Best Of Bets

Author: Mudeet Arora

  • Chelsea vs Leeds preview, probable lineups, players you can bet on and prediction

    Chelsea vs Leeds preview, probable lineups, players you can bet on and prediction

    Strugglers Chelsea will be looking to begin their comeback to winning ways when they host Leeds in the Premier League on Saturday.

    The Blues are winless in their last five games and a loss here could lead to Graham Potter being sacked from his job.

    Here’s our preview of this clash!

    Match Details:

    Location: London, England

    Stadium: Stamford Bridge

    Date: Saturday, 4 March

    Kick-off Time: 15:00 GMT / 10:00 ET / 07:00 PT

    Referee: Michael Oliver

    VAR: Darren England

    Team News:

    Chelsea will be without their talisman Thiago Silva as the Brazilian is expected to be out of action for six weeks due to a knee injury he picked up against Tottenham, meaning Cesar Azpilicueta will lead the Blues. N’Golo Kante and Christian Pulisic are both back in training and could be on the bench for this one. Broja and Mendy remain out injured.

    For Leeds, young midfielder Archie Gray has had a decent impact, but will be on the bench for this one. Stuart Dallas, Rodrigo and Adam Forshaw all remain out injured. Strujik and Sinisterra could be added last minute, however this has not been confirmed.

    Head to Head record in last five games:

    Chelsea wins: 3

    Leeds win: 1

    Draws: 1

    Predicted Lineups:

    Chelsea – Kepa; Azpilicueta, Koulibaly, Badiashile; James, Fernandez, Zakaria, Chilwell; Felix, Sterling; Havertz.

    Leeds – Meslier; Ayling, Koch, Wober, Firpo; Adams, McKennie; Harrison, Aaronson, Gnonto; Bamford.

    Last 5 games in all competitions:

    Chelsea – D D L L L

    Leeds – D L L W L

    Prediction:

    Things could really turn ugly for Chelsea and their manager Graham Potter should Leeds United come with a result from the Bridge. The chances of that happening are not impossible as Leeds have shown they can score goals with the pace of Gnonto.

    BestofBets think this one will be a 1-1 draw.

    Players who you can bet on for a great performance:

    Raheem Sterling:

    Chelsea desperately need Raheem Sterling to start firing if they are to make any kind of return to form starting with this game against Leeds. On his day, Sterling could be virtually unplayable, but such days haven’t yet come in his stint at Chelsea. We think the pace of this game could suit Sterling to create a major impact over a crucial 90 minutes that could save Graham Potter’s job.

    Illan Meslier:

    There is no doubt Illan Meslier is one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League at the moment. The Frenchman has been one of the biggest reasons why Leeds are not in the relegation zone at the moment. Against Chelsea, Meslier’s team will depend on him to keep out the threat possessed by Chelsea.

    Wilfried Gnonto:

    If there is one player who has been the shining light in Leeds United’s season, it is Wilfried Gnonto. The pacy winger has been in the form of his life and is sure to disrupt a Chelsea defence that is weak on confidence and self-belief. Expect him to get a goal or an assist in this game regardless of the result.

    To read more content like this on football, please visit our exclusive insights on Premier League games this season HERE.

  • Arsenal vs Bournemouth preview, probable lineups, players you can bet on and prediction

    Arsenal vs Bournemouth preview, probable lineups, players you can bet on and prediction

    Premier League leaders Arsenal will be looking for their fourth win in a row when they host Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.

    The Gunners have been in imperious form since their loss to Manchester City with consecutive victories over Aston Villa, Leicester and Everton.

    Here’s our preview of this clash!

    Match Details:

    Location: London, England

    Stadium: Emirates Stadium

    Date: Saturday, 4 March

    Kick-off Time: 15:00 GMT / 10:00 ET / 07:00 PT

    Referee: Chris Kavanagh

    VAR: John Brooks

    Team News:

    Arsenal could start without Jorginho after the Italian midfielder was forced off with illness midway through the lsat game. Thomas Partey could start instead.

    Oleksandr Zinchenko could be rested on the bench whereas Eddie Nketiah will be subject to a late fitness test ahead of the game. Jesus and Elneny remain out.

    For Bournemouth, Matias Vina, Junior Stanislas and Marcus Tavernier all face a race against time for this clash. Lloyd Kelly and Lewis Cook too are doubtful whereas it has been confirmed that Ilya Zabarnyi and David Brooks wont feature.

