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msudogs
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A last gasp winner from John Egan sent Chris Wilder on a rampage down the touchline, resulting in a strained calf for the Sheffield United boss.
However, that win has put them in a great position for Europa League football next season and an outside chance at the Champions League, though they’ll have to get past a Chelsea side who aren’t exactly goal-shy at the moment.
The Blues have won seven of their last eight across all competitions, while in the league alone they’ve scored at least twice in each of their past eight.
Although Bramall Lane has proved a tricky place to come this season, no side has scored more away goals than Frank Lampard’s men and they’d be second to Liverpool in a table of such results.
While this is certain to be a hard-fought contest, with Newcastle the only side to get the better of the Blades by more than a single strike here this term, we wouldn’t be surprised to see goals on the cards here.
Both Teams To Score
Although Wilder’s tactics ensure his matches tend to be relatively low-scoring affairs, as Sheffield United’s average of two match goals per game is the lowest in the division, Chelsea’s away record is in stark contrast to that.
No team has seen more goals than the Blues’ 3.9 per game on the road this season, while that’s not necessarily entirely down to their own attacking prowess, as 14 of their 17 such fixtures this season have seen both teams manage to register.
After a sluggish start in front of goal after the restart, where the Blades failed to net for three successive games, they’ve now scored five in three against top-half sides Spurs, Burnley and Wolves, as well as in defeat to Arsenal in the FA Cup.
We’d back them to get on the scoresheet at home versus a leaky visiting defence, and we’re surprised to see the both teams to score market at odds-against.
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07-11-20 02:10 PM |
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msudogs
Moderator
Registered: Nov 2005
Posts: 65535
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A battle of the middle of the table takes place in Serie A’s featured TV game as Parma hosts Bologna. Both teams are coming off 2-1 losses during the week and realistically do not have much to play for in this game.
Parma and Bologna have an outside shot at a Europa League spot, but it will take an incredible run to end the season to achieve European football next season.
Parma
I Crociati is one of the more overrated team in Serie A based on expected points. According to their expected goals differential, Parma should actually be in 16th place. The difference between their actual results, versus their expected results is truly stunning
Parma has been in a bad run of form since the restart earning only four points in their last six matches. They’ve been completely outplayed in those matches losing the expected goals battle 14.76 to 7.56. In fact, they’ve been so poor defensively that they’ve allowed more than two expected goals in five of their last six matches.
I Crociati has also been extremely poor at the Stadio Ennio Tardini as of late, losing their last four matches. In those four matches, they’ve been poor at both ends of the pitch losing on average by 0.64 xG per match (1.22 xGF, 1.86 xGA).
Bologna
Bologna has been one of the best road teams in Serie A this season. I Rossoblù rank inside the top five in expected goal for, expected goals against, and expected goal differential. In fact, they’ve been on fire winning as of late, winning four of their last five matches.
Based on expected goals, I Rossoblù has been a tad unlucky this season, as they boast a +7.95 expected goal differential, which is a lot higher than their actual goal differential of -5. Some positive regression is bound to keep coming Bologna’s way and playing against an overrated Parma side might just do the trick.
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07-12-20 01:26 PM |
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msudogs
Moderator
Registered: Nov 2005
Posts: 65535
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The North London Derby is known as one of the fiercest and most competitive rivalries in all of England. Arsenal and Tottenham will meet for the 200th time on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Spurs and Arsenal have been in competition for the top four Champions League places for most of the past decade, but both clubs have struggled with form this year. Arsenal enters the derby in eighth, Tottenham in 10th, both basically out of reach for a Champions League place.
But while Arsenal have started to turn their form around with the appointment of Mikel Arteta as manager, and the Gunners have played well since the restart, Tottenham is in free fall. Arsenal had won three consecutive matches by an 8-0 aggregate score and was headed toward a crucial 1-0 win vs. Leicester City before they went down to 10 men and were pegged back, settling for a 1-1 draw.
Spurs have played five matches since the restart, winning twice, drawing twice and losing once. While that doesn’t sound particularly terrible, it’s been the decline in performances that have been most troubling.
Since Spurs’ 2-0 win against West Ham, where striker Harry Kane looked lively and Tottenham’s defense was sturdy, they’ve played three matches. They’ve scored two goals (one own goal) on 2.01 xG, and conceded three on 2.9 xGA in games against Sheffield United, Everton and Bournemouth.
