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How will Wigan respond to their 9-1 thrashing by Tottenham? – now without wanting to sound too simplistic, the answer to that question is the absolute key to this fascinating clash as Wigan welcome former manager Steve Bruce’s Sunderland side in their first match after that disastrous game against Tottenham.

It might sound too obvious to say but Wigan were absolutely pathetic in every single aspect of their performance in their 9-1 by Tottenham last weekend & only goalkeeper Chris Kirland came out of that game with any credit as they rest of his team mates were simply shambolic for the whole 90 minutes.

Wigan were absolutely torn to shreds by Tottenham & given the attacking quality within the Tottenham squad that is understandable to a degree but what cannot be tolerated was the lack of effort, commitment & determination that the Wigan players displayed.

Clearly, that game has now gone & what happens from this point will determine how Wigan go on from here so this game is absolutely vital for them & Roberto Martinez will demand a positive response from all the Wigan players.

Wigan have to prove to the home fans that result was a one-off & we fully expect Wigan to come out fighting here with a desire to show commitment & determination to go along with their positive passing game.

What will be key is how Wigan respond if they concede first & that will be the biggest test for them as team confidence must be fragile after that thrashing by Tottenham so a positive start & early goal would be the best medicine for Wigan in this match.

Steve Bruce brings his Sunderland side to play against his former club & he will be fully aware of what Wigan may do & we are sure he will expect a backlash of some sort from Wigan so Sunderland will be prepared for that.

Going back to his old club & the fact he was so successful there will have an impact on Steve Bruce but more importantly for him he knows Sunderland have to improve their away form which has been poor this season because he is looking for good away form to back up Sunderland’s excellent home form.

Sunderland have struggled away from home this season with only 1 win & 1 draw from 6 away matches with only 5 goals scored so clearly they need to improve that.

Confidence will not be an issue for Sunderland coming into this match because they deservedly beat Arsenal 1-0 last weekend & that result should mean they are positive in this match but their poor away record may make them adopt a safety first approach in this match in their search for a positive result.

This is a very hard game to call with confidence because it has been virtually impossible to predict Wigan all season & Sunderland’s mixed form only adds to the complexity so on that basis the sensible approach appears to lie in backing this game to be a competitive, scoring draw with Wigan looking to regain pride & Sunderland looking to start building their away form.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting: DRAW

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Correct Score options: 1-1/2-2

First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Rodallega/Scharner/Malbranque

Scorecast options: Rodallega/Scharner/Malbranque score 1st & 1-1/2-2

Double Result: Draw 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.

NARRATIVE:

This is the first Premiership encounter between these clubs.

West Ham won the last league (Championship) game 5-1 in August 2004, having gained sixteen of the eighteen available points from the last six league matches at Upton Park (13/7 goal difference).

MARKET: Result

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MARKET: Correct Score

N/A

MARKET: First team to score

N/A

MARKET: Even or odd total of goals:

N/A

Considering all the big matches that are taking place this weekend, this clash of West Ham & Burnley hardly registers at all with the wider public but this is an absolutely massive game for everybody connected to West Ham United & Burnley.

West Ham United have had a terrible start to this season with only 2 wins from their first 13 league games & they find themselves under massive pressure sitting in 17th position in the league.

Gianfranco Zola’s side have really struggled to find any sort of form & consistency and for the most part they have looked a very fragile team distinctly lacking in confidence.

West Ham United have problems in all areas of the pitch as their squad looks relatively thin in terms of experience & quality but their biggest problem has unquestionably been in defence where they have been so fragile & disorganised.

West Ham United have conceded 23 goals in their last 10 games which clearly indicates a major problem in terms of getting results & that is something that has to change soon if they are to have any chance.

Gianfranco Zola can take positives from West Ham’s recent performances & that is the team have displayed elements of quality & certainly a belief to keep trying and we do expect West Ham United to be totally up for this & to go for this win against Burnley here.

Owen Coyle brings his Burnley side to West Ham with one clear aim & that is to somehow try to improve their dreadful away record of only 1 draw from 6 away matches & 20 goals conceded.

Burnley have conceded an average of more than 3 goals in each away game & only scored 4 away goals so far so clearly it is simple to understand where the major problems lie for Burnley when playing away.

Burnley are totally committed to their open, attacking style of play & we do expect them to be positive against West Ham United because they will be fully aware of their defensive frailty but obviously they will have to be very careful given their own defensive issues.

