Category: Football

Wolves will welcome Aston Villa on Saturday evening in a match they could really do with some points.

Wolverhampton is having a weak season. They did not secure a single Premier League victory in January. The only bright spot was a win in the FA Cup against modest Bristol with a score of 2:1. The “Wolves” have not been helped this season even by the return of Korean forward Hwang Hee-chan. The Korean has firmly settled on the bench, while the attacking power is centered around Celta loanee Jorgen Larsen and team leader, Brazilian Matheus Cunha. The “Wolves’” situation is further complicated by the injury of defender Yerson Mosquera, who is close to returning but will not be able to help the team on Saturday.

Another successful season for Unai Emery’s team is backed by good results in the Champions League and being only 3 points behind the European competition zone in the Premier League. The factor of participating in the Champions League always adds extra strain, but the “Wolves” should not count on any concessions. Striker Ollie Watkins has been in outstanding form for more than one season (10 goals and 5 assists in the Premier League). Villa’s difficulties may be related to injuries of key midfielder Amadou Onana and important defender Pau Torres, however, experienced coach Emery has moved Belgian Tielemans to the midfield zone, and Torres is replaced by English defender Tyrone Mings, although he also got injured in the last round match against West Ham (1:1).

The rivalry is known to football fans as the West Midlands derby. The two best teams from this region have a rich history. At home, the “Wolves” have a decent record against Villa. The last time the “Villans” defeated their opponents away was back in 2020. However, in 2024, Emery’s team twice dealt with Wolverhampton at “Villa Park”, and in both cases, the bet with a handicap (-1.5) was successful.

 Will the “Wolves” finally escape the relegation zone? The first day of February will offer us a clash between two teams of different levels: the formidable Aston Villa, who have secured a spot in the Champions League playoffs, and the inconsistent Wolverhampton, who have failed to score more than once in four consecutive Premier League matches. Our editorial prediction will help you choose the optimal bet for the upcoming match.

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Wolves vs Aston Villa predictions

Victories over Leicester and Manchester United helped Wolves make some instant progress following the appointment of Vitor Pereira six weeks ago – but those triumphs must feel a long time ago now.

Wanderers have reverted back to their old ways since the start of the year, with four straight defeats seeing them return to the Premier League’s relegation zone.

Games against Nottingham Forest, Newcastle, Chelsea and Arsenal, all of whom are in the top six, highlight just how tricky a start to 2025 Wolves have had. And it doesn’t get any easier for Pereira’s men on Saturday with a West Midlands derby against an Aston Villa side unbeaten in five league matches and safely through to the last 16 of the Champions League.

Liverpool travel to Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon after resting key players in their last Champions League group game in midweek. 64% of Liverpool games this season have had over 2.5 goals, while Bournemouth have scored 41 goals so far, 12 of them have been since the turn of the year which highlights their impressive form. I’m tipping Over 2.5 Goals and Both Teams to Score at 1.72.

Bournemouth’s Recent Form

Bournemouth have been on fire recently as they picked up a 5-0 win against high-flying Nottingham Forest with goals from Justin Kluivert, Antonie Semenyo and a hat-trick from Dango Ouattara who is the first player from Burkina Faso to score a Premier League hat-trick. They also smashed Newcastle 4-1 away from home in another impressive display which shows they can compete and score against big teams as they prepare for another big test against Liverpool on Saturday. 

Bournemouth are currently in 7th position, one point from the Champions League places. Their last League defeat was in November against Brighton. They have been quietly climbing up the table whilst minding their own business and now are becoming a real threat for the teams around them.

Goals Galore At The Vitality Stadium? 

Liverpool are the league’s top scorers so far with 54 goals, Mohamed Salah has 19 of them. This includes his goal last weekend against Ipswich Town, he has only failed to get on the score sheet on six occasions this season.

Four of Bournemouth’s last five games have ended in over 2.5 goals except their 1-0 win against Everton at home. They have also scored an impressive 11 goals in their last three games, that’s on average 3.7 goals per game. The way Bournemouth are playing at the moment they could score a few more goals, especially as a youthful Liverpool conceded three in the Champions League on Wednesday.

In the last 14 games between the two sides, only one occasion has ended in less than 2.5 goals being scored. Which makes this tip stronger is that 64% of Liverpool’s games this season have had over 2.5 goals in the game.

Will Both Teams Score? 

Bournemouth’s both teams to score stats is at 61% this season which includes three of their last five games, Liverpool share this recent record while being involved in both teams scoring in 55% of their games. 

