Will the Premier League see goals on Wednesday’s coupon?
With one of the few midweek fixtures where all the Premier League teams meet. Will we see goals under the floodlights as Winter sets in and the chill factor meaning the players will surely need to be more active on the pitch? The following treble pays just over 5/1 with Betfred.
Manchester City Vs Everton
The Toffees make the trip across to Manchester as they look to seize the advantage in what could be a feisty midweek fixture. Everton are mid-table coming into this game as City look to build on their third place in the League.
The sides will meet three times in January having been positioned in the League Cup Semi Final where Everton hold the advantage two goals to one. Can Roberto Martínez’s men apply this as a motivator to try and make another victory in the space of a week? The bookies seem to think goals will be on the cards and I tend to agree on this! The loss came at the expense that it was the first time Pellegrini’s City has lost to Everton as Manchester City boss having won four and drawn one.
City at home have regarded their home ground as a fortress and have not disappointed this season. City have netted nearly three quarters of their goals at home without failing to net in any. They have conceded in eighty percent of their home games, which will give both team to score backers confidence. In addition having conceded in the entire last eight at home, Everton should feel confident they can find the back of the net. To add credibility, the Toffees have netted in all of the last six.
With the controversies of the first leg in the league cup, there was plenty of attacking play with twenty-six shots, eleven of which on target. Compilers are confident for goals as three or more is 8/15 with firms and think with the likes of Aguero, Silva and co there is confidence that we will see goals under the lights of the Etihad.
Recommendation
Over 2.5 goals – 8/15 SkyBet
Tottenham Hotspur V Leicester City
The pair played out an entertaining draw on Sunday ending two goals apiece. This game could see goals again after facing one another four days before.
Fourth place Spurs host second place Leicester, where the Foxes do not seem to be letting go of their dream season. The Foxes have hit a potential sticky patch without a win in the last three and uncharacteristically not netting. Claudio Ranieri’s men certainly put that goal drought to an end with their display versus Spurs.
Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs will be looking to close the gap on the Foxes, who are four points in front have netted plenty this season with a sound thirty-four goals in twenty games. Leicester who are top of the away league table have netted three more than Spurs in comparison overall. Looking at the stats there is not much to split the pair, and the bookies have a similar opinion on the goal line. Most firms are a coin toss, whereas one or two slightly edge the over line. Compilers may have slightly adjusted their pricing off the back of Sunday’s result in the belief that lightening can strike twice, especially under the White Hart Lane lights.
This game will be more important than their meeting on Sunday. With top scorer Vardy injured and playmaker Mahrez rested last Sunday will be raring to go on Wednesday night. Without hotshot Vardy may be accountable for their recent results. Despite this, I expect a feisty encounter, where Leicester will have to show they have the resources without Vardy.
Recommendation
Over 2.5 goals 10/11 Betfred
Southampton V Watford
Quique Sánchez Flores’s Watford makes the relative ninety minute trip around the M25 and down the M3 to the South Coast where Saints boss Ronald Koeman looks to overturn a two game losing streak. Southampton look to avert their present form having lost four of the last six in the league, versus a Watford side on a similar blip to Southampton’s two successive losses.
The hosts can now concentrate exclusively on the Premier League after their elimination from the FA Cup at the weekend. Watford booked their place in the fourth round with a narrow victory over Newcastle.
When looking at this game, taking on the away side to bring their style having avoided defeat in the last three and are no shortage of goals. The Hornets have not failed to net in the last seven away games and in all but one on the road this season. The visitors have a tendency to concede more so in the second half with over three quarters occurring after the break.
Koeman’s men have averaged three goals exactly at home this season with sixty percentage of their games overall with over two goals in the game. This compares to Watford which have averaged a shade under three goals per game. Their away trend has resulted in fifty-six percent of away games on the over line.
I did expect evens for the over goal line and compilers punt at evens or better for this. We may be surprised in this fixture with both sides needing to overturn recent form. With Watford’s recent away form, three or the last four has seen three or more goals. With an in form away side visiting a declining home side, either side will want to cancel the other out. Watford will look to hotshot Nigerian Odion Ighalo for goals with eleven this campaign as long as he is fit.
It is worth noting that six of the last seven meetings have resulted in a winning line for over goals backers, so make it seven from eight by the final whistle.
Recommendation
Over 2.5 goals – 23/20 William Hill
