Manchester City vs West Ham United

(Monday 20.00pm)

This game has been selected for the Monday night TV cameras & it is easy to see why; with the positive football philosophy of both teams, the prospects are certainly high for an entertaining game.

Manchester City have been involved in some intense, high drama games recently & they will certainly come into this game feeling they have a point to prove and points to gain.

Manchester City have produced two good performances recently in their excellent 4-2 win against Arsenal & then of course that amazing Manchester derby which United won 4-3 with a last gasp goal.

That late goal although perfectly legal & timed correctly, understandably caused anger & frustration within the Manchester City squad. but what they must focus on is the many positives they displayed in that game.

Manchester City displayed quality, character, determination & self belief and although 2 of the goals where huge defensive mistakes, Manchester City should be pleased by the way they fought back 3 times to level that match.

Manchester City where strong & impressive at home last season and they look likely to be even stronger this season & this game against West Ham is the perfect opportunity to go for another home win.

The level of quality in attack is what will drive Manchester City forward this season & this game will provide the added spice of Craig Bellamy & Carlos Tevez playing against their former team. Don't be surprised if they have a major impact on this game.

West Ham United come into this game with their season already looking likely to be entertaining, but inconsistent with a mix of good performances but ultimately poor results.

Gianfranco Zola firmly believes in positive, passing football & West Ham go into all their games determined to play that way, which is entertaining but equally makes them more vulnerable to teams with more quality.

West Ham played well against Liverpool on Saturday showing good quality & commitment but ultimately the extra attacking quality of Liverpool was the deciding factor & that could be case in this game.

West Ham have got quality players with Scott Parker, Carlton Cole & Mark Noble all capable of making an impact on the game but their weakness does appear to be in defence where they lack pace & that must be a big concern against the likes of Tevez, Bellamy & Wright-Phillips.

This match has got the potential to be the most entertaining in the Premier League this weekend given how both Manchester City & West Ham United enjoy playing their football.

West Ham United will play their part as they did against Liverpool but Manchester City have the motivation, home advantage & a clear edge in terms of attacking quality with Tevez, Bellamy & Wright-Phillips all looking to get the goals that give Man City the win.

Betting Recommendations:

• Outright Match Betting: Manchester City to win
• Asianhandicap: Manchester City -1
• Correct Score options: Manchester City to win 2-0/3-0
• First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Tevez/Bellamy/Wright-Phillips
• Scorecast options:Tevez/Bellamy/Wright-Phillips score 1st & Man City to win 2-0/3-0
• Double Result: Man City Half Time & Full Time

Portsmouth vs Everton

(Saturday 12.45pm)

Fascinating match in prospect given the motivation both teams have for winning & while it is not straightforward to assess from a betting perspective, the game should offer plenty of interest & incident.

Portmsouth come into this match in desperate form sitting rock bottom of the league with 6 straight defeats in the league & while some of the performances have indicated promise, the overall truth is that Portsmouth look desperately short of quality in all areas & clearly are a side lacking in confidence and self belief. Paul Hart knows that he has to turn things around very quickly at Portsmouth & will understand the importance of getting that first win to give everybody at the club belief & confidence they can survive.

Home form will be the key for Portsmouth & Paul Hart will surely set Portsmouth up to be positive & go for the win, but there remains doubts whether they have the players in the team to score the goals they need. They also need to become more solid in the defensive areas if they are to get a result here.

David Moyes brings his Everton side into this match looking for back to back league wins to follow up their impressive 3-0 win over Blackburn & after what was a poor start for Everton, they do now seem to be finding their form & consistency of performance. Everton had a tremendous away record last season & yet so far this season they have lost both their away matches so they will be fully determined to change that here. David Moyes will see this as a good opportunity to kick start their away form & the Everton players will be full of confidence to go for the win. A key element for Everton is that their big performers such as Tim Cahill, Tim Howard, Loui Saha, Steven Pienaar & Fellaini are all hitting their best form again & they do look a far more team unit again now.