Liverpool’s xG (expected goals) away form is an average of 2.11, while Bournemouth’s at home is 1.81. To put that in perspective, the Premier League average so far this season is 1.45 which shows there is more chance of goals at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.

Their Last Meeting

Liverpool beat Bournemouth 3-0 at Anfield earlier in the campaign with all goals coming in the first half, two from Luis Diaz and one from Darwin Nunez. Speaking of the Colombian, he has been unplayable against Bournemouth in recent times with five goals in his last five games against The Cherries. In what looks to be a game full of goals will he continue to unlock the defence and score another on Saturday?

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Tonight, the final match day of the Europa League group stage will take place with 18 games playing at once and here is our Europa League free acca for that. This should be another thrilling night of European football with high stakes on the line for the large majority of teams in the competition. I have chosen three picks to go in an acca at 2.34.

Pick 1

First we have Ajax vs Galatasaray, potentially the most exciting game of the night. Ajax currently sit in 16th and if they avoid defeat they will secure a chance to make it to the knockouts through the play-offs.

Galatasaray are the top scorers in this season’s competition with 18 goals with Ajax are not far behind them with 14 goals. However they have conceded an average of one goal per game. Galatasaray are 9th in the table just one spot outside of the automatic knockout stages, with a win away to Ajax they would have a strong chance of reaching the top 8. 

Galatasaray have great attacking options with Yunus Akgun scoring five times and sits 4th in the top scoring charts. Of course, we have to mention Victor Osimhen who has had a goal or assist in his last 4 away Super Lig starts. Ajax’s Davy Klaassen has five goal involvements this Europa League campaign and will also be a threat. 

All of Galatasaray’s games have all ended with over 2.5 goals except one game which was away to AZ. Four out of the Seven Ajax games have ended with over 2.5 goals. My first pick for this Acca is Over 2.5 Goals at 1.40.

Pick 2

My second pick is also Over 2.5 Goals. Tottenham currently sit 6th in the Europa League table with 14 points. They need a win to an secure automatic place to the knockouts. Tottenham have scored an average of two goals per game and will look like scoring more on Thursday against an Elfsborg side who have conceded 11 goals in seven games. 

Elfsborg are in the play off places in 20th but their -2 goal difference could be the ultimate reason they exit the competition if they lose against Tottenham. They would need three points to guarantee a place in the play-offs but a point could do the job with only three teams in the relegation zone able to overtake them if they win their respective matches. 

Tottenham have been involved in five games where there has been over 2.5 goals. Elfsborg’s number 10, Michael Baidoo has scored six goals this campaign including their play offs games to get them into the competition, he will hope to get a goal for them on Thursday especially with Tottenham’s injury crisis all over the park. Spurs have also conceded three goals on three occasions this competition. The odds for this Over 2.5 Goals pick is 1.36.

Pick 3

Lyon currently sit in a healthy position being in 5th place, however they could sink into the play-off places if they don’t win tonight’s match. Lyon have won 66% of their home games this competition, being at home against Ludogorets the Lyon fans will want to push them over the line.

Ludogorets sit in a poor 33rd place out of 36 teams. They have no wins from their seven UEL matches and have only picked up three points all from draws. They will try and restore some respect by getting something out of their last game with chances of reaching the play-offs already out of sight. With only three goals scored and 10 conceded it will be a tough game on paper for Ludogorets to win especially away from home. This pick is Lyon to Win the Match at 1.22. 

So there we have it, three picks that accumulate to 2.34 odds. We are in for another huge night so make sure you don’t miss out! 

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Besiktas side travel to the Netherlands to face Twente in the final League Phase fixture. This is certainly a stand out fixture on the Europa League card on Thursday with both sides needing a win. Both sides could fail to qualify for the knockout rounds with dropped points.

Twente come into this game off the back of their only win in the Europa League this season, defeating Swedish outfit Malmo 7 days ago. Before that, the Dutch side have drawn 4 and lost 2. Twente will certainly take plenty of positives and momentum from their win in Sweden into this crucial game vs Besiktas.

Besiktas have been one of the best entertainers in the Europa League this season. Across their 7 games, there has been 24 goals, averaging 3.43 goals per game. They have scored in 6/7 – only failing to score vs Ajax in Amsterdam all the way back in September. The Turkish side have however only kept 1 clean sheet from their 7 Europa games.

Besiktas have scored in 20/22 games in all competitions. They have kept just 3 clean sheets in their 13 away games this season in all competitions which will give Twente confidence. There is a lot riding on this fixture that we could see big swings in monentum and pressure across the 90 mins. With what’s on the line for both sides and as already mentioned, the swings in monentum – we could see a good return on match corners here.