This match could be a real cracker with both teams totally committed to playing positive, attacking football & the goals could really flow here so anything could happen but we see home advantage being the absolute key here & West Ham United look a fair bet to win this & inflict another away defeat on Burnley.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting: West Ham United to win

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Correct Score options: West Ham United to win 3-0/3-1

First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Carlton Cole/Franco/Noble

Scorecast options: Cole/Franco/Noble score 1st & West Ham win 3-1/3-2

Double Result: West Ham United 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.

NARRATIVE:

The first forty five minutes of play has been crucial in these encounters to date. Portsmouth have gained all six points from their two advantageous positions, whilst United have let just two points slip from a possible nine. The one game that remained in the balance was won by Portsmouth whereby the surprising statistics are there for all to see as we approach another new Premiership season. Portsmouth scored two goals in the first half in each of the games that they won, proving yet again that United must be tested from the first whistle if the opposition are to stand a realistic chance of securing a victory against the champions. Doubles: Portsmouth 0—-Manchester United 2

MARKET: Result

Portsmouth: 3 wins–Draws: 1–Manchester United: 2 wins (goal difference: 7-6)

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MARKET: Correct Score

None (six different score-lines to date)

MARKET: First team to score

Portsmouth: 3—-Manchester United: 3

MARKET: Even or odd total of goals:

Even: 3—-Odd: 3

The confusion & chaos goes on at Portsmouth with yet another managerial change & that only serves to makes this fascinating clash of bottom club Portsmouth & reigning Champions Manchester United a really interesting match.

Paul Hart has paid the price for Portsmouth’s incredibly poor start to the season & Avram Grant is now tasked with somehow plotting the Premier League survival of Portsmouth & that does indeed look a tremendously daunting task.

Portsmouth started the season with 7 consecutive defeats but throughout that run, they always displayed real team spirit & a commitment to give everything which did result in a turn around in form for a few matches.

Their up turn in form saw Portsmouth achieve 3 wins & 1 draw from 5 games including two consecutive 4-0 victories but they have fallen back again since then losing their last 2 away at Blackburn & Stoke City.

Portsmouth clearly have issues in all areas of the team but their major weakness & key reason behind not achieving more points by now has been their failure to score enough goals.

Portsmouth have only scored 10 goals in 13 league matches so far & that has to be something that Avram Grant concentrates on but that is a massive task as Portsmouth don’t have a natural goalscorer within their squad.

Manchester United come into this match sitting 2nd in the Premier League trailing Chelsea by 5 points & knowing that they really do have to start building a string of wins to try & put Chelsea under pressure so this is a massively important game for Alex Ferguson & his players.

The importance of this match was reflected by Alex Ferguson’s decision to change virtually the whole team in their Champions League clash & most of the 1st team were given a rest in preparation for this match.

Manchester United played well to beat Everton 3-0 last weekend & Alex Ferguson will be looking to build on that in this match & we expect Manchester United to be very positive from the start.

Historically Portsmouth have done quite well in this fixture & we do expect a response from the Portsmouth squad with Avram Grant now in charge but 5 defeats in 6 at home does not bode well for Portsmouth & we fully expect Manchester United to have way too much attacking quality & win this comfortably.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting: Manchester United to win

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Correct Score options: Manchester United to win 3-0/3-1

First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Rooney/Vidic/Giggs

Scorecast options: Rooney/Vidic/Giggs score 1st & Man United win 3-0/3-1

Double Result: Manchester United 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.

NARRATIVE:

Just one Premiership match between these two teams which was contested last year when City beat Hull 5-1 having led 4-0 at half time.

MARKET: Result

Manchester City: 1 win–Draws: 0–Hull: No wins (goal difference: 5-1)

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MARKET: Correct Score

1 x 5-1

MARKET: First team to score

Manchester City: 1—-Hull: 0

MARKET: Even or odd total of goals:

Even: 1—-Odd: 0

This is a massively important game to both sides with Manchester City & Hull City both coming into it looking to break unwelcome sequences of form & both managers under pressure to deliver results.

In Manchester City’s case, 6 successive league draws is the sequence that they are desperate to break here & we are expecting a very positive & committed performance from Manchester City in this one.

Those 6 draws have really damaged Manchester City’s early season progress & certainly Mark Hughes will be determined to get a win somewhere & this home game against a defensively fragile Hull City looks a fantastic opportunity.

Manchester City have been playing ok with some excellent attacking football played but their key weakness is the lack of concentration they show in defensive situations & we do expect them to really work on that in this game.

