Arsenal and Chelsea to cancel each other out at the Emirates
ARSENAL are in the middle of a tricky set of fixtures but they were impressive at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday against champions Manchester City and thoroughly deserved their point.
The Gunners are playing with far more confidence this season and they are solid at the back, except for their suspect zonal defending at corners. Steve Bould has clearly had a big impact and even Per Mertesacker is starting to look like a Premier League defender which wouldn’t have seemed possible last term.
Chelsea come to the Emirates tomorrow and the leaders will be hoping to make it five wins from their opening six games. They demolished Wolves 6-0 in the Carling Cup on Tuesday night, but they weren’t anything like as assured against Stoke last weekend where they had to rely on an 85th minute Ashley Cole winner.
Both Roberto Di Matteo and Arsene Wenger will be pleased with the start their sides have made and will be unwilling to give too much away tomorrow. There’s not much between the sides and the draw is worth backing at 12/5 with Coral.
Chelsea’s last three league games have produced just three goals, while four of Arsenal’s five have seen two or fewer, so a sell of total goals at 2.6 with Sporting Index is the way to go. In fact, I wouldn’t put anyone off snapping up the 11/1 Bet Victor offer about no goalscorer – three of these sides’ 10 league games so far have ended goalless, as did this fixture last term.
It hasn’t been a vintage Manchester United so far this season, but they are getting the job done and that’s all that counts. Liverpool were very unlucky on Sunday, although when United had to take their chances they did just that.
Nemanja Vidic is out for two months which is a massive blow to Sir Alex Ferguson, however he won’t be too worried about the visit of Tottenham tomorrow if the last 23 years are anything to go by. It was back in 1989 when Spurs last beat United in the league at Old Trafford and they have lost their last six trips to the Theatre of Dreams.
United do have some injury concerns, but they are generally outstanding on home soil and the fact that Spurs have won their last two league games means that the Red Devils can be backed at an attractive 4/7 with Coral.
The main game on Sunday is the West Midlands derby between Aston Villa and fourth-placed West Brom at Villa Park. Steve Clarke has comfortably stepped into Roy Hodgson’s shoes and he will be delighted with the start his team has made, winning all three league games at the Hawthorns.
However, the Baggies have picked up just a point from two away matches and lost in the Carling Cup to Liverpool on Wednesday. Villa are 6/4 with Coral and although Paul Lambert’s side were thrashed 4-1 at Southampton last weekend, they bounced back to knock Man City out of the Carling Cup on Tuesday. I fancy them to take all three points in this one.
■ Pointers…
Draw (Arsenal v Chelsea) at 12/5 with Coral
No goalscorer at 11/1 with Bet Victor
Sell total goals at 2.6 with Sporting Index
Manchester United at 4/7 with Coral
Aston Villa at 6/4 with Corals