Month: April 2023

Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney has jokingly suggested he might try and persuade former Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale to come out of retirement.

Five-time Champions League winner Bale announced his retirement at the age of 33 in January after leading Wales to their first World Cup finals appearance since 1958.

Wrexham sealed promotion to the English Football League after a 15-year absence with a 3-1 win over Boreham Wood last Saturday.

Bale congratulated McElhenney on the promotion of his side in a short five-second clip on social media.

The co-creator of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia responded: “Hey @GarethBale11 let’s play golf, where I totally won’t spend four hours trying to convince you to un-retire for one last magical season.”

McElhenney, who owns Wrexham with fellow Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds, have already managed to persuade one former Premier League player to pull his boots — and gloves — back on. 

Ex-Manchester United and England goalkeeper Ben Foster resumed his career last month and helped the Welsh club to promotion, memorably saving a last-minute penalty in the crucial victory against title rivals Notts County.

Taty Castellanos became the first player this century to score four past Real Madrid in LaLiga as Girona beat Los Blancos 4-2 at Montilivi on Tuesday to put Barcelona a step closer to the title.

Madrid went into the midweek round of fixtures 11 points adrift of their bitter rivals with eight games left, and this deserved defeat could see the gulf widen even further.

Castellanos netted twice inside 24 minutes to put Girona in charge, and although Vinicius Junior pulled one back just after the half-hour mark, Madrid largely looked blunt without the injured Karim Benzema.

Girona picked up where they left off at the start of the second half, Castellanos quickly completing his treble before adding a fourth that rendered Lucas Vazquez’s late goal irrelevant.

Michel’s side raced into an early lead.

Rodrigo Riquelme instigated a wonderful move with an incisive disguised ball into the box for Ivan Martin, who backheeled to Miguel Gutierrez, and his first-time cross was nodded home by Castellanos.

He got his second in the 24th minute, blasting home after nudging Eder Militao out of the way and racing on to a hopeful Arnau Martinez punt.

Vinicius nodded in Marco Asensio’s right-wing cross in at the back post to earn Madrid a lifeline.

But the two-goal deficit was restored 36 seconds after half-time as Castellanos guided Yan Couto’s delivery home.

Any remaining doubt about the outcome was then put to bed just past the hour, Castellanos heading a deflected cross past the unconvincing Andriy Lunin, with Vazquez’s Vinicius-assisted tap-in too little, too late.

– West Ham are closing in on safety after three wins and two draws recently
– In-form Liverpool are back in the hunt for the European places
– Recommended bet: Draw

Two sides back in form meet at the London Stadium in midweek and it could be difficult to separate West Ham and Liverpool.

West Ham have finally started dragging themselves clear of the relegation mire thanks to a run of two wins and an impressive come-from-behind draw against Arsenal in their last three league games and their stressful campaign could yet finish on a high. 

Manager David Moyes has been under intense pressure for long spells of 2022-23 but the Hammers now look set for a mid-table finish and have an excellent chance of claiming the club’s first piece of European silverware in almost 60 years. 

It is the possibility of success in the Europa Conference League that could completely reshape the narrative of Moyes’ recent reign at the club but first he must dot the i’s and cross the t’s to ensure the threat of relegation is dismissed. 

The arrival of Liverpool is one of their toughest remaining tests, however, with the Reds now in a late charge for European places after a season that had threatened to drift into obscurity.

Team news

Moyes’ only confirmed absentee is striker Gianluca Scamacca, who is out for the season following knee surgery. 

Liverpool right-back Calvin Ramsay and midfielder Stefan Bajcetic are also out for the season with knee and groin injuries respectively, while fellow midfielder Naby Keita is also still on the sidelines. 

Reds forward Roberto Firmino is making progress from a muscle injury but the trip to the London Stadium comes too soon for him.

The stats

Liverpool’s home form has remained solid during a troubled campaign, with a run of six wins and two draws from their last eight Anfield outings propelling them back into European contention. 

However, Klopp’s men have won only four of 16 Premier League away games, losing eight. 

While Liverpool have done well away at fellow top-six teams, winning three and losing three of six such trips, they have won only one of 10 away games at clubs currently below them, losing to Brighton, Brentford, Wolves, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest. 

