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Football accumulator tips: This Week's Acca from Sporting Life for Saturday September 27
By This Week's Acca
Football
Fri September 26, 2025 · 15h ago
This Week's Acca - September 27
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Sheffield Wednesday got their first win of the season last time out, but the toxic environment at Hillsborough has made it difficult to play to their best in home games. Across all competitions, the Owls have lost four of five in front of their own fans, failing to score themselves in that time (the goal against Leeds being an own goal).

Stoke, Swansea and Bristol City have already triumphed at Hillsborough in the Championship, and QPR can be the latest to pile more misery on the side 1/12 to be relegated. Since getting thrashed 7-1 at Coventry, the R's have won three on the spin and scored seven in the process - all against better sides than Wednesday.


Down to League Two and after winning for us last week GILLINGHAM get the nod again as they host Harrogate. Gareth Ainsworth's side remain unbeaten this season, winning six of nine including all four at home.

Defensively they are solid, something that can't be said for visiting Harrogate, who have shipped 2.2 xGA per game on their travels this season and were comfortably dispatched by both Bromley and Swindon in their last two away days.

Making up the treble are WALSALL, with the Saddlers backed to win at Accrington. Mat Sadler's side, also a successful inclusion in last week's acca, look the real deal yet again this term, with their solid foundation doing the heavy lifting this term before their attack began to click.

They've conceded just seven goals in nine games, and seen off pre-season favourites MK Dons and a good Barnet team on the road already. Accrington are coming off two good wins, but their process remains a concern and Walsall are looking very solid this season.

This Week's Acca Longer - September 27
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Yes, BARNSLEY were hammered 6-0 by Brighton in midweek, but the Tykes make the long-list as the host a Port Vale side who have struggled away from home this season (W1 D1 L2). Barnsley, meanwhile, have been excellent at home (W3 D1) despite a tough schedule.

Rotherham have really struggled so far this campaign, with only Blackpool ranking worst for both xG process and expected points. It looks a good bounce back spot for MANSFIELD who are winless in four, though have played at home only once in that time (1-1 with Stevenage).

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How Oliver Glasner made Crystal Palace a genuine force
By Ryan Baldi
Football
Wed October 01, 2025 · 1h ago
In a stirring moment at Selhurst Park on 27 September 2025, Crystal Palace delivered one of the season’s most eye-catching results, beating Liverpool 2-1 in dramatic fashion.

With that result, Palace became the first team in 2025-26 to hand Liverpool a league defeat, and their victory left them as the last unbeaten side in the top flight.

It was a landmark moment – not just for the drama of the 97th-minute winner, but for what it revealed about a Palace side increasingly comfortable in shaking the elite. Liverpool had steamrolled many early rivals and looked a benchmark team; for Palace to topple them, at a spark point of the campaign, marks them out. But this was not some fluke. The Liverpool victory is the latest jewel in a sequence of results and performances that point to a sustained identity: Palace are now 18 games unbeaten across all competitions, and their record includes more than just late drama. In many ways, they have become “giant killers,” a side capable of upsetting on the big stage, again and again.

That walk through the giants begins with silverware. In August 2025, Palace defeated Liverpool in the Community Shield – the game finished 2-2 in normal time, and Palace won 3-2 in the subsequent penalty shootout, securing their first ever Community Shield title.

Oliver Glasner and the FA Cup
In the preceding season, 2024-25, they had gone one better, defeating Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley to lift the first major trophy in club history.

Their 18-match unbeaten run thus comprises these triumphs and a series of league and cup results that underscore consistency rather than isolated brilliance. It is this continuity of performance that marks Palace out. They do not just shock the big teams once – they have become reliably dangerous.

Central to that metamorphosis is manager Oliver Glasner. He arrived at Palace in February 2024, replacing Roy Hodgson, and he quickly stamped authority on the side.

In his prior management spells, Glasner had developed a reputation for structured, resilient teams. He made his name especially at Eintracht Frankfurt, guiding them to strong European runs, including a Europa League triumph in 2022.

