Premier League picks: Will West Ham score?
By MICHAEL DA SILVA
The Premier League is back. Manchester United travel to Everton, where Wayne Rooney is expected to receive a frosty reception given the British media’s recent exposé over his private life, and Chelsea look to maintain their perfect Premier League start with a trip to struggling West Ham.
West Ham (+900) vs. Chelsea (-300)
Things aren't going well for West Ham and club manager Avram Grant.After staring relegation in the face last season, West Ham have endured a miserable start to the season, with three losses from three games. They sit bottom of the league and, even at this early stage, new boss Avram Grant is under pressure to put points on the board.
And now the club faces Premier League champions Chelsea, who have scored 13 goals without reply in their unbeaten start to the season. You have to fear for Grant.
West Ham are yet to score from open play this season with their sole strike being a Mark Noble penalty against Bolton. It’s been their worst start to a league season in 33 years.
"In football you always need patience,'' Avram Grant said this week. “I am a long-term person and if you see my clubs before - even at Portsmouth and Chelsea, you see developing teams, they develop every match and you will also see the same here.
"The most important thing about the table is the end of the season, not now,'' he added.
Hmm. That doesn't exactly want to make you go back West Ham this weekend does it?
Despite the odds being stacked heavily against them, West Ham will be boosted by the return of Swiss midfielder Valon Behrami, whose attacking influence has been sorely missed while out injured. Robert Green, yes this Robert Green, is also expected to return in goal, after recovering from surgery on a hip problem.
Although these timely boosts will keep West Ham competitive against Chelsea, the champions have far too much quality for West Ham, and the hosts will struggle to score, let alone get any points. Odds of +125 for a Chelsea clean sheet should be snapped up.
It is predicted that despite being included in Fabio Capello’s last England squad, Matthew Upson has played his last game for his country. He was given the runaround by Wayne Rooney at Old Trafford two weeks ago and looked slow, indecisive and vulnerable. Didier Drogba will be licking his lips.
Drogba, who already has four Premier League goals and three assists to his name, is the champions’ danger man and to back him to score at -175 is virtually free money. And given the sparkling form Florent Malouda has been in for club and country, the Frenchman is also an excellent bet at +140 to find the net at Upton Park.
A quirky bettors stat is that the first goal in each of Chelsea’s three games has been scored by Malouda, so backing the Frenchman to be the first to find the net here could be a wise move at +600.
Frank Lampard will miss the game after undergoing a hernia operation recently meaning new signing Ramires is in line for a first Chelsea start. John Terry, who like Lampard, missed England's Euro 2012 qualifying victories over Bulgaria and Switzerland, is fit to play.
"John is available to play,'' said Ancelotti. “Lampard needs to have more time to rest. He trained with us this week and has done very well, but he needs to have more time. Maybe he'll be involved in the Champions League next week but not on Saturday.”
Prediction: West Ham 0-2 Chelsea (+600)
Everton (+320) vs Manchester United (-110)
Chelsea’s traditional title rivals, Manchester United, face the sticky task of toppling the Toffees at Goodison Park. And it is likely to be a difficult return to Wayne Rooney has been making headlines for the wrong reasons.Everton for Wayne Rooney.
Earlier this week, Everton centre-back Phil Jagielka claimed that Rooney will not only get a hard time off the same fans that used to idolize him, but that even he might have a pop at him for his alleged off-field antics.
"It should be amusing,” Jagielka said. “On Merseyside Wayne always gets a little bit of stick and I'll be giving him a little bit as well. It is always interesting playing against people you've just been away with in the week. No doubt I'll give him a bit of banter if he plays. There is a good chance he will get slaughtered.”
Rooney has been ripped to shreds by the vicious British tabloids in recent days but, in truth, the England man always does his talking on the pitch. Fresh from scoring his first England goal in a year on Tuesday, Rooney is just as likely to score as he is to be sent off, given the venomous atmosphere expected on Saturday lunchtime.
But Everton have problems of their own with the news that promising youngster Jack Rodwell will be out until Christmas with an ankle injury. Given Everton’s shallow squad, injuries to key players hit them hard and the likes of Tim Cahill and Mikael Arteta will be expected to lead their attacks.
Cahill is always a good bet to score, given his aerial threat, and, at +275, should be backed to find the net. Likewise for the visitors, Dimitar Berbatov has been in excellent form and to find the net is worth a flutter at +130.
But the game will be won and lost in midfield and the key battle is the artistry of Arteta vs the scintillating Scholes. Scholes has been rolling back the years with some match-winning performances of late but he will stand toe-to-toe with Everton’s midfield maestro, Arteta, a man more than capable of influencing the outcome of a game. Expect a tough, closely fought encounter, with more bookings than goals.
Prediction: Everton 1-1 Manchester United (+550)