It would be fair to state that Arsenal and Chelsea have both underperformed this season. With eight defeats in 23 Premier League games, Chelsea are clinging on to a top four berth while Arsenal are languishing down in 10th position after a woeful campaign.

Both clubs are in desperate need of a confidence boost after failing to claim three points at the weekend and neutrals will be eyeing up the Premier League Odds ahead of what should be an exciting game at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.

Here, we’ve created a combined XI with the best players from both clubs. Chelsea dominate with seven players to just four from Arsenal but do you agree with our picks?

Bernd Leno

A tough choice at the goalkeeper position but probably for the wrong reasons. Leno and Kepa have hardly covered themselves in glory this season but the Arsenal man just about edges it.

Kepa has the worst save percentage in the Premier League, stopping just 55.4% of shots faced in 2019/20. Meanwhile, Leno is operating at 72% which is enough to put him in our Chelsea vs Arsenal combined XI.

Reece James

At just 20 years old, James has already made a name for himself at Stamford Bridge. Likely to feature for England in the near future, James is one of the best full-backs in the Premier League on current form.

Chelsea have tied him down to a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2025. The Blues defender is easily our pick for the right-back position.

Antonio Rudiger

Arsenal and Chelsea are not exactly blessed with defensive talent but Rudiger is certainly the best of a bad bunch. Unfortunately, the Germany international has played just eight league games for Chelsea this season due to injury.

He is our choice to rank as the commanding marshal in defence. Rudiger is still improving and he could become a top defender in the coming years.

David Luiz

Alongside Rudiger, we are going with former Chelsea defender David Luiz. The Brazilian is by no means a lock for this spot in the team but he is arguably slightly more consistent than a few of the other contenders.

Luiz has been praised by new Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta in recent weeks and it wouldn’t be a huge shock to see the 32-year-old produce a solid performance against his former club.

Kurt Zouma

Rightly or wrongly, we are shifting Zouma to left-back for the purposes of this Chelsea vs Arsenal combined XI. Such are the limitations of the conventional full-back options, Zouma is preferred to slot into the left-back role.

Zouma leads the team in aerial battles won (83) and clearances (84) and his presence at set-pieces alone gives him an advantage over some of his rivals.

N’Golo Kante

Kante is Chelsea’s midfield general and he will also act as that for our all-Chelsea unit in this team. The Frenchman has shown versatility and an ability to adapt to different roles during Frank Lampard’s short tenure.

One of the most consistent players in the Premier League over the last five years, Kante is one of the first names on our Chelsea vs Arsenal combined XI.

Mateo Kovacic

Consistency has eluded Kovacic on more than one occasion this season but there is no denying he boasts immense natural ability. The Croatia star is one to watch as he continues to adapt to life at Stamford Bridge.

It was a tossup between Kovacic and Mason Mount for this place in the midfield but we are leaning towards the Croatian. There wouldn’t be much separating both players in football tips for this XI.

Jorginho

A calm and collected head in midfield, Jorginho makes Chelsea tick and he can be the ‘Paul Scholes’ for this combined Arsenal and Chelsea XI. His impact and influence since joining the Blues has been clear for all to see…

While some would say that Jorginho lacks physicality to play in the Premier League, he has shown mettle in midfield and he is the clear pick for this spot.

Nicolas Pepe

After a slow start to his Arsenal career, Pepe has started to find his feet in north London. He has yet to justify his hefty £72 million price tag but Gunners fans will be relatively pleased with his recent progress.

With two goals and an assist in his previous three starts, Pepe is starting to show why Arsenal were so desperate to sign him. He pips Callum Hudson-Odoi for us.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

One of the most consistent strikers in world football, Aubameyang has been prolific during his Arsenal career. He is banned for Tuesday night’s clash and Gunners fans will be fearing the worst with Aubameyang on the sidelines.

An absolute shoo-in if the Premier League was to replicate an NBA All-Star game, the Gabon forward is one of the best in the business and is an absolute must for our XI.

