Arsenal were so dominant in the reverse fixture that it's hard to make a case for picking any Braga players tonight. That night at the Emirates saw Arsenal come away with 10 of the 11 highest point scorers in the match, one of the most lop-sided results in Picklive history.
Arshavin and van Persie have been left at home, Clichy is out and Fabregas unlikely to play but even so it's hard to think past the likes of Nasri, Denilson, Sagna, Eboue, Gibbs, Song etc. who are all very strong Picklive points scorers.
But yet I get the feeling that Braga will be better (if not great) tonight and may deserve 1 pick? Silvio has a 58 and 53 to his name which is excellent considering the nature of the two Picklive games they were in (i.e. total passing domination by Sevilla and Arsenal) and is perhaps the only stand out player in Picklive terms.
Tip: wait for the line-up but Nasri, Gibbs, Denilson, Song and Silvio would be a good start.
Good luck!
BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
SpartakMoscow/Marseille
Spartak Moscow have been impressive in Picklive terms in their two defeats against Chelsea. They had 4 of the top 5 points scorers in Russia and 2 in London. That would suggest leaning towards the Russians for tonights make or break match.
The best 3 Spartak players were Ibson, Sheshukov and Makeev, in that order, for both matches. Apart from those three, Parshivlyuk and Ivanov are out and so previous Picklive form suggests Komborov may be worth a shout if you fancy a fourth Spartak player. He scored a respectable 56 in the away match and would've been their third highest scorer in the home match were it not for a yellow card.
Marseille are a bit less predictable and have fielded very different teams in each of their 4 Champions League matches so far. In their one Picklive appearance they did match Spartak Moscow in getting 2 of the top 5 against Chelsea but they went further than that and had 5 of the top 8 - in fact picking their top 5 (Cisse, Heinze, Gonzalez, Kabore and Mbia) would've won the Big Game quite comfortably.
The change in personnel complicates the tips for Marseille tonight. I would consider Heinze if he starts at lef-back, Mbia if he starts at centre-back and whoever starts at the base of midfield should also be strongly considered. Ayew and Valbuena started on the bench at the weekend and are capable of being explosive from wide.
In summary I fancy Marseille to do ok tonight, as they have slightly better recent form, so would recommend at least 2 picks from them. I think the left flank of both teams will do most of the damage going forward and will score more points than the right side. Hence my tip is to pick 5 players from the middle and left side of both teams, 3 from Spartak, 2 from Marseille. Makeev (and possibly Komborov) from the Spartak left, Ibson and Shesukov from the centre. Ayew and Heinze from the Marseille left , Mbia and Kabore from the centre (depending on the line-up). Any 5 from those 8.
Good luck!
BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
The best 3 Spartak players were Ibson, Sheshukov and Makeev, in that order, for both matches. Apart from those three, Parshivlyuk and Ivanov are out and so previous Picklive form suggests Komborov may be worth a shout if you fancy a fourth Spartak player. He scored a respectable 56 in the away match and would've been their third highest scorer in the home match were it not for a yellow card.
Marseille are a bit less predictable and have fielded very different teams in each of their 4 Champions League matches so far. In their one Picklive appearance they did match Spartak Moscow in getting 2 of the top 5 against Chelsea but they went further than that and had 5 of the top 8 - in fact picking their top 5 (Cisse, Heinze, Gonzalez, Kabore and Mbia) would've won the Big Game quite comfortably.
The change in personnel complicates the tips for Marseille tonight. I would consider Heinze if he starts at lef-back, Mbia if he starts at centre-back and whoever starts at the base of midfield should also be strongly considered. Ayew and Valbuena started on the bench at the weekend and are capable of being explosive from wide.
In summary I fancy Marseille to do ok tonight, as they have slightly better recent form, so would recommend at least 2 picks from them. I think the left flank of both teams will do most of the damage going forward and will score more points than the right side. Hence my tip is to pick 5 players from the middle and left side of both teams, 3 from Spartak, 2 from Marseille. Makeev (and possibly Komborov) from the Spartak left, Ibson and Shesukov from the centre. Ayew and Heinze from the Marseille left , Mbia and Kabore from the centre (depending on the line-up). Any 5 from those 8.
