Opta Stats: Sunderland to once again scupper Man City

Michael Lintorn picks out four Boxing Day bets with the assistance of the ever-insightful Opta stats...

 

Everton v Wigan (Boxing Day, 15:00)

Wigan have opened the scoring in each of their last four Premier League games against the Toffees

Everton like letting their opponents make the first move, but could be kept waiting longer than usual for action against Wigan. David Moyes' men have conceded the opener in 10 of their 18 matches - a joint top-half high alongside Manchester United - and only the leaders have recovered more points from behind than the 17 that the Merseysiders have salvaged. Four of their last five goals have come after the interval, while Opta impart that Wigan are the only side yet to score an away first-half goal this season, so all signs point to an incident-shorn first half.

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Manchester United v Newcastle (Boxing Day, 15:00)

All five of the goals Robin van Persie has scored at Old Trafford have been netted in the first half

RVP has netted five in seven against Newcastle in the Premier League and his penchant for pre-half-time entertainment is one of several indicators that the drama will occur in the first 45 minutes at Old Trafford on Boxing Day. Having been slow starters for the majority of the campaign, Manchester United have improved drastically of late to score 10 of their last dozen goals before the break, while the reverse fixture at St James' Park was effectively finished within 15 minutes thanks to the early efforts of Jonny Evans and Patrice Evra.

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Sunderland v Manchester City (Boxing Day, 15:00)

Roberto Mancini has not won a Premier League game at the Stadium of Light, drawing the first and losing the last two 0-1

The only club Sunderland have been a bogey team for recently is themselves but victory at Southampton marked the latest step in a very gradual ascent and they have only actually been beaten three times on Wearside in the league this season, conceding a goal or fewer in six of their eight. Manchester City have managed a sequence of three of more successive league wins only once in 2012/13 too so, following successes against Newcastle and Reading, appear due another setback.

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Aston Villa v Tottenham (Boxing Day, 17:30, Sky Sports 1)

Spurs have scored first in their last seven away Premier League games in a row, but have lost three of the last four

Tottenham fired a rare White Hart Lane blank against Stoke but have no such problems on the road, with Opta revealing that they are the only side to have notched in every away Premier League fixture. As the above trend reveals, they don't keep their travelling support waiting either. Aston Villa have kept three clean sheets on the spin in front of their fans, however their young backline's confidence was shredded in the 8-0 defeat at Chelsea and Spurs should exploit the vulnerability.

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Recommended Bets:

Back Everton v Wigan to be 0-0 at half-time @ 3.4

Back the first half to be the highest scoring in Manchester United v Newcastle @ 3.4

Lay Manchester City to win away to Sunderland @ 1.58

Back Tottenham to score the next (first) goal away to Aston Villa @ 1.86

 

Bet HERE

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