Tammy Abraham

Abraham has scored 13 goals in 22 Premier League games this season and the Blues striker deserves his place alongside Aubameyang here. In fact, some might say that on current form he is our Chelsea-Arsenal combined XI frontman.

Chelsea have had to rely heavily on Abraham this campaign but the youngster has stepped up to the plate. With Kane injured, could we see Abraham lead the line for England at Euro 2020?

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

January 20, 2020

By Alex McMahon

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Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.

He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.

As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible. 
 

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The NFL playoffs are unpredictable at the best of times. Momentum often swings back and forth during the postseason and only the best can prevail.

Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to an incredible success over the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round but how does that feat rank against other playoff comeback stories?

Scroll down for the latest NFL betting odds, tips and news and thoughts on the greatest comebacks in playoff history. Who knows, we could be set for more drama in the coming weeks…

 

Bills 41-38 Oilers (1993)

If you think Houston’s loss to the Chiefs was bad, take a look at the city’s previous franchise losing to the Bills in 1993. This was – and still is to this day – the greatest comeback in NFL playoff history, with the Bills coming back from 32 points down midway through the third quarter.

Bills beating Oilers is best NFL Playoffs comeback
Photo credit: AP Photo / John Hickey

With Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly out injured, the onus was on backup Frank Reich to lead the Bills to the Super Bowl. Trailing by 32 points in the third quarter, Reich threw four touchdown passes in those final 22 minutes to lead the Bills to a famous overtime victory.

Reich led the Bills to a road win over the Pittsburgh Steelers before resuming his backup role after Kelly’s return in the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, the Bills crumbled against the Dallas Cowboys but that triumph over the Oilers will live long in the memory of NFL fans.

 

49ers 39-38 Giants (2003)

With just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter, San Francisco found themselves trailing by 24 points. The outlook was bleak but Jeff Garcia was able to lead the 49ers to an incredible comeback. One of the first dual-threat quarterbacks of his kind, Garcia was just as impressive as a runner as he was in the pocket.

The legendary Terrell Owens caught nine passes for 177 yards, two touchdowns and two two-point conversions in that triumph. This is one of those memorable NFL playoff wins that is still talked about today; it was an absolute joy to watch.

Can Jimmy Garoppolo lead San Francisco to Super Bowl glory in 2020? A mouth-watering clash with the Kansas City Chiefs awaits and punters can find the latest NFL tips and news via the 888sport blog ahead of Super Bowl LIV.

 

Colts 45-44 Chiefs (2014)

Now retired at the age of 29, Andrew Luck always looked destined for greatness. Luck was the man tasked with the impossible job of replacing the great Peyton Manning but he did a pretty good job for the majority of his short NFL career.

Back in 2014, he was involved in a playoff shootout game with Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith. Poor quarterback play in the first half gave the Chiefs an opportunity to build a lead and the Colts quickly found themselves trailing by 28 points. It was down to Luck and wide receiver T.Y. Hilton to get Indianapolis back in the game…

13 catches, 224 yards and a winning touchdown later, Hilton and Luck had completed a miraculous turnaround. The Lucas Oil Stadium crowd were jubilant and that Luck ‘fumble’ touchdown still features on NFL playoff highlight reels five years later.

 

Patriots 34-28 Falcons (2017)

In one of the greatest Super Bowls of all-time, the Patriots came from behind to break the hearts of Atlanta Falcons fans around the world. With New England trailing 28-3 in the third quarter, many believed that Atlanta had done enough to prevail to claim their first Super Bowl success.

However, what most NFL fans had failed to remember was: Atlanta were playing against the New England Patriots. Arguably the best dynasty in NFL history, the Patriots produced one of the greatest comebacks in sport to clinch their second Super Bowl in three years.

Tom Brady received plenty of plaudits but it was James White’s impact as a receiver that really gave New England the edge. White finished with 14 catches for 110 yards and the go-ahead touchdown late in the game. It was one of the great individual NFL playoff performances.

 

Chiefs 51-31 Texans (2020)

We couldn’t not have Kansas City’s victory on this list. Houston raced into a 24-0 lead early in the second quarter after a nightmare start for the Chiefs – turnovers and a muffed punt gifted good field position to the Texans who duly obliged to build a commanding lead.

