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Fascinating match in prospect given the motivation both teams have for winning & while it is not straightforward to assess from a betting perspective, the game should offer plenty of interest & incident.

Portmsouth come into this match in desperate form sitting rock bottom of the league with 6 straight defeats in the league & while some of the performances have indicated promise, the overall truth is that Portsmouth look desperately short of quality in all areas & clearly are a side lacking in confidence and self belief.

Paul Hart knows that he has to turn things around very quickly at Portsmouth & will understand the importance of getting that first win to give everybody at the club belief & confidence they can survive.

Home form will be the key for Portsmouth & Paul Hart will surely set Portsmouth up to be positive & go for the win, but there remains doubts whether they have the players in the team to score the goals they need. They also need to become more solid in the defensive areas if they are to get a result here.

David Moyes brings his Everton side into this match looking for back to back league wins to follow up their impressive 3-0 win over Blackburn & after what was a poor start for Everton, they do now seem to be finding their form & consistency of performance.

Everton had a tremendous away record last season & yet so far this season they have lost both their away matches so they will be fully determined to change that here.

David Moyes will see this as a good opportunity to kick start their away form & the Everton players will be full of confidence to go for the win.

A key element for Everton is that their big performers such as Tim Cahill, Tim Howard, Loui Saha, Steven Pienaar & Fellaini are all hitting their best form again & they do look a far more team unit again now.

An interesting twists to this game is that former Portsmouth defender Sylvain Distin returns quickly after moving to Everton only a few weeks ago. He has settled into the Everton defence well while former Portsmouth favourite Yakubu has just returned to fitness & he will be also be looking to have an impact against his former club.

Portsmouth have to get a win soon so we expect them to be positive in this game & they will test Everton, but in our view Everton look to be getting back to their best form and will prove to strong for Portsmouth.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting: Everton to win

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Correct Score options: Everton to win 0-2/1-2

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First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Cahill/Yakubu/Distin

Scorecast options: Cahill/Yakubu/Distin score 1st & Everton 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Everton Half Time & Full Time

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This fixture does not exactly jump of the page & grab you, but what is for certain there is no bigger mis-match taking place in the Premier League this weekend than Liverpool vs Hull City.

We have great respect the managers, players & fans of both clubs so that comment is not meant to be dismissive, but current form & all known facts clearly indicate that Hull City face a massive task to achieve a positive result in this fixture.

Liverpool come into this game having found some winning & goalscoring form with the likes of Benayoun, Gerrard & Torres all now starting to get into top gear.

Liverpool can be expected to go all out from the start and on their recent goalscoring form they will certainly present a major test to the Hull City defence.

Hull City come into this game on the back of a very poor start of the season & look particularly fragile & dis-organised in defensive areas which is a concern.

The truth is that Hull City lack quality within their squad in all areas of the pitch & they appear unbalanced & clearly confidence is low going into this game.

We don’t like to completely dismiss teams & Hull City will want to be positive against Liverpool but in our view that will only serve to encourage Liverpool more & anything other than a comfortable home win for Liverpool would be a major surprise here.

The odds for an outright Liverpool win are not attractive so take a look at the First goalscorer, Correct Score & scorecast markets which offer plenty of betting value.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting: Liverpool win

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Correct Score options: Liverpool to win 3-0/4-0

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First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Torres/Gerrard

Scorecast options: Torres/Gerrard score 1st & Liverpool 3-0/4-0

Double Result: Liverpool Half Time & Full Time

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Sam Allardyce & Martin O’Neill are two are of the more determined characters in management & both have confidence in their own abilities, but coming into this game they can’t have the same level of confidence regarding their teams given the dramatic difference in form.

Blackburn Rovers have had a very poor start to the season with only 1 win in 5 league games & only 4 goals scored. Clearly confidence within the Blackburn squad is low.

Sam Allardyce has based his teams on being defensively solid, well organised & general overall work ethic, but so far this season Blackburn have lacked in those areas & that combined with a clear lack of quality within the squad does leave them looking vulnerable.

Blackburn need the confidence boost of a win & they know that home form is vital so they should be up for this game, but they will have to eradicate all the defensive weaknesses which will be tested by Aston Villa.

Aston Villa had the worst possible start to the season with their very disappointing 2-0 home defeat against Wigan but since then they have hit top form winning their last 4 league games on the bounce.

Aston Villa look to be improving week by week with their performances combining fast, attacking play & solid allround team play, so we expect them to arrive at Blackburn full of confidence & aiming for the win.

