Will Liverpool Bamboozle Burnley?
The last time Burnley won at Anfield, Clarets fans who couldn’t get a ticket could have checked the result on Ceefax, launched by the BBC the day before the midweek match. The world’s first ever teletext service would have told the Burnley faithful in big, bright, chunky letters that their boys had won 1-0 on Merseyside.
That was in September 1974. The Clarets have been back to Anfield nine times since and unlike dear old Ceefax – the BBC pulled the plug in 2012 – their wait for another victory goes on. Factor in Burnley’s abject away form this season which has yielded just two points from a possible 39 on the road and it should then all point to a comfortable win for Jürgen Klopp’s men.
Liverpool’s Jekyll and Hyde season however cautions otherwise. Their last four outings have seen the Reds impressively dispatch both Arsenal and Spurs, but also surrender priceless points to Leicester and Hull, and come kick-off at 4pm on Sunday, Anfield will be waiting anxiously to see which Liverpool decide to turn up.
Despite their inconsistency, the home side are 6/25 to take the three points while Burnley are 13/1 to end their long-running Anfield drought. Sean Dyche would surely take the draw and it’s 21/4 on the Clarets to put a significant dent in Liverpool’s Champions League ambitions.
Everton v West Brom, Saturday 11th March, 3pm
Saturday’s standout fixture is Everton at home to West Bromwich Albion, seventh against eighth, in what is essentially a shootout to be the best of the rest. Both teams lost last time out, the Toffees going to down to Spurs at the Lane while the Baggies were turned over by Palace at the Hawthorns.
Everton’s defeat however was their first in 10 in the league and Ronald Koeman’s team are 13/20 to return to winning ways while West Brom are 19/4 to register what would by only their fourth away win.
A goal at Goodison for Romelu Lukaku will draw him level with Harry Kane on 19 in the race for the Golden Boot and the big Belgian is 10/11 to find the back of the net for a third successive match while top scorer Salomón Rondón is the shortest priced Baggies player to hit the target at 29/10.
Bournemouth v West Ham, Saturday 11th, 3pm
It has been an annus horribilis so far for Bournemouth and Eddie Howe’s side entertain West Ham at Dean Court desperate for their first win of 2017. The Hammers aren’t in much finer fettle, either, with one solitary victory in their last five.
The Cherries are without Tyrone Mings, serving his five-match ban after his stomp on Zlatan Ibrahimović last weekend, and are 31/20 to finally pick up three points in 2017. West Ham are 9/5 to register a win which would go a long way to easing any lingering fears of relegation.
Harry Arter is one of the Premier League’s most indisciplined players this season with nine bookings and counting, and the Bournemouth midfielder is 11/5 to make it into double figures. Hammers skipper Mark Noble isn’t far behind on seven yellow cards and is 5/2 to displease the referee once again this weekend.
Hull v Swansea, Saturday 11th, 3pm
The trio of this Saturday’s games is completed by a tale of two cities and Swansea’s visit to Hull in the third meeting of the season between the two teams. The Tigers have won both 2-0, most recently in the FA Cup in January, and a hat-trick of triumphs would represent a lifeline for Marco Silva’s boys as they continue their unconvincing scramble to get out of the bottom three.
The Swans are no less in need of the points however despite five wins in their last eight since Paul Clement became manager in January. Six points separate the two strugglers, making the clash at the KCOM both the proverbial and literal relegation six-pointer.
Hull are the favourites to do the business at 6/4 with Swansea 2/1 to pilfer three points. The draw, which would give neither manager undue cause for celebration, is 9/4.
No side has conceded more penalties than Hull this season – 11 in total – and Swansea are 7/1 to score from the spot on Humberside. The Tigers have been awarded just three but have converted all of them and are 6/1 to potentially make it four from four on Saturday.
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