Bill Edgar casts his statistical eye over this weekend’s English football and he expects Perez to continue his hot streak and forecasts goals on the south coast
“Perez, who is expected to overcome a hip problem to face Liverpool at St James’ Park on Saturday, has hit all of his club’s five goals in their past three matches: wins of 1-0 over Leicester City and 3-1 against Southampton and the 1-1 draw away to Brighton & Hove Albion.”
Perez aims to emulate Shearer
Ayoze Perez does not yet receive the hero worship that Newcastle United fans once directed towards Alan Shearer but he could become the first player to score six Premier League goals in a row for the team since the former England striker did so in 1999. Perez, who is expected to overcome a hip problem to face Liverpool at St James’ Park on Saturday, has hit all of his club’s five goals in their past three matches: wins of 1-0 over Leicester City and 3-1 against Southampton and the 1-1 draw away to Brighton & Hove Albion. Perez is 7-2 with Betfair Sportsbook to be Newcastle’s first goalscorer against Liverpool.
Howe about another 3-3?
One third of all 3-3 draws in the Premier League over the past four seasons – four out of 12 – have occurred at Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium. Cherries fans have witnessed that scoreline in matches against Everton, Arsenal, West Ham United and Watford. Given that Bournemouth also recorded a 3-3 draw away to Southampton last weekend, it might be worth considering the 35-1 with Betfair Sportsbook about a 3-3 draw when Eddie Howe’s team play at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
M & M’s tasty finish
Milton Keynes Dons and Mansfield Town should be twinned: they are “M” clubs near the M1; their managers were born on January 14 (Paul Tisdale and David Flitcroft respectively); they are level on 76 points in League Two; and they are the only two clubs chasing the seventh and final automatic promotion spot available across the three EFL divisions. Oh, and on the last day of the season, they play each other. Mansfield, who are away on Saturday, have a superior goal difference so they will secure a place in League One with a draw or win; otherwise a Dons victory will take them up. The Dons may hope that their great experience of pressurised finishes to seasons – as the graphic shows – will help them home. They are [2.24] on the Betfair Exchange to win the match.
Source: Betfair Premier League
