Shrewsbury v Chelsea: Mega odds on away clean sheet

Petr Cech appears to be Chelsea's Capital One Cup goalkeeper this season

The Chelsea clean sheet appeals in their Capital One Cup fourth-round tie at Shrewsbury, says Michael Lintorn...

Shrewsbury v Chelsea
Tuesday, 19:45
Live on Sky Sports 1

Match Odds: Shrewsbury 13.5n/a, Chelsea 1.282/7, The Draw 6.611/2

Chelsea tend to take every trophy-winning opportunity seriously when Jose Mourinho is in charge, including the Capital One Cup, as evidenced by the fact that they went the distance twice in the three completed seasons of his first reign and made it to the quarter-finals last term.

However, circumstances dictate that they will have to freshen up their line-up considerably with this trip to Shrewsbury occurring just two days after their key Premier League clash with Man United.

This Sunday-Tuesday scheduling happens far too regularly to undermine a competition which has been so entertaining in recent campaigns, but Chelsea overcame an even more fiendish fixture pile-up this time last year, visiting Arsenal two days on from facing Man City, so there won't be any panic.

On that occasion, 10 changes to the team - only Gary Cahill retained his place - couldn't stop them from winning away to a top-four companion, so there is no reason to doubt them, especially when Petr Cech, Kurt Zouma, Andre Schurrle and Mohamed Salah are fresh to call in.

Shrewsbury got this far by defeating three clubs from higher divisions 1-0 - Blackpool, Leicester and Norwich - yet Chelsea have suffered a mere three 90-minute losses in 37 Capital One Cup ties, last exiting away to a lower-league side in 1996 (Bolton).

Chelsea Clean Sheet

As was the case last year, Chelsea have began to rediscover their defensive solidity following a slightly porous start, with the transformation happening even earlier this