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THE BEAN PREMIER LEAGUE PREVIEW 13-10-06
Christopher Bean
Hello and welcome to The Bean Preview after a week's hiatus due to the international break. The depressing viewing of England's two matches has managed to suppress the awful memory of the defeat at Bramall Lane.
The Premiership resumes this weekend with a couple of interesting fixtures and to celebrate the resumption of the league, our friends at Totesport are doing an exclusive offer of a free £50 bet. Click here for full terms and conditions.
All odds in this week's column are from Totesport.
Wigan v Manchester United
Wigan 5/1 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Draw 5/2 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Manchester United 1/2 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
The Red Devils make the short journey across Lancashire to the JJB Stadium where they will face Wigan. A win for United will keep them on top of the Premiership, whereas a win for the Latics would distance themselves from the relegation zone.
I think Manchester United will continue their 100% record over Wigan (albeit they have only played each other twice!). United look like they have worked out how to have Ronaldo and Rooney in the same team and look a powerful force going forward. A tough match for united but a victory nonetheless.
Prediction 2-1 to Manchester United - 7/1 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Arsenal v Watford
Arsenal 1/6 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Draw 9/2 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Watford 12/1 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
The Gunners have finally won a league match on their new turf as they demolished newly promoted Sheffield United. This week they welcome another club who have just come up from the Championship; Watford, who were lucky yet unlucky at the same time when they got away with a point at home to Fulham.
It should be a comfortable victory for Arsenal, even though they will be without three key players in Ljungberg, Eboue and Baptistia who all picked up knocks in midweek international action. Watford may be the Premiership draw specialist but they will valiantly lose 3-1.
Prediction 3-1 to Arsenal 10/1 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Aston Villa v Tottenham
Aston Villa 11/10 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Draw 9/4 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Tottenham 2/1 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Martin O'Neill has made it look easy getting back into the realms of the Premiership. He has guided Villa to wins in all of their home matches and drawn all of their away matches. If he keeps that record up they could be in contention for a Champions League place. This is a complete turnaround from what the Villa fans expectations were at the end of last season.
Tottenham on the other hand have struggled like hell this season and do not look like the team who were competing for a top four place last season. They have one of the worst away records in the league. Lost all three and yet to score away from White Hart Lane.
100% home record versus a 0% away record with no goals; it does not take a rocket scientist for what I am going to predict. But I asked one anyway. I asked Steve Bennett, a rocket scientist from Salford and he reckons Villa will win 1-0. And I agree with him.
1-0 to Aston Villa 5/1Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Liverpool v Blackburn
Liverpool 4/9 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Draw 13/5 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Blackburn 6/1 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Yep you guessed it, yet another north-west derby this weekend. Are you getting sick of them like me yet? Anfield hosts a clash between Liverpool and Blackburn, which was the concluding fixture of the 94/95 season when Blackburn lifted the Premier crown.
Liverpool have a 100% record at home this season whilst Blackburn are on good form winning the last three matches on the trot. This should be a real slobber-knocker of a match, especially with the added needle between the two clubs due to the transfer of Craig Bellamy during the summer. A close contest which the Scousers will just succeed in winning 2-1.
Prediction 2-1 to Liverpool 7/1Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Manchester City v Sheffield United
Manchester City 8/11 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Draw 9/4 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Sheffield United 10/3 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
You know when you look at the fixtures and you look out for ones which are potential "relegation battle six-pointers". Well I do believe this is one of them. Manchester City have not had the best of starts to the season and manager Stuart Pearce is under pressure to get results. But he did manage to lead his team to victory over West Ham two weeks ago. But the international break could not have come at a worse time for Psycho. Sheffield United have slowly but surely settled themselves into the Premier League cauldron and beat a poor Middlesbrough team in the last round of fixtures.
I think Manchester City will win this match, as the Blades have looked out of sorts on the road. City's lack of fire power upfront will make the City of Manchester stadium anxious, but they will manage to get a goal somehow.
Prediction 1-0 to Manchester City 11/2 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Middlesbrough v Everton
Middlesbrough 6/4 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Draw 11/5 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Everton 6/4 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Oh crumbs, the Boro are currently on a six match winless streak, which includes a loss to Notts County in the League Cup. The last thing us Teessiders need is an inform Everton team visiting Parmoland, especially as they are scoring goals for fun. There is some hope for Boro though. Tim Cahill will definitely not start as his body-clock is fucked after a flight from Australia, and there is a possibility that Andy Johnson could miss out with a niggling hamstring injury. Robert Huth should make his Premiership debut for Boro, whilst Julio Arca is in contention to make his home league debut.
Now many people know we are the Robin Hood of the Premiership. We beat all the big teams but get stuffed by the smaller teams. Can you class Everton as a huge team? It's possible, but we have been shoddy as of late and unfortunately I can see the Toffees win quite convincingly.
Prediction 2-1 to Everton 8/1 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Portsmouth v West Ham
Portsmouth 5/6 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Draw 9/4 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
West Ham 11/4 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
After an incredible start to the season, Pompey have finally got back to their traditional ways and regularly getting beaten again. They have lost the last two games against Spurs and Bolton. They host West Ham, who have not performed well ever since Tevez and Mascherano joined the club.
The Hammers just do not look like scoring as of late and I think they will be firing blanks yet again against Pompey. Portsmouth have the potential of scoring loads of goals, but they will only muster two today.
Prediction - 2-0 to Portsmouth 13/2 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Reading v Chelsea
Reading 6/1 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Draw 13/5 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
Chelsea 4/9 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
What an amazing start to the Premiership life of Reading. They are currently lying comfortably in the top half of the table, and they are above the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool. The Royals fans must be pinching themselves at the moment. After a blip at the Riverside Chelsea have gone on to chalk thirteen points out of a possible fifteen which includes a victory over Liverpool.
Now I have gone by the book so far in my predictions, which is unusual for me. But this is where I will buck the trend as I reckon it will be a draw. Yes you heard me right - Reading will get a result against the champions. The Royals will be tenacious in the tackle and scare the foreign legion and earn themselves a point. Then Mourinho will have a good moan no doubt.
Prediction - 1-1 draw 6/1 Bet with Totesport - £50 FREE
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