    Head to Head record in last five games:

    Arsenal wins: 4

    Bournemouth wins: 0

    Draws: 1

    Predicted Lineups:

    Arsenal – Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tierney; Xhaka, Partey; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Trossard

    Bournemouth – Neto; Smith, Senesi, Mepham, Zemura; Ouattara, Billing, Lerma, Anthony; Traore; Solanke

    Last 5 games in all competitions:

    Arsenal – D L W W W

    Bournemouth – D L D W L

    Prediction:

    Bournemouth have some sort of presence about them in games against big teams this season with their performance against Manchester City being a prime example.

    However, Arsenal are on quite a high and are cruising with confidence.

    BestofBets think this will be an easy 3-0 win for Arsenal.

    Players who you can bet on for a great performance:

    Martin Odegaard:

    One of the best creative midfielders in the Premier League this season, Martin Odegaard will be raring to go against a Bournemouth side depleted due to injuries. Expect him to dominate midfield and create some openings for his teammates to score from.

    Bukayo Saka:

    In the form of his life, Bukayo Saka has been tremendous for the Gunners over the past few weeks and a game against Bournemouth could only be a confidence booster for a player like him. You can probably bet on Saka to get at least one goal and an assist in this game.

    Gabriel Martinelli:

    Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli has come off age this season and is delivering great goalscoring performances almost every game and against Bournemouth, his teammates could provide him opportunities to score multiple goals. He is sure to terrorise Bournemouth’s defence with his pace and trickery on the ball.

    To read more content like this on football, please visit our exclusive insights on Premier League games this season HERE.

  • Man City vs Newcastle preview, probable lineups, players you can bet on and prediction

    Man City vs Newcastle preview, probable lineups, players you can bet on and prediction

    Manchester City will host Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday to continue adding pressure on league leaders Arsenal at the top of the table.

    BestofBets takes a look at a detailed match preview of this clash!

    Match Details:

    Location: Manchester, England

    Stadium: Etihad Stadium

    Date: Saturday, 4 March

    Kick-off Time: 12:30 GMT / 07:30 ET / 04:30 PT

    Referee: Simon Hooper

    VAR: Michael Salisbury

    Team News:

    Manchester City are still sweating over John Stones’ fitness after a hamstring injury against Arsenal in the FA Cup third round. He may be in the squad, but most probably won’t start. Aymeric Laporte could make a return to the squad after illness.

    For Newcastle, Matt Targett and Joe Willock will miss the trip to Manchester whereas a late decision will be taken on Bruno Guimaraes, who played with injury in the Cup final. Nick Pope is expected to return from his suspension.

    Head to Head record in last five games:

    Man City wins: 4

    Newcastle wins: 0

    Draws: 1

    Predicted Lineups:

    Man City – Ederson; Walker, Dias, Laporte; Gundogan, Rodri; Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, Foden; Haaland.

    Newcastle – Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Murphy, Isak, Saint-Maximin.

    Last 5 games in all competitions:

    Man City – W D D W W

    Newcastle – W D D L L

    Prediction:

    It will be interesting to see how Newcastle United react to their Carabao Cup final defeat at the hands of Manchester United.

    Manchester City, meanwhile, will continue to push their bid to challenge Arsenal for the Premier League title.

    BestofBets think this will be a 2-0 win for Manchester City.

    Players who you can bet on for a great performance:

    Kevin De Bruyne:

    On his day, Kevin De Bruyne could single handedly lead Manchester City to a commanding win against any given opponent. We think this game will be one where he comes up and reminds everyone he is still the best in the business. Expect him to find gaps in a strong Newcastle defence which could still not be 100% after a tiring Cup final.

    Allan Saint-Maximin:

    French attacker Allan Saint-Maximin is in imperious form this season and is key to Newcastle’s hopes of getting any kind of result against the Cityzens. The Magpies will mostly play this game on counter-attack which could see Saint-Maximin exploit some spaces in attacking areas. Watch out for him!

    Erling Haaland:

    Erling Haaland has made a mockery out of the Premier League, scoring almost in every game that he has played this season. Expect him to make his trademark smart runs into Newcastle’s box and score. You can bet on him to score a brace today against what will still be a knackered Newcastle defence from a difficult Cup final game.

    To read more content like this on football, please visit our exclusive insights on Premier League games this season HERE.