An interesting twists to this game is that former Portsmouth defender Sylvain Distin returns quickly after moving to Everton only a few weeks ago. He has settled into the Everton defence well while former Portsmouth favourite Yakubu has just returned to fitness & he will be also be looking to have an impact against his former club.

Portsmouth have to get a win soon so we expect them to be positive in this game & they will test Everton, but in our view Everton look to be getting back to their best form and will prove to strong for Portsmouth.

Betting Recommendations:

• Outright Match Betting: Everton to win
• Asianhandicap: Everton -0.5
• Correct Score options: Everton to win 0-2/1-2
• First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Cahill/Yakubu/Distin
• Scorecast options: Cahill/Yakubu/Distin score 1st & Everton 2-0/2-1
• Double Result: Everton Half Time & Full Time

Stoke City vs Manchester United

(Saturday 3.00pm)

Due to the massive profile of Manchester United, the focus of the media is likely to be solely on them & given what happened in the Manchester derby that is understandable. It would be dangerous, however, to dismiss Stoke City in this fixture & it is not the foregone conclusion many people will believe it to be.

This fixture brings together two sides which are vastly different in terms of their tactical approach to games & the quality of their squads.

Stoke City has been very successful under Tony Pulis, the highlight being the achievement of comfortably surviving in the Premier League last season. Tony Pulis is a manager who knows exactly what his players can do & he knows exactly how he wants to set his teams up & his ability to give the players belief & confidence enables them to give their best week in, week out. Tony Pulis will never claim to be a tactical genius, but he has developed a team system that gets results & especially at home, which is key for any side & even more so for Stoke City with the incredible atmosphere their fans produce.

Stoke City will know they can't outplay Manchester United in terms of flowing football but their strong, direct, physical approach & competitive spirit will cause Manchester United problems.

Manchester United have looked more casual & vulnerable in defensive areas this year & we full expect Stoke City to look to exploit that. The fact that Stoke City now has options up front in Beattie, Fuller & Kitson, all capable of providing a goal threat to go along with those strong in the air such as Faye & Shawcross, is an important fact in their favour. For Manchester United, this game presents something of a climb down after the excitement & drama of the 4-3 win over Manchester City, so the attitude of the Manchester United players will be key in this game.

Alex Ferguson will be fully aware of the strengths of Stoke City and that Manchester United will have to eradicate all of the defensive mistakes that enabled Manchester City to score 2 of their 3 goals on Sunday. Key for Manchester United will be how they cope defensively against the aerial threat of Stoke City & particularly Ben Foster who has looked nervous in goal in recent games.

Many people will view this as a certain away victory, but Stoke city are strong at home & their record here against the big teams is not that bad; none of the big 4 have found it comfortable playing at the Britannia Stadium & we believe there is betting value to believe that can happen again here.

Stoke City players & fans will be up for this match & will take heart from what Burnley did at home against United & our view is that Stoke City certainly have the capacity to make life tough for Manchester United in this game. We were tempted by the odds for a Stoke City win, but it is hard to totally oppose Manchester United given their excellent form & so we are going to take a punt on Stoke City having enough to fight for a draw at value odds.

Betting Recommendations:

• Outright Match Betting: Draw
• Asianhandicap: Stoke +1.25
• Correct score options: 1-1/2-2
• First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Fuller/Kitson/Shawcross
• Scorecast options: Fuller/Kitson/Shawcross score 1st & 1-1/2-2
• Double Result: Stoke City Half Time & Draw Full Time

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Tottenham vs Burnley

(Saturday 3.00pm)

We like the prospect of this game with both Harry Redknapp & Owen Coyle intent on playing positive, attacking football providing plenty of entertainment & goals.

This is an important league match for Harry Redknapp & his players because they need to bounce back from back to back defeats against Manchester United & Chelsea.

Losing to Manchester United & Chelsea is clearly not a disaster, but team confidence is affected by defeats so it is important for them to get straight back on the winning trail.

Tottenham come into this game with defensive problems which is a cause for concern, but equally they have enough quality in midfield & attack to force themselves on their opponents and take the pressure of the defence. Tottenham have been very strong at home in the league in the last year or so & they will come into this game looking to be positive from the start against a Burnley side who have suffered 3 defeats away from home & concended 9 goals.

