TONNY
09-02-2007, 02:27 PM
Arsenal , Celtic and Villarreal have winning chances today.
1. Arsenal v Portsmouth - Home (draw cover if willing)
Arsenal are very good at home and at the Emirates it will be very hard to break them particularly in the current period when all competitions included they are on a run of 9 games unbeaten with eight wins and one away draw against Blackburn.
From end of July to 29 August, Arsenal won six of these last nine games on tough European opposition as PSG, Inter, Lazio, Ajax, and twice on Sparta Prague. They’ve scored at least two goals in five of these wins (except Ajax 0-1 away).The two other wins were on Fulham and Manchester City.
In the Premier league alone they are on a run of 10 unbeaten games which goes into last season.
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Contrarily to last season Arsenal occupy at this early stage of the EPL a decent 9th place with two wins and one draw and are one of the five teams still without a loss. If they win today they’ll catch up the three-point gap from the pool of three top teams.
Visitors Portsmouth will come with renewed ambitions to get the scalp of Arsenal after the three successive draws in their last three H2H. Their away records here are poor as in eight league encounters spreading over 50 years, Arsenal won five and they drew thrice.
Overall five of the eight Premier league encounters between the teams were draws of which the last three.
Can Portsmouth get success at Arsenal today is a big question. Portsmouth are well prepared and made many recruits in the team with a view to do better than last season. Under the coaching of Harry Redknapp, Portsmouth have taken the habit to spike the big guns Arsenal, Chelsea, Man U and Chelsea. Last season their record with Arsenal, Liverpool and Man U is 2W-3D-1L.This season they’ve already drawn with Man U and suffered only a short 1-0 defeat to Chelsea. That was their only defeat this season.
In the team they have ex-arsenal players as Lauren, Campbell and Kanu who know their opponents better and today Portsmouth's £4m man Glen Johnson is set to play at right-back, while Lauren will switch to right midfield after Gary O'Neil's departure to Middlesbrough. Pedro Mendes and Nico Kranjcar are fit again and there is a only slight doubt over skipper Sol Campbell.
Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb is a doubt through illness and keeper Jens Lehmann is still out and will probably be replaced by Manuel Almunia. William Gallas, Emmanuel Eboue and Bacary Sagna all remain sidelined.
Winning chances could go either way but I believe that Portsmouth are not in that top form needed to win at currently in-form and successful Arsenal today as their two recent wins were on poor Bolton and Leeds from lower division. They lost at Chelsea, drew with a patchy Man U who played without some of their best players at that time and could only draw against poor Derby. They have taken steps to deliver a great game and this is possible with the new additions, the experience and knowledge of ex-Arsenal players in their line-up and Redknapp’s speciality to spike the big guns. Arsenal will bank on their excellent current form and their grounds advantage. A draw is the best bet here. But I an imclined to believe that Arsenal will win that game today. So my bet would Arsenal to win and I choose the home win.:)
2. St Mirren v Celtic - Away with the -1.25 asian handicap:)
Celtic currently stand in third seat in the SPL at five points form leaders Rangers but with one game in hand. They dropped two points in the draw against Kilmarnock but should be able to catch up at St Mirren by a fourth win in the league and also extend their overall run of wins to four after having won successively on Aberdeen (3-1) Hearts (5-0) and Spartak Moscow (5-4).
Celtic are in good form and have no selection worries although they’ll be without striker Kenny Miller who has gone to Derby.
St Mirren have been moderate in their four games with two wins and two defeats. They will field a new midfielder Chris Birchall who joined from Coventry, but will continue to suffer their players problems as Striker Craig Cargo, defenders Eddie Malone and Ian Maxwell and midfielder Craig Molloy are all missing with injuries.
Celtic won on St Mirren by more than one goal margin in their last five H2H. The last two finished 3-1 and 5-1.
I see a clear win of Celtic here and I choose the away win with the -1.2 5 ball handicap
3. Villarreal v Real Madrid - Home Win ( + draw cover):)
Villarreal are impressive and are on at least 11 wins in a row. They inflicted a 3-0 defeat to Valencia in first game while playing away. Villarreal scored at least three in each of last four games.
Banking on their excellent form and their usual good tenure at home Villarreal can get the edge here over Champions Real Madrid who have struggled to come from behind and get a 2-1 home win on Athletico Madrid in the first game. Real Lost three games in succession before that home win.
