Marek, Tipster at Sports Betting Day - Best Bookmakers and Betting Sites

Injury Update: West Ham United vs Manchester United

Marek — Wed, 09 May 2018 23:39:58 +0000

West Ham United host Manchester United in Thursday’s Premier League match at the London Stadium. The Hammers ensured their league safety after beating Leicester City last weekend and this makes the game a relative dead rubber, though the hosts will want to put a strong showing against Jose Mourinho’s side.

Injury Update:
West Ham United:
Speaking in the lead-up to the United game, David Moyes confirmed that Joe Hart has recovered from an illness which kept him out of the Leicester triumph. However, the Scot did not confirm where Adrian would hand over the number one after impressing with a shutout at the King Power Stadium. Aside from this, there have been not much positive in the injury front with Javier Hernandez still struggling with a knee problem. Sam Byram, Michail Antonio and Winston Reid remain long-term absentees for the Hammers.
Manchester United:
Comparing to West Ham, United are better placed in terms of injuries with none of the players on the long-term absentee list. Nevertheless, Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Belgian duo Romelu Lukaku (ankle) and Marouane Fellaini (muscular injury) won’t feature at the London Stadium. Meanwhile, on the positive note, Alexis Sanchez and Phil Jones have rejoined their teammates in training after recovering from their respective knocks and they could make the matchday squad on Thursday night.
Prediction:
On paper, Manchester United have a team capable of outwitting West Ham United but their away form has been patchy against lower-table clubs. Just when United seek to maintain their winning momentum, they tend to come up with average performances and we are fancying West Ham to get at least a point from the game.
West Ham United 2-2 Manchester United

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Two things we learned: Chelsea 1-1 Huddersfield Town

Marek — Wed, 09 May 2018 21:26:51 +0000

Chelsea witnessed their slender Champions League hopes diminish as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Huddersfield Town. The Blues had the vast share of chances and possession during the game but ultimately they were frustrated by David Wagner’s side, who secured their Premier League status for another season.

Two things we learned:
Huddersfield retain their Premier League status: The Terriers have had the toughest run-in with games against Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal and many would have predicted to come up with nothing from their fixtures. However, Wagner’s team dug deep to secure a rare 0-0 draw against the league champions and this has been followed by another solid defensive performance at Stamford Bridge. The draw against Chelsea has assured their top-flight status for another campaign and they can now seek to end their season on a high with a home victory over Arsenal, who have failed to win a single away league game in 2018. The north London side have the fifth worst away record in the division and Huddersfield could pile on the misery in Arsene Wenger’s farewell game as the Gunners boss.
Antonio Conte’s uncertain future with Chelsea: The Italian has not been able to guide Chelsea anywhere close to the Premier League title this term and his chances of staying appear slim to say the least. Chelsea are looking certain to miss out on Champions League football for next season and it would take a huge effort from Brighton & Hove Albion to beat Liverpool in the final day of the season for them to have any chance of making the top-four. Conte’s mood has not been the best since the previous international break and even a FA Cup final triumph over Manchester United may not be sufficient to guarantee his stay, based on owner Roman Abramovich’s demands from his managers, which includes regular participation in the Champions League.

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Premier League [Preview]: West Ham United vs Manchester United

Marek — Tue, 08 May 2018 20:43:17 +0000

West Ham United entertain Manchester United in Thursday’s Premier League meeting at the London Stadium. The Hammers secured their Premier League safety against Leicester City during the previous weekend and they should play with much more freedom against Jose Mourinho’s men.
United have been placed second in the standings for most of the campaign and they can assure themselves of the runner-up spot by acquiring at least one point from their next two league matches.
Players to watch for:
Marko Arnautovic – West Ham United: The Austria international struggled to make an impression during the initial months of the campaign and there were suggestions that he could drop further down the pecking order. However, the former Stoke City man has since made the most of his opportunities and he has contributed 10 goals and five assists for the Hammers. United have had issues especially in the full-back positions of late and Arnautovic’s excellent dribbling and hold-up play could make him a menace. Arnautovic also has the tendency to try long-shots, though it would take some effort to beat the brilliant David de Gea from a distance.
Anthony Martial – Manchester United: Unlike Arnautovic, Martial has experienced an exact opposite of form since February. The France international had a strong month of January where he had scored in three straight league appearances but he has since dropped down the pecking order to accommodate Alexis Sanchez on the left wing. Nevertheless, Martial has not impressed in the minimal starts offered and he was the subject of criticism from Mourinho for a sub-par performance in the Brighton defeat. Martial may feature from the bench versus the Hammers on Thursday and his showing could make or break his United career which is apparently on the fringes.
Prediction:
West Ham United 2-2 Manchester United