Good luck!
BensBulls
(Ben Wraith)
Monday, 22 November 2010
Sunderland/Everton
Sunderland have had a strong showing on Picklive this season. They had 4 of the top 5 against Chelsea, the same against Blackburn and 3 against Arsenal. Those impressive results were tempered slightly by the hammering they took from Newcastle but to more than hold their own against both Chelsea and Arsenal seems a good reason to fancy at least 3 Black Cats tonight.
Everton on the other hand have only had 1 player in each of the last three games (although they had 3 against Man Utd. in the game before that). Baines and Arteta are the only two players to have made the hallowed top 5 in those 3 games. Jagielka, Distin and Pienaar have been the most consistent players after them.
So, who to pick from Sunderland then and how many? The first decision is easy, to include Henderson or not? He's been the top point scorer for Sunderland in 3 of the last 4 Picklive games (and second in the other) so I think he should be first on your list for tonight. Who to accompany him is a very different story though. Bardsley, Cattermole, Onuoha and Bramble have all featured twice in Sunderland's own top 5 over the last four games but none stand out as a definite pick. Gyan, Wellbeck and Zenden all made the top 5 in the match against Chelsea but it would seem that the first two need a goal and so should be picked only if you think that will happen. Zenden would've been the top pick in that match if you take away the goals & assists and so could be a strong candidate.
According to the Telegraph passing stats Malbranque and Cattermole are the second most frequent passers after Henderson. Further down the list are Bardsley and Richardson who both have good pass/minute ratios.
So, in summary, Henderson would look like the strongest pick, followed by Arteta and/or Baines. The main decision then is who to fill the other 2 or 3 spots. I can't stomach the risk of Cattermole getting sent off so will be avoiding him. I'll try and balance my selection so will go for either Zenden or Malbranque in the midfield plus either Bardsley or Onuoha from the defence. The only remaining decision for me is whether to go for a fourth Sunderland player or picking both Arteta and Baines. At the moment I fancy Gyan to score so may go for him if he starts.
Good luck!
BensBulls
Everton on the other hand have only had 1 player in each of the last three games (although they had 3 against Man Utd. in the game before that). Baines and Arteta are the only two players to have made the hallowed top 5 in those 3 games. Jagielka, Distin and Pienaar have been the most consistent players after them.
So, who to pick from Sunderland then and how many? The first decision is easy, to include Henderson or not? He's been the top point scorer for Sunderland in 3 of the last 4 Picklive games (and second in the other) so I think he should be first on your list for tonight. Who to accompany him is a very different story though. Bardsley, Cattermole, Onuoha and Bramble have all featured twice in Sunderland's own top 5 over the last four games but none stand out as a definite pick. Gyan, Wellbeck and Zenden all made the top 5 in the match against Chelsea but it would seem that the first two need a goal and so should be picked only if you think that will happen. Zenden would've been the top pick in that match if you take away the goals & assists and so could be a strong candidate.
According to the Telegraph passing stats Malbranque and Cattermole are the second most frequent passers after Henderson. Further down the list are Bardsley and Richardson who both have good pass/minute ratios.
So, in summary, Henderson would look like the strongest pick, followed by Arteta and/or Baines. The main decision then is who to fill the other 2 or 3 spots. I can't stomach the risk of Cattermole getting sent off so will be avoiding him. I'll try and balance my selection so will go for either Zenden or Malbranque in the midfield plus either Bardsley or Onuoha from the defence. The only remaining decision for me is whether to go for a fourth Sunderland player or picking both Arteta and Baines. At the moment I fancy Gyan to score so may go for him if he starts.
Good luck!
BensBulls
Sunday, 21 November 2010
Fulham/ManCity
With no recent Picklive stats for Fulham I'm using a combination of Telegraph and Guardian data to work out where most of the passing happens. And it seems it'll be the midfield that will decide this match. Danny Murphy and Jonathan Greening average 56 and 57 successful passes per match, well clear of Chris Baird with 43 in third. This shows that Fulham like to build through the middle of the park and those two players are my main recommendation for this match.
