Weekend preview

Chelsea v Boro
Boro have been leading at HT away once this season, at Arsenal in September: Chelsea have conceded only 2 fh goals in 13 matches, to Villa and Fulham but have never been behind at the break.
Chelsea’s last 4 home games and 4 of Boro’s last 6 away have gone over 2.5 goals, but this fixture has not gone over once in the last 4 yrs.
Drogba has scored in each of Chelsea’s last 6 home games; he has scored the opener in 7/13 home games this season.
Boro’s away form is improving: only 1 defeat in last 4 away.

Everton v Blackburn
Only Reading and Villa have managed to score in the first half as the away team at Goodison this season, and are also the only away teams to have scored the first goal. Blackburn’s last 6 away games have all gone over and have contained 23 goals in all; 7 of Evertons last 9 home games have been unders.
This fixture has seen a 1 goal winning margin in each of the last 5 seasons.
1-0
0-1
0-1
2-1
1-2

Man U v Charlton
No shocks yet at OT, only Arsenal and Chelsea have kept Utd from all 3 pts (hats off also to Spurs and Reading, the only other teams not to lose by more than 1 goal). Only Fulham have conceded more than Charlton’s 28 goals on the road, ManU top scorers at home with 34; have scored 3 or more in each of their last 6 at home, Ronaldo has scored in each of these games, but Utd have managed only 2 cs during that run.

Newcastle v Liverpool
Toon unbeaten in 7 at home, inc 5 wins since the 1-0 loss to Sheff Utd, scored 15 goals in last 6 home games, all of which have been overs (not one cs in those 6 games, in fact have only 2 home cs all season, Portsmouth and Charlton); Liverpool on a great run of form away, 5 wins from 6 (after losing 5 of first 7).
Toon opened the scoring in 10/13 home games, as have Pool in 5 of last 6.
James Milner scored Newcastle's 1st goal in last 3 home games.

Portsmouth v Man City
City have made the most of a kind set of fixtures to pick up some form away from home, 3 wins from last 5. Portsmouth are stuttering with only 1 goal and 2 pts in last 3 home games.

Reading v Villa
After drawing 7 of their first 9 away games Villa have now lost 4 on the trot. They have only failed to score away from home twice, at Watford and Wigan. Reading have only 1 draw at home in 13 matches (Man U) and have won their last 3, scoring 12 goals in the process.
All of Villa’s last 6 away matches have gone over, as have 4/5 of Reading’s at home.

Sheff Utd v Spurs
Spurs have 1 away win all season (Man City), Utd have lost only 1 of last 6.
Spurs have 8 goals away from home this season, from 8 different players.

West Ham v Watford
I got nothing.

Bolton v Fulham
While Fulham have managed only 1 away win all season (at the Toon) they have only lost 5x in 13 games (only Chelsea and Man U have fewer away losses). Bolton are on a mini-slump at home, drawing their last 2 against Charlton and Man City, and conceding first in the 2 previous to that against Portsmouth and Newcastle. Bolton have won this fixture the previous 2 seasons, but in the 3 seasons prior to that had not managed to score against Fulham at the Reebok.

Arsenal v Wigan
One of this seasons strangest stats is the frequency with which Arsenal have conceded the 1st goal at home: 7 times in 12 games (they have gone on to draw 5 and win 2 of these games). Wigan, for their part, have scored 1st away from home 7x in 12 games. In fact only Man U and Chelsea have denied them the opening goal in their last 9 away fixtures. Strange stats indeed for a team lieing 1 place above relegation.

Thats all the stuff that has caught my eye for this weekends fixtures. Actual bets will posted later today/early tomorrow.