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Mavropanos and Cech start, 4-3-3: Predicted Arsenal lineup to face Leicester City

Marek — Mon, 07 May 2018 23:16:26 +0000

Arsenal will be aiming for their first away point of 2018 when they face Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Wednesday night. The Gunners have been one of the worst performing teams on the road this season but they will be hoping for a better finish under their departing manager. The Capital outfit conclude their league campaign with an away trip to Huddersfield Town this weekend.

Formation: 4-3-3
Lineup:
Petr Cech had a reasonably comfortable afternoon against Burnley last weekend and this enabled him to keep only his second clean sheet of 2018. He should start in goal ahead of David Ospina.
In the defence, Wenger may probably swap Sead Kolasinac with Nacho Monreal at left-back but besides this, no other changes could be made. In this case, Hector Bellerin should start in his regular right-back role with the young pairing of Calum Chambers and Konstantinos Mavropanos featuring at centre-back for their third straight league game.
In midfield, Granit Xhaka has been more of a regularity under Wenger and the Swiss is more likely to start in the holding position. Alongside him, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey are strong candidates to feature ahead of Alex Iwobi.
Iwobi had a storming performance against Burnley which he capped off with a sublime goal but the Nigerian should be benched for Ramsey. The Welshman is capable of offering more in the defensive scheme of things against Leicester, who are bound to play on the counter-attack.
Further ahead, Mesut Ozil is definitely ruled out for the encounter after suffering a back problem and this should witness a similar lineup from the Burnley game. Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should mostly feature on either side of Alexandre Lacazette, who should lead the attack.
Prediction:
Both teams to score but Arsenal to end their away woes.
Leicester City 1-3 Arsenal

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Three things we learned: Arsenal 5-0 Burnley

Marek — Mon, 07 May 2018 00:08:43 +0000

Arsenal secured a comfortable 5-0 league triumph over Burnley on Sunday in what was Arsene Wenger’s final home game in charge of the club. The north London giants were dominant from the start to the finish with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang starring with two goals and an assist.

Three things we learned:
Aubameyang shines once more: Aubameyang’s showing has been one of the positives to take during the second half of the campaign. The Gabon international was a late signing from Borussia Dortmund in the winter transfer window and he has since adapted exceptionally well despite being limited to Premier League football. With a brace against Burnley, Aubameyang took his tally to eight goals in just 11 league appearances and he should be fancied to reach double figures in his maiden English season.
Konstantinos Mavropanos shows his potential: The Greek footballer was a relatively unknown following his winter arrival from PAS Giannina and Wenger had initially planned to loan him out for the season. However, the Frenchman upheld his decision after watching the 20-year-old in training and he has since been rewarded with back-to-back league starts. Mavropanos has exhibited himself as an aggressive centre-back who does not mind charging towards opposition strikers and the initial signs are positive with very few signs of weaknesses other than his passing.
Jack Wilshere’s precision in movement: The England international has often divided opinion among the fans with his performances but on Sunday, the midfielder probably produced one of his best moments of the league campaign. The 26-year-old was offered the added license to join his teammates on the attack and he managed to capitalise on the opportunity with a lovely bit of movement past Burnley’s midfield before slotting an accurate delivery for Sead Kolasinac’s goal. Wilshere, however, still needs to improve on his finishing after missing out on a clear-cut goalscoring opportunity in the second period.