  • Liverpool 2-0 Wolves: Player ratings as the Reds enjoy comfortable win over Wolves in the Premier League

    Liverpool 2-0 Wolves: Player ratings as the Reds enjoy comfortable win over Wolves in the Premier League

    • Second half goals from Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah were enough to help Liverpool claim three points

    • Wolves struggled to overcome the Reds that they had comfortably beaten just weeks back.

    Liverpool moved within six points of the Premier League’s top four with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Wolves at Anfield.

    Goals in the second half from Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah were enough to help Jurgen Klopp’s side a deserved victory against a toothless Wolves.

    The Reds have peaked at the right time ahead of their blockbuster Premier League encounter against arch-rivals Manchester United on Sunday.

    Their performance against Wolves was one of total control and Best of Bets takes a look at how the players performed on the night for both teams (out of 10).

    Liverpool vs Wolves – Player ratings

    Liverpool:

    Alisson – 7

    Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7

    Ibrahima Konate – 7

    Virgil van Dijk – 8.5

    Konstantinos Tsimikas – 7

    Harvey Elliot – 7.5

    Fabinho – 7

    Bajcetic – 6

    Mohamed Salah – 7

    Darwin Nunez – 7

    Diogo Jota – 8

    SUBS:
    Cody Gakpo – 6

    Jordan Henderson – 6

    Wolves:

    Sa – 7

    Semedo – 6

    Dawson – 6

    Kilman – 6

    Bueno – 6

    Neves – 7

    Lemina – 6

    Sarabia – 5

    Moutinho – 6

    Nunes – 7

    Jimenez – 5

    SUBS:

    Ait-Nouti – 7

    Traore – 6

    Podence – 6

    Joao Gomes – 6

    Diego Costa – N/A

    ______________________________________________________________________________________

    Take a look at our best expert content and Bookmaker bonuses offerings at Best Of Bets.

  • Arsenal 4-0 Everton – Player ratings as Gunners smash the Toffees to go five points clear in the Premier League table

    Arsenal 4-0 Everton – Player ratings as Gunners smash the Toffees to go five points clear in the Premier League table

    • Saka, Odegaard and a Martinelli brace ensured win

    • Arsenal moved five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table

    • The Gunners will next take on Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday

    Arsenal went five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table after a commanding 4-0 win over struggling Everton at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.

    After a slow start to the game, Bukayo Saka began the goalscoring proceedings at the Emirates Stadium before Gabriel Martinelli doubled their lead just before half time. Martin Odegaard scored the third goal after half time, before Martinelli scored his second goal and Arsenal’s fourth to end the tie.

    Some big performers turned it up on the night in North London and Best of Bets takes a look at the player ratings (out of 10).

    Arsenal vs Everton – Player ratings

    Arsenal:

    Aaron Ramsdale – 7

    Ben White – 7

    William Saliba – 7

    Gabriel – 7

    Oleksandr Zinchenko – 8

    Martin Odegaard – 8

    Jorginho – 6

    Granit Xhaka – 7

    Bukayo Saka – 9

    Leandro Trossard – 7

    Gabriel Martinelli – 8

    SUBS:
    Thomas Partey – 7

    Eddie Nketiah – 7

    Fabio Vieira – 6

    Emile Smith Rowe –  N/A – Subbed on too late

    Kieran Tierney – N/A – Subbed on too late

    Everton:

    Jordan Pickford – 5

    Seamus Coleman – 4.5

    Michael Keane – 4

    James Tarkowski – 5.5

    Vitalii Mykolenko – 4.5

    Alex Iwobi – 5

    Amadou Onana – 5

    Idrissa Gueye – 4

    Abdoulaye Doucoure – 4.5

    Dwight McNeil Antonio – 5

    Neil Maupay – 6

    SUBS:

    Mason Holgate – 5

    Ben Godfrey – 5

    Demarai Gray – 5

    Tom Davies – 5

  • Manchester United 3-1 West Ham United – Player ratings as the Red Devils beat Hammers in the FA Cup

    Manchester United 3-1 West Ham United – Player ratings as the Red Devils beat Hammers in the FA Cup

    • West Ham scored the opening goal in the FA Cup last 16
    • Manchester United equalised through Aguerd
    • Garnacho and Fred added two more towards the end of the game.
    • Manchester United to face Fulham in the quarter-final

    Manchester United secured passage to the FA Cup quarter-final with a motivated 3-1 win over West Ham United at Old Trafford.

    The Red Devils found themselves a goal down courtesy of Said Benrahma’s incredible finish in the 54th minute.