Their key strength is their quality & pace in attack with Aaron Lennon & Jermaine Defoe likely to be dangers to a Burnley defence which appear to lack pace & agility.

Owen Coyle is a positive manager as Burnley are a positive team, proven by the fact they have already won 3 games in the Premier League & they look to have the belief they can stay up this season. However, those 3 wins have all come at home & Burnley have 3 heavy away defeats to their name already. This must be a concern for them going into this match.

We expect this game to be a cracker that should see plenty of chances, but in our view Tottenham have a clear advantage in attacking quality & Defoe & Lennon can inspire Tottenham to a home win.

Betting Recommendations:

• Outright Match Betting: Tottenham to win
• Asianhandicap: Tottenham -1.5
• Correct Score options: Tottenham to win 3-1/4-1
• First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Defoe/Keane/Jenas
• Scorecast options: Defoe/Keane/Jenas score 1st & Tottenham 2-1/3-1
• Double Result: Tottenham Half Time & Full Time

Wigan vs Chelsea

(Saturday 3.00pm)

We made the point about Liverpool vs Hull City being the biggest mis-match of the day in Premier League and we have to say Wigan vs Chelsea is not far behind given the obvious differences in terms of quality & form. Wigan are a fantastic club & fully deserve their current Premier League status, but given how inconsistently they have started this season there has to be major fears that their stay in the Premier League is in real danger this season.

Roberto Martinez has taken over from Steve Bruce who did a great job, but towards the end of last season Wigan started to lose their focus & consistency and it appears as though that has carried on into this season. Roberto Martinez has come in with a fresh approach to playing positive football which is to be commended, but in doing so Wigan have become more defensively fragile & their previous strengths of physical endeavour & commitment have diminished.

We expect Wigan to attempt to play positive football in this match but they will also have to be defensively solid otherwise Chelsea will take advantage of that.

Chelsea come into this match in the best possible form & confidence with 6 wins from 6 in the league, playing excellent football & scoring goals with all the squad looking in good form & extremely confident. Carlo Ancelotti has clearly had a positive impact on the Chelsea squad & the whole team unit is playing well together with the major influences such as Petr Cech, Ashley Cole, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack & Didier Drogba all hitting top form.

Chelsea are supreme away from home & they will view this game as one they can control & win & given their current form we cannot argue with that. Shocks do occur in football & Wigan getting a win or even any positive result would be a big shock here, but we cannot see that happening this time given Wigan's poor record against the big sides.

Chelsea just look too strong, powerful & have too much quality for Wigan to cope with at present & look an absolutely rock solid bet to win this comfortably.

Betting Recommendations:

• Outright Match Betting: Chelsea to win
• Correct Score options: Chelsea to win 0-2/0-3
• First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Lampard/Terry/Anelka
• Scorecast options: Drogba/Lampard score 1st & Chelsea win 2-0/3-0
• Double Result: Chelsea Half Time & Full Time

Blackburn Rovers vs Aston Villa

(Saturday 3.00pm)

Sam Allardyce & Martin O'Neill are two are of the more determined characters in management & both have confidence in their own abilities, but coming into this game they can't have the same level of confidence regarding their teams given the dramatic difference in form.

Blackburn Rovers have had a very poor start to the season with only 1 win in 5 league games & only 4 goals scored. Clearly confidence within the Blackburn squad is low.

Sam Allardyce has based his teams on being defensively solid, well organised & general overall work ethic, but so far this season Blackburn have lacked in those areas & that combined with a clear lack of quality within the squad does leave them looking vulnerable.

Blackburn need the confidence boost of a win & they know that home form is vital so they should be up for this game, but they will have to eradicate all the defensive weaknesses which will be tested by Aston Villa.

Aston Villa had the worst possible start to the season with their very disappointing 2-0 home defeat against Wigan but since then they have hit top form winning their last 4 league games on the bounce. Aston Villa look to be improving week by week with their performances combining fast, attacking play & solid allround team play, so we expect them to arrive at Blackburn full of confidence & aiming for the win.

