March 2018
Wenger to be sacked in time for summer
Spread bettors Sporting Index predict Arsenal boss has 122 days remaining at the Emirates
Friday 2nd March. 2018 – Sporting Index are predicting that Arsene Wenger will be given just 122 days left in charge at Arsenal.
The latest from the leading spread betting firm indicates that the Frenchman will no longer be in the Gunners dugout come next season, with the 122 days taking him up to the start of summer and playing little-to-no role in Arsenal’s pre-season preparations.
Arsenal are still in contention for the Europa League title but, having lost 3-0 to Manchester City twice in the last four days, including a League Cup final loss, spread bettors Sporting Index are predicting this to be his final swansong at the Emirates.
Ed Fulton, trading spokesman for Sporting Index, said: “Arsene Wenger has been under fire for some time now, but after watching his team throw away a chance at silverware last week, it appears his days at Arsenal are truly numbered.”
“The exact quote is 122 days, suggesting Wenger will see out the end of the season but not much more than that, with the damage having already been done, regardless of whether the Gunners clinch the Europa League trophy.”
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Majority of Premier League fans want Liverpool to win Champions League
As five Premier League teams compete for coveted trophy, research from Sporting Index finds 26% of fans are rooting for Klopp’s side
• Most supporters (54%) want to see an English side win Champions League rather than a foreign team (46%)
• Tottenham Hotspur least popular English side in tournament, with only 11% of fans rooting for them to win the trophy
• Nearly half of Premier League supporters expect Man City to win the Champions League this season (49%)
• Over one third of fans believe English team can win trophy this season
Tuesday, 6th March 2018 – As five Premier League sides get set to play the return fixtures of their last-sixteen Champions League ties, spread betting firm Sporting Index can reveal Liverpool are the most supported English team amongst other Premier League fans.
The Reds, who lead Porto 5-0 on aggregate heading into tonight’s match at Anfield, topped Sporting Index’s survey that asked supporters which English sides they would back in the tournament. Jurgen Klopp’s team received backing from 26% of fans, although only 16% believe the trophy will realistically head back to Anfield.
Spurs, who hold a narrow advantage over Juventus after a 2-2 draw in Turin three weeks ago, are the least popular English team in the tournament. Only 11% of fans claimed they’d like the north London side to go on to lift the trophy.
Citizens favourites to lift trophy
Manchester City are all but through after a 4-0 away win in Basel, and Premier League supporters believe Pep Guardiola’s team have the best chance of winning the Champions League – 49% claim they can win this season’s tournament. Tottenham are least likely to come out victorious according to the survey – only 7% said they can win the Champions League this year.
Manchester United fans remain confident, with 53% of Red Devil supporters saying they can follow up last season’s Europa League win with Champions League success. However, 38% also said they think bitter rivals City can lift the trophy in May. This echoes Sporting Index’s predictions, who have City top of their Champions League outright market.
Despite Barcelona topping the list of sides English fans would like to see win this season’s tournament, a majority of 54% said they’d rather see the trophy back on British soil.
Best of Champions League
Fans were also asked which English Champions League winning sides were best since the tournament reformed in 1993, while they were also challenged to pick the best ever goal scored by an English side in a Champions League final.
One third of supporters, perhaps surprisingly, selected the Liverpool winning side from 2005 side as the best side over the likes of Manchester United’s treble winning 1999 team (30%). One quarter of fans picked the 3-3 draw and penalties win against Milan as the most entertaining and nearly a fifth (19%) chose Steven Gerrard’s header in that same match as the best goal scored by an English side in a Champions League final.
When asked if they would rather their club win the Champions League or England to win the World Cup, 59% said they would pick club over country.
Ed Fulton, political trading spokesman for Sporting Index, said: “Liverpool dominate our Champions League survey – with the majority of fans saying they will be backing England’s most successful European side. It might be unsurprising that the 3-3 final in Istanbul from 2005 was the most entertaining match to watch featuring an English side, but a few eyebrows were raised when supporters picked the same team as the best English side to compete in the history of the Champions League.
“Poor old Spurs don’t come out looking too good from the survey – they were picked as the least popular among other supporters, as well as receiving the fewest votes for English teams most likely to win the trophy this season. Harry Kane and co might have something to say about that.