At Palace, he inherited a squad that had been directionless at times and instilled consistency, psychological strength and a tactical identity that now belies their underdog status.

One of the most visible traits of Glasner’s Palace has been their use of a three-at-the-back system. Critics once presumed that such a system would be difficult in the relentless physical and tactical demands of the Premier League – indeed, contemporaries like Ruben Amorim have struggled with similar structures at big clubs. But Glasner has used the system flexibly, shifting between narrow and wide alignments, adjusting wing roles and moving to two at the back or four in phases when needed.

The result is a Palace side that can be compact without losing width, press aggressively in transitions and exploit the gaps left by more expansive opponents. It is the bedrock for their counter-attacks.

Within that framework, Glasner has elevated individual players and forged collective strength. Adam Wharton has blossomed under this regime, his reading of transitions, timely interceptions and ability to thread passes forward make him a fulcrum between defence and attack.

Marc Guehi
Marc Guehi has become a general in that back three, assured in duels, a solid passer out of the back and vocal in organising that structure. Glasner’s will to block Guehi’s proposed transfer to Liverpool over the summer demonstrated how central he regards continuity in the spine.

Meanwhile Jean-Philippe Mateta has found a new dimension. His hold-up play, timing of forward runs and capacity to drag defenders have been instrumental in giving Palace a threat up front, particularly in transition.

Support players – like Chris Richards at centre-back and Tyrick Mitchell at left wing-back – have similarly lifted their level, benefitting from Glasner’s stable environment and clear expectations about roles.

Under Glasner, the overarching philosophy is clear: build a system that can defend robustly, press intelligently and strike immediately on the break. In doing so, Palace have become a scythe in transition. Opponents who dominate possession often find the Eagles disciplined, compact and quick to pounce – exactly the blueprint of a modern “giant killer.” Their victories over Liverpool and Manchester City are not just crowd-pleasing upsets; they are evidence of a system built to win those matches.

Eberechi Eze
It’s notable that Palace have not lost momentum despite the summer sale of a key creative presence. Eberechi Eze, the energetic playmaker, moved to Arsenal in £60m deal, yet the team’s spine remained intact and their performances arguably improved, rather than wobbling under his absence.

To maintain identity through the exit of a central figure is a demonstration of institutional strength, not fragility. Glasner’s influence within the club seems to have grown, too, enabling him to retain his core (e.g. keeping Guehi) and maintain tactical coherence despite potentially destabilising departures.

That stability and consistency now make Palace a team that others must fear. The Liverpool result, coming off the back of their unbeaten run and their previous giant-killing trophy triumphs, suggests that this is not a flash in the pan but a new chapter in Palace’s identity.

Under Glasner, they have transformed from mid-table battlers into a side that believe – convincingly – they can beat anyone.

As long as Glasner remains at the helm and his system retains adaptability, Palace can continue to dream big. The trophies are not merely symbolic; they reinforce belief, attract buy-in and allow further progress. In the Premier League, few managers have engineered such an ascent so swiftly.

Under Glasner, Palace have become a genuine force – unbeaten, fearless and increasingly treated with respect.

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Jake Osgathorpe's Premier League tips and Super 6 predictions: 25/26 Matchday 7
By Jake Osgathorpe
Football
Thu October 02, 2025 · 1h ago
Jake's Predictions 25/26: Staked 89.25pts | Returned 124.63pts | P/L +35.38pts | ROI 40%

Football betting tips: Premier League
Friday 20:00 - Bournemouth vs Fulham

1pt Tyler Adams to be carded at 10/3 (Betway)

1pt Ryan Christie to be carded at 7/2 (Betway)

Saturday 12:30 - Leeds vs Tottenham

1.5pts Leeds draw no bet at evens (General)

Saturday 3pm, 5.30pm and Sunday's games to follow...

pp football offer
I LOVE MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL. A Kyle Walker-Peters card (11/2) after a Michael Keane goal (7/1) meant solid profit for last weeks column, and taking us over +30pts for the season. It's all going a bit too well isn't it...

