City take on West Brom in race for top four
Published on May 16th, 2017 11:44 am ESTWritten By: Cian Murray
Pep Guardiola and Tony Pulis face off on Tuesday night and on the surface, the pair are polar opposites.
One is a manager who has achieved his side's goals for the season and many think should be managing at a more prestigious club. The other is Guardiola.
Pep's opening season in the Premier League has been one of consistency - yes, Man City have consistently flattered to deceive. They'd beat a team by three or four goals and then look absolutely abysmal against teams that are more on their level.
They went out to Monaco in the Champions League in what was essentially a lesson in terrible defending. They fell out of the title race after proving they couldn't live with the big boys and even Arsenal were able to beat them. Yes, Arsenal, the same team that Piers Morgan won't stop complaining about on Twitter.
That defeat knocked them out of the FA Cup and ended their hopes of winning any silverware this season. Now they have to hope that they can stay in the Champions League places.
Fortunately for the emperor's new clothes, sorry, I meant Pep Guardiola, they face a West Brom side that got to the 40 point mark and then decided to say "f*ck it, we're taking a break." They're safe from relegation and this season can be described as a success, but at one point West Brom looked like realistic contenders for Europe. Now they look like realistic contenders for the least motivated side in the league.
Safety was clearly their priority and we can't blame them - when we achieve a workplace goal, we love to relax too. If you fancy The Baggies to awake from their premature slumber, you can back them to win this game at a price of 18/1.
Manchester City will probably get three points though, so if you've a big bag of spare money lying around at home, then you could do worse than putting it on them. They are priced at 1/7 to do away with Pulis' team.
Speaking of Pulis, he is a man who screams consistency, yet he still manages to surprise. It would be just like him to motivate his side to gain an unlikely draw. We wouldn't put our own money on that result at 8/1, but if you'd like to lend us a few quid?
Sergio Aguero is 5/2 to get the opening goal and that is where our money is going... well there and on one of Pulis' signature baseball caps - that man knows style!
They say that there is no trophy for forth, but Arsenal fans will still tell you that it's a position worth fighting for. The Gunners would have hoped for more at the beginning of the season, but at this point, qualifying for next season's Champions League is the height of their ambitions.
As for their opposition, Sunderland, they could only wish to have such lofty ambitions. The Black Cats have been consigned to relegation and will already be thinking about their future in The Championship. Many of the fans would love to have a new coach before that future arrives, but it looks like they are stuck with perennial loser, David Moyes.
At the moment the Scottish manager looks about as inspiring as the color beige. If you think he can motivate his side to cause a massive upset, you can back Sunderland to defeat Arsenal at a price of 22/1. Alternatively, you can light your money on fire or flush it down the toilet.
Arsenal are a better side, who have more to fight for and they quite simply won't lose this game. They are 1/9 to win and that even looks like a generous price. If you think the draw is a likely scenario, we suggest that you check your temperature before placing a bet at the price of 9/1.
Understandably Alexis Sanchez is the favorite to get the opening goal. The Chilean magician has been in sublime form this season and he is 9/4 to open the scoring.
His more handsome, but less talented teammate Olivier Giroud is 3/1 to get the first goal. Jermain Defoe is the pick of the Sunderland bunch, but although the England international is enjoying an Indian summer, it would still be a stretch to imagine him getting the first goal.
Although, if you don't believe us, you can back him at a price of 9/1 to get the first goal in this game. Victor Anichebe has been about as useful as an underwater hair dryer this season, he is priced at 16/1 to get the opener.
On the off chance that you guys are into backing players that are as useful as waterproof teabags, then we'd suggest that you back Italian "striker" Fabio Borini to get the opener.
He is priced at 16/1 to get the opener. Of course, you could just back Arsenal to win and Sanchez to score the first goal, because having money is nice, right?