The sole win at teams below them was an emphatic 6-1 defeat of Leeds in their most recent away game but prior to that Klopp’s men had been fortunate to grab a 0-0 draw at struggling Chelsea, they lost 4-1 at Manchester City and 1-0 at Bournemouth and also drew 0-0 at Crystal Palace. 

West Ham’s league form has improved dramatically since the turn of the year. In the 17 matches before the new year, West Ham lost 10 times and averaged just 0.82 points per game. 

In 2023 that rate has risen to 1.43 points per game as the Hammers have lost just four of 14 matches. 

Moyes’ men have lost just one of their last seven Premier League outings at the London Stadium, scoring in each one at a rate of 1.7 goals per game.

Prediction

Liverpool are showing signs of improvement, racking up chances galore in recent outings to see them come from behind to draw 2-2 with Arsenal, thrash Leeds 6-1 and beat Nottingham Forest 3-2.

However, their frequent no-shows on the road this season makes them hard to trust, with defensive lapses often undermining their excellent attacking play. 

West Ham’s own improved form in front of goal suggests that this should be another exciting clash with goals expected, but neither team has been convincing enough to demand support for all three points. 

Back the draw, available at 14/5 with LiveScore Bet.

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Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou is relishing the high-stakes nature of Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final showdown with Rangers.

The two Glasgow sides meet at Hampden in a match that is likely to go a long way to deciding whether the Hoops win a domestic treble or the Gers – who are 13 points behind their city rivals in the cinch Premiership – can win a trophy this season.

Celtic lost to Rangers at the same stage of last season’s competition, but their manager is looking forward to another huge match for his team, with the winner of the tie between lower-league pair Inverness and Falkirk awaiting the victors in the final.

“It’s a cup semi-final and it’s going to a be real good game with everything on it in terms of both teams knowing the consequences of not being successful on the day,” Postecoglou told Celtic TV.

“It’ll have everything that you normally expect from a cup semi-final and it’s one we’re looking forward to.

“At this time of the year they are all big games and they are games you would rather be involved in rather than sitting at home watching them, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Celtic go into the last-four clash having dropped points in the league for the first time since January after they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Motherwell last weekend.

Although no damage was done in their quest for the title as Rangers lost to Aberdeen the following day, Postecoglou admits his team must learn from Saturday’s setback.

“We were disappointed with the game on the weekend, both in performance and obviously in the result, but there’s a learning moment there for us,” he said.

“And we’ve been pretty good at learning along the way while winning games of football, which is not easy, because it’s easy to let things just roll along.

“So when you get an opportunity like the weekend when we didn’t do things as well as we wanted to, it’s a chance for us to improve that, within the context, though, of understanding that the group has been outstanding for a very long time.”

Recommended bets:
– Back Manchester City to score a penalty
– Back Rob Holding to receive a card
– Back Gabriel Martinelli to have two or more shots
– Back Erling Haaland to have two or more shots on target
– Back a goal between the 76th minute and full-time

Wednesday’s top-of-the-table clash between league leaders Arsenal and defending champions Manchester City looks set to be a season-defining encounter and we have picked out five bets from the side markets.

Back Manchester City to score a penalty at 14/5

This clash could be an action-packed thriller as Manchester City will look to dominate the ball and press Arsenal back while the Gunners offer exceptional threat on the break. 

But the fact that Pep Guardiola’s side will aim to pinch the ball high up the pitch and constantly probe in search of openings means that the play will centre around the Arsenal area, increasing the chances of the visitors conceding a penalty. 

City’s front-footed approach has seen them win a division-high eight penalties this season, scoring three in their last four league games. 

Only Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest have conceded more penalties this season than Arsenal, who have given away six — including in two of their last three matches.

Back Rob Holding to receive a card at 7/2

The injury to William Saliba has been a massive blow to Arsenal. In the centre-back’s absence, Arsenal have conceded 10 goals in six games, crashed out of Europe and seen their title challenge falter. 

Replacement Rob Holding is not at Saliba’s level and has a habit of picking up cards in high-stakes encounters. 

Last season, his rash display in a fourth-place clash with rivals Tottenham saw him sent off after 33 minutes, he was booked after replacing Saliba against Sporting last month and was hooked at half-time in Arsenal’s FA Cup trip to City having received a booking. 