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Premier League winner fancies a summer move to Arsenal

Marek — Sat, 05 May 2018 20:29:04 +0000

Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez is reportedly prepared to push for a summer exit with Arsenal said to be his preferred destination. The Algeria international came close to joining Manchester City during the winter of 2018 but the Premier League holders were not able to finalise an agreement with the east Midlands outfit.
According to The Express, the 27-year-old could be pushing for a fresh challenge away form the King Power Stadium in the summer after failing to do so in the previous two transfer windows. On both occasions, Mahrez had handed in a transfer request but unfortunately none of the interested clubs could match the Foxes’ price tag.
As per The Express, Mahrez has a particular preference to join the Gunners ahead of City in the summer as he already owns a house in the English capital. Should the Gunners fail to make an approach, the former Le Havre graduate has identified Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea as possible alternatives.
Mahrez has been out of the Foxes squad on a couple of occasions this term owing to issues over his commitment but he has still performed to the best of his abilities with 10 goals and eight assists across all competitions.
The Gunners were hotly in the pursuit of Mahrez shortly after his Premier League triumph in 2016 but the club appear to have since moved on with the likes of Alexandre Lacazette, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang being added to the forward department.
Moreover, Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang only arrived during the backend of the winter transfer window and the Gunners’ hierarchy may show more importance towards other departments ahead of the summer transfer window.
Arsenal have often been vulnerable in the central defensive and goalkeeping positions and the focus may lie on reinforcing these areas first before pondering over the prospect of recruiting another attacker. Mahrez’s current £80m valuation would remain too step for the Gunners in any case.

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Alonso and Giroud start, 3-4-3: Predicted Chelsea lineup to face Liverpool

Marek — Sat, 05 May 2018 20:03:13 +0000

Chelsea will look to salvage their slender chances of finishing in the top four when they entertain Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday. The Blues are currently five points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur but they can reduce this gap significantly with a victory over Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Formation: 3-4-3
Lineup:
Thibaut Courtois has been the regular between the sticks for Chelsea this season and the Belgian is certain to retain his role for the Reds game. He is currently third in the Golden Glove race with 14 clean sheets.
Antonio Conte has stuck with Cesar Azpilicueta, Gary Cahill and Antonio Rudiger at the heart of the backline of late and the Italian is unlikely to make any changes, though Andreas Christensen has impressed during the campaign.
At right wing-back, Victor Moses is a strong candidate to feature after showcasing a good run of form in recent weeks and he should be accompanied by Marcos Alonso on the other side.
Alonso has missed the previous three domestic games owing to a retrospective ban for a nasty challenge on Shane Long, but he should reclaim his spot ahead of Emerson at left wing-back.
Onto the midfield, N’Golo Kante has been a permanent feature under Conte and the Frenchman will be tasked with cutting down the supply to Liverpool’s frontline. Alongside him, Cesc Fabregas should start with his ability to thread in key passes for the attack front.
Further forward, Conte revert to his usual three-man combination and as such, we are anticipating Eden Hazard and Willian to flank Olivier Giroud, who should lead the line.
Giroud had been playing second fiddle to Alvaro Morata until last month where he starred from the bench in a dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Southampton. He has since started in three successive games for the west London giants.

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Premier League [Preview]: Chelsea vs Liverpool

Marek — Fri, 04 May 2018 20:41:02 +0000

Chelsea entertain Liverpool in Sunday’s Premier League showdown at Stamford Bridge. The Blues are presently five points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur with three games to play, and they face a must-win situation against the Reds to maintain their slender Champions League prospects.

What happened last time around?
The previous meeting between the sides was at Anfield in November 2017 where they played out a 1-1 draw. Mohamed Salah opened the scoring against his former club in the 65th minute before Willian equalised five minutes from time. Antonio Conte’s side grew into the game in the final quarter and their poor finishing denied them an away triumph.
Players to watch for:
Olivier Giroud – Chelsea: Giroud has become the undisputed first-choice upfront ever since his stellar substitute showing against Southampton in the Premier League. The Frenchman has since scored with the same opposition in the FA Cup semi-final after a wonderful Messi-like footwork and he should be beaming with confidence for the Reds game. The Frenchman has scored five goals in 11 appearances against Liverpool.
Mohamed Salah – Liverpool: Salah has been simply sensation in his maiden league campaign versus Liverpool and he has already notched 43 goals for the season which have earned him the PFA Player of the Year. The Egypt international was sort of neutralised during the recent Champions League semi-final tie against Roma but he should be up for it in the league with another record within his reach. Salah needs four goals from the remaining two games to become the highest-ever scorer in a single Premier League season.
Prediction:
Chelsea have returned to form with a couple of top-notch performances of late but this has not entirely covered their vulnerability at the back. Liverpool on current form are likely to score on the road and the match could result in a high-scoring draw.
Chelsea 2-2 Liverpool

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Three things we learned: Atletico Madrid 1-0 Arsenal

Marek — Thu, 03 May 2018 21:36:33 +0000

Atletico Madrid booked their place in the Europa League final after they secured a 2-1 aggregate triumph over Premier League side Arsenal. The Spanish giants already had an away goal advantage after their 1-1 draw at the Emirates and they followed it up with a 1-0 home victory. Diego Costa scored a first-half winner for the hosts.

Three things we learned:
Diego Costa makes defining impact against Arsenal: The Spaniard has generally been the Gunners’ nemesis when they have tackled Chelsea in recent seasons and it was no different with Atleti. Right from the start, the striker imposed himself on the Gunners backline with his presence and he managed to use his physical strength to fend off Hector Bellerin prior to the goal. The Spaniard has now scored in back-to-back games against the Gunners and this includes last season’s FA Cup final, where he was on the losing side with the Blues.
Arsenal’s defence a letdown once more: Arsenal were once again nervous in their defence and they could have quite easily conceded more than on Thursday night, barring some last-ditch defending from Calum Chambers. The Englishman made a strong impression after coming on for injured skipper Koscielny but aside from him, the rest were a disappointment. Hector Bellerin was guilty of failing to track Costa prior to Atleti’s opener, and he was physically outclassed by the former Chelsea man. Surely, the new manager needs to rebuild the defence from scratch with a new leader.
Arsenal’s average showing in the attack front: Unlike at the Emirates, Arsenal looked far off from an attacking threat against Atleti. The Gunners had made several runs towards the opposition goal but they were let down by their inability to strike at the first attempt. Moreover, Bellerin and Monreal appeared to be neutralised with very few of their crosses approaching the feet of an Arsenal player in the box. The north Londoners had just one attempt on goal with Granit Xhaka’s hopeful long-range strike.

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Three things we learned: AS Roma 4-2 Liverpool

Marek — Wed, 02 May 2018 21:32:40 +0000

Liverpool progressed to their first Champions League final since 2007 despite succumbing to a 4-2 defeat to AS Roma on Wednesday night. The Merseyside outfit had already secured a 5-2 advantage from the first leg of their semi-final and this eventually pulled them through by a 7-6 aggregate scoreline.

Three things we learned:
Liverpool get a shot at another final: Since the Champions League triumph in 2005, Liverpool have struggled to make much of an impression in finals, barring the 2012 League Cup where they beat Cardiff City on penalties. By ousting Roma, Liverpool have now reached their third final under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp and the German will be hoping for a better performance. Real Madrid are unquestionably the outright favourites for the final in Kyiv and Klopp needs to sort out the club’s backline, which conceded six times against the Giallorossi.
AS Roma unlucky with refereeing decisions: The Giallorossi needed a huge performance to overturn the tie and they could have at least taken the game to extra-time, had a couple of refereeing decisions gone their way. Roma striker Edin Dzeko was blatantly fouled in the box by goalkeeper Loris Karius in the second half but the Reds survived after the assistant referee wrongly judging him to be offside. Shortly after, Stephan El Shaarawy’s effort on goal was deflected over by Trent Alexander-Arnold’s hand but surprisingly no Roma player asked for a penalty.
Liverpool need to find a quick defensive fix: Despite their progress to the Champions League final, Liverpool’s defensive display was far from impressive with six goals conceded. The Merseyside outfit looked particularly weak on the right side of the defence where Alexander-Arnold was stationed and the teenager needs to find a better positional sense ahead of the Kyiv final. Alexander-Arnold has been found out against fast-paced attackers in the form of Wilfried Saha and Marcus Rashford this term and he could have a difficult night against the likes of Ronaldo, Asensio or Bale, unless he manages to balance the offensive and defensive side of his game.

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