Goals the way to go at Anfield
PREMIER LEAGUE
Liverpool v Manchester City – over 3.5 goals in game, 7/5 (Unibet)
On all known logic, there is no way Liverpool – top of both the Premier League and Champions League tables and coming off the back of a win over European champions Real Madrid – should be odds-against at home to a side who lost five games on the bounce and then threw away a three-goal lead at home to Feyenoord to draw in midweek.
Everything screams that Arne Slot’s side should be backed at 11/10 with Betway, but the opponents are Manchester City, and Pep Guardiola surely has to pull a rabbit out of the hat at some stage.
Whether the rabbit can play at centre-back is another question, and with City leaking like a sieve and Liverpool likely to be without Ibrahim Konate and Conor Bradley, there should be goals in this game, especially with Mo Salah seeking a new contract and Erling Haaland getting angrier by the match.
Despite their recent dominance, City have only won twice at Anfield in 27 Premier League visits, which is another tick in the home box, but we’ll stick with the goals angle. Seven of the last 10 meetings have had four goals or more, so the bet should be over 3.5 goals in the game at 7/5.
Buzzing Bees to enjoy more home comforts
Brentford to beat Leicester and both teams to score in first half, 9/2 (Paddy Power)
This might not be the most attractive game of the Premier League weekend, but it could well be first up on Match of the Day on the evidence of Brentford’s recent home outings.
Thomas Frank’s Bees have won five of their six matches on their own patch this term, with the last three serving up 20 goals, 12 of them coming before half-time.
Leicester will travel to London awaiting the arrival of Ruud van Nistelrooy at the helm, having sacked Steve Cooper in midweek, and the Foxes have only failed to score in one of their six away matches, ironically at Manchester United last time out when the Dutchman was in interim charge at Old Trafford.
This could be a rollercoaster ride from the off and with loads of attacking talent on display, the home victory with both sides finding the net before the interval appeals at 9/2.
Irish wingers should be licking their lips
AUTUMN INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Ireland v Australia – either James Lowe or Mack Hansen to score the first try, 7/2 (Sky Bet)
With Andy Farrell signing off after Saturday’s clash at the Aviva Stadium before taking a sabbatical to coach the Lions, and Joe Schmidt coming back to Dublin in charge of the Wallabies, there could be a bit of a carnival atmosphere to the Autumn Series finale.
It has been a real mixed bag for Ireland this month so Farrell will want to head off with a win, and his side are entitled to get it as 1/6 favourites against a transitional Australia side who have bounced back well from humiliation in last year’s World Cup.
Schmidt has them performing well from an attacking point of view, and high-scoring wins over England and Wales were encouraging, but the points against tally in those games and the 27-13 loss to Scotland last week should have the Irish backs licking their lips.
Mack Hansen got a brace against Fiji last week and would love to score against his homeland, while James Lowe has been playing well but is on a bit of a try-scoring drought having gone five Tests without touching down, after scoring 16 in his first 30 Ireland games.
There should be chances aplenty from the off, and one of the Irish wingers could be first to cross the line, with Sky Bet offering 7/2 about either of them getting the first try.
Underdogs Portaferry won’t roll over
AIB ULSTER CLUB SHC FINAL
Sleacht Néill v Portaferry – Portaferry (+5), 10/11 (General)
IF the bookies are to be believed, Derry champions Sleacht Néill only need to get to the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds in one piece to be crowned Ulster kingpins for the fifth time since 2016 on Sunday afternoon.
Having edged out Cushendall after extra-time in a classic in the semi-final, a Portaferry side without a competitive game in the six weeks since a handy win over Ballygalget in the Down decider are supposed to be there for the taking, and 2/9 quotes about a Sleacht Néill victory suggest as much.
And yet, there has to be a chance the Ardsmen have been underestimated, with a couple of shrewd judges in the Irish News office tempted by the 4/1 about them, with the fact they took Cushendall all the way to extra-time in last year’s semi hinting that they aren’t that far behind the south Derry men.
While Brendan Rogers and Cormac O’Doherty carry the main scoring power for Sleacht Néill, the likes of Daithí Sands and Tom McGrattan will hope to follow Neil McManus’s example and give their rearguard plenty to worry about.
Sleacht Néill might well get the job done, but a five-point start for the underdogs, on the first day of December, looks very attractive.
Lossiemouth can burst Teahupoo’s bubble at Fairyhouse
HORSERACING
Lossiemouth (2.40, Fairyhouse, Sunday) 11/10 (General)
Teahupoo has burst some bubbles in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse in the last couple of years but may have to play second fiddle this time to a special mare in Lossiemouth.
The grey filly proved a cut above her rivals in the mares’ division last season and if she’s going to be a Champion Hurdle contender this year she needs to stake her claim in this.
Getting 7lb from Teahupoo is a big advantage and she should have too many gears for the Stayers’ Hurdle winner over this trip, on this ground.
They were still watering to maintain nice ground on Friday and even with rain forecast over the weekend it won’t be anywhere near as testing as it has been for the past two years.
This is a stiffer test now for Lossiemouth, who was an easy winner in top level events at Cheltenham and Punchestown last season, but she looks up to the task.