Cards for Kyle Walker and Marc Cucurella kept up the hot streak with player cards, and those winners meant we got over the last minute goal at Newcastle that denied us our biggest staked bet of the season so far. We can't complain too much, and this week presents some nice match-ups once again to get stuck into.


EFL ACCA! Championship, League 1 & 2 Betting Tips (Oct 4)
Bournemouth vs Fulham
Kick-off: Friday, 20:00 BST
TV channel: Sky Sports Premier League
Live odds, form and stats
Our friend Simon Hooper is the man with the whistle for Friday Night Football, so player cards simply has to be the angle. He delivered for us last week when booking Marc Cucurella, the Spaniard being one of nine players to have his name taken, with Hooper averaging 6.4 cards per game this season.

So, who do we back? Well, Bournemouth's TYLER ADAMS looks like a good place to start at 10/3. The American has been booked three times in six outings this term, and will be tasked with managing Fulham youngster Josh King, who has drawn 1.77 fouls per 90 this season.

tyler adams
An opposing midfielder has been booked in five of the Cottagers six league games, and King has played a big part in that, as as his likely substitute Emile Smith Rowe (1.53 fouls won per 90).

For the same reason we have to back Adams' teammate RYAN CHRISTIE who started for the first time this season at Leeds following a lengthy injury. He's 7/2 to be booked and has committed 2.61 fouls per 90 this season, while last season he averaged 1.82 per 90 and was carded nine times (0.38 per 90).

The Scottish international was also booked in both meetings between the clubs last season.

Score prediction: Bournemouth 2-1 Fulham (Sky Bet odds: 7/1)

Odds correct at 1400 BST (02/10/25)

Leeds vs Tottenham
Kick-off: Saturday, 12:30 BST
TV channel: TNT Sports 1
Live odds, form and stats
Leeds have been excellent so far this season, especially at home. They remain unbeaten, and were minutes away from beating Bournemouth last weekend in a game they were comfortably the better team (xG: LEE 1.84 - 0.82 BOU).

Defensively at Elland Road they have been really good against decent teams, limiting Everton to 0.80 xG, Newcastle to 0.46 and the Cherries to 0.82, so they can frustrate a Tottenham team who are yet to find top gear.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank
Thomas Frank's side needed a late goal to salvage a point against bottom of the league Wolves, and performances overall have been very underwhelming. Their best display of the season came at home to Burnley on the opening weekend (according to xG), with Spurs going on to lose the xG battle in four of the following five league games, generating an average of just 0.94 xGF per game.

That's not good enough, and more of the same will see wins hard to come by this season, with that continuing on Saturday. LEEDS DRAW NO BET looks a really solid bet in the early kick-off at even money given how these two sides have looked so far this season.

Add into this the fact Spurs played in the Arctic Circle on Tuesday night, drawing 2-2 with Bodo/Glimt, and there aren't too many reasons to be hopeful of an away result.

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Why is Florian Wirtz struggling at Liverpool? There's a few reasons...
By Sam McGuire
Football
Wed October 01, 2025 · 5d ago
Liverpool are in limbo right now.

On one hand, this was inevitable.

The Premier League champions did a lot of business during the summer transfer window, bringing in a pair of new full-backs in
Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, and revamping their entire attack with the signings of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike. They also added Giorgi Mamardashvili and Giovanni Leoni.

But as Arne Slot keeps pointing out, they also lost players.

Darwin Nunez joined Al Hilal, Luis Diaz was sold to Bayern Munich, Harvey Elliott moved to Aston Villa, Jarell Quansah was signed by Bayer Leverkusen, Caoimhin Kelleher finally got his move away from Liverpool and Trent Alexander-Arnold left on a free transfer to become the latest Galatico in the Spanish capital. There was also the tragic loss of Diogo Jota.


Usually, it’s a case of one or two signings and one or two departures. Liverpool signed seven first teamers while seven no longer play for the club.

A 14-player turnover is difficult to navigate. Not only do you have to bed in a number of players, every single player at the club needs to create new partnerships and understandings.