    However, Erik Ten Hag’s side turned up the screws to score three times in the final 15 minutes of the game to ensure their qualification to the last 8.

    The Red Devils will now face Fulham in the quarter-final over the weekend of March 18 or 19.

    Meanwhile, Best of Bets takes a look at the player ratings from the Red Devils’ win against the Hammers (out of 10).

    Manchester United vs West Ham United – Player ratings

    Manchester United:

    David De Gea – 8

    Diogo Dalot – 6

    Harry Maguire – 6

    Victor Lindelof – 6

    Tyrell Malacia – 6

    Marcel Sabitzer – 8

    Scott McTominay – 5

    Antony – 6

    Bruno Fernandes – 6

    Alejandro Garnacho – 8.5

    Wout Weghorst – 8

    SUBS:
    Casemiro – 8

    Lisandro Martinez – 8

    Marcus Rashford – 6

    Fred – 7

    Raphael Varane – N/A – Subbed on too late

    West Ham United:

    Alphonse Areola – 7

    Ben Johnson – 6

    Nayef Aguerd – 4

    Angelo Ogbonna – 6

    Emerson – 6

    Tomas Soucek – 5

    Declan Rice – 8

    Lucas Paqueta – 6

    Said Benrahma – 8

    Michail Antonio – 6

    Pablo Fornals – 6

    SUBS:

    Jarrod Bowen – 5

    Gianluca Scamacca – N/A – Subbed on too late

  • Man Utd vs West Ham – FA Cup Fifth Round preview, team news, probable XI and prediction

    Man Utd vs West Ham – FA Cup Fifth Round preview, team news, probable XI and prediction

    Fresh from their EFL Cup glory over the weekend, Erik Ten Hag’s Manchester United will jump right into another cup competition as they host West Ham in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

    When and at what time will Manchester United vs West Ham kick off?

    Game: Manchester United vs West Ham

    Venue: Old Trafford

    Date: March 1, 2023

    Time: 19:45 UK

    Where to watch Manchester United vs West Ham in the FA Cup?

    The game will be shown live in the UK on ITV 1.

    The match can also be audio and video streamed on the ITVX app or website.

    Manchester United vs West Ham Team News

    There is no doubt Erik ten Hag will rotate his squad after a high octane EFL Cup final against Newcastle this past weekend.

    We could see Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Tyrel Malacia in defence with Marcel Sabitzer and Scott McTominay managing Manchester United‘s midfield. Garnacho, Sancho and Weghorst could get starts.

    Christian Eriksen, Donny van de Beek and Anthony Martial continue to be out injured.

    Meanwhile, West Ham welcomed Kurt Zouma and Maxwel Cornet back into training. Gianluca Scamacca could be introduced into the West Ham attack as he marks his return from injury.

    Manchester United vs West Ham Probable XI

    Manchester United probable XI: Heaton; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Malacia; McTominay, Sabitzer; Sancho, Fernandes, Garnacho; Weghorst

    West Ham probable XI: Areola; Johnson, Kehrer, Aguerd, Cresswell, Rice, Soucek, Paqueta; Benrahma, Bowen, Scamacca

    Manchester United vs West Ham Prediction

    Both teams will come into this game high on confidence after earning victories in their respective games over the weekend, however, Manchester United look in a completely different frame of mind and are operating at a pretty high level.

    Moreover, they won a trophy over the weekend and will be looking to continue their upward momentum, thus showing more urgency to get a result.

    We think Manchester United will win 3-1 at Old Trafford.


  • Bristol City vs Manchester City – FA Cup Fifth Round preview, team news, probable XI and prediction

    Bristol City vs Manchester City – FA Cup Fifth Round preview, team news, probable XI and prediction

    Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City will take on Bristol City in the FA Cup fifth round on Tuesday.

    Bristol come into this one on the back of a 12 game unbeaten run in all competitions and will look to cause a major upset in the Cup by defeating the favourites for the tournament in Man City.

    When and at what time will Bristol City vs Manchester City kick off?

    Game: Bristol City vs Manchester City

    Venue: Ashton Gate

    Date: February 28, 2023

    Time: 20:00 UK

    Where to watch Bristol City vs Manchester City in the FA Cup?

    The game will be shown live in the UK on ITV 1 and STV Scotland.

