#West Midlands

The January transfer window is beginning to kick into gear and the spotlight has shone on Liverpool's midfield issues. Criticism and external demands are aplenty as Jurgen Klopp's once-immovable force has shown gaps in their resistance. Just months after chasing an unprecedented quadruple, the Reds sit seven points off of the top four and 16 off…

Placed in the wake of Qatar's mechanical coverage of the World Cup, and Cristiano Ronaldo's eye-watering £175m-a-year deal with Saudi big shots Al-Nassr, this year's FA Cup third round reminded fans just what football's oldest competition is all about. With a mountain of giant-killings and a throng of goals for supporters to sink their teeth into,…

The odds on Harry Maguire joining Aston Villa before the January window slams shut have been slashed to 1/6 after he was'spotted' near the club's training ground. Maguire, who continues to be linked with a move away from Old Trafford, has fallen down the pecking order following the summer arrival of Lisandro Martinez. He had a strong showing with…

FA Cup third round weekend is now upon us, with 32 matches taking place across the next four days, with all Premier League and Championship teams now part of the competition. SkyBet are offering all customers boosted odds on Fulham, Brighton and West Brom all to progress through to the fourth round, from 3/1 to to 5/1, which you can add straight to…

Aston Villa will welcome Stevenage to Villa Park in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday (January 8). The hosts are coming off a 1-1 draw against Wolves at the same ground in the Premier League in midweek. Daniel Podence put the visitors ahead in the 12th minute before Danny Ings came off the bench to level matters 12 minutes from…

0.5pts Carl Piergianni anytime goalscorer at 22/1 (SBK) Aston Villa will have considered themselves very lucky to grab a point in Unai Emery's first taste of a West Midlands derby in the Premier League on Wednesday. Wolves stopper Jose Sa slipped at the crucial moment, leaving the goal gaping for Danny Ings who dispatched Villa's equaliser, meaning…

A West Midlands derby takes place in the Premier League this evening, as in form Aston Villa host a struggling Wolves side at Villa Park tonight. Paddy Power are offering up to £25 in free bets for new customers when they bet £10 on the fixture. Aston Villa have won three of of their four league games since former Arsenal manager Unai Emery took…

Coventry to win and keep a clean sheet - 23/10 Bet £10 and get £33 in return Our recommended bet for Sunday's clash at the Coventry Building Society Arena comes in the form of a Coventry City victory and clean sheet against Bristol City. A £10 wager for such an outcome will secure you a return of £33 with Betway. A Coventry City outfit eyeing a…

Manchester United can break into the Premier League top four on Saturday afternoon with a win against Wolves. Goals from Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Fred secured a controlled 3-0 win for United over Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night, closing the gap between Erik ten Hag's side and fourth-place Tottenham to just one point. Victory against…

The Premier League returns to action this week, with the fixture list beginning to congest amidst the busy Christmas schedule. We preview the best of the action below. Julen Lopetegui got his Wolves career off to a perfect start with a fighting comeback against Everton on Boxing Day to record his side's third league win of the season. The result…

IMAGO/ZUMA Wire Tottenham Hotspur could drop out of the top four on New Year's Day Aston Villa returned to Premier League action with defeat against Liverpool If you're looking for the latest Premier League predictions and odds for Tottenham vs Aston Villa, look no further than Vegas Odds. Jump to: Two sides looking to get back on track in the…

Josh Addo-Carr bagged four tries in a man-of-the-match performance, as a rampant Australia took a massive step towards the 2021 Rugby League World Cup quarter-finals in an 84-0 demolition job against Scotland at the Coventry Building Society Arena. The Canterbury Bulldogs flyer headlined a fifteen-try rout steered by the boot of half-back Nathan…

Japan performed one of the greatest Rugby World Cup shocks of all-time when they defeated South Africa in Brighton on Saturday. Their 34-32 victory over the Springboks not only stunned one of the pre-tournament favourites, but it also showed evidence that rugby union's traditional big guns are being caught up by teams who in the past have just…

ROSS BARKLEY is on the lookout for a new club after being dumped by Chelsea. And Rangers are the odds-on favourites with Sky Bet to sign the 28-year-old. Barkley was at best a bit part player at Chelsea and consequently they were considering ripping up his £110000 per week contract - as SunSport revealed on Saturday. That news was confirmed earlier…

Bristol City's matches over the years have been befitting of a soap opera and the 3-3 draw at Wolves would have been the start of a great script. In 2017 Donald Trump was elected as the US President, the UK triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, starting Brexit negotiations, and Liverpool signed Mo Salah. That year also included the arrival of…

