West Ham United v Stoke City Preview | Odds, Stats & Team News

West Ham United welcome Stoke City to Upton Park this weekend, as both teams look for their second win of the season.

The Hammers defeated newcomers Cardiff City on the opening day of the season but could only manage a draw against Newcastle United last week. Home form has always been a strong point for Sam Allardyce’s side and they will be hoping to benefit from that on Saturday.

Stoke are heading to London on the back of a win over Crystal Palace at the Britannia stadium last weekend, and will be looking for that second win that will ease the pressure on new manager Mark Hughes. The Potters will be hoping for a better showing against West Ham this time round, as they failed to beat them in both fixtures last season.

If you are looking to put some money on the match then you can look at odds provided by Pinnacle Sports where West Ham are favourites to win at 2.010 on a 1×2 bet.

Team News

West Ham is still without summer signing Andy Carroll up front, but otherwise have a healthy squad available for this game.

Stoke City have added Liverpool’s Oussama Assaidi to their ranks on a season long loan, and the winger could be available to make his debut against West Ham on Saturday.

Interesting Statistics

Eurosport have some interesting statistics for this match:

West Ham have kept a clean sheet in three of their last four Premier League games at home.

Stoke have only won one of their last 12 away games in the Premier League.

There have been just nine goals in the last five league games between the two sides.

West Ham have won two and drawn two in their last four league games against Stoke.

Key Players

West Ham – Kevin Nolan

Kevin Nolan has been hugely influential for the Hammers since his move from Newcastle and will be one of the main players that Stoke will have to stop on Saturday. The captain has scored one goal from five shots in two games so far this season, and against Newcastle he completed 20 passes from 26, giving him a 77% accuracy rating. Of these passes, 35% went forward with only 19% going back, showing his ability to get West Ham’s attack moving. If Stoke can keep Nolan’s presence limited, then West Ham could find it hard to get going.

Stoke – Jon Walters

Jon Walters is undoubtedly one of, if not Stoke’s best hope in attack. The Irishman did well in the final third for the club last season, and has been making his presence felt in the two games against Liverpool and Crystal Palace this season. He’s taken five shots in total so far with only one going off target. Two of those shots were actually blocked by the keeper in the game against Crystal Palace, and he had a 100% shooting accuracy against Liverpool at Anfield. He has created one chance for his team-mates in each game, resulting in an assist in the game last weekend against Palace. While Walters is not Stoke’s only attacking threat, he’s a big part of how they play and West Ham will have to pay particular attention to him.

Prediction

Neither team is known for exciting football but West Ham have a bit more about them going forward. As stated before, they have a good record at home and I think this will continue in their match against Stoke. Ultimately, it will be a fairly tight game in my opinion and end 1-0 to West Ham.

West Ham, as favourites, on odds of 2.010. Stoke are less favourable at 4.290, with a draw being more likely than a Stoke win at odds of 3.450.

FEATURE: The making of Everton and England's new star Ross Barkley

ROSS BARKLEY made the Premier League sit up and take notice of his blossoming talent on the opening weekend of the season with a stunning goal for Everton, and continued his rise by being named in Roy Hodgson’s England squad this week.

First earmarked by the Daily Express in September 2010 as one to watch, his ascent has not been straightforward. Here Paul Joyce talks to those who have seen his development at first hand to give an insight into the precocious 19-year-old.

Alby Heywood, president of Barkley’s first club Ash Celtic, of the Belle Vale Junior League

Ross was with one of his mates in a place called Mystery Park in Wavertree just kicking a ball around when I first noticed him. I watched him for a minute or two and he looked a natural. Nice on the ball, strong, good control and passing.

He was eight when he joined in training with us and he has never looked back. He’d play for two different age groups (Under-10s and Under-11s) on a Sunday because he was so enthusiastic and that good a player. It wasn’t long before Sid Benson, the Everton scout, took him in to them.

I always thought his best position would be centre-half back then, but I had no doubts he would make it. My wife will tell you I used to bore her to death going on about Ross all the time.

What is good is that he is still in touch now. I saw him about a month ago at one of Ash Celtic’s games. He’ll do a presentation for the club if we need one.