However, it wasn’t commanding enough. With the Chiefs reeling, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien opted to kick a field goal on fourth and 1 while on the Kansas City 13-yard line. A touchdown could’ve crushed the Chiefs but holding Houston to a field goal was a win.

From there, the momentum shifted. Mahomes was unbelievable for the rest of the game, throwing five touchdown passes en route to a mammoth success. It marked only the third time in NFL history that a team won by 20 points after previously trailing by 20 points and the first time in the NFL playoffs.

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Jeff Roberson / AP Photo*

January 20, 2020

By Alex McMahon

Alex McMahon Sport
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Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.

He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.

As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible. 
 

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The rust built up over the offseason makes Melbourne the home of Grand Slam upsets. Great players aren’t yet in their new stride at the beginning of the season, put that with some in-form underdogs and you have a cocktail ready to produce shocks.

Tennis betting can be a treacherous business in the first Slam of the year. The world’s best are sometimes vulnerable, and outsiders are worth looking out for whether in the early rounds or as the tournament winner.

Melbourne has witnessed some of the great Grand Slam surprises. Some of these losses set off a special season, others damaged confidence for the tournaments that followed.

Either way, they were significant moments in both players’ careers, and matches that will be remembered for a long time. Here are the biggest Australian Open shocks.

 

Helena Sukova vs Martina Navratilova (1984)

Martina Navratilova is one of the best tennis players of all-time. Heading into the 1984 Australian Open, Navratilova had won the six previous Grand Slams and was riding a 74-match unbeaten streak.

To say she was heavily favoured against Sukova, who hadn’t made it past the fourth-round of a Slam previously, would have been an understatement.

Once Navratilova had taken the first set 6-1, the semi-final was expected to be a walkover. Sukova fought back against the odds, however, to win the next two sets 6-3, 7-5.

The underdog went on to lose to Navratilova’s long-time rival Chris Evert in the final – there was a positive from the tournament for Navratilova, however, as she won in the doubles.

Amelie Mauresmo vs Lindsay Davenport (1999)

Martina Hingis was waiting in the final for the victor of the Amelie Mauresmo and Lindsay Davenport semi-final in 1999. Hingis was a two-time defending champion, and a meeting with the top seed Davenport seemed inevitable. Mauresmo was unseeded.

The Frenchwoman had never made it into the second week of a Slam until the 1999 Australian Open and didn’t reach another quarter-final until the 2001 US Open.

Despite losing the first set, Mauresmo blew Davenport away with dominant serving and powerful groundstrokes that the American couldn’t live with.

Although Mauresmo became one of the best players in the game and reached world number one a few years later, she had to wait until 2006 for her first Grand Slam success, which came over Justine Henin in Melbourne.

Davenport bounced back to win Wimbledon a few months after her disappointment in Australia and defeated Hingis in the 2000 Australian Open final.

 

Thomas Johansson vs Marat Safin (2002)

Thomas Johansson was the 16th seed when he met Marat Safin in the 2002 final. The Swede had just one Masters title to his name at that point, having won the Canada Masters three years earlier.

Safin finished 2001 as the 11th-ranked player in the world, but was heavily favoured for his clash with Johansson.

The Russian took the first set, and it looked like it could be a predictable final. Johansson upset Safin’s rhythm in the second set, however, mixing the pace of his shots and keeping him off balance.

Johansson only made it past the fourth-round once more before his retirement in 2009. Safin appeared in two more Australian Open finals, losing to Roger Federer in 2004 and finally getting his hands on the trophy in 2005.

Alberto Martin vs Lleyton Hewitt (2002)

The 2002 tournament was bonkers. The top four seeds all fell in the first two rounds, setting the foundations for the Johansson-Safin final.

Lleyton Hewitt had just become world number one and, when he lost to Alberto Martin in the first round, became the first top seed to get knocked out in the first round of a Grand Slam since 1990.

Despite a first-round loss in his home Slam, Hewitt wasn’t too downbeat, putting his poor performance down to a recent battle with Chickenpox.