Twente match corners in UEL: 16, 9, 8. 11, 6, 6, 15.

Besiktas match corners in UEL: 5, 17, 9, 5, 8, 12, 10

TIP: Both Teams to Score & Over 7.5 Corners @ 1.90

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For the first time in it’s 70 year history, the Champions League will see 18 games kick off at the same time to decide who qualifies automatically, goes through to the knock-out rounds or gets eliminated from the tournament. With only a few games with nothing but pride to play for, we are in for a tense and exciting night where everything can change in a second. I’ve found three picks that on paper look high value and I’m combining them into an accumulator at 3.20.

Pick 1

My first pick should come as no surprise to those who watched arguably the game of the tournament so far as Barcelona beat Benfica 5-4. In a chaotic match with goals from the start to literally the last, the visitors came out on top and will be thankful they didn’t lose after being 4-2 down in the 68th minute. Barca are 2nd in the table with progression confirmed however they can’t afford to rest as they can slip down the table meaning a potential tougher opponent in the next round.

Atalanta visit the Camp Nou knowing their current league position is under threat. The Italian side are 7th with 14 points Celtic are 18th place with 12 points, showing the tight nature of this new format. Atalanta will want to get points on the board and avoid defeat ensuring safety to the knockout phase. They should be able to fashion chances against Barcelona, Atalanta have scored the third most goals in the Champions League this season with 18 in seven games, Barcelona are top with 26 goals unsurprisingly. My first pick for this game is ‘Over 2.5 Match Goals’ at 1.36.

Pick 2

My second pick is a player to score who has been in unstoppable form this season as he is the Portuguese league’s top scorer and the joint fifth top scorer in the Champions League. It’s Viktor Gyokores who makes up the second pick of my treble at 1.83. The Swedish striker has been in the form of his life and is attracting attention from big clubs all over Europe including Man Utd who are interesting in reuniting former Sporting manager Ruben Amorim with the goal scorer. Gyokeres has scored 28 combined goals in the Champions League and Primeira Liga including an infamous hattrick against Man City as the Portuguese side thrashed Guardiola’s side 4-1.

After a strong start to the competition, Amorim left for Man Utd which led to a dip in form for Sporting Lisbon who are 23rd in the table and needing a win. They face Bologna at home, the Italian side are already out of the Champions League with just five points. Before a blank on the weekend, Gyokeres had scored in five games in a row and I expect him to play the full 90 in this must win game for the Portuguese team.

Pick 3

My final pick sees an exciting all British affair at Villa Park as Unai Emery’s side host Celtic. I’m backing ‘Both Teams to Receive 1+ Card’ at generous odds of 1.30. Aston Villa are one spot away from automatic qualification whereas Celtic are 10 places away but very importantly are only one point apart from The Villans. This game is huge and the atmosphere will be dialled up to the max.

Cards is a stand out pick for me in a game with such a lot of on the line. In the Premier League, Villa receive an average of 2.17 cards a game and commit the 7th most fouls in the league on average per game with 11.74. Celtic average 1.04 cards received a game however their Champions League stats are: 2,3,1,0,1,2,2.

So, those are my three Champions League picks that accumulate to 3.20 odds. We are in for an truly entertaining and special night on Wednesday!

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Fulham welcome Man United to Craven Cottage on Sunday evening where we normally see goals, in fact Fulham have been involved in both teams scoring in 91% of their home games. This stat paired with Sasa Lukic who averages the 2nd highest fouls per game in the league with 2.3 leads me to tip both teams to score and Sasa Lukic to commit 1+ foul at 1.86. 

Goal Stats For Both Teams

United have conceded more goals (32) than they have scored this season (27) and that’s in just 22 games. They have also failed to keep a clean sheet 16 times this season. 

On the other hand, Fulham have only failed to score in one home game this season which was against Southampton in their 0-0 draw in December. Fulham only have four clean sheets all season which asks questions about their defence. 

To note most recently, Fulham’s last five games have involved both teams scoring except last week’s 2-0 away win against Leicester. In contrast, United’s last three games have seen both teams hitting the back of the net so we should expect to see goals from both teams in what looks to be an end to end fixture.

Looking at expected goals , United have averaged 1.44 xG for per game this season and have conceded on average 1.27 xG against per game. Similarly, Fulham have averaged 1.52 xG per game this season and have conceded on average of 1.29 xG per game. This reflects Fulham’s real goal stats with averaging 1.55 goals per game showing they convert most their chances.

No Mercy Lukic 

Lukic has fouled at least once every game apart from two games, one of those he only played 14 minutes. He has fouled his opponent 39 times this season placing him joint 6th with Will Hughes from Crystal Palace. Lukic has averaged 2.3 fouls per game, the most of any other Fulham player.

