Birmingham will make it 15 not out against Pompey

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Despite going 14 matches unbeaten, Birmingham can be backed at 7/4 on Betfair to win away to hapless Pompey, who have lost seven of their ten home league games this season.

Alex McLeish’s men have picked up 11 points from their last five league away days, with impressive draws at Liverpool and Everton and triumphs at

Posted: January 15th, 2010 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Six reasons why Leeds should fight back against Millwall

Leeds/Millwall, 7.45pm, Sky Sports 1, Free Bets, Best Odds

Photo Credit: Daniel Hambury/PA Wire

Best friends Leeds and Millwall meet for the second time in six days tonight and it is the Londoners who travel to Yorkshire with a 1-0 advantage. Leeds have suffered plenty of play-off heartache in recent years but getting to finals hasn’t been their problem. Here are five stats which suggest they will qualify:

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1. Leeds boasted the best home record in League One this season, winning 17 of the 23 games they have hosted.

2. Their home form has been ever better under Simon Grayson, the 2007 play-off winning manager. They have won 12 straight home games, conceding just once in their last six.

3. The Whites have won their last three clashes with Millwall at Elland Road.

Posted: May 14th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Portsmouth are likely to leave Old Trafford empty-handed

Manchester United v Portsmouth, Premier League, 8pm

It might not be on TV but tonight’s home game against in-form Portsmouth offers Manchester United the chance to open up a three point lead at the top of the Premier League. Here are five superfacts about the match:

1. The last five clashes between the two sides have featured under 2.5 goals.

2. Portsmouth won at Old Trafford in the FA Cup last season but they have lost on all five of their Premier League visits.

3. Manchester United haven’t scored in the second-half in any of their last five meetings with Portsmouth.

Posted: April 22nd, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Aston Villa haven’t beaten a top ten team at home all season

Six stats about this weekend’s football

1. Aston Villa have played every team in the top-half at home this season and they have failed to win one of those games. Every other club in the Premier League have beaten at least one of the ten.

2. Spurs have lost just one of nineteen home games under Harry Redknapp and are now the sixth-best performing Premier League team since the weekend he arrived.

3. chickendinner felt Tony Adams was unlucky to get the sack two months ago but Portsmouth are flourishing under Paul Hart, losing just one of ten games under the former Nottingham Forest boss.

4. Lyon’s hopes of an eighth straight Ligue 1 title are in jeopardy after a run of two wins in seven, which leaves them four points off top with six to go.

5. Wolfsburg were languishing in eighth at the end of January before a run of ten straight wins propelled them to the Bundesliga top spot.

6. It’s easy to see why Arsene Wenger regrets not signing Didier Drogba when he had the chance; the striker has scored eight goals in his last seven meetings with Arsenal.

Posted: April 20th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Previews of tonight’s other FA Cup fourth round replays

Three more games that have conquered the snow will take place

While the Merseyside derby is the big game of the day, there are three other important FA Cup replays taking place. Martin O’Neill looks to avoid more FA Cup disappointment as they host Doncaster, Blackburn face Sunderland for the fifth time in under three months and Billy Davies and Nigel Clough face their former clubs once more:

Aston Villa v Doncaster
Doncaster are unbeaten in four straight away games, winning three, having previously gone twelve matches without a win on the road. In contrast, Villa have won just five of their last sixteen home games and were eliminated from the Carling Cup at home to Championship strugglers QPR. Martin O’Neill’s side have only been past the fourth round once in eight years so they will be wary of an upset.

Blackburn v Sunderland

Posted: February 4th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Five stats about West Ham’s daunting trip to Hartlepool

Hartlepool/West Ham, Sat 12.40pm, ITV1, Free Bets, Best Odds

Nottingham Forest, Luton, Bolton, Grimsby, Stockport, Wrexham, Swansea, Northampton, Tranmere, Sheffield Wednesday, Reading, Oldham, Chesterfield and Watford. That is the expansive list of lower league teams West Ham have bowed out of either the FA or League Cup to over the course of their thirteen-and-a-half years in the Premier League. It’s no wonder Hartlepool are best-priced at 4/1 with Bet365 and 888sport to win tomorrow lunchtime:

1. West Ham have won four and drawn one of their last five games, their longest unbeaten streak since November 2007.

2. Carlton Cole has scored in each of those five games but in none of those matches has he been the first goalscorer. The striker is 13/8 with Boylesports to score at any time.

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