1. Man United to beat Southampton on penalties – 10/1
ONE OF MAN United’s biggest problems this season has been their failure to break teams down.
Owing largely to this failure, Jose Mourinho’s men have drawn nine league games — more than any other Premier League side with the exception of Middlesbrough.
On Sunday, they will come up against a Southampton team who have impressed defensively at times during the campaign — a stubborn backline was one of the main reasons why they managed to upset Liverpool in the semi-final of the League Cup.
Cup finals generally tend to be cagey affairs, and with Jose Mourinho and Claude Puel both predominantly defensive coaches, don’t be surprised to see Sunday’s EFL Cup final decided by penalties for the fourth time in the last nine years.
2. Mane to be first goalscorer in Leicester-Liverpool – 9/2
Liverpool simply look a different team when Sadio Mane is available.
The Reds’ form dipped dramatically when the Senegal international was away on Africa Cup of Nations duty, and their improvement since his return is no coincidence.
Mane looked full of confidence, hitting a brace in Liverpool’s most recent game — an impressive 2-0 defeat of Tottenham.
Moreover, against manager-less Leicester on Monday night, expect the lightning-quick Mane to capitalise on a slow, ageing Leicester defence that has been exposed routinely of late.
3. Gylfi Sigurdsson to score anytime against Chelsea – 5/1
There’s been a renewed sense of life about Swansea since Paul Clement took over as boss.
Having looked doomed at one point, the former Bayern Munich assistant coach has helped bring the Swans four points above the relegation zone.
Their attack play, in particular, has improved of late.
While nobody is expecting them to overcome league leaders Chelsea, it would no surprise to see them cause the Blues some problems.
In the six league games since Clement took over, they have won four and lost two — a 4-0 defeat by Arsenal and a 2-1 loss to Man City being their only setbacks.
One encouraging aspect of their recent displays has been the return of their free-flowing attacking football, with midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson impressing amid this timely rejuvenation.
The Icelandic midfielder has scored nine goals in all competitions this season and three in his last four, finding the net in matches against top sides in Liverpool and Man City.
Therefore, don’t be surprised to see the ex-Tottenham player on target again this weekend.
4. Everton to beat Sunderland with a -2.0 handicap – 3/1
Sunderland have one of the worst defensive records in the Premier League, and their most recent match — a 4-0 home defeat against Southampton — suggests the problem remains chronic.
David Moyes will be hoping to get one over on his former employers as he returns to Goodison Park for just the second time since he left Everton to become manager of Manchester United.
In reality however, anything other than a Toffees win seems unlikely, with the Black Cats having picked up just one victory from their last eight games.
By contrast, seventh-place Everton are unbeaten in eight league fixtures, and have impressed at home this season in particular, losing only one and winning seven of their 12 matches at Goodison.
Romelu Lukaku is a single goal away from emulating Duncan Ferguson’s record of 60 Premier League goals for Everton, and the prolific Belgian international may well secure this landmark against Sunderland’s porous backline.
5. Hull to beat Burnley and both to score – 4/1
Backing a team currently in the relegation zone may seem like a big risk, but the context is important in this instance.
Neither Hull nor Burnley are particularly strong defensively or attractive to watch, so expect this encounter to resemble a chaotic Championship match more than anything else, with both sides likely feeling a win is possible and therefore attacking their opponents at will.
Hull may be 10 points below Burnley in the league table, but they have shown signs of improvement since Marco Silva took over, taking points off Man United and Liverpool following the Portuguese boss’ appointment.
Moreover, the Clarets won’t be going into the match filled with confidence. They are coming off the back of a shock FA Cup loss to non-league outfit Lincoln, while they have picked up just one point from 11 matches on the road this season.
Originally published Friday at 17.44
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