Ricky Heywod, son of Alby and secretary of Ash Celtic

My dad used to say, ‘See that lad, he’ll captain England one day’. We went on a couple of tours to Europe and were in Belgium for a tournament once when word spread about Ross. All the parents there came over to watch Ross play. You knew he was going to be a player.

Alan Stubbs, Everton Under-21s manager

We’re lucky at Everton to have had the best this country has produced in recent times in Wayne Rooney, and that gave us a guideline on Ross.

I’m not saying for one minute he is the same player as Wayne, but his enthusiasm for football is equal to Wayne. He just wants to be out on the pitch.

When he was 17, he had 18 months of injuries that really knocked him; a double hernia, a double leg fracture and a broken metatarsal. There were times I felt like crying for the lad because you could see the disappointment in his face. You’d see his shoulders sink and he’d be like, ‘Not again. Why me?’

But Ross showed incredible courage and mental strength to come back from that because a lot of kids could have gone under.

He is probably at the point now we thought he would be last season, but when you are pushing for the top six or the Champions League it can be difficult to give youngsters a game.

There’s a lot more to come from him, but he deserves everything he is getting.

Andy Holden, former senior development coach at Everton

One of the things we worked on with Ross was him giving the ball away too easily and receiving a pass with his back to his opponent.

When you do that you need a trick to get away from your marker. It was a case of sitting through some videos with him and trying to make sure he got the ball in the right position. You never saw Paul Scholes get tackled when he received the ball.

Due to the injuries he had, he probably missed 50 to 60 games of his apprenticeship when you learn how to play the game and what positions to take up.

We sent him to two of the hardest clubs to learn at: Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds. If you give the ball away at Hillsborough, the crowd will let you know. If you give the ball away at Leeds, the same. It tests you as a player.

Chris Kirkland, Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper

I didn’t know too much about him when he came to us on loan last season. I’d heard rumours about how he was someone to watch out for, but he came on in a game against Brighton and the more games he played, the better he got.

It can be hard for a young lad to leave home and come into a dressing room he doesn’t know, but it didn’t faze Ross.

What struck me was he was always the first out at training and he would listen to things. There are a lot of young kids who you speak to and it goes in one ear, out the other and they don’t take it on board, but Ross wants to listen. He wants to get better.

Peter Taylor, England Under-20s coach

It doesn’t surprise me that he scored for the U21s against Scotland and then for Everton because he is capable of scoring from anywhere. The only thing I tried to do with him for the Under-20s in the summer was keep him away from our goal and as high up the pitch as possible.

The No10, floating forward, role is his best. You don’t want him picking the ball up off the back four because the distance is too great to the other goal. Get him 30 to 40 yards out and he has the pace and strength to beat people.

There was a lot of flak flying about England’s junior teams during the summer, but playing for the Under-20s has helped Ross become even sharper ahead of the new season.

Champions League: Arsenal vs Fenerbahce Preview & Prediction (27th August)

Arsenal vs Fenerbahce
Football : Champions League : Qualifying
Tuesday 27th August - Kickoff 7:45pm

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Arsenal

The Gunners have bounced back incredibly well from 10 days ago. Having lost their opening game of the season, they won in Istanbul (0-3) as well as beating Fulham at Craven Cottage a few days later.

On Tuesday night they have an almost unassailable lead. 3 away goals to their name and now at home it's no shock to see bookies quoting odds of 1.01 for Arsenal to make the Group Stages once again.

Team news ahead of this one is that Wilshere should start whilst Koscielny should start after his head injury in last week's first leg. Vermaelen, Diaby, Arteta and Oxlade-Chamberlain are missing but they missed last week's first leg too.

At the Emirates in the Champions League, Arsenal are very strong. They have lost 2 of their last 3 games both to German opposition (Schalke 0-2 and last year's winners Bayern 1-3) but they are the only losses in 19 games going back to 2009, of which 14 ended in home wins.

Fenerbahce

Fenerbahce have it all to do in London on Tuesday night and Yanal's side will be attacking from the off. A 0-3 away win only takes it to extra time and if Arsenal score they need 4 and so forth so it looks incredibly bleak for the Istanbul based side.

