Paul Robinson’s Betting Preview for Sunday’s Premier League Matches
Betting Radio’s David Easson gets former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson’s views on the weekend’s football.
David Easson: Spurs versus Newcastle - both sides running on empty with big games still to come up for Newcastle this week. Tottenham throwing away leads. How do both sides come into this and what does that actually mean as a betting prospect?!
Paul Robinson: Well, good luck! I was hoping you were not going to ask me to predict this one! Tottenham. One point in the last five games, 4 defeats in five, a really good performance at Manchester City and you thought they had maybe turned the corner and then once again take the lead against West Ham and can’t capitalise on it. And that's becoming apparent. Since the wheels come off after 10 games, they've come off quite dramatically.
If we're sat at this point of the season with Spurs in 5th and all these defeats hadn’t all come at once, we’d be saying how good Tottenham are, how well they're playing, what a great style of football they're playing and what a change Ange has made. But it's all because these results have come and they've dropped off a cliff in five games. There's a problem without Madison and van der Ven. They've got issues that need fixing in January. He's got every right because of what he's done. The manager needs to go bang on the chairman's door and say I want some money for some more players.
Newcastle on the flip side of that, they're having a great season so far. They're still 7th. They're still in touch with the top four while still competing in the Champions League. They got a huge game against AC Milan midweek. You would almost think Eddie Howe would have one eye on that because they have to win that game - but he can't. He just simply hasn't got the amount of players to do that. And there's only so many times you can ask the same 11 players to keep going and keep going and keep going. You can only go to the well so many times and he's having to do that every single week.
As far as this game goes, I think there will be goals in it because neither team is that good defensively but as for a winner, I give Spurs a chance because they've got home advantage. And I say that with a Spurs team that haven't won at home since October. But I think with Eddie Howes injury problems and the games they've got coming up, it will be just a bit too much for them.
David Easson: You can add Newcastle only winning two games away from home in all competitions this season: that 8-0 at Sheffield United and the victory at Manchester United in the League Cup with their B team effectively so in the league away from home it’s not worked out for Newcastle United. Other games on Sunday and I know you're a big fancier of Everton against Chelsea.
Paul Robinson: I think there's value in Everton. They're in a great run at the moment. Two fantastic wins this week, but the worry for me is they're out the bottom three. Do they take the foot off the pedal? Knowing the manager like I do he will not let that happen. I took them against Newcastle and that came in and I’m taking them up against Chelsea. I saw this poor Chelsea at Old Trafford midweek against Manchester United. Chelsea are far too inconsistent, conceding a lot of goals and they won’t like the way Everton play. Chelsea try and play out from the back, they pass the ball at the back and the goalkeeper is not good enough to do it. Chelsea will hate going to Goodison Park.
David Easson: About 2/1 for a Toffees win
Paul Robinson: I’ve gone 2-1 Everton, Calvert-Lewin to return and score