Paul Ince and Roy Keane have left their Premier League posts already this season, and now it’s the turn of their former Manchester United team-mate to feel the pressure. Mark Hughes would not have envisaged his Manchester City team sitting fourth from bottom the week before Christmas, with the prospect of European football looking increasingly likely with every passing game.
Anything less than a victory at The Hawthorns could see the Citizens in the bottom three on Christmas Day, and they’re 11/8 (Coral) to land just their second away victory of the season. This price is a touch on the skinny side, especially when you consider they have won just one of their last eight matches. However, their last two outings on the road have seen them pick up creditable draws at Hull and Fulham, so punters might expect them to go one better against a team who are rock bottom.
After a bright start, the Baggies have been finding life in the Premier League tough. They have gone ten games without a win, losing eight of these matches, so it’s hard to get too excited about the 9/4 (bet365) on offer. Unlike Hull and Stoke, Albion aren’t the sort of team that will get stuck into City, trying to expose their obvious defensive frailties. Indeed, with both teams desperately needing a win from this encounter, we could see plenty of goals on the cards. Ladbrokes offer 23/25 that there are three goals or more.
Robinho is sure to be popular at 13/2 (Coral) to score the first goal, thus bringing his tally for the season into double figures. Nevertheless, it’s hard to feel too confident about either team’s chances, so perhaps the draw (12/5 Blue Square) offers the best value for this televised clash. Victor Chandler offer 4/1 that the game is level at half-time and full-time, and Blue Square have 16/1 available that the match finishes two goals apiece, a result which will be no good to either team.