It isn’t the ideal environment for £100million signings to settle, let alone flourish. But that is what Wirtz was expected to do.

The No7, because of his price-tag and reputation, was expected to have an immediate impact on this Liverpool team. Context is overlooked and ignored when assessing his first few months at Anfield.

Some are already calling for him to be dropped with the former Bayer Leverkusen man looking out of place in the Liverpool team. But he’s not the only one. With Slot trying to bed in new players while simultaneously trialling a new system, there was bound to be teething problems.

He’s not the only one struggling for form.


During the latest episode of Monday Night Football, Jamie Carragher made a valid point during a feature section on the Germany international.

“He hasn’t been great for Liverpool so far but also I don’t think Liverpool have been great for him so far. Obviously, they’ve got to come together and make it work as best as they possibly can.”

And this is kind of the issue right now. The Reds aren’t playing to Wirtz’s strengths.

He’s being compared to his performances last season in the Bundesliga while playing a completely different role. His position has changed but expectations haven’t been altered, tweaked or modified.

Wirtz was ball-dominant for Leverkusen, averaging 87 touches per 90 in the Bundesliga. So far this season, he’s averaging 63 per 90. And these touches are coming in different areas of the pitch too.

While in Germany, the versatile attacker, more often than not, played in two behind an attacker. He was on the left of this two and could occupy wider areas but, generally speaking, he liked to tuck inside and influence things from there.

Florian Wirtz's heat maps
For Liverpool, he replaced Dominik Szoboszlai as the team’s attacking midfielder. He’s the No10. The expectation was he’d be scoring, assisting and pulling the strings.

The reality though is he’s dropping deep to pick up possession and acting almost as the free man a lot of the time, moving across the width of the pitch to keep things ticking over.

He’s not really been a final phase player for the Reds.

There have been moments but these have been few and far between what everyone had pictured when he moved to Anfield. What hasn’t helped is the fact Arne Slot keeps changing things. The team isn’t settled and Wirtz’s role has been tweaked a few times over recent matches.

He’s had stints on the left, stints providing ammo for Ektike, stints behind Isak and no real chance to forge some familiarity with the midfield due to injuries to Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones.

Florian Wirtz minutes by position
The Liverpool No7 is a world class playmaker, but, like every other player, he needs continuity. He needs a settled home in Slot’s XI and only then will he be able to potentially live up to the price-tag, the hype and the expectations.

Even while he’s still finding his feet though, he’s still managing to do enough to catch the eye. Just without the goals or assists, he’s never going to truly get the credit for it.

It won’t even be acknowledged.

Against Galatasaray, the 33-cap international was responsible for 51% of Liverpool’s expected goals haul (xG), with an expected assists (xA) total of 0.55 and an xG total of 0.37.

He was trying to make something happen. He carved out the team’s two biggest chances, playing in Isak with a ball over the top and finding Conor Bradley with an exceptional cross into the penalty area.

Florian Wirtz chances created in Champions League
The 22-year-old put in his best performance in red against Atletico in the Champions League, creating five chances and finishing with an xA total of 0.75.

He could’ve had an assist in both of those games and if a teammate had managed to convert, perhaps the narrative would be different now.

For now, he’s trying to find his feet in a team trying to carve out a new identity and it isn’t proving to be easy.

This adversity should see him grow as a player though and once Slot settles on a style and a system, and Wirtz has a settled home, things will look completely different.

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What now for Jude Bellingham, England and Thomas Tuchel?
By Alex Keble
Football
Thu October 16, 2025 · 1d ago
Part of the reason why the England men’s team is under incessant scrutiny, and why it remains the Impossible Job, is that fandom requires an almost constant cognitive dissonance.

The news that England have qualified for their ninth consecutive major tournament and done so not only with a 100% winning record but without conceding a single goal is simultaneously impressive and underwhelming.

