Top Five Premier League Scorers of All Time

The Premier League draws the best players from around the world but that hasn’t always been the case, and four of the top five all time scorers are English. France striker Thierry Henry has recently been shunted down to sixth by Argentina’s Sergio Aguero who took his place.

But again, in places six to ten Henry stands alone, with the numbers made up by Robbie Fowler, Jermain Defoe, Michael Owen and Les Ferdinand. And the fifth highest Premier League scorer is a Chelsea and England legend.

5. Frank Lampard (177 goals)

For a midfield player to get on this list is testament to the outstanding all-round game of Chelsea’s current head coach. Only Paul Scholes at Manchester United could rival Lampard’s box to box play and ability to get on to the final ball before firing a rocket goal-wards.

Lamps kept the excellent Scholes out of the England side at times, with Steven Gerrard also featuring heavily, and he won 106 caps scoring 29 goals for his country. Well 30 actually…but his ‘goal’ against Germany in the 2010 World Cup, which hit the bar and bounced a couple of feet over the line, was before the days of VAR!

Now he’s in the Premier League 2020 news as the Blues manager as he hopes to guide them to Champions League football in his first season in charge.

4. Sergio Aguero (180 goals)

Currently the most prolific striker in the Premier League, Aguero has passed Lampard’s tally in his eighth season at Manchester City. His move from Independiente to Atletico Madrid in 2006 introduced him to European football fans, and it is at the Etihad where he has become a world superstar.

In January he scored the 12^th Premier League hat-trick of his career in a 1-6 win away to Aston Villa and that knocked Henry out of the top five as he passed the Frenchman’s 175.

He’s in contention for the Golden Boot this season, currently on 16 goals. The Premier League 2020 betting odds have him alongside Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as favourite. That’s some achievement in a season in which the Sky Blues aren’t really competing and SBOBET Premier League fans know they can rely on Sergio!

His goals have helped Manchester City to pick up the only piece of silverware this season, winning the EFL Cup yet again.

3. Andrew Cole (187 goals)

Not known for his sense of humour, Manchester United’s Andrew Cole was as focussed a finisher as you’d ever want to see. He struck up an awkward partnership with Teddy Sheringham but never really got on with his strike partner. Manchester United fans didn’t mind that much as the former Newcastle hit-man helped to fire the Red Devils to treble glory in 1999, seemingly happier alongside Dwight Yorke as the pair scored 53 goals between them in that epic season.

2. Wayne Rooney (208 goals)

At the age 18, Wayne Rooney’s £25m move from Everton to Manchester United in 2004 was the signing of the decade. He went on to win 16 trophies in 13 incredible years at Old Trafford, before returning to Everton. He still plies his trade at Championship club Derby County

His overhead kick against Manchester City in 2011 was judged to be the best Premier League goal in its first 20 seasons, and his 208 league goals make him the second top scorer of all time, while making the third highest number of assists at 103. He’s also England’s top scorer of all time with 53 goals.

1. Alan Shearer (260 goals)

Newcastle born Shearer was as lethal a player as we’ve ever seen in the Premier League, strong and fast and with the ability to score any type of goal. He could hit 30 yard pile-drivers, powerful headers and poachers’ goals in the six yard box. He hit the headlines at Southampton before heading north, but not to a big club.

Manchester United fans sing a song about Shearer, deriding his decision, in 1992, to follow the money at Blackburn Rovers rather than heading to Old Trafford in search of silverware. Rovers did of course win the Premier League in 1995 as Shearer plundered 34 goals, but that simply prompted the bigger clubs to spend more. In 1996 he went back to his spiritual home in Newcastle, a season after Cole had headed to Old Trafford, and he played the last ten years of his career there, scoring 148 goals in all competitions at a ratio of almost 1:2.

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Top Five Premier League Scorers of All Time

The Premier League draws the best players from around the world but that hasn’t always been the case, and four of the top five all time scorers are English. France striker Thierry Henry has recently been shunted down to sixth by Argentina’s Sergio Aguero who took his place.

But again, in places six to ten Henry stands alone, with the numbers made up by Robbie Fowler, Jermain Defoe, Michael Owen and Les Ferdinand. And the fifth highest Premier League scorer is a Chelsea and England legend.

5. Frank Lampard (177 goals)

For a midfield player to get on this list is testament to the outstanding all-round game of Chelsea’s current head coach. Only Paul Scholes at Manchester United could rival Lampard’s box to box play and ability to get on to the final ball before firing a rocket goal-wards.

Lamps kept the excellent Scholes out of the England side at times, with Steven Gerrard also featuring heavily, and he won 106 caps scoring 29 goals for his country. Well 30 actually…but his ‘goal’ against Germany in the 2010 World Cup, which hit the bar and bounced a couple of feet over the line, was before the days of VAR!

Now he’s in the Premier League 2020 news as the Blues manager as he hopes to guide them to Champions League football in his first season in charge.

4. Sergio Aguero (180 goals)

Currently the most prolific striker in the Premier League, Aguero has passed Lampard’s tally in his eighth season at Manchester City. His move from Independiente to Atletico Madrid in 2006 introduced him to European football fans, and it is at the Etihad where he has become a world superstar.

In January he scored the 12^th Premier League hat-trick of his career in a 1-6 win away to Aston Villa and that knocked Henry out of the top five as he passed the Frenchman’s 175.

He’s in contention for the Golden Boot this season, currently on 16 goals. The Premier League 2020 betting odds have him alongside Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as favourite. That’s some achievement in a season in which the Sky Blues aren’t really competing and SBOBET Premier League fans know they can rely on Sergio!

His goals have helped Manchester City to pick up the only piece of silverware this season, winning the EFL Cup yet again.

3. Andrew Cole (187 goals)

Not known for his sense of humour, Manchester United’s Andrew Cole was as focussed a finisher as you’d ever want to see. He struck up an awkward partnership with Teddy Sheringham but never really got on with his strike partner. Manchester United fans didn’t mind that much as the former Newcastle hit-man helped to fire the Red Devils to treble glory in 1999, seemingly happier alongside Dwight Yorke as the pair scored 53 goals between them in that epic season.

2. Wayne Rooney (208 goals)

At the age 18, Wayne Rooney’s £25m move from Everton to Manchester United in 2004 was the signing of the decade. He went on to win 16 trophies in 13 incredible years at Old Trafford, before returning to Everton. He still plies his trade at Championship club Derby County

His overhead kick against Manchester City in 2011 was judged to be the best Premier League goal in its first 20 seasons, and his 208 league goals make him the second top scorer of all time, while making the third highest number of assists at 103. He’s also England’s top scorer of all time with 53 goals.

1. Alan Shearer (260 goals)

Newcastle born Shearer was as lethal a player as we’ve ever seen in the Premier League, strong and fast and with the ability to score any type of goal. He could hit 30 yard pile-drivers, powerful headers and poachers’ goals in the six yard box. He hit the headlines at Southampton before heading north, but not to a big club.

Manchester United fans sing a song about Shearer, deriding his decision, in 1992, to follow the money at Blackburn Rovers rather than heading to Old Trafford in search of silverware. Rovers did of course win the Premier League in 1995 as Shearer plundered 34 goals, but that simply prompted the bigger clubs to spend more. In 1996 he went back to his spiritual home in Newcastle, a season after Cole had headed to Old Trafford, and he played the last ten years of his career there, scoring 148 goals in all competitions at a ratio of almost 1:2.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 29-Mar-2020 at 3:26 PM

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Which Bosses Punch Above their Weight in Premier League?

When you think of managerial greats, the same names always crop up: Sir Alex Ferguson, Brian Clough, Sir Matt Busby, Jock Stein, Don Revie, Bill Shankly, Herbert Chapman, Rinus Michels, Bob Paisley, Marcello Lippi and Arrigo Sacchi.

I could, of course, name others, while you could put 20 people in a room together and few would agree on a definitive top three.

As far as the Premier League is concerned though, its first two decades witnessed someone who, in this SBOBET observer’s view, is the greatest manager to have ever graced the game.

There have been other impressive bosses in the English top flight this past quarter of a century with Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger, Sir Bobby Robson and Pep Guardiola all worthy of special mention, as well as honourable shout-outs to the likes of Sam Allardyce, Rafa Benitez, Carlo Ancelotti and Roy Hodgson.

But what of the current crop?

Which managers have inspired their teams to Premier League highlights which will live long in the memory and, in some cases defied the Premier League betting odds?

Well of the current bosses, two stand out to me.

Mourinho may have struggled of late but he remains a serial winner and few  would back against him bringing success to his current employers, Spurs, once he has time to implement his changes, not to mention have a full team at his disposal.

And then there’s Guardiola who has masterminded back-to-back league titles for Manchester City with an attractive footballing style and a swagger few others can match – granted he has been backed by lavish funding on a level we’ve previously not seen.

Another of football's most coveted managers right now is Jurgen Klopp who has, slowly but surely, turned Liverpool into a real force again.

He doesn’t always help himself at times when results don’t go to plan – he is not alone in that, of course – but there is no denying the German has proven a fine boss with his relentless pressing game, prompting copycats across the globe.

Perhaps the biggest compliment that could be paid to him was when Ferguson remarked, upon Klopp’s appointment at Liverpool in 2015, that it spelt bad news for his own club.

He knows a top manager when he sees one!

Of his predecessor at Anfield, Brendan Rodgers has had a good first 12 months at Leicester but that should be tempered by the fact the Foxes are often second-best when it comes to the really big games and are probably only third because they have shown more consistency to the below-par and, at times, woeful chasing pack of Chelsea, Man Utd and Arsenal.

Nuno Santos has shone at Wolves and, while he has received financial backing, he has generally recruited wisely and balanced the demands of Premier League and Europa League with astuteness to keep them in the hunt for another European spot.

If Chris Wilder was to guide newly promoted Sheffield United to a European berth he would, to my mind, deserve the manager of the year gong for it would be the finest achievement since Sean Dyche achieved that feat with Burnley just under two years ago - Sam Allardyce twice did the same with Bolton (2005 and 2007).

In terms of longevity, Dyche and Eddie Howe at Bournemouth have continued to ensure their sides overachieve, while Steve Bruce is doing the same at Newcastle.

Also, at the other end of the Premier League pyramid, take a look at Graham Potter who has gone from managing Ostersunds, to Swansea, and now to Brighton, where his quality is making a positive impact.

His rise to prominence while managing the Swedish side Ostersunds included a victory over Arsenal at the Emirates in the Europa League, earning him a heightened reputation and some genuine interest from back home. This led to him joining Swansea.

Since then he has reformed Brighton’s style over the course of one summer. No talk of three or four transfer windows, just a team drastically improved by coaching and a club structure built to take the club forward.

Similarly, given where the club was when he took over, if Nigel Pearson can guide Watford to safety it will be an impressive undertaking.

In some cases, it takes a boss a few years in the role before they can be fully and properly assessed - and that priceless commodity of time can be a rarity.

So, all in all, considering the topsy-turvy nature of management, it’s too early to say for many what will rank as a real success story.

Yet as it stands, there are a number of decent managers punching well above their weight in the Premier League.

To my mind, they still all lag behind Mourinho and Guardiola though.

Whose caught your eye?

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 29-Mar-2020 at 3:38 PM

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Who Are the Premier League’s Greatest: 2020 Liverpool or Arsenal’s Invincibles?

It’s a question which is raging across the football forums while we have a break in Premier League action: Is Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool the greatest of all-time?

Well, it’s a huge question, one which raises many more. Is this the best Liverpool team of all-time? And if Klopp’s marvels could be bettered, then which team has more in its locker? Manchester City were on the brink of a historic quadruple last season, only to be denied by a dramatic VAR intervention in their Champions League quarter-final clash with Spurs.

And my Manchester United supporting SBOBET colleague, James, will point to the Red Devils treble team of 1999, and with plenty of evidence to back him up. But today, I’m looking at the Arsenal Invincibles team of 2004 to see how they stand up to Klopp’s Reds.

The Stats

The Gunners, inspired by the pure football philosophy of head coach Arsene Wenger were undefeated throughout the 2003/04 Premier League season. They went 49 league games unbeaten in total, winning 36 and drawing 13, until they were stopped by Manchester United in a grumpy clash at Old Trafford, one of many between the two sides in that decade.

The obvious point to make here is that this Liverpool team can’t claim to be invincible, having lost 3-0 away to Watford, their 28^th match of the season. The Reds hadn’t lost a league game since January 2019 against Manchester City. That was a run of 44 games, but they have a better win ratio than Wenger’s Invincibles, winning their previous 18 games before crashing at Vicarage Road.

And let’s face it, we stopped looking at the Premier League 2020 betting odds to work out where the 2020 title is heading weeks ago.

I’d score the stats as a draw

The Big Players

Virgil van Dijk vs Sol Campbell

If you ask any Liverpool fan which player would be most badly missed were he to get injured, and the majority will reply “Virgil Van Dijk.” Since his record transfer from Southampton, the Dutch centre-back has been a colossus at the heart of the Reds’ defence, dominant in the air and cool in possession; he’s the best in the business.

Former Spurs centre-back Sol Campbell was Arsenal’s powerhouse at the back, equally strong in the tackle and in the air, but without Van Dijk’s finesse on the ball.

Patrick Vieira vs Jordan Henderson

Henderson has had a superb season for the Reds and has emerged as a real leader. He inspires confidence in his team with a calm head and effective box-to-box play.

Vieira was equally inspirational, but was also a serious attacking threat, able to unlock a defence, as well as being ferocious in the tackle. His battles with Manchester United’s Roy Keane were better than a world title fight!

Thierry Henry vs Mo Salah

Like Vieira, Thierry Henry was a key member of the France international team as Les Bleus won the World Cup and European Championships in 1998 and 2000. By 2004, he was the consummate striker, with an unequalled combination of guile, pace and ruthlessness. He is the sixth-highest scorer in Premier League history, scoring 174 for the Gunners.

Egyptian hitman Salah exploded onto the Premier League stage at Anfield, following an uninspiring stint at Chelsea, and he has scored 70 goals in 100 games for the Reds. He latches onto a through ball as well as anyone in the game, invariably finishing with aplomb, while also possessing quick feet to enable him to beat players in a tight space.

The Gunners’ big players have the edge

The Style

This Liverpool team is as exciting as any going forward, hitting teams on the break with the pace of Salah and Sadio Mane and the sheer artistry of Roberto Firmino.

But maybe, just maybe, they lack that little bit of patience, or a man with a killer pass to open up the best defences in the world. The Reds hit that problem in their recent Champions League exit to Atletico Madrid when a player like Lionel Messi or Kevin de Bruyne could have opened the door.

The pace at which Liverpool often attack brings the flying wing-backs into play. Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold have been in superb form for two seasons, making more assists than any other pairing.

The 2004 Gunners played in a 4-4-2 formation and left-back Ashley Cole was as attacking as any at that time. But their style relied more on quick passing and possession, more akin to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

They clinched the Premier League title with a 2-2 draw away to Spurs, as sweet a way of completing their historic feat as you can imagine, with Vieira and Robert Pires finishing off slick passing moves. Dutch master Dennis Bergkamp was instrumental in both goals and he remains one of Arsenal fans’ favourite players of all-time.

Style is a matter of choice, but the Arsenal team could find that tiny opening when they needed to finish off a ten pass move, while the Reds have more pace.

This Liverpool team is a truly great side and their fans are nervously watching the Premier League 2020 news updates, hoping that the season will be completed before too long.

They should be okay. The Premier League has today revealed an ambitious plan to recommence at the beginning of May, behind closed doors.

The Reds won’t be invincible, but they will probably break the Premier League points record and that will do for them.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 01-Apr-2020 at 11:59 AM

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Premier League: The Cream of the Crop for Manchester

Travel anywhere around the world and say you’re from Manchester, and the first question anyone will ask is, “United or City?”

Until recent times when the Sky Blues became dominant in the Premier League, the football fanatics from beyond the shores of England always plumped for United. But take a look a little further back and you can see that both clubs have stars which could shine in any company, at any time, anywhere on the planet.

Today, I’m looking at five of these players who have thrived in the football hotbed of the North West, and you may have five of your own. But I’m going to start with two Reds, so let’s see where we agree.

Cristiano Ronaldo  – 84 goals in 196 appearances for United

CR7 is a football phenomenon, and he owes much of his evolution to the time he spent under the wing of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

He arrived as a precocious 18-year-old with bags of talent and an attitude to annoy any hardened Premier League full-back. But by the time he left, he was, without doubt, one of the most complete attacking footballers in the history of the game, and defenders just couldn’t live with him.

Ronaldo won three league titles, as well as an FA Cup and a Champions League in his time at Old Trafford. And for many, he is simply the finest player in the Premier League era.

George Best – 137 goals in 361 appearances for United

The 1968 Ballon D’Or winner was the most naturally gifted player the United Kingdom has ever produced. He burst onto the Manchester scene as a uniquely talented winger, the best two-footed dribbler in the game, and a shy Irish lad off the pitch.

But after he scored two goals in a European Cup quarter-final against Benfica in 1966, he was dubbed the ‘fifth Beatle’ by the Portuguese press and that changed his life forever.

He scored a brilliant individual goal in the 1968 European final against the same team. And at the young age of 21, that was sadly the pinnacle of his career.

Best carried on playing for United until 1974, but he attracted as many headlines off the pitch as on it. And by the time he left the club, his champagne lifestyle had taken its toll on his fitness.

Football will never see the like of Best again.

General view of a statue featuring George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton outside the stadium

Sergio Aguero – 180 goals in 261 appearances for City

Manchester City’s Argentine hit-man has been the best striker in the Premier League for almost a decade now and is ranked fourth in the list of all-time goal-scorers. He’s still in the Premier League 2020 news, right in the hunt for the Golden Boot.

Aguero will always live in the memory of Sky Blue fans for his most dramatic of goals, which includes the 94^th-minute winner against QPR to lift Manchester City’s first Premier League title from under the noses of the Red Devils.

The latest Premier League 2020 betting odds say City are about to hand the league over to Liverpool, but they will be back next year and so will Aguero.

Colin Bell – 117 goals in 394 appearances for City

Known as Nijinsky after the famous racecourse, Colin Bell was a thoroughbred and often spoken of as the best player ever to don the famous Sky Blue shirt.

As a goal-scoring midfielder, he linked up in 1968 with Mike Summerbee and Francis Lee to help City to a second league title – the first coming in 1937.