“It’s good to see the majority of supporters are backing the English sides in the tournament, and fingers crossed that we see one of the teams at least make the final in Kiev this year. With the leads Liverpool and City hold going into the second legs, and other ties hanging in the balance for Chelsea, Spurs and United, who knows what might happen?”
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Tottenham least popular English side in Champions League
Research from Sporting Index finds only 11% of Premier League fans are rooting for Spurs to win trophy
Wednesday 7th March 2018 – With Tottenham set to play their last-sixteen Champions League tie against Juventus tonight, spread betting firm Sporting Index can reveal they are the least supported English team in the tournament among other Premier League fans.
Spurs hold a small home advantage after goals from Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen salvaged a 2-2 draw in Turin three weeks ago. However, only 11% of top-flight fans would like to see Mauricio Pochettino’s men go all the way to Kiev and bring the trophy back to England in May.
London rivals Chelsea are also low down on the list of English sides Premier League fans will be backing in Europe’s elite competition. Only 14% said they would like Chelsea to win their second Champions League trophy.
The Blues have an uphill battle to reach the quarter-finals after a 1-1 draw with Barcelona at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago. They face Messi & Co next week at the Camp Nou, and only 10% of Premier League fans believe Antonio Conte’s men can go all the way and win the Champions League.
Liverpool are the most backed side by other Premier League fans, with 26% saying they’ll root for Jurgen Klopp’s team for the remainder of the tournament. Manchester United were second with 24%, while only 12% said they would show backing for Manchester City.
The Citizens, who have one foot in the next round after a 4-0 away win in Switzerland against FC Basel, topped Sporting Index’s survey in the section that asked supporters who they expected to win this season’s competition. Nearly half of Premier League fans (49%) think Pep Guardiola’s side will win the tournament.
Spurs yet again finished at the foot of the table for this section of the survey. Only 7% of fans think the Lilywhites can go on to win the tournament.
Encouragingly, the majority of Premier League fans would rather see an English side win the Champions League this season – 54% said they’d prefer this to a foreign side taking the trophy overseas.
Ed Fulton, political trading spokesman for Sporting Index, said: “The London clubs don’t fare well in this survey – with both Spurs and Chelsea finishing low in the rankings of English sides who Premier League fans will be backing.
“Both sides are still in with a chance of reaching the quarter-finals, and Spurs fans are confident of doing so, with 46% of their supporters claiming they can go all the way and win the Final, compared to just 37% of Chelsea fans who think the trophy can end up at Stamford Bridge for a second time this decade.”
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Heavy ground to lead to big-priced winners and long winning distances
Heavy rain to throw up the unexpected at four-day National Hunt spectacular according to Sporting Index
Monday 12th March 2018 – Racegoers can expect to see an eye-watering 18-length win at the Cheltenham Festival this week, according to leading spread betting firm Sporting Index.
With the rain expected to leave the Cheltenham turf the softest it has been at the Festival in more than two decades, punters could see a number of long-distance and big-priced winners.
In fact, Sporting Index predict we will see a 40/1-shot grace the winner’s enclosure during the fourday spectacular, which kicks off with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle tomorrow.
With the rain expected to leave the Cheltenham turf the softest it has been at the Festival in more than two decades, punters could see a number of long-distance and big-priced winners.
In fact, Sporting Index predict we will see a 40/1-shot grace the winner’s enclosure during the fourday spectacular, which kicks off with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle tomorrow.
Ed Fulton, trading spokesman for Sporting Index, said: “The Cheltenham Festival is finally upon us and even the rain can’t dampen our spirits, although it could provide us with some shock results.”
“The ground is going to be soft, heavy in places and is likely to throw up strange results as they come chugging up the Cheltenham hill. So, don’t be surprised if you see 18-length wins and 40/1 winners.”
“The ground is going to be soft, heavy in places and is likely to throw up strange results as they come chugging up the Cheltenham hill. So, don’t be surprised if you see 18-length wins and 40/1 winners.”
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Broad to take 70 balls to get his 400th Test wicket
England’s seamer will reach milestone in his 12th over against New Zealand, according to Sporting Index
Wednesday 21st March 2018 – Stuart Broad will take 70 balls to reach his 400th Test wicket, according to traders from lead spread-betting firm Sporting Index, as England kick-off their Test series against New Zealand tonight.