At the weekend Fenerbahce responded to the loss agaisnt Arsenal by beating Eskişehirspor 1-0. The win is their first this season having lost the Turkish Super Cup to Galatasaray and then 3-2 to Konyaspor despite leading 0-2 at half time.

The Turks were the cause of their own downfall at times in the first leg with the left back Kadlec guilty of a clumsy barge on Walcott for the penalty. Whilst the keeper Demirel fumbled a tame Ramsey shot for the second into his net. All in all it's hard to see how this side has the confidence or form to come to London and not only win but win by a huge margin as the Europa League lurks for this side.

Betting Verdict

Arsenal drew with Fenerbahce 0-0 at home back in 2008 but as we saw last week, Arsenal won't be afraid of their opponents. In Turkey Arsenal had 16 shots to the Turks 9, 56% possession as well as more corners so a thoroughly dominating performance.

Looking at the weekend results it's again advantage Arsenal, playing in the early kick off in a London Derby after playing in Turkey and scoring 3 goals was excellent. Meanwhile Fenerbahce were labouring to a win at home against lowly opposition.

I like Arsenal to win this leg and ultimately the tie so I will take them via the AH line. Arsenal have won by 2 goals or more in their last 3 Champions League home wins and you can't help but feel as the visitors attack Arsenal will simply pick them off on the break. Arsenal by a couple is the play for me.

Good Luck

The Statistics :

The Pick :

Arsenal 3-1 Fenerbahce

Preview & Prediction: Manchester United v Chelsea (Monday 26th August)

Manchester United v Chelsea
Football : English : Premier League
Monday 26th August - Kickoff 8:00pm

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Manchester United

Manchester United were given a tough opening day fixture at Swansea at the weekend but they thumped last season's surprise package 1-4. On Monday they host Chelsea and this could be a huge game come the end of the season.

Moyes has to decide whether we wants to play Rooney in this one. I suspect that the doesn't play him given Chelsea's interest and the state of his player. Other doubts remain over Evans, Young, Rafael, Hernandez and Nani and it wouldn't surprise me if we saw the same lineup that started at Swansea for Monday's game.

Against Swansea United had just 46% possession and also gave up 17 shots to their 14. Yet the result was never in doubt as Van Persie was excellent netting a brace as did Wellbeck. Rooney came on in that game and set up 2 goals so going forward United as ever look a strong force.

Chelsea

It has been a good week for Chelsea and returning coach Mourinho. 2 wins from 2 and the Blues are top of the tree ahead of this huge game at Old Trafford.

Chelsea raced to a 2-0 lead over Hull at the weekend and then went into cruise control. Against Villa they once again started excellently taking an early lead only to concede and then labour to a 2-1. Still 6 points from 6 is what the doctor ordered and Chelsea will be confident ahead of their trip up North.

In 2 games so far Chelsea have had 60% ball possession on average which matches up well to United's sub 50% figure at the weekend. They are also averaging 19 shots a game which is a huge figure, Swansea peppered the goal at the Liberty but still lost 1-4 so Chelsea definitely needs a better end product to win this game.

Luiz has missed the first 2 games whilst Mata has been used sparingly himself. Both are in contention to start this game but with plenty of options I expect a very strong looking Chelsea side to take the field.

Betting Verdict

Chelsea have a good record at Old Trafford winning 2 of the last 4 here. Manchester United despite their impressive win at the weekend may be vulnerable in this one. It's Moyes's first home game and up against Mourinho the pressure will be on.

The stats as ever look great for the hosts 14 wins from their last 16 at home in the league but Chelsea won here last season 0-1. Another sign of their strength at home is that in 8 of the last 10 league games United have led at half time and full time.

Chelsea have some nice stats of their own, scoring at least 2 goals in 9 of their last 10 league games overall. It's no shock to then see overs land in 8 of the last 10 away games and I expect an open game on Monday.

I don't like betting on my team in these big games but Chelsea +1/4 ball is my pick. I feel Mourinho has the edge over Moyes, his squad and starting 11 looks stronger plus the Chelsea side is united, we can't say the same for the hosts with the Rooney saga looming. Given the odds I'm happy to take the Blues to avoid defeat first and foremost and hopefully push on to take all 3 points.