Tottenham have consistently put in mid-table performances all season, and even at home, where their results are solid, their actual football has been dire. Only three teams have allowed more xG at home since Jan. 1 than Spurs (12.05 xGA in seven matches).
Going forward, Harry Kane looked lively in matches against West Ham and Sheffield United since returning from injury during the layoff. However, he hasn’t been rotated at all and looked worn down for most of the match against Bournemouth on Thursday.
Spurs are playing their third match in six days with a striker who they rely heavily on and is clearly not ready to play that many minutes. While Kane was leading the Premier League since the restart in xG after three matches, he’s attempted three shots in the last two matches (one inside the penalty area).
Arsenal haven’t won a match at Tottenham since 2014, losing three and drawing two. But this is the worst Spurs team in a North London Derby over that span. Arsenal have conceded just one goal in four matches, once going down to 10 men on Wednesday vs. Leicester.
According to Understat’s metrics, since the Gunners have switched to a back three, their defense has improved significantly. In 282 minutes in this formation, the Gunners have allowed just 0.86 xGA per 90 minutes compared to 1.43 xGA per 90 over the entire season.
In six matches since the restart, both Spurs and Arsenal have conceded just three big scoring chances each. Only Manchester United and Wolves have allowed fewer.
The Gunners were able to stifle the attacks of Southampton, Wolves and Leicester City, all better than Tottenham going forward. I still have questions about the Gunners going forward and where the chance creation will come from outside of top scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
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07-12-20 01:28 PM |
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msudogs
Moderator
Registered: Nov 2005
Posts: 65535
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Aston Villa v Crystal Palace | Sunday 12th July 2020, 9:15
Aston Villa host Crystal Palace in the second of four Super Sunday clashes in the Premier League.
It really is must-win territory for the Villans now; at the time of writing, Villa find themselves four points adrift of West Ham and Watford outside of the relegation zone with just four games remaining. Those sides face Norwich and Newcastle respectively on Saturday so the gap could extend even further by the time Dean Smith’s side kick-off.
For Palace, there’s little to play for with four consecutive defeats ending any outside chance of a top-half finish. Roy Hodgson will have been impressed with his side’s fightback in the 3-2 defeat against Chelsea though, with Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke both ending their goal droughts.
Villa are priced at 5/4 to win this one, and to me this looks very short. Bookmakers often understandably factor in motivation at this stage of the season, but in my view they go overboard at times and I think this is a clear example.
Yes, Villa will be more desperate for the win, but that doesn’t mean they will. They’ve looked incapable of scoring from open play since the restart, with both of their goals being scored by defenders from set-pieces.
Palace are hardly free-scoring themselves and Tuesday night was their first game of the season which that saw five goals or more scored. Only 18% of their games have seen Over 3.5 Goals, with 29% of Villa’s following likewise.
I expect this to be a fairly low-scoring, low-chances affair then, so my play is Palace on the Double Chance market and Under 4 Goals at 23/20 with Bet365’s Bet Builder feature.
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07-12-20 02:12 PM |
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msudogs
Moderator
Registered: Nov 2005
Posts: 65535
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Bournemouth vs Leicester | Sunday 12th July 2020, 2:00
Saturday's results have moved Bournemouth’s plight from deeply concerning to desperate, with the Cherries, without a win in nine, needing to beat Leicester on Sunday to have any chance of survival.
Eddie Howe’s men have struggled since the resumption of the Premier League, managing just a solitary point and scoring just three goals while conceding 12.
Thursday’s 0-0 against Tottenham was certainly the best display they have put in since the restart, but again they failed to win the game.
Their opponents today, Leicester, have not played to the levels we were seeing before the break, winning just won of their six matches in all competitions but they do have the carrot of knowing that a victory will see them go above Chelsea in to third place.
Neither of these sides have found scoring particularly easy recently, with Bournemouth failing to score in three of their last five matches and Leicester managing just six in as many matches since domestic football returned.
However, longer term statistics are a little more positive, with BTTS landing in 18 of 34 (53%) league games for both sides. Bournemouth have found the net at home to Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal this term and in Callum Wilson, Josh King and Harry Wilson they do have the firepower to cause Leicester problems.
As stated previously, their situation is now desperate and with Leicester also needing a win to cement Champions League aspirations I do not expect a cagey encounter. Given the magnitude of the game, I did consider backing second half to see more goals but I will keep it simple and go for both teams to score
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07-12-20 07:32 PM |
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