LeeDixon

Match Odds

An intriguing match between two sides who will be somewhat disappointed with their current league position. Chelsea were second-favourites at the start of the campaign and find themselves a huge nine points off the pace set by Manchester City whilst Liverpool, tipped by many including myself to finish in the Top Four, are down in sixth. Of course it's early days and both may yet achieve their pre-season goals but the worrying aspect for both managers is that they're not actually playing that well. Or at the very least, they are not performing consistently.

Chelsea are at home and that means there is more pressure on them to make something of this game. Not to mention actually winning it of course. These have been a very tough few weeks for Andre Villas-Boas, for one reason or another. That 1-0 defeat at QPR, a 5-3 loss at home to Arsenal, that missed David Luiz penalty at Genk that cost them the win. And that's without mentioning the manager's own improper conduct charge and the ongoing John Terry investigation. Villas-Boas is looking a little edgy at the moment and that's not the best state of mind in which to lead his team into a big match such as this.

Chelsea's defence has looked shaky of late and there are concerns that playing against raw pace makes them vulnerable. Luis Suarez is just the sort of man to make the most of those deficiencies. The Uruguyan is about to face charges of his own of course but his altercation with Patrice Evra has been hanging over his head for a month now and, if anything, his form has actually improved during this period. He could be Liverpool's key man.

A case could be made for a lay of Chelsea at 1.88 because a Liverpool win certainly isn't out of the question. But a back of the draw at 3.7 offers better returns and is the likelier result anyway so, that's where my money is going.

Over/Under 2.5 Goals

I've said Chelsea's defence looks suspect but then again, Suarez aside, no-one has looked particularly dangerous for Liverpool of late.

A quick look at the Opta stats for past encounters between these two suggests that goals aren't to be expected. There have been just nine scored in the last eight Premier League meetings between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge and somewhat more surprisingly, Chelsea have failed to score in five of their last seven Premier League games against Liverpool. It makes sense to go with another low-scoring affair so under 2.5 goals is the bet at 2.02.

Bookings Odds

Their manager has got himself into trouble with the FA and their captain Terry may be joining him. But the Chelsea players have been getting themselves into a spot of bother with referees, too. Chelsea have picked up more cards than any other team in the Premier League this season, 28 yellow and three reds.

This will already be a heated match because of what's at stake and all these off-the-pitch incidents will only contribute to making it an even tenser affair. Expect the cards to come out so back nine points and above in the bookings odds market.

2 pts Back the draw @ 3.7
3 pts Back Under 2.5 goals @ 2.02
4 pts Back nine points and above in the Bookings Odds market @ 1.6

For more exclusive Lee Dixon content, go to http://betting.betfair.com/football/leedixon/

Match Odds

After 11 games few would have predicted that Norwich would be sitting in the dizzy heights of ninth place in the table. And it's not like they've just been taking points off the weaker teams; their 1-1 draw at Anfield, for example, was thoroughly deserved. And even when they've actually lost against a couple of the big guns, they've certainly given their more illustrious opponents a game. They gave Chelsea plenty of problems in a 3-1 defeat and had a few good chances away at Old Trafford, before succumbing to defeat.

I always enjoyed travelling to Carrow Road as a player. And no, it wasn't because Delia Smith prepared the post-match meal. It's a very intense and personal ground where the Norwich faithful love their football and create a really buzzing atmosphere. They'll make Arsenal well aware that they're about to give them a game.

The Gunners are on a good run and though Robin van Persie (more on him later) has been the one getting all the plaudits, their change in fortunes has been down to improved performances from most of the players who regularly start. There are no one-man teams in the Premier League these days. I expect Arsenal to do it the hard way and they may have to weather a few storms at some stage of the match but I suspect that by hook or by crook, they'll win this game in the end.

Over/Under 2.5 Goals

One of the characteristics of this Norwich side under Paul Lambert has been an intent to have a go at their opponents, whoever they are. None of this sitting back and looking to 'nick a goal from a set piece' business. They know that Arsenal are suspect at the back and they're just going to go and try and outscore them. That sounds like a decent plan and is good news for us over 2.5 goals backers.

We're pretty sure Arsenal will have no trouble scoring - Opta tell us that with 11 away goals so far only Manchester City have scored more - and we suspect Norwich will grab at least one of their own. After all, they've conceded an incredible 17 away from home so far (cheers Opta). So over 2.5 goals is a confident selection at 1.7.