Good Luck

The Statistics :

The Pick :

Manchester United 1-2 Chelsea

Preview & Prediction: FULHAM v ARSENAL (24th August 2013)

FULHAM v ARSENAL
Football : England : Premier League
Saturday, 24th August 2013 - Kickoff 12:45pm GMT

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BETTING PREVIEW

It's become clear after the Fenerbahce match that people just love to slag off, bitch and moan about Arsenal. When good stuff happens, it actually annoys them because it means their bitching doesn't seem all that justified. F*ck 'em.

Yes, there are a boatload of injuries but this Arsenal side bounced back in style in midweek, thumping Fenerbahce 3-0 in their own yard. A clean sheet there is not to be sniffed at, because this Arsenal defence is missing a whole bunch of first choices through injuries and suspensions. Still, they did the job, with the keeper especially good following his poor outing against Villa. Expect him to play his heart out again in West London.

Fulham managed a shock win at Sunderland, edging it 1-0, but they return home to play a side that have beaten them 16 times, just 1 less than Manchester United, who have beaten them the most. Last year, Arsenal won 19 points from London derbies, more than anyone else. And still we see the oddsmaker giving us high prices on Arsenal to get a win here.

I know I have a biased opinion with Arsenal, being a fan and all, but if you're looking for value, then look no further. The best time to take Arsenal is when they're taking sh*t in the media for "crises", because that's when they get overpriced as everyone expects disaster and then what? They win. It happened last season in Munich, and in the last 10 games of the season, and it happened in midweek, when I got high prices on the away win along with my correct goalscorer bet.

And speaking of goalscorer, Giroud is on a serious tear, netting in both games this season, giving us winners. It carries on from a preseason full of goals for the Frenchie playing his 2nd season, where he is proving much improved. He's bursting with confidence, and it really helps that he is getting fantastic support from the likes of Cazorla, Ramsey, Wilshere and especially Walcott. Have you seen the prices on him to score at any time? Silly.

THE BETTING VERDICT

No need to get off the gravy train. Giroud to score, again.

The Statistics :

The Pick :

Fulham 1-2 Arsenal

Neymar rescues Barcelona as injured Lionel Messi limps off against Atletico

In Messi's absence, Neymar was the man to rescue the Spanish champions as he came off the bench to head home Dani Alves' cross 25 minutes from time.

Neymar scored his first goal for Barcelona as the Catalans were held 1-1 by Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup, but there was another injury worry for Lionel Messi as he was forced off at half-time.

David Villa had given the hosts the perfect start when he netted against his old side in spectacular fashion after just 12 minutes.

Barca then struggled to find their rhythm against a dogged Atletico side and were dealt a huge blow when Messi failed to reappear for the second-half due to a hamstring injury.

However, in his absence, Neymar was the man to rescue the Spanish champions as he came off the bench to head home Dani Alves' cross 25 minutes from time.

"He had a knock and then a muscle problem so we will do the required examinations to see how serious it is," Barca boss Gerardo Martino said of Messi's injury afterwards.

"It didn't make sense to keep him on the field if he couldn't move comfortably."

Having thrashed Levante 7-0 Martino's first competitive match in charge on Sunday, Barca started confidently and had the first clear opening of the game when Pedro's scuffed effort was palmed away by Thibaut Courtois on 11 minutes.

Within 60 seconds though Atleti were ahead though thanks to a fantastic piece of counter-attacking play as Villa fed Arda Turan on the left then burst into the box to meet the Turk's cross flush on the volley to power the ball past Victor Valdes.

Moments later the Spanish international nearly punished his former teammates again as he and Diego Costa combined perfectly but this time Gerard Pique recovered just in time to block Villa's effort.

The game then settled down with Barca patiently probing without ever opening up a well-organised Atleti side before the break.

And Martino was quick to praise Atletico's energetic first-half performance that restricted the visitors to very few opportunities.

"It was very difficult for us to find space to receive the ball. We couldn't find space between the lines, they were very compact and it was difficult to break through.

"To fix this we need to have more movement and precision. It is not easy, but we were better in the second-half."

