Something for the Weekend: Are Wolves ever going to lose again?



The unlikely side keeping so many clean sheets and the team you didn't know were on an 11-match unbeaten run make Jamie Pacheco's things to look out for this Premier League weekend...

Ings' run just as impressive as Vardy's

For all the talk of Jamie Vardy and his goalscoring run, how about that of Danny Ings? The Southampton striker has now scored in five matches in a row as part of his nine for the season, the only differences being that they haven't all been in wins and that because of Leicester's league position compared to Southampton's, his goals haven't attracted the same level of media interest.
You could also argue that it's a lot harder to be scoring for a struggling team than one in fifth gear who's playing beautifully and keeps on winning. And by the way, three of Vardy's goals making up those 11 he's scored on the famous run were penalties. Ings didn't score any from the spot.
In fact, you could make a case for Ings' goals being the difference between being 18th with a very strong chance of avoiding the drop given lots of sides are within three points or less of them...and being virtually doomed.
With a home fixture against West Ham coming up, the former Liverpool man will be thinking he can add to his goal tally, a 10/11 chance. You can also take that price and lump it alongside another Vardy goal (4/9), the double coming to odds of 2.76.

Palace's defensive warriors

You would have got decent odds on the two sides keeping the most clean sheets so far this season being Leicester (seven) and Crystal Palace (six). As we've already hinted, when you're playing as well as Leicester, positive stats in your favour just naturally fall into place.
But in Palace's case, 10th in the table, it's even more of an achievement. Whereas the Foxes at least have established internationals making up their back four and keeper, Palace have something of a motley crew of players including the likes of Martin Kelly, who holds the unwanted record of being the England player with the shortest-ever international career: two minutes. James Tomkins and keeper Vincente Guaita aren't exactly household names, either.
With not a huge amount to speak of in attack bar the effervescent Wilfried Zaha, the safety-first approach of Roy Hodgson may just carry on paying dividends. It's 3/1 Palace beat Brighton to nil and a slightly shorter 9/5 they keep a clean sheet full stop.

Ferguson and Richarlison are diving in head-first

It was one of the iconic images of the Premier League in the late nineties and early noughties: Duncan Ferguson towering above Manchester United's defenders to score yet another goal against the powerful Reds. In fact, he scored seven of them, more than against any other club. Which is saying something, considering they dominated English football during those years.
Even before becoming caretaker manager, you can see the impact he had as a coach on the likes of Richarlison. The Brazilian, a reluctant header of the ball at best in his Watford days, has now scored with bullet headers in three successive games for Everton. And if that isn't down to the influence of Ferguson, one of the best headers the Premier league has ever had, then I don't know what is.
Odds of 11/4 that Richarlison scores at Old Trafford look generous, given United are hardly watertight at the back.

Wolves undefeated in 11

The expression 'hard to beat' normally refers to a side who make life tough for you by defending well, working hard as a unit and never giving up. But in the case of Wolves, they're literally hard to beat. It's now 11 matches in a row without tasting defeat, the last reverse coming back in mid-September when they lost to Chelsea.
There have admittedly been a lot of draws in there- they have nine for the season- but sixth place and 24 points is an excellent place to be from Nuno Espirito Santo's side.
It all makes you wonder whether Spurs aren't a bit short to beat them at 2.32 on Sunday. With all those draws already secured, the smart money might be on another one of those at 3.50.

No stalemate at the Bridge

Unlike in the game just mentioned, whatever you do when betting on Chelsea v Bournemouth, don't back the draw. It's a tasty-looking 6.60 but the stats suggest it's highly unlikely.
Not only would you have to go back to late August for the last Chelsea draw in the league but a visit by Bournemouth to Stamford Bridge doesn't result in stalemates. The last three yielded three Chelsea wins and a Bournemouth one. In fact, none of the last 13 games between these two has seen the points shared.
So if you don't fancy the 1.30 on Frank Lampard's men winning, you're probably better off going with the 13.00 that the Cherries take all three points.

0 nhận xét Blogger 0 Facebook

Post a Comment

 
Top