Sport
TACKLING THE £2,000,000 PICK6
TACKLING THE £2,000,000 PICK6
Ahhh….the opening weekend of the Premier League season. Welcome back my old friend.
Let the normal Saturday routines begin again in earnest.
The first Pick6 of the season has thrown up some interesting games, and if you fancy your chances, remember to stake a minimum of £2 to be in with a chance of a slice of the £2 million top prize.
Good luck !
Arsenal vs West Ham
A cracking London derby to open proceedings and new Hammers boss Slaven Bilic has his work cut out if he wants to see his side take anything from this game.
West Ham’s last win against the Gunners was in fact the first time they, or any other side, had won at the Emirates, Bobby Zamora’s opportunist strike earning the visitors all three points back in April 2007.
Aside from two draws, it’s been all Arsenal ever since, winning home and away with relative ease.
On West Ham’s last three visits to the venue they’ve been beaten by at least three or more, and their current form doesn’t suggest that the status quo will change in here.
A Europa League place has proved more of a hindrance than an help as the Hammers have laboured through each stage so far.
The early start will at least mean that many of their players can hit the ground running fitness wise, but in all honesty they won’t be able to live with the quality that Arsenal possess.
Arsene Wenger will have been delighted to get one over his old adversary Jose Mourinho in the Community Shield last weekend, and he can probably afford to rest one or two regulars and still win this one at a canter.
3-0 to the hosts or AOH
Newcastle vs. Southampton
You have to question the wisdom of those who schedule certain games, whether for TV or otherwise.
Who in their right mind wants to travel from the south coast to the north east for a lunchtime kick off?! Any Saints fans making the trip need to be rewarded with a decent performance or ultimately a win.
Thankfully, Ronald Koeman is building another decent squad at St. Mary’s despite losing some of his best exponents for the second summer running.
If anything, the pressure is squarely on the shoulders of Steve McClaren.
The ex-England manager, unfairly labeled “the wally with the brolly” needs to get off to a decent start in order to win over the doubters.
Interestingly, it is only from a supporter perspective that there remains a reticence to accept this innovative technician.
Players speak of their delight at working under his tutelage and a packed St. James’ Park will make for an intimidating baptism for some of Southampton’s new signings, ex-Malaga star Juanmi amongst them.
As long as the Magpie faithful get behind their team rather than waste their ire on Chairman Mike Ashley, then the hosts have every chance of gaining a first win in five over the Saints.
If new signings Mitrovic and Wijnaldum can gel, Newcastle can put their wretched las campaign swiftly being them.
Alan Shearer’s endorsement of the former suggests the Toon have bought themselves a quality player but like it or not, there needs to be a grace period for the squad as they get used to life in the English top flight.
I’m settling for a score draw in this one 1-1.
Stoke vs. Liverpool
Well, well, well.
No sooner have Liverpool been humiliated 6-1 at the Brittania Stadium than they are right back to the scene of Brendan Rodgers’ biggest nightmare.
At least no one can accuse the northern Irishman of resting on his laurels. He has bought extensively but well in the transfer market and no one should be in any doubt that the Reds mean business again this season.
In Christian Benteke, Liverpool have bought a monster of a centre forward and one who will give as good as he gets against the Potters.
Mark Hughes won’t appreciate his defence being roughed up a little but that is exactly what is necessary if Liverpool don’t want to face another hiding.
There could be a number of new faces on either side and Ibrahim Afellay has an immediate chance to impress for Stoke following a free transfer.
Rodgers is unlikely to go gung-ho and throw all of his acquisitions straight into the fold, but if he wants to see what they’re made of then this is as good a fixture as any to get them used to the rigours of Premier League combat.
There have been at least four goals in this fixture the last three times it has been played in the Midlands, Liverpool plundering five the season before last.
In general terms however it is a ground that the Merseyside’s struggle at, having won only twice in seven years.
It will be open, it will be frenetic and it will be glorious entertainment for the neutral at least.
Benteke the match winner on his return to the Midlands.
1-2 or 1-3 for your coupon.
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West Brom vs. Manchester City
Manchester City will need to do far better in their opening few EPL games than they have in pre-season if they want to be genuine challengers to Chelsea come the business end of the campaign.
Shipping four goals to Stuttgart can easily be dismissed as “only pre-season” but that’s rather missing the point.
After splashing out £49 million on Raheem Sterling, the pressure to deliver is greater than ever and much will be expected from the England international on his official debut.
Manuel Pellegrini will be relieved that the Baggies haven’t taken all three points from City since December 2008 and since then West Brom have only managed a solitary draw amongst 10 wins for City home and away.
Free-scoring in this fixture over the last couple of seasons, it would be hard to bet against them again here.
Tony Pulis has added Rickie Lambert to his strike force and the fact he has a point to prove after a disappointing spell at Liverpool could spell problems for Kompany and co.
Saido Berahino is in the shop window whatever his club says and this game is a perfect opportunity for him to outshine Sterling.
West Brom will score, but it won’t be enough. 1-3 or AOA are my selections.
Dundee United vs. Dundee
The visitors to Tannadice got off to the best possible start last weekend with a 4-0 win against Kilmarnock that sees them atop the table before the match against their local rivals and actual next door neighbours.
A walk of literally a couple of hundred yards for the visiting supporters will ensure a sell-out crowd and a chance to put right a particularly bad record that has seen Dundee fail to win here in the last decade.
United went down with a fight in their loss to Aberdeen in week 1, and Paul Hartley will be hoping from the same type of application from his charges.
His side needs a break and quickly because that was the fifth loss on the bounce, United being beaten in all of their pre-season friendlies.
Paul Dixon and Ryan McGowan can hold their heads high but will have to provide an upgrade on their defensive cover if they want to emerge victorious against confident and high-flying opponents.
Rory Loy’s two goals in two minutes against Kilmarnock give a nod to his prowess in and around the box and if Greg Stewart is allowed to create the Arabs will find themselves in trouble.
No quarter will be asked or given in this one, a real battle to the end.
I’ll sit on the fence with the away side’s jinx continuing for another season at least.
1-1 or AOD in Scotland.
Portsmouth vs. Derby
Ex-Real Madrid assistant Paul Clement heads south for a Capital One Cup game against fan-owned Pompey.
Only one loss in his first game of pre-season is testament to the instant impact Clement has had at Pride Park, and a 1-1 draw with Villarreal was a hugely creditable performance.
The Rams should have far too much about them to be troubled by a team that are a shadow of their former selves. Just seven years separate them from an FA Cup Final win and UEFA Cup appearance, to the lowest depths of English league football.
The Pompey Supporters Trust deserve enormous respect from the wider football family for ensuring the continuity of their club, but it’s a very long way back to the big time.
Darren Bent, Andreas Weimann and others will likely put the seasiders to the sword long before the final whistle and it could become embarrassing.
To avoid the knock to confidence that a big loss will engender, manager Paul Cook might set his side up a little differently and to that end, the game might at least gives youngsters such as Adam Webster, Jack Whatmough and Connor Chaplin a chance to shine.
Captain Danny Holland is an experienced head who’s seen it all before and will give everything to ensure his team go down fighting.
AOA is the only result I can foresee in this one.