Our view on this match is that Blackburn are under so much pressure to get results & particularly at home that they will have to be positive against Aston Villa & that could well play to the strengths of Villa who look a very tempting bet to win this & keep their excellent form going.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting: Aston Villa to win

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Correct Score options: Aston Villa 1-2/1-3

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First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Agbonlohar/Young/Carew

Scorecast options: Agbonlohar/Young/Carew score 1st & Villa win 2-1/3-1

Double Result: Aston Villa Half Time & Full Time

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London derby matches, as with all matches between local rivals, generate a great atmosphere within the stadium & more often than not entertaining games as well, so the prospects for Fulham & Arsenal to produce a game worth watching are definitely high.

Fulham come into this home match having had a very mixed start to the season with 2 wins & 3 defeats and Fulham do seem to be struggling to replicate the consistency & form they showed last season.

Fulham’s success last season was based on being defensively solid, well organised & hard to break down but that has not been the case this season & that looks to be their main weakness, combined with their obvious failings in front of goal.

The Fulham squad looks stronger this season with the new signings, but it is looking like those players will take time to settle down & they certainly have to display organisation & defensive strength against Arsenal otherwise they will suffer.

Arsenal come into this match having experienced an intense series of high octane matches & at the same time controversial defeats by Manchester United & Man City followed by impressive wins against Standard Liege & Wigan.

The victory over Standard Liege was impressive considering Arsenal were 2-0 down after only 4 minutes & the quality, determination & belief they displayed to win that game should get Arsenal going in top gear now. They also displayed great quality against Wigan to win with ease.

It is easy to see why the TV cameras have gone for this match because the entertainment value looks guaranteed with both teams motivated to go for the result.

Fulham will be determined to get back on track in front on their fans, but in our view Arsenal look very determined & confident at present & have a clear advantage in terms of quality. They do look a solid bet to win this match & further improve their excellent record against Fulham.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting: Arsenal to win

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Correct Score options: Arsenal to win 1-2/1-3

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First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Van Persie/Fabregas

Scorecast options: Van Persie/Fabregas score 1st & Arsenal 2-1/3-1

Double Result: Arsenal Half Time & Full Time

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Glitz & glamour will definitely not be on the agenda here but that won’t concern anybody connected to either Birmingham City or Bolton as this match represents a clash of two managers who take great pride in their teams & believe in the traditional values of hard work, commitment & physical endeavour.

Both Birmingham City & Bolton came into this season with one main, joint aim of trying to achieve survival in the Premier League & the way both teams have started the season perfectly underlines that.

Birmingham City & Alex McCleish know exactly what they want to achieve & they certainly have decided adopting fixed tactics of being solid defensively, well organised & strong, physical team unit with the aim of making themselves hard to beat.

In terms of being defensively solid & hard to break down they have certainly achieved that and only Chelsea & Aston Villa have concended fewer goals than Birmingham City in the Premier League.

Where Birmingham City have struggled is in attacking areas & scoring goals is an issue that needs to be addressed although their new striker Benitez does looks a real threat with pace & power.

Bolton have had a very poor start with only 1 win so far & although they have displayed great commitment & determination in games, there does appear to be a clear lack of quality & confidence within the squad.

Gary Megson is a determined manager & he will demand that his players respond positively in this game but he must be concerned by how fragile Bolton look defensively & that has to be the first area of improvement if Bolton are to have any chance of getting results.

Now this game is massively important to both sides as these are the games that will ultimately decide each clubs fate this season & in our view a draw looks a very tempting bet given the likely physicl, competitive nature of the game & the fact both sides will be desperate to avoid defeat.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting: Draw

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Correct Score options: 1-1/2-2

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First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Davies/Taylor/Benitez

Scorecast options: Davies/Taylor/Benitez score 1st & 1-1/2-2

Double Result: Draw Half Time & Full Time

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Hull City vs Everton:

Phil Brown & David Moyes are two very proud men who are fully determined to give their best & ensure their teams are always fully committed so this game should prove to be very competitive & offer entertainment.

Hull City & Everton have much bigger priorities than the Carling Cup this season but that is not to say they will not take this game seriously & both teams should be motivated to try to win this match.

Hull City have had a nightmare start to their league campaign & Everton only marginally better so they may well both view this game as a welcome distraction & may well therefore make this contest a more open game of football than perhaps a Premier League tie between the two sides would.

There is the risk that both managers will field so called ‘weaker’ sides which makes it hard to call but in our view Everton are a stronger side, they are a fantastic cup side & they do look a value bet to pile more misery on Hull City.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting: Everton to win

Correct score options: Everton to win 2-0/2-1

First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Osman/Fallaini

Double Result: Everton Half Time & Full Time

Sunderland vs Birmingham City:

Interesting all Premier League clash here between two managers who take great pride in making their teams strong & competitive so we expect this game to be a really competitive tie.

Steve Bruce has taken over as manager of Sunderland this season with a determination to make them a strong force in the Premier League & while that is their priority, the professionalism of Steve Bruce will ensure that Sunderland take this home game very seriously.