The Seagulls sit sixth in the Premier League table and are good value for their position - having evolved over the past few years with the sort of trajectory that Emery will hope to see Aston Villa emulate under his management. His tenure could not have started better as the West Midlands club beat Man Utd 3-1 at Villa Park on Sunday. It will take…

The Premier League takes centre stage again this weekend following the conclusion of the group stage of all three European competitions, with Manchester United, Newcastle and West Ham all in action on Sunday afternoon. And Betway are offering new customers a £30 matched free bet if your first acca loses, and we've come up with one for tonight which…

Emery was appointed by the West Midlands club last week but missed Saturday's 4-0 defeat to Newcastle as he was waiting for a work permit. He will no doubt have watched the game, however, and seen that there is certainly work to do. Marcus Rashford's powerful header and a solid second-half performance was enough to ensure that Man Utd secured all…

Stoke City will welcome Birmingham City to the Bet365 Stadium in the EFL Championship on Saturday (November 5). The hosts are coming off a narrow 1-0 victory at Wigan Athletic in midweek. Josh Tymon scored just past the hour mark to settle the contest. Birmingham, meanwhile, settled for a share of the spoils in a goalless draw against Millwall at…

Nottingham Forest host Aston Villa tonight on Monday Night Football for the final match of the Premier League weekend, with the outcome having big implications at the bottom of the table. 888Sport are offering new customers £30 in free bets plus a £10 casino bonus when they bet £10 on the Premier League. Both teams go into tonight's match in…

BRIGHTON midfielder Enock Mwepu has been forced to retire due to a health condition. The 24-year-old is Brighton's record signing but was taken ill during the most recent international break. The Zambia international had tests carried out, which have now identified a condition which has forced him to retire from football. Meanwhile, Tottenham…

It's Monday Night Football for Nottingham Forest this weekend, as they welcome Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa to the City Ground hoping to end their run of five consecutive defeats. It might be hard to believe, but the feel-good factor has returned to the City Ground. Despite a run of form which has seen them lose five in a row and currently sitting…

West Brom host Luton Town at The Hawthorns in the EFL Championship on Saturday, looking to end their seven-game winless run. The Baggies haven't won a league game since their 5-2 drubbing of Hull City in August, which is also their only victory in the competition so far this season. Steve Bruce's side are down in 22nd place with 10 points from 12…

Who would have predicted Wolves' demise in the early parts of the 2022/23 Premier League season? Now the previous manager Bruno Lage was unlucky in the fact that new signing Sasa Kaladjzic ruptured his ACL in events which were far from ideal but goalscoring was a problem that carried into this term from last season. Diego Costa has been brough t in…

There's just 225 miles between Ibrox and Anfield but as far as the Hotline is concerned Liverpool and Rangers are worlds apart. The Premier League giants may have only won 2-0 on Merseyside but the gulf in class was evident as Gio van Bronckhorst's side were given the runaround by the Reds. Paddy Gowans said: "The gap between our league and the…

West Bromwich Albion will welcome Swansea City to the Hawthorns on matchday 12 of the EFL Championship on Saturday (October 1). The hosts are coming off a 1-1 draw away to Norwich City before the international break. Dara O'Shea put the Baggies ahead in the ninth minute before Samuel Byram equalized for the hosts in the 68th. Swansea, meanwhile,…

channel to stay up to date on breaking news coverage The horse racing NAP of the Day for Monday, 26 September with SportsLens experts is Robert Walpole. He runs over obstacles for the first time in the extended 2m novice hurdle at Newton Abbot (3:28). Our tipsters' Next Best bet, meanwhile, is Sit Down Lucy in the 2m Grade 3 Kilbegnet Novice Chase…

Bristol City aren't in Championship action this week as the international break takes full effect. Already some international matches have been played, including Scotland and Wales, who had differing fortunes in their games. Despite the lack of league matches, there are still plenty of stories surrounding the Robins at the moment. Here's your…

Birmingham City will welcome Coventry City to St Andrew's Stadium on matchday 11 of the EFL Championship on Saturday. The hosts are coming off a 3-2 away victory over city rivals West Brom in the West Midlands derby, where Scott Hogan scored a hat-trick for the Blues. Coventry, meanwhile, played out a 2-2 draw at Luton Town in their last outing.…

Diego Costa is poised to return to the West Midlands where he was last seen brandishing a fire extinguisher and threatening to let it loose in the general direction of his boss, Antonio Conte. This was a Friday night in May 2017 at the Hawthorns where Chelsea's win against West Bromwich Albion clinched the Premier League title, and Costa (left) was…