Sport

Guide to the next £1,000,000 1X2 Pick 15

Norwich vs Liverpool

Head-to-Head: NOR 14-15-34 LIV

Norwich are winless against Liverpool in their last 11 meetings. The Canaries have endured three consecutive defeats in all competitions in the last fortnight and will need to improve a fair deal to trouble Liverpool Saturday lunchtime. Jurgen Klopp’s men have won just one of their last five games in January and must respond from a recent defeat to long-term rivals Manchester United. Their away form has been inconsistent of late; two victories in seven away outings since November has found the Reds linger around mid-table in the Premier League. On recent encounters, Liverpool deserve to be favourites and should leave Carrow Road with at least a point.

Selection: DRAW & AWAY

Crystal Palace vs Tottenham

Head-to-Head: CPA 10-13-23 TOT

Crystal Palace have endured a dip in form since beating Stoke City in December. The Eagles have won only once in their last six outings and were made to look mediocre against Manchester City last weekend. Alan Pardew’s men have lost three games from four outings in January and will need a swift turnaround in fortunes to topple Spurs here. The North London side are five points behind league leaders Arsenal and could develop in to legitimate title contenders if maintaining a good run of form over the next several weeks. Tottenham have lost only once in their last seven games but have been beaten by Leicester and Newcastle, respectively, at White Hart Lane since November. It is very difficult to predict which Palace side will turn up on Saturday though I see Tottenham prevailing either way.

Selection: DRAW & AWAY

Leicester vs Stoke

Head-to-Head: LEI 31-32-33 STO

As I have stated on numerous occasions in this blog, Leicester have been quite the team this season. To be level at the top of the Premier League after 22 games is something many Foxes fans would have laughed at prior to the campaign starting. The striking partnership of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez have been quite sensational over the last few months and continue to perform to such a high-level week in, week out. They have lost just once at home in the league this season and will await the arrival of Stoke with plenty of confidence this weekend. Stoke are themselves enjoying a successful campaign this season where they currently sit in seventh place in the Premier League. Mark Hughes’ men are playing a fast-flowing attacking style and will relish the potential pace in Saturday’s encounter with Leicester. The Potters have won two of their last three away games in all competitions but may struggle against an in-form Leicester side.

Selection: HOME

Manchester United vs Southampton

Head-to-Head: MUN 61-29-27 SOT

Manchester United have lost just one of their last 13 meetings with Southampton and come into Saturday’s game following a morale-boosting victory at Anfield over rivals Liverpool. Wayne Rooney is beginning to find his scoring boots once again which is reflected in his side’s performances. They are unbeaten in January and look to be building a potential title bid through the remainder of the season. Southampton have won only one of their last six away games in all competitions and could find themselves in deep water against a newly rejuvenated Manchester United side on home turf.

Selection: HOME

Sunderland vs Bournemouth

Head-to-Head: SUN 4-2-1 BOU

Sunderland’s form at the Stadium Of Light has been inconsistent to say the least. Three wins and three losses in their last six games has found Sam Allardyce’s men in 19th position in the Premier League and four points from safety. A victory against Bournemouth this weekend will be crucial in order for them to keep pace with those teams around them. The Cherries, on the other hand, enjoyed a resounding success against Norwich last weekend and boast recent away victories against West Brom and Chelsea, respectively. Back the draw here as Sunderland are known for producing differing performances in the league and can be tough to get right on a going day.

Selection: DRAW

Watford vs Newcastle

Head-to-Head: WAT 11-13-15 NEW

Watford recently beat Newcastle in the FA Cup 1-0 and will hope to replicate that performance this weekend. The Hornets have suffered back-to-back defeats in the Premier League but have performed with real credit in recent weeks. Victories against Liverpool, Norwich and West Ham have helped the side to 12th in the table and eight points from the dreaded drop-zone. Newcastle make the journey south on Saturday with only one win from their last five away outings. They have, however, produced a pair of solid efforts in the past fortnight with a draw against Manchester United and a victory over West Ham. The Magpies will bring confidence with them to Vicarage Road but I struggle to see them toppling Watford who have performed very well on home turf recently.

Selection: HOME

West Brom vs Aston Villa

Head-to-Head: WBA 54-35-77 AVL

West Brom have lost just once at home since October. Tony Pulis’ side are very difficult to beat at home and will relish the arrival of Aston Villa here. The away side have not won on the road since the opening day of the season, dating back over 12 outings. Villa may have recorded a much-needed victory over Crystal Palace recently, but West Brom’s home form is strong and Remi Garde’s men may struggle to build on their recent league success. Back Albion to see off the challenge of a potentially rejuvenated Aston Villa side.