Steve Bruce knows from his time at Wigan that it is vital to have excellent, consistent home form & he will see this tie as an excellent opportunity for Sunderland to build some momentum at home.

Alex McCleish has one very, clear & distinctive target this season which is to keep Birmingham City in the Premier League but despite that we still expect Birmingham City to go to Sunderland determined to compete & give their best.

Alex McCleish knows the importance of building momentum & team confidence & after getting such a vital win at Hull City, a positive result in this match would further boost the confidence within the Birmingham City squad so they should go into this game with confidence & determination to have a go at winning.

Birmingham City have already proven how hard they are to break down & how solid they can be so Sunderland will have to be at their best to win this but we believe Steve Bruce will want Sunderland to give a winning performance for the home fans & they do look a fair price to have the edge on the night.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting: Sunderland to win

Correct Score options: Sunderland to win 2-0/2-1

First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Malbranque/Kenwyn Jones

Double Result: Sunderland Half Time & Full Time

Barnsley vs Burnley:

Fascinating game in prospect here with Championship strugglers Barnsley taking on a Burnley side who are doing very well in the Premier League & the Yorkshire vs Lancashire elements certainly adds something extra to the tie for the followers of each side.

Last season Burnley made many highlights in this competition by playing the under-dog role & beating stronger, more fancied sides so it will be very interesting to see how they cope being the strong favourites for this tie.

Owen Coyle’s clear target for this season is survival in the Premier League but given his professionalism & desire to win football matches, we expect Burnley to field a very strong side & go into this game with the determination to win it.

Barnsley are struggling to find any form at all this season & they currently sit 3rd bottom of the Championship with only 1 win in 8 & team confidence is bound to be low at present which makes it tough taking on a side as strong as Burnley.

Mark Robins has taken over as manager of Barnsley & I am sure he will be looking for Barnsley to put on a good performance in this game but for us Burnley are clearly a better, stronger side & they represent a good value bet to get the away win here & progress to the next round.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright match betting: Burnley to win

Correct score options: Burnley to win 2-1/3-1

First goalscorer options: Patterson/Blake/Nugent

Double Result: Burnley Half Time & Full Time

Preston vs Tottenham:

This has got the potential to be one of the ties of the round with both Preston & Tottenham having had fantastic starts to the season & positive, attacking football looks a certainty in this match.

Preston have had a great start to their season as they sit 4th in the Championship with only 2 defeats in their 1st 8 league games.

That great start to the season will give Preston massive confidence for this game & importantly they have looked very strong at home and they will certainly look to give Tottenham a proper test.

Despite being beaten by both Manchester United & Chelsea in their last two games, Tottenham have had an equally impressive start to the season producing excellent displays inspired by the goalscoring of Jermaine Defoe & the exciting wing play of Aaron Lennon.

Tottenham showed their class in the last round with a 5-1 win away at Doncaster & given their excellent recent record in this competition then we expect Tottenham to be fully up for this game & have enough strength in their squad to field avery strong team.

We expect Preston to have a real go in this match & they will get the full support of their fans but in our mind Tottenham will be equally up for it & they certainly have the edge in attacking quality & Tottenham do look a very solid bet to book their place in the next round.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting: Tottenham to win

Correct score options: Tottenham to win 2-1/3-1

First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Crouch/Jenas

Double Result: Tottenham Half Time & Full Time

The match stats below are compiled with major football betting markets in mind. They are presented as facts without recommendation, allowing you to spot trends and decide whether they have relevance as betting opportunities. Click any ‘Bet Now’ button to see a bet slip from that bookmaker.

NARATIVE:

Tottenham have scored just seven goals in the last fifteen matches at Stamford Bridge securing five (of forty five) points in the process. Chelsea have scored two goals or more on nine occasions whilst Tottenham have scored a maximum of one goal fifteen times. Chelsea won all five of the games when they led at the interval, whilst by comparison, Tottenham let four or the potential six points slip out of their grasp when holding a half time lead. The visitors secured just four points (of thirty) when level after forty five minutes of play.

Doubles: Chelsea 7—-Tottenham 0

MARKET: Result

17 Premiership matches

Cheslea: 11 wins–Draws: 6–No Tottenham wins

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MARKET: Correct Score

Repetitive correct score details:1-1 x 4, 2-0 x 3, 1-0 x 2, 0-0 x 2

MARKET: Half-time/Full-time Market

Chelsea–Chelsea: 5

Chelsea–Draw: 0

Chelsea–Tottenham: 0

Draw–Chelsea: 6

Draw–Draw: 4

Draw–Tottenham: 0

Tottenham–Chelsea: 0

Tottenham–Draw: 2

Tottenham–Tottenham: 0

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MARKET: First team to score

Chelsea: 10–Tottenham: 5 (2 x 0-0 score-lines)

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MARKET: Even or odd total of goals:

Even: 12–Odd: 5

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