Manchester United tickets available from Telegraph Tickets

Bet on Manchester United with Sportingbet.com and get a free bet worth up to £50

Manchester United and Stoke City have met five times since the Potters returned to the Premier League.

The Red Devils have a 100% record in those fixtures – despite Stoke’s reportedly imperious home form. In fact, in the five games Stoke have managed to score just once and conceded 14.

It bodes well for their visit to Old Trafford tonight.

Bearing this in mind then, Manchester United’s unbeaten record in the Premier League this season looks set to stay intact – and I’m here to make you rich.

I’m Leroy Paine.

Wayne Rooney scored in open play for the first time since March against West Bromwich Albion, and is renowned for going on goalscoring streaks. I believe that he is at the start of one, but his odds of 3/1 for first goalscorer alone are not big enough to tempt me.

No, I looked at the Scorecast on Sportingbet.com and coupled Rooney as first goalscorer with a 3-0 Man Utd victory at odds of 20/1.

I fully expect to be rewarded for my adventure, like the time I rode a chariot pulled by lions I lassoed in the African savannah.

Stoke can expect a similarly wild ride at Old Trafford, and with United benefiting from the shoot-on-sight policy employed by Portuguese flyer Nani – who already has five league goals this season – I’m backing him to score a sixth today.

After all, four of those five Premier League goals have come in home fixtures at Old Trafford. Nani is 8/5 to score anytime, and 11/1 for first goalscorer with Sportingbet.com.

With Sportingbet.com offering their famous Goal Rush deal where all losing pre-match first goalscorer, anytime goalscorer, correct score and scorecast bets are refunded if more than five goals are scored, you can’t lose if Manchester United rack up a big victory.

This looks pretty likely too.

In the last two seasons, Manchester United have put nine goals past Stoke at Old Trafford, and could well do something similar tonight.

Sportingbet.com offer odds of 9/2 for the match to feature more than 4.5 goals in total for both sides, and it looks very generous indeed.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to pay off your mortgage all in one go?

P.S. Sorry Stoke supporters. I’m no Manchester United fan, but I’m giving you no hope whatsoever. The head to head record illustrates why.

Join the Best Football Manager game now! It’s Free!

Bet on Premier League football with Sportingbet.com and get a free bet worth up to £50

OK, so this is how it works. Each week we pick people from the footballing world to take us on in a prediction battle. The scoring system is mind-blowingly simple. You get the right direction of a result you get one point if you get the correct score you get three points.

This week we take on Caroline Cheese of the Associated Press and previously of the BBC and the COS Psychic will be hoping to recover from last week’s defeat to Darren Huckerby and the Arseblog.

Caroline Cheese’s Selections

Arsenal 2-0 Stoke
Birmingham 0-1 Newcastle United
Blackburn Rovers 1-2 West Ham
Liverpool 2-0 Fulham
Sunderland 2-2 Bolton
Wigan 1-2 Aston Villa
Blackpool 2-3 Tottenham
Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United
West Bromwich Albion 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Manchester City 2-1 Everton

COS Psychic’s Selections

Arsenal 4-0 Stoke
Birmingham 1-1 Newcastle United
Blackburn Rovers 0-2 West Ham
Liverpool 1-1 Fulham
Sunderland 2-0 Bolton
Wigan 1-0 Aston Villa
Blackpool 1-1 Tottenham
Chelsea 1-2 Manchester United
West Bromwich Albion 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Manchester City 3-0 Everton

We’re nominated for the prestigious Soccerlens Award for The Best Football Site, Please Vote for Us!

Join the Best Football Manager game now, Its Free!

Wolves v Wigan tickets available from Tixdaq.com

Bet on Wigan Athletic with Sportingbet.com and get a free bet worth up to £50

Full highlights

Join the Best Football Manager game now! It’s Free!

Place any bet your like and get £25 worth of free bets!

OK, so this is how it works. Each week we pick people from the footballing world to take us on in a prediction battle. The scoring system is mind-blowingly simple. You get the right direction of a result you get one point if you get the correct score you get three points.

For this weeks set of midweek games we take on respected much respected Liverpool Blog Kopsource.

Stoke v Birmingham

Editor

0-0 Draw

Kopsource

Stoke Win 1-0 – When two very defensive teams go head to head, you have to fancy the home side to bag all 3 points. I don’t see this being an exciting one for the fans, but I reckon Stoke will steal the win by a single goal

Tottenham v Sunderland

Editor

3-1 to Tottenham

Kopsource

2-2 Draw – Spurs will be boosted by the fact Darren Bent is out injured for the Black Cats; especially after his performance against them last year. However, bouncing back from two straight defeats will not be an easy task as Steve Bruce’s men look to capitalise on their previous performance. Tottenham will also be without a number of their key players, so I can’t see them winning this one.