He will be tasked with somehow keeping goalscoring machine Erling Haaland and twinkle-toed Jack Grealish quiet and it would be some feat if he managed to do so without a booking.

Back Gabriel Martinelli to have two or more shots at 1/1

Arsenal will have to play on the break at the Etihad Stadium but that will suit wingers Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, whose pace will be a massive threat on the counter. 

Manchester City’s attacking approach rewards them with goals aplenty but also leaves them vulnerable in transition, with Guardiola’s men conceding in four of their last six games. 

The space afforded to Martinelli means he should enjoy the encounter more than his defensive colleagues and the Brazilian has unleashed at least two shots in nine of his last 11 appearances.

Back Erling Haaland to have two or more shots on target at 8/11

Haaland is the Premier League’s leading scorer and has managed an impressive 48 shots on target from 96 attempts in total — a shooting accuracy of 50%. 

He is the obvious focal point for a polished City attack and will face an Arsenal defence shorn of Saliba and possibly denied the shielding presence of Granit Xhaka, who faces a late fitness test. 

Mikel Arteta’s men conceded eight shots at home to rock-bottom Southampton last week, 15 against West Ham and 20 against Liverpool before that. 

City will expect to match the attacking output of West Ham and Haaland will be front, centre and as accurate as ever amid the assault.

Back a goal between 76th minute and full-time at 5/6

No side this season has scored as many Premier League goals from the 76th minute onwards than Arsenal, with Arteta’s men netting 13 times in the final 15 minutes of matches. 

Perhaps surprisingly, City are actually relatively light scorers late on and are at their most vulnerable in the dying stages, shipping eight in the final 15 minutes — that is more than at any other 15-minute section of their games. 

Add the fact that this is effectively a title-decider in which both must throw caution to the wind if trailing late on and there is huge potential for late drama.

Brighton and Hove Albion have tied highly rated striker Evan Ferguson down to a new five-year contract.

Ferguson has enjoyed a promising breakthrough season in the Premier League this term, attracting admiring glances from other clubs.

But Brighton, so respected for their development of youth prospects in recent years, look set to continue shaping the 18-year-old.

Ferguson made his Premier League debut in February last year but has established himself as a regular first-team option in the 2022-23 campaign.

A powerful and athletic forward, Ferguson has made 13 top-flight appearances and scored four goals – across all competitions, he has netted eight times in 19 games.

Ferguson also made the breakthrough at international level this season, becoming the second-youngest player (18 years, 154 days) to score on his first start for the Republic of Ireland last month.

Before that, Ferguson also became the second-youngest (18y 76d) player in Premier League history to both score and assist in a match after Michael Owen in 1997 (17y 364d) back in January against Everton.

Netting against the Toffees also made Ferguson the youngest player to score in successive Premier League games since Federico Macheda in 2009.

On Ferguson’s new deal, Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi said: “Evan’s contract extension is great news.

“He trains and plays like a senior player with many years of experience and has become an important member of the squad.

“The aim is to help him become one of the strongest strikers in Europe.”

Recommended treble:
– Back Solly March to score anytime against Nottingham Forest 
– Back Draw between Chelsea and Brentford 
– Back Over 1.5 Total Goals in first half in West Ham vs Liverpool

On a busy night of Premier League action on Wednesday, our value treble features a goal for Brighton’s Solly March, a draw between Chelsea and Brentford and a lively first half at the London Stadium.

The top-of-the-table clash between Manchester City and Arsenal is Wednesday’s big game but we focus on the other three top-flight fixtures.

Our three selections from Wednesday’s Premier League matches add up to a 35/1 suggested treble which would return £361 from a £10 stake.

Wednesday, 7.30pm

Bet 1: Back Solly March to score anytime against Nottingham Forest at 14/5

Solly March’s last attempt at goal was a crucial penalty miss in Brighton’s FA Cup semi-final shootout defeat to Manchester United on Sunday but the winger should be backed to make up for his Wembley woe on Wednesday. 

The Seagulls will be confident of troubling a Nottingham Forest side who have lost seven of their last nine Premier League matches, conceding 21 goals during that run. 

