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Our betting expert with tips for Steven Gerrard against Brendan Rodgers, Tottenham vs Norwich, Ralf Rangnick’s Manchester United bow and Leeds-Brentford PLUS Serie A angle
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Bet it’s level headed as Steven Gerrard takes on his former headshrinker.
Leicester’s trip to Aston Villa (4.30pm) will be the first time he and Brendan Rodgers have clashed as Prem bosses.
Gerrard says he “stole” ideas from his old psychology-dabbling Kop boss when he moved into management. He also pinched notions from Sven-Goran Eriksson, the sensual Swede, though perhaps the less said about them the better.
No question Rodgers knows his onions on a one-to-one basis but the warning flag for Foxes backers must be the trip to Napoli this Thursday.
They need a big result there or it’s the Europa Conference, football’s community service order.
Leicester’s ambitions here will undergo constant analysis in that light. I’ll try a DRAW at 5/2 (Hills).
Leeds have a festive fixture nightmare in store, but first, Brentford (2pm). The visitors’ air-power threat, plus the return of Patrick Bamford says YES ‘both teams to score’ is sweet at 5/6.
It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights, it’s time to get things started again at Old Trafford. Welcome, Ralf Rangnick, the widely-recognised football genius, it says here. Not the piano-playing dog off The Muppets. Again, sorry for last week’s mix-up.
Punters are lucky to live in an era full of geniuses desperately trying to talk down the inspirational, nay muppetational, class of Cristiano Ronaldo. Punt Ronnie ‘anytime scorer’ at Evens (Coral) as Crystal Palace roll up (2pm).
Norwich must go on a condiments crusade against Tottenham (2pm), demanding that ketchup-banning Antonio Conte keeps his mitts off the Colman’s Mustard.
Or do today’s young Canaries no longer take pride in a local balm that can make a pork pie sing Ave Maria?
If Conte’s any sort of tactical hot-stuff, City will be biting off more than they can chew. Bet Heung-Min Son ‘anytime’ at 11/8 (Bet365).
In Italy, big Leonardo Bonucci is worth a go at 7/1 (Unibet) ‘anytime scorer’ for Juventus against low-rise Genoa (7.45pm)
Last week: Winner at 20/21