So far in January he has played three games in the league and has committed 11 fouls. He has picked up nine yellow cards this campaign which is joint top with Southampton’s Flynn Downes. Lukic is an important player for Fulham with his break up play and defensive workrate, in the last two games he has played the full 90 minutes so he is unlikely to be taken off early.

The Build-up

Both teams met on the first game of the season where Man United took all three points thanks to Joshua Zirkzee’s late winner on his United debut

Fulham are still without Kenny Tete and Reiss Nelson, but Marco Silva otherwise has a full squad for Sunday. Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro each felt discomfort during the Rangers game and they are a doubt for this weekend. Mason Mount and Luke Shaw are still out injured but nearing their return. Antony will not be involved as he is undergoing a medical for his proposed loan move to Real Betis. 

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Man City welcome Chelsea to The Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening hoping to overtake them into the Champions League spots. Chelsea are currently sitting in 4th, two points ahead of Man City. 

Both clubs are joint third in goals scored in the Premier League this season with 44, only behind Liverpool and Spurs. Chelsea have seen both teams to score in their last three games, while Man City have scored and conceded in three of their last five games. 

Chelsea’s best performer over the last two seasons has been Cole Palmer who has picked up where he left off last season with 14 Premier League goals to his name and has had at least one shot in every game this season but one. I’m tipping both teams to score, over 2.5 goals and over 1.5 Cole Palmer at 1.90.

Cole Palmer

Palmer is Chelsea’s top scorer this season so far with 14 goals, he has taken 77 shots this season, an average of 3.5 shots per game. Palmer very rarely has less than two shots in a game, the last time he only had one shot against his opponent was against Newcastle in October in a 2-1 win.

When Palmer faced his former club Man City during the first game of the season he had two shots in a 2-0 defeat. On Saturday he will look to turn his shots into goals when he returns to the Etihad where playing time was limited for him.

 

BTTS Stats

Man City and Chelsea have both scored an average of two goals per game, the way both sides attack means they are both likely to be involved in high scoring games. Man City have only kept five clean sheets in 22 games, whereas Chelsea have only had four. We expect both teams to fail to keep a clean sheet on Saturday. 

Chelsea have been involved in both teams scoring in 73% of their games this season. Another goal stat is that 59% of their games have ended with over 2.5 goals which largely favours our tip for Saturday. 

70% of Man City’s games at home this season have ended with both teams scoring and 80% of games had over 2.5 goals scored at the Etihad. Most recently the last three games at home for City have ended with both teams scoring which includes a win against West Ham, draw with Everton and defeat to rivals, Man United. 

Goals Galore

This season Chelsea’s average expected goals (XG) has been 1.75 per game and XG against of 1.26. In contrast, City’s XG is 1.95 goals per game, 2.02 at home and 1.15 against them. 

Are we starting to see the old Man City after a 6-0 thrashing at Portland Road against Ipswich Town? It certainly looked like Man City were at their very best with the goals being shared out between Phil Foden (2), Kovacic, Doku, Haaland and McAtee. It will be a much more difficult game against Chelsea, will they continue this new run of form and leap frog the Blues into the Champions League places?

After a slight scare at half time Chelsea bounced back to beat Wolves 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Monday night. Thanks to goals from Tosin, Cucurella and Madueke they grabbed all three points and are now just four points behind Arsenal in 2nd place. We look forward to an exciting game on Saturday which should have plenty of goals on show.

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Man City will host Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening in which looks to be the game of the weekend.

A returning Cole palmer will line out for the away side in front of his old team. Ma City lost their 2 goal lead last night away to PSG in the champions League.

The Cityzens will host Chelsea in their 22nd game of the 2024/25 Premier League season at Etihad Stadium. Man City will be looking to return to winning ways after going winless in their last five league games. – collect some free bets ahead of tonight’s game by clicking the link and signing up.

Hosts CITY are one of the dominant squads in the LEAGUE but have had a mixed start to their title-defending campaign. They sit fifth in the league standings with 38 points after 22 games. In the last five games, Man City have recorded 86 shots, 2,671 passes and 58.4% possession. Cole Palmer is leading the goalscoring charts with 17 goals followed by Phil Foden with six. Once again, Kevin De Bruyne is leading the assists board with six to his name.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have had a commendable start to their campaign under Enzo Maresca and are sitting fourth in the table with 40 points after 22 games. They have one of the best offensive records in the division and have registered 92 shots, 2,434 passes and 61% possession in the last five games. Cole Palmer is the leading goalscorer with 14 goals whereas Nicolas Jackson has found the back of the net nine times this season. Cole Palmer is also leading the assists boards with six.