In contrast there are plenty of stats for Man City and the Team page on Picklive shows Barry, Kompany and de Jong have the best average across 9/10 games. Those three average 49, 43 and 47 passes per 90 minutes according to the Guardian/Telegraph stats and I think that shows why Murphy and Greening are my main tips for this match.
Of course passing alone does not decide a Picklive game. However, it does give a very strong indicator. A look at, say, de Jong's player page shows that passes make up between approx. 50 and 80 percent of his points, with an average of around two-thirds. Again not a perfect indicator but a strong one.
If you don't fancy simply going with the stats above then I would suggest trying Kolorov if he starts. He scored 15 points in 15 minutes (including time added on) against Man Utd. and 25 in 46 against Spurs so could be capable of a big score. He also had 4 shots against Birmingham in his last game, 2 on target.
If you fancy a bit more glamour then Tevez or Silva would be the sensible choice. Both score points regularly which makes them a strong choice even if they don't score a goal or get an assist.
So, in summary my recommendations are: Murphy, Greening, Barry, de Jong, and Kompany to start with then add a pinch of Tevez, Silva or Kolorov to season!
Good luck!
BensBulls
Update: with Greening not starting I would suggest Baird (mentioned above) but with a lot less confidence. Maybe picking 4 Man City players is the way to go?
In contrast there are plenty of stats for Man City and the Team page on Picklive shows Barry, Kompany and de Jong have the best average across 9/10 games. Those three average 49, 43 and 47 passes per 90 minutes according to the Guardian/Telegraph stats and I think that shows why Murphy and Greening are my main tips for this match.
Of course passing alone does not decide a Picklive game. However, it does give a very strong indicator. A look at, say, de Jong's player page shows that passes make up between approx. 50 and 80 percent of his points, with an average of around two-thirds. Again not a perfect indicator but a strong one.
If you don't fancy simply going with the stats above then I would suggest trying Kolorov if he starts. He scored 15 points in 15 minutes (including time added on) against Man Utd. and 25 in 46 against Spurs so could be capable of a big score. He also had 4 shots against Birmingham in his last game, 2 on target.
If you fancy a bit more glamour then Tevez or Silva would be the sensible choice. Both score points regularly which makes them a strong choice even if they don't score a goal or get an assist.
So, in summary my recommendations are: Murphy, Greening, Barry, de Jong, and Kompany to start with then add a pinch of Tevez, Silva or Kolorov to season!
Good luck!
BensBulls
Update: with Greening not starting I would suggest Baird (mentioned above) but with a lot less confidence. Maybe picking 4 Man City players is the way to go?
Blackburn/Villa
Blackburn and Villa are only two points apart in the table which suggests a tight game this lunchtime. Their recent Picklive history suggests that the amount of points scored today could be low. Blackburn had only one player (Pedersen - 57) in the top 5 in their last Picklive match, Villa have had only 2 players (Albrighton - 66 & Downing - 65) out of a possible 15 in their last 3 matches.
With 3 games since the Big Game began there are just enough stats for Villa to make some analysis. Out of the 15 players in their top 5 for those games 2 were Brad Friedel, 4 were playing at centre back, 5 attacking/wide midfield, 3 at full-back and 1 was Reo-Coker. So what does this tell us? Well possibly that the Villa like to build through the centre-backs and then quickly out to the flanks?
With less data on Blackburn we need to look elsewhere. The Telegraph has stats on completed passes which is a decent indicator of Picklive potential. Pedersen has completed the most (258) this season followed by Phil Jones (218) and El Hadji Diouf (213). However, cross checking these passing stats with minutes played on the Guardian shows up a few other options. N'Zonzi, Grella and Chimbonda all have a higher pass per minute rate than Pedersen. N'zonzi and Grella are out injured today so it's only Chimbonda that makes it to the shortlist from this exercise. A fraction behind Pedersen is Emerton who would be also worth picking if he starts.