Our view on this match is that Blackburn are under so much pressure to get results & particularly at home that they will have to be positive against Aston Villa & that could well play to the strengths of Villa who look a very tempting bet to win this & keep their excellent form going.

Betting Recommendations:

• Outright Match Betting: Aston Villa to win
• Asianhandicap: Aston Villa -0.25
• Correct Score options: Aston Villa 1-2/1-3
• First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Agbonlohar/Young/Carew
• Scorecast options: Agbonlohar/Young/Carew score 1st & Villa win 2-1/3-1
• Double Result: Aston Villa Half Time & Full Time

Birmingham City vs Bolton

(Saturday 3.00pm)

Glitz & glamour will definitely not be on the agenda here but that won't concern anybody connected to either Birmingham City or Bolton as this match represents a clash of two managers who take great pride in their teams & believe in the traditional values of hard work, commitment & physical endeavour.

Both Birmingham City & Bolton came into this season with one main, joint aim of trying to achieve survival in the Premier League & the way both teams have started the season perfectly underlines that.

Birmingham City & Alex McCleish know exactly what they want to achieve & they certainly have decided adopting fixed tactics of being solid defensively, well organised & strong, physical team unit with the aim of making themselves hard to beat.

In terms of being defensively solid & hard to break down they have certainly achieved that and only Chelsea & Aston Villa have concended fewer goals than Birmingham City in the Premier League. Where Birmingham City have struggled is in attacking areas & scoring goals is an issue that needs to be addressed although their new striker Benitez does looks a real threat with pace & power.

Bolton have had a very poor start with only 1 win so far & although they have displayed great commitment & determination in games, there does appear to be a clear lack of quality & confidence within the squad.

Gary Megson is a determined manager & he will demand that his players respond positively in this game but he must be concerned by how fragile Bolton look defensively & that has to be the first area of improvement if Bolton are to have any chance of getting results.

Now this game is massively important to both sides as these are the games that will ultimately decide each clubs fate this season & in our view a draw looks a very tempting bet given the likely physicl, competitive nature of the game & the fact both sides will be desperate to avoid defeat.

Betting Recommendations:

• Outright Match Betting: Draw
• Correct Score options: 1-1/2-2
• First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Davies/Taylor/Benitez
• Scorecast options: Davies/Taylor/Benitez score 1st & 1-1/2-2
• Double Result: Draw Half Time & Full Time

Liverpool vs Hull City

(Saturday 3.00pm)

This fixture does not exactly jump of the page & grab you, but what is for certain there is no bigger mis-match taking place in the Premier League this weekend than Liverpool vs Hull City.

We have great respect the managers, players & fans of both clubs so that comment is not meant to be dismissive, but current form & all known facts clearly indicate that Hull City face a massive task to achieve a positive result in this fixture.

Liverpool come into this game having found some winning & goalscoring form with the likes of Benayoun, Gerrard & Torres all now starting to get into top gear.

Liverpool can be expected to go all out from the start and on their recent goalscoring form they will certainly present a major test to the Hull City defence.

Hull City come into this game on the back of a very poor start of the season & look particularly fragile & dis-organised in defensive areas which is a concern.

The truth is that Hull City lack quality within their squad in all areas of the pitch & they appear unbalanced & clearly confidence is low going into this game.

We don't like to completely dismiss teams & Hull City will want to be positive against Liverpool but in our view that will only serve to encourage Liverpool more & anything other than a comfortable home win for Liverpool would be a major surprise here.

The odds for an outright Liverpool win are not attractive so take a look at the First goalscorer, Correct Score & scorecast markets which offer plenty of betting value.

Betting Recommendations:

• Outright Match Betting: Liverpool win
• Correct Score options: Liverpool to win 3-0/4-0
• First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Torres/Gerrard
• Scorecast options: Torres/Gerrard score 1st & Liverpool 3-0/4-0
• Double Result: Liverpool Half Time & Full Time

Fulham vs Arsenal

(Saturday 5.30pm)

London derby matches, as with all matches between local rivals, generate a great atmosphere within the stadium & more often than not entertaining games as well, so the prospects for Fulham & Arsenal to produce a game worth watching are definitely high.