So respected is he in Manchester that he has a stand named after him at the Etihad, and City fans will forever remember his 14 goals in the 67/68 season which fired the Sky Blues to glory.

He is regarded as one of England’s most cultured ever midfield players, described by one pundit as the most finished article in the modern game.

Denis Law – 30 goals in 68 appearances for City, 171 in 309 appearances for United

In addition to his goal tally for the two Manchester Clubs, The Lawman scored 30 in 55 for Scotland in a career spanning 18 years from 1956 to 1974.

He is loved by both sets of fans. At Old Trafford, he was part of the ‘Holy Trinity’ of Best, Charlton. And at City he is gleefully remembered for a goal which broke the Red Devils’ hearts – a cheeky back-heel which consigned Manchester United to relegation in 1974.

So that’s it, my SBOBET friends. Growing up in the smoky Lancashire town of Burnley, Manchester United and City were just 20 miles away but on a different planet.

Suffice to say, if one of these legends of the Manchester football scene could do a stint between the posts, it would be the best five-a-side team the world has ever seen!

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 06-Apr-2020 at 12:30 PM

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The Premier League’s Trickiest Customers

One of the finest sights in football is that of a quick-footed wizard beating players with ease before dispatching a killer cross or a spectacular goal.

We have seen some of the best dribblers in the world in England’s top flight, none better than the legendary George Best. But in these days of possession stats, quick passing and pressing, the art of the great dribbler has been made a little more difficult.

The Premier League still has its fair share of twinkle-toed full-back tormentors though – players who can beat an opponent in the blink of an eye and the threat they pose means they also cop their fair share of fouls.

Wilfred Zaha – Crystal Palace

The Eagles’ wing wonder is a classic case of opposing players resorting to fair means or foul, though sometimes he doesn’t help himself.

One of the most recognisable images in the Premier League is that of a wide-eyed Zaha sat on the floor with outstretched arms, pleading with the officials.

Usually he has a good case, but there have been occasions when the cameras have caught him employing the dark arts of deception.

But when he stays on his feet, the Ivorian star is one of the best in the business in being able to beat players in the tightest of spaces and with an ability to score stunning goals.

He’s been Palace’s most productive player since returning to Selhurst Park in 2015 after an unsuccessful spell at Manchester United, and now he’s the chief tormentor of defenders in the league.

Jack Grealish- Aston Villa

But there is one player who opponents like to stop more than the Palace man, and that’s Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish. He’s won the most fouls in the Premier League this season with a shin-cracking 127 – beating even Zaha into second place.

Grealish is Mr. Villa, a fan and the club captain. He plays with his heart on his sleeve but sometimes his passion overshadows the outrageous skill he possesses, turning quickly and caressing the ball with ease.

When the league is up and running again, the Premier League 2020 betting odds here at   SBOBET won’t make good reading for Villa fans and we reckon they’ll return to the Championship alongside bottom club Norwich City.

The best – if not their only chance of survival is a few more weeks of Grealish magic.

James Maddison – Leicester City

With 13 goals and 10 assists from 64 appearances since his transfer from Norwich City, Maddison has become one of the most exciting young players in the Premier League. And if he can find consistency, then he could become an England international fixture for years to come.

On his day, he is Leicester’s most creative player and that’s saying something in Brendan Rodgers’ group of highly talented footballers. He is also one of the best dead ballplayers in the league.

James Maddison is out for a few weeks with a calf strain

Dwight McNeil – Burnley

Turf Moor academy product Dwight McNeil burst onto the Burnley scene halfway through the 2018/19 season and at one point, he was the teenager with the most assists in European football – outshining the likes of Borussia Dortmund’s England star Jadon Sancho.

Now at 20, he’s an old fashioned winger who beats players, reaches, or nears the bi-line before putting in a pin-point cross for Chris Wood or Jay Rodriguez to convert.

Misty-eyed Burnley fans compare McNeil to 70’s icon Leighton James, called as the ‘Welsh Wizard’ who famously skipped past full-backs, and then dragged the ball back to beat them again.

McNeil doesn’t have that arrogance but he certainly has the confidence and has attracted attention from some pretty big hitters in European football, notably Juventus in Serie A, and Manchester United in the Premier League, with Leicester City also watching his progress.

Adama Traore – Wolves

Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves have been one of the biggest Premier League 2020 news again. After their first season back in the top flight culminated in a European adventure, they are up there again in sixth place and thriving in the Europa League.

Traore’s emergence as one of Wolves’ best attacking players has been a real bonus for Nuno. The Malian international is strong, quick, and can change direction in the blink of an eye, making explosive runs which have resulted in six goals and 10 assists in all competitions this season.

His dribbling skills are exceptional which makes him one of the best in England, sparking rumours of a return to Barcelona.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 06-Apr-2020 at 12:33 PM

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Premier League Teams Which Really Should Do Better

As the Premier League and other top competitions take a break, we all have time to look more closely at the events which have shaped the season so far.

Which teams have faired well and which have underperformed? Well, we know which group Liverpool and Sheffield United sit in, but today I’m running the rule over the five teams I really think should do better.

Manchester City

The pre-season Premier League 2020 betting odds here at SBOBET pitched the Sky Blues as favourites to make it three league titles in a row. So to find themselves a massive 25 points behind Liverpool with 10 games remaining amounts to a catastrophic failure.

Having beaten Liverpool to win the Community Shield, Pep Guardiola’s side started the season with a 0-5 victory at West Ham.

But it all started to go wrong when they lost 3-2 to relegation fodder Norwich City despite having 25 shots. They reacted by slaughtering Watford 8-0, but soon enough lost another game, this time to Wolves after dominating for 80 minutes. That defeat put too much distance between them and the rampant Liverpool, and the Champions League and domestic cups became City’s focus.

Arsenal

When he arrived at the Emirates in December, Mikel Arteta inherited a team with bags of talent but very few if any leadership qualities. They had recruited David Luiz at centre-back, but his flamboyance is no substitute for fighting spirit. And while they have superb attacking players in the shape of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, the Gunners have a soft centre.

Having graced the Champions League for two decades under Arsene Wenger, Arsenal currently sit in ninth, and only a point above the bottom half of the table.

Mikel Arteta during Arsenal’s match against West Ham United

Arteta is getting things moving and has a win ratio of 50 per cent since his arrival, but there is a long way to go.

West Ham United

Most neutrals expected big-spending West Ham to be pushing for a Europa League spot this season after the marquee signings of Pablo Fornals and Sebastien Haller. But they are in an almighty relegation scrap, 16^th in the suspended Premier League table and outside the relegation zone on goal difference alone.

The Hammers have been making the Premier League 2020 news for all the wrong reasons. As well as stinking on the pitch, their colourful owners always have an eye for a chance, and vice-chairman Karren Brady recently announced that the only fair thing to do would be to declare the 2019/20 season null and void. Well there you go…the Hammers, now led by the returning David Moyes, are clearly not up for the fight.

I’d ask the likes of 18^th-placed Bournemouth if cancelling the league is “the only fair thing to do”!

Bournemouth

Eddie Howe’s Cherries must wonder why they are also in the relegation mix. Bournemouth has a squad dripping with quality from goal-keeper Aaron Ramsdale and defender Nathan Ake through to a creative group which includes Callum Wilson, David Brooks, Dominic Solanke and Josh King.

Sure, the Cherries have suffered injuries along the way, but so have plenty of teams further up the league.

Bournemouth’s rise to the Premier League, funded by Russian businessman Maxim Demin, isn’t quite the fairytale some would have you believe. On promotion from the Championship in 2015, the Cherries were slapped with a £7.6m fine for breaching Financial Fair Play rules, quite spectacularly. They already had a wage bill higher than a number of Premier League clubs at £30.4m, and subsequently made a £38.3m loss.

A bit naughty… and maybe this season the south coast club’s luck is running out.

Aston Villa

Dean Smith’s Aston Villa are also deep in trouble, currently 19^th and, after spending big in the summer, they were the new team which seemed most likely to cope.

The Villans won promotion from the Championship with the help of Chelsea loanee Tammy Abraham, and head coach Smith already had the mercurial Jack Grealish as his captain.

So a spend of over £100m on players such as striker Wesley ought to have done the trick, but they have failed to gel, and injuries to Wesley and former Burnley keeper Tom Heaton have seriously dented their survival hopes.

Villa look the most likely team to join Norwich in the drop when hostilities resume.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 06-Apr-2020 at 12:36 PM

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Premier League COVID-19 Update

There may not be a whole lot of football going on, but there’s still plenty happening in the Premier League as club owners, players and fans get to grips with the new reality.

We await news of when the league might resume but not everyone is in agreement over the way forward. There are all sorts of factors at play. For instance, while Manchester City’s domestic season is pretty much done, star striker Sergio Aguero could quite easily win the Golden Boot, as we reported here at SBOBET last week; and that’s not an opportunity he’d like to pass up.

Meanwhile there are clubs and players who’d be happy for the 2019/20 season to be consigned to history, but they are likely to be disappointed. In the meantime players are making the headlines with their activity off the pitch, contract negotiations and social distancing slip ups.

Captains close ranks on 30 per cent pay cut

After several clubs, including Newcastle United, Spurs, Norwich City and Bournemouth sparked outrage by furloughing non playing staff to grab some state money, Gordon Taylor, the boss of the PFA, has done his usual trick of making his members even more unpopular with the general public.

He responded to suggestions that players should take a pay-cut, to support their non-playing colleagues, with a staggering lack of awareness, resisting calls for a 30 per cent pay cut. And it seems the captains of all 20 Premier League clubs have formed a WhatsApp group to form a united front, one such skipper calling the suggestion ‘disgraceful’!

We’d all love to know who that is…

To be fair to the captains, they have suggested they’d be happy to donate a pay-cut to charities, and are mainly concerned about the club owners pocketing the money. And they don’t want to be coerced into signing new contracts.

Kyle Walker’s big mistake

Manchester City and England wing-back Kyle Walker has been in the Premier League 2020 news too this week but for all the wrong reasons. While the vast majority of the UK responded to a rallying call from the government and Queen by showing the fortitude and discipline to avoid unnecessary spread of the virus, Walker hosted a sex party to make the lockdown more fun!

And that was after he publicly urged fans to work together to beat the virus… by staying at home with family alone.

The player has since apologised but that doesn’t wash with anyone, and when we get back to normal, fans of the other 19 Premier League clubs will not let Walker forget his hypocrisy, not to mention his phenomenal lack of judgement or sense of responsibility.

The song-writers will be working on the Walker chants as we speak!

What happens next?

Jack Grealish in action during Aston Villa’s match against Leicester City

Discussions are ongoing to try to find a solution to the problem of how to complete the 2019/20 league season.  The option of cancelling the season is too horrifying for some clubs to contemplate, not to mention the fans. Liverpool particularly, and the clubs in line for promotion to the Premier League would be distraught.

The likely solution is to recommence the season behind closed doors, when it is safe to do so. The Premier League clubs and shareholders met last Friday to mould a response to the crisis, saying: “The restart date is under constant review with all stakeholders, as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic develops and we work together through this very challenging time.

“The Premier League is working closely with the whole of professional football and there is a combined objective for all remaining domestic league and cup matches to be played, enabling us to maintain the integrity of each competition.”

The financial implications for Premier League clubs could be quite damaging if no further football is played this season, with clubs standing to lose around £750m.

Of course, there will be a few clubs which would be quite happy if the 2019/20 season were to be erased from the records, relegation threatened West Ham Brighton and Watford, for a start. That trio of clubs sit precariously above the drop zone, and if you take a look at the latest relegation Premier League 2020 betting odds you can see just how close they are to financial catastrophe in any case.

But, for the vast majority in the football family, we just want to get the game back on.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 07-Apr-2020 at 11:00 AM

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Premier League Transfer News

In a fast moving global situation the Premier League is still a few weeks away from resumption, but players and coaches are still working hard to stay at the top of their game.

Once the spread of coronavirus is under firm control there are plenty of matters to be settled on the pitch, and some to progress off it, as clubs start to formulate their squad plans for next season.

Rumours are coming thick and fast and we are already in April, but while Europe’s clubs are working furiously behind the scenes they will need more time than usual.

FIFA to flex the summer window

There’s a growing acceptance in the world of football that to complete the big league commitments by the 30^th June is now a huge ask. So FIFA, the world governing body, has committed to allowing the summer transfer window to be moved. In terms of Premier League 2020 news this is a big deal because it means that player contracts will likely be extended until the season ends.

FIFA has looked at football employment agreements during the pandemic and ‘strongly encourages clubs and players to work together to find agreements and solutions’. Moving Euro 2020 to 2021  was the first step in the strategy to enable the European leagues to complete their commitments and this latest announcement gives more flexibility and player peace of mind.

London Calling for Donnarumma

This move could well have increased Chelsea’s hopes of signing exciting young AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma as FIFA’s announcement could lead to a buyers market. And Blues head coach Frank Lampard would love to land the Rossoneri’s stopper having struggled to find any real consistency in current number one Kepa Arrizabalaga, after his world-record transfer from Athletic Bilbao.

Kepa Arrizabalaga is fighting for his place after a series of poor run this season

Another Serie A goal-keeper is on the radar of several Premier League clubs. 29-year-old Marco Silvestri has been in brilliant form for Hellas Verona to help his club to eighth place in the Italian league, and both Everton and Southampton are said to be interested.

While AC Milan may be losing a keeper the Rossoneri have their eyes on an attacking midfielder and are reported to be lining up a new £35m offer for Arsenal star Lucas Torreira. The Uruguayan struggled to impress under former boss Unai Emery but has looked much better since the arrival of Mikel Arteta, and he is one of Milan’s main summer targets.

Bundesliga comings and goings

German champions FC Bayern have been pursuing Manchester City’s winger Leroy Sane for a year now, and they are due to rekindle their interest at the end of this season, despite the Sky Blue man’s injury which has kept him out for the whole of the campaign. Bayern legend Lothar Matthaus has weighed in, saying he would prefer his former club to go for Leipzig’s red hot striker Timo Werner.

In any case, the Sky Blues might be keener to offload wing-back Kyle Walker, who has been caught out having a party when the rest of the sane world was observing the life saving social distancing policy. The Premier League 2020 betting odds have written off any chance of the Sky Blues retaining their league title, but they still need to maintain that aura of super-professionalism in readiness for the 2020/21 season. Walker has some explaining to do.

Back to transfer whispers, Borussia Dortmund are preparing for the departure of England winger Jadon Sancho who is admired by both Liverpool and Manchester City and, should the 20-year old leave, BVB are running the rule over Valencia’s Ferran Torres as a possible replacement.

Sanchez to remain a Red Devil?

According to recent reports, out of favour Manchester United striker Alexis Sanchez will be happy to see out his two-year contract at Old Trafford and at £400k a week you can see why! The Chilean striker has been out on loan at Inter Milan this season but, without a truly top-class striker in his ranks, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might be willing to invest time in Sanchez to see if he can rekindle the form of the ex-Arsenal man.

Meanwhile, the Red Devils have opened talks with Lazio over a potential deal for midfield ace Sergej Milinkovic-Savic as they see the 25-year old as a like-for-like replacement for Paul Pogba who looks likely to leave Old Trafford in the summer.

But we’ve been here before with Pogba.

So that’s it for now folks. But there will be plenty more rumours surfacing over the coming weeks, and here at SBOBET, we’ll keep the news flowing as it happens.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 09-Apr-2020 at 5:52 PM

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What Happens When The Premier League Returns?

It is one of so many questions being asked which, quite frankly, none of us know the answer to – not least, some of the clubs themselves.

However, I’m not talking about the actual Premier League action – it’s been over a month since we last had a weekend of that and it will be even longer before it resumes.

And I’m not talking about how the SBOBET Premier League betting odds may look if and when play resumes.

Yes, some intriguing aspects remain, not least the competition for European places and the fight for Premier League survival which is one of the closest in recent years.

Although the drop to the Championship is looking increasingly unavoidable for Norwich, with Daniel Farke’s side bottom of the table with 21 points and six from safety, it is anyone’s guess which teams will join them.

Despite sitting one place above the Canaries with 25 points, Aston Villa are just four behind 15th-placed Brighton and possess a game in hand on their fellow relegation rivals.

Meanwhile, West Ham, Watford and Bournemouth are only separated by goal difference as all three teams find themselves on 27 points.

Again though, that is not up for discussion, nor a priority, here.

What I am talking about is what state certain clubs will be in when the COVID-19 pandemic eases and association football restarts – whether a continuation of 2019/20 or the start of a new campaign.

Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville last month described as “inconceivable” the suggestion football will start again before June, even though there remains hope from all top flight leagues across Europe to finish the season by June 30.

With the European Championships and Olympics being postponed until 2021, football bodies are keen to get the current season finished.

Yet as Neville rightly says, a lot of things have to happen before authorities even contemplate playing behind closed doors, let alone in front of spectators again.

The outbreak is having such a huge impact on the English top flight that it seems inconceivable that only 31 days ago the football season and the Cheltenham Festival were in full swing.

Now some people watch virtual racing while the beautiful game tears itself apart craving for the days when Premier League highlights were a regular occurrence.

There are so many negatives alongside the obvious positives.

View on Etihad Stadium ticketing office being closed after Premier League suspended games

For every Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson leading by example with significant pay cuts being donated to the National Health Service; for everyone in the #playerstogether initiative such as Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford and Kevin de Bruyne raising millions for NHS-related charities; for every member of Southampton’s squad deferring 10 per cent of their salary for three months, there are certain clubs abusing the system.

Take league leaders Liverpool which made a £42 million in profit last year alone. For a club which holds itself up as ‘something more’, it took a major misstep in its decision to furlough non-playing staff. Despite a U-turn after pressure, it spoke of a lack of integrity.

Likewise, the behaviour of the owners of Spurs and Newcastle United have shamefully exposed the opportunistic and capitalist morals that, in all probability, made them very wealthy in the first place.

Realistically, all leading clubs should have enough in reserve to see them through this period, better insulated than most against loss of gate and matchday income.

There is also an onus on players to take cuts to help their respective employers mitigate the negative economic effect of this health crisis.

In contrast, not all Premier League clubs are in the same boat.

Many have a severely negative asset value – in other words, they’re in debt up to the hilt – with Brighton the worst afflicted of all by a considerable distance.

Their negative asset value is £223,072, which means the club will survive only as long as owner Tony Bloom can put his hand in his pocket. He has already ploughed £300million into the club and currently finds his businesses in the leisure sector severely affected by the crisis.