Aston Villa v Blackpool

Editor

1-0 to Blackpool

Kopsource

2-1 to Blackpool – On paper, Aston Villa are the better club. But as has been proved by Blackpool on many occasion this season; paper doesn’t win games. I can’t see where the goals for Villa are going to come from. It is unlikely that Carew will play after falling out with Gerard and Hesky joins Agbonlahor on the sidelines through injury. With Steven Ireland rumoured to be reconsidering his future at the club, Villa will really need Ashley Young to perform. Blackpool on the other hand will have nothing to lose and will continue to play attacking football. Tough game to call.

Chelsea v Fulham

Editor

4-0 to Chelsea

Kopsource

3-1 to Chelsea – Fulham are the dark horses of the league. They always seem to get results at home to the big teams and will be looking to capitalise on a demoralised Chelsea after their defeat to Liverpool. Chelsea on the other hand will be eager to show that the weekend’s loss was just a one-off as they look to continue their form pre Anfield. With Salcido sidelined for weeks and Drogba returning to the starting XI alongside Essien, you really have to back an away win.

Newcastle United v Blackburn Rovers

Editor

3-1 to Newcastle

Kopsource

1-1 Draw – Got to love Newcastle for the way they are performing this year. Andy Carroll is an absolute beast. Blackburn on the other hand have also been playing rather well, despite their results stating otherwise. Another draw…

West Ham v West Brom

Editor

2-0 to West Ham

Kopsource

0-0 Draw – This has draw written all over it. Both teams will be looking to get out of the relegation zone, but neither will fancy making any mistakes.

Wigan v Liverpool

Editor

1-0 to Liverpool

Kopsource

3-1 to Liverpool – After beating Chelsea, Roy Hodgson will be looking to grab yet another win. However, there wasn’t so much a change in managerial tactics as a change in opposition. Playing Chelsea at home saw Liverpool play with real guile and determination. Will they be able to do the same against a lesser Wigan team, that is the question.

Wolves v Arsenal

Editor

2-0 to Arsenal

Kopsource

1-1 Draw – Wolverhampton at home will be a tough nut to crack, especially after Arsenal come off the back of a demoralising defeat. You have to feel for old Mick, having to play United and Arsenal in a matter of days. Still, I fancy them to grab a point.

Everton v Bolton

Editor

1-1 Draw

Kopsource

2-1 to Bolton – I’m going to back Bolton all the way here. Not because I am a Liverpool fan… Well, actually yeah. That is exactly why.

Manchester City v Manchester United

Editor

2-1 to Man United

Kopsource

3-2 to Man City – After falling short last year, Man City will be eager to pay United back. I have to say, I can only really see one outcome here. City have been in good form at home, while united have been found wanting defensively on numerous occasions. However, if Arsenal can do it, then so can United. Doubtful though.

City *3-2

Liverpool tickets available from Tixdaq.com

Place any bet you like and get £25 worth of free bets!

Tony Pulis has launched a £4m bid to sign Liverpool midfielder Lucas in the New Year.

Stoke boss Pulis is ready to move for the Brazil international and offer him a fresh start at the Britannia Stadium.

Lucas nearly joined the Potters in the summer on transfer deadline day but Roy Hodgson scrapped the deal hours before 6pm.

But Pulis will step up his attempts to land the 23-year-old in January as he bids to boost his midfield.

Lucas has played the last six games for Liverpool but could be allowed to leave if Hodgson needs to raise funds. (Daily Mirror)

Though a regular target for critics, Lucas Leiva has proven himself to be a decent holding midfielder – and one that is surely worth more than £4m.

With the signing of Christian Poulsen from Juventus, Lucas was expected to be rotated with the Dane. He has on the whole kept his place in the Reds side though, and that is largely down to the Brazilian being a better rounded player.

Poulsen is a spoiler. He rarely participates in attacks, purely focussed on breaking up those of his opponents. He is not a brilliant passer of the ball. He does exactly what is required of him though, which is to be a cheaper incarnation of Javier Mascherano.

There will be matches when Poulsen is required, but for now Liverpool ought to retain the services of Lucas – at least if the sum offered is a paltry £4m.

The Brazilian is certainly proving useful at the moment.

Everton were another side near the bottom of the division, until 1-0 wins against Bolton and Fulham steered them up the table. Nevertheless, it goes to show that a run of wins from any team can send them shooting up the Premier League, and leave someone else in the mire. ESPN reports that David Moyes is predicting a wide open relegation race this season.

“I think a lot of teams will be involved in the relegation battle. We have seen a few teams down at the bottom picking up points that nobody expected. We have won a couple, but then so have several sides at the bottom. The situation has been turned on it’s head again.

“I don’t know how this will work out, and what points total people will need. Over the years it was said that it was 40 points for safety, but it was lower than that last season.

