Who Goes to Europe?

One of the more interesting developments in Premier League football over the past few years has been the increased fluidity involving the (admittedly still relatively small) pack of teams chasing the glories of European competition.

Few would contest the notion that this year's title race has essentially narrowed into a stand off between last year's champions Manchester City and a resurgent Chelsea under the renewed guidance of The Special One, the enigmatic but quite brilliant Jose Mourinho.

Behind those two things are not quite so clear cut. Under Louis Van Gaal the once dominant Manchester United would seem to have reasserted their status as automatic contenders following last season's debacle, in which relegation had at times looked a more likely prospect than Champions League football, without really troubling the two front runners very much.

And yet with just sixteen matches left to play United are not even in third place. That honour goes to unfancied Southampton, who despite having lost the best part of their team after last season would appear to have gone from impressive under the talented Mauricio Pochettino to rampant under the tutelage of Dutch legend Ronald Koeman. Southampton are where they are on merit, and have begun to believe that Champions League football next year really is within their grasp.

So where does that leave perennial competitors Arsenal, who have represented English football in Europe's premier tournament for the last seventeen years without absence? The bottom line is that Arsenal need to invoke all their experience and undoubted ability to challenge either United or Southampton for one of the four Premier League placings. They did their cause no harm at all today, of course, by comprehensively demolishing champions Manchester City 2-0 on their own turf at the Etihad.

FIREPOWER

Although Southampton so dearly deserve their place in the sun, my gut feeling is that Arsenal will edge into third place as the season nears its end. That will leave United and Southampton battling it out for fourth place, and with the amount of firepower they have at their disposal United should just limp across the line in spite of their dodgy defence, leaving Southampton having to settle for a place in the Europa League (the good news being that on their current form that is a tournament they could quite feasibly win).

Below the top five lurk some of the usual, as well as some not so usual suspects. Tottenham would appear to have maintained their status as the best of the rest whilst Liverpool, who a few games back were floundering badly, seem to be on their way back. This year's surprise package up in the top half of the table is West Ham United, currently seventh in the Premier League and going great guns. Below them is the aforementioned Liverpool, and thereafter a big fat drop to ninth place and also-ran obscurity.

My prediction in the final analysis would be 1. Chelsea, 2. Manchester City, 3. Arsenal, 4. Manchester United, 5. Southampton, 6. Tottenham. The only road into Europe for anybody else will be via the F.A. Cup. Interesting times.

It's All About the In-Play...

That's what Ray Winstone reckons, anyway. But what is it that makes In-Play betting so exciting?

Unlike standard match betting, when you place a bet on a fixture and then sit back and wait for it to happen, In-Play betting allows you to adapt your bet to changing circumstances during real time. So if at the start of a football match, for instance, you think the skinny odds on a Chelsea victory make the bet unappealing, you can revisit the fixture after the team has gone 1-0 down to a fluke goal by the underdog and pick up a much more attractive price.

Alternatively, having wagered on Chelsea to win the fixture you can, when the blues go 1-0 up, offset the bet by laying it off elsewhere at a tighter price still, locking in a guaranteed profit.

Betting on the In-Play has revolutionised football and other sports betting, creating interest throughout the match. It means the experienced punter can end up placing his or her stake not just once but several times, as circumstances shift during the course of a game.

LATEST - Brentford Set to Sign Key Rangers Midfielder

By Brian McLauchlin

Rangers midfielder Lewis Macleod is on the verge of joining English Championship side Brentford, BBC Scotland understands.

The 20-year-old is expected to travel south for a medical within the next 24 hours.

A transfer fee of around £1m has already been agreed.

Midfielder Macleod has been one of Rangers' brightest lights this season, netting eight goals in all competitions for the Ibrox side.

He scored the only goals as Rangers secured 1-0 wins over Premiership sides Inverness Caledonian Thistle and St Johnstone in the League Cup.

SCOTLAND SQUAD

Macleod received his first call up to the Scotland squad for the Euro 2016 qualifier against Republic of Ireland and the friendly against England in November.

He was also named the Scottish Professional Football League's young player of the month for November.

Having broken into the Rangers first team in the 2012-13 season, Macleod made 26 appearances that term and then 21 appearances in 2013-14, netting five goals.

If the deal goes through with Brentford, he will be joining a side currently sixth in the English second tier.

The Bees are managed by Mark Warburton, with former Rangers defender David Weir his assistant.


Reproduced with acknowledgements to BBC Scotland.

Poyet Lashes Out Over Christmas Schedule

Sunderland soccer manager Gus Poyet has criticised the fixture schedule which sees teams playing two games in three days.

Sunderland, who lost 3-1 at home to Hull City on Boxing Day, travel to Aston Villa today just 48 hours later. "I know that Boxing Day games are a tradition and I accept that and think we should maintain it," said Poyet, "but I think that then playing on the 28th is a disgrace. We shouldn't be playing then, we shouldn't."