That means paying salaries could be far from straightforward for a number of clubs who will be struggling for alternative breakthroughs on the enormous wage burden which sees the average Premier League player rewarded to the tune of £60,000 a week.

Some of the smaller clubs in the Premier League, let alone the lower leagues, need to go into furlough to protect themselves and the livelihood of their employers.

There is not even a guarantee of a summer pot of money either with some set to miss out on tens of millions in prize money due to this summer’s International Champions Cup being cancelled amid the pandemic.

Teams have pocketed up to £16 million for taking part in the pre-season tournament each year since it began in 2013, with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur among the previous winners.

It will be some time before the final damage caused by COVID-19 is known. A certainty though is that, when the Premier League finally does return, it could be a very different landscape for all bar the leading players.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 13-Apr-2020 at 11:45 AM

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Who Are the Best Number 1s in the Premier League?

In a recent poll conducted by the BBC to ascertain the best goalkeepers in Premier League history, only three of the current crop of custodians made the shortlist.

Perhaps that is surprising, perhaps it is not given that many of the number ones at top-flight clubs have not necessarily played in the Premier League long enough to be truly judged.

Indeed, a few on the shortlist compiled by the BBC could easily be questioned.

Either way, the three current goalkeepers on that list must surely be included in any top five from 2020? Well, actually, not quite.

Whether you agree with my choices remains to be seen.

Assessing a goalkeeper’s importance is a tricky task. Some weighting is clearly given to the number of saves they make, but those who represent teams fighting relegation are usually busier than those in a title race.

Clean sheets are also far from a perfect metric given that the calibre of finishing in England’s top tier can often see a goalkeeper’s record muddied through no real fault of their own, or indeed account for the standard of the defence in front of them.

So here we go – and yes, this in order!

1. David de Gea (Manchester United)

By far the best goalkeeper in England, and possibly Europe, over the past decade. A series of uncharacteristic mistakes towards the end of last season – and a few during the current campaign – have led to some questioning whether he is past his peak. I cannot agree.

It’s only because such errors have been so rare that when the Spanish number one does make one, it shocks us. Recruited by Sir Alex Ferguson as a teenager, it’s hard to imagine where United would have been in many of the seasons since Ferguson retired without their number one.

At times, he has been a one-man blockade against opposition attacks in a way few other goalkeepers have. Still the best in the league, despite some unsettling showings over the past 12 months.

2. Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City)

A Premier League winner, still as strong and still holds as much as a presence his penalty area as he did in the Foxes’ unforgettable title-winning season, Kasper Schmeichel has 10 clean sheets in the league this season. Only two teams have a better defensive record than Leicester, despite them selling Harry Maguire last summer. The Dane is a major reason why.

Kasper Schmeichel in action for Leicester City

3. Alisson Becker (Liverpool)

Also with 10 clean sheets in the league is Alisson at Liverpool, even though he missed the first quarter of the campaign with an injury sustained in the opening league game. Brazil’s number one and the winner of the Golden Glove in the Champions League last season, he and Virgil van Dijk have completely transformed Liverpool’s defence. A real presence.

4. Dean Henderson (Sheffield United)

On current form, he should be England’s number one. Who knows, perhaps he will be by the time Euro 2020 is held – in 2021! Like Schmeichel and Alisson, he is behind only Nick Pope of Burnley in terms of top-flight clean sheets this term, Henderson has continued to be a vital cog in Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United team, which defied the Premier League 2020 odds this year.

Don’t be surprised if the Blades loanee takes England’s number one jersey from Everton’s Jordan Pickford sooner rather than later and, in the longer term, possibly replaces De Gea at Old Trafford.

5. Martin Dubravka (Newcastle United)

If you look at all the underlying stats, there is no explanation for how Newcastle are not in the bottom three. Step forward Martin Dubravka, who has produced several Premier League 2020 highlights — 117 saves in 2,610 minutes to be exact, which is a league record this term. His arrival on Tyneside in January 2018 remains the club’s best transfer business of recent years.

The most controversial omission from my list must be Man City’s Ederson – whose ability to read danger coming from his starting position is first-class – or Burnley’s Nick Pope with the most clean-sheets this term (my SBOBET colleague Stuart Wilkin may never forgive me for this!).

Likewise, if Aston Villa’s Tom Heaton had not seen his season ended in January through injury, he may have made this list.

The almost-effortless Rui Patrício at Wolves and Bernd Leno, growing in stature at Arsenal, were also close to making the top five.

There you go, I suppose I’ve just given you a top 10!

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 14-Apr-2020 at 12:11 PM

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Premier League: The Best of the Hammers

Founded as Thames Ironworks FC in 1895, there have been over 1000 players who have donned their signature claret and blue shirts.

While West Ham United are far from the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United in terms of winning in the Premier League, they have had their share of standout players in their team history.

The Hammers still have their good players with the likes of Declan Rice and Sebastien Haller leading way. But unlike in their glory days, the Hammers’ Premier League 2020 odds of winning the title – let alone making it to the top four – look very slim even prior to this season’s suspension.

Join and discuss with SBOBET as we list some of the best players who have suited up for West Ham United.

Billy Bonds

There’s no doubt that Billy Bonds is Mr. West Ham United given his 21-year tenure over at Upton Park.

His career with the Hammers began on 1967 after a stint from Charlton Athletic. Bonds was the stabilizing force in the midfield where he can operate smoothly as a playmaker or as a rugged defender.

The Woolwich native would tow the Hammers to as far as the semis in the Football League Cup during the 1971/72 season although they eventually lost to Stoke City.

In the next season, Bonds was given the role of captaincy and led the Hammers in scoring with 13 goals along with an FA Cup championship. The Hammers would win one more FA Cup in 1980, making him the only captain to lift two FA Cup trophies in club history.

And while injuries stopped him on his tracks early in the 80’s, Bonds was able to re-establish himself with the team as he finished his career in Upton Park. Overall, the midfielder made 793 first team appearances, netting 59 goals in the process.

Because of his time with the club, Bonds won “Hammer of the Year” awards in 1971, 1974, 1975, and 1987. West Ham also established the Billy Bonds stand as a part of their stadium last year.

Paolo Di Canio

West Ham’s Paolo Di Canio celebrates goal with teammate Paolo Wanchope

With West Ham priding themselves in being a goal scoring group, they will surely be one of the teams fighting for goalscorers that can create a ton of Premier League 2020 highlights.

The Hammers would need a second coming of Paolo Di Canio, who isn’t shy of showing off during his time at Upton Park.

The cheeky Italian had a fruitful time with West Ham United, thanks to his brilliance on the pitch along with his affable personality.

Di Canio would bring West Ham to the fifth spot at the Premier League table in the 1999 season after struggling with mediocrity in years before.

He was named OPTA player of the year in the same season and his flying volley against Wimbledon the year after was named as BBC’s Goal of the Season.

Because of his goal scoring ways, Di Canio was being offered a lucrative deal to play in Old Trafford. However, he stayed for the Hammers for another season and a half despite the team struggling at the bottom of the league.

Trevor Brooking

Trevor Brooking had a decorated career playing for the Hammers in the 70’s. Known as a cerebral playmaker, the Essex native emerged as the team’s leader when he took over from Geoff Hurst and Bobby Moore.

Brooking made 636 appearances while scoring 103 goals for West Ham in his 17 years there. He would also win two FA Cup titles.

Right now, Brooking is still part of the club albeit behind the scenes. When Glenn Roeder collapsed due to a brain tumour in 2003, Trevor Brooking took over as the club’s caretaker in two separate occasions.

Like Billy Bonds, Trevor Booking has a stand named after him in Upton Park, which by itself should clearly make him worthy of this list.

Geoff Hurst

Geoff Hurst was one of the fiercest competitors in his era known for his speed and brilliance in scoring goals during the 60’s.

In his 13 years with the Hammers, Hurst brought home a World Cup Winners Medal and an FA Cup championship in 1966. With their win in the FA Cup, the Hammers made the most out of their stint in the succeeding European Cup Winner’s Cup by lifting their first-ever European trophy.

That season was his personal best with the club, scoring 40 goals in 59 games in all competitions. Hurst would also make himself a household name in the England national team by helping the Three Lions win the World Cup.

Bobby Moore

There can be no dispute on who’s the greatest West Ham United player of all time since that recognition belongs to Sir Bobby Moore.

One of the best defenders of his era, Moore’s speed and power would overwhelm opposing strikers and he can make plays on the other end as well.

Moore served as the captain for the Hammers for a decade, which resulted to a World Cup Winners Medal and a FA Cup championship alongside Geoff Hurst. At the same time, the Hammers legend was also a staple to the England national team.

His leadership, grit, and work ethic set the standard for the club in years to come. And with a stand named after him in Upton Park, there’s no doubt that Bobby Moore deserves to be known as one of the best players ever to have played for the Hammers.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 21-Apr-2020 at 1:24 PM

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Premier League Star Buys

Money makes the world go round; and that old mantra is nowhere truer than in the big European football leagues, as the continent’s top clubs jostle to get the cash out of the door to secure the world’s best playing riches.

There have been some eye-watering transfer fees in the Premier League in recent years. Virgil Van Dijk’s £75m move from Southampton to Liverpool, in 2018, has transformed Jurgen Klopp’s Reds from a swashbuckling also-ran to this season’s runaway leader.

Manchester United have tried to respond by shelling out £80m to bring Harry Maguire from Leicester City, and only time will tell if that bold investment is to pay off. The same can be said for Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe who moved to the Emirates in the summer but hasn’t exactly looked like a £72m player.

We SBOBET football fans can all point to a transfer at our own club which has been money well spent, I’ll throw my hat in as a Burnley madman and say Ashley Barnes at £500k wasn’t a bad punt!

But which three players have represented the very best value in Premier League history? Well folks, here’s my selection.

3: Thierry Henry to Arsenal from Juventus for £14M in 1999

When Arsene Wenger took over as head coach at Arsenal and transformed the Gunners from turgid 1-0 specialists to the English version of the Ajax’ ‘total football’ team, the Frenchman turned to his homeland to find the finesse he was looking for. And the epitome of that was Thierry Henry.

He arrived at Highbury as a speedy winger with an eye for goal but left eight years later with two Premier League titles and two FA Cups, and he had become the perfect striker, swift of foot, sharp of mind and with a stunning array of finishes.

Henry’s partnership with Dennis Bergkamp in the Arsenal Invincibles team of 2004 was arguably the best the Premier League has ever seen, and the question is; what this current Arsenal team would give for a leader and a truly world-class player like Henry?

Arsenal forward Thierry Henry celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Manchester United

2: Roy Keane to Manchester United from Nottingham Forest for £7m in 1993

Red Devils fans can point to any number of players who have represented fantastic value over the past three decades. The enigmatic Frenchman Eric Cantona arrived in 1992 for £1.6m and was there right at the start of United’s resurgence.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney both made big impacts for Manchester United once they had become established as the best side in England, but Keane, the tough-tackling Irishman, was there at the start too.

For neutrals, one of the best Premier League battles in the late nineties was the frequent clashes between Keane and Arsenal’s midfield general Patrick Vieira. The United man summed it up succinctly, saying: “I can’t think of any other word that springs to mind when I was going into battle with Arsenal. Hatred was the word.”

As well as being a hard man and a hot head off the pitch, Keane wasn’t a bad player either; he scored 33 goals in 326 games for United at a time when the Red Devils won the league seven times in ten seasons.

1: Sergio Aguero to Manchester City from Atletico Madrid for £36m in 2011

Manchester City had been in the shadow of their neighbours for over 20 years when striker Sergio Aguero arrived at the Etihad as the Sky Blue revolution was gathering momentum, and he will be forever remembered for his stunning 93rd-minute strike as Manchester City won their first Premier League title in 2012.

The Argentine hit man is one of the best players Manchester has ever seen, and his goal tally of 180 in 261 appearances speaks for itself. During his spell in Manchester, the Sky Blues have won four Premier Leagues and two FA Cups, including two domestic doubles. The pre-season Premier League 2020 betting tips backed a third successive league title for the Sky Blues but while they are well off the pace, Aguero could easily still win the Golden Boot. He’s in joint third place on 16 and just three goals behind Leicester’s Jamie Vardy.

So there we have it. Three brilliant players who have helped to change the course of history at their respective clubs, and all three were worth every penny.

Back to the now; the English Football League has issued an open letter announcing that the Championship, League One and Two will recommence behind closed doors when it is safe to do so. I expect the Premier League to follow suit, but with the UK lockdown just extended to May 7th, we have at least three weeks to wait.

Rest assured folks; we’ll be back with all the latest Premier League 2020 news as and when it arrives.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 21-Apr-2020 at 1:29 PM

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Top 5 Premier League Matches of 2020 So Far

The Premier League once again provided some terrific matches during the 2019-2020 season. There were matches which saw history both made and foiled, not to mention some stunning upsets and amazing comebacks that will live long in the memories of SBOBET Premier League supporters.

So as the wait for the Premier League to return continues, let’s take a quick look back at five of the best matches of the season to date.

Southampton 0-9 Leicester City

Leicester City had a brilliant start to their debut campaign under manager Brendan Rodgers. The Foxes lost just twice in their first 17 matches, and at one point won eight matches in a row. The second of those eight wins was their historic 9-0 demolition of Southampton at St. Mary’s.

The Foxes went ahead after just 10 minutes through Ben Chilwell. And two minutes later, the Saints went down to 10 men after Ryan Bertrand was shown a red card. It was all one-way traffic after that as Leicester added four more goals before half-time.

But even with the win secured, Leicester continued their assault on the poor Saints as they looked to break the record for the biggest Premier League away win of all-time. They eventually got it through a stoppage-time penalty from Jamie Vardy, who also completed his hat-trick.

Arsenal 3-2 Aston Villa

Arsenal have had a disastrous Premier League campaign. Unai Emery was unable to fix the squad’s many weaknesses, which led to them sliding way down in the table.

Emery was eventually sacked midway through the season, but before the Spaniard’s dismissal, he led the Gunners to one of the most dramatic wins of the year against Aston Villa.

Arsenal were in serious trouble as they were a goal down and a man down at half-time following Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ sending off. And even when they equalised through a Nicolas Pepe penalty, Wesley scored seconds later to put Villa back in front.

But Calum Chambers and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came through with late strikes in quick succession to complete the 10-man Gunners’ amazing comeback victory.

Sheffield United 3-3 Manchester United

Sheffield United and Manchester United are two of the top four defences in the league this season, conceding just 25 and 30 goals, respectively. But surprisingly, the two Uniteds combined to produce several Premier League 2020 highlights in a thrilling 3-3 shootout when they met at Bramall Lane.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks disappointed following their 3-3 draw with Sheffield United

The Blades looked set for another huge victory as they went up 2-0 against the visitors. But the Red Devils — inspired by teens Brandon Williams and Mason Greenwood — rallied in remarkable fashion as they scored three times in a seven-minute span to turn the game on its head.

But the brilliant match had one more twist left as Oli McBurnie snatched a dramatic equaliser in the 90th minute to rescue a point for the Blades.

Watford 3-0 Liverpool

If and when Premier League play resumes, Liverpool will win their first league title in three decades. The Merseysiders were absolutely dominant this season as they built up an insurmountable 25-point lead over closest challengers, Manchester City.

However, the Reds are out of the running for another piece of history — an invincible season — after Watford defied the Premier League 2020 betting odds and produced by far the biggest upset of the season.

The relegation-threatened Hornets had been in disastrous form heading into that match with the champions-elect, but they got themselves up for the challenge.

Ismaila Sarr, in particular, showed the quality that made him the club’s record signing as he terrorised Liverpool’s vaunted defence all game long.

The Senegalese star bagged a brace and set up Troy Deeney’s clinching goal as the Hornets claimed a historic 3-0 victory at Vicarage Road to end Liverpool’s bid for an unbeaten season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 Manchester City

Wolves have been a thorn in Manchester City’s side in recent years. Nuno Espiritu Santo’s side handed the defending champions their first home loss of the season as a late Adama Traore brace sparked a 2-0 victory at the Etihad.

The hosts were handed a golden opportunity to claim another great result against the reigning champions as Ederson was sent off after just 12 minutes. But despite going a man down, City somehow went 2-0 up thanks to a Raheem Sterling brace.

City’s Wolves woes would come back to bite them, though, as the home side staged a stunning comeback. After Adama Traore pulled a goal back, Raul Jimenez scored eight minutes from time to level it up at 2-2.

And just before the 90 minute mark, Matt Doherty made Molineux erupt with a brilliant strike to hand Wolves one of the most famous wins in their history.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 21-Apr-2020 at 2:32 PM

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Premier League Comings and Goings

We’re still some way away from a restart in the Premier League and other European competitions, but it’s getting closer by the day.

Countries around the world are at different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, but in Europe, Italy, Germany, Spain and England may have reached or be near a plateau and, when it’s safe to do so, players in the big leagues will return to training.

Clubs say they’ll need three weeks as a “pre-season” to get their stars match fit so we await government instructions.

Looking ahead, the UK press has reported that Premier League clubs have been told the 2020/21 season must start by the beginning of September, and that will apply some considerable fixture pressure on this current campaign, with no fixed start date yet in sight.

Early June is the target to reboot the 2019/20 season, but it’s a fast-moving situation so let’s wait and see.

Is David Silva Valencia–bound?

When play recommences, we’ll hopefully have a few more opportunities to enjoy the mercurial talent of David Silva before he leaves Manchester City.

Last weekend, here at SBOBET, we selected our three best Premier League transfers of all-time and while his Manchester City team-mate Sergio Aguero was on the list, Silva was very close to making the cut.

Since his departure from Valencia to join the Sky Blue revolution in 2010, the creative midfielder has played more than 300 games while scoring over 50 goals, as City have picked up four Premier League titles and two FA Cups.

Silva’s calm persona, beautiful style of play and ability to pick the killer pass have been some of the very best features of Manchester City over the last decade.

But with his contract set to expire at the end of June, the Spaniard could be heading back to his old stomping ground at Valencia in La Liga.

If he does return to the Mestalla, he’ll be a fans’ favourite immediately and could help to elevate Los Che to the heights of being a European power once again.

Meanwhile, the Sky Blues’ biggest rivals, Liverpool, could be set to make a spectacular move for France scoring sensation Kylian Mbappe. The Premier League 2020 betting odds on the Reds winning the title this term disappeared without trace months ago and, while they hope to finish the job soon, Jurgen Klopp clearly has one eye on next season.

Real Madrid are reportedly eyeing up Reds striker Sadio Mane, and if they meet the club’s £150m valuation, then Mbappe might just be heading to Merseyside.

Los Blancos head coach Zinedine Zidane has made no secret of his admiration for Liverpool’s Senegalese star, so this is a situation we’ll keep a close eye on.

Premier League pay cuts are not for everyone

Mesut Ozil is one of the three Arsenal players that rejects 12.5 percent pay-cut

It’s been a difficult time for Premier League footballers during the coronavirus outbreak; they have had to do their best to stay fit while taking a fair amount of criticism from fans and the media.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock angered players by asking them to take a pay-cut, while several clubs were slated for their decision to furlough non-playing staff while continuing to pay their players’ full whack.

Many players have now taken a pay-cut, but not all. German winger Mesut Ozil has declined to take a 12.5 per cent reduction in pay as one of three Arsenal players to hold out.

The Gunners’ top earner, on £350,000 a week, doesn’t want to be rushed into a decision while he sees how the coronavirus impacts on the finance of clubs and the economy as a whole.

The vast majority of his team-mates have already worked it out, but Ozil has urged them to respect his stance. I’m not entirely sure that it’s his fellow players he needs to worry about.

When the Premier League season does reconvene, and all the stars are back to doing what they love rather than preserving their reputations, there is likely to be a busy fixture schedule for all concerned. FIFA has moved to provide flexibility around player contracts and the summer transfer window.

Of course, players, coaches and all the fans are thinking about a return date, and the first week in June looks like the best hope at the moment. In the meantime, we’ll keep the Premier League 2020 news rolling as it happens.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 22-Apr-2020 at 1:21 PM

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Premier League: Five Young Players who became Big Stars at Spurs

They like their football played on the grass in North London. Not for Spurs, and latterly Arsenal, is the long punt and second ball game the way fans enjoy it.

Tottenham Hotspur has a rich history in the top flight of English football, and the club is associated with a sense of class and a playing style which is easy on the eye. This philosophy doesn’t always bring prizes, as the club’s struggle to win a Premier League title testifies. But it does mean that the Whites have been blessed by some of the most attractive football talent spanning the past 50 years, since a time when they dominated the English league at the beginning of the 1960s.

Today we run the rule over five of Spurs’ best young stars. Three academy products and two players who arrived at the tender age of 21 who have each been central to some of the best football played at White Hart Lane.

Ledley King

Known as the finest defender in Spurs’ Premier League history, Ledley King was a Rolls Royce of a player He was a one club man, patrolling the defensive third for Spurs between 1999 and 2012, making 323 appearances. He also won 21 caps for England and would have undoubtedly achieved more had he not been dogged by injury.

He came to prominence when centre back Sol Campbell angered Spurs fans by moving to Arsenal, and that betrayal has often been compared unfavourably with King’s loyalty. But he was far more than a loyal servant, oozing class and composure with the ability to time tackles to perfection.

Paul Gascoigne

When he arrived at White Hart Lane as a brash 21-year old Paul Gascoigne was already a global star, following his thrilling role in England’s journey to the 1990 World Cup semi-final; and he was a hero on Tyneside where he learned his football at Newcastle United. He was nearest thing to genius the English game had seen since the wonderful talent of George Best wowed fans nationwide.

With superb ball control and balance, a spectacular array of passing and a fierce shot, Gascoigne was the complete attacking midfielder, but he also had a self destructive side. One of the many infamous moments in Gazza’s career came in his last appearance for Spurs, the 1991 FA Cup Final. He was already committed to joining Lazio the following season when he strode onto the Wembley pitch. But he left it on a stretcher, 15 minutes after the start, when a reckless high challenge on Nottingham Forest’s Gary Charles left Gazza with damaged knee ligaments. He recalls: “I remember Charles coming down the right. I tried to get a good challenge on him and let him know he was in a game.”

He was ‘daft as a brush’ as they say in Newcastle…but what a player!

Harry Kane

With the Premier League transfer rumour mill already at full speed the annual questions around whether Harry Kane is about to leave Spurs are being asked again. And there’s no wonder. Ever since he arrived at the club as an 11 year old he was destined for stardom and now, as captain of club and country, he is one of the hottest properties on the planet.

As a youngster he had productive loan spells at Millwall and Leicester City before scoring 31 goals across all competitions in his first full season in 2014/15. He’s been as prolific ever since when he’s on the pitch, but another injury to Kane has influenced our Premier League 2020 predictions as, without him, Spurs have struggled to climb into European contention this year.

Jimmy Greaves

There have been some pretty impressive scorers in the Premier League era but the most lethal top flight finisher of all time was the great Jimmy Greaves.

He was 21 when he arrived at Spurs, having begun his career at Chelsea, and he went on to score a colossal 266 goals for the Whites. With spells at Stamford Bridge and later West Ham, Greaves ended up with a total of 357 top flight goals. He’s known by England fans as the best natural goal-scorer of all time, and if Greaves was still around today in the Spurs team, our SBOBET tips would be heading towards ‘over 2.50 goals’ more often than not!

Glenn Hoddle

They’ve had their fair share at Spurs, but probably their most gifted player in modern times was midfield maestro Glenn Hoddle who joined the club as a 12 year old and made his debut as a 17 year old in 1975. The 1979/80 season was when he came of age, bagging 19 goals and winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

He scored 110 times for Spurs and probably made more assists with his beautiful delivery of a ball. Pragmatists sometimes saw him as a luxury, but no team in the top flight would have refused the chance to have him light up their own pitch.

Hoddle is well up with the very latest Premier League 2020 news as a TV pundit in England, but Spurs fans aren’t alone in wishing he was still working his graceful art on the pitch.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 27-Apr-2020 at 3:25 PM

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Premier League Flashback: The Bolton Wanderers Have Shocked the World

Bolton Wanderers 2-2 Arsenal

It is a game that is always foremost in my mind when I think of Premier League classics.

Yet despite enjoying some truly wonderful moments in the Premier League, few matches have brought me as much joy and emotion as this one on Saturday, April 26, 2003.

To give you an indication, the match didn’t even feature my beloved Manchester United but alternatively, my second team – the Bolton Wanderers.

Growing up, my mum and I joked that her dad (my grandad) had never put us to bed with the usual bedtime story or fairy tale. Instead, we were reminded of and therefore have always remembered to this day, the Bolton Wanderers side of 1923.

It was the first-ever FA Cup final at Wembley – ‘The White Horse’ final. Bolton beat West Ham and even now, just like so many of my family, I can instantly recall the starting XI which made history (and the scorers in Bolton’s 2-0 win).

Looking back, I am sure that triumph cemented my grandfather’s affection for the Wanderers. His memories of that time certainly evoked mine.

Fast forward to 80 years, and Bolton versus Arsenal at the Reebok Stadium meant so much to me for two reasons.

First, I was desperate for Bolton to survive. And second, there was one thing I was even more desperate for – for Manchester United to win the title.

The contest was played on a Saturday lunchtime when Arsenal had the likes of Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg, Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole, making them the favourites to retain the title.

Bolton had departed the famous Burden Park nearly six years earlier. And while my grandad had passed away little under two years before this encounter, I’m sure he was looking down proud at what followed.

Highlights of the game

After a closely contested first half, goals from Sylvain Wiltord and Pires early in the second half put the Gunners firmly in the driving seat and heading back to the summit with three very winnable final games of the season to come.

At that point, virtually everyone felt the contest was over.

Bolton, however, were giving it their all and refused to give up against the champions.

Their determination was also matched by more style than they ever received credit for.

After all, the Trotters were not supposed to stay up against the Premier League odds as they were the whipping boys against far wealthier and bigger clubs.

Instead of appreciating what Sam Allardyce was achieving, much of the sports media had long since branded Bolton as a long-ball side and made no secret of the fact they wanted West Ham — comprising young English talents Joe Cole, Michael Carrick, Jermain Defoe, plus Paolo Di Canio et al —  to stay up at Bolton’s expense.

To brand Bolton a long-ball team, however — a side comprising the likes of Jay-Jay Okocha, Youri Djorkaeff and Ivan Campo — was simply insulting and as it proved, it was completely inaccurate.

The trio simply helped inspire Bolton and the French World Cup winner pulled one back when David Seaman beat away a 20-yard shot from Per Frandsen and Djorkaeff showed a cool head to score.

I celebrated with relief and joy upon seeing these Premier League highlights. Why? Perhaps I subconsciously realised a stirring comeback was on the cards.

Even my dad was rather surprised at my reaction to the goal – Arsenal were still very much in charge of their own destiny.

However, Bolton would not stop working and believing. My reaction to what followed just over 10 minutes later was on a completely different level.

A home player was fouled on the left-hand side. Then as Djorkaeff delivered a curling free-kick from the left and under pressure, Arsenal substitute Martin Keown could only flick the ball beyond his own goalkeeper, a stunned Seaman.

My joy, my emotion, my relief was simply immeasurable. This meant so much.

With my stomach in knots, Bolton held on. To a man, they were simply magnificent.

What happened next?

I can still recall the magical Okocha who was so good that they named him twice juggling the ball as if we’re in his back garden keeping possession, forcing frustrated Arsenal to foul him.

I want to give ode to the classy Frandsen and Djorkaeff contesting every ball as if their life depended on it and to on-loan Florent Laville being simply superb at the back, even if he picked up a second yellow card in stoppage time.

The Frenchman had joined the club at the end of January and was as key as anyone in ensuring the team survived.

He wasn’t just good, he was brilliant. To give you an indication of how impressive he was, Laville played just 15 games for Bolton and yet was voted into the club’s all-time 50 top players in 2005.

He returned the following season on a permanent deal. But just five games in, he ruptured his cruciate ligament and never played for Wanderers again. He will always have a place in my heart though.

And then there was Sam Allardyce, a managerial marvel who showed his delight at full-time.

The point proved decisive for both Bolton and United.

They had to win at White Hart Lane against Spurs the following day and duly did, but the feeling this was the defining moment for both clubs in their respective quests was unavoidable.

How ironic that it was many years after I started supporting United and following Bolton before I realised that the fans of these clubs actually don’t like each other very much!

But I always have and always will, and this moment was one of the greatest in my life.

It is because this was the day which made not one but two of my dreams come true.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 27-Apr-2020 at 3:29 PM

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Premier League’s Last Line of Defence

Conventional wisdom decrees that to be a goalkeeper you need to be brave, agile, have quick reactions, good handling and above all, be slightly mad!

Why would anyone want to be the man between the sticks, watching on in admiration as the magician up front scores the goal to lift the stadium roof off, before taking the blame when an opposing striker manages to beat you with his unstoppable shot. There is no sadder sight than watching your own keeper stoop, engulfed in gloom, to pick the ball out of the net.

But the goal-keeper can also be the hero, the penalty saver; the last minute miracle blocker…he’s the last line of defence.

It’s a tough job and can be a lonely one when it isn’t going well. Everton’s Jordan Pickford has conceded the most goals (46) of any keeper in the Premier League this season, dropping some high profile clangers along the way. And another keeper who’s been in the Premier League 2020 news for the wrong reasons is Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga. The Blues are looking for a new goalie only two seasons after shelling out a record fee to bring Kepa to Stamford Bridge from Athletic Bilbao.

Chelsea head coach is an admirer of Milan’s Gianluigi Donnarumma and he could tempt the Rossoneri stopper to join a legion of fine keepers in England’s top flight. Let’s take a look at five of them who have been in superb form this season.

Nick Pope: Burnley; 11 clean sheets

When he arrived at Turf Moor in 2016 Nick Pope knew he had to bide his time as understudy to Burnley captain and legend Tom Heaton. But an injury to Heaton early in the 2017/18 season gave the 6ft 3in former Charlton keeper his chance and he took it, improving throughout the campaign as the Clarets reached the Europa League.

Burnley’s keeper has collected more clean sheets than anyone this season, as well making the most high claims at 37, with Norwich City’s Tim Krul at 26. Pope has also made the most sweeper clearances with 16, and while Pickford’s distribution is more impressive, the Burnley man’s all round game and command of his area gives him a chance of holding on to the England Number One shirt.

Alisson: Liverpool, 10 clean sheets

As the Premier League actively explores ways to get the 2019/20 season back underway, Liverpool will surely go on to win a first title in 30 years and many fans will point to Jurgen Klopp’s capture of Alisson as a turning point. The Reds have been dogged by goal-keeper problems for years, but from the moment the Brazilian arrived at Anfield in 2018 those issues disappeared without trace. With the excellent Virgil Van Dijk in front of him, Alisson exudes confidence and is equally comfortable playing with his feet as his hands. He’s a powerful presence between the posts and Reds fans will hope he stays for years to come.

Our Premier League SBOBET tips will be back in due course, the Bundesliga looks likely to be the first league to restart, and when the Premier League returns we’ll be tipping Liverpool to grab the two wins they need with seven games to spare, and probably with two more clean sheets.

Kasper Schmeichel: Leicester City, 10 clean sheets

Kasper Schmeichel during Leicester City’s mach against Wolverhampton Wanderers

Leicester’s Number One took his place in the Foxes’ history as the goal-keeper with the safe hands to lead the Midlands’ side to the most amazing Premier League title in the competition’s history.

He won the title at 29 years of age, the very same age his father, Peter, was when he won his first title with Manchester United in 1993.

Alongside striker Jamie Vardy, Schmeichel remains one of the two 2016 champions who are still mainstays in the current Brendan Rodgers side. As well as keeping for his national team, Denmark, he has now played 330 games for Leicester and with nine to go this season; a Champions League place looks on the cards again.

Dean Henderson: Sheffield United, 10 clean sheets

Pretty much everyone’s pre-season Premier League 2020 predictions had newly promoted Sheffield United nailed on for relegation. But while Norwich City and Aston Villa look likely to make a swift return to the Championship the Blades are already safe; and keeper Dean Henderson is a favourite to be their player of the season. Boss Chris Wilder criticised him when he made a gaffe to concede a goal against Liverpool, but if he makes a likely return to his parent club Manchester United in the summer, then Sheffield United will be relegation tips again next season.

Still only 23, he’s made a series of stunning performances and looks destined for a career at the very top, including a place in England’s Euro 2021 squad.

Martin Dubravka: Newcastle United, nine clean sheets

In his third season at St James’ Park, Slovakian goalkeeper Martin Dubravka has been a colossus as the Magpies last line of defence and has made more saves than any other keeper in the Premier League, keeping out 117 shots on target.

At a fee of around 4m Euros he’s been a snip, keeping a total of 24 clean sheets in 79 appearances, and he’s no slouch with his feet either, often playing in an outfield position in training. The Geordies have kept themselves clear of the relegation mire for much the season, and with Dubravka in goal they are almost certain to secure another year at the top table.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 27-Apr-2020 at 3:31 PM

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Should Premier League 2019-20 Be Cancelled?

So much has been written, so much has been talked about, yet potentially an announcement within the last 24 hours will have the biggest ramifications of all.

The warning from FIFA’s chief doctor that football’s governing bodies should prepare for next season instead of restarting the interrupted 2019-20 campaign could prove to be the defining moment in this whole debate.

As it stands, European leagues have until May to tell UEFA whether they want to complete or cancel their seasons and the Premier League is working to a model that would see the 2019-20 campaign completed by the end of July.

Yet as every day goes by, as other footballing governing body declare their seasons null and void, so the chances of the Premier League doing the same increases.

We already know the Dutch top flight, the Eredivisie, has been abandoned because of the pandemic.

Now we have been told Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 seasons will not resume after France banned all sporting events, including behind closed doors, until September.

This comes despite the news that plans are in place to ease France’s coronavirus lockdown in just a fortnight’s time.

This despite the fact it had been hoped to resume the season in mid-June.

In England, it’s hoped the lockdown restrictions will ease next month. It’s also hoped the Premier League will resume in mid-June.

So, what’s the difference?

Well, the Premier League is desperate to complete the season and preserve its vast broadcast revenues.

A sign outside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium notifying fans of the postponed matches

Officials have earmarked July 27 as the end of the domestic campaign which would then lead into August when UEFA hopes to conclude 2019-20 European competitions (though will that include French clubs now out of action until September?) in a condensed 23-day period with the 2020-21 Premier League season earmarked for a late August/early September start.

This works back from the need to start the 2020-21 season to have any chance of future campaigns and competitions also remaining intact.

But is that realistic and would players want to be rushed back?

It’s reported some players feel their willingness to rush back is being taken for granted. The trust between clubs, governing bodies and players has also been severely tested in recent weeks following largely unresolved talks over salary cuts or deferrals.

That creates another issue with players like Spurs defender Jan Vertonghen, Chelsea midfielder Willian and Liverpool’s Adam Lallana out of contract this summer.

There are so many stumbling blocks.

The medical professionals will ultimately have the say and acclaimed journalist Henry Winter has no doubt what needs to be addressed when football resumes.

It’s hard to argue with any of this logic on a range of issues.

That is for another day though.

For now, the key question is should the Premier League continue to work on plans to return this summer or knock 2019-20 on the head?

Arguments abound on both sides.

Government officials have accepted that, while at this stage sport would only be able to take place behind closed doors, it may provide many people with a much-needed boost to morale after months of lockdown.

However, with mass gatherings likely to be banned into 2021, no fans will be present and the government will need to seek assurances from the Premier League that they will work to prevent supporters from congregating outside venues, especially at major moments in the season such as title presentations and promotion parties.

Furthermore, the issue of regular testing, and the availability and accuracy of coronavirus tests, remains the biggest uncertainty. With key workers only having just been given access to tests – and it still unclear whether supply can meet this demand – sport knows that it cannot be seen to jump the queue.

Players would have to carry out further health checks and additional social distancing could be observed up until the matches began, such as ensuring more than one changing room per team. There would be no pre-match handshake and there have been calls for a ban of celebrations where players get close to each other.

Top-flight clubs will meet on Friday to discuss options for the restart but are there now simply too many obstacles to make a restart worthwhile?

The league would lose some of its integrity if it is cancelled. Equally you can’t award titles, European team or relegate teams based on a system of whatever average point tallies sides may or may not be predicted to pick up in their remaining fixtures.

For now, we all watch with interest waiting for football to return and reflect on matches of days gone by, including my personal favourites.

Stay safe, stay positive.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 29-Apr-2020 at 3:55 PM

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Premier League: Strugglers Hiding from Relegation

We’ll find out soon enough whether the Premier League is about to restart, be curtailed, or even voided. But there is an agenda at play with some clubs transparently trying to save their own skin.

The league is under pressure to return with finances stretched and players asked to take pay cuts and fans are desperate to see some action but only when it’s safe.

In recent weeks, much of the Premier League 2020 news has focused on the fluctuating prospects of a restart – with the saga of Liverpool’s attempt to win a first league title in three decades in everyone’s mind up north.

But the top flight’s plan to return is in danger of being scuppered by the six teams running scared at the bottom of the league.

Bournemouth and Aston Villa are currently in the drop zone along with bottom club Norwich City. And while the latest Premier League 2020 betting odds here at SBOBET suggest these three will struggle to escape, Watford, West Ham, and Brighton are also deep in the mire.

All eyes will be on Downing Street this weekend when the Prime Minister is due to publish his road map to exiting the current restrictions, and that will give a steer to the Premier League.

If the news in positive, the plan will be to use eight to ten neutral stadiums. But the bottom clubs claim they would be disadvantaged more than the other 14 for some reason.

Seagulls are flapping

Of the six sides in the relegation scrap, Aston Villa would be desperate for a restart rather than the season-ending now with points per game calculation, as that could mean a swift return to the Championship and the near-certain departure of talisman Jack Grealish.

But Brighton, who are just two points clear of the drop, would be delighted by that outcome. Their veteran striker Glenn Murray has already said that he favours a premature end to the season.

Seagulls’ chief executive Paul Barber has tried to justify Brighton’s resistance to the Premier League’s restart proposals by saying the loss of home advantage against big clubs would be a big disadvantage.

The south coast club is still to welcome Manchester City and Liverpool to the Amex, as well as Manchester United.

“Clearly, we must all be prepared to accept some compromises,” says Barber, “And we fully appreciate why playing behind closed doors is likely to be a necessary compromise to play our remaining games.”

“The disadvantages of us not playing the league’s top teams in our home stadium and in familiar surroundings, even with 27,000 Albion fans very unlikely to be present at the Amex, are very obvious,” he added.

On the basis that the Seagulls have failed to pick up a single point in their last 10 meetings with Manchester City and Liverpool — home or away — I rather think Barber is clutching at straws.

West Ham are one place and two points behind Brighton and outside the drop zone on goal difference alone, and they too want to play at their home stadium. The Hammers still have two home games against teams below them in Watford and Aston Villa, so I can see their point.

The next few days will be interesting. The league needs 14 of the 20 clubs to vote for a restart and some have already said they would be happy to do so providing relegation is scrapped.

But that won’t wash with the other 14 clubs, not to mention the top two teams in the Championship who are Leeds and WBA.

Chelsea fans not desperate for a restart

Chelsea youngster Billy Gilmour during their 2-2 draw with Sheffield United.

I was speaking to a mate of mine the other day who’s a lifelong Chelsea fan and asked whether he was hoping to see Premier League football again soon. But he was ambivalent to say the least.

Take a look at the league table and you’ll understand exactly why. Frank Lampard’s young guns have exceeded expectations this season with the likes of Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham stepping up comfortably, and they have a real gem in 18-year-old midfield dynamo Billy Gilmour.

A few weeks ago, they looked like they had a comfortable hold on their top-four place. But then, the Blues were beginning to show signs of fatigue, taking eight points from the last five games with only two wins, while a rejuvenated Manchester United and Wolves gathered pace in fifth and sixth position.

The gap between Chelsea and the Red Devils is down to three points. And with nine games remaining, this could be the most exciting race to the finish line.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 07-May-2020 at 3:20 PM

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Premier League’s Most Underrated Players

I asked myself should I go with who I believe have been the five most underrated players in Premier League history or do I solely opt for current stars?

In the end, I did a little bit of both here for SBOBET.

Denis Irwin

The heroics of the Irishman often went quietly unnoticed but Manchester United and their supporters knew his worth.

Every week he delivered a 7.5/8 out of 10 performance and his ability and reliability is proven by the fact he spent 12 years at Old Trafford – making 522 starts and winning 19 major honours in a star-studded spell.

Operating as a full-back adept on either side and a dead-ball specialist, he also scored 33 times to boot, which is no mean feat for a defender.

If Irwin was always the epitome of ‘Mr Consistent’, a player who arrived at the Theatre of Dreams four years after his departure was the more recent successor to the throne.

Michael Carrick

Michael Carrick may have been a fairly big money signing when he left Spurs for £16-M in 2006 but his contribution was worth every penny.

The fact that the Geordie-born midfielder was so often unsung and didn’t have the profile of many of his midfield contemporaries meant he was rarely acclaimed.

Yet England’s failure to award him more than 34 caps was definitely the loss for a national team which instead persisted in a Steven Gerrard-Frank Lampard partnership which rarely worked, yet would have benefited from Carrick’s presence to allow the former two to roam.

If it was England’s loss, it was United’s gain as Carrick won a host of honours with the Red Devils – including five Premier League titles and the Champions League.

Make no mistake about it, those who really know what they are talking about realise Carrick was one of the best midfielders in Europe for a decade.

His testimonial in June 2017 was just reward for one of the most underrated players in Premier League history.

James Milner

Another player whose record tells its own story is James Milner.

The Yorkshire man came through the ranks of Leeds United’s Academy and won the PFA Young Player of the Year while representing Aston Villa back in 2010.

He also had spells at Newcastle and won the Premier League twice with Manchester City, as well as the Champions League with Liverpool last season.

With his consistency and leadership, Milner has became a big contributor as to why Liverpool’s Premier League odds of winning it all are at an all-time high.

His versatility and dependability also stretches to penalty kicks where he is in the Eric Cantona and Matthew Le Tissier league for reliability in terms of creating Premier League highlights.

Tim Cahill

My final two spots are taken by goalkeepers and this was no easy decision and there were a few close calls.

Not at least for Tim Cahill, who first caught my eye at Millwall.

He then was at Everton for eight seasons during which the Australian became a fan-favourite, scoring regular goals and became the first Toffee to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or since legendary goalkeeper Neville Southall.

Gareth Barry was another contender but that wasn’t just for longevity.

He may hold the record for most Premier League appearances but he was also reliable and highly effective, including as a pivotal player in Manchester City’s 2012 title triumph.

Kevin Nolan

Another player who impressed me — and is someone whose shirt I have hanging up in my wardrobe — is Kevin Nolan.

He may never have won a major trophy but the Scouse-born midfielder made 431 top flight appearances for Bolton, where he was one of my favourites.

Nolan also played for Newcastle and West Ham and scored some memorable PL goals too. He also helped each of those clubs to gain promotion from the Championship.

Shay Given

When Blackburn were in their brief pomp in 1993 to 1995, their last line of defence was the impressive Tim Flowers who was England’s number two and one of the top keepers in the land.

No wonder they were willing to sell their own no. 2, Shay Given.

They couldn’t possibly have realised he would turn out to be not only every inch as good as Flowers, but arguably even better.

Given went on to spend most of his career at Newcastle and is a hero on Tyneside, helping them qualify for Europe on several occasions.

Despite a fairly small stature, the Irishman was a superb player. And even after leaving Tyneside, he enjoyed two years with Manchester City where he won the FA Cup in 2011. He then joined Aston Villa and then he played for Stoke City in his twilight days.

The fact he was twice named in the PFA Team of the Year shows that those at the other clubs also realised how good he was.

Jussi Jaaskelainen

He was one of Bolton’s longest and most consistent servants, having played 509 games in their colours, as well as earning 56 caps for his national team.

His performances came to Bolton’s rescue many times. The only surprise is not that he is included on this list, but the fact that many other big sides didn’t try and pry him away from the Reebok Stadium.

Jaaskelainen is one of the league’s top stoppers and he is my final choice in an enjoyable trip down memory lane assessing the most underrated players in Premier League history.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 11-May-2020 at 1:04 PM

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Premier League: Relegation Scrap will be a Battle to the End

With the Premier League and their Project Restart due to update next Monday, there have been serious conflicts of interest arising with at least one of the relegation candidates obstructing progress. There is a lot at stake here particularly at the bottom of the league.

Newcastle United and Southampton, who are in 13th and 14th, probably need just another win to ensure their survival. The Saints, in particular, look safe with 15-goal striker Danny Ings in the hunt for a Golden Boot.

Newcomers Norwich City and Aston Villa are joined by Bournemouth in the bottom three and the latest Premier League 2020 betting odds say they’ll stay there. However, Watford, West Ham, and Brighton are also deep in trouble.

Over the last five games, the bottom-six team have managed just five wins between them – one each with the exception of Brighton who have drawn a blank. So they were all banged in relegation form before the enforced break.

The head coaches will pitch this as the start of a new season to their players, with nine games to win their survival.

This is a Premier League competition between six teams.

Brighton & Hove Albion

The Seagulls’ Premier League 2020 results have been pretty dire and they have slid to within just two points from the drop zone.

Without a win in nine league games stretching back to 2019, they are lacking punch upfront.

For all the plaudits surrounding Graham Potter’s progressive style of management, Brighton are trying to draw their way to safety with a strong defence, led by the giant Lewis Dunk.

They have scored only two goals in the last four games but have been solid at the back. Potter was appointed to replace Chris Hughton who guided the Seagulls to safety last term only to be sacked, and he’ll be desperate to match that achievement.

His boss is doing his best to help as Chief Executive Paul Barber seems to be trying to stall a restart.

“We totally understand there are going to be compromises but what we can’t do is support something that will jeopardise our place in the Premier League,” said Barber.

I think you’ll find your team’s performances have already done that Paul!

West Ham United

At around odds of 3.00, the Hammers are in real danger of dropping out of the top flight, and that would spell disaster after another summer of big spending.

Pablo Fornals and Sebastien Haller have not lived up to their billing, and Fornals has said that there is a lot more to come. Well, level on points with 18th place, he has nine games to prove it.

David Moyes was parachuted in to steer the Hammers to safety in his second stint at the club, but he has registered just two wins in ten. A continuance of that form will leave them on 36 points.

Watford FC

When Nigel Pearson was appointed manager of Watford in December, more than a few eyebrows were raised (mine included), but he has confounded his critics.

Five wins from 14 games in their mid-table form has lifted the Hornets out of the bottom three when they were seemingly doomed.

The return of skipper Troy Deeney has been a huge boost and he was in belligerent mood in Watford’s 3-0 victory over Liverpool recently, scoring the third goal.

Pearson and Deeney is a formidable pair and they will definitely tough it out.

Bournemouth

Has time run out for Eddie Howe’s Cherries? Four successful campaigns in, the Premier League have been pretty much worry-free, but this season is anything but.

We like a side which can score goals here in the SBOBET football team, but fans also want their team to be able to defend.

The Cherries have taken just one point from the last four games, conceding nine goals in the process.

Centre-back Nathan Ake is a class act on the ball, but prone to errors and Howe is still relying on his attackers to score more than his defenders concede. Callum Wilson needs to step up, but midfield powerhouse Philip Billing could be the man to lead Bournemouth to safety

The Cherries are primed to battle with the Hammers for 17th place.

Jack Grealish has scored 7 goals in 26 appearances for Aston Villa this season

Aston Villa

Big-spending Aston Villa just haven’t cut the mustard with any regularity in the top flight. They have bolstered their team again in the January window, bringing in striker Mbwana Samatta.

But two crucial injuries in a recent game against Burnley, one to striker Wesley and the other more damaging to keeper Tom Heaton have unsettled the squad.

Skipper and Villa fan Jack Grealish is doing his best and has impressed, but the Villains were completely battered by Leicester City (4-0) before the break. The Villains are too reliant on Grealish.

Norwich City

The Canaries stormed the Championship last season and head coach Daniel Farke said he wouldn’t compromise his attacking style. I bet he would have if he had his time again!

The Premier League is tough and defensive errors cost goals and unfortunately, Norwich make plenty. They’ve conceded 52 and only Villa have shipped more and collected three quarters of their points at home.

Winger Todd Cantwell has been a bright spark but his team lacks the steel to win this fight.

Placing 19th would be a triumph from here for the Canaries.

So these are very nervous times for six clubs. I reckon five have a chance of survival but equally all six are in grave danger.

The Bundesliga is set to restart on May 15th and the other big three European Leagues will be watching closely. But some teams, not so secretly, will hope their own league doesn’t follow suit.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 11-May-2020 at 1:07 PM

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Premier League Must Be ‘All or Nothing’!

So, ‘Project Restart’! Is it realistic? Or does season curtailment grow closer with every passing week?

Probably not is the answer to both those questions.

‘Project Restart’ is certainly laudable of course, but do we really expect Premier League footballers to be back in action a month from now? I certainly don’t!

That’s not for the want of trying. Even as I pen this, a meeting has just concluded updating the pros and cons of the proposal.

The government has published a 50-page guidance document detailing how England will begin to ease lockdown measures.

Yet it still seems too soon for the top flight – which has been suspended since March 13 because of the coronavirus pandemic – to resume in June, with 92 of its 380 fixtures left to play.

Yes, we miss it dreadfully. Anyone who watched the exciting Manchester derby during the last weekend of competitive action will testify to that.

I have even used this break to reminisce about some of my personal favourite memories, which just goes to show how captivating the Premier League is.

But given the risks, a return to action seems just too soon.

The prospect of fans returning to live games remains even more distant so, regardless of when we see Premier League action again, it’s almost certain it will be without spectators.

That is probably the only certainty at a time of high uncertainty.

That and the fact that more than half of the Premier League clubs are unhappy with a suggestion the remaining fixtures be played on neutral grounds.

As far as Premier League news is concerned right now, ‘Project Restart’ is all there is to talk about.

Normally by on or around this stage, the champions would have been crowned; the European places all but decided and we would know which three teams had slipped out of the top flight.

What’s more, there would be great excitement building at the reopening of the transfer window. Not this time.

In 2020 though, the only question in town is how to resume while ensuring the health and safety of players, spectators, officials etc.

By contrast, should the season be declared null and void? A recent BBC poll suggested so.

Manchester City’s Premier League match against Arsenal was postponed due to COVID-19

Later this week, the Premier League will hold talks with the Professional Footballers Association and the League Managers Association after they have digested the medical protocols needed for a return to firstly phased training and then full competition.

The news today that the FA will not entertain the season being vetoed is encouraging for fans generally. FA chairman Greg Clarke told Premier League clubs it will block any attempt to void the campaign or scrap relegation

However, that is no guarantee

He went onto urge club chairmen to draw up a plan for if the season cannot be completed.

The FA has wide-ranging powers as a “special shareholder” as part of the agreement when the Premier League was created, and that includes being able to veto any proposed changes to promotion and relegation.

It surely must be all or nothing. Play the remaining games or call the whole thing off and start again.

Who can decide key issues such as titles, European qualification, relegation spots based on points per game basis?

It’s as farcical as tossing a coin. Something, remarkably, that actually decided a European Cup tie once. Such a system would not take into account injuries, suspensions, the likelihood of some sides having (on paper) more straightforward fixtures than their rivals remaining.

It’s also highly unfair and will almost certainly lead to massive legal challenges which football can do without.

Look at Stoke, at Sunderland, at Charlton, at Bolton – relegation has the potential to ruin

Of course, the longer the absence of football continues, the harder it may be to restart 2019/20.

Yet it if goes on well beyond current expectations, it may again become easier as the chances of a whole 2020/21 season being completed recede and there may be a window to complete 2019/20.

Each club will have its own stance and some compromise will be required.

As seasoned journalist Martin Samuel said earlier this month: ‘It is easy to accuse clubs at the bottom of self-interest but the elite are not promoting completion for purely altruistic reasons’.

He is correct. The option is simple.

We don’t want some fandangled scheme to estimate how many points a club may or may not gain.

We don’t want the awarding of any titles or deciding European places or relegating any sides without the games being concluded.

It must be all or nothing.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 13-May-2020 at 4:38 PM

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Premier League: Ryan Giggs Was a Man For All Seasons

When asked to highlight five pointers about a star Premier League player, it didn’t take me long to decide who to select.

For in the nearly 28 years since the formation of the Premier League – ‘A Whole New Ball Game’ – only one man can lay claim to have been the greatest of them all.

Perhaps not illuminating the stage as intensely as some of its greatest stars – for example Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo – but for his grace and longevity, this man was in a league of his own.

The most decorated player in English football history, he was around so long even his final appearance was as an acting player-manager!

I was fortunate enough to be at that match with my then 12 year-old son and can proudly say I witnessed the final moments of his stellar playing career.

I can also recall listening on the radio as a schoolboy when he came on the pitch for the first time as a 17-year-old against Everton at Old Trafford in March 1991.

Step forward, Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE.

Of course, you probably know already that he is the most decorated player in the country.

He enjoyed a glittering career at Old Trafford, amassing over 900 appearances for Manchester United during an illustrious 24-season spell.

The Welshman won 13 Premier League titles and was named PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 2009, while being selected in six PFA Teams of the Year.

Wales manager Ryan Giggs watching a match

But there is still plenty you probably don’t know about the now manager of his national team.

For example, did you know Giggs has been substituted more times than any other player in the Premier League (134) – perhaps not too much of a surprise given the amount of games he played?

Did you know that Giggs met Frank Lampard, who is now also a young manager, in 31 times on a football pitch with Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher facing the Welshman the same number of times?

Did you know that Giggs, along with Alan Shearer, was the first player to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame?

Giggs also assisted a Premier League goal for 45 different teammates during his Premier League career, more than any other player in the competition.

He is also the only player to play in each of the first 22 seasons of the Premier League and the only one to score in each of the first 21 campaigns.

Yet it is easy to get mired in statistics in the modern game, which can grossly oversimplify the role of players and can lead to lazy comparisons and accusations.

Giggs was the original wing wizard of the modern game as he is one of the original pin-up boys in English football in the early 1990s. It was a time when he or teammate Lee Sharpe were attracting attention from fans for both their looks as well as their ability.

His early career was characterised by his searing pace, trickery and his ability to get up and down the left touchline.

Into his 30s, his later years saw him modify his game as a central midfielder, where he showcased his ability to pick a pass, and boy, could he pick a pass.

Fittingly, he became the club’s record appearance holder in the grandest of fashions – stroking home the winning penalty to clinch the 2008 Champions League.

As well as being voted the Premier League’s best player in 2008-09, he was also voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2009, showing it wasn’t just the fans or fellow professionals who loved him but he had the admiration of men and women up and down the country.

And then there is the chant: ‘Giggs, Giggs will tear you apart again’, to the tune of Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear You Apart’ because he tore opponents apart for two decades and a half to become a true footballing legend in an age where the term is rapidly overused.

Sir Alex Ferguson secured his services as a 14-year-old from rivals Manchester City and that should be ranked as one of the finest pieces of management in footballing history.

What we witnessed time and time again was testament to that.

I’ll leave you with one moment away from the Premier League though. It was a night when he scored arguably the greatest goal in FA Cup history.

Footballing perfection from Giggs, that removal of the shirt, that twirling jersey aloft, that Fangorn Forest of chest-hair.

It was simply unforgettable. He was simply a man for all seasons.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 21-May-2020 at 3:12 PM

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Premier League Restart is Inching Closer

This weekend saw the welcome return of football in Germany, and now we watch and wait for the next European league to follow the lead.

The top competitions, La Liga, Serie A and the Premier League have been asked by UEFA to provide an update and proposed restart date by the 25^th May, two days before Europe’s governing body meets to discuss the resumption of the Champions League and the Europa League.

In England, a restart date for 12^th June has been mooted, but not everyone in the Premier League has been eager to get back to action. But we expect to see most if not all the clubs to return to training this week and with strict protocols.

Club captains, coaches and the players’ union have discussed a return with social distancing measures. Clubs have been conducting COVID-19 tests over the weekend, with results expected later today. With over 1,600 tests a week across the 20 clubs, any players who have the virus will be immediately isolated.

These are slow and careful steps which, if successful, could see a resumption in play within a month.

Keep an eye open for the Premier League 2020 betting odds here at SBOBET over the next two or three weeks. If the restart happens on schedule, we’ll be back with all the very best Asian Handicap betting offers on the market.

Of course, the most eager fans will be in Merseyside, as Liverpool can win the title within two weeks of a restart, while Manchester United will also be keen to see if they can chase down Chelsea for the final Champions League slot.

Bundesliga shows the way

All eyes were on Germany this weekend as the Bundesliga got up and running after two months of lockdown.

The ‘mother of all derbies’ between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 resulted in a resounding 4-0 victory for BVB. The match was played in an eerie atmosphere with fewer than 300 people allowed to watch in the 81,000 capacity stadium

There was no Yellow Wall and no wild goal celebrations, but the German giants showed the rest of Europe how it can be done.

There were fears, particularly in Dortmund, that some fans might ignore instructions and congregate around the stadium, but all the surrounding streets were cordoned off by police.

Germany has the highest weekly attendances in European football but supporters were threatened that games would be immediately called off if they turned up outside the stadium. That seemed to do the trick, particularly as BVB stormed into an early lead when striker Erling Haaland breached the Schalke defence.

Despite the defeat, Schalke sporting director Jochen Schneider knows how important the Bundesliga restart is for the rest of Europe, saying: “We got calls and emails from big clubs in Spain and England and I know they really hope that we manage this situation so that other leagues can restart as well.”

Pearson urges caution

Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho stands on the sideline during their Champions League clash with RB Leipzig

Last week we ran the rule over the relegation candidates, those in fear of losing their Premier League status and the hundreds of millions that go with it.

There has been some criticism in the UK media of the bottom six (I’ll hold my hands up), and their seeming reticence to return to football, with some reports suggesting they even wanted to see relegation scrapped. Paul Barber, chief executive at Brighton, has been particularly vocal and this week it’s the turn of Watford head coach Nigel Pearson.

The Hornets pulled off one of the biggest Premier League 2020 results of the season, just before the enforced break, hammering champions-elect Liverpool 3-0.

 

1X2 VfL Wolfsburg @ 3.95 Borussia Dortmund Asian Handicap -0.75 @ 2.06 Over 3.00 @ 2.08 CLICK HERE Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.     BUNDESLIGA

 

Pearson has recently said that a premature return to football would mean that people are closing their eyes to the risk. And as his side sits outside the bottom three on goal difference alone, he allegedly claimed in a Premier League managers’ conference call that by coming back to play the top-flight clubs would be providing propaganda for the government.

But he does have form for the bizarre does our Nigel, once, as coach at Leicester, he responded to a probing question from a journalist by calling him an ostrich!

Apparently, Spurs head coach Jose Mourinho advised those who didn’t want to return to play to stay at home and watch the Bundesliga.

Subtle as ever Jose…some things in football never change…thankfully.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 21-May-2020 at 3:21 PM

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Premier League: The 5 Most Exciting Title Races

The Premier League has spoiled us with some topnotch football action since its advent in the early 90’s, which is why SBOBET football fans are more than eager for its impending return.

A huge part of the fun in watching the English top-flight is the title races that have occurred, as champions are decided from the slightest of margins and results in the final matchday.

The quest for glory is as unpredictable as it gets in these tight title races. A slip-up or a fortuitous run here or there can usually turn things around for certain clubs.

Last season, Manchester City nabbed their second straight title and only one point separated between them and Liverpool. However, this campaign is totally different as Liverpool dominated the playing field and are already considered champions-elect based on our Premier League 2020 odds.

As we continue to wait for more Premier League 2020 updates, let’s go back to memory lane as we list some of the exciting title races here in the Premier League.

Manchester City vs. Manchester United (2011/12)

With six games to go, the Sky Blues’ chances of winning their first championship since 1968 looked bleak when the Red Devils had an eight-point advantage in the standings, although they defeated them at Old Trafford earlier that season with a 6-1 tally.

However, Manchester City rallied back to overturn the deficit and it all boiled down to what was a very tense final matchday of the league.

Manchester United could feel the title on their grasp when they defeated Sunderland 1-0 and a loss by Manchester City would seal the deal.

In their final game against QPR, the Sky Blues took an early lead via a goal from Pablo Zabaleta. But after leading 1-0 coming into the second half, QPR equalised through Djibril Cisse’s amazing effort to track down the ball after Joleon Lescott couldn’t control his header for clearance.

Joey Barton was sent off when he elbowed Carlos Tevez, leaving QPR to only 10 men. However, Jamie Mackie pulled off the improbable for the Park Rangers when they took a 2-1 lead late.

Manchester City needed a miracle during stoppage time as the title was slipping out of their hands. Eventually, they got the heroes that they needed in Edin Dzeko and all-time star Sergio Aguero in what was such a crazy sequence.

That was probably the best title race we’ve seen for this decade.

Manchester United vs. Newcastle United (1995/96)

Sir Alex Ferguson holding an FA Cup trophy

A stacked Newcastle United squad squandered a big lead 24 years ago in the Premier League.

The Magpies were enjoying a 12-point lead ahead of Manchester United because of the way they’ve been playing all season led by the likes of David Ginola, Peter Beardsley, and Les Ferdinand.

But after five losses in eight matches, which included a crucial defeat against Alex Ferguson’s men at 1-0, United came roaring back and the Magpies couldn’t recover from there.

A 4-3 loss against Liverpool in Anfield sealed Newcastle’s fate in the last matchday, which included a unforgettable post-match meltdown by manager Kevin Keegan.

Arsenal vs. Manchester United (1997/98)

While Newcastle United was on the wrong end of a comeback, Arsenal did just the opposite after a slow start to the season in 1998.

After falling behind the league leaders in Manchester United, the Gunners went on an unprecedented 18-game winning streak, winning the league by only a point.

The biggest game during that run was when they defeated the Red Devils at Old Trafford. Marc Overmars scored the only goal for a 1-0 win, but he did get a lot of support from Patrick Vieira, Tony Adams, and Dennis Bergkamp.

This league win ushered the dawn of a new era in the Premier League especially since the Gunners became an incredible club that broke many records in the early 2000’s.

Manchester United vs. Arsenal (1998/99)

The Red Devils would exact their revenge against the Gunners having learned their lesson in the last term.

The title race went down to the wire once more up until the final matchday. Manchester United pushed and took advantage when Arsenal lost against Leeds United as they mustered a 2-1 comeback win against Tottenham on their end.

What made the 1999 season even more special for the Red Devils is that they were able to win a rare treble that year. Along with the Premier League title, they also took home the FA Cup and the European Cup.

Blackburn Rovers vs. Manchester United (1994/95)

The Blackburn Rovers snapped their 67-year title drought when they leapfrogged Manchester United 25 years ago.

They were led by the league’s top goalscorer of all-time in Alan Shearer, who found the back of the net 34 times during that season.

Like the other title races here in this list, the Rovers waited until the final matchday to be crowned as the new kings of England.

It didn’t help their chances when Kenny Dalgish’s side lost 2-1 to Liverpool, which meant that Manchester United needed to secure a win against West Ham United in order to steal the trophy.

Thankfully for them, the Red Devils only managed to score a draw against West Ham, which effectively gave the Rovers the 1995 Premier League championship.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 21-May-2020 at 3:24 PM

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Premier League: So Far So Good for Project Restart

The Premier League is inching ever closer to a restart in June following a second round of testing which has revealed only two positive cases of coronavirus. The UK government has also given the green light for close contact training.

League bosses, clubs and players have been watching the progress in Germany, where the Bundesliga has just completed its second week following resumption. And with no problems reported, the other big European Leagues are getting ready to follow suit.

As and when the English league restarts there is plenty to play for. While Liverpool are agonisingly close to winning their first league title in 30 years, the race for fourth place between Chelsea, Manchester United and Wolves could be a nail-biter. The Premier League 2020 betting odds back the Blues but the momentum is with the chasers.

The Red Devils, in particular, will be itching to restart and the government’s announcement that close contact competitive training can be phased in is positive news.

With a total of eight confirmed cases from 1,744 tests in the Premier League, confidence is returning. This is a big week for the league, with club captains and coaches set to discuss the government’s advice tomorrow, before voting on Wednesday and meeting again the following day to progress plans.

A start in June looks likely, but it might be later than the initial proposed date of 12^th June as medics are concerned about the risk of injury to players if they return too early.  What impact the break will have only time will tell, but form guides may not be as reliable as in normal times.

Burnley head coach, Sean Dyche says we might see some surprising results over the opening weeks: “You often notice at the beginning of a season and the end of a season you get these odd results where teams are either finding their feet or playing out the season when other teams are fighting for something.

“Some teams are talking about the mentality of their players with the idea that some players do not want to play. I think that will probably dissipate eventually but you get to that first game and how focused is everyone going to be?”

You can safely predict that Burnley’s focus will be a laser-sharp as ever…

N’Golo Kante in action playing for Chelsea

Call for research for BAME players

The players’ union, the PFA, has asked the UK government to put more resource into research to improve our understanding of the potentially heightened risk of COVID19 to Black and Asian players.

Some BAME players have raised concerns that they are more at risk from the virus, with a recent study in the UK suggesting that black people were almost twice as likely to die from the disease as white.

Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante and Watford’s Troy Deeney made the Premier League 2020 news last week as two players who didn’t return to training, and some clubs have expressed fears that the level playing field will disappear as some will have more players sidelined than others.

The Hornets really need their captain on the pitch to give them the best chance of survival in what is sure to be a fierce relegation scrap. When the bottom six renew hostilities, the SBOBET odds will predict a narrow escape for Watford, but it is far too close for comfort.

Leeds are looking up

In the second tier of English football, Championship league leaders Leeds United are desperate for the season to restart, they don’t want their Premier dream to turn into a nightmare of the season being voided.

The Yorkshire club, alongside West Bromwich Albion, are well clear at the top of the Championship table and heavily odds-on for promotion.

Once giants of the English game, Leeds have been playing in the lower leagues since 2004 and their passionate fans will despair if they cannot renew acquaintances with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United.

Angus Kinnear, chief executive at Leeds, said: “England has some of the finest sports scientists and football administrators in the game. It would be a national embarrassment if the Bundesliga, La Liga or Serie A were able to complete safely and the first and fifth biggest leagues in the world were not allowed to follow suit if the context remained comparable.”

Of course, there are agendas at play in both the top two leagues. Who wouldn’t want the season voided if it meant your club would escape the spectre of relegation? But for Leeds United, and indeed Liverpool, the show simply must go on.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 26-May-2020 at 12:32 PM

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Premier League: Why Liverpool Should be Crowned Champions?

It was 30 years ago today that we witnessed one of the most thrilling climaxes in football history.

Indeed, alongside the last gasp Sergio Aguero goal of 2012, the Liverpool-Arsenal title decider of 1989 was arguably the most dramatic final day not just for many a lifetime but in English football history.

If you had told many Liverpool fans then, and indeed football supporters generally, that the Merseyside club would win the title the following season but no further championships for the next three decades you’d have been laughed at.

Yet, here we are, and that is exactly what has happened. Only now, in the year 2020, are Liverpool on the verge of finally ending their quest for the holy grail.

And no one can say they don’t deserve the Premier League title.

Of course, no title should ever be awarded until a side cannot be mathematically caught, just as no clubs should be promoted or relegated if a campaign is incomplete.

It’s imperative the season restarts and the outstanding games played: No points-per game ratio prediction of what may happen. No guesses, no formulas that were not in the rulebook when the season began last August.

To do otherwise makes a mockery of the integrity of the league and the football pyramid generally.

 

First Half 1X2 Draw @ 2.39 Hertha Berlin Asian Handicap +1.50 @ 2.01 Under 3.25 @ 2.05 CLICK HERE Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.     BUNDESLIGA

 

Incidentally, the decision to award titles and relegate clubs in France and Scotland is laughable and amounts to a farce.

Celtic’s ninth title in a row and Paris St Germain’s 2020 success will always have an asterisk against their names which will mean they were top when the campaign was halted but never completed.

Champions not by default but not of full value either.

Although they will want to secure the title any way they can, Liverpool will primarily want to do so by completing the season – a season in which they have been far and away the best side in England.

That they have dominated at a time when four of the ‘big six’ (Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal and Man Utd) are in either decline or transition should not detract from their achievement.

Nor should the fact that reigning champions Manchester City failed to replace their influential skipper Vincent Kompany – that was their own mismanagement.

That they then lost their only other world class centre back Aymeric Laporte just four games into the season proved the point and their title defence was undermined from that very moment.

That the overall quality of the league is, in my view, poorer than it has been for some time – compare the other major top clubs and sides near the bottom (and their respective point tallies) – again does not detract from Liverpool’s own performance week-in week-out which has been first class and impressively consistent.

Jurgen Klopp giving instructions from the sideline

The truth is simple: up until the hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Liverpool have been far and away the best team in the country – producing a near flawless league campaign to date and doing everything in their power to end 30 years of hurt.

Just one defeat in 29 league games is testament to that. More so, is the fact they have won 27 of those matches – including many tough assignments away from home – another example of what they would be worthy champions.

The intimidating atmosphere fans create at Anfield has actually helped the red half of Merseyside rack up 55 home league games without defeat.

Naturally, the longer the football break has been, the more concerned some players and Liverpool fans have become. As the wait continues, there has been agonizing amongst some of its supporters; uncertainty with the story of the club’s revival missing its final page.

Even their manager Jurgen Klopp recently broke his silence, saying how unjust it would have been if his side wasn’t awarded the Premier League title, after such a dominant season.

He is right – it would be. But the games must be played and, based on what is happening right now, they will be.

Then, when the Merseysiders do finally end their wait, not one person can legitimately argue they don’t deserve it.

Liverpool deserve much respect and would make worthy champions.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 28-May-2020 at 5:47 PM

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The Stars of Premier League 2019/20

Things are looking good for a June restart in the Premier League, and with clubs voting on full-contact training today, it could be as early as 19^th June.

That’s a great boost to many fans around the UK and beyond, and the excitement will grow over the next two or three weeks as the anticipation of an exciting end to the season mounts. Liverpool are so close to winning the coveted title, while there are races on for European places and a six-way battle to avoid the three relegation spots.

There have been some stand-out performances over the 29 games played so far, and I’ve picked my best man in each department. Will my choices still be the top of the pile after another nine games? Only time will tell…but they won’t be far away!

Best Goalkeeper: Nick Pope – Burnley

Burnley’s Nick Pope has had an outstanding season between the sticks, registering more clean sheets (11) than anyone, beating Liverpool’s Alisson and Sheffield United’s young stopper Dean Henderson.

At 6ft 3in, he commands his area as well as anyone in the league, making the most high claims (37) when balls have rained down into the Clarets’ penalty area. He is quick off the mark too, making the highest number of sweeper clearances of any keeper.

Pope is middle of the road, at joint-sixth, in terms of saves made. But that’s no surprise when he’s protected by the centre-back partnership of James Tarkowski and Ben Mee.

But he stands up to scrutiny whenever questioned and is a sure bet to make England’s Euro 2021 squad, alongside Henderson.

Best Defender: Virgil van Dijk – Liverpool

When inevitably the Premier League 2020 news announces Liverpool’s title – probably in late June – Virgil Van Dijk will be one of the main reasons for the Reds’ success.

He’s played every minute of Liverpool’s campaign as the league leaders have conceded fewer goals than any other side (21). Since his big-money move from Southampton, he has commanded the Reds’ defence with imperious displays and a commanding aerial presence.

Much of Liverpool’s creative play starts with Van Dijk, he has made the most successful passes (2,478) in the league.

Best Midfielder: Kevin de Bruyne – Manchester City

Kevin De Bruyne celebrates with Manchester City teammates after scoring against Real Madrid in the Champions League

The Sky Blues are a different proposition when attacking midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is in the starting line-up. Pep Guardiola’s team has such an array of attacking riches it would be easy for a top player to be overshadowed.

But not the world-class De Bruyne. He is the complete attacking midfielder with a stunning array of stats, and the Belgian ace has provided a constant supply of ammunition for City’s ever-hungry strikers.

He has the most assists in the league (16) and the most successful through balls (23), as well as the second-highest number of crosses (244). Assuming he stays at City, then SBOBET fans can expect more of the same next season.

Best Striker: Jamie Vardy – Leicester City

Jamie Vardy stunned the football world in 2015/16 as he fired Leicester City to the unlikeliest league title of all-time.

In that season he broke Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s record to score in 11 consecutive top-flight games and finished with 24 for the season, level with Sergio Aguero and just one behind Golden Boot winner Harry Kane.

But he’s no one-hit wonder. Vardy’s at it again, leading the race for this season’s Golden Boot on 19 goals. The artful striker scored a brace in Leicester’s 4-0 annihilation of Aston Villa just before the break and is leading the pack.

Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is in pursuit on17, and Sergio Aguero has 16, as well as hitting the woodwork four times, but it’s Vardy’s to lose.

Best Captain: Jordan Henderson – Liverpool

Jordan Henderson embraced by Jurgen Klopp during their match against Southampton

In his fifth season as Liverpool captain, since the departure of Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson has become widely respected as the best leader in English football.

The Reds need just two wins from the final nine games to win the league title, and Henderson is the man who has led them to the brink.

His leadership qualities, as well as playing influence to control the middle of the park, became even clearer just before the break. His absence, late in February due to a hamstring strain, coincided with Liverpool’s only league defeat, to Watford, and their FA Cup exit at the hands of Chelsea.

Now the skipper’s back normal service will be resumed.

Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp – Liverpool

With an honourable mention for Sheffield United’s Chris Wilder, whose team has exceeded all expectations, the Coach of the Year accolade must go to Jurgen Klopp.

Take a look at the Premier League 2020 betting odds to see what an amazing job the former Borussia Dortmund boss has done.

27 wins, one draw and one defeat…well that says it all, and Klopp is about to become an Anfield legend.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 28-May-2020 at 5:49 PM

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Premier League Transfers Inevitable – But At What Cost?

As football around Europe tries to wake up from the Covid-19 shutdown, it seems odd to be talking about transfers.

But then again, football has always been a different beast to the rest of the world.

While the German Bundesliga returned in stadia devoid of fans, the sport in general is preparing for an economic crisis which will impact all levels of the game.

So it will be interesting to see just how visible that is in the transfer market, where it has become the norm to see leading clubs splash out 100 million-euro ($155.4m) fees.

The Premier League is a bit behind, of course, in terms of a restart.

Yet today clubs have unanimously agreed to resume contact training as plans to resume the season move to the next phase.

Players will be able to “train as a group and engage in tackling while minimising unnecessary close contact”.

Discussions are ongoing as work continues towards resuming the season, when conditions allow and it is safe. Nevertheless, this is a significant step forward.

That means before we know it, Premier League football action will probably be with us in around a month’s time – and that means we’ll move closer to the helter-skelter of the transfer window.

Proposals to complete the domestic campaign by the end of July and European competitions in August are gathering momentum, with the 2020-21 campaign pencilled in to start shortly afterwards in mid-September.

FIFA has told national associations they can schedule the transfer window when it suits them. Yet it’s far from simple.

For example, with the 2019-20 campaign set to extend past June, many players, including those on loan, will no longer legally be contracted to their clubs (just before the opening of the registration period).

And while that can surely be overcome, what about players for whom deals have already been agreed?

Ajax superstar Hakim Ziyech is set to move to Chelsea on July

Hakim Ziyech is a perfect example of this potential difficulty, with the winger set to join Chelsea from Ajax on a five-year deal from July 1.

However, if leagues are to continue into August and September, then it is desirable to maintain the integrity of those competitions as much as possible by ensuring that squads remain more or less the same.

When the transfer window does reopen, there will certainly be no shortage of movement or speculation.

German forward Timo Werner continues to make suitors sit up and take notice, meanwhile Bayer Leverkusen Kai Havertz seems to grow in stature with every passing week.

And then there’s suggestions Manchester United are prepared to offer Alexis Sanchez to Borussia Dortmund in a bid to lure Jadon Sancho to Old Trafford.

Speculation has been rife about the future of the young England winger who has dazzled this season with 14 goals and 17 assists in 26 Bundesliga appearances.

Not surprisingly, as the first major European league to return, Bundesliga players have been heavily linked over the past fortnight but there have been plenty of players from other leagues tipped to make moves to the Premier League.

To name a few, Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho is a man in demand and has been linked to Newcastle, as well as London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea.

Liverpool are reportedly in advanced talks with Wolves about a summer switch for winger Adama Traore.

The cost of acquiring players has steadily increased in recent years but there is an acceptance that it could be now frowned upon morally, at a time when so many individuals, businesses and football clubs are up against it.

Clubs are losing money in gate receipts, advertising, merchandise and, perhaps most damaging of all, being forced to give up cash from broadcasting rights.

Furthermore, with matches for the foreseeable future being played behind closed doors, clubs across the continent are facing steep losses of income and seeking to cut costs.

That may mean the way forward is for a plethora of moves for soon-to-be experienced free agents out there with the likes of Willian, Thomas Meunier, Artem Dzyuba and Bournemouth man, Scotland international Ryan Fraser, all set to be available soon.

During a recent supporters’ forum, United chief executive Ed Woodward hinted that expectations should be tempered. “I cannot help feeling that speculation around transfers of individual players for hundreds of millions of pounds this summer seems to ignore the realities that face the sport,” he said.

It’s unclear whether that will be the case or if the unpopular CEO was just warning fans they will not buy big this summer.

Either way, a repeat of last summer – when clubs in Europe’s “big five” leagues in England, Germany, Spain, Italy and France spent a record €5.5 billion – seems unlikely to be repeated.

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Five Premier League Blockbusters To Come

Delighted fans in the UK greeted yesterday’s news that the  Premier League is due to restart on 17th June.

After three rounds of COVID 19 testing unearthed just 12 positive tests, confidence grew to restart the Premier League, leading to the announcement on Thursday afternoon that we will see the beautiful game again within three weeks, with 92 games to come.

So football in the most-watched league in the world is on its way back, with matches planned to be played every day of the week, and we’ll be all over it right here at SBOBET

Liverpool need just two wins to secure a first Premier League title in 30 years, while Chelsea, Manchester United and Wolves look set to fight it out for a Champions League place and there is a six-team battle to avoid relegation.

When Leicester City hammered Aston Villa back on March 9th it was the last Premier League game before lockdown.

It’s been a while, but football’s coming home, and here are five mouth-watering clashes to look forward to.

Manchester City vs Arsenal: Wednesday 17th June

The sides with ten games left to play will re-open the season, Aston Villa play Sheffield United and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City face Arsenal. When these fixtures are completed every team will have nine games left to play and we have a mini-season with a race to the finish line.

What a showcase fixture to get things moving again. City are 25 points behind Liverpool and will be focusing on the Champions League, but they will be keen to restart with a dynamic display against the Gunners and at least make the Reds work a bit for their title.

Everton vs Liverpool

Manchester City will already have played Arsenal before Liverpool enters the fray, and there is no guarantee they will win that game. There is a real possibility that Jurgen Klopp’s champions elect could win the title against their neighbours, though it won’t be on Merseyside. The UK police have moved five fixtures to neutral venues to avoid crowds gathering at the ground, and so this game in will be played elsewhere.

Either way, it would be sweet for the Reds to pick up the crown by beating the Toffees, who currently sit in 12th place with an outside chance of Europa League football.

The league leaders will have their captain,  Jordan Henderson available again. The enforced lay-off has enabled him to recover from a hamstring strain he suffered in February, and that is a major boost. Just before the break, Liverpool suffered one of the shock Premier League 2020 results of the season, losing 3-0 to relegation-threatened Watford…without their skipper.

 

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West Ham vs Watford

This is a relegation six-pointer of some magnitude with both the Hammers and the Hornets sitting outside the bottom three on goal difference alone. Unsurprisingly neither club was enthusiastic about the prospect of returning; West Ham chief executive Karren Brady called for the season to be voided, while Watford coach Nigel Pearson said a return to football could endanger life.

Captain Troy Deeney was also vociferous in his opposition to a restart, missing Hornets’ return to training, but now the decision to restart has been made he says he has been convinced by the government’s scientific advisor that it is safe for him to play. That could be good news for Hornets fans who need their captain to push his team over the line.

The latest Premier League 2020 betting odds suggest both teams could sneak through to safety, but neither can rest easy,

Chelsea vs Wolves

This is a chase for the final Champions League spot, currently held by Frank Lampard’s Blues. They have been in the top four all season but, after a dip in form, only  five points separate Chelsea from Wolves, with Manchester United sandwiched in between in fifth place.

Wolves have been sensational under Nuno Espirito Santo in both the Premier League and Europa League and I wouldn’t rule out a top-four place, particularly if Nuno’s Portuguese contingent can outplay Frank’s young stars.

This will be a great game for the neutral.

Manchester United vs Sheffield United

Marcus Rashford was ruled out for months after suffering a back injury

This match is also being moved to a neutral venue though I’m not exactly sure why. The Red Devils need to make up three points on Chelsea, but this could be a banana-skin against Chris Wilder’s side which has outperformed everyone’s expectations, apart from maybe his own!

The Blades are in seventh place and just two points behind Manchester United, so a Europa League place could be the prize, though with Spurs and Arsenal in pursuit that might be a bridge too far.

Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba could be fit to return for Manchester United in the run-in and they should have too much quality for the Yorkshiremen.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 30-May-2020 at 2:33 PM

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Premier League Football is Coming Home!

It seemed a million miles away in the early stages of the COVID 19-epidemic, but Premier League football is due to return on 17th June.

The UK government has given the green light for live competitive sport to restart behind closed doors and in carefully controlled environments. And that means the Premier League can follow the Bundesliga and the soon to return La Liga to finish the season, and there is plenty of business to be settled.

Liverpool’s title charge is in the home stretch while at the other end of the table there is a ferocious battle between a cluster of teams desperate to avoid relegation. The league chiefs’ confidence in agreeing a return has been boosted by the low number of positive tests among the 20 elite clubs.

A total of 12 Premier League staff tested positive from the 2,700 tests undertaken in the first three rounds, and as 1,130 people were tested in the fourth round, there were no additions to the total.

So it looks like we’re soon to embark on a football festival of 92 games in the UK. It’s a mini-competition with massive prizes at stake and a great range of SBOBET odds, statistics and tips to bring the action to life.

The Premier League has stressed that no- one can be forced to play, and players –including Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante and Newcastle’s Danny Rose — have previously expressed concerns. But these have been allayed and they have joined their team-mates in full contact training once again.

So fans can expect a summer football extravaganza with plenty of blockbuster games to look forward to, including a showcase opening on the 17th June when Manchester City meet Arsenal.

The Gunners have arguably more to play for; after an underwhelming season, they find themselves in ninth place but are still in the hunt for a Europa League place.

The Sky Blues are 12 points clear of fifth, so have a Champions League place booked. Although, there remains some doubt as to whether they will be able to participate after having been banned by UEFA.

The Etihad legal team will be preparing their case no doubt, and who’d bet against them. But I suspect Manchester City’s priority is now to win the 2020 Champions League and that would put UEFA in a rather awkward position.

When Jurgen Klopp inevitably guides his team to the 2020 league title, it may well be against Merseyside neighbours Everton on the first full weekend of football, but it could be played at a neutral venue because police fear a crowd may gather outside the ground when Liverpool prepare to win a first league title since 1990.

Spurs injuries clearing up

As a by-product of the global shutdown in sport, players have had time to rest and rehabilitate, with extra time to recover from injuries which kept them out in March.

Spurs were the team with the most high-profile absentees with Harry Kane, Heung-Min Son and Dele Alli all sidelined, and boss Jose Mourinho has said they are all fit to play. That will be music to Spurs’ fans ears as their club sits just a single point ahead of North London rivals Arsenal, having played a game more.

Harry Kane is fit and back in training with Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester United too could benefit from a return to fitness of Marcus Rashford who had suffered a back strain which was expected to keep him out for the remainder of the season, and we could even see the return of Paul Pogba.

But Red Devils’ fans may wonder which Pogba will turn up if he’s fit – the inspirational France World Cup winner or the bored luxury player who has too often failed to replicate his international form at Old Trafford. The Red Devils need everyone firing if they are to win the race for that coveted fourth place.

Battle for survival

Head coaches will tell you that the pressure of winning titles or European places is nothing compared to that at the bottom of the league, where teams in a dogfight have their top-flight existence threatened.

Managers lose their jobs, players reputations can suffer and fans are distraught. So it’s no surprise that various spokespeople from the bottom-six clubs have appeared reluctant to restart at times, notably Brighton chief executive Paul Barber.

The Seagulls are in fifteenth place and two points above the drop zone, and even Norwich, who looked stranded in bottom place will have revived hopes.

There are odd results at the beginning and the end of each season and this nine-game campaign will throw up plenty. The Premier League 2020 betting odds suggest the bottom three — Norwich, Aston Villa, and Bournemouth — will go down, but Brighton, Watford and West Ham could all easily take the drop.

I fancy Eddie Howe’s Cherries to put some wins together for one. It’s going to be a fight to the finish with twists and turns aplenty as the Premier League 2020 results begin to roll in again.

Football’s coming home…thank goodness!

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 02-Jun-2020 at 4:58 PM

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Premier League: Blue Is The Colour for Timo

Chelsea are set to make the Premier League’s biggest signing in a while with the announcement that Timo Werner is ready to join Frank Lampard’s side in a £54m summer move.

The Blues are prepared to meet RB Leipzig’s release clause and have apparently agreed to terms with the German striker, with a contract worth around £9m per year.

Busy Blues

Former Germany and Chelsea legend Michael Ballack has praised the Blues boss for snatching Werner from under the noses of Liverpool. He’s been a revelation for the Red Bulls this term, notching 25 goals including one in a recent 2-4 victory over Cologne. He’s just five behind Bayern legend Robert Lewandowski and eight ahead of the chasing pack.

Ballack knows all about the Premier League, having spent four successful seasons at Stamford Bridge between 2006 and 2010. And he reckons Werner has all the attributes needed to be a success in England: “It is much more intense, with a lot of duels,” he says. “He has to get used to it quickly because that’s the point. He is a robust player, is very fast, but he is also physically good in a duel and he will quickly get used to it.”

Now free from their past transfer embargo, Lampard has already been busy, securing the signature of Ajax star Hakim Ziyech who will join the Londoners in a £40m deal ready for the 2020/21 season.

The attacking midfielder is a handful out wide and will be good competition for Christian Pulisic, as Chelsea aim to break the dominance of the league’s top two.

Lampard also has set his sights on Leicester City defender Ben Chilwell as a possible replacement for Marcos Alonso. The 23-year-old has become England’s first-choice left-back, and the Foxes will be keen to keep hold of him.

Van de Beek in demand

Manchester United have been tracking the progress of another Ajax star, Donny van de Beek. The 23-year-old can play anywhere across the middle of the park and has a good engine, powering his attacking runs which have brought 40 goals and 34 assists from 159 appearances for the Dutch champions.

Ajax chief and former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has confirmed the Red Devils have expressed an interest but they will have to fight off interest from Real Madrid.

Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish in action during their Premier League match against Watford

If they lose out on this deal, United are reported to be keen on a move for Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish, having cooled their interest in Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho.

The Bundesliga giants are reputed to want over £100m for the England star, but an alternative move for Grealish would be contingent on the Villans getting relegated. Although, the latest Premier League 2020 betting odds say that is a likely outcome.

Grealish has been linked with Manchester United for some time, but the Red Devils are unlikely to meet Villa’s valuation of £80m. There could be some haggling to do there.

Wolves stars on the radar

Nuno Espirito Santo may have to hold back a flood of interest in his stars who have excelled in both the Europa League and the Premier League again this season.

Spurs boss Jose Mourinho is an admirer of Ruben Neves and is keen to bring the Portuguese midfielder to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, so he has challenged his notoriously hard bargaining board to splash the cash.

Neves is under contact to Wolves until 2023 but he is reported to be happy to join his compatriot, and Spurs have recently taken out a £175m Bank of England loan to ease their cash flow, much to the annoyance of rival fans.

Champions-elect Liverpool have been enquiring about flying winger Adama Traore, who is having his best season yet at Molineux. His electrifying pace would suit Liverpool’s fast attacking style perfectly and could be a replacement for Sadio Mane should the Senegalese striker move on.

Meanwhile, Mexican striker Raul Jimenez is being tracked by Manchester United, having impressed again this term with 13 goals and six assists.

These three stars are sure to be in the Premier League 2020 news over the next few weeks as Wolves make a push for the fourth Champions League spot.

Nuno will have a better chance of keeping them at Molineux if they reach that target. He could reasonably argue that, with the exception of Liverpool, the clubs pursuing his players are no better than his side.

In the meantime, the rumour mill will keep on turning and the action is about to start.

The big Premier League kick-off is just over a week away now, and we’re all set here at SBOBET to bring you all the news, results and updates.

Bring it on!

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 10-Jun-2020 at 2:32 PM

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Premier League Winners and Losers

The big Premier League kick-off is just four days away now and we can hardly wait. The Bundesliga and La Liga have both made great starts, and with the English and Italian leagues nearing a return we have a feast of football to look forward to over the next two months.

There are huge issues to resolve from the top to the bottom of the Premier League, one of which will be sorted out very quickly, but the remainder are likely to go down to the wire.

Liverpool to celebrate winning the league on 24^th June

There have been times over the past three months when Liverpool fans thought they would never be able to acclaim their first league title in three decades. But their nightmare scenario has all but gone, and while they will have to celebrate victory in their own homes, the Liverpool faithful will be out on the streets for a mass party when the time comes.

Head coach Jurgen Klopp has said they will have a tour of the city when it is safe it do so, as it is safe to assume the players won’t blow this opportunity. They lead Manchester City by 25 points and just need two wins. If the Sky Blues slip up against Arsenal on Wednesday, then Liverpool could win the title against Everton on the 21^st.

But I think they will have to wait just three more days when Crystal Palace visit Anfield.

Chelsea to hold on to fourth place

With Manchester City and Leicester City comfortably in second and third place there is one final Champions League slot guaranteed, subject to City’s legal battle with UEFA. Chelsea are in that position, three points ahead of Manchester United, and the Blues were boosted last week by the news that Leipzig striker Timo Werner was nearing a move to Stamford Bridge

The big Premier League 2020 news, before the break in football, was the arrival of Bruno Fernades at Old Trafford. Neutrals were pondering whether this was a big money gamble by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, while Red Devils fans were hoping they had found a new Eric Cantona! Well he’s yet not reached the legendary status of the enigmatic Frenchman, but he’s made an excellent start. Fernades has scored two goals in five games since his transfer from Sporting in the January transfer window.

This will be a battle royal but I think Chelsea will hang on.

Europa League football for Spurs

Sheffield United have been superb this season and currently sit in seventh place, and it would be foolish to rule the Blades out of a Europa League place. But there are some big guns looming and I think it will be one of the north London giants who will join Manchester United and Wolves in the top seven.

Spurs have a kinder run-in than Arsenal so I’m plumping for Jose Mourinho’s Whites.

Championship football for the Hammers

Norwich City have played some attractive football but are too easy to break down and have six points to make up, which should be too high a mountain to climb. So it’s farewell to the Canaries, and I think fellow new boys Aston Villa will be joining them in the Championship. Head coach Dean Smith spent heavily last summer in the hope of securing survival. But the Villains have discovered, much as Fulham did last season, that money alone does not guarantee success in the bottom half of the Premier League.

