AS SECOND-STRINGS go, you wouldn’t want Arsenal’s in for the Last Night of the Proms.
No one who stepped up to play in Tuesday night’s humiliating exit at League Two Fleetwood in the Carabao Cup will have Mikel Arteta reaching for the paracetamol to sort out his selection headache.
With sent-off Max Dowman now joining Christos Tzolis and Bukayo Saka in the winger’s unavailable zone, somewhere in Saudi Arabia Gabriel Martinelli is saying: “I knew they’d miss me.” Well maybe if Noni Madueke doesn’t make it.
Still Arsenal will need all hands on deck at Anfield tomorrow, as they go in search of their first win in the league there since 2012.
They will also have to contend with a Liverpool side on a definite upswing, one that has taken care of high-scoring Brighton in the league and Chelsea in the Carabao at home in the last week.
Yes, the Reds are taking shape under Andoni Iraola, who has guided them to only one defeat in his 13 games in charge and to fourth in the table.
He does of course have a fit Alexander Isak at his disposal, a luxury the sacked Arne Slot never had last term.
Bet Balls
- Chelsea v Man United today draw, BTTS, is 7-2 with BetGoodwin
- Spurs to beat Palace 3-1 tonight is 9-1 with BetGoodwin
- Villa to beat Fulham 2-0 tonight is 17-2 with BetGoodwin
- Liverpool and Arsenal to draw 3-3 tomorrow is 33-1 with BetGoodwin
And Isak has quietly compiled quite the run: six goals in his last six Prem games. Tellingly he didn’t play in the Reds’ only defeat of the season, 3-0 at home to Man City.
Despite all that, the Gunners are clear favourites with the bookies, trading at a best-priced 11-8 with Unibet.
The home side can be had at a solid 2-1 with the same firm along with Coral, Ladbrokes and Hills. The draw is a widely-available 5-2.
Coral’s John Hill, though, is on board with Iraloa. He said: “That excellent victory over Brighton shows Liverpool are going in the right direction. If they can back that up with a win over the champions, you would have to put them in the title mix. They are currently 12-1 for the title, and I think they’d go as short as 7-1 or 8-1 with a win here.
“I don’t see Arsenal ending their not winning at Anfield run – Liverpool are good value at 2-1. I don’t see many goals, though, so I’m tempted by Liverpool winning and under 2.5 goals at 5-1.”
Eye-catchingly, three out of the last four of these Anfield clashes have been draws and the score draw gets a full point bonus at a best-priced 7-2 with BetVictor.
Arsenal have lost only the once themselves in 14 games and have recovered well since that 3-0 lapse at Brighton, including an impressive comeback draw at Bayern Munich.
So the selection is score draw at that 7–2, with a side order of 2-2 – seen twice in the last four seasons – at a top of the shop 14-1 with bet365.
Isak, too, looks good value at 21-10 to score anytime with Ladbrokes and Coral.
Dark horse
12-1: Things appear to be clicking for £116m Florian Wirtz now – and he was unlucky not to be credited with the opener in the win against Brighton last weekend.
Take him to score anytime, Liverpool to win and BTTS and cop 12-1 from William Hill.
Carabao Cupdate
Between the pair of them, Liverpool and Man City have won 19 of the 66 League Cups there have ever been, dating back to 1960-61.
The Reds hold a 10-9 edge and both have now made this term’s quarter-finals. City were marginally lucky to see off Brighton on penalties, the same route Liverpool took to edge out Chelsea.
Holders City’s reward is a plum tie at home to League One Bradford, establishing them as 6-4 favourites to win the competition.
Andoni Iraola’s outfit host his old team Bournemouth, who on their day can beat anyone and can be brilliant away.
Fleetwood’s win over Arsenal has surely marked Everton’s card for when they go up there, while Palace v Sunderland is anyone’s call.
Of the last 13 finals, only Newcastle have disrupted the Big Five’s winning roll. So City or Liverpool? Reds will look good value at 5-2 if they pip the Cherries.
CARABAO CUP (best price): 6-4 Man City; 5-2 Liverpool; 15-2 Everton; 10-1 Bournemouth; 14-1 Palace; 16-1 Sunderland; 150-1 Fleetwood; 200-1 Bradford
GOODWINNERS’ ENCLOSURE
If the markets are to be believed, the walls are closing in on Man City.
Saturday’s defeat at Aston Villa was their first of the season in the Prem, but the world and his wife are starting to think the Premier League are going to relegate them with a monster points deduction.
