Betting Week in Review 20/02/2023 Blues Feels the Blues – Again
Once again, Chelsea headlines our sporting recap after losing to the league’s bottom club, Southampton. Manchester City, who drew, also features. It was a great weekend in the Premier League for bookmakers as the bottom three clubs all won against the odds, the first time this has happened since 2015.
Potter’s Awful Run Continues After
Chelsea 0 Southampton 1
Southampton shocked Chelsea at Stamford Bridge with a James Ward-Prowse trademark free-kick earning the Premier League’s bottom club a surprise victory.
In the added minutes of the first half, Ward-Prowse demonstrated his impressive skillset by scoring the game’s sole goal. With a perfectly executed curling shot, he launched the ball over the Chelsea defence wall and nestled it into the corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area. Southampton’s victory is their first league double against Chelsea in 35 years.
Despite the win, Southampton is still bottom of the league table, while Chelsea is in 10th place.
Under the leadership of Graham Potter, Chelsea’s recent performance has been well below what most people expected, as evidenced in the game.
With just two victories in their last 14 competitions, the team’s poor form was on full display. The home team struggled to create noteworthy chances during most of the match. However, they did attempt a comeback in the second half but were met with exceptional last-minute defence from Southampton, with bodies in the way thwarting any potential goals.
Southampton began the game in West London full of energy, showing a magnificent display of attacking intent. Before Ward-Prowse’s goal, they had come close to scoring twice. Kamaldeen Sulemana had a clear shot at the goal, but his attempt was straight at Kepa Arrizabalaga. Stuart Armstrong’s follow-up attempt was blocked by Kalidou Koulibaly, stopping Southampton from taking the lead.
Potter handed January signing David Fofana his full debut to inject some imagination into the Blues’ faltering front line. Still, the 20-year-old Ivorian failed to make an impact before being hooked at halftime. The Blues’ attacking front had been toothless until the introduction of Raheem Sterling at halftime, who breathed new life into the team. However, despite Sterling’s efforts, Ainsley Maitland-Niles made a crucial block that denied the England international a potential equaliser midway through the second half.
The serious-looking injury to Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta compounded a miserable afternoon for Potter, who home supporters booed once the full-time whistle was heard.
Before kick-off, fans paid tribute to former Chelsea winger Christian Atsu, who was tragically found dead nearly two weeks after the devastating earthquake in Turkey. In memory of Atsu, supporters observed a minute’s applause, honouring his contributions to the club and his impact on the sport.
Caretaker manager Ruben Selles was candid about his desire to become Southampton’s permanent boss following the club’s recent talks with Jesse Marsch. With Marsch out of the picture, Selles saw this as an opportunity to prove himself, and this particular match would have certainly given his aspirations a significant boost. His team’s performance on the field demonstrated a level of skill and determination that could help secure his position as Nathan Jones’ successor.
Ward-Prowse ultimately scored Southampton’s winning goal with his 17th direct free-kick of the Premier League. Only former England captain David Beckham, with 18 goals, has better success in the top division.
In the second half, Adam Armstrong had a chance to give the Saints a two-goal lead but was stopped by Arrizabalaga’s extended leg.
Ward-Prowse was named player of the match with an average of 8.69.
This was shocking for Chelsea as they continued their poor form under manager Graham Potter. However, Southampton was the better team on the day and deserved the win and football betting fans who backed Southampton would have enjoyed the underdog’s win.
City Losses Ground in Title Defence Race
Nottingham Forest 1 Manchester City 1
Manchester City blew the chance to reclaim the top spot in the Premier League table, but they missed the opportunity when they were held to a 1-1 draw at the City Ground by Nottingham Forest. Despite having plenty of chances, City could not secure a victory, and the result proved costly as they dropped from the top spot in the league rankings.
Chris Wood’s late goal cancelled Bernardo Silva’s goal from 20 yards. City had numerous chances to score and wrap up the game but couldn’t put them away. They had 23 chances but failed to convert them, with Kevin de Bruyne having seven attempts at goal but failing to find the target.
Facing the TV cameras post-match, Kyle Walker said that the performance was unacceptable and they should have done better. Additionally, with the quality of players in the team, they should have scored the chances they created. Instead, they dropped two points in the game, and Walker suggested they should have secured a 1-0 victory.
Despite being under the cosh, Forest took advantage of their limited opportunities in the game, scoring with their only attempt on target. It was a rare venture upfront, having created only four chances throughout the game. However, Forest managed to make the most of their lone shot on target and secured a valuable point against a formidable Manchester City side.
The team’s ability to score with their one and only attempt on goal demonstrated their efficiency in front of the net, highlighting the importance of taking advantage of every opportunity.
This low number of chances was in stark contrast to City’s 23.