The world number one cruised to a 6-1 win in the first set, but lost the next three, his recent illness making it harder to compete over multiple sets.

Unlike with Hewitt in 2002, will we see the home crowd celebrating this year? Our 2020 Australian Open guide looks at all you need to know ahead of the tournament.

 

Marcos Baghdatis vs Andy Roddick (2006)

Few players are as much fun as Marcos Baghdatis. At just 20 years old, the Cypriot put in a performance that caught the eye of the tennis-watching world as he toppled number two seed Andy Roddick in the last 16.

Baghdatis had gone out in the first round of his three previous Grand Slams, but made it all the way to the final in Melbourne, defeating Ivan Ljubicic and David Nalbandian in the quarter and semi-finals.

He even took a lead against Roger Federer in the final, but lost the match in four sets. Baghdatis played positive tennis in two senses – on the court and with a smile on his face.

He frequently produced his best shots in the biggest moments, too. Unfortunately, the 2006 Australian Open proved to be the highlight of Baghdatis’ career.

 

Head to 888Sport to smash your next bet on the Aus open

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Mark Baker / AP Photo*

February 10, 2021
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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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The Peter Marsh Chase is a Grade 2 Limited Handicap for runners aged 5 years and older which is run over 3 miles and 24 yards at Haydock.

The race has produced some fine Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup winners over the years including Little Owl (1981), The Thinker (1987) and Jodami (1993).

In 1997, a 12-year-old Jodami came back to Haydock as a former Gold Cup winner and took top honours for a second time.

The 1995 winner, Earth Summit, went on to win the Aintree Grand National three years later in 1998, and many trainers now use this race as a National prep.

This year a total of ten runners go to post.

  • 10/10 winners had run at least twice already that season and 5/10 had registered at least one win.
  • 10/10 had won on ground described as soft or worse previously.
  • 10/10 Carried between 9st 11lbs and 11st 3lbs.
  • 10/10 had a rating of 135 or higher.
  • 7/10 had run at Haydock Park previously with 4/10 having at least one win there already.
  • 1/9 faves/joint-faves have won with 3/10 winners coming from the top three in the horse racing betting.

Runner-By-Runner Guide:

Definitly Red (Brian Ellison)

The classiest runner in the field with victories such as the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree (twice), the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham and Charlie Hall at Wetherby, all on his C.V.

The eleven-year-old finished fourth to dual Becher Chase scorer Walk In The Mill on his most recent start at Aintree and the Grand National itself it is the main objective for him this season.

With the National weights yet to be compiled a watching brief may be the order of the day for the fans of this runner.

Acting Lass (Harry Fry)

A lightly raced gelding who has sprung right back into form in his last couple of outings, taking the Welsh Grand National Trial at Chepstow and finishing a gallant runner-up in the Silver Cup at Ascot proving he shouldn’t want for stamina.

His trainer boasts a 33% strike rate in the past fortnight which is certainly a positive for his supporters.

Flying Angel (Nigel-Twiston Davies)

Former Grade One Aintree Novices' Chase winner Flying Angel is certainly no back number but he will have to prove that he can stay this kind of distance after a disappointing run, when sent off the favourite, in the Grand Sefton.

A difficult horse to catch right but this father/son combination tends to do very well at this venue.

Vintage Clouds (Sue Smith)

After one almighty sulk at Aintree in the Becher Chase, Sue Smith’s ten-year-old put in an altogether better performance in the Tommy Whittle Chase but was never a danger to the winner coming down the home straight.

Once a habitual front runner, the talented Trevor Hemmings-owned grey has suddenly become a temperamental sort and now tends to drop himself out. He’ll do well to come from behind at a heavy Haydock Park however.

Red Indian (Kelly Morgan)

He tends to race prominently and was last seen being well beaten by Aux Ptits Soins in a handicap hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National meeting.

Red Indian kicked off last season with a 15 length spanking of No Hassle Hoff at Ayr but there are certainly stamina concerns for him over this trip.

Champers On Ice (David Pipe)

The ten-year-old returns to chasing after a successful first half of the campaign over hurdles. After handicap successes at Ffos Las and Newbury, he was last seen finishing third at Cheltenham in the middle of December.

