Sport
TACKLING THE £2,000,000 MILLIONAIRE
TACKLING THE £2,000,000 MILLIONAIRE
This weekend’s Millionaire comes with a difference.
We debut our FreePlay game, giving you one £1 line free for the following six fixtures as well as any other lines you wish to play.
Who knows, you could win a million for free!
For your paid lines, you must stake a minimum of £2 to be in with a shot at the lottery-sized top prize.
Here’s ho-ho-hoping….!
Everton v Leicester
If Claudio Ranieri’s men can get another win here, they’ll be clear at the top for Christmas and no one would’ve expected that.
No team in Premier League history other than Newcastle United has lost the title when having this amount of points at this stage of the season.
The “they’ll never maintain it” brigade and now looking at Leicester and asking “how long can they maintain it?”
The Foxes are playing a brand of football that is every bit as good as any other side in the division and Everton can’t afford to take them lightly, especially with Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez in such devastating form.
The Toffees have two eye-catching attackers of their own in Romelu Lukaku and Gerard Deulofeu and Roberto Martinez continues to get the very best out of his young side.
However, Leicester seem to be a bit of a bogey side for them. It’s been almost 12 years to the day since the last time Everton managed a win home or away against them, and only twice more have they triumphed in the last 18 years.
Both teams are certain to score in a real cracker but the Italian will be the happier of the two come full time.
1-2 or 1-3 for your coupon.
Southampton v Tottenham
Mauricio Pochettino will have been hurting more than most after Spurs’ insipid display at home to Newcastle.
The Lilywhites got what they deserved from the game – absolutely nothing.
Fate would decree that his old side Southampton would be their next opponents, meaning there’s every likelihood there will have been a sharper edge to training this week.
Pochettino will like nothing better than taking three points on the south coast but even with the likes of Harry Kane, Erik Dier and Erik Lamela playing themselves into some excellent form, the Saints won’t be a pushover.
Ronald Koeman has them playing football as attractive as anything served up from north London.
Graziano Pelle and Saido Mane remain his prized assets and they give Spurs’ defence a decent examination on the day.
Seven places but only five points separate them in the table and three points for the hosts would place them right back into contention for the European places.
A busy festive period could see them climb higher if they can grab a platform from the first of four fixtures inside a couple of weeks.
I expect it to be an end to end enthralling 90 minutes but I don’t think Southampton have enough to topple Tottenham on this occasion.
1-1 is my selection and if you’re confident Spurs can bounce back then take a 0-1 too.
Newcastle v Aston Villa
Let’s hope that the fans attending this one have brought their blankets, flasks of hot tea and a pillow.
With the greatest of respect to both teams, this isn’t going to be a game for the purist.
This is one game that Villa need to approach with confidence and vigour. Their situation does look precarious, however three points here and the Villains bring themselves to within touching distance of the teams directly above them.
Lose again and Remi Garde’s side could find themselves 8 points adrift of safety by close of play.
Unfortunately, the side are lacking guidance both on and off of the pitch and just one win all season speaks volumes.
Steve McClaren will be looking to build on the hugely impressive performance and result against Spurs last weekend.
All of that good work will be immediately undone if the Magpies can’t dispatch the league’s worst team by a distance.
I don’t see too much happening at all in this one but the confidence from gaining a win at White Hart Lane will give the hosts the edge.
I’m not looking further than a tight home win here 1-0 or 2-0.
As always at the halfway point, you’ve the option to cash in a portion of your ticket for some winnings and play on with the remainder of your ticket. This will apply for your FreePlay also.
Watford v Liverpool
There’s been a bit of a change in attitude towards Jurgen Klopp on the red half of Merseyside recently.
After the West Bromwich Albion and Sion debacles, the cheesy smile and affable outlook wont wash.
Those performances weren’t the Liverpool way and the locals won’t have wasted any time letting the German know what’s expected.
Without a win in three, the honeymoon period is well and truly over.
Frankly, the likes of Christian Benteke and James Milner have to start to justify their places or face the axe.
Liverpool have every chance of jostling for the European places but will need to play much, much better than just recently.
The epic win away at Manchester City seems a lifetime ago now.
Watford have gone quietly about their business and are comfortably the best placed of the promoted sides.
Quique Sanchez Flores has the Hornets playing some excellent pass and move football and the Reds will be undone if they arrive at Vicarage Road expecting a walkover.
Four wins out of the last six hints at the impact the new manager continues to have, his only losses in that period to Manchester United and Leicester.
Nathaniel Clyne and Alberto Moreno will need to curtail any attacks because Jurado and Almen Abdi will certainly take advantage of space in behind.
Klopp will have to wait a little longer to get back into winning ways.
1-1 and AOD are my selections.
Swansea v West Ham
The Swans could well have installed “El Loco” Marcelo Bielsa as their new manager by the time this fixture comes around. Things will certainly get a little interesting in that part of the country should the revered coach be handed the reins.
Whether or not Bielsa is in-situ, the sense of upheaval in and around the club is likely to impact on the pitch.
Swansea are certainly a team in dire need of a confidence boost. Just one win in the last thirteen and that was against bottom placed Aston Villa.
They’ll be comforted in the knowledge that, although West Ham have one of the best away records in the division, they rarely do well when playing in this part of Wales.
Indeed, you have to go back to 1982 for the last time the Hammers left Swansea with three points.
Slaven Bilic does have one of West Ham’s best squads in years to choose from, injuries aside, but a run of six games without a win including three in which they failed to score, will give the hosts some hope.
A tight and tense affair with both sides cancelling each other out. I’m plumping for a 0-0 draw but take a 1-0 home win to be on the safe side.
Arsenal v Man City
The game of the weekend without a doubt. A monday night football spectacular on the cards as these two go head to head.
The Gunners will have the carrot of going top if Leicester do fail to win at Goodison park and Arsene Wenger’s side will know exactly what’s required come kick off time.
Even a consolidation of second place at worst isn’t a terrible result as we approach the busy Christmas schedule.
Four wins out of the last five and three goals score in three of those fixtures will give the north Londoners a great deal of confidence going into the game.
Their balletic qualities on the ball will be sorely tested by City’s machine like midfield however, and it’s likely to be in the middle of the park where the game is won or lost.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side also have four wins from the last five but all of those have been at the Etihad Stadium.
The last two away from home have been lost and Arsenal will make it an unpleasant hat-trick.
End to end excellence with the Gunners on the march. A 2-1 victory to give them a boost for the festive period.
Wishing everyone a very happy, safe and enjoyable Christmas.
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