Now that the internationals are finished, fans of English football have several mouth-watering top-flight matches to look forward to.
Thursday 16th October 2008
With the latest international round of soccer matches for qualification to World Cup 2010 now finished, normal service resumes this weekend in the English Premiership with several eye-catching games on the cards.
Topping the bill is Portsmouth, who is travelling north to take on an Aston Villa side riding high after a great start to its campaign. The home side are favourites with online bookmakers 888Sport.com and BlueSq.com listing the ‘Villains’ at odds of 3/4 to beat last season’s FA Cup winners. BetFred.com, Sportingbet.com, BetDirect.com, SkyBet.com, StanJames.com, Ladbrokes.com and WillHill.com have Villa at 4/5 to win while Boylesports.com, Bet365.com, PaddyPower.com and Coral.co.uk have 5/6. Fans of Portsmouth can only do as well as the 11/4 offered by VCBet.com and WillHill.com while BetFred.com and Ladbrokes.com list 3/1.
Another mouth-watering tie is Arsenal versus Everton, with the Merseysiders travelling to north London on Saturday. Arsenal is currently sitting in fourth spot and the home side looks almost assured of victory with Totesport.com and WillHill.com listing it at odds of 3/10 to win.
BetDirect.com and StanJames.com have the ‘Gunners’ at 1/3 followed by Sportingbet.com at 7/20 and BetFred.com, Boylesports.com, Bet365.com and BlueSq.com at 4/11. Those who believe David Moyes can motivate his Everton side to victory can only do as good as 13/2 with BetFred.com followed by the 7/1 offered by Sportingbet.com, Ladbrokes.com, WillHill.com and ExtraBet.com.
Sitting top of the table after seven matches, Chelsea travel to Middlesbrough for Saturday’s early kick-off hoping to avoid any banana skins. Bookmakers seem to think that Chelsea will win with Totesport.com and WillHill.com offering the London side at odds of 4/9. Ladbrokes.com, Coral.co.uk and Sportingbet.com have Chelsea at 1/2 while most others including 888Sport.com, StanJames.com, BetDirect.com and BetFred.com are giving odds of 8/15. Middlesbrough is listed at odds of 9/2 by BetFred.com followed by Sportingbet.com and Ladbrokes.com at 5/1.
