From Manchester City v Sunderland to Blackburn Rovers v Manchester United, part two of our weekly football tips.
This week presents an interesting gamble, if you can afford to be so foolhardy or brave.
Manchester City host Sunderland, and Carlos Tevez is strongly tipped to start, with Aguero injured and both Balotelli and Dzeko in Mancini’s bad books, while Tevez played and scored for reserves in midweek, assisting two.
We are not recommending selling Rooney or Van Persie to accommodate Tevez, who is highly expensive at 11.7, but if you have the money is worth thinking about.
The decision I am left with, is do I sell Luis Suarez, who has a tough away game to Newcastle, and use the spare 3 million in my bank to sign Tevez, or spend it on a cheaper option like Nikica Jelavic. It’s one I’m still struggling with.
City have won 20 league games at home in a row, and are going for a record 21st against a Sunderland side on a low from their midweek FA Cup exit.
Vincent Kompany is hoping to be back, confirming on his Twitter account that he is back in training. Yaya Toure is another big tip here, while if you have David Silva, we recommend making this his last chance before selling if he does not produce.
Sunderland will threaten through Nicklas Bendtner, who scored last week, as well as Stephane Sessegnon, but the Black Cats will have their work cut out against a City side desperate to temporarily regain top spot with United playing on Monday.
Onto Sunday’s games, where Liverpool travel to Newcastle in the early kick-off. Stephen Gerrard weighed in with an assist last week, and has a good record against Newcastle and could be the side’s key man.
Newcastle are without Coloccini in central defence, and will take a late fitness test on Ryan Taylor. Andy Carroll faces his former club, and is priced at just 9.1 but we can’t really recommend putting him in.
Papiss Cisse is a far more reliable source of goals, having scored five in his first six games for Newcastle, overshadowing Demba Ba’s solitary one in the same period.
Hatem Ben Arfa is also in fine form scoring 26 points in three games, and is priced at just 5.5.
Tottenham v Swansea in the late game is also a tough one to call. Swansea went to Fulham and won, before losing at home to Everton, while Tottenham are winless in five Premier League games.
Gylfi Sigurdsson will be Swansea’s main dangerman, scoring a superb 45 points in four away games, 31 in his last two, while at home he has been ineffective, so this trip to White Hart Lane he is well worth a gamble, priced only at 5.4.
Tottenham will look to Gareth Bale for inspiration, priced at the same as Rafael van der Vaart both 9.5. Of the two, Bale has been more consistent this season, so we’d go with him.
Steven Caulker is unavailable for this one, as per conditions of his loan, which will weaken Swansea’s defence and affect their chances of keeping a clean sheet.
Blackburn Rovers v Manchester United on Monday night should be a tense affair if the Red Devils win over Fulham is anything to go by. Wayne Rooney has been in irrepressible form of late, and has to be backed to score a crucial goal again here.
United will have to look out for Junior Hoilett, three goals in three games, while they have a surprise attacker of their own in Jonny Evans– a goal and assist in his last two games, to add to two clean sheets.
Antonio Valencia will be given the nod to continue this week, with Nani still injured, and this could be a game where he turns it on, as he did away to Wolves a fortnight ago.
Our tips in summary: Tevez, Rooney, Valencia, Bale, Ben Arfa, Papiss Cisse, Sigurdsson
image: © sdhansay
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