S.P. Read Esq. Arsenal v Man City

Our daily columnist and pundit S.P.Read Esq. looks at the opening game of the Premier League this weekend ARSENAL v MAN CITY and finds the best opportunity available on Star Spreads, the home of sports spread betting.

What an amazing weekend of sport to look forward to. Especially if you are a racing and football fan.

It’s the final Classic of the season, the St Leger at Doncaster and just an incredible days racing at Leopardstown on day one of the Irish Champions Weekend where dual Derby winner Australia will be at prohibitive odds to win the title race of the weekend.

The St Leger looks a little more competitive for sure.

What a storm in a tea-cup has been kicked off this week by the apparent stand off between Roger Varian and the clerk of the course.

Varian was portrayed as the villain of the panto by stating (or threatened if you so wish) that he wouldn’t run the favourite Kingston Hill unless the clerk of the course watered the track.

The clerk, rightly in my opinion, refused and it’s hardly surprising given the going on the round course is good to soft anyway !!!!

Anyway, it turned into a war of words and pretty much it’s a non story – Kingston Hill runs and the ground will be fine for him. So nothing more to see here. Just another example of racing, to coin a phrase, getting its knickers in a twist. In any other sport, Varian’s comments would have been dismissed as a bit of gameplay or brinksmanship, along the lines of Wenger and the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’.

Talking of Wenger, he leads his Arsenal side out at 12.45pm for the first Premier League game of the weekend. And what a cracker it is:

ARSENAL v MAN CITY
Premier League
12.45pm (LIVE ON BT SPORT)

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD
(Maximum 10 matches)
Aug 2014 Community Shield Arsenal 3-0 Man City
Mar 2014 Premier Arsenal 1-1 Man City
Dec 2013 Premier Man City 6-3 Arsenal
Jan 2013 Premier Arsenal 0-2 Man City
Sep 2012 Premier Man City 1-1 Arsenal
Apr 2012 Premier Arsenal 1-0 Man City
Dec 2011 Premier Man City 1-0 Arsenal
Nov 2011 Carling Cup Arsenal 0-1 Man City
Jan 2011 Premier League Arsenal 0-0 Man City
Oct 2010 Premier League Man City 0-3 Arsenal

Both sides have made a quieter start to the season than expected. Stoke shocked punters by beating Man City 1-0 in their latest game and Arsenal needed an injury time goal to get past Crystal Palace and have drawn their other games against Everton and Leicester.

Danny Welbeck could make his Arsenal debut and he certainly looked good on Monday when scoring twice for England against Switzerland.

Three of the last five times these sides have met at the Emirates it’s resulted in a draw and I think it will be close today.

I think it could easily be a cagey game and I am a seller of total goals on Star Spreads at around 2.65.

Unless the groundsman has watered the pitch however, and then all bets are off !

CLICK FOR ARSENAL v MAN CITY MARKET ON STAR SPREADS

RECOMMENDED BETS (scale 1-100 points)

SELL TOTAL GOALS at around 2.65 with Star Spreads for 15 points

• Any spread prices quoted are indicative and as always prices are subject to fluctuation.
• Please note the opinion, views and forecasts above are of the author and not of Star Spreads.