March has been in terrific form ever since the World Cup break, scoring seven goals in his first 11 appearances after the resumption of the league campaign. 

He racked up eight shots in this month’s 3-3 draw with Brentford, had three of Brighton’s five attempts on target in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final, and looks a tempting price to add to his goal tally at the City Ground.

Wednesday, 7.45pm

Bet 2: Back Draw in Chelsea vs Brentford at 14/5

Chelsea have won only two of their last 10 matches in all competitions at Stamford Bridge, a run that includes Premier League draws with Fulham, Everton and Liverpool, and they may have to settle for just another point against Brentford. 

Frank Lampard’s Blues are five points behind their west London rivals and have had England internationals Mason Mount and Reece James ruled out for the season so they look easy to oppose. 

Only three of Brentford’s 10 league wins have come away from home this season but they have a solid record against teams, such as Chelsea, who are below them in the table. 

Thomas Frank’s men have lost only two of their 17 games against bottom-half sides and 10 of those matches ended in draws, including a goalless stalemate at home to the Blues in October.

Wednesday, 7.45pm

Bet 3: Back Over 1.5 Total Goals in first half in West Ham vs Liverpool at 6/4

West Ham scored three first-half goals in last weekend’s 4-0 Premier League win at Bournemouth and trailed Arsenal and Newcastle 2-1 at half-time in their last two home league games so another lively start is expected when they host Liverpool. 

All five goals in Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest last time out came in the second half but they were 2-0 up at the break in their most recent away fixture at Leeds. 

Both teams scored before half-time in the Reds’ recent league clashes with Arsenal and Manchester City, as well as in West Ham’s Europa Conference League quarter-final second leg against Gent last week, and backing over 1.5 first-half goals looks a solid selection for Wednesday’s treble.

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Step 3: Check the insight, stats and odds

Your results are ordered by the stats – so if you select ‘Premier League’, ‘Both Teams to Score’ and ‘Last 5 matches’, the percentages show how often that outcome happened in each team’s recent games. The more often it happened, the higher the match is ranked.

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UEFA’s new star-studded football board has called for a rethink on the refereeing of handball offences in an intervention that could lead to fewer penalties and red cards.

A panel featuring Fabio Capello, Jurgen Klinsmann, Ronald Koeman, Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane made a range of recommendations after its inaugural meeting in Nyon, Switzerland.

The group also called for referees to get tougher with diving players by being “more decisive” in dealing with those who attempt to gain free-kicks or penalties through con tricks.

UEFA, which is European football’s governing body, said discussions were “engaging and constructive” as the elite board considered the Laws of the Game, which are set by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

Also attending were the likes of Rafael Benitez, Petr Cech, Philipp Lahm, Michael Laudrup, Javier Zanetti, Patrick Vieira, Gareth Southgate and Rudi Voller.

UEFA was urged by the board to clarify that handball should not be called if the ball deflects off a player’s body and onto their arm or hand, especially when the ball does not go towards goal.

It was also recommended that handball following a shot at goal should not automatically be punished by a caution.

The newly formed board met at UEFA’s headquarters and said the European confederation should make the case to IFAB that its rules are too clear-cut regarding red cards for handballs that prevent a goal.

In a statement, UEFA said that when it comes to such a situation, the board “feels players should be sent off only if they deliberately and intentionally touch the ball with their hand/arm” and in other circumstances a yellow card should suffice.

UEFA chief of football Zvonimir Boban said: “Having such beautiful football minds around the same table proved to be not just desirable but necessary.

“It was a true honour to be part of such an open and genuine discussion, and I am confident that we have found reasonable solutions to overcome a few stumbling blocks that negatively impact what happens on the field of play.

“It might sound like a banality, but mistakes happen, and we should not stigmatise them, influenced by the shirt we wear. The handball rule, for example, will always be disputed, but we can make it more consistent and aligned with the game’s true nature.”

– Chelsea have not won any of their last seven games, scoring just once in their last six 
– Brentford’s European hopes have been dented by too many draws 
– Recommended bet: Draw

Frank Lampard is still searching for his first win since returning as caretaker Chelsea boss and he may have to wait even longer with Brentford well capable of earning a draw at Stamford Bridge.