Despite an appeal to be heard against their 115-odd charges, in the face of sustained betting, we have now cut Enzo Maresca’s side to a shortest ever 3-4 for the drop.
Just in front 2019-2023 league champions in the relegation market are Coventry, who continue to be our favourites at 4-7, with Hull next at 8-13.
Back at the top, champions Arsenal continued to get the job done (in the league…well batted Fleetwood!) and their chances of going back-to-back are reflected in the betting market, having been cut into 2-5. City have now drifted out to 5-1!
City’s 2-1 reverse at Villa Park was one of the results of the weekend, as Unai Emery’s resurgent outfit turned the book up as they landed a 7-2 gamble.
However, the shock of the weekend came in west London, as Spurs blew away well-backed 5-6 Chelsea to record their first win at Stamford Bridge in eight years. A nice little 11-4 touch if you were one of the few who were on!
And on the back of two straight wins, Roberto De Zerbi’s men are up to 14th and we have now cut them into 13-8 for a top-six finish.
Sunday’s clash between Liverpool and Arsenal gets the vote here at BetGoodwin Towers as the game of the weekend.
The Gunners will be smarting after their humiliating Carabao Cup exit at Highbury of all places in midweek and we still make them 5-4 favourites for the Anfield clash.
The Reds, who stopped Brighton in their tracks last weekend are 19-10. That said, we like Arsenal to win and BTTS at 16-5.
As proud sponsors of Inverness Caledonian Thistle (fifth in the Scottish Championship in case you were wondering!), we’re giving punters an extra reason to get behind Caley today. We’ve priced them up at an industry-best boosted 5-2 to win at Dunfermline.
Finally, the BetGoodwin Banker Acca for this weekend is: Brentford, Bournemouth, Burnley and Wycombe all to win at a boosted 13-1!
TV previews
Chelsea v Man United
IT’S now eight games since Man United beat anyone and that was the Azerbaijan giants Sabah.
Keeping Michael Carrick for today’s game at Chelsea looks like a convenient stay of execution.
United were booed off after losing 3-0 at home to Bournemouth but Blues have their own troubles – a rookie keeper and Joao Pedro injured.
This could be closer than you think, draw and Morgan Rogers to score anytime at 11-5 with Coral.
FORECAST: 2-2
Tottenham v Palace
WIN this tonight and conceivably, incredibly, Tottenham could be sixth, having been bottom the other day.
They’d need Leeds, Villa, Brentford and Newcastle to at least not win for a start off but even so.
And they have every chance of keeping their side of the bargain with Palace having ended a four game winless run in the cup in midweek.
This looks like Spurs three-in-a-row, with Mohammed Kudus to score anytime at 11–4 with Sky Bet.
FORECAST: 3-1
Villa v Fulham
NEVER mind Villa, it should be Unai Emery striking fear into tonight’s visitors Fulham.
The Spaniard has won eight of his nine Premier League games against the Cottagers.
And even money about his fast-improving side looks bet of the weekend territory.
Villa were brilliant in giving Man City their first taste of defeat in the Prem last weekend, while Fulham squeaked home 1-0 at Coventry.
Johan Manzambi is the anytime scorer pick at 5-2 with Star Sports.
FORECAST: 2-0
Top Tips
Pro bet
Brentford to beat Forest, Wolves to beat Cardiff, Mansfield to beat Notts County, Shrewsbury to beat Gillingham, Swindon to beat Rotherham. Acca pays 28-1 with Coral.
Retirement bet
Brighton to win at Man City, Leeds to win at Bournemouth, QPR to win at Southampton, Portsmouth to win at Burnley, Blackburn to win at Swansea, Burton to win at Wycombe, Bromley to win at Wigan, Cheltenham to win at Tranmere. Perm 1 x Acca, 8 x 7-folds, 28 x 6-folds. Acca pays 89,346-1 with Coral.
Away day
Ipswich to win at Hull, Birmingham at Lincoln, Luton at Peterborough, Oxford at Barnsley. Acca pays 27-1 with Sporting Index.
Top draw
Coventry v Sunderland, Bolton v Bristol City, Plymouth v Reading, Bradford v Huddersfield. Acca pays 157-1 with Betfair.
TV special
Chelsea v Man U draw, Spurs to beat Palace, Villa to beat Fulham, Liverpool -Arsenal draw. Acca pays 40-1 with Unibet.
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