James Middleton 
Manchester City’s 1-0 EFL Cup defeat at Manchester United stretched the Citizens’ winless streak to six matches. Never once across his vaunted managerial career has Pep Guardiola gone so long without a win, though his side remain clear favourites to win the Premier League title at odds of 7/5. On … Read more
Last Result: MAN UTD 1-0 Man City – Juan Mata (1st goalscorer) BURNLEY 2-1 Everton – Sam Vokes (1st goalscorer), Scott Arfield Kick-off: 15:00, 29/10/16 Stadium: Old Trafford Head-to-head: (Last five meetings, most recent first) Man Utd 3-1 Burnley, Burnley 0-0 Man Utd, Man Utd 3-0 Burnley, Burnley 1-0 Man … Read more
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ fourth Stanley Cup win last season saw the Eastern Conference snap a run of dominance from their Western rivals that had stretched four campaigns. With three wins from their opening six games of NHL 2016/17, their title defence has started steady, if nothing else. The Penguins can … Read more
Not once in his English football career has Jose Mourinho taken a pounding as big as the one endured at Chelsea last weekend. Manchester United’s 4-0 steamrollering at Stamford Bridge was all the more embarrassing for Mourinho given he was returning to the club that sacked him last December and, … Read more
To unsuspecting punters, one goal and as many assists from eight Premier League starts might suggest Ross Barkley’s 2016/17 is yet to get going. But scratch below the statistical surface and the figures to be found show how the England international is revising his style under Ronald Koeman. Domineering surges … Read more
September defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal led to Chelsea being effectively written out of the Premier League title race in September, but a run of three wins to nil have forced the bookies to scribble the Blues back into the picture. Antonio Conte’s troops have been whittled into 13/2 fourth … Read more
Last Result: Bristol City 1-0 BLACKBURN WOLVES 0-1 Leeds Kick-off: 17:30, 29/10/16 TV: Sky Sports 1 Stadium: Ewood Park Head-to-head: (Last five meetings, most recent first) Wolves 0-0 Blackburn, Blackburn 1-2 Wolves, Blackburn 0-1 Wolves, Wolves 3-1 Blackburn, Wolves 1-1 Blackburn Key Stats: – Just one of Wolves’ last six … Read more
Few foresaw Diego Costa sitting at the top of the Premier League top scorer standings after nine games but, nevertheless, the Spaniard leads the way with seven strikes to his name. The combustible Chelsea star is one ahead of Everton’s Romelu Lukaku, while he’s two clear of five-goal trio Theo … Read more
Last Result: Arsenal 0-0 MIDDLESBROUGH BOURNEMOUTH 0-0 Tottenham Kick-off: 15:00, 29/10/16 Stadium: The Riverside Stadium Head-to-head: (Most recent first) Bournemouth 3-0 Middlesbrough, Middlesbrough 0-0 Bournemouth, Bournemouth 0-0 Middlesbrough, Middlesbrough 3-3 Bournemouth, Bournemouth 1-2 Middlesbrough Injuries and Suspensions Middlesbrough: Out – Grant Leadbitter Doubt – None Bournemouth: Out – Lewis Cook, … Read more
A regularly regurgitated gripe among those willing to devote the necessary time and brain power to analyse England squads for tournament qualifiers and friendlies is how reputation often seems to carry more weight than form in the selection process. In such moments, it seems clear that appeasing egos is of … Read more
Slotted nicely in between European fixtures is the EFL Cup fourth round, which features blockbusters ties such as West Ham v Chelsea, a Manchester derby and Tottenham’s trip to Liverpool. It’s the latter fixture that headlines our EFL Cup treble featuring Tuesday’s matches. There’s a payday just shy of 30/1 … Read more
With the transfer window still over two months from opening and no competition anywhere near its conclusion, times are understandably tough for sports news generators to fill their allotted column inches. Site visits are down in this notoriously barren period, but the gossip peddlers are still playing with transfer yarns, … Read more
In the early part of the current decade, Chelsea v Manchester United made a play to be the most entertaining and unpredictable battle between so-called ‘big six’ outfits. The 2011/12 and 2012/13 campaigns saw the pair churn out scorelines of 5-4, 3-3, 2-2, 2-3 and 3-1, with both protagonists taking … Read more
Talk of Arsenal’s evolution into ‘the real deal’ as far as a Premier League title contenders was concerned was hushed by the Gunners’ goalless draw with Middlesbrough this weekend. A run of seven straight wins in all competitions was curtailed by the Emirates stalemate, which came just three days after … Read more