To Score

We fancy Norwich to score at least one so who will get it? We know that Arsenal are vulnerable from set-pieces and that the Canaries have scored the joint-most headed goals (six) this season, or so Opta tell us. Grant Holt would normally be the player we'd want to be with given these clues but his start against Aston Villa was his first in seven matches so we can't be sure he'll play from the beginning. Steve Morrison almost certainly will, is good in the air himself and has scored in his last two Premier League matches. He's a good price at 3.2 to do so again.

It wouldn't be a preview of an Arsenal match without mentioning the cash cow that is van Persie. But this I'm pushing the boat out a little this week and predicting he'll actually score at least two. He's done so on four occasions so far this season and at 6.5 he's cracking price to do it again.

2 pts Back Arsenal to win @ 1.75
4 pts Back Over 2.5 goals @ 1.7
1 pt Back Steve Morrison to score @ 3.2
2 pts Back Robin van Persie to score two goals or more @ 6.5

For more exclusive Lee Dixon content, go to http://betting.betfair.com/football/leedixon/

Match Odds/Half-Time Full-Time

There were serious repercussions from that 6-1 hammering Manchester United suffered at the hands of rivals City.

One of them was that Sir Alex Ferguson decided to scrap his somewhat gung-ho approach that was a feature of his team in the first few weeks of the campaign. The same approach that saw them beat City 3-2 in the Community Shield, thrash Arsenal 8-2 and get the better of Chelsea (3-1).

So it's back to basics for the time being as far as Sir Alex is concerned. A fairly conventional 4-4-2 with players being asked to be more disciplined in terms of positioning. And a middle four that has somewhat surprisingly included the presence of Wayne Rooney. It's an interesting role to give your most likely goalscorer but there's sound reasoning behind it, as you would expect from the United boss. He obviously feels that scoring goals isn't a problem for a team containing the likes of Javier Hernandez, Danny Welbeck and Nani and that employing Rooney in a deeper role gives him extra steel, energy, skill and all the other assets we associate with his number 10. It's certainly worked to an extent because, while United have scored just two goals in their last two league matches, they've also kept two clean sheets.

Swansea have surprised many, especially with their resolute defending at home. But Manchester United should be too strong for them and the Reds will be able to rack up another hard-fought win. The 1.56 is a decent price on the straight win but the Draw/Man Utd option at 5.0 looks good, too. Sometimes it takes fatigue to set in before you finally score against a team like Swansea and the breakthrough may only come late on.

Over/Under 2.5 Goals

I've discussed the fact that United's last two matches were 1-0 wins and they were sandwiched between a 2-0 win against Otelul Galati in the Champions League. So there's clearly a recent pattern for low-scoring matches.

Swansea have conceded just one goal on home soil this season, fewer than any other Premier League team on their own ground. That's an incredible Opta stat and though I've said I fancy United to win the match, it may take just the one goal to do so. Under 2.5 goals is a good bet at 2.08.

First Goalscorer

Part of the reason why Wayne Rooney has been moved into a deeper role has to do with the faith Sir Alex has in Javier Hernandez. "If you build it they will come" was the tagline in Kevin Costner's "Field of Dreams". "Supply him with chances and the goals will come" could be a similarly appropriate phrase to describe Hernandez's prowess in front of goal. He hasn't played as much this season as some would have thought for one reason or another but when he has he's often been the difference. Back him at 5.0 to open the scoring.

2 pts Back Manchester United to win @ 1.56
2 pts Back Draw/Man Utd @ 5.0
3 pts Back Under 2.5 Goals @ 2.08
2 pts Back Javier Hernandez to be first goalscorer @ 5.0

For more exclusive Lee Dixon content, go to http://betting.betfair.com/football/leedixon/

Match Odds
QPR are a funny old side. Rangers certainly shocked a few people with that result against Chelsea but have struggled at home so far, scoring just three goals. Manchester City are playing at a higher level than Chelsea at the moment and this will be very hard indeed for the home side.

We saw QPR up against a quality Premier League outfit in Spurs last weekend, and it was a reasonably easy win for Tottenham in the end with Neil Warnock's men rarely troubling the home side, save for a rally after the break. All in all, it's hard not to fancy anything other than another win for Roberto Mancini's men.

City are in an enviable position where they have just about two players for every position. And, being City, those players are very good indeed. That is a huge benefit for Mancini, who can leave a quality player out and bring a quality player in, unlike most other managers who have a strong XI and stick with it.

