Saturday's Bet of the Day extra: Back 2-3 goals when Manchester City host Fulham
With Manchester United now level with them at the top of the Premier League, Roberto Mancini's men have the chance to extend their lead again on Saturday evening
3 Feb 2012 15:12:00
By Phil Kitromilides
Getty Images
Two Premier League defeats coupled with two high-profile cup losses mean Manchester City will be happy to see the back of the month of January.
Tuesday's 1-0 defeat at Everton was only the second time this season Roberto Mancini's men had failed to score in a league match (the first being the New Year's Day defeat at Sunderland by the same scoreline).
The Blues have lacked not only finesse in their forward play but a presence in midfield and organisation at the back, with the absences of Yaya Toure and Vincent Kompany keenly felt.
Thankfully for the league leaders Kompany has returned and he should oversee a victory over an erratic Fulham side, which is on offer with SportingBet at 3/10 (1.33).
The Londoners have been difficult to back this season, and you should not start doing so today. Shambolic in defeat at lowly Blackburn one week, heroic in an emphatic victory against high flying Newcastle the next, even the price of 17/2 (9.50) should not tempt you to back Martin Jol's side.
For, if they have been topsy turvy this season, the one point of consistency has been their away form, which has been consistantly bad, with just one away win in 11 matches.
It is therefore difficult to see anything other than a City win, yet the odds are prohibitively low to back a home win out-right. So instead the goals market might offer more value and interest with 2-3 goals in the game available at 21/20 (2.05).
Having sold Bobby Zamora, Fulham look like they might struggle to find the back of the net relying heavily upon Clint Dempsey.
If City can keep the American out of the game, they should be able to keep a clean sheet and score a few goals themselves. Roberto Mancini's men have scored 2 or 3 goals in four of their last five home matches while five of Fulham's last six away games have seen 2-3 goals.
Bet of the day: 2-3 Goals in the match at 21/20 (2.05) with Sportingbet
Sign up with Sportingbet.com to claim up to £100 worth of Free Bets, great odds and unique football betting markets.
Phil Kitromilides is a professional sports broadcaster working on radio and TV in London and Madrid, you can also follow Phil on Twitter
Tuesday's 1-0 defeat at Everton was only the second time this season Roberto Mancini's men had failed to score in a league match (the first being the New Year's Day defeat at Sunderland by the same scoreline).
The Blues have lacked not only finesse in their forward play but a presence in midfield and organisation at the back, with the absences of Yaya Toure and Vincent Kompany keenly felt. Thankfully for the league leaders Kompany has returned and he should oversee a victory over an erratic Fulham side, which is on offer with SportingBet at 3/10 (1.33).
The Londoners have been difficult to back this season, and you should not start doing so today. Shambolic in defeat at lowly Blackburn one week, heroic in an emphatic victory against high flying Newcastle the next, even the price of 17/2 (9.50) should not tempt you to back Martin Jol's side.
For, if they have been topsy turvy this season, the one point of consistency has been their away form, which has been consistantly bad, with just one away win in 11 matches.
It is therefore difficult to see anything other than a City win, yet the odds are prohibitively low to back a home win out-right. So instead the goals market might offer more value and interest with 2-3 goals in the game available at 21/20 (2.05). Having sold Bobby Zamora, Fulham look like they might struggle to find the back of the net relying heavily upon Clint Dempsey.
If City can keep the American out of the game, they should be able to keep a clean sheet and score a few goals themselves. Roberto Mancini's men have scored 2 or 3 goals in four of their last five home matches while five of Fulham's last six away games have seen 2-3 goals.
Bet of the day: 2-3 Goals in the match at 21/20 (2.05) with Sportingbet
Sign up with Sportingbet.com to claim up to £100 worth of Free Bets, great odds and unique football betting markets.
Phil Kitromilides is a professional sports broadcaster working on radio and TV in London and Madrid, you can also follow Phil on Twitter
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