There are two games that certainly stand out above the rest this weekend, particularly in the Premier League, with our betting tipster casting an eye over Saturday's big clashes. In the early kick-off Arsenal play host to Chelsea, while The Gunners North London rivals Tottenham make the trip to face their hoodoo club Manchester United.
Arsenal vs Chelsea - Match Preview
We start at The Emirates, and while there will be a plethora of attacking talent on display we are tipping the defences to come out on top in a tight encounter. Despite a 3-5 goal fest in the favour of Arsenal at Stamford Bridge last season, matches played at the home of Wenger's side between the two teams have generally been low scoring for the hosts.
With Chelsea's last 3 league matches seeing under 2.5 goals scored, having failed to create real guilt-edged chances with the regularity to which they have become accustomed in the last two games, this could be no different. The sides share the best defensive record thus far this season, conceding just twice each, so a bet on under 2.5 goals at 2.00 is appealing.
In further support of the opinion that this should be a tight affair, these are the only two teams yet to concede a second half goal this season, so an early lead could prove crucial. Despite netting just 6 goals in their previous 7 home league games against The Blues we feel Arsenal are more likely to get it having not lost in the league in their previous 33 encounters when Didier Drogba has not started for Chelsea.
If you are looking for a longer shot for this game Arsenal to win to nil at 3.60 could take your fancy. The Gunners have only conceded once at home this season and, although they netted 6 against Southampton, haven't been prolific themselves, scoring just 3 in their other 4 league fixtures. A 1-0 win at 8.50 for the home side will reap even more rewards, but exact results in such high profile match-ups are often very unpredictable.
Manchester United vs Tottenham - Match Preview
If you are the sensible type to look for trends when betting, unbeaten streaks don't come much longer than United's against Spurs. Saturday's hosts haven't lost to Tottenham in their previous 26 encounters in all competitions, including 10 wins in their last 11 meetings at Old Trafford.
Tottenham have only scored more than once against United on one occasion in their previous 25 match-ups; so everything points to a home win. Despite the long-standing streak of United's over their opponents this weekend, Spurs' high profile means that the odds merely for a victory for Ferguson's men are at a more than tempting 1.62, with Tottenham continuing to adapt under their new manager.
A more high-risk but equally enticing bet lies in the half-time/full-time market, with this game likely to be a close contest meaning that a Draw/United win punt could prove profitable. The Manchester giants have been drawing at half-time only to win at full-time in their previous 3 Premier League matches and a repeat of that may well be likely. Therefore, with odds as high as 4.75 for a reoccurrence there will be plenty of takers here.
Likely Goalscorers
As eluded to in our fantasy football tipster this week, the record of a certain Mr Wayne Rooney, fit again after a nasty gash to the leg, is rather eye-catching in recent games against Spurs. The forward has struck 5 times in the last 5 matches between the sides, including 3 in the last 2 at Old Trafford, so the odds on him to score anytime at 2.20 are fairly low. However, having only made his comeback in midweek the chances of Rooney starting aren't assured and if, as predicted, this game is in the balance at half-time he may be the man to decide matters late on. Odds on Rooney to score last at 5.50 should be incentive enough.
If you are looking for a scorer bet in the earlier kick-off the performance of Theo Walcott in cup action on Wednesday could earn the England international a start. Having missed out in recent weeks the odds on him to score have risen, with 11.00 to be first goalscorer looking extremely tasty given the fact that he has netted in 2 of his previous 3 appearances against Chelsea.