EPL Preview & Picks: Close Contests The Call On Saturday
By Michael Da Silva
There are no easy games, as the cliché goes, and it’s during the short days and long nights of a British winter that the Premier League is won and lost. With five teams – Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea and the two Manchesters – still in the hunt, defeat could put the stoppers on any one of their title ambitions.
Newcastle (+250) vs. Tottenham (+110)
Newcastle are very unpredictable at the moment. They should probably have taken all three points at Sunderland last week because they were the better side, but Alan Pardew’s team is always willing to battle.
Spurs have been on a great run but they lost at Everton and drew at home to Manchester United in their last two league games, and the north east is not usually a happy hunting ground for the Londoners.
Tottenham are undoubtedly a team on the up and, with a couple of key acquisitions – at left-back and the addition of a world class finisher (think Fernando Torres or Luis Suarez) – they will be serious contenders for the Premier League.
Steven Pienaar is an excellent signing from Everton, a useful player who can play in any position across the midfield. He's a good footballer, runs at people and commits defenders, but his immediate battle is just getting into one of Europe’s best midfields.
Tottenham are always likely to score but also look vulnerable at the back and, although Michael Dawson has stiffened their defense, they remain likely to concede away from home.
Newcastle are still without Andy Carroll but they seem to have done well without him, with Kevin Nolan continuing his uncanny knack of scoring from midfield.
The former Bolton man has already reached double figures for the season and should be backed to find the net at odds of +225.
When Wilson Palacios plays for Spurs he tends to concede a lot of free kicks and, given Joey Barton’s ability from set-pieces, it is worth backing the controversial Liverpudlian to score at +550.
Newcastle’s home record this season is 4-4-3. Tottenham’s away form is 4-4-2. With so little to choose between, the draw is on the cards.
Pick: Newcastle 1-1 Tottenham (+550)
Aston Villa (+250) vs. Manchester City (+110)
Aston Villa surely cannot be as bad as they were in the opening 30 minutes against Manchester City when they went 3-0 down at Eastlands in December. They were simply awful and that first half performance was one of the most inept from any side in the Premier League this season.
While Villa may be perilously close to the drop zone, they possess a lot of quality and should have enough to pull clear. The signing of goal machine Darren Bent certainly won’t hurt their cause, either.
Bent has scored goals at every club he has played for and he is +175 to open his account against Manchester City Saturday.
With Bent on board, they have some goals in their team now and, when you look at Gerard Houllier's squad (Ashley Young, Stewart Downing, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Marc Albrighton) there are a few players capable of turning a game.
City's defence should pose problems for Bent in his first game because Kolo Toure and Vincent Kompany are forming a solid partnership at the back.
City are boosted by the electric form of Carlos Tevez (-105 to score) and Edin Dzeko (+110) will hope to score his first goal for his new club after an encouraging debut against Wolves last week.
Yaya Toure has also proven at City that he knows his way around the final third of the pitch and is a generous +350 to score.
Roberto Mancini's side doesn’t struggle to score goals, but they might have to settle for a single point at Villa Park, given Villa’s decent home form.
Pick: Aston Villa 2-2 Manchester City (+1200)