Despite losing Messi at half-time, Barca improved after the break as they twice went close through Alexis Sanchez and Messi's replacement Cesc Fabregas.

Neymar was next to be introduced by Martino and it didn't take the Brazilian long to net his first Barca goal as he charged in at the back post to nod home Dani Alves' hanging cross.

Valdes had to be alert to deny Villa restoring Atleti's lead moments later before Xavi fired a free-kick just over for Barca as the game became increasingly stretched.

Courtois was forced to come to Atleti's rescue once more to deny Sanchez with a brave block from point-blank range 16 minutes from time.

However, there was to be no winner on the night, meaning the tie is still very much alive heading to the Camp Nou for the second leg on Wednesday.

Chelsea v Aston Villa preview and prediction (Wed, August 21)

Chelsea v Aston Villa
Football: English Premier League
Wednesday 21 August 2013 - Kick Off 7:45pm

Chelsea

The Jose Mourinho second era at Stamford Bridge started off very brightly as Chelsea scored a couple of early goals and were creating chances at will against Hull City on Sunday. The game kind of settled down in the second half, but that could have been down to that being the first game of the season for the Blues and they play this game early as Chelsea are in European Super Cup action the week after next.

It was a strong start for Chelsea who could also afford to miss a penalty in their win over Hull and they will be expected to make it maximum points ahead of the game at Old Trafford next Monday. Chelsea were strong at Stamford Bridge last season and Mourinho isn't used to losing in this stadium which could bode well to their chances of winning the Premier League this season.

Chelsea have now won 10 of their last 12 home games in all competitions going back to last season and the fans were fully behind the team and the manager, a big contrast to the atmosphere at the Bridge under Rafa Benitez.

Juan Mata didn't play on Sunday as he had been away with Spain in Ecuador, but he could be restored to the first team in this one. David Luiz is another that could be involved having missed the first game of the season and there are other options for Mourinho if he feels he wants to rotate his squad.

Aston Villa

The biggest surprise result from the first weekend in the Premier League was Aston Villa's impressive 1-3 win at Arsenal. Paul Lambert helped Villa escape relegation last season with a late run and he will be hoping his methods are recognised to get the best out of his team in the coming season. David Moyes may have been complaining about Manchester United's start to the new season, but Aston Villa would also feel disappointed as they play at Arsenal, at Chelsea and host Liverpool within seven days.

Aston Villa ended a strong pre-season with that win at Arsenal and that should give them plenty of confidence ahead of this trip back to Stamford Bridge where they were hit 8-0 last season. Last season, Villa struggled against the sides that finished in the top six, losing 10 of 12 games and failing to win any game, but they have snapped that in impressive style and the fans will be hoping a big season is in the offing.

Keeping Christian Benteke proved to be a masterstroke for Paul Lambert as he responded with two goals on the opening day. Aston Villa have only lost 1 of their last 6 away games in the Premier League and the side have won 4 of those games.

Yacouba Sylla and Charles N'Zogbia are expected to miss out for the away side, but there are no new injury worries from the team that started on Saturday.

Head to Head

Chelsea did the double over Aston Villa last season, including that 8-0 win at Stamford Bridge, and the Blues have won 3 in a row against Villa.

Chelsea have only won 4 of their last 8 home games in the Premier League against Aston Villa and they had failed to win their previous 2 at the Bridge against them before last season.

Prediction

Chelsea looked very strong on Sunday as they created chance after chance in the first half against Hull City, but Jose Mourinho wanted more from his side in the second half which was much more slowed down.

The expectation will be that Chelsea will roll through Aston Villa, but the away side will want to show a much more resilient side to themselves after their heavy, embarrassing loss here last season.

Aston Villa will also have some space to exploit on the counter-attack and they do have a team with plenty of pace that could expose Chelsea in those positions. Hull City created a couple of half chances in the second half against Chelsea on Sunday and Villa could certainly trouble the scoreboard in this one.

Villa did fail to score at 4 of the top 5 last season, but they look a stronger side this time around and will have chances to grab something here. Both teams to score is an even money shot and I will back that on Wednesday night.

The Statistics :

The Pick :

Chelsea 2-1 Aston Villa