“It is very difficult to judge, but at the moment things are very tight.”

Which teams do you reckon will be going down this season? Everton are now seventh and appear to be moving in the right direction, and Tottenham fans surely expect to see their team clamber out of the drop zone. Are supporters of Wigan, West Brom, Fulham and Bolton concerned about the possibility of relegation, and will Stoke and Hull City manage to keep clear of trouble?

Discuss the latest transfer gossip at the Brand New COS forum!

Sky Sports reports that Thomas Sorenson is pretty angry after a challenge from Alan Hutton which meant the Dane needed 20 stitches in his eye. According to the ex-Villa keeper, the full-back went in where it hurts, despite having no chance of getting to the ball, he seems pretty relieved that no lasting damage has been done.

“It is incredibly fortunate,” Sorensen told Ekstra Bladet. “I have been sewn up in the eye socket and it is miraculous that there has been no more damage.

“We are at a stage where it is not funny any more. He could easily have avoided hitting me.

“He had no chance to reach the ball but he still threw himself into it, leading with his studs.

“The doctor has done a very good job so my face is not totally destroyed.

“But it was a millimetre off me losing my sight, so I am relieved. I can just look up to the Heavens and say ‘thank you’.”

Firstly, on replays it looked like Sorenson’s own defender was the one who delivered the killer blow after Hutton had merely brushed against the keeper.

AH surely was entitled to try and challenge for the ball, and this injury was the cause of an accident? Are Tottenham fans pleased to see the former Rangers man returning to the side, giving the defence a bit more stability?

Discuss the latest transfer gossip at the Brand New COS forum!

In the Stoke v Everton game, a fiery encounter, Wiley blew up for a penalty after Leon Cort handballed, but then inexplicably changed his mind.

Kudos to the ref, who was man enough to give Moyes a ring after the Everton boss said that he’d apologise to Wiley if he was wrong about the penalty – but he’d expect the same if Wiley was in the wrong.

Moyes said:

“Alan has phoned me and I think everyone will understand why he has done that,” Moyes said. “I don’t think it will influence things, but all I can do is hope that the people who look at it understand and take into consideration the reason why I was upset.

“In fairness to the referee, he has put a call into me. The Respect campaign is really important, but you’ve got to earn respect and he has earned a great deal of respect from me.” (Times)

Quite why the FA have blustered in with a charge just as Wiley and Moyes seemed to have settled everything like gentlemen is beyond me.

Watch Everton Live Online

“I think maybe I was too strong in my views about the penalty,”

“We had been 2-0 up and now it was 2-2 so it was a big moment for us not to get it. So I complained to the fourth official, as you would do if you think you’re right and I said to the referee, if I was wrong I would apologise to him and if he was wrong I would expect the same.”

Those that think Moyes is right to be outraged after Wiley pointed to the spot when Stoke’s Cort handled in the area, only to change his mind after having a chinwag with the linesman. When you look at the game in its entirety though, you see that a perfectly good Ricardo Fuller goal was chalked off after the Stoke striker was ruled to have bundled Joseph Yobo to the floor – a very harsh decision. Moyes view on that matter? The ref was correct to disallow it(!)

So, is Moyes right to moan about the decision that went against Everton whilst at the same time supporting the decision that went for them?

Watch Everton Live Online

So what have we got this week? Maybe an attack on player agents and the fact that they are leeches on the arm of football? Perhaps he’s upset by the way that certain footballers don’t want to come to the north-east as they’re frightened it’s a bit cold in winter? The Daily Mirror instead reveal that the Irishman is fed up with his own squad players not wanting a bit of loan action when they can pick up their pay packet at the club instead.

Keane said: “I’m talking about players who are different animals to when I was a player. They’ve had opportunities to go to clubs, particularly on loan, and were reluctant to do it.

“Footballers are changing these days. Some don’t love the game as much as they should do. If you love football you want to play.

“It doesn’t annoy me but it’s a sad reflection on the people themselves. One or two have had opportunities in the last few weeks to go to very good clubs, at a very good level, just to get games. There’s no hidden agenda. They said no.

“Footballers are a strange breed these days, trust me. I thought I was strange.

“In an ideal world you have to reduce the size of the squad, the wage bill. I have a chief executive, a chairman, owners of the club who constantly ask that. We can’t keep bringing players in on top of the ones we already have at the club.

“Some professionals have no intention of moving anywhere. There’s one or two of those at every club. They are going nowhere unless Real Madrid came in for them.”

Roy has a point, with his words echoing the frustration of Tony Pulis at Stoke, who has bemoaned the fact that players would rather miss out on first-team football and play for the stiffs instead. Who could deny themselves the chance to walk out and play in front of tens of thousands of fans at the weekend?