With Pederson, Emerton and Chimbonda on the Blackburn list we can see a similar pattern to Villa emerging i.e. they're strongest down the flanks. So, my recommendation today is start with the three Blackburn players mentioned and add, say, Warnock and Downing. After that check the line-ups to see who's starting for Villa. Houllier has been playing several youngsters recently so the first XI is uncertain.
Good luck!
BensBulls
P.s. just been doing looking at passing/minute stats for Villa and Bannan & Clark have the highest of the entire squad - could be worth a punt if they start!
With 3 games since the Big Game began there are just enough stats for Villa to make some analysis. Out of the 15 players in their top 5 for those games 2 were Brad Friedel, 4 were playing at centre back, 5 attacking/wide midfield, 3 at full-back and 1 was Reo-Coker. So what does this tell us? Well possibly that the Villa like to build through the centre-backs and then quickly out to the flanks?
With less data on Blackburn we need to look elsewhere. The Telegraph has stats on completed passes which is a decent indicator of Picklive potential. Pedersen has completed the most (258) this season followed by Phil Jones (218) and El Hadji Diouf (213). However, cross checking these passing stats with minutes played on the Guardian shows up a few other options. N'Zonzi, Grella and Chimbonda all have a higher pass per minute rate than Pedersen. N'zonzi and Grella are out injured today so it's only Chimbonda that makes it to the shortlist from this exercise. A fraction behind Pedersen is Emerton who would be also worth picking if he starts.
With Pederson, Emerton and Chimbonda on the Blackburn list we can see a similar pattern to Villa emerging i.e. they're strongest down the flanks. So, my recommendation today is start with the three Blackburn players mentioned and add, say, Warnock and Downing. After that check the line-ups to see who's starting for Villa. Houllier has been playing several youngsters recently so the first XI is uncertain.
Good luck!
BensBulls
P.s. just been doing looking at passing/minute stats for Villa and Bannan & Clark have the highest of the entire squad - could be worth a punt if they start!
Saturday, 20 November 2010
Liverpool/WestHam
This looks like a home banker for Liverpool, even without Gerrard.
This is why…
· West Ham are without a win in their last 24 PL away matches and only kept one clean sheet in their last 23.
· West Ham have failed to score in 12 of their last 15 PL visits to Anfield and only scored four in those matches.
· Liverpool are without a defeat in their last 38 matches at home to the Hammers since September 1963. This is the equal-second longest ever unbeaten home run by one top flight club against another. The record is Liverpool’s current 47-match unbeaten home run against Stoke City.
· West Ham have won only one of their last 16 PL matches against Liverpool (14 defeats) – 1-0 at home in January 2008. Mark Noble scored a 90th minute penalty.
Lucas is out through suspension so two of Liverpool’s top picklive scorers won’t be playing! Konchesky is Liverpool’s 2nd highest points scorer with an average of 55points and should get a spot in most BG teams. I think Kuyt will score well without Gerrard and could get a goal or two against a West Ham defense that have conceded 22 goals this season (only Blackpool and Wolves have conceded more). Kuyt was their third highest scorer in the match against Chelsea with 50points.
Meireles will also benefit with Gerrard not playing – in his last five matches he has been averaging 51pts. Poulsen will play I think and he has done well on picklive with an average of 61pts (not including his 2pts against Bolton). Glen Johnson has scored more than 60 in half of the matches he has played this season and has a low of 42. Torres could get a couple so it may be worth giving him a go in your BG team?
Looking at the Man United-West Ham match earlier in the season when they lost 3-0, Parker still got 74points – the 5th highest score in the match. If you’re going with any West Ham player it has to be him – he is averaging 52pts at the moment. If you think Liverpool will struggle and West Ham put up more of a fight then I would also go with Mark Noble who got 62points including a yellow at Old Trafford.
I will be going with four or five Liverpool players – a choice between Konchesky, Meireles, Poulsen, Kuyt, Johnson and Torres. Then Parker if I decide to go with a West Ham player.
A few stats to finish with!
· Hodgson has won three of his five PL matches at home to West Ham but lost two of his last three.
· Liverpool have scored 13 PL goals this season – only Wigan (10) and West Ham (11) have netted fewer.
