Danny Murphy made 417 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 50 goals. In part two of a bwin exclusive, the 41-year-old discusses former clubs Liverpool, Tottenham and Fulham.
Danny Murphy played in the Premier League for Liverpool, Charlton, Tottenham and Fulham, making 417 appearances and scoring 50 goals. In part one of a bwin exclusive, he discusses Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.
Today we’re launching a series of analytical summaries for the EFL, covering three teams from each of the Championship, League One and League Two. We’ve selected clubs at random and identified their top three strengths, weaknesses, goalscorers and creators.
Swansea and Leeds will both be more than happy with their Championship results so far and we reckon they are hard to split at Liberty Stadium. United are two points better off following three straight wins in this division, but home advantage can help City to hold their own in Wales.
Real Madrid can recover from their UEFA Super Cup loss to city rivals Atletico by starting the new La Liga season with a win over Getafe at the Bernabeu. The Whites have won the last nine head-to-head meetings between these sides, with the most recent being a 3-1 triumph at this venue in March.
Stoke have not adjusted well to life in the Championship and could still be vulnerable when visiting Preston on Saturday evening. North End are always difficult opponents at Deepdale and have already claimed league and EFL Cup victories on home turf this month.
Cristiano Ronaldo is set to make his Serie A debut for Juventus at Chievo on Saturday and all eyes will be on the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. Ronaldo took just eight minutes to hit the target in Sunday’s 5-0 friendly win over his new club’s B team, so the omens are good for his sensational switch to Italy to pay off.
Barcelona are expected to begin their La Liga title defence by brushing aside Alaves, but the visitors do not have a bad record at Camp Nou. Babazorros El Glorioso claimed a shock 2-1 win here a couple of years ago and have since been competitive in a 2-1 Copa del Rey defeat and a 3-1 league loss.
West Brom have had a challenging start to life back in the Championship but are fancied to show their true worth at Norwich. Picking up just one point from their two opening games wasn’t in the script, but Albion remain among the favourites for a quick return to the Premier League.
Wigan returned to the Championship with an encouraging win over Sheffield Wednesday and can build on that by picking up a point at Aston Villa. The Latics were impressive League One champions last season and reached the FA Cup quarter-finals, so this step back up in class should hold no fears.
Back-to-back relegations have left Sunderland in League One but they can start to recover by seeing off Charlton at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. Two years ago, the Black Cats opened with a game against Manchester City in the Premier League, so hopefully they will find their current company far more conducive.
Leeds and Stoke are two of the favourites to gain promotion to the Premier League this season and a tight tussle is expected in Sunday’s Championship clash. United have brought in high-profile manager Marcelo Bielsa to boost their hopes, while City are seeking to bounce straight back up to the top flight.
Aston Villa have been boosted by attracting new investors and can transfer that feelgood factor to the field of play when visiting Hull on Monday night. Steve Bruce steered the Midlands outfit to the Championship play-off final last term and has been given a vote of confidence to go one better this season.
Frank Lampard’s arrival has created a real buzz about Derby this summer and they can start the new Championship campaign with a win at Reading. The Rams will be looking to build on last season’s sixth-placed finish, whereas the ante-post odds suggest the Royals are facing another relegation battle.