Premier League Accumulator

With most ‘experts’ finally conceding what many of us have been saying for a while - Tottenham are genuine title contenders - we should be expectant of Redknapp’s team going joint top of the table on Saturday. They host a Wolves team who have travelled poorly this season, while Man City don’t play till Monday night.

Man Utd are overlooked for this accumulator, despite the likelihood of victory over Bolton; best odds of 1/6 are just too short to be of value. Instead we look to Aston Villa to win at home to Everton and Fulham to become the latest side to take the spoils at Ewood Park. The treble is a 7/1 shot with WilliamHill.

The case to make for Spurs is a pretty straightforward one. The facts suggest they are unlucky to only be third in the top flight. According to Opta, they have accrued more points after 20 games (45) than 10 of the previous 19 Premier League champions had at this stage. They have scored in 19 consecutive league matches and kept clean sheets in five of their last six at White Hart Lane in all competitions. It would be a major shock if visitors with the joint worst travelling record in the division left with so much as a point.

Aston Villa are 6/4 to beat Everton but there are reasons for renewed optimism at Villa Park. Robbie Keane has arrived on loan to breathe new life into the forward line. The Toffees are struggling after back-to-back league defeats; they were outclassed at Spurs in midweek and lowly Bolton left Goodison Park with the spoils despite a freak Tim Howard goal.

Admittedly, Villa have lost four in a row on their patch but this is an example of how statistics can be a little misleading, The first three of those opponents were Man United, Arsenal and Liverpool - David Moyes can’t offer up a goal threat to rival those teams. For further encouragement, the hosts are something of a bogey team for Everton. Villa are on an 11-match unbeaten run against Saturday’s visitors. If McLeish’s side can reproduce some of their fine recent away form, they should take three points.

Finally, I’m afraid, we simply back Steve Kean’s personal nightmare to continue. Blackburn are bottom of the pile again, and it’s entirely down to the home form in front of highly disillusioned fans. Rovers have lost eight of their 10 contests at Ewood Park with Stoke, Bolton and WBA the most recent victors - hardly the cream of the crop. Kean’s players must hate running onto the pitch in the face of such vitriol, and they just can’t seem to replicate the recent great away days.

To make matters worse, captain Christopher Samba and striker Junior Hoilett appear to be unsettled and ready to leave this month. Fulham are improving, and look exactly the sort of team who can capitalise on the turmoil. The Cottagers grabbed highly credible draws at Chelsea and Norwich before beating Arsenal 2-1 and Charlton 4-0 in their last two by the Thames. All and all, they look overpriced at anything longer than evens, which they comfortably are. But back them as part of an accumulator at great odds of 7/1 with WilliamHill.