The Four by Four column: A quartet of English football selections

2Feb 2013

Betfair

Every weekend, four of betting.betfair's football writers will contribute one selection each from the top four leagues in English football, giving you, the readers, an exciting Fixed Odds Multiple option...

Everton 1.35 v Aston Villa 10.0; The Draw 4.6

Is the mess at Aston Villa a salvageable slump or a permanent decline? Most would conclude the former but it's pretty damning that they are the biggest outsiders of all 20 Premier League teams to win this weekend, even though their destination is Goodison Park rather than Old Trafford.

It's over 2.5 goals instead of match odds that I'm interested in this weekend though because Villa and Everton are the most unexpectedly entertaining double act since the Chuckle Brothers, with five of their last six meetings on Merseyside containing four or more goals.

Everton are also prolific scorers and conceders, with 20 of their last 22 matches notable for both them and their opponents invading the scoresheet. Whenever there are goals, they are shared around - not since September 22 (at Swansea) have only one side scored in a Toffees' fixture.

Michael Lintorn's selection: Back Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.65

Leeds 2.87 v Cardiff 2.37; The Draw 3.25

Leeds are on a terrific run of form at Elland Road, six straight league wins and a FA Cup victory over Premier League outfit Spurs are testament to that. And with three new signings acquired on Transfer Deadline Day - including Stephen Warnock from Aston Villa - the confidence and morale at the club should be at a peak.

The relevance of the above to this game is the thinking that Leeds should be in the frame of mind to attack league leaders Cardiff, and if that's the case then we could see goals in this encounter.

Cardiff aren't eactly unbeatable away from home (seven defeats already on the road including two in the cup) and Neil Warnock will know this. He said before the Spurs game last week that his side will give it a go, and I have a feeling that the mentality will be the same here.

Mike Norman's selection: Back Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.9

Yeovil Town 2.9 v Brentford 2.25; The Draw 3.25

I mentioned in rather glowing terms the abilities of Yeovil forward Paddy Madden a couple of weeks ago before the 'beast from the east' turned up in the UK. That spate of snow claimed the Glovers fixture against Preston - for which Madden gleaned a headline. You can read about him again, but since then he bagged another couple of goals.

The said double was on Tuesday against the MK Dons (a 2-1 win), taking his tally to 14 for the season and six from his last three games.

The 22-year-old has what so many teams in this league can't manage - a forward to finish off their possession, admirably shown with his second goal in midweek by showing pace from a fine cross. He looks as though he can score in every match at the moment, and Yeovil have players that make goals.

Manager Gary Johnson again deserves the accolades for guiding this unfashionable club to within three points of the top six, and as I stated previously about the spirit at Huish Park, the squad are all playing for their boss, and he is ultra confident with his young side at the moment, and they trade at a very tempting 7.2 for a top six finish.

Yeovil will also still be fairly fresh, as Tuesday's 2-1 win was their first match since January 12th. They are just one defeat from their last eight and have won four on the spin.

Now on to Brentford, the FA Cup heroes of Sunday. Their outstanding effort against Chelsea at Griffin Park was one of a number of cup shocks, which funnily enough mostly involved League One teams. The effort from the Bees over the weekend was staggering, and unsurprisingly, they looked legless at the end of the game. Which is why they must be taken on this Saturday.

Players and managers hate to admit it, but big draws against big teams are a distraction. Brentford's League One form at the moment is not so impressive, with just one victory against Oldham from their last four outings . The Bees snuffed out Chelsea superbly, highlighting the supreme tactical brain of their boss Uwe Rosler, and for long spells actually looked the better team.

However, their replay at Stamford Bridge will be lurking on the horizon, which is why I am sticking with Madden and Yeovil.

Alan Dudman's selection: Back Yeovil to win @ 2.9

Cheltenham 1.95 v Torquay 3.6; The Draw 3.3

A draw and then a win - but only two goals - has given Torquay four points from their last two games. In a quirk of the fixture list, they were both against Exeter. So this does not seem the moment to suggest the Gulls have found form after collecting two points from their previous five games.

They have only scored twice in a game three times in 14 games. Now they face a team who, with the odd exception, seem to like living in binary form. Cheltenham's draw-splattered run (three in a row) is full of ones and noughts. They have not scored or conceded in their last two games and over four have scored once and conceded twice.

Striker Paul Benson is a good capture from Swindon and probably exactly what they need, knowing the division from his promotion days at Dagenham, as the Robins' current form seems strange for a team who reached the play-off final last season. While Benson could have an instant impact, it is more likely that he will take a game to settle into Cheltenham's low-scoring sequence. Both teams will fancy their chances. The draw, therefore, presents good value.

Ian Lamont's selection: Back The Draw @ 3.3

Recommended Multiple

Back Over 2.5 Goals in Everton v Villa @ 1.65; Back Over 2.5 Goals in Leeds v Cardiff @ 1.9; Back Yeovil @ 2.9; Back The Draw in Cheltenahm v Torquay @ 3.3; The Multiple pays approximately 30.0

Multiple prices are based on our Fixed Odds product, so any winnings are exempt from commission.