Brentford’s push for Europe has hit the buffers in recent weeks and while supporters can be hugely proud of an excellent campaign they will be frustrated if they now finish outside the European places. 

Near-neighbours Chelsea look even more certain to miss out on a top-seven finish and there can be only bafflement at how a club can spend £600m in transfers yet find that all they have to fight at this stage is bragging rights over their local rivals. 

A shambolic season could yet end on a high note, with the possible appointment of Mauricio Pochettino a potential boost to Chelsea supporters. 

However, with no silverware to play for and the European places realistically out of reach, Lampard must simply try to drag the Blues through to the end of a dismal 2022-23 while avoiding any further damage to morale.

Team news

Chelsea striker Armando Broja is out for the season with an ACL rupture and centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly is not yet fit following a hamstring strain. 

Brentford midfielder Christian Norgaard had to come off at half-time with a knock last weekend and is a doubt, while centre-back Kristoffer Ajer is a week or two off recovering from a calf injury. 

Centre-back Pontus Jansson and attacker Keane Lewis-Potter are both expected to miss the rest of 2022-23 with hamstring and knee injuries respectively.

The stats

Chelsea have not won any of their last seven matches, losing all four under Lampard, and have scored just once in their last six outings. 

Two defeats to nil came in tough Champions League clashes with Real Madrid but the Blues have also lost away at struggling Wolves and at home to Brighton and Aston Villa in that run. 

The only points picked up since March 11 came in home draws against out-of-form Liverpool and relegation-threatened Everton. 

Brentford are also winless in their last six games but two of just three defeats in that run were more excusable — Thomas Frank’s men lost 1-0 at Old Trafford and were unfortunate to lose 2-1 against Newcastle given they doubled the Magpies’ expected goals tally of 1.3. 

Brentford have lost only four of their last 20 league matches with draws being the major damage to their European hopes.

Picking up draws against Aston Villa, Brighton and Leicester in their last six games has seen them fall off the top-seven pace and no team can match their tally of 14 Premier League draws from 32 matches.

Prediction

A top-half finish and bragging rights over local rivals Brentford and Fulham is all Chelsea have left to play for and that sort-of low-level ambition is not the sort of target to inspire a disillusioned squad more used to chasing major honours. 

A potentially flat Stamford Bridge atmosphere could add to a lethargic, end-of-season encounter and the lack of an elite striker at Chelsea points towards there being a shortage of goals again.

Visitors Brentford have far more unity and focus but their failure to turn good performances into all three points on multiple occasions this season suggests they may again have to settle for a share of the spoils. 

Back the draw, available at 14/5 with LiveScore Bet.

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Roberto De Zerbi believes Brighton’s trip to Nottingham Forest is their most important match of the season.

The Seagulls travel to the City Ground bidding to resume their push for Europe following an agonising FA Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester United.

Wednesday’s clash with relegation-threatened Forest marks the start of nine Premier League games in just under five weeks for De Zerbi’s men, who sit eighth in the table. 

And the Brighton boss is determined to make history by bringing continental football to Sussex and help ease the pain of Sunday’s penalty shootout loss at Wembley.

He said: “We’re still disappointed. We played a fantastic game. We gave our best and lost.

“We have to be stronger, we have to play [Forest] with the same passion, with the same attitude, with the same quality, because we have another nine games.

“We can change the history of the club and we have a big, big, big motivation to achieve it.

“To accept the last result, we have a big opportunity to achieve the target in the league. I think Forest is the most important game in our season.”

De Zerbi, 43, is hopeful Danny Welbeck will be involved after he went off injured against United, while Facundo Buonanotte, 18, is set to make his full debut.

Evan Ferguson will be assessed after missing the trip to Wembley with an ankle issue sustained in the 2-1 win at Chelsea earlier this month. 

De Zerbi is unwilling to take risks with the striker, who is poised to sign a new deal at the Amex Stadium.

The Republic of Ireland international is already tied to the club until 2026, having signed his first professional deal on his 18th birthday last October.

Terms of the extension are understood to reward Ferguson’s recent progress and De Zerbi believes Brighton is the best place for the teenager to develop.

He added: “It’s very important news. He can improve a lot with us.

“I don’t want to take any risks with him. We have another nine games and maybe he can be important for the last eight.”