In the absence of their other entry –Daklondike, the connections of Champers On Ice will be expecting a big run from their staying chaser.

Geronimo (Sandy Thomson)

Geronimo won two of his races over fences last season before being pulled up in the Scottish Grand National at Ayr last April.

The nine-year-old made a winning seasonal reappearance taking a 2m4f handicap chase at Newcastle in December and will be stepping back up in trip here.

The son of Kadastrof should have stamina in abundance as he showed when he saw off Teddy Tee at Ayr this time last year.

Prime Venture (Evan Williams)

Evan Williams’ charge has finished fourth on both his starts this season, most recently in the Welsh Grand National where he was only just over four lengths away from the winner, Potters Corner.

The nine-year-old also finished fourth behind Potters corner in the Midlands Grand National last season, confirming that he can deal with attritional conditions over a marathon distance.

Regular pilot Adam Wedge is replaced on Saturday by Williams’ daughter- Isabel, who will be claiming a valuable 7lbs for the Vale Of Glamorgan training team; an important horse racing betting strategy to remember.

Midnight Tune (Anthony Honeyball)

Nicknamed “the tractor” by her jockey Aidan Coleman, the nine-year-old mare is in a rich vein of form at the moment and her connections will be hopeful she can farm this major staying Chase.

Her trainer, Anthony Honeyball, is having by his own admission one of his best seasons ever and Midnight Tune can take every advantage of her lenient mark of 10st 4lb.

Claud And Goldie (Sandy Forster)

The joint-oldest runner in the field at eleven along with Definitly Red, but is showing no signs of any diminishing ability just yet.

The Scottish-trained gelding was the winner of a competitive veterans' contest at Kelso last month and has finished in the top three places in his last five races under Rules.

He shouldn’t be underestimated down at the bottom of the weights.

Peter Marsh Chase: Prediction

The 156-rated Definitly Red should be far superior to this field but Haydock’s version of heavy is a great leveller and I believe they will let “Red” do everything in his own time on Saturday due to there being even bigger fish to fry down the road for him.

Originally entered up for the Tommy Whittle, Midnight Tune’s connections sent her to Exeter instead where she picked up a nice little purse in an EBF Mares’ Chase.

That was quite a clever financial move and she now comes up to Merseyside to contest a more open race than the Tommy Whittle was.

Based on what I personally see as something of a plot, I make Midnight Tune my nap selection.

888sport suggests: Midnight Tune (win).

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

January 17, 2020

By Steve Mullington

Steve Mullington
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    Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.

    He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.

    Steven graduated from the University Of Lancaster in 1996 with a B.A (Hons) in Urban Policy & Race Relations (major) with Contemporary Religions & Belief Systems (minor) and still wonders if any of these help him find the winners?

    He writes for a number of websites and online publications and you can sometimes hear him at the weekend discussing racing on a number of local radio stations. 

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    Liverpool are in the middle of one of the greatest seasons in Premier League history. Manchester United are five points outside the top four and depleted by injuries.

    These two teams aren’t in the same neighbourhood in 2019/20, but Liverpool will still view this weekend’s clash as a significant threat to their push for an unbeaten campaign. Rivalries do strange things to players, they can throw up improbable results.

    Jurgen Klopp’s side have won 20 of their 21 Premier League matches this season. They are a perfect 11 from 11 at Anfield.

    Manchester United have three wins in their 11 away games, putting them way out at 15/2 in the latest Premier League Odds to win on Sunday afternoon.

    Liverpool are 4/11 to win this weekend and a remarkable 1/25 to win the title for the first time in the Premier League era. The league is theirs to lose, and few will be predicting anything other than a home victory this weekend.

    The hosts could welcome back Fabinho, Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren to the matchday squad.

    Manchester United’s injury situation is much less positive with Marcus Rashford a doubt after an injury in midweek and Scott McTominay, Paul Pogba and Luke Shaw all still sidelined.