Finding qualification easy can only be a good thing, yet by happening so regularly there is an implicit understanding not much can be gleaned about how England will fare in the knockouts in the Americas. Nor will they at any point before next summer, either, with qualifiers against Serbia (h) and Albania (a) to be followed by friendlies against Uruguay and Japan in March.

But for once, the international break actually meant something. England can now turn their attention fully to the 2026 World Cup – and they do so with a pretty good grasp of what the Thomas Tuchel era is all about.

Jude Bellingham
Jude Bellingham’s absence was by far the biggest story, not just for the size of the call but for what it symbolised. Tuchel has more superstar experience than any other England manager in history, having managed big egos at Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, and here we are seeing arguably his greatest asset in action.

There have been no direct reports about Bellingham’s behaviour or attitude, but reading between the lines of Tuchel’s press conferences we can guess that the Real Madrid playmaker does not quite fit with the culture – or the hierarchy of power – he is trying to create. In some contexts Bellingham’s aura, his leadership role taken up in spite of his young age, is helpful. For England, it might grate slightly.

The rejection is a warning shot from Tuchel and Bellingham is highly likely to play in next year’s World Cup but the signal sent is a significant one, especially after two powerful, slick, and coherent England performances in qualifying.

The lesson from this break is that Tuchel is building a team, is managing England as if it is a club side. This is the benefit of hiring a foreigner, an outsider, because only in England is the national side seen as an exercise in picking the 11 most talented footballers and cramming them onto the pitch together. Only in England does a short spell of club form lead to clamours for an international call-up.

Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer
Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer all face a battle to get in the England side
The most successful nations recognise that chemistry and the balance of the side is considerably more important than star quality. It is time England recognises this, and in Tuchel they have a manager doing his best to teach them. Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, and Bellingham can’t get into this team because they are too similar, and as we saw at Euro 2024, England have too many slower playmakers who, along with Harry Kane, all want to operate in the same number ten space.

England’s victories against Latvia and Wales were sharp and incisive not because the opponents were weak – years of laboured England performances tell us that – but because the players picked are getting used to each other’s movements and because there was genuine balance to the side.

Anthony Gordon, Morgan Rogers, and Elliot Anderson are energetic, urgent, and direct footballers who can run off Kane and Declan Rice. That is why they will remain ahead of Foden, Bellingham, and even Palmer in the pecking order.

It isn’t often something genuinely useful comes out of an England international break.

thomas tuchel
Tuchel is asking England supporters to relearn what Gareth Southgate taught in 2018 when he dropped Wayne Rooney and replaced him with inflatable unicorns; that to foster strong relationships, a happy camp, and fluent football you need the right kind of personality and the right harmony on the pitch too.

That invariably means leaving out big-name players. Bellingham was supposed to be the star of this team, around which everything was built, and in a way he still is. By his absence, and what it symbolises about the Tuchel era, he remains centre stage even as he watches from home.

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Champions League tips: Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid best bets, predictions and preview
By Jake Osgathorpe
Football
Tue October 21, 2025 · 4h ago
Football betting tips: Champions League
1.5pts Bukayo Saka 4+ foul involvements at 9/5 (Betfair, Paddy Power)

1pt Matteo Ruggeri to commit 2+ fouls at 9/4 (Betfair, Paddy Power)

1pt David Hancko to commit 2+ fouls at 7/2 (bet365)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair


Arsenal are rolling at the moment.

Since losing to Liverpool, Mikel Arteta's side have won seven of an unbeaten eight, conceding just two goals in that time. They've been excellent.

Atletico Madrid continue to be up and down, with some really high highs - beating Real Madrid 5-2 - and a lot of average.

One thing we can rely on Diego Simeone's side for though is their aggressive approach out of possession, and the impressive recent form of Bukayo Saka could be an avenue into a bet here.

I highlighted in my column last weekend that Saka has got back to his usual fouls won rate after a drop during an injury hit campaign, and he was felled five times at Fulham.

Saka
That follows games of 3, 2 and 3 fouls won, so Atleti's left-back could be in for a very tough afternoon. The problem - trying to figure out who that will be...

