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

West Brom need to repeat their Arsenal heroics of 2005

Previews of tonight’s other two Premier League matches

Sky Sports chose to televise Liverpool’s clash with Sunderland tonight, probably under the misguided belief that the Reds would still be in the title race come March, but there are two other big Premier League games tonight. One match sees a struggling team incapable of scoring goals and without a league win in five travel to West Brom while the other sees Guus Hiddink’s Chelsea visit relegation-threatened Portsmouth:

Portsmouth v Chelsea
Chelsea have won their two previous meetings with Portsmouth this season 4-0 and consequently that scoreline is priced as low as 22/1 with Paddy Power. Pompey have taken just one point from their last fourteen meetings with the Blues and that came at Fratton Park last season when Jermain Defoe equalised on his debut. Hiddink’s side are the second best away side in the league, with nine wins from thirteen. Portsmouth have won just one of their last seven domestic home games and haven’t won consecutive games at Fratton Park since Harry Redknapp left.

West Brom v Arsenal

Posted: March 3rd, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Portsmouth are expected to choose Curbishley or Grant

There are two clear leaders in the races to succeed Tony Adams

(Photo Credit: Chris Ison, PA)

Alan Curbishley and Avram Grant got off on the wrong foot last season when the former West Ham boss said that Manchester United deserved the title more than Chelsea. Now they will lock horns again after being installed as the clear frontrunners to succeed Tony Adams at Portsmouth:

Avram Grant (4/7 with Paddy Power)
Bizarrely, the best job offer a manager who came within a John Terry slip-up of winning the Champions League last season is now offered is at a team locked in a relegation battle after selling two of their star players. However, Grant has made it clear he has unfinished business in England and he has previous with Portsmouth after spending a season there as a technical director before moving to Chelsea.

Alan Curbishley (6/1 with Sky Bet)
In many ways Curbishley seems like the perfect fit at Portsmouth, considering the way he saved West Ham from relegation and solidified their position in the Premier League. But Curbs quit there because George McCartney was sold without his agreement so the sale of Jermain Defoe might not have sat too well with him. Portsmouth might also feel awkward appointing Curbishley now after threatening legal action last week against a newspaper who claimed he was being sounded out about the job while Adams was still in charge.

Posted: February 9th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Five reasons why Tony Adams should feel very hard done by

Portsmouth sack luckless Adams after a home loss to Liverpool

Every Monday, chickendinner reveals five interesting stats about the weekend’s football. However, after the news broke last night that Tony Adams had been sacked by Portsmouth, this week we are instead providing five reasons to sympathise with the former Arsenal captain:

1. Adams was only given sixteen games in charge of Portsmouth this season, which was one game less than former Blackburn boss Paul Ince had.

2. Despite the criticisms of Portsmouth’s defence under Adams, they lost by three goals just twice in his 22 games this season. In comparison, Harry Redknapp lost four of his 13 games by three or more and all three of their heaviest defeats this season came under the stewardship of the Spurs’ boss.

3. Adams lost five of his first twelve Premier League games before being forced to sell Jermain Defoe. That again compares well with his predecessor, who lost seven of his last twelve as manager.

Posted: February 9th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Carlton Cole is 10/1 to be top English goalscorer this season

West Ham striker’s odds were slashed after he made it five in five

Carlton Cole is now 11.0 on Betfair to finish the season as the top English goalscorer in the Premier League after pulling within one goal of joint-leaders Jermain Defoe [3.25], Gabriel Agbonlahor [7.4], Steven Gerrard [9.8] and Frank Lampard [10.0].

The West Ham forward, who has already doubled his previous record of four goals in a Premier League season, has scored in five consecutive Premier League games and is now being tipped for an England call-up.

The goalscoring run will be put to the test over the next fortnight however as West Ham face Arsenal and Manchester United.

Click here to sign-up and claim a free £10 bet with Betfair

Posted: January 29th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Check out Betfair’s Big Match Wizard for Spurs/Portsmouth

All the key stats for ‘Arry and Defoe’s clash with Adams and Sol

chickendinner have teamed up with Betfair to produce this device which provides statistics to aid your betting on every worthwhile market as well as providing interesting insights into how the likes of Harry Redknapp, Jermain Defoe and Sol Campbell perform against former clubs.

Click here to check it out now!

Posted: January 16th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment