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Combined XI: Liverpool vs Manchester United

Manchester United and Liverpool are rivals on the field and off, as the never-ending argument to be England’s biggest football club rolls on.

The two northwest super clubs have had respective periods of dominance, but have had to watch Manchester City control the Premier League in recent seasons.

That looks to be coming to an end in 2019/20, however, with Liverpool on course to win their first title of the Premier League era and move to within one of Manchester United’s tally of 20.

With the two teams meeting at Anfield this Sunday, Manchester United have a chance to end Liverpool’s dreams of an invincible season, but the latest sports betting doesn’t give the visitors much of a chance.

Through the 1990s and 2000s, Manchester United would have had more than their fair share in a combined XI.

However, it is the red of Liverpool in ascendancy at the moment, though, and that’s reflected in our team. We’ve opted for a 4-2-3-1 with a somewhat surprising choice as the focal point in attack…

Alisson

David De Gea’s decline has been well-publicised. Errors have crept into the Spaniard’s game. Alisson hasn’t been flawless this season, but he’s the superior of the two goalkeepers right now.

The Brazilian is great with his feet, something that’s become increasingly important in the modern game. Along with Marc Andre ter Stegen, Jan Oblak and Samir Handanovic, Alisson is one of the best goalkeepers on the planet.

Plenty of football betting markets will fancy the winner of The Best FIFA Goalkeeper in 2019 to keep a clean sheet this weekend.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Trent Alexander-Arnold had this position sewn up. Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a superb defender, but no full-back in the world influences matches as much as Alexander-Arnold right now.

His set piece delivery and creativity from the right side is second to none. Liverpool’s football is dependent on Alexander-Arnold and his fellow full-back Andy Robertson. He is Liverpool’s Dani Alves – the sky is the limit.

Virgil van Dijk

Ballon d’Or top three finishes for defenders are a rare event.

Virgil van Dijk might have only been runner up, but that shouldn’t overshadow the individual achievement – he’s the first defender to finish in the top three since Fabio Cannavaro won the award in 2006.

The Dutchman transformed Liverpool defensively, and the ‘best defender in the world’ title is his for the foreseeable future. Van Dijk has a complete game.

Harry Maguire

The reviews of Harry Maguire’s first half-season at Manchester United haven’t all been positive.

United’s defence has been excellent, however, and has conceded just 21.24 non-penalty expected goals in the league this season – only Liverpool have a better defensive record.

Maguire is good on the ball and has been a big part of United’s defensive improvement. He can be exposed when high up the pitch, but he’s been a definite upgrade.

Andrew Robertson

Another Liverpool star, Andy Robertson is the best left-back in the Premier League. Few players come close, and his challengers in this combined XI aren’t in the same league.

There have been few greater bargains in Premier League history than Robertson. The management of Jurgen Klopp and talent identification at Liverpool - which has led their rise to the best team in the world - deserve immense credit.

Paul Pogba

Although injured for the majority of this campaign, and under a cloud of rumours fuelled by super agent Mino Raiola, Paul Pogba is among the best midfielder players in the league.

Consistency has been an issue, of course, but Pogba at his best walks into pretty much every team on the planet.

Liverpool’s midfield is constructed ideally for Klopp’s system. When compared man-for-man with Pogba, it’s very hard to pick Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain or Georginio Wijnaldum ahead of the World Cup winner.

Naby Keita is yet to make his mark on the English game so Pogba gets the nod.

Fabinho

Liverpool have received positive news about Fabinho’s ankle injury, which looked like a potential turning point in the title race a few weeks ago.

It didn’t turn out that way, of course, but that shouldn’t undermine the standard the Brazilian was performing at prior to his injury.

In this two-man midfield, Fabinho was competing with Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic. It didn’t take long to choose the Liverpool star.

Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah remains a relentless goal scorer. He’s scored 10 Premier League goals already this season, just one fewer than Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Sadio Mane.

It is almost Premier League tradition to see Salah’s form questioned, yet he keeps delivering for Klopp’s side.

The fact that Salah is having a season like this and going under the radar reflects the standards he has set. It’s a big part of Liverpool becoming the juggernaut they are.

Roberto Firmino

Much like Michael Carrick and Cesar Azpilicueta, Roberto Firmino is described as ‘underrated’ so frequently he cannot possibly be.

Still, the Brazilian no-look specialist is a wonderful footballer, and a vital component of this Liverpool attack. His role is almost unique, playing as a facilitator for Salah and Sadio Mane rather than the spearhead of the front line.

Firmino has a knack for a big goal, though, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him find the net this weekend.

Sadio Mane

Only five players who have played over 500 Premier League minutes this season have a higher non-penalty expected goals per 90 than Mane. Mane’s 0.24 expected assists per 90 isn’t too shabby, either.

The Senegalese forward has it all. He’s a great finisher, good dribbler and a nightmare for opposition defenders whether he’s pressing or running in behind.

There are few forwards as good as Mane in Europe right now.

Anthony Martial

Picking between Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford wasn’t easy. Martial has been favoured as the centre forward this season, though, so it makes more sense to put him as the nine in this side.

The Frenchman has eight goals so far this year, and his 0.44 non-penalty expected goals per 90 is only 0.03 below Rashford’s number.

Martial is the better finisher of the two and looks to have found his role under Solskjaer.

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Jon Super / AP Photo*

January 15, 2020

Premier League

By Sam Cox

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Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.

He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.

Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.

Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.

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5 Best Finals In Australian Open History

The best finals in Australian Open history include matches that stretch beyond an afternoon of tennis. Several are crucial episodes in rivalries that lasted for years. Others are a fightback, and some are a break through on the Grand Slam stage.

Grand Slam finals produce a special drama, a physical and mental challenge, a contest with your own nerves and against a truly great opponent. Tennis betting odds at Grand Slam events can chop and change so quickly.

A loss can be heart-breaking, it can take months to recover from. A win in an historic final can be the start of a career year. Here are the five greatest finals in Australian Open history…

Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal (2012)

Two of the greatest tennis players of all-time playing at their peak over five sets in a Grand Slam final. The 2012 men’s Australian Open final has a compelling case as the greatest tennis match ever played.

The match lasted almost six hours and finished after 1:30am Melbourne time. It was almost an hour longer than the epic 2019 Wimbledon men’s final between Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Djokovic and Nadal had met in the previous two Grand Slam finals. Neither came close to the effort and emotion spent in Melbourne in 2012.

They were exhausted, with Nadal falling to his knees after the fourth set tiebreaker. Remarkably, the Spaniard picked himself up to take a 4-2 lead in the fifth.

Djokovic, as he so often does, wrestled the match back in his favour, taking a 6-5 lead before holding serve to win his third Australian Open title.

Jennifer Capriati vs Martina Hingis (2002)

The 2001 Australian Open marked the comeback of Jennifer Capriati. From a pure entertainment perspective, however, the 2002 final (against the same opponent) was far more memorable.

Capriati clawed back from the brink of defeat - she faced four set points in the second set, but recovered to win the tie break. The third set was a comfortable 6-2 win.

In searing Australian heat, and fired up by a frustration with the officials, Capriati kept coming back at Hingis. Even when 5-1 down in the first, Capriati gave Hingis a scare by getting it to 5-4.

It was a match of missed opportunities for Hingis, who suffered three consecutive Australian Open final defeats after three-peating to end the millennium. Always a favourite in the Australian Open odds, Hingis’ legacy could have been so much greater.

Roger Federer vs Marin Cilic (2018)

On the back of two Grand Slams in 2017, including a fifth Australian Open, Roger Federer was at his brilliant best in Melbourne in 2018.

The masterful Swiss didn’t drop a set on his way to the final and played a shortened match against Chung Hyeon in the last four.

Marin Cilic was playing some of the best tennis of his life, having knocked out Rafael Nadal, Kyle Edmund and Pablo Carreno Busta. When Cilic lost the first set of the final 6-2, however, there were fears it would be a walkover for Federer.

A battling tie-break win for Cilic in the second put an end to those concerns. Federer took the third 6-3 before Cilic won the fourth by the same scoreline.

Deep into his 30s, there were doubts about Federer keeping his level high over five sets. Those were quickly forgotten about as Federer made light work of the decider, winning it 6-1 to secure his 20th Grand Slam.

John Newcombe vs Jimmy Connors (1975)

John Newcombe and Jimmy Connors were hardly best of friends. Their 1975 meeting in the Australian Open final was the second of four with the two greats taking two victories apiece. Connors went on to win the final tour clashes in Sydney three years later and Hong Kong in 1979.

Connors had become the best player in 1974, winning the Australian Open, US Open and Wimbledon. Conquering the world, Connors lost just four of his 103 matches in the previous year and had displaced Newcombe at the top of the three.

Newcombe had an arduous schedule leading up to the final, with lengthy deciding sets and matches on consecutive days. Connors, in stark contrast, cruised through the tournament.

Fatigue was meant to be an issue for Newcombe, and the match looked to be slipping away when Connors won the second set.

Some controversial calls in the third turned it on its head, however, and Newcombe went on to win his seventh, and final, Grand Slam.

Angelique Kerber vs Serena Williams (2016)

Angelique Kerber was the tennis betting underdog ahead of her meeting with Serena Williams in the 2016 Australian Open final.

Williams had dominated their previous six meetings, winning five of them, and hadn’t dropped a set en route to the final. Kerber had a similarly easy path, however, having not lost a set since her opening round win over Misaki Doi.

Prior to the tournament, Kerber hadn’t impressed in Grand Slam play. The German had never made it past the fourth round in Melbourne and had only appeared in the quarter-finals once in her last 13 Slams.

The 2016 season was different, though, and the final against Serena was a springboard for a brilliant year.

Breaks of serve was exchanged in the first set, with Kerber eventually getting the edge. Williams took control of the second set, before a dramatic third.

Kerber led 5-2, but the great champion Serena fought back. A sensational rally was played at Championship point – Kerber was handed her first Grand Slam title when Williams hit the ball long.

Excited about the Aus open? You'll also get excited about the tennis odds at 888sport

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Aaron Favila / AP Photo*

February 10, 2021

Tennis

By Sam Cox

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Jay Bothroyd EXCLUSIVE With 888sport: Wolves Must Keep Hold Of Manchester United target Jimenez In Order To Break Into Top Six

In a career that has spanned twenty years, twelve clubs, three countries and two continents the one consistent thread with Jay Bothroyd is that he has scored wherever he has gone.

Pacey and inventive, the Islington-born striker has troubled defences in the Premier League, Serie A and presently in Japan’s J1 League where he still plies his trade at the ripe age of 37.

“I haven’t really thought about retiring just yet,” he tells 888sport. “When my body starts to fail me I might begin to think what’s next.”

Opinionated, funny and always searingly honest, here the former England international looks back on some of his former clubs and the highly eventful path that has led him to Asia, beginning with a Wolves side he loves to watch, even if they do bring back some painful memories.

Wolves Must Stick Before Twisting

This wonderful Wanderers side that is fast becoming one of the success stories of the top flight is a very different incarnation to the Championship team Bothroyd joined in 2006, following a year-long stint with Perugia in Italy.

Blessed with an astute manager in Nuno Espirito Santo and an array of terrific players the West Midlands club is once again threatening to break into the established elite and while their former hit-man has nothing but admiration for their achievements, he does worry they might yet become victims of their own success.

“I think the manager is fantastic and they’ve got very good players there. They are very hard to beat. I really like the striker Raul Jimenez who has a good all-round game.

"But can they keep hold of these players now? That’s what it’s all about.

"If they start losing their big players Wolves could start slipping down the table and that would be a shame because they have recruited really well and have a solid team and they can break into the top six.”

A pertinent case in point is the aforementioned Jimenez whose eight goals and six assists this season has reportedly attracted the attention of Manchester United this January transfer window.

Seeking a silver lining Bothroyd believes that might finally result in the Mexican getting the credit he is due.

“He doesn’t get recognition because he’s at Wolves. When I look at him he’s a very, very similar player to Firmino but look at the recognition Firmino gets at Liverpool.

"They probably have a similar goal-scoring record and in fact Jiminez probably has more this year. But Wolves aren’t as big a side as Liverpool or Arsenal or Chelsea or the Manchester teams.

"If he went to one of those teams people would start saying he’s one of the best in the world at what he does.”

Viewing their progress from afar Bothroyd’s support is tinged with the fact that he left the club on bad terms, having spectacularly fallen out with the then-manager and current Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy.

It is a dispute that still brings up strong feelings even twelve years on.

“The thing about Mick McCarthy is that he portrays himself a certain way when he’s on the television and people speak to him and think he’s a lovely guy. But for me he’s two-faced. That’s why I didn’t get along with him.

"You had to do things his way or it was the highway. He treated players like schoolchildren. Don’t wear your cap in the canteen. Don’t wear jewellery. I had a nice car and was told not to drive it into training.

"It was ridiculous and had nothing to do with football. Over time he was grinding me down and I was grinding him down and it just came to a head really.”

