English Premier
2010-05-09 - Manchester United vs Stoke City
A Sports Betting Pick by Lamps
Football : England : Premier League
Sunday 9th May 2010 - Kickoff 4pm
Manchester United
Last 5 Manchester United Home Games :W4-D0-L1 F12-A4
Alex Ferguson’s side host Stoke on Sunday knowing that even a win will not guarantee the title. United trail leaders Chelsea by a point and can only win the title if Chelsea drop points at home to Wigan and of course they win themselves. Either way this is a must win game and it’s hard to see anything other than a United win on home soil.
With 18 league titles to their name, United started the year knowing a win would see them take the outright lead with 19 titles over Liverpool but this has been a frustrating year for the Red Devils. With 1 game to play they have suffered 7 defeats this year which will be a Premiership record for losses if they then go on and win the title. And it is because of the 7 losses it could just be that United just miss out on that record breaking 19th title, this time last year they only suffered 4 defeats and had they draw 2 of them lost matches they would be top right now.
Yet all of the “ifs and buts” from earlier in the season will not help United on Sunday. They know that regardless of what is happening at Stamford Bridge they must win and I’m sure they will be fast out of the blocks on Sunday. If United get an early goal, news will eventually filter its way down to London and the longer it remains goal-less there the greater the pressure is on Ancelotti’s men. The key here is to score early and I always like to back a Ferguson side that needs to go out and get the job done.
The United home form is only second to Chelsea with 15 wins from 18, only 3 teams have taken anything from Old Trafford (Villa 1-0 win, Chelsea 2-1 win and Sunderland 2-2 Draw), now before Chelsea’s huge win here last month both of the Sunderland and Villa’s fixtures came very early on in the season and since Christmas United has been almost flawless. So much so I recall a stage of when they won 5-6 games without conceding a goal, this team knows how to get it done at home and with the Sunderland result apart it takes a very good top 6 side to even stand a chance of taking points here.
Team news is that United are without Owen and Anderson whilst Hargreaves and Ferdinand are doubts. Both players have been plagued but injury all season but appear to be fit enough to at least make the match day squad, at the moment I predict that Hargreaves will only make the bench whilst Ferdinand will slot in ahead of Evans and resume him his partnership with Vidic.
Up top I also expect Berbatov to remain on the bench as Rooney will play the lone strikers roll as he is supported by Nani and Valencia off the flanks. Although there Is a 5 man midfield I still thoroughly expect them to create chances and cause Stoke problems all afternoon.
Predicted Manchester United Lineup :
Van der Sar, O’Shea, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra; Fletcher, Scholes, Giggs, Nani, Valencia; Rooney
Stoke City
Last 5 Stoke City League Away Games : W2-D2-L1 F3-A8
Stoke City have had a fantastic second season in the Premiership, the Potters are currently sitting in a very respectable 10th place following their 1-0 win at Fulham midweek. Pulis’s men arrive at Old Trafford high on confidence and with some serious prize money to be earnt by final league placings, Stoke will definitely be looking to take something from this game.
Many suggest that this team will simply lie down as they did at Chelsea recently, but with limited funds at the Britania and Pulis wanting to spend in the summer every place is financially important to this club.
With that being said just because Stoke “want” to take something from this game, it doesn’t mean that they will. Old Trafford is the second hardest away ground to visit and given that Stoke have only won 4 times on the road this season an away win for me is ruled out entirely. However, of their 18 away games Stoke has avoided defeat in 12 of them which is a massive 67%, a point for them on Sunday could mean 10th place overall and a solid top half of the table finish.
The problem of late is that Stoke just don’t score enough goals, in the last 5 games overall just 2 goals have been scored with Pulis’s men being shut out in the other 3 games. Whilst at home Stoke have scored a few goals, away from the Britania they have been simply shocking in front of goal scoring just 10 times in 18 games!
Yet the Potters have the 9th overall away record in the Premiership, they keep games tight and by conceding just over a goal a game they are rarely beaten well on their travels. However, if Stoke think a 1-0 win is likely I just can’t see it myself, United score a lot of goals at home against all teams and when we look at Stokes average of a goal every other game on the road, the maths just doesn’t add up to back Stoke in any form.
Team news is that only keeper Sorensen is officially out whilst Faye is a doubt. Pulis can field the same team that won at Europa League finalists Fulham which means Fuller and Sidibe up front with support coming from their player of the year Etherington and Delap. Recently called up International Shawcross is fully fit after recently returning from injury and if Stoke are to take anything from this game, he must keep Rooney quiet. Whilst Shawcross has had a great season, I think he and his keeper Begovic are going to be in for a busy and stressful afternoon on Sunday!
Predicted Stoke City Lineup :
Begovic, Huth, Shawcross, Higginbotham, Wilkinson; Whelan, Delap, Whitehead, Etherington; Sidibe, Fuller.
The Betting Verdict
Manchester United must win and despite Stoke City's decent away form of simply being hard to beat, I can’t go against the current Champions.
The Red Devils will have too much for Stoke and should come through possibly winning to nil. Good Luck
The Statistics :
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Pick :
Man United 2-0 Stoke City
BEST BETTING TIP :
The price on Manchester United at 1.15 (Pinnaclesports) is just short value wiseTry Manchester United to win to nil at 1.70
