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

The Sack Race has ended with Gibson backing Southgate

A round-up of all the long-standing football markets

There’s not much football taking place this week so chickendinner decided to take a look at how some of the season-long betting markets are shaping up as the season reaches its climax:

Next Manager to Go
It looks like there will be no more sackings this season after Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson pledged his support to Gareth Southgate. Sky Bet now offer 2/5 on nobody else losing their job while Southgate is 4/1 and Tony Mowbray 6/1.

Top Goalscorer
Cristiano Ronaldo and Steven Gerrard trail Nicolas Anelka by two goals but news of the Frenchman’s toe injury has seen them both over him in Paddy Power’s market. Ronaldo is 13/8, Gerrard 15/8 and Anelka 9/4.

To Avoid Relegation
In 2004-05 it was West Brom, in 2005-06 it was Portsmouth. 2006-07 was West Ham’s turn and last year Bolton and Fulham were breathing huge sighs of relief. One team recovers from almost certain relegation to survive almost every season. West Brom are 7/1 with Paddy Power to perform another Great Escape but it looks like being too big an ask. Middlesbrough may be four points from safety but with Hull, Fulham and Aston Villa yet to visit the Riverside and away games with off-form Bolton and Newcastle, they are not dead and buried yet.

Posted: March 24th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Spurs are seventh best, Kevin Davies is Britain’s top scoring striker and more

Five stats about this weekend’s football

1. Spurs have been the seventh best team in the Premier League since Harry Redknapp took over in October. Over his 21 games in charge they have taken just three points less than Arsenal and five less than Aston Villa.

2. Aston Villa have lost three of their last four league games having been unbeaten in thirteen prior to that blip. Similarly, Manchester United had conceded just two goals in sixteen league games prior to their 4-1 home humiliation against Liverpool.

3. Middlesbrough have only lost one of their last eight Premier League home games but have only won once during that spell.

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

Nicolas Anelka’s impressive goalscoring achievement

Chelsea scapegoat is actually doing a pretty good job

There has been a recurring theme this season: whenever Nicolas Anelka scores a goal it is dismissed as being “just a tap-in” while the finger of blame is instantly pointed at the French striker and his compatriot Florent Malouda whenever Chelsea lose, with the phrase “if Drogba was playing, it would have been a different story” often being uttered.

But this stat helps put into perspective just how impressive Anelka has been this season:

Posted: November 10th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment