It will be a mixed night for English sides in Europe

Click here to claim a free £25 bet with Paddy Power

All three of the teams representing the continent’s most debt-filled league in the Europa League head into their round-of-32 second legs with a lead but we think that only two will go through.

We’re backing a treble comprising of victory for Liverpool, a draw for Everton, which is all they need, and a loss for Fulham, a combination that pays out £85.50 for a stake of only £10 with Paddy Power.

Want some reasons? Liverpool have conceded just once in seven games, so

Posted: February 25th, 2010 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

The obstacle Man United must overcome to make history

Click here for the latest odds on the new Premier League season

Manchester United remain marginal favourites to win their 19th league title next season despite losing Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez. To confirm their place as the country’s most successful side in history, they must become the first English team to win four successive titles. How hard can it be?

FOURTH SEASON SYNDROME

Huddersfield (1926-27)
The first ever team to win three successive top-flight titles were toppled by Newcastle when they attempted to win a fourth in 1926-27. The Terriers started poorly, winning just three of their first 12 games but by March they were joint-top. Newcastle had a better goal average and a game in hand but Jack Chaplin’s side were in a good position - they still had to play Newcastle and in the previous three seasons they had saved their best form for the final stages of the season. However, they won just three of their final 11 games and lost 1-0 at Newcastle, meaning they finished the campaign five points behind the Magpies in second. Huddersfield haven’t won the title since.

Arsenal (1935-36)
Herbert Chapman won the first two of Huddersfield’s three straight titles and tragically died while on course to deliver the second of Arsenal’s trio. They sealed the second under Joe Shaw and then the third under George Allison but were slow out of the blocks in season four. A good run in late 1935 saw

Posted: July 10th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 1 Comment

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

Barton is 16/1 to be named Newcastle’s player of the year

Will Shearer’s good friend be the Toon Army’s hero next season?

With very little football taking place right now, chickendinner have been sniffing around the bookmakers looking for interesting specials to bet on.

Paddy Power have opened a market on who will win Newcastle’s player of the year award next season with Joey Barton a distant 16/1 outsider, an even longer price than 14/1 Xisco.

The three joint-favourites at 8/1 are Obafemi Martins, Kevin Nolan and Steven Taylor - the latter two mainly because they look likely to stay - with

Posted: July 7th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

John Terry is 5/2 to move to Manchester City this summer

Click here to check out all of Sky Bet’s latest transfer specials

Photo Credit: Carl Court, PA Wire

Sky Bet have priced Manchester City at 5/2 to sign John Terry this summer despite Carlo Ancelotti’s claim this morning that he will be at Chelsea forever.

The online bookmakers are still fairly sure that the England captain will stay at Stamford Bridge though and have priced that possibility at 1/5. One player who seems certain to choose City over the Blues however is Carlos Tevez, who is 1/7 to move to Eastlands and 4/1 to join Chelsea.

The most open transfer special available on Sky Bet surrounds versatile Turkish forward Tuncay. The Middlesbrough man is 5/1 to stay at Riverside and is the same price to join Chelsea, Liverpool or City. As if it wasn’t already close, Sunderland are right behind at 6/1, with Spurs 7/1 and Aston Villa 9/1.

UPDATE: The Chelsea captain has now been cut to 2/1 to join City and is 4/11 to stay put

Posted: July 6th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Hull are 10/1 to sign sincere, clean and fresh Michael Owen

Striker is still expecting better offers despite his awful brochure

Despite Hull being the only team willing to leave themselves open to ridicule by publicly declaring their interest in Michael Owen after the contents of his brochure were revealed, the Newcastle striker isn’t expected to join them.

Sky Bet price Phil Brown’s side at 10/1 to capture the 29-year-old - whose self-stated brand values include being first class, young, fit and healthy - which suggests that he is waiting for a better offer.

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