Selection: HOME

Birmingham vs Ipswich 

Head-to-Head: BIR 27-15-34 IPS

In their last eight meetings, Ipswich have failed to taste defeat to Birmingham. Two points separate both teams in the Championship where they sit just outside of the play-off positions. The home side enjoyed a brilliant victory at Derby last weekend which saw them prevail with a 0-3 win. The Blues have won their last three consecutive home league games and will await the arrival of Ipswich with plenty of confidence this weekend. Ipswich have won five of their last six away league outings in recent weeks and are proving to be a serious force on the road. It is a difficult game to predict where the draw is definitely a likely result.

Selection: HOME & DRAW

Espanyol vs Villarreal

Espanyol currently sit in 14th place in La Liga and just five points above the relegation zone. They are winless in their last six games, in all competitions, and have lost four on the bounce. Their home form throughout November and December was rock-solid with three victories and two draws from five games. A reproduction of those efforts should see them be competitive on Saturday evening. However, Villarreal have been in superb form of late. They are unbeaten in their last seven La Liga games and sit in fourth place in the table as a result. A recent win over Real Madrid proved that the team are capable of mixing it with the very best in Spain and, on that basis, they should be too strong for their opposition this weekend.

Selection: AWAY

West Ham vs Manchester City

Head-to-Head: WHU 37-16-48 MCI

This looks a very tough encounter to predict. West Ham are unbeaten in nine games at Upton Park, in all competitions, of late and usually produce their best performances when playing the league’s best teams. Manchester City, on the other hand, have been incredibly inconsistent away from home this season. A recent victory at Watford showcased their ability to battle back from a losing position though it was far from a stylish performance. It is something Manuel Pellegrini and his men will need to improve upon if they want to trouble West Ham here. The Hammers are only five points behind this weekend’s opposition and a victory will help improve their chances of securing European football next season. I expect plenty of goals here with the home side getting the better of the title favourites.

Selection: HOME & DRAW

Empoli vs AC Milan

Empoli are on a solid run of form with five wins in their last seven games, in all competitions. They host AC Milan this weekend who have lost only one of their last 10 outings and are a difficult side to break down. Milan produced a good performance to beat high-flyers Fiorentina recently and will hope to build on such a victory and maintain their effective away record. The visitors have lost just once in their last seven away from the San Siro and should be strong enough to snatch at least a point here.

Selection: DRAW

Arsenal vs Chelsea 

Head-to-Head: ARS 72-54-60 CHE

Arsenal will relish the arrival of Chelsea on Sunday afternoon following a fine opening half to their campaign. The Gunners sit atop of the Premier League and are favourites in places to win their first title in over a decade. Arsene Wenger’s men are unbeaten at the Emirates in the league since August and will be very tough to topple with Mesut Ozil and the remainder of their attack in such fine form. Chelsea, on the other hand, continue to endure a torrid time in England’s top tier. The defending champions were, arguably, fortunate to draw their last two games in the league where John Terry needed to score a last gasp equaliser to snatch a point at Stamford Bridge against Everton. Guus Hiddink’s side are still lacking in confidence and are likely to find it hard against an Arsenal side with superb momentum behind them.

Selection: HOME

Deportivo vs Valencia

Deportivo have lost just one of their last seven home games in La Liga and currently sit comfortably in eighth-place with 28 points. They are, however, without a win in six games, in all competitions, and are beginning to look laboured in defence. Valencia, likewise, are not enjoying life under new manager Gary Neville. The Englishman’s side have not won a league game in nine outings, dating back to November, and have fallen to 11th in the Spanish table as a result. With neither side arriving with any solid form, I see this playing out in a tight and nervy stalemate between two teams lacking in confidence, and momentum.

Selection: HOME & DRAW

Juventus vs Roma

There’s no doubt that Juventus are one of the most in-form teams in Europe at the minute. The reigning Serie A champions are on a run of 10 consecutive victories in the league and are now only two points behind table-toppers Napoli following a poor start to the campaign. They host rivals Roma this weekend which is likely to produce a fiery game and tense atmosphere. The away side are unbeaten in six league games though five of which have ended in a draw. I struggle to see Juventus not winning this game with such a solid run of results behind them, back the league champions to make 11 consecutive league victories.

Selection: HOME

Lyon vs Marseille 

Lyon are on a run of one victory in Ligue 1 in eight games. It is a period of form that has seen the side fall to ninth in the table and well below their expected position. Marseille, likewise, are level on points with Lyon but are beginning to put together a string of solid performances. The away side have unbeaten in eight league games and bring much the better form to this crucial encounter with Lyon. With both on levels in Ligue 1, a victory here can help kickstart their campaign once again. Back Marseille to continue their consistent run of results and add further deflation to Lyon’s poor season thus far.

Selection: DRAW & AWAY