Simeone has tinkered with system and personnel in that position, but we'll chance DAVID HANCKO TO COMMIT 2+ FOULS given the positions he takes up.

Hancko sometimes plays left side of a back three or sometimes the left-back in a four, but his heat-map shows he'll likely be in the same vicinity as Saka for most of the game at the Emirates.

hancko
He's not the most prolific fouler, but did commit three fouls against Real Madrid, so does at least have previous in a multiple foul game.

If MATTEO RUGGERI gets the nod to start he could well be worth backing TO COMMIT 2+ FOULS too as the left-wing-back who committed three fouls against Frankfurt in Atleti's last Champions League game.

It goes without saying that if either don't start, cash the bet out in case you are with a bookie who doesn't auto cash-out if a player isn't starting.

At a shorter price, and to cover all bases, we'll back BUKAYO SAKA 4+ FOUL INVOLVEMENTS at 9/5. This way, if players are absent, we aren't hanging our hat on them being the player to foul Saka, and we also have Saka committing fouls on our side too.

He's gone 6-4-5-5 foul involvements in his last four matches for Arsenal, while last season in a stop-start campaign he averaged 3.5 foul involvements per 90.

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Football accumulator tips: This Week's Acca from Sporting Life for Saturday October 25
By Sporting Life
Football
Fri October 24, 2025 · 15 min ago
This Week's Acca - October 25
CLICK THE IMAGE to back our enhanced 16/1 accumulator!
Following on from Tuesday's 12/1 winner for Sporting Life Plus members who signed up for free, our This Week's Acca team are back with a 16/1 fourfold.

There's only two games at 3pm in the Premier League but both of those feature. The first of which is NEWCASTLE, backed for a home win over Fulham.

Eddie Howe's side have won three of their last four in front of their own supporters, the one game they didn't being the 2-1 loss to title-chasing Arsenal, while Fulham have been beaten in their last three away.

We're also siding with CHELSEA to get the better of Sunderland when they meet at Stamford Bridge.

Enzo Maresca's Blues have only lost twice at home this calendar year, with a rotated side smashing Ajax 5-1 in midweek Champions League action.

Into the Sky Bet Championship where OXFORD are backed to beat Sheffield Wednesday when they travel to Hillsborough.

The team have often opposed Wednesday in home games given ongoing protests against the ownership and the Owls have only managed to net one goal across six league outings in front of near enough empty stands - a goal difference standing at -14.

Finally, we're taking GRIMSBY as they travel to Crewe. The Mariners sit fourth in the Sky Bet League Two table.

Crewe have lost three of their last four in front of the own supporters while Grimsby have been beaten just once on the road.

This Week's Acca - Longer - October 25
CLICK THE IMAGE to back our enhanced 50/1 accumulator!
And as we like to do, we also have a longer-priced accumulator but with only one added extra this time around.

LINCOLN travel to Leyton Orient and some of the team believe that Orient are worth opposing - they've lost four of their last five league outings.

The Imps, meanwhile, are unbeaten in their last six away in all competitions with five of those ending in victory.

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Arsenal's plan is in place and the path is clear to Premier League title
By Alex Keble
Football
Mon October 27, 2025 · 1h ago
The trees have parted, the sunlit path has opened, and the vista that has revealed itself is terrifying.

There are few things scarier than being given the chance to get exactly what you want.

Arsenal supporters know that better than most, and even while celebrating the 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace or the Liverpool and Manchester City defeats they will have felt a thud in the pit of their stomach.

The sense of calm reassurance in the Arsenal performances must make them panic. The sound of pundits sagely calling it Arsenal’s year must be like nails down a chalkboard.

pp football offer
The last time Arsenal supporters experienced this kind of pain was much later in a season and therefore much, much deeper than the twangs they feel now.

At the start of April 2023 when Arsenal, after seven league wins on the trot, were five points clear at the top of the Premier League table pretty much everyone said it was theirs to lose.

And they did.