We are waiting for a bad spell to hit City but it's not come yet and I don't think it will start now. They will have a bad run though - all teams do, even Arsenal during the Invincible run - and it's how they win when they are not playing well, and whether other teams can take advantage, that will decide the fate of the Premier League trophy.

But I don't think City's bad run will begin at Loftus Road and I see Mancini's men marching on with a handsome win so will be backing them on the Asian Handicap -1 & -1.5 at 1.8. In the most basic terms, if City win by two my bet is a winner.

Over 3.5 Goals
That first bet points to a few goals being scored in west London and that's exactly what I think will happen. How can you not? With a forward line of Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko, the league leaders have serious options upfront. And the supporting cast aren't bad either! It's a short enough price at 2.54 but I'm backing overs here.

To Score
As I say, it's never easy to second guess Mancini such are the riches at his disposal but all three strikers usually get on the pitch at some point and, as Opta say, Dzeko has scored at a faster rate than any other Premier League player this term so I'm not afraid to back him even if he starts on the bench. In fact, we'll just be getting a better price!

Recommended Bets
2pts Back Manchester City -1 & -1.5 @ 1.81
2pts Back Over 3.5 goals @ 2.54
2pts Back Edin Dzeko to score anytime @ 2.5 if he starts and 5.5 is he is on the bench

For more exclusive Lee Dixon content, go to http://betting.betfair.com/football/leedixon/

Match Odds

What a remarkable game of football that was on Saturday lunch-time. A 5-3 win away at a side who prior to this season had a fierce reputation as one of the best defensive outfits in Europe and one who started this season as one of just three teams genuinely tipped as Premier League contenders.

But in a way it didn't tell us anything about Arsenal we didn't already know. Before kick-off we were well aware that they can beat anyone on their day, we know Robin van Persie is one of the best finishers in the game and we know they simply can't defend, which is why they still conceded three despite winning the match.

There are three big reasons why I'm backing the Gunners to win this match. The first is that if Arsenal started their domestic season slowly, Marseille started it at snail's pace. Joint favourites before a ball was kicked in anger, they're an incredible 14 points off top spot, occupied by PSG. The second is that Arsene Wenger's men were not only winners a fortnight ago in France, they were deserved winners, even if they did need a late goal to clinch it. And thirdly, don't underestimate the confidence boost that win at Stamford Bridge will have given the side. Arsene may be keeping the defenders back at the end of training for some extra work this week but secretly he'll be over the moon he got the win and the players will be feeling this team is somewhere like back to its best.

Over/Under 3.5 Goals

I wouldn't back my old team to keep a clean sheet with borrowed money at the minute. But I also wouldn't be at all surprised to see them go on and score three against anyone either. That partnership between van Persie and Gervinho seems to be flourishing and we once again got a glimpse of what Theo Walcott can do on his day. Consistency has been a problem for the former Southampton man and there will be those who carry on questioning why he hasn't progressed as much as what was expected of him after being at Arsenal for a while now. But we also know that when he's hot, he's unstoppable, and at the moment he looks comfortable with his game.

Marseille scored away at Olympiakos and put three past Borussia Dortmund at home. On this evidence and given what we've said about the Gunners' back four we have to assume they'll get at least one. Over 2.5 goals looks a very safe bet at 1.9 but I'd rather back over 3.5 goals at 3.35 and consider laying off my stake if the price hits around 1.8.

To Score

The van Persie dilemma. Start him and drastically improve the team's chances of winning the match or save him to avoid fatigue or a possible injury at a time when he's the team's outstanding player? He'll probably start but just for once I'm looking elsewhere for Arsenal's scorers.

Gervinho is due. He's been energetic and looked dangerous since returning from that suspension after being sent off at St James Park on the opening day of the season. But he hasn't been scoring too many. It's credit to him that he gave van Persie the easiest of finishes for Arsenal's first goal rather than going alone but maybe this time he'll go for goal if he's in that sort of position again. He knows Marseille's defence well from his time in Ligue 1 and I fancy him to get on the scoresheet again.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hasn't had too many chances to show what he can do but we've seen enough of him to see why Wenger bought him. There may be a rare place for him in the starting XI and would look a good bet at around 4.5 if he does play from the beginning. If he starts on the bench it may still be worth backing him at around 8.0 as his pace may give Marseille's defenders plenty of problems as fatigue starts to kick in.