The former Chelsea and Uruguay midfielder is looking for what would be just a third win in twelve Premier League matches.

Merry Christmas

The team at Sports Review and Sports Betting Centre would like to wish our visitors a very Merry Christmas and a highly successful New Year.

Vierklee Wettbüro - Good Prices and Good Service for 32 Years

In its betting articles Sports Review generally tends to focus its attentions upon the big names in betting - the William Hills, the Bet365s and the Paddy Powers.

By comparison modest Austrian bookmaker Vierklee Wettbüro may seem an odd choice. Founded in 1982, Vierklee offers prices on some of the key major sports, most particularly European soccer. Sometimes its lines are generous and the temptation is naturally to take advantage.

It is not by coincidence that many established punters who bet with the big boys also open an account with Vierklee. To begin with it offers a generous 10% start-up bonus, an additional 3% with every deposit made by bank transfer and an up to 70% bonus on combi bets.

Vierklee are good payers, reliable and approachable. It is for this reason they have stayed in business and thrived whilst a lot of their competitors have struggled.

A reputation for reliability carries an awful lot of weight in the world of online sports betting. Click here for information on setting up an account.

Thierry Hangs Up His Boots

French football legend Thierry Henry has announced his retirement from the sport at the age of 37, drawing to a close an illustrious 20-year soccer career which included spells with Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal, Barcelona and New York Red Bulls.

Originally a winger rather than an out-and-out striker, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger opted to play him in the centre-forward position where he turned out to be a revelation, netting 175 league goals in 258 games for the Gunners making him Arsenal's all-time top scorer.

He finally left Arsenal for Barca in 2007, then joined MLS side New York Red Bulls in 2010. In 2012 he returned to Arsenal on loan outside of the US season, scoring two goals.

Former England striker Alan Shearer today paid tribute to Henry's sublime talent, commenting: ""He could score headers, tap-ins, long-rangers, whether he was beating two or three players, we saw that on numerous occasions. I think that's what made him stand out. He had that ability and defenders didn't like playing against him."

English Teams Await their Fate in Champions League Draw

England's remaining three football sides in the Champions League draw will learn tomorrow (Monday) who they will be playing in the last 16 of the tournament.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City all went forward to the knockout stages, although troubled Liverpool were despatched to the Europa League following a 1-1 with Basel last week. Everton, Tottenham and Celtic are also involved in the last 32 of Europe's second cup.

The draw will take place at 11.00am GMT in Switzerland. The other teams included in the draw are Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Monaco, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Porto, Juventus, Basel, Bayer Leverkusen, Paris St-Germain, Schalke and Shakhtar Donetsk.

Spencer Changes His Mind on Retirement

One-time champion jockey Jamie Spencer will continue to ride in spite of having announced his retirement recently after being stood down as the number one rider at Qatar Racing Limited.

Back in August Spencer, 34, announced his intention to step down at the end of the season but has now decided to continue primarily in a freelance role. "Obviously I have certain existing links and relationships with trainers that I will be utilising," he commented. "I have no specific targets other than to continue to be successful."

Spencer was the Irish flat racing champion in 2004 before crossing to the UK and becoming champion jockey in 2005. In 2007 he regained the crown when he shared the honours with Seb Sanders.

European Soccer Offers At Bet365

There’s some exciting Soccer taking place this week with the final round of matches from the Champions League group stage and fixtures from the Premier League to look forward to.

The action gets underway on Tuesday evening as the fight for second spot in Group B goes down to the wire at Anfield, where Liverpool go in search of a win that would see them progress to the Last 16 at the expense of Basel. Elsewhere, Arsenal travel to Galatasaray needing a win, and for Borussia Dortmund to lose to Anderlecht, to top Group D.

On Wednesday, Man City will secure their passage to the next round if they beat Roma at the Stadio Olimpico and CSKA Moscow fail to defeat Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. At Stamford Bridge, Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea host Sporting having already topped Group G.

On Saturday, attention turns to the Premier League where the evening kick-off sees Arsenal entertain Alan Pardew’s Newcastle at the Emirates. Sunday sees the highlight of the weekend’s action take place at Old Trafford as Man Utd and Liverpool renew rivalries in the afternoon’s early fixture.

With bet365’s 100% Euro Soccer Bonus you can earn a bonus on your returns if you place accumulators on the Champions League, Premier League, Serie A, Primera Liga or Bundesliga. Place a pre-match accumulator of three or more selections combining teams in any of these competitions, and if successful bet365 will add a bonus to your returns.

That’s not all, with the Bore Draw Money Back offer even a goalless draw is never the worst result with bet365 – if you place a pre-match Correct Score, Half-Time/Full-Time or Scorecast bet on any Soccer match and the game finishes 0-0, bet365 will refund all losing bets on those markets.

With great offers and a wide range of pre-match and In-Play markets, bet365 is the number one place for all your Soccer betting.

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