They were never in charge of the title race in 2023/24 and never truly got going in 2024/25, so this week is the first time those old sensations have returned. The fans might want to push it away - but the players cannot afford to.

It is a universal truth that winning championships in any sport requires a laser focus on nothing but the next game. Arsenal, perennial runners up, are the exception.

They have to look this thing square in the eye. They have to truly feel this moment and seize the opportunity.

Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal are top of the Premier League
It wouldn’t be fair to say it’s Arsenal’s title to lose. But it is Arsenal’s title to win. They have to walk tall and embrace that fact. It is the only way the squad will overcome a perceived psychological frailty.

And the battle now is purely psychological, because Arsenal undoubtedly have all the technical and tactical components.

This is a better squad, and a deeper squad, than the one that picked up 89 points in 2023/24 yet judging by the stuttering form of Liverpool and Man City, Mikel Arteta’s side won’t even need that many to come out on top.

But to take this final step on the journey they might need to get on a trajectory towards 90+ points, simply because the safest way to overcome fears of a wobble is to avoid a title race altogether.

Liverpool, falling just short in battles with Man City, ended their 30-year wait by blitzing everyone in the first half of the season, forcing their rivals to submit before a challenge was even made. Chelsea’s first Premier League title in 2004/05 was similarly dependent upon racing clear in the first few months, as was Leicester's in 2015/16.

This is Arsenal’s clearest route.

Eberechi Eze scored the winner against his former club
Eberechi Eze scored the winner against his former club on Sunday
Liverpool’s malaise shows no sign of ending before the hectic winter period, not with tactical issues getting more pronounced as clubs learn from previous successes against them.

Man City are clinging on but there are too many problems in a new-look central midfield for Pep Guardiola to put a run of form together before the new year.

Arsenal’s eight league games before Christmas include Sunderland, Burnley, Brentford, Wolves, and Everton. Win all five and then take at least four points from Tottenham at home and trips to Aston Villa and Chelsea – which seems entirely reasonable - and on Christmas Day they will have 41 points from 17 matches, on course for a 91-point season.

It is very difficult to imagine Man City or Liverpool taking as many as 19 points from their next eight. They both have far tougher fixtures than Arsenal, including a game against each other next month, which means Arsenal only need to grind their way through very winnable games over the next few weeks to emerge in an extremely strong position.

In years gone by Arteta has had every right to bemoan his luck, coming up against a very strong Man City team at the peak of their powers. This time he is the fortunate one, a brilliant transfer window for the club coinciding with off-years for all of the chasing pack.

A first Premier League title in 20 years is theirs for the taking. It really is now or never, and there is nothing more frightening than that.

But the plan is in place and the path is clear. All they have to do is take a deep breath, puff out those chests, and walk into the light.

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Tom Carnduff's Bundesliga tips: Werder Bremen vs Wolfsburg on Friday November 7
By Tom Carnduff
Football
Fri November 07, 2025 · 45 min ago
Tom Carnduff's Fußball am Freitag: P/L: +10.15pts | ROI: 56% | Staked: 18pts | Returned: 28.15pts

Football betting tips: Bundesliga
2pts Yukinari Sugawara to have 2+ total shots at 12/5 (bet365)

1pt Yukinari Sugawara to have 3+ total shots at 8/1 (bet365)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair

pp football
It's hardly the thriller served up to us on this Friday evening I'm afraid.

Calling it a mid-table clash gives too much credit to Wolfsburg, a side who have managed just one win in their last six - the other five ending in defeat.

And even that victory, which was a narrow 1-0er away at Hamburg, saw their opponents posting 27 to Wolfsburg's six. Sure, we can point towards game state but even that level of imbalance goes beyond it.

They were also beaten by second division outfit Holstein Kiel at home in the last round of the cup. On the results front, looking towards Werder Bremen is certainly an option.

Werder Bremen vs Wolfsburg
Kick-off: Friday, 19:30 GMT
TV: BBC iPlayer, Bundesliga YouTube
Live odds, form and stats
But there's one approach which does provide a bigger price.