Villa’s frailties were all to easy to see in the final game before the break in football, as they were dismantled easily by a Leicester City side which beat them 4-0 at a canter.

So who will join those two in the drop? The latest Premier League 2020 betting odds here at SBOBET are backing Bournemouth, currently in 18^th – at odds of 1.80. But I think the Cherries have enough attacking options to climb out of the bottom three and will pick up at least three wins. But West Ham, at 3.00 to do down, and Brighton, at 3.50, have devilish run-ins and I’m plumping for the Seagulls stay up as they have a two point start over the Hammers.

Sergio Aguero is one of the favourites to score the most goals when the Premier League returns

Aguero and Auba to share the Golden Boot

When we resume next week, Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy will be leading the race for the Golden Boot. The artful Fox has 19 goals to his name and he is being tracked by Pierre- Emerick Aubameyang on 17, and then Mo Salah and Sergio Aguero on 16. The City striker is scoring at a rate of 88 minutes per goal whereas the other three take well over 100 minutes; in fact, Vardy is the closest at 117 minutes per goal.

The Leicester man is at 2.46 to win the Boot, with Aubameyang at 5.00 and Aguero and Salah at 6.00, but if the City man gets enough game time I think he’ll join Auba at the top, on around 24 goals, with Vardy just one behind.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 18-Jun-2020 at 4:53 PM

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Premier League: Champions Back for Season Conclusion

Manchester City vs Arsenal

It was the shock news that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had tested positive for coronavirus in March that prompted the Premier League to hold an emergency meeting which led to the league being suspended.

Once it became public knowledge, the speed of the unravelling was extraordinary, the mounting anxiety suddenly prompting the inevitable. There would be no football for some time.

Since then, no-one has really known when and in what form it would resume – until recently that is.

Now here we are and the champions (albeit soon to be disposed champions) are back in action for a fixture which, when postponed in March, triggered the hiatus.

Make no mistake, money has driven the Premier League restart. The sums are stark. Complete the season and lose at least £330 million in rebates to broadcasters unhappy at the altered delivery of the product; do not complete it and lose £762 million to them.

But back we are and the prospect of Premier League highlights awaits.

Talking Points

To say the Premier League is coming back with a bang is an understatement. After the longest postponement of competition since World War Two, there will be matches virtually every day, at various time slots, until the end of next month.

Don’t expect too much too soon, of course.

Many believe the lack of match action and limited club training will mean some of the initial games are played at a pace more akin to a pre-season friendly.

Yet there will be nothing friendly about the glory on offer.

With 10 games left, Arsenal are as close to the relegation zone as they are to the third spot. Yet the Gunners have collected 17 points from Arteta’s first 10 league games in charge and the Spaniard is unbeaten in all seven of his away games in all competitions since his appointment.

While a Champions League spot could be asking too much for the north Londoners, a top-five finish is within reach. That, of course, could mean Champions League football next season if Manchester City’s European ban is upheld at appeal.

If they are to make it, they will rely greatly on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who, if he scores in this contest at the Etihad Stadium, will be the sixth fastest player to reach 50 in Premier League history.

The Gabon marksman has netted 49 goals in 75 Premier League appearances to date and wants to play at the top level both domestically and in Europe.

The 30 year-old, whose contract runs out in June 2021, has admitted this week the decision whether to sign a new deal with Arsenal is “possibly the most important” of his career.

With an array of suitors, he may not need Arsenal but Arsenal need him and he will surely be the biggest threat to a home defence which should welcome back Aymeric Laporte, whose serious August injury all but undermined City’s title defence before it started.

Mikel Arteta used to be Pep Guardiola’s no.2 in Manchester City

Their title hopes may have long since vanished but, having won the League Cup, City could still end the season with three trophies as they battle for the Champions League and FA Cup.

So it’s Pep Guardiola against his former number two.

Quality squads with depth will play a big part when the season restarts. Surely that is where City can come into their own?

History

Arsenal have not got a particularly good record at the Etihad Stadium.

Aside from a surprising 2-0 win there in January 2015, secured by goals from Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud, the Gunners have not triumphed since 2010 – and that was a match in which City played 85 minutes with 10 men.

Although Arsenal have enjoyed success over their opponents in the FA Cup and Community Shield in recent seasons, they have only tasted victory once in their last 10 meetings.

Last season City did the double over them; in 2018/19, City beat Arsenal three times.

Kevin de Bruyne, Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus were on target in a 3-1 home league win before Guardiola’s men triumphed 3-0 twice in five days.

They cruised to victory in the League Cup Final at Wembley before turning the tables on them again on their own turf by the same scoreline.

This season, in December, City won 3-0 at the Emirates with a dominant first half showing with De Bruyne (two) and Raheem Sterling on target. Shortly afterwards, Arteta left his position as City number two to take over as Arsenal boss.

Despite City’s recent dominance, Arsenal still have the overall advantage with 96 wins to City’s 56.

The other 45 encounters have ended all square.

Betting Tip

	Manchester City vs Arsenal	Manchester City First Half Asian Handicap – 0.75 @ 2.21
	June 18, 03:15 (GMT+8)

Considering their recent record against City, perhaps it should not surprise too many SBOBET fans that Arsenal are real outsiders with 2019 Premier League betting odds.

I’m backing the hosts to win this one from the off.

A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR () BETS ARE WORTH:
= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)	= €10 (CONFIDENT)	= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 18-Jun-2020 at 6:11 PM

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Premier League: The Foxes Plan to Send The Hornets Crashing

Watford vs Leicester City

After the longest break of the competition since World War 2, the Premier League is finally back with a bang.

The English top-flight is set to resume the 2019/20 season, where teams would round out their remaining games as a fitting end to their respective campaigns.

And this brings us to this Saturday’s encounter between Watford and Leicester City – two teams who are occupying different sides at the Premier League table.

The home team Watford are in a perilous position placing 17^th at the table with 27 points – sandwiched between West Ham United and Bournemouth. So getting out of the dreaded relegation zone is their main agenda moving forward.

Leicester City, meanwhile, sit at third place with 53 points. And although it is virtually impossible to overtake Liverpool as of the moment, ending the campaign with a guaranteed Champions League berth is no longer shabby by their standards.

Who will emerge victorious at the Vicarage Road this Saturday?

As SBOBET continues its coverage of the Premier League, allow us to provide you a quick preview of this weekend fixture.

Talking Points

Watford need all the help they can get

With Nigel Pearson’s side heading for a free-fall, they would need all hands on deck in order to salvage their season.

Watford lost three of their last four before the league had its mandated hiatus, and boy, they were beaten badly.

But against Liverpool, the Hornets caught everyone by surprise when they annihilated them with a 3-0 tally. At that game, it was the likes of Ismaila Sarr and Troy Deeney who were sharp on the attack.

Pearson’s attacking duo are the leading scorers for Watford so far this term. Sarr and Deeney have accounted for 12 goals and five assists, and they will be needed to produce a whole lot more in order to stay afloat.

Ismaila Sarr has been the only consistent attacking threat for the Hornets this campaign. Because of his unique blend of skill, speed, and IQ, the 22-year-old Senegalese winger has been drawing comparisons to his compatriot Sadio Mane.

Meanwhile, Troy Deeney has struggled with injuries this term. But with him getting a lot of time to recover during the league break, the Hornets’ captain is expected to be in full fitness come Saturday evening.

Other than those two, Watford would also need more goals from the likes of Roberto Pereyra, Gerard Deulofeu, and Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Can Jamie Vardy win the Golden Boot?

Leicester City is one of the top scoring teams this season and a huge part of that is because of the goalscoring exploits by Jamie Vardy.

The 33-year-old English international is currently on pace to be the oldest player ever to win the Golden Boot since Didier Drogba – with 19 goals and four assists already this term along with some topnotch Premier League 2020 highlights.

Vardy’s meteoric rise was unexpected to say the least. Although he was part of the 2016 Leicester City club that shocked the world, no one would’ve imagined him to lead the league in scoring especially at this stage of his career.

Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers expects nothing but a tough game from Watford

He is a huge part for the team led by current manager Brendan Rodgers, who has some unfinished business to settle personally.

If you go way back in 2014, Rodgers almost led Liverpool to its first-ever Premier League – only to have their championship dreams dashed when Steven Gerrard had that infamous slip.

Now with Leicester City, he has a chance to redeem himself especially with the squad looking much better on paper compared to the 2016 championship team.

With an intriguing core of Harvey Barnes, James Maddison, Kelechi Iheanacho, Wilfred Ndidi, and Jamie Vardy, Leicester City are expected to hover around the top three in the foreseeable future. And who knows? They could win it all again if the stars align in their favour.

History

Leicester City have gotten the better of Watford in their aggregate head-to-heads. In their 31 encounters, the Foxes won 16 times while the Hornets in 10 along with five draws.

On an average, these two teams combine for 3.06 goals per match, making this an interesting matchup.

Leicester City won in three of their last four encounters against Watford in the past two years.

Betting Tip

	Watford vs Leicester City	Leicester City Asian Handicap -0.25 @ 1.88
	June 20, 19:30 (GMT+8)

The updated Premier League 2020 odds point to a tight match, but winnable in favour of Leicester City. The Foxes are priced at 2.21, while the Hornets are at 3.15 and a draw is at 3.30 in the 1×2 market.

With Leicester City looking loaded on all fronts compared to Watford, it is easy to count the latter out at first glance.

However, the Hornets have proven to be a worthy opponent against the Foxes in recent years. And with goals aplenty in their recent encounters, this game is set to be a must-watch for our viewers – an ideal way to spend your Saturday evening.

A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR () BETS ARE WORTH:
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 18-Jun-2020 at 6:12 PM

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Premier League: Spurs and Manchester United In Top Four Push

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United

The Premier League is back, and we have a belter of a game on Friday night when Spurs vs Manchester United is the offering.

Both teams are in the shake-up for a Champions League place, though the Red Devils have the upper hand coming into this clash.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team currently occupies fifth place, three points behind Chelsea, while Spurs are four points further back in eighth.

Former United boss Jose Mourinho knows his Spurs side can narrow that gap to a single point and he’s a man for the big occasion, but he’ll have to mastermind a win for his team in an empty Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and that will be a new experience for everyone.

Talking Points

Comeback kids can re-ignite Spurs’ campaign

Of course, Mourinho faces his old club again and that will undoubtedly add some bite, but the pre-match Premier League 2020 news has moved away from the dugout for this one as some big players on both sides look set to return.

Spurs surrendered meekly to RB Leipzig in their last outing before lockdown, beaten 3-0 as they stumbled out of the Champions League. However, that was a team without captain and top scorer Harry Kane and his partner Heung-Min Son.

They have 20 goals between them, 11 for Kane and nine for Son, while the South Korean star has also made seven assists.

Both are recovered and fit to play and Kane, who was out since New Years’ Day with a hamstring injury, is raring to go.

Left-back Ben Davies and midfield man Moussa Sissoko have both recovered from injury, but Spurs will be without Dele Alli.

The England star has copped a suspension over an ill-considered social media post he made about coronavirus back in February, but his form has been patchy this season and he may not be missed if the returning stars all perform.

Spurs have some ground to make up but they have a relatively gentle run in, with only Arsenal and Leicester City of their biggest rivals to play after this opener.

Working class hero Rashford can become a legend

The Red Devils will be boosted by the return to fitness of leading goal scorer Marcus Rashford, who has recovered from the back injury which the club feared would keep him out for the remainder of the season.

And the 22-year-old striker has already had an impressive victory, using the power of social media to help convince the UK government to provide free school meals throughout the summer.

He’s a grounded young man and could be the player to drive Manchester United back to former glories. Before suffering his injury, Rashford was having the best season of his career so far with 14 goals, and he will surely benefit from the arrival of playmaker Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford.

Marcus Rashford hopes to return to play in Manchester United’s clash against Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester United are pushing for a top-four place and it’s going to be a dramatic race, with three points to make up on Chelsea and the close attention of Wolves and the North London giants, not to mention surprise package Sheffield United.

And there might even be a Champions League place for the team which finishes in fifth place, depending on the outcome of Manchester City’s court case with UEFA.

It can be noted that back in February, the Sky Blues were handed a two-year ban from European competition for breaches of Financial Fair Play.

City’s appeal will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport early in July, and SBOBET fans from all the teams in the top half of the table will be watching that case with interest, as the race for Champions League football looks set to intensify.

Form counts for little in season restart

Take a look at the last six results for each side which usually a reliable guide and you’ll see a contrasting picture here.

Spurs have drawn one and lost five, while Manchester United too have drawn one, but the Red Devils have won the other six.

But with three months having elapsed since the last Premier League games and key players coming back from injury, recent form is not so recent and we have a ‘start of the season’ feel about the comeback.

So we’ll have to look elsewhere to make our Premier League 2020 betting tips.

History

Solskjaer’s team has a big edge in terms of head-to-heads. Manchester United have won 40 of the 59 meetings in the Premier League era, with the Whites mustering just nine victories and there have been ten draws.

The Red Devils won the return fixture at Old Trafford, 2-1, with a brace from Rashford and a reply from Dele Alli. It was Mourinho’s first defeat as Spurs boss and he won’t have forgotten that in a hurry!

Betting Tip

	Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United	Over 2.50 @ 1.95
	June 20, 03:15 (GMT+8)

Spurs are at 2.83 to win this game, with the Red Devils at 2.35 and the draw available at 3.11; so with all three results well in play we’re sure to see an entertaining game.

1-1 at 5.60 is the most likely result but I suspect there will be a winner, with Manchester United desperate to rediscover their pre-break form, and Spurs wanting to make their point as the race for Europe kicks off.

A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR () BETS ARE WORTH:
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

●●●

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This message was edited by SBOBET on 18-Jun-2020 at 6:13 PM

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Premier League: City Class Receives Helping Hand From Clown Luiz

Manchester City 3-0 Arsenal

Exactly 100 days since a ball was last kicked in the English top-flight, here was a reminder why, amongst so many new elements of the game, some things remain refreshingly the same.

Whether there are spectators or not, whether there are three or five substitutes allowed per Premier League game, whether the goal areas are sanitized and temperature checks conducted, there will always be a player considered the clown prince of defenders.

In this, the return of the unknown, step forward David Luiz who, as far as his critics were concerned, was at his buffoonery best.

There is no doubting the Brazilian’s talent on the ball but, as far as defensive aberrations go, here was a display which showed why Arsenal will surely cut their losses when the player’s contract runs out at the end of the campaign.

Highlights of the game

Manchester City’s substitutes and staff maintain social distancing in the stands

On for the injured Pablo Mari – the luckless Arsenal’s second injury inside the opening 24 minutes – Luiz quickly reverted back to his error-strewn ways and was responsible for the first two goals in Operation Restart.

It was the second minute of first-half stoppage time when Kevin de Bruyne clipped a ball through which Luiz failed to clear and on raced Raheem Sterling, who let it bounce before thrashing it beyond Bernd Leno.

Then, just six minutes after the restart, Luiz hauled down Riyad Mahrez in the penalty area with an arm around the shoulder.

A straight red card was as inevitable as the way the classy De Bruyne smoothly passed in the resulting spot-kick.

At that point, I felt sorry for Leno, who had already been forced to produce a fine stop to tip over a de Bruyne free-kick early on before denying Sterling and then David Silva, in his final season as a City player.

The only relief for the Gunners was that City were comfortably in control after establishing their lead and didn’t have to push on from the 50^th minute as they cemented their grip on second spot.

Aside from Luiz, the other talking points surrounded injuries and the combined approach for equality.

To lose Mari so soon after Granit Zhaka was forced to leave the field on a stretcher after going over on his ankle could be put down to bad luck.

But for City, in the closing stages, to also see a player (Eric Garcia) depart on a stretcher after an accidental collision with his own player, will add fuel to those who believe players are more susceptible to injury and feel the game has returned after too little training.

Either way, it contributed to 11 minutes of stoppage time at the end of the contest during which City added a deserved third. Two substitutes combined with Sterling, after Sergio Aguero’s shot was turned onto the post by Leno, Phil Foden thumped home the rebound.

The SBOBET Premier League 2020 betting odds on a home win were as such, even I could not get my prediction wrong(!).

The decision of Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to leave out Mesut Ozil, although the German international was not injured, also added fuel to the speculation he and the club may part company this summer. Meanwhile, this performance will not have convinced Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang that his future lies in north London either.

The Gabon marksman may have netted 49 goals in 76 Premier League appearances to date, but he provided no Premier League 2020 highlights in a lifeless showing from the visitors.

Before kick-off, all 22 players and referee Anthony Taylor observed a minute silence to mark those who have lost their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic and took a knee to observe the Black Lives Matter movement.

Indeed, player names on shirts were replaced by Black Lives Matter, while a sleeve patch will feature on shirts for the remainder of the league season.

That was the closest Arsenal got to City for much of the evening. The gulf in class was otherwise evident.

Key statistics

City have won their last seven league and cup matches against Arsenal, their longest winning run versus the Gunners.

De Bruyne has been directly involved in eight goals in his past eight Premier League starts against Arsenal, scoring five and assisting three.

Arsenal have lost their last six meetings with City; they last had a longer losing run against an opponent between 1974 and 1977 (Ipswich Town – seven in a row).

They have won just one of 12 top-flight fixtures this season against teams currently above them in the table (drawn five, lost six).

Pep Guardiola has never lost a home match against Arsenal in his managerial career, winning seven of eight games.

Luiz is the first player to be sent off, concede a penalty and commit an error leading to an opposition goal in a Premier League match since Carl Jenkinson for West Ham v Bournemouth in August 2015.

The last time that a player was sent off, conceded a penalty and committed an error leading to an opposition goal in the same game after coming on as a substitute within the top five European leagues, was in March 2011 by Iván Córdoba for Inter Milan v Brescia in Serie A.

This was Sterling’s first goal for City in 2020 in his 28th attempt this calendar year. He is the first player to score a goal in the month of June in the English top-flight since Walter Rickett, for Sheffield United against Stoke on June 14, 1947.

What’s next?

Such is the frenetic schedule of the restarted Premier League campaign that both clubs are in action quickly again.

Arsenal travel to the south coast to face Brighton on Saturday afternoon (June 20) before yet another away day on the south coast, this time at Southampton, a week tomorrow (June 25).

City welcome Burnley to the Etihad next Monday night before a trip to Stamford Bridge to meet Chelsea three days later.