Manchester City are very strong at home, unbeaten so far & we do expect Mark Hughes’s team to go for it straight from the off & look to exploit Hull City as often as they can with their attacking pace likely to be a massive threat.

Hull City will come into this match looking to erase their terrible memories of this fixture last season when they produced a horror performance to lose 5-1 with the infamous half time team talk out on the pitch.

Hull City did not have the best of starts to the season & up until a few weeks ago everything looked really bleak but three really spirited home performances have boosted team spirit & confidence massively which is a big factor for their survival bid.

Phil Brown will be looking for consistency in results & certainly away form is a key part of that as he knows that Hull City have to improve on their terrible away form which has seen them concede 17 goals & only earn 1 point from 5 away games so far.

The last 3 performances & results have really boosted everybody connected to Hull City & we expect them to be positive in this match but their defensive frailties will be tested to the full in this match & certainly this will be a massive test for them.

Both Manchester City & Hull City need results & they need wins so we expect both managers to be positive so this could well be quite an open game given the defensive issues of both sides & based on that we feel that Manchester City are a rock solid bet to prove their extra attacking quality & pace by winning this & finally break their sequence of draws.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting: Manchester City to win

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Correct Score options: Manchester City to win 3-0/3-1

First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Tevez/Bellamy/Adebayor

Scorecast options: Tevez/Bellamy/Adebayor score 1st & Man City win 3-0/3-1

Double Result: Man City 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.

NARRATIVE:

Bolton have yet to lead at Craven Cottage in eight games whilst Fulham have taken the match by the scruff of the neck in general terms, having secured four of the six points on offer when going in level at the interval. Bolton have scored just one goal in the last four matches whilst Fulham

This is a very interesting game & certainly one that both Fulham & Bolton will target a win in to get their seasons going again after poor recent runs.

Fulham have had a very mixed season so far with great highs such as convincingly beating Liverpool 3-1 & yet lows such as losing 1-0 at Birmingham City & that inconsistency in results has made it very hard to predict what Fulham will do.

This home match is massive for Fulham because Roy Hodgson will want to start winning consistently again after a few recent setbacks & he will view this game against Bolton as a great opportunity to build on their excellent 3-0 home win against Blackburn.

Fulham’s big strength is their solid team organisation which makes it very hard for teams to break them down easily & gives them a chance to get positive results in every match with the organised football they play.

The big weakness Fulham have is their failure to score enough goals on a consistent basis & win the games they should & that is why they have drawn 5 of their 12 league games so far.

The excellent 3-0 win over Blackburn Rovers should boost their confidence on that front & may well encourage Fulham to be more positive but they do lack a consistent goalscorer which puts pressure on the rest of the team & they do struggle to convert chances which does prove costly.

Bolton are enduring a terrible start to the season & their form has really tailed off in the last month leaving them 3rd bottom & looking set for another struggle against relegation.

Gary Megson has had a tough fight on his hands trying to please the Bolton fans ever since he took over & he is now under greater pressure than ever & that is not good coming into a game like this.

The Bolton squad are clearly lacking confidence & belief at present which is making it incredibly hard for them to get any sort of positive result & their incredibly poor defensive record is making it virtually impossible.

Bolton have lost 5 of their last 6 games conceding 19 goals in the process & clearly that is a major problem that has to be sorted out quickly.

The absolutley key to this game could well be who scores first because if Fulham score first they will then become very hard to break down & be beaten from that but if Bolton score first that will open the game up more and will make it a struggle for Fulham to win the game from that point.

We are not expecting this game to be a classic football match because of the clash in styles & that leads us to believe that although it is very tempting to go for a Fulham home win, a scoring draw looks to offer more betting value as Bolton now know they have a real fight on their hands & they can show enough to share the points with Fulham here in what should be a very competitive match.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting: DRAW

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Correct Score options: 1-1/2-2

First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Murphy/Dempsey/Davies

Double Result: Draw 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.

NARRATIVE:

Just one Premiership match between these two teams which was contested on 20th December last year. Blackburn won the game 3-0 with all three goals having been scored within the first half an hour of play.

MARKET: Result

Blackburn: 1 win–Draws: 0–Stoke: No wins (goal difference: 3-0)

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MARKET: Correct Score

1 x 3-0

MARKET: First team to score

Blackburn: 1—-Stoke: o

MARKET: Even or odd total of goals:

Even: 0—-Odd: 1