The 31-year-old currently sits on 399 wickets from 114 matches, and will hope to become just the second English bowler to reach the mark of 400, behind Jimmy Anderson.
Sporting Index traders think it will take Broad 70 more balls to reach the landmark, with his next wicket coming midway through his 12th over of the match.
Looking ahead, Sporting Index predict the 31-year-old seamer will reach a final career total of 475 Test wickets for England.
Ed Fulton, trading spokesman for Sporting Index, said: “Stuart Broad has been a mainstay in the England set-up for many years and it’s great to see him closing in on such an impressive milestone.
“We believe it will take him 70 balls to reach the magic 400, while a final mark of 475 would surely put him amongst some of the great bowlers of all time.”
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Pickford could break Joe’s Hart and claim No.1 spot in Russia
Sporting Index predict England squad numbers ahead of World Cup
Friday 22nd March 2018 – Gareth Southgate will have a selection headache for final places on the plane ahead of this summer’s World Cup, but spread betting firm Sporting Index has hinted the England manager could go with Jordan Pickford over Joe Hart in Russia – but it’s up in the air for which keeper claims the No.1 shirt.
With shirt numbers a key indicator of starting positions for World Cup tournaments, Sporting Index have indicated Southgate could give Hart the No.1 jersey to avoid controversy surrounding which goalkeeper will start – and dropping Hart could cause unrest in the Three Lions camp.
Hart was Roy Hodgson’s No.1 in the 23-man squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and while Southgate could give the same squad number to the West Ham loanee, Everton shot-stopper Pickford looks likelier to start between the sticks for the first match against Tunisia as it stands.
Rob Green wore the No.12 jersey in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and started in the group opener against USA, which suggests the No.1 jersey holder is never guaranteed a starting slot. Green lost his starting spot between the sticks after a mistake in the opening match.
Harry Kane, expected to lead the line for England, is predicted to take the No. 9, while Dele Alli is fancied for No. 10. Sporting Index traders think there’s a strong chance of Jamie Vardy being on the plane this summer, but his number is less certain as he’s been given No.9, No.11, No.17 and No.18 to name a few in recent England matches.
Since the end of David Beckham’s international career, no England player has held down the No. 7 for a sustained period – Aaron Lennon and Jack Wilshere wore the jersey in the last two World Cups, respectively. Sporting Index have earmarked Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson as the likely candidate to wear this squad number in Russia, which signals a starting spot for him in June.
Ed Fulton, trading spokesman for Sporting Index, said: “We’re unlikely to learn too much from the squad numbers for this Friday’s friendly against the Netherlands – Gareth Southgate will want a final look at a few fringe players so we could see Welbeck with No.9 and Adam Lallana in No.10.
Hart was Roy Hodgson’s No.1 in the 23-man squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and while Southgate could give the same squad number to the West Ham loanee, Everton shot-stopper Pickford looks likelier to start between the sticks for the first match against Tunisia as it stands.
Rob Green wore the No.12 jersey in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and started in the group opener against USA, which suggests the No.1 jersey holder is never guaranteed a starting slot. Green lost his starting spot between the sticks after a mistake in the opening match.
Harry Kane, expected to lead the line for England, is predicted to take the No. 9, while Dele Alli is fancied for No. 10. Sporting Index traders think there’s a strong chance of Jamie Vardy being on the plane this summer, but his number is less certain as he’s been given No.9, No.11, No.17 and No.18 to name a few in recent England matches.
Since the end of David Beckham’s international career, no England player has held down the No. 7 for a sustained period – Aaron Lennon and Jack Wilshere wore the jersey in the last two World Cups, respectively. Sporting Index have earmarked Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson as the likely candidate to wear this squad number in Russia, which signals a starting spot for him in June.
Ed Fulton, trading spokesman for Sporting Index, said: “We’re unlikely to learn too much from the squad numbers for this Friday’s friendly against the Netherlands – Gareth Southgate will want a final look at a few fringe players so we could see Welbeck with No.9 and Adam Lallana in No.10.
“However, come the first match in Russia against Tunisia, the numbers could completely change. Many of the one to eleven numbers could be up for grabs – across the back four and midfield will be interesting to see.
“Goalkeepers can usually take being given the No.1 as a sign of a guaranteed start, but our traders think Pickford is the likeliest to be given the nod to start in Russia – but he could be given any number from one and anything over 11 if he is on the plane.”
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