3 pts Back Arsenal to win @ 1.67
2 pts Back-to-lay Over 3.5 goals @ 3.35
Back Gervinho to score @ 2.8
Back Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to score at 4.0 if he starts or at 8.0 if he's named as a substitute.

For more exclusive Lee Dixon content, go to http://betting.betfair.com/football/leedixon/

Match Odds

Every time I preview a Newcastle match I go on about what a fantastic start to the season they've made. And then I have to come back the following week and say it again because they've gone another week unbeaten in the league!

The Magpies' home form has been extremely good and in that man Demba Ba they've found a super striker capable of converting chances created by the likes of Jonas Gutierrez, Johan Cabaye and set-piece specialist Ryan Taylor.

The thing is, Stoke away remain a different proposition to anything else they'll face this season. It's no secret what the gameplan is in front of that rowdy crowd. Meaty challenges, long throw-ins, plenty of crosses and no end of commitment. I almost think Newcastle would have preferred to play one of the sides at the top of the table. The likes of Manchester City or Chelsea play good, neat football just like Newcastle try to do and would fancy their chances of outplaying over 90 minutes if they made a good start.

Opta tells us that Newcastle have won none of the four Premier League meetings with Stoke, losing two and drawing two. That obviously suggests a win for the visitors is unlikely.

And I can't help but think this unbeaten run has to end sometime and that Stoke are just the team to finally make them taste defeat. Laying Newcastle is the safe option but backing Stoke is the better one.

Over/Under 2.5 Goals

Opta tell us The Potters have conceded just five goals in their last 10 league games at the Britannia, keeping five clean sheets and not conceding more than one in a game. They're not really the sort of side to go ballistic and score three or four of their own either, even at home. There's only one way to play this one.

Half-Time

It's been a characteristic of both these sides to play their way into matches rather than attack too soon and the first half may well be spent in a tough midfield battle. I've said I expect Stoke to win this eventually but I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the scores level at the break.

First Goalscorer

It's a safe bet that a Stoke goal will come from a set piece. Opta tell us 71% of them this season have. Who to get it then? A case could be made for a number of players, including the two centre-halves. But I'm going to show faith in the forgotten man of the England team - Peter Crouch. He'll certainly start and has looked like he's settled in nicely and will no doubt be the main goal threat.

Recommended Bets
3 pts Back Stoke to win @ 2.18
2 pts Back under 2.5 goals @ 1.72
2 pts Back the half-time draw @ 2.1
1pt Back Peter Crouch to be first goalscorer at 6.6

For more exclusive Lee Dixon content, go to http://betting.betfair.com/football/leedixon/

Marseille v Arsenal, 19:45, live on ITV1

It was an improved performance from Arsenal last time out and, after the start the Gunners have made to the season, it's good just to be going in the right direction - regardless of the deficiencies in Sunday's performance.

Being an optimistic man I'm going to focus on those positives before we get stuck into the Marseille game.

The first 25 minutes saw us playing some good football, possibly back to our attacking best. Upfront, Robin van Persie was in stunning form, bringing back memories of Dennis Bergkamp. At the back, Wojciech Szczesny produced a save that was world-class too. Without that stop from Lee Cattermole's point-blank header, Sunderland would have taken an unexpected lead at the break and the pressure would have been on the Gunners once again.

But can Arsenal keep this nascent good run going in Europe on Wednesday night?

Match Odds - Marseille 2.38, Arsenal 3.4, the Draw 3.45
First things first, this game is certainly not in the 'must win' category. There are four group fixtures remaining and even a defeat would not be the end of the world for Arsenal. But I don't think it will come to that, with a stalemate the most likely result after 90 minutes in the Stade Velodrome.

Marseille have not been in good form in Ligue 1 with just one win all season, and the Arsenal boys will be aware of that. However, they will also know that Dider Deschamps' outfit have won both Champions League fixtures. It's unpredictable stuff from the French side and Marseille are clearly some way between their domestic and European results. I imagine Arsene Wenger has targeted a four point haul from the next two games and he'll be happy to pick one of them up on Wednesday night.
Back the draw at 3.45.

Over/Under 2.5 Goals
I feel we are in for a low-scoring affair here. Marseille are yet to concede in the Champions League while Arsene will surely look to keep it tight. I can't see either side running out big winners and if one is victorious it will only be by the odd goal. I'm happy to take the slight odds-on quote of 1.9 about this one finishing 'unders'.