Fulham come into this home match having had a very mixed start to the season with 2 wins & 3 defeats and Fulham do seem to be struggling to replicate the consistency & form they showed last season.

Fulham's success last season was based on being defensively solid, well organised & hard to break down but that has not been the case this season & that looks to be their main weakness, combined with their obvious failings in front of goal.

The Fulham squad looks stronger this season with the new signings, but it is looking like those players will take time to settle down & they certainly have to display organisation & defensive strength against Arsenal otherwise they will suffer.

Arsenal come into this match having experienced an intense series of high octane matches & at the same time controversial defeats by Manchester United & Man City followed by impressive wins against Standard Liege & Wigan.

The victory over Standard Liege was impressive considering Arsenal were 2-0 down after only 4 minutes & the quality, determination & belief they displayed to win that game should get Arsenal going in top gear now. They also displayed great quality against Wigan to win with ease.

It is easy to see why the TV cameras have gone for this match because the entertainment value looks guaranteed with both teams motivated to go for the result.

Fulham will be determined to get back on track in front on their fans, but in our view Arsenal look very determined & confident at present & have a clear advantage in terms of quality. They do look a solid bet to win this match & further improve their excellent record against Fulham.

Betting Recommendations:

• Outright Match Betting: Arsenal to win
• Asianhandicap: Arsenal -1
• Correct Score options: Arsenal to win 1-2/1-3
• First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Van Persie/Fabregas
• Scorecast options: Van Persie/Fabregas score 1st & Arsenal 2-1/3-1
• Double Result: Arsenal Half Time & Full Time

Sunderland vs Wolves

(Sunday - 14.00pm)

This is an interesting match between teams which have both impressed & disappointed in equal measure so far this season.

Sunderland & Wolves come into this game with similarly inconsistent records in the league with Sunderland having 3 wins & 3 defeats and Wolves 2 wins, 1 draw & 3 defeats, which only serves to make this game harder to predict with confidence.

Having only just avoided relegation last season, Sunderland have very clear ambitions to progress this season & in taking over the management, Steve Bruce displays confidence & determination to build a quality squad.

Steve Bruce has strengthened the Sunderland squad with the signings of Lee Cattermole, Frazier Campbell, Michael Turner & most importantly Darren Bent who has already proven to be a prolific goal threat which is something Sunderland lacked last season.

The fact Steve Bruce has signed so many players does mean the squad is developing all the time & that is probably the reason for their inconsistency of results, but all of their performances have offered promise of what will come in time.

Steve Bruce said when he took over that a key aim of his was to make The Stadium of Light become a fortress because he knows home form & home wins are vital for any club & manager, so we expect Sunderland to be adopt a positive approach in this match & look to dominate Wolves.

The return of Mick McCarthy to the club he once managed will add some spice for the Sunderland fans, but that won't concern Mick McCarthy himself & he will be intent on trying to get a positive result for Wolves.

Wolves have had a mixed start with bad results against West Ham & Blackburn, but also excellent wins against Wigan & Fulham and their positive style of play has been entertaining to watch.

The problem Mick McCarthy has is that he knows the Wolves squad is lacking in real top quality & particularly in defensive areas and that is something they will have to work on if they are to survive.

We expect this game to provide good quality football & entertainment because both Sunderland & Wolves will be determined to go for a positive result & we are taking the view that home advantage could be a massive factor. Sunderland look a solid bet to get the three points with Darren Bent a strong contender for goals once again.

Betting Recommendations:

• Outright Match Betting: Sunderland to win
• Asianhandicap: Sunderland -0.75
• Correct Score options: Sunderland to win 2-1/3-1
• First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Bent/Kenwyn Jones/Malbranque
• Scorecast options: Bent/Kenwyn Jones/Malbranque score 1st & Sunderland 2-1/3-1
• Double Result: Sunderland Half Time & Full Time