    The game can also be audio and video streamed on STV Player, TalkSport Radio UK, ITVX

    Bristol City vs Manchester City Team News

    Bristol defender Rob Atkinson is expected miss the rest of the campaign due to a cruciate ligament rupture, after Ayman Benarous suffering a similar fate earlier in the season. Kal Naismith, Kane Wilson and Tommy Conway too will miss this clash, whereas Harry Cornick and Anis Mehmeti are both cup-tied.

    Manchester City could welcome back Aymeric Laporte from illness, however John Stones could miss the clash. Expect players like Stefan Ortega, Kalvin Phillips, Sergio Gomez and new signing Maximo Perrone forcing their way in.

    Bristol City vs Manchester City Probable XI

    Bristol City probable XI: O’Leary; Tanner, Vyner, Kalas, Pring; James, Williams; Sykes, Scott, Bell; Wells

    Manchester City probable XI: Ortega; Lewis, Dias, Ake, Gomez; Silva, Phillips, Gundogan; Mahrez, Alvarez, Foden

    Bristol City vs Manchester City Prediction

    There is no doubt Manchester City are miles ahead against Bristol on paper in terms of the squad Pep Guardiola has at his disposal. However, fielding a totally new XI compared to the last game could see City struggle to settle in the early parts of the game.

    But, there is no doubt the Cityzens will claim the win. We predict a 3-1 win for Manchester City.


  • Manchester United 2-0 Newcastle United – Carabao Cup Final player ratings

    Manchester United 2-0 Newcastle United – Carabao Cup Final player ratings

    Manchester United have won their first trophy under Erik ten Hag courtesy of a 2-0 win over Newcastle at the Wembley Stadium in London.

    Goals in the first half from Casemiro and Marcus Rashford proved to be enough to hand Erik ten Hag’s side their first piece of silverware in the 2022-23 season.

    Many players from both teams came up with incredible performances in the game and this is what we at Best of Bets made of the player performances!

    Please note: All ratings are given out of 10.

    Manchester United player ratings:

    David De Gea – 5

    Diogo Dalot – 3.5

    Raphael Varane – 8

    Lisandro Martinez – 8

    Luke Shaw – 7

    Casemiro – 9

    Fred – 6.5

    Antony – 7

    Bruno Fernandes – 7

    Marcus Rashford – 8

    Wout Weghorst – 8

    Substitutes:

    Aaron Wan-Bissaka – 8

    Marcel Sabitzer – 6

    Scott McTominay – 5

    Jadon Sancho – 5

    Harry Maguire – 5

    Newcastle United player ratings:

    Loris Karius – 6

    Kieran Trippier – 6

    Fabian Schar – 4

    Sven Botman – 3

    Dan Burn – 4

    Sean Longstaff – 3

    Bruno Guimaraes – 7

    Joelinton – 4

    Miguel Almiron – 5

    Callum Wilson – 4

    Allan Saint-Maximin – 7

    Substitutes:

    Alexander Isak – 3

    Joe Willock – N/A – Didn’t have enough time to impact

    Jacob Murphy – N/A – Didn’t have enough time to impact

    Matt Ritchie – N/A – Didn’t have enough time to impact

  • Manchester United win Carabao Cup as a five year wait for trophy ends

    Manchester United win Carabao Cup as a five year wait for trophy ends

    Manchester United have won the Carabao Cup after beating Newcastle in a high octane clash at the Wembley Stadium in London.

    It was their first trophy under Erik ten Hag and a piece of silverware United have seen after five years of an agonising wait.

    The final was end to end with both teams running their socks off in a high octane, physical clash.

    The match started at high tempo with Newcastle looking the brighter of the two sides, but Manchester United’s defence was able to cope up with everything the Magpies had to offer in terms of attack.

    United slowly grew into the game and that is when Casemiro lifted himself high to head the ball into the net to hand the Red Devils a 1-0 lead.

    Newcastle tried to respond strongly but that left them vulnerable to Manchester United’s thunderous counter attack. Wout Weghorst passed the ball to Marcus Rashford, and his shot was deflected into his own net by Sven Botman to make it 2-0 in the first half.

    The second half was all about game management for the Red Devils and Aaron Wan Bissaka was particularly introduced in place of Diogo Dalot to curb the threat posed by Allan Saint-Maximin.

    Wan-Bissaka was excellent on the night as he flew in with important tackles to keep the Frenchman at bay.

    United managed to hold on to their advantage and brought the trophy home in impressive fashion as we can now say the Erik ten Hag era at Old Trafford has just about begun!

    Catch all our coverage of the Carabao Cup and more at BestofBets!