To Score
I've established above that I don't think this will be a goalfest - and that possibly makes betting on a couple of players to score a strange decision - but Arsenal's goals are coming from regular sources so far this season. If we do get one it's more than likely that either Robin van Persie or Theo Walcott will provide the final touch. Check the lineups before following me but I will be backing both men to score.

Recommended Bets
Back the draw @ 3.45
Back Under 2.5 goals @ 1.9
Back Robin van Persie to score anytime @ 3.0
Back Theo Walcott to score anytime @ 4.2

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Liverpool V Man Utd, Saturday October 15, Kick Off 12.45, live on Sky Sports 2

This is still just about the biggest game in English football, irrespective of the fact that Liverpool haven't really been competing for the league title for a while now. The fact Manchester United have just overtaken them when it comes to titles wOn should add a little more spice to the occasion, as if any was needed.

Match Odds

Liverpool's start to the season has been solid, if not spectacular. They were fortunate to win at Goodison Park of course. The fact Jack Rodwell's red card was rescinded proves that he shouldn't have been sent off in the first place. But Kenny Dalglish will be telling his players that if they can win at Everton, they can certainly get something out of this match in front of their own fans. The Opta stats back that up: Liverpool have won four of the last six Premier League games against Manchester United overall and the last three in a row at Anfield.

Manchester United stalled just a tad with that 1-1 draw a couple of weeks ago but they've looked the best team in the league so far. Wayne Rooney has been key to those performances but his sending-off for England and the consequent ban at Euro 2012 won't exactly have been the best preparation going into a match like this. After something like that happens on international duty you just want a low-key home match for your club to get back in the swing of things but Rooney's certainly getting nothing of the sort on Saturday. The Liverpool fans will be telling him exactly what they made of his dismissal and Sir Alex Ferguson may even decide that if he's not quite right mentally, he's better off leaving the former Everton man on the bench to start with. We'll have to wait and see.

I can make as case for all three outcomes so the best way to approach this is to conclude that a share of the spoils is the most likely result.


Over/Under 2.5 Goals

Both sides are better going forward than defending at present. This is too early on in the season for either side to play for a goalless draw and that's not the way either manager approaches football matches anyway. There should be goals in this one and 'overs' is a confident selection.

To Score

The possible omission of Wayne Rooney from United's starting line-up may coincide with the return of Steven Gerrard to Liverpool's. The skipper probably isn't 100% fit yet but even at 80% he's a guy you want in your team for a match like this. He's also the sort of bloke who can play through the pain barrier, inspiring fans and team-mates alike in the process. He likes scoring goals, especially against United, and is a good bet at around 5.0 to score at anytime if he starts.

Bookings Odds

The most obvious bet for this match but arguably the best. There's always going to be animosity between these two and Opta tell us there have been five red cards in the last seven Premier League games between Manchester United and Liverpool at Anfield. A sending off could well be on the cards (pun intended) but the safer bet is to go with nine points and above on the bookings odds market at anything bigger than 1.65. The extra spice surrounding Rooney will no doubt increase our chances of getting plenty of cards in the match.

Back the draw @ 3.4
Back Over 2.5 goals @ 1.97
Back Steven Gerrard to score at anytime @ 5.0
Back nine points and above in the bookings odds market @ 1.45

For more exclusive Lee Dixon content, go to http://betting.betfair.com/football/leedixon/

There were always going to be a few doubters when Andre Villa-Boas was appointed Chelsea manager given his age and limited experience of being in charge of a big club. But I've seen enough of him and this Chelsea side to suggest they're already very close to being at their best and that a strong season lies ahead of them.

Match Odds

The Opta stats suggest that Chelsea have a tougher task than their quote of 1.38 suggests. After all, Chelsea have won only one of the last nine Premier League meetings against Saturday's opponents, drawing six of the remaining eight encounters, so that would suggest Everton certainly don't mind playing the Londoners. But on the other hand the hosts have won nine of their last 10 Premier League games at home, drawing the other. So they're obviously very strong at Stamford Bridge at the moment.

A lacklustre draw at Stoke in the first match of the season and an unlucky defeat at Old Trafford aside, AVB's men have won all their league matches, looking more dynamic and playing a quicker game than we've seen in recent years. Juan Mata has made things happen and Daniel Sturridge has been in good goalscoring form, growing in confidence by the game. All things considered, Chelsea should just be too strong for Everton and look a good bet improve on their indifferent record against the Toffees.