· Torres has scored three goals in the club’s last two PL home matches. In total, 44 of his 61 PL goals have come at Anfield (72.1%). He has netted five PL goals against West Ham. If he scores today he will have scored more PL goals against them than any other club he has faced.
· Avram Grant was unbeaten in four matches against Liverpool in all competitions during his spell at Chelsea in 2007-08 – winning two and drawing two.
Good luck!
Simon G (grunny27)
Friday, 19 November 2010
Arsenal/Spurs
The North-London derby. A couple weeks ago the Manchester derby was on Picklive and it produced a pretty tame goalless draw with both teams playing very negative football. I can’t see that happening here. The four PL matches at the Emirates between the two have produced 17 goals (4.25 per game) – Arsenal scoring 12 of these. It’s not really in either sides nature to sit back, so I think there will be goals again today.
Tottenham have a pretty miserable record at Arsenal recently (and the rest of the ‘big four). They have not won in their last 17 at Arsenal (losing three of their last four) since a 3-1 win in May 1993 and last 68 visits to the big four teams (drawn 20 and lost 48). Surely sometime this run has to end?!
Arsenal are a good picklive team, they keep possession well and pass the ball plenty. Sagna top scored last week’s match against Everton (77) including a goal followed by Fabregas (75). In total they have had 19 of the top five places in their last five. In their 2-0 defeat at Chelsea they still managed to get Clichy (66), Nasri (64) and Wilshere (62) in the top 5. Nasri put in 75 points against England mid-week and Sagna put in a respectable 64. Nasri has had a very good recent picklive record averaging 70pts in his last six for Arsenal including an amazing 141 in the Carling Cup match against Spurs. I think Nasri is a must for your BG team.
Song and Sagna have also been putting in good numbers and I think they will have a good day against Tottenham. I like Fabregas for this match, can see him scoring and he puts good numbers together anyways. Wilshere might not play in the match so you may want to look at Clichy instead or Rosicky if you want 5 Arsenal players. You may be tempted to go with Clichy over Sagna as he didn’t play mid-week against England?
It’s hard to say how many Spurs players you should go with. When they went to Old Trafford they still put together some good numbers. Gomes was the best player for them (73) followed by Van der Vaart (63) and Assou-Ekotto (56). Modric would have scored 60 if it wasn’t for a yellow card. Bale is their top player with an average of 62pts from 8 matches and I wonder whether he will go past Sagna as easily as Maicon? He only got 35pts against Bolton but did score twice against Blackburn. Huddlestone is out with an ankle injury. Gallas could be an interesting pick, he got 71 against Bolton and returning to his old club – a gamble but could pay off. Assou-Ekotto is pretty consistent when it comes to picklive – his last seven matches scoring 57, 63, 56, 62, 65, 78 (vs Arsenal), and 67.
I can’t really recommend picking any of the strikers. Even though RvP has scored in last three starts against Spurs and Crouch has scored four against Arsenal. If you want to go attacking-minded go with Fabregas and Van der Vaart.
I think I will go with four Arsenal players – Nasri, Song, Fabregas, Sagna. For my Spurs player I am undecided between Assou-Ekotto and Modric. If you don’t like those I would go with Clichy, Rosicky (if he starts) or Van der Vaart if you think Spurs will do well.
I will probably play only the first couple of games in this match with the Man United match being a 3pm k.o! So I will give you a few stats now….
· Arsène Wenger has drawn three of his last five PL meetings with Harry Redknapp – winning only once. Over the last nine years Wenger has won only three of his three of his 13 PL matches against him, drawing on nine occasions.
· Wenger is unbeaten in all 10 PL home matches against Redknapp – winning seven and drawing three.
· If Arsenal lose today it will be the first time they have lost consecutive PL matches at the Emirates Stadium, and first time at home in almost 13 years – since losing 1-0 to Liverpool (November 1997) and 3-1 to Blackburn Rovers (December 1997).
· Tottenham have lost their last two PL away matches. If they lose today it will be the first time since in almost two years they have lost three consecutive away matches – since a four-match streak from December 2008 to January 2009.
Enjoy!
Simon G (grunny27)
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