Villarreal have god chances. I choose the home win and with the + 0.25 ball given.
1. Arsenal v Portsmouth - Home (draw cover if willing)
Arsenal are very good at home and at the Emirates it will be very hard to break them particularly in the current period when all competitions included they are on a run of 9 games unbeaten with eight wins and one away draw against Blackburn.
From end of July to 29 August, Arsenal won six of these last nine games on tough European opposition as PSG, Inter, Lazio, Ajax, and twice on Sparta Prague. They’ve scored at least two goals in five of these wins (except Ajax 0-1 away).The two other wins were on Fulham and Manchester City.
In the Premier league alone they are on a run of 10 unbeaten games which goes into last season.
.
Contrarily to last season Arsenal occupy at this early stage of the EPL a decent 9th place with two wins and one draw and are one of the five teams still without a loss. If they win today they’ll catch up the three-point gap from the pool of three top teams.
Visitors Portsmouth will come with renewed ambitions to get the scalp of Arsenal after the three successive draws in their last three H2H. Their away records here are poor as in eight league encounters spreading over 50 years, Arsenal won five and they drew thrice.
Overall five of the eight Premier league encounters between the teams were draws of which the last three.
Can Portsmouth get success at Arsenal today is a big question. Portsmouth are well prepared and made many recruits in the team with a view to do better than last season. Under the coaching of Harry Redknapp, Portsmouth have taken the habit to spike the big guns Arsenal, Chelsea, Man U and Chelsea. Last season their record with Arsenal, Liverpool and Man U is 2W-3D-1L.This season they’ve already drawn with Man U and suffered only a short 1-0 defeat to Chelsea. That was their only defeat this season.
In the team they have ex-arsenal players as Lauren, Campbell and Kanu who know their opponents better and today Portsmouth's £4m man Glen Johnson is set to play at right-back, while Lauren will switch to right midfield after Gary O'Neil's departure to Middlesbrough. Pedro Mendes and Nico Kranjcar are fit again and there is a only slight doubt over skipper Sol Campbell.
Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb is a doubt through illness and keeper Jens Lehmann is still out and will probably be replaced by Manuel Almunia. William Gallas, Emmanuel Eboue and Bacary Sagna all remain sidelined.
Winning chances could go either way but I believe that Portsmouth are not in that top form needed to win at currently in-form and successful Arsenal today as their two recent wins were on poor Bolton and Leeds from lower division. They lost at Chelsea, drew with a patchy Man U who played without some of their best players at that time and could only draw against poor Derby. They have taken steps to deliver a great game and this is possible with the new additions, the experience and knowledge of ex-Arsenal players in their line-up and Redknapp’s speciality to spike the big guns. Arsenal will bank on their excellent current form and their grounds advantage. A draw is the best bet here. But I an imclined to believe that Arsenal will win that game today. So my bet would Arsenal to win and I choose the home win.:)
2. St Mirren v Celtic - Away with the -1.25 asian handicap:)
Celtic currently stand in third seat in the SPL at five points form leaders Rangers but with one game in hand. They dropped two points in the draw against Kilmarnock but should be able to catch up at St Mirren by a fourth win in the league and also extend their overall run of wins to four after having won successively on Aberdeen (3-1) Hearts (5-0) and Spartak Moscow (5-4).
Celtic are in good form and have no selection worries although they’ll be without striker Kenny Miller who has gone to Derby.
St Mirren have been moderate in their four games with two wins and two defeats. They will field a new midfielder Chris Birchall who joined from Coventry, but will continue to suffer their players problems as Striker Craig Cargo, defenders Eddie Malone and Ian Maxwell and midfielder Craig Molloy are all missing with injuries.
Celtic won on St Mirren by more than one goal margin in their last five H2H. The last two finished 3-1 and 5-1.
I see a clear win of Celtic here and I choose the away win with the -1.2 5 ball handicap
3. Villarreal v Real Madrid - Home Win ( + draw cover):)
Villarreal are impressive and are on at least 11 wins in a row. They inflicted a 3-0 defeat to Valencia in first game while playing away. Villarreal scored at least three in each of last four games.
Banking on their excellent form and their usual good tenure at home Villarreal can get the edge here over Champions Real Madrid who have struggled to come from behind and get a 2-1 home win on Athletico Madrid in the first game. Real Lost three games in succession before that home win.
Villarreal have god chances. I choose the home win and with the + 0.25 ball given.