Over/Under 2.5 Goals

Chelsea have been scoring freely but, after midweek international exertions from many of the players, this may just be the sort of match where they'll be grateful to just win at all. Allied to Everton's problems with scoring, much to do with the fact that Louis Saha has been used sparingly whilst the likes of Yakubu and Jermaine Beckford have moved on, I'm expecting a low-scoring game here with 1-0 and 2-0 wins to Chelsea very much lively runners in the correct score market.

Chelsea clean sheet?

According to Opta, the Londoners have gone six games without a clean sheet so surely that run is about to continue. Right? Not necessarily. They haven't gone seven matches without a clean sheet since 2003 and I've spoken already about Everton's lack of options upfront. We have a slightly inflated price on a Chelsea shut-out because of their failure to keep one in recent times, so we should take advantage of it.

First Goalscorer

One of the characteristics of Villa-Boas' time in charge at Chelsea has been a willingness to drop senior players like Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba where he feels that's the right thing to do. As is his way, Lampard has just got on with the job and has scored goals when given a start. After a hat-trick at Bolton last time out I can't see him not starting this one and with the extra benefit of being on set-piece duty, he's a good choice to open the scoring at 7.0.

Recommended Bets:
Back Chelsea to win @ 1.38
Back under 2.5 goals @ 2.24
Back a Chelsea clean sheet @ 2.1
Back Frank Lampard to score first @ 7.0

For more football betting articles, go to http://betting.betfair.com/football/

Manchester City v Everton, Etihad Stadium, Saturday 12:45 (Sky Sports 2)

How do you explain an Opta stat like this one: Everton have won seven and lost one of their last eight Premier League games against Man City and the last four in a row?

That's the sort of form you'd expect from Manchester United against a side forever threatened with relegation whilst United were winning the league virtually every year. Sometimes football throws up these slightly bizarre facts and though I'm forced to respect Everton's record away at City, I can't begin to explain it.

If City end up not winning the league and it's by just a couple of points difference, they could well end up looking at that 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage last Sunday as a match they really should have won. There's no disgrace in dropping points against a team with a good home record like Fulham but teams challenging for the Premier League title can't be giving away two goal leads against anyone. That draw will have been a bitter pill for Roberto Mancini to swallow but in a way it was a bit of a wake-up call that teams aren't going to go up against his star-studded team and just lay down and die.

Match Odds

I think Roberto Mancini is finally getting to the stage where he knows what his best XI is. There's been plenty of consistency in terms of the players he's picked in the Premier League and that one Champions League match whilst we saw a very different set of players figure in the Carling Cup win. One thing is for sure: this squad is rich enough to undertake a proper assault on several competitions.

The same can't be said of Everton, who didn't buy a single player over the summer and look to have one of the thinnest squads at Goodison Park that I can remember. A real case of the 'haves' against the 'have nots' here.

I like a telling stat as much as the next man but on this occasion I'm going to ignore the numbers and just take the view that the Manchester City class of 2011 is a far better one than that which lost to Everton time and time again over the last eight years.

I don't think this will be as easy as some of their other home wins this campaign but City are the call for me. It's a short price though so maybe more of a 'banker' for the Betfair Multiple.

Over 2.5 Goals/Correct Score

For all of City's endless embarrassment of riches upfront, their defence has often lacked concentration and made silly mistakes. Yes, they kept clean sheets at home to Swansea and Wigan in the league but they also conceded two against both Bolton and Fulham (as we've just seen), as well as against Tottenham, a match they won easily. This current Everton side may lack the star names that City can boast but in players like Tim Cahill, Leon Osman and Marouane Fellaini there are some experienced players who have been in this team for a while and can pose City's defence some problems. The home side's potent attack and porous defence leads us to a back of over 2.5 goals at 1.74.

Taking this rationale a little further and a much bigger price, it may also be worth taking a punt on 3-1 at 13.5.

To Score

It's the obvious bet but don't let that alone put you off. Sergio Aguero has scored eight goals in his first five Premier League appearances, matching the record of Mick Quinn for Coventry. He's taken to this league like a duck to water and is in the form of his life. Even money is an extremely fair price for him to get on the scoresheet again.

Recommended Bets
2 pts Back Manchester City to win @ 1.46
3 pts Back Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.74
1 pt Back 3-1 to Manchester City @ 13.5
3 pts Back Sergio Aguero to score at anytime @ 2.0

For more football betting articles, go to http://betting.betfair.com/football/