The draw extended Forest’s unbeaten run at home to eight games, which is an incredible achievement considering their early season form. In comparison, City dropped to second place in the league after Arsenal won 4-2 against Aston Villa earlier in the day.
As expected, City dominated the game and had 84% possession in the first 45 minutes.
Phil Foden was a player that caught the eye. The 22-year-old was calm on the ball and produced opportunities. Silva, who had only scored two goals in the league this campaign, opened the scoring with four minutes remaining in the first half with a great effort with his left foot.
However, despite their almost total dominance, City failed to convert their chances, and as they scrambled for a late winner, they were reduced to last-ditch attempts.
Forest will consider themselves lucky to go into halftime trailing by only one goal after seeing the majority of the first period played in their own half. They did not put together any meaningful periods of possession or chances. Still, as City became frustrated, Forest was patient and ultimately efficient enough to take their opportunity when it finally came.
Gunners Leave it Late to See Off Villa
Aston Villa 2 Arsenal 4
Arsenal showed their mettle by winning a six-goal thriller against Aston Villa in the Premier League, which took them back to the top of the table, despite Villa leading twice in the game.
Aston Villa twice went ahead through Ollie Watkins and Philippe Coutinho, who was making his first league start under Villa boss Unai Emery. Barcelona bought the 30-year-old for a fee of £146m in 2018, but injuries and lack of form have limited his appearances in a Villa shirt.
It only took Arsenal 11 minutes to respond. Bukayo Saka continued his fine form and pulled a goal back for the visitors after 16 minutes, meaning the score was 2-1 to Villa at the break.
Arsenal equalised the game thanks to a Zinchenko goal in the 61st minute.
The game appeared to be heading to a draw before two late goals in stoppage time wrapped up the win for Arsenal. First, Jorginho’s shot came off the crossbar and hit the unfortunate Emi Martinez in the Villa goal to give Arsenal a 3-2 lead. And with Villa needing a goal, Martinez went up front, and when Arsenal countered, Martinelli had an empty net to aim at.
Arsenal’s much-needed victory over Aston Villa put an end to their three-game winless streak and lifted the team back above Manchester City in the league standings.
After suffering a defeat to Manchester City earlier in the week, Arsenal was determined to bounce back and secure a win against Villa. The team’s efforts paid off, and the victory boosted morale for the Arsenal side.
The team showed their mental strength with those stoppage-time goals and the fact they twice came from behind. Manager Mikel Arteta praised his side’s resilience and said they deserved the win.
Meanwhile, Villa boss Unai Emery was disappointed by the result, particularly with his goalkeeper’s decision to go forward for a corner which led to Arsenal’s fourth goal. The defeat was Emery’s third in a row, leaving Villa in 11th place in the table.
The player of the match was Bukayo Saka, who played a crucial role in Arsenal’s comeback with an average rating of 7.96.
The race for the title is close, with Manchester United winning 3-0 against Leicester. Arsenal currently holds the upper hand, but know any slip-ups could be costly.
England on the brink of Arnold Clark Cup Defence
As we previewed last week, England started their defence of the Arnold Clark Cup and got off to a flying start securing a dominant 4-0 win over South Korea at Stadium MK. The star of the show was Chelsea’s Lauren James, who won a penalty that Georgia Stanway converted before scoring an impressive goal of her own in the second half. Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo also got on the scoresheet as England controlled the game and maintained possession throughout.
The win extended their unbeaten run under coach Sarina Wiegman to an impressive 674 days, helping them to prepare for the upcoming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Despite being heavily favoured to win the tournament, Wiegman took the opportunity to experiment with different lineups and formations, showcasing the squad’s impressive depth. Manchester City’s Laura Coombs was given her first appearance for England in eight years, highlighting the team’s strength in depth.
England faced Italy in Coventry in their second tournament match, with Rachel Daly taking centre stage. The Aston Villa striker proved to be the difference, scoring two crucial headers to secure a 2-1 victory. Despite protests from the Lionesses, there was no goal-line technology at the CBS Arena to confirm Italy’s goal, but England regrouped and held on for the win.
Daly, who has been a regular starter under manager Sarina Wiegman, but rarely used in her natural attacking role, was outstanding throughout the match. She has been in top form for Aston Villa this season, scoring ten goals in 13 Women’s Super League matches. Her performance against Italy highlighted her potential impact in attack for England.
Despite Italy’s ability to transition with pace causing some problems for England, the Lionesses extended their unbeaten run to 28 matches and are in a strong position to win a third successive tournament under the Dutchwoman. Wiegman was pleased with her side’s response to conceding a goal, stating that it was a good lesson for the team to learn.
England now faces Belgium in their final match, where a win would secure their title’s defence, barely five months before the Women’s World Cup. With their squad depth and impressive unbeaten run, England will be confident of securing another victory and entering the World Cup as one of the favourites to win the tournament.