Man City Team News

Man City right-back Kyle Walker is determined to leave Etihad this January and will not be making an appearance at home. The likes of Rodri (ACL), Oscar Bobb (leg) and Ruben Dias (calf) are all sidelined whereas John Stones is expected to make a return from his foot injury this weekend.

Chelsea Team News

As for Chelsea, they would be without the services of Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile and Ben Chilwell. Carney Chukwuemeka, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Romeo Lavia are also sidelined with their respective injuries. Trevoh Chalobah who was recalled from his loan spell at Crystal Palace could gain some valuable minutes in this crucial weekend fixture.

Man City vs Chelsea Head-to-Head Record

The two sides have faced off only 17 times in the past, with Man City winning 67 of those games. Chelsea have won 71 ties between both sides, whereas the remaining 41 games ended in a draw.

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Man City forward Erling Haaland is regarded as one of the best strikers in the world and has bagged 22 goals in 29 appearances this season for the Cityzens. The Norwegian forward has tallied a 3.66 xG in his last five matches.

Cole Palmer (Chelsea)

The English attacker has made a fine start to his second season with the West London giants recording 14 goals and six assists in 22 Premier League appearances. He has solidified himself as one of the best players in the English top flight. In his last five games, Palmer has recorded a 1.42 xG.

Man City vs Chelsea Prediction

The Blues recorded a 3-1 win over Wolves in their last game ending the run of five Premier League games without a win. They have been inconsistent since the start of 2025 but moved themselves to the fourth position in the league table. Their performance in the Premier League has been commendable since the start of the campaign and are expected to sign a few players before the end of the January transfer window.

As for Man City, they have one of the worst starts to the Premier League campaign under Pep Guardiola. They currently sitting away from the top-four spot in the fifth position and are coming off a 6-0 win over Ipswich Town in their latest domestic tie. Man City remains hopeful of securing maximum points in this away and every remaining fixture this season.

Arsenal will welcome Croatian side Zagreb to the emirates on Wednesday night to complete their champions league campaign.

The Gunners have only been out-performed by Liverpool and Barcelona in this season’s league phase so far, while their Croatian visitors sit just inside the unseeded playoff positions and are now under the wing of a World Cup-winning captain.

After Arsenal ended their lengthy exile from Europe’s top table, Champions League matches at the Emirates Stadium have provided the Gunners with safe haven, having not been beaten once on home soil in the competition since their Bayern Munich humiliation in 2017.

In fact, the 2-2 draw with the Bavarian giants in last season’s quarter-final first leg remains the only time that Arsenal have conceded at home in the Champions League under head coach Arteta who has overseen a trio of North London successes with three clean sheets to boot in 2024-25.

The sixth matchday of the league phase saw the Gunners stroll to a home winover Ligue 1 giants Monaco, leaving them in pole position on 13 points from a possible 18, although all outcomes are still possible for Arteta’s men ahead of the penultimate matchday.

However, victory in midweek could not only guarantee Arsenal a playoff place at the very worst, but also earn them a slice of club history; having also thumped Sporting Lisbon 5-1 before hitting Monaco for three without reply, the hosts could win three successive Champions League/European Cup games by at least three goals for the first time ever.

While Arsenal’s home exploits in Europe’s premier competition are to be applauded, Wednesday’s visitors Dinamo Zagreb have clinched their only two wins of the league phase so far away from home, seeing off Red Bull Salzburg and Slovan Bratislava after their 9-2 embarrassment at Bayern Munich.

However, home has not been where the heart is for the Croatian giants over the past couple of months, as their 3-0 loss at the hands of Borussia Dortmund preceded a goalless contest with Celtic on December 10, failing to score from 16 attempts across those two showdowns.

Nevertheless, the side now managed by Italy legend Cannavaro are just about clinging onto the 24th and final knockout spot with eight points to their name, one better off than Paris Saint-Germain and Stuttgart, but they are lacking competitive match practice ahead of the midweek trip to London.

Indeed, Dinamo Zagreb have not yet made their domestic return from their Christmas break and have only taken to the field for a pair of friendly games so far in 2025, securing a 3-1 success away to Polish outfit Lech Poznan before a 1-1 stalemate at Jagiellonia Bialystok.

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The side ranked third in their league had gone winless in seven straight games before ending 2024 with a 3-2 success over Varazdin, and both of their previous visits to the Emirates have ended in defeat, including a 3-0 group-stage loss in 2015 where Sanchez scored a brace.