Keen to stress that his first year in a gold shirt was a contented one – a claim strengthened by a late winner against arch-rivals West Brom that season – Bothroyd eventually became desperate to leave as the acrimony continued.

“To be honest I was delighted to move on from Wolves because the way Mick McCarthy was treating me was just ridiculous. There were things he was doing to me there I don’t think you can do now.

"He was making me go back and train, just running around the pitch with Tony Daley. He took my squad number off me. He made me get changed in a youth team dressing room.

He tried to make my life a living hell basically, just because he wanted me out of the club. There was one time when he brought me on as a sub and I scored a goal and I pointed with one thumb up like a gun.

"He made out like I was being rude and he took me back off. So I was then like, well this guy is an idiot. That’s the kind of thing he did. It was all about him.”

From A Sky Blue To Dark Clouds

On the verge of breaking into Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal side Bothroyd jeopardized his future in North London by throwing his shirt towards the bench on being substituted in a Youth Cup Final.

Indirectly or otherwise this led to an early transfer for the precocious teen who cost Coventry City £1m in the summer of 2000. This was quite a sum back then for an 18-year-old yet to make a professional appearance.

On revisiting his time at Highfield Road the forward highlights the first chapter as his happiest.

“Obviously going to Coventry was a high point. When Gordon Strachan called me and said he wanted me to go there and sign I was really happy because everyone who had worked with Gordon – especially the young players – had flourished. He guided them in a good way.”

Unfortunately, as with his spell at Wolves things began to unravel for the player and this despite finishing his third and final season as the club’s top goal-scorer.

Only this time it was financial considerations beyond his control rather than a personality clash that led to his departure.

“I always say that Coventry City started going downhill the day that Gordon Strachan left. He was the one who galvanized them. He was the one who made good signings.

"Then the club went into administration and because I was one of the better earners they asked if I would take a pay cut. I didn’t feel like I wanted to take a pay cut so I said if you give me a free transfer I will leave.

"They decided to do that. For me that was good as it gave me the opportunity to go to Serie A.”

The intervening years have hardly been kind on the Sky Blues, with a plummeting down the leagues and a constant state of crisis that has largely been brought about by their deeply unpopular owners.

Their ex striker has watched the calamities unfold in astonishment.

“When I first went there Coventry were a mid-table team with the odd relegation battle but since then there has been a downward spiral and season after season it gets worse and worse.

"The club hasn’t been run correctly. They got into debt and any player that was valued got sold. They don’t have a stadium now and where do they go from there?”

Bluebirds Are Temporarily Grounded

It was at Cardiff that Bothroyd won his singular and cherished England cap, becoming a rarity in receiving international recognition while playing in the second tier.

It was an honour richly deserved after blitzing the Championship that year with an abundance of goals though according to the player himself a team-mate should also share some of the credit.

“When Craig Bellamy came to Cardiff he helped me develop and take my game to another level.

"Seeing how he prepared every day; how he trained and what he ate. What he did before and after training. It made me want to do that and that’s what helped get me into the national team.”

As for the here and now the Welsh side are struggling with inconsistency and this after sacking Neil Warnock earlier this campaign for the very same flaw. Bothroyd insists nothing will change until some serious investment is committed to.

“Warnock was successful with Cardiff but now Harris has come in and it’s difficult for him.

"They don’t have a big squad and I don’t think they’ve got a squad to compete for promotion at the moment. What they need to do now is get rid of the players they don’t fancy and start recruiting and building.

"Then next year, or the year after they need to be thinking about winning the Championship. At the moment though the squad isn’t good enough to do that.”

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Matt Dunham / AP Photo*

January 14, 2020

Football

By 888sport

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The 888sport blog is here to offer betting and tipping advice on the biggest sports fixtures, events and competitions around the world.

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Alisson

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Virgil van Dijk

Harry Maguire

Andrew Robertson

Paul Pogba

Fabinho

Mohamed Salah

Roberto Firmino

Sadio Mane

Anthony Martial

Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal (2012)

Jennifer Capriati vs Martina Hingis (2002)

Roger Federer vs Marin Cilic (2018)

John Newcombe vs Jimmy Connors (1975)

Angelique Kerber vs Serena Williams (2016)

Wolves Must Stick Before Twisting

From A Sky Blue To Dark Clouds

Bluebirds Are Temporarily Grounded

Compromise Needed

Discussion Point

Career Highlight

Plenty Of Positives

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2020 Australian Open: Men's

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