eight.

The reigning champions have been installed as general 8/13 favourites but Hoffenheim won’t be rolling over.

Posted: December 5th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

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