Brentford play Arsenal in the Premier League on New Years’ Day. The Bees are a completely and utterly different team at home to the one we see away, so this marks the start of a very tricky period for Arsenal. That said, we cannot bet against this Arsenal team with Brentford so that’s one to leave alone.
The busy action comes from the EFL, the best of that in the Championship. All 24 teams play at some point during the day, with all eyes being on a very competitive battle for promotion.
Burnley v Stoke
Stoke beat promotion chasing Sunderland the other day. In truth though, it was still an underwhelming performance during a poor game.
Burnley remain firmly in the title shake-up after their 0-0 draw at Middlesbrough. Before that, they made a big statement when winning 2-0 at Sheffield United. This looks like a home banker at anywhere between 4/9 and 8/15.
Leeds v Blackburn
I’ll be honest, I expected Blackburn to beat Hull the other day, but they were rather poor. Considering their 1-0 loss at Millwall, it also makes their 2-2 draw with Sunderland recently seem less impressive and we need to use that in conjunction with the Black Cats’ loss to Stoke (see below).
Leeds on the other hand are flying. The festive period has brought crushing 4-0 win over Oxford, a 2-0 win at Stoke and a 1-0 win away at Derby. They are top of the league with the best goal difference and should not fear Blackburn. This has to be a home win at between 2/5 and 1/3.
West Brom v Preston
West Brom are down in 8th place, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. They were lively at Sheffield United on Sunday and really pushed for the win in the second half there.
Though they haven’t been formidable at home, a similar performance would be too much for Preston. West Brom have now won their last two at home having drawn five in a row before that. They are reliable at the very least.
By contrast Preston, despite a couple of good home wins, have only won one of their last 10 on the road. The Baggies are between 4/5 and 10/11 and that’s fair.
Sunderland v Sheffield United
Though they are still in the promotion argument, Sunderland have begun to slip away as title contenders. As mentioned above, their latest results will cause some fans alarm as they appear to be on the slide.
Still sitting fourth, they are now dropping behind Leeds and it’s easy to see that gap widening. Sunderland were underwhelming in a 1-1 draw with Bristol City on Wearside before winning 3-2 at Swansea and only defeating Norwich 2-1 against ten men.
Their 2-2 draw with Blackburn doesn’t thrill in retrospect, while their loss at Stoke was plain poor. They now have to face Sheffield United who beat them in Yorkshire in late November.
Though they couldn’t get past West Brom the other day, they did create chances and didn’t lose the game. That was a step up from their 2-0 home defeat to an admittedly strong Burnley team. Before that, the Blades were simply moving along serenely and that should continue.
They look too strong for Sunderland here, even on the road. The away win is between 2/1 and 11/5.
York v Gateshead
This is simply a National League game to many but look closer and we could be in for a belter.
This is tantamount to a local derby and both teams are going hard for promotion. York are second in the league, just a point ahead of Gateshead in fourth.
Also, 48 points versus 47 points is mightily close. The 33 points for York at home however to Gateshead’s 19 away gives York the look of solid favourites.
Against those in the top ten at home, York have played 3 and won 3 with an aggregate score of 8-1. We must bear in mind though that in their 4-0 win against Yeovil, they scored after their opposition went down to ten men and ultimately played against nine.
Gateshead have played 3 and drawn 3 away to top ten sides. That’s solid and the fact they’ve yet to be beaten is impressive in its own way. The Heed are also in flying scoring form, registering 4-0. 8-1, 4-1 and 4-3 wins recently.
York have had a break after a postponement and that’s not always a good thing at this level – they could be underprepared for what’s coming. I feel Gateshead will score and if they do so first, they have a big chance to land a massive blow while fully motivated. Prices range from 21/10 to 12/5 and that’s great value.