Newcastle Unite manager Steve Bruce has heaped praise on Allan Saint-Maximin, who scored the winning goal against Southampton on Saturday. The Magpies were handed with an early advantage in the game with the sending off for Moussa Djenepo but they could not capitalise with Matt Ritchie failing to score from the penalty spot.
West Ham have a difficult assignment when they take on Tottenham in the North London Derby this weekend. The match is just after the international break and it makes it difficult for both teams to pick up pieces. Both teams have struggled a lot this season and they find themselves just a few points above the relegation zone. Spurs would have been expected to be challenging for the top four places, but they are now just one point ahead of West Ham in a very difficult campaign for Mauricio Pochettino. There have been signs of improvement from Spurs with the team picking up wins over their Champions League opponents Crvena Zvezda. However, they had to hang on for a 1-1 home draw against Sheffield United.
West Ham are not in a better position after having lost 3-0 against Burnley before going into the international break. This was the fourth defeat in five games for the hammers. Manuel Pellegrini’s men have been going through a horror show with only two points picked up from the last six league encounters. The international break has come at a time for both teams. West Ham could be in a higher position if not for the defensive woes, but Spurs are likely to have better confidence coming into this match. Even with players like Ryan Sessegnon and Christian Eriksen providing problems within the squad, there is enough quality within Spurs to pick up a victory. The break would have suited many Spurs players extremely well.
Continue readingNigeria head coach Gernot Rohr has said that Tammy Abraham has been assured of a spot with the England national side and that should end the speculation of him switching his allegiance to the Super Eagles. The 22-year-old has been a revelation for the Blues since making the breakthrough under manager Frank Lampard this term and he has already bagged eight goals across all competitions for the club.
As a result, Abraham seems on the cusp of earning his competitive debut with the Three Lions this month and the same has been confirmed by Super Eagles boss Rohr. He told in a press conference on Wednesday: “It is also significant to note that Abraham has been assured that he will be in the England squad.”
Continue readingSouthampton kickstarted their season last weekend where they recorded a 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion at the AMEX Stadium. The South Coast outfit saw the hosts down to 10 men after just half an hour into the game and thereafter, they managed to control the proceedings with second half goals from Moussa Djenepo and Nathan Redmond.
Their next challenge comes in the form of Manchester United at St Mary’s and they can anticipate a difficult test on their hands. Still, they should go into the game with some level of optimism, considering Manchester United have produced a mixed run of form during the opening three Premier League matches.
Continue readingLiverpool and Manchester City were the two standout sides in the English Premier League last season and the bookmakers anticipate that they will once again be battling it out for the title during the forthcoming campaign.
Prior to that, the team will size each other up through the Community Shield clash on August 4 and the game promises to be an entertaining contest despite many considering the clash as a glorified friendly ahead of every season.
There was little to choose between the sides during the previous campaign, with Pep Guardiola’s side winning the unprecedented domestic treble while Liverpool, who finished a point behind them in the league standings, went on to lift the Champions League crown.
The two clubs have had some excellent meetings over the past few years and we should anticipate a few goals being scored in the Shield, even if Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp are prepared to experiment with their teams ahead of the new Premier League season.
Meanwhile, some of the South American and African stars could be afforded a rest following their exploits at the Copa America and African Cup of Nations this summer, and the likes of Sergio Aguero, Fernandinho, Gabriel Jesus, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino could be among the players missing out.
With the Community Shield, there remains a potential risk when it comes to determining the goalscorer, considering the teams are permitted to make as many as six substitutes and that may change the complexion of the game.
Therefore, it seems viable to bet on the potential goals scored for the encounter and we are backing more than 2.5 Goals as both teams like to play on the front foot. Manchester City and Liverpool scored 95 and 89 goals respectively in the Premier League last term and we are predicting an open game.
BETTING TIP
Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.91 with bet365
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is aiming to create history with the Citizens when the campaign comes to a close. The Mancunian giants have already secured the League Cup crown this term and they are presently favourites to win the Premier League and FA Cup title to celebrate their maiden domestic treble.
Real Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal has said that Los Blancos don’t require a summer overhaul of players despite the average form displayed through the season. Los Blancos recently decided to re-appoint Zinedine Zidane at the helm after the poor showing from Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari and the Frenchman is now expected to be handed funds for a summer spending spree.
After a brilliant World Cup, England enter into the Euro 2020 qualifiers on a high and are looking to achieve success by opening the campaign with a victory over Czech Republic. The group in which England have been drawn contains the likes of Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Kosovo, and Montenegro. Even though this feels like a relatively easy group for Gareth Southgate’s men, there are several issues affecting the Three Lions coming into the match. The absence of Joe Gomez, Jesse Lingard, and John Stones can be a major problem for Southgate, while the biggest worry will be the potential absence of Marcus Rashford. This could mean the inexperienced pairing of Michael Keane and Harry Maguire at the back for England.
Crystal Palace make the trip to Doncaster Rovers in great spirit after having achieved a strong set of results in recent weeks. Furthermore, the League One team are not comparable in terms of quality to Crystal Palace, who have multiple international players in their ranks. One of the major advantages for Doncaster is home advantage. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace have been able to reach the fifth round of the competition for the first time in three years. Back then, they went on to reach the final and this will once again be the target for Hodgson.
Police in China is being vigilant for the rise of illegal betting sites during the Asian Cup. This football tournament involves many countries across Asia and this is a great opportunity for soccer betting sites to make some money.