English Premier
2008-05-04 - Liverpool vs Manchester City
A Sports Betting Pick by chappers
- English Premier League -
Anfield
4th May 2008PM KO 4pm (live on Sky)
Liverpool (4th EPL)
Played 36 with 70 points
A season which promised so much has ended with nothing for Liverpool and this has to be a disappointment for them. At the start of the season the media were saying that Liverpool would be up their challenging for the title, but that didn’t really happen. They did have a cracking start but then Rafa seemed to start dropping players and moving things around and then they started to draw far to many games at home and the title dream came to and end. The Champions League also came to an end at Stamford Bridge during the week and I think that Liverpool must try harder in the league next season and not focus as much in Europe as the fans for me will want a decent shot at the title next season above anything else.
Liverpool have only lost four games this season and that's not bad to be honest, but twice they have lost to Manchester United and that hasn’t helped. However it’s the draw column that for me tells the story on why the title was not really challenged. They have drawn 13 times and this is even more than Arsenal who also found that drawn games have cost them dear.
They drew last time out 2-2 at Birmingham but the team was much weaker than normal and that was thanks to the Champions League, however in saying that they also but out a weak team away at Fulham and did win 2-0. At home this season they have been in fine form in recent weeks and in the league have now won seven home games on the bounce and with this game being the last home game of the season, I guess that even with nothing left to play for they will want to go out with a win in front of their own fans and make it eight.
Manchester City (9th EPL)
Played 36 with 55 points
Not sure were to start with Manchester City after this week and all the talk of the chairman wanting to get rid of Sven. I have to say at times I get disillusioned with football and when you hear things like this, it just makes it harder. Sven has done a cracking job and city this season and for me anyone who thinks he hasn’t, shouldn’t be in football. He has taken a team who was flirting with relegation last season and has made them into a solid unit and are going to finish in the top ten and that has to be classed as a success, despite them being out of sorts in the back end of the season. They also beat Manchester United twice this season so I really cannot see much that Sven has done wrong.
The record of 15-10-11 for me about right for a mid table team and while like I’ve said the season for City has been a mixed one with a cracking start and then a poor second half but they have never been even considered for relegation and while at the start of the season I heard some City fans say things that the Champions League could have been possible, but I've said all along that there was no way that this was going to happen, but I do think that maybe they should have been a little higher up the table, when you consider the start they had.
Away from home it has been tough for them with a record of 4-6-7 and this will have to be addressed if they want to progress next season whoever the manager is. I saw them beat Sunderland in their last away game 2-1 and was not all that impressed and a draw would have been a fair result and then after that they beat Portsmouth 3-1 and I guess when they were then 2-0 at home to Fulham, every City fan would have been hoping for a decent end to the season but they let three in and lost that game 3-2. That has seemed to be the City of the backend of the season, winning one, then losing a couple and so on. However it will be interesting to see how they deal with all the press coverage this week about their manager.
Head to Head
Liverpool have a great record at Anfield when City come to visit with only one win in the last nine visits and that was back in 2003. In fact City have not even managed another point and have lost the other eight games, so if you like H2H then this game will only go one way.
Verdict
While both teams have nothing to play for, you could say they do as both will want to finish the season on a high, and while Liverpool don’t look like a team who will change their manager in the summer, if you read the papers then City might be, so this is still an important game.
Liverpool as I’ve said have a great record at home to City and also factor in the current form of the two teams and also with Liverpool being the home team, I really think that Liverpool will win this one.
So Liverpool @ 1.53 seems a decent bet.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Liverpool to win this match
