Premier League Double

Everton have made a habit of upsetting the top teams in recent years and Manchester City now fall into that category, and could suffer the same fate. West Ham have slipped up so many times in recent weeks that nobody will be under any illusions about Saturday’s task; a defeat to Blackburn and their status as a Premier League club is all but over. In truth, a draw isn’t much better for a side sat three points from safety with just three games remaining. They really must win, and with Scott Parker likely to return, surely they will. The odds on Everton and West Ham both taking the spoils is 9/2 with Coral. Let’s see why this should be a good investment.

Just a couple of months ago West Ham looked like they had turned the corner. The key difference was results improved at Upton Park. A 5-1 win over Burnley in the Cup was swiftly followed by a 3-1 triumph over Liverpool and a 3-0 stuffing of Stoke. An honourable goalless draw at Tottenham continued the improvement before the Hammers raced into a 2-0 lead at home to Man Utd on 2 April. When the league leaders turned that game on its head the Londoners suddenly slumped to a run of five straight defeats to put them back in their current peril. But the last two performances against high-flying Chelsea and Man City have been much improved and the scorelines could have easily been more favourable for the division’s bottom side.

Avram Grant has turned it round once already this season when everybody thought he would be sacked. The fixtures are still looking kind for the former Chelsea and Portsmouth manager, none more so than Blackburn on Saturday. Yes, the Lancashire side will take heart from a 1-0 win at home to neighbours Bolton last time out, but this will be much tougher. The Trotters had very little to play for. Not so Saturday’s opponents. Steve Kean has not claimed a single away win as of yet; the side are winless on their travels in 2011. This is a great chance for West Ham to give themselves hope with three vital points.

Man City may be on the verge of cementing a Champions League spot but this has very little to do with their away prowess. Their only win away from Eastlands in 2011 came at Ewood Park on Easter Monday. It would be fair to suggest that an Everton side who have only lost in the league at Old Trafford in the past three months will provide a much sterner test. The recent return of Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill to fitness, and the starting line-up, will only galvanise the Toffees further. Mancini’s task continues to be made tougher by the prolonged absence of Carlos Tevez. They had just enough about them to beat Blackburn and West Ham recently, but away to a top seven side will show how far Man City have really come. I suspect there is some way to go yet, and an Everton win looks tasty at 15/8. Coral make West Ham more likely at evens but let’s take some real value by claiming a double at slightly better than 9/2.