Bremen's right-back YUKINARI SUGAWARA has been solid enough in defence this season yet he's looked to contribute in attack as well.

Only forward Marco Grüll has seen more shots among Bremen players this season, making the 12/5 on Sugawara 2+ TOTAL SHOTS worth backing, alongside the 8s available for 3+ at smaller stakes.

The two or more pick has been a winner in three of his last seven league outings, while he also achieved three or more in the win over Union Berlin and the defeat away at Bayern (where he posted the huge tally of five).

Yukinari Sugawara shot map
You can even add in the three shots he took in the Carabao Cup contest against Northampton before he left Southampton in the summer window.

Sugawara's been given the freedom to drive forward and attack when the opportunity presents itself despite his position in the defensive line.

This is a contest where he should certainly see that because, among the many issues Wolfsburg currently have, availability at left-back is one of them.

The first choice Joakim Mæhle is currently sidelined for an unspecified period of time with a shoulder injury, meaning that Aaron Zehnter should continue in that position.

Yukinari Sugawara heat map
Zehnter has struggled in his appearances. He did score in the early season draw with Mainz but the performances just haven't been there in this rough patch of form the team finds itself in.

He's not overly engaged in defensive actions which could be problematic dealing with Bremen's attacking right side, especially with Grüll liking to drift around the pitch allowing space to be exploited.

Bremen's shot count has also been steady in home games.

Considering the low probability nature of the majority of Sugawara's chances, this provides a more appealing route than settling for a goal.

[miri-01]

Cheltenham vs Notts County tips, predictions, best bets and preview
By Tom Carnduff
Football
Sun November 09, 2025 · 1d ago
Football betting tips: League Two
1pt Cheltenham to win at 3/1 (Betfred)

1pt Isaac Hutchinson to score anytime at 9/2 (General)


You don't really hate the international break? Do you? You just hate the international break because the internet tells you that's what you're meant to think.

The third pause of the domestic campaign gives the opportunity to put those further down the pyramid in focus and allows us a chance to see teams we're not often used to in prime time slots.

And a quick glance at the Sky Bet League Two table would make you question why this one is the pick. Notts County sit fifth heading into the weekend while Cheltenham are down in 20th. Ten points the difference between the two sides.

Yet there are huge signs of life with the hosts. They'd won one of their opening ten with eight of those being defeats. A 7-1 hammering by Grimsby at the end of September suggesting it's all over for them already.

Enter: Steve Cotterill.

A club legend; a great gaffer at this level. He's overseen three wins and a draw in his four league games back at the helm while they also dumped Sky Bet League One outfit Bradford out of the FA Cup last weekend.

At 3/1, it's difficult not to get involved with the run continuing with another CHELTENHAM WIN.


Notts' form this season has largely been built around their home record which is the best in the division. On the road, they've gained just eight points from a possible 21 - they're 14th in the away standings.

It's interesting to study the nature of the teams the Magpies have failed to beat too.

Seven opponents have managed to gain at least one point from them this season, four of those sit in the bottom seven for average possession per game.

Three of them are in the top six for long passes attempted, while three can also be classified as high pressing teams out of possession.

Of course, it's not exclusively true that they will always lose when facing teams like this, they have got some good results against sides who excel in these areas, but Cheltenham have demonstrated an ability to mix in all three categories.

In the most recent rounds of fixtures, Cheltenham ranked in the top seven in the metric for high pressing out of possession (they beat Walsall 1-0).

The total long passes attempted in the win over Fleetwood in Cotterill's first game at the helm would also place them top seven in that area, while they'd rank mid-table for average possession.

Isaac Hutchinson shot map
I'm also going to take the 9/2 on ISAAC HUTCHINSON TO SCORE ANYTIME.

He's become an established figure following a summer loan switch from Bristol Rovers. In the four league games since the managerial switch, Hutchinson's returned 13 shots.

A goal and an assist came in that win over Fleetwood, while he grabbed the only goal of the Cup win over Bradford, and the price available is certainly worth backing when he's arguably the hosts' biggest attacking threat.