Despite being over three months in to the Premier League season, we’re about to have the first midweek league fixtures this term. This is of course the start of a difficult month for clubs, with wall to wall fixtures in the league, plus commitments in Europe and in the Capital One Cup for some. With this extra round of midweek fixtures, Premier League sides face three league games in just over a week and that’s sure to strain resources.
With every side in action over the two nights, there’s no shortage of games to look at. The highlights of the week include Arsenal facing high flying Southampton, and Chelsea hosting Spurs. With the race for the top four taking many twists and turns so far, you can expect to see more this week. Here is our preview of the four biggest games from the midweek fixtures, with betting tips and odds for each match.
Tuesday 2nd December 2014
Leicester v Liverpool (19:45) – Liverpool to win (10/11 with Bet Victor)
The Reds haven’t been having the best of times recently, struggling in the league and the Champions League. They need a last day win to make it through in Europe, and with their league form there’s no guarantee that they’ll be back next year. They’re clearly missing Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, but after over £100m of signings in the summer, Brendan Rodgers isn’t doing well enough.
They should have a winnable game here though, as they travel to a Leicester side who are struggling for goals and wins. After their good start, they’ve slipped down the table and they’re now struck right in the middle of the relegation battle. Even with Liverpool’s poor form this season, they should be able to get a win over Leicester here. Given how bad the Foxes have been in front of goal, Liverpool might actually be able to get a clean sheet here. At odds of just under evens, they’re well worth backing for the three points.
Man United v Stoke (19:45) – United to win and BTTS (21/10 with BetVictor)
Louis van Gaal has turned his United side around in recent weeks, pushing them up in to the top four and reigniting their Champions League ambitions. They’ve not been that impressive, but given how every side who are pushing for the top four have been out of form, they’ve got themselves into a great position. That has mainly came from their home form, which doesn’t bode well for Stoke.
The Potters are currently mid table, and they’re performing better away from home than at home, a big change from their previous years. They aren’t actually that far off United, but they’ll be unlikely to be challenging for the top four come the end of the season. Given how well they’ve played away from home this season, they could trouble United here. They’ve already won at Manchester City, so the Red Devils will have to be on their toes. While Stoke probably won’t be able to repeat that shock win here, expect them to be able to take advantage of United’s defence. United to win and both teams to score is our betting tip here.
Wednesday 3rd December 2014
Arsenal v Southampton (19:45) – Both teams to score (31/40 with Bet Victor)
The live game on Wednesday night sees Southampton traveling to Arsenal, with the Saints surprisingly well above the Gunners in the table. With Arsenal under pressure from their fans given their title ambitions at the start of the season, they need to start picking up results and soon. They gave themselves a boost by beating Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, and they’ll need a few more results like that if they’re to be back in the competition next season.
Southampton are just adding to the Gunners’ woes, given how well they’ve started having lost so many of their key players in the summer. The impetus has come from their new manager, something which Arsenal fans may point to when they call for Wenger’s head. This week is crucial for the Saints, after facing Manchester City they head to the Emirates, and then they face Manchester United the weekend after. If they survive that with their place in the top four secure, then people will surely see them as serious contenders. Saints may have a tough defence, but I can see Arsenal breaking through it here. This should be an open game, and expect both sides to get on the score sheet.
Chelsea v Tottenham (19:45) – Chelsea to win to nil (21/20 with Bet Victor)
The league leaders kick off their crazy December with a London derby against Spurs, which is sandwiched in between two trips to the North East. They host Tottenham looking to maintain their big lead at the top of the table, as they know this month could be a big one in terms of them cementing their place at the summit of the Premier League. Given how well they’ve been playing at home of late, it’s no wonder that they’re such heavy favourites.
But, Spurs have been a far better side away from home in recent weeks. They’ve lost just one of their last six on the road, although their recent Premier League away wins have come with late goals and also against 10 men. Spurs don’t took to be a side that has really clicked yet, but they’re getting results anyway. It’s hard to tell if they’re a good team or just a lucky one at the moment, but they’re unlikely to be able to get anything here. The Blues should be able to get a win here and their defence should hold firm against the unpredictable Spurs attack.
Those are our four tips for the big midweek Premier League games. Altogether, they come to a 20/1 accumulator with BetVictor, an acca that is more than worth a look if you fancy a longer odds bet stretched across the two nights.