     

    Rashford Absence

    Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford have dovetailed beautifully, Martial starting centrally and Rashford drifting around the pitch from a nominal left-wing berth. The pair have combined for 22 Premier League goals so far this season - that’s over 61% of the team’s goals.

    Rashford is a major doubt this weekend – it’s hard to overstate how much of a blow that is to United. With Pogba absent for the foreseeable future too, their attacking options are pretty limited.

    Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may end up starting Daniel James and Juan Mata on the flanks behind Martial.

    The prospect of Rashford coming from the left, and matching up with his England teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold, was one area of positivity for Solskjaer’s side.

    Against a Liverpool team with six consecutive clean sheets under their belts, United’s attacking threat is reliant on Martial if Rashford isn’t fit. The Frenchman could become isolated.

    Manchester United are Evens to fail to score this weekend. It’s worth waiting for more news of Rashford’s fitness before betting, but that could turn out to be a very good price.

     

    Firmino Finding Space

    At the other end of the pitch, Roberto Firmino is on a good run of form with five goals in his last seven appearances.

    Nemanja Matic is predicted to start alongside Fred in central midfield by WhoScored and will have to keep an eye on the energetic forward.

    The Brazilian will drop into space between the midfield and defence and look to create from there. Instead of drawing one of the centre-backs up the pitch, Matic must be aware of Firmino’s movement.

    Firmino’s 0.24 expected assists per 90 is one of the best marks among central strikers, behind only Shane Long, Raul Jimenez and Lys Mousset. The former Hoffenheim man is 7/2 to register an assist this weekend.

    McTominay would have been on Firmino duty had he been fit – this is a challenge for Matic to prove his worth in this United squad having played just 421 minutes so far this term. The Serbian is a great price to get booked at 9/5.

     

    United’s Defence

    Quietening Firmino is crucial for United if they are to stage an upset at Anfield. Alexander-Arnold, registering the third highest xA90 in the league, and Andrew Robertson, at 0.25 xA90, are the other two key creative outlets for Klopp’s side.

    This is where Rashford would be key to potentially peg Alexander-Arnold back and help out Brandon Williams defensively. James, whichever flank he plays on, will be required to fulfil a similar role.

    Whoever starts on the wings, Manchester United are a good defensive team. Only Liverpool have conceded fewer non-penalty expected goals this season.

    Aaron Wan-Bissaka is an elite defensive full-back and will provide a fascinating duel with Robertson on Sunday.

    Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof have performed at a higher standard than they have been given credit for in some quarters. David De Gea has made errors, but he’s still capable of the spectacular, match-defining saves.

    United have the personnel to make it very difficult for Liverpool. This is very unlikely to be a thrashing for Solskjaer’s side, though he needs his defensive players to be at their very best if they are going to take an improbable three points from Anfield.

     

    Liverpool The Team To Back?

    Liverpool’s defence hasn’t been faultless this season, but with Rashford expected to sit out, United are an uninspiring attacking side.

    While Martial has been magnificent at times this season, he cannot do it alone. James’ pace could be problematic for Liverpool, of course, but Mata is not mobile enough to be a threat on the counter-attack.

    Liverpool will likely dominate possession and the game could pass Mata by. It would be a big call, but Solskjaer should consider giving Mason Greenwood a start.

    The fact that United go into a match at Anfield with only a very marginal hope of victory says a lot about where the club is.

    Liverpool are the best team in European football, Manchester United are outsiders to finish in the top four, have a very ordinary manager and are under a permanent cloud of transfer rumours. Our Liverpool and Manchester United combined XI shows the chasm between the two clubs.

    Likely without two of their three best attacking players, this fixture has come at a terrible time for United. They face a rested Liverpool team after a midweek duel with Wolves.

    It probably won’t be a drubbing, but like their first half against Manchester City in the League Cup, this could see more questions about Solskjaer, the squad, and the direction of the club.

    Liverpool are by far the superior team. Despite a mixed recent record against their northwest rivals, they should win this comfortably.

    Predicted score: Liverpool 2-0 Manchester United (11/2)

    Tip: Liverpool to win by 2 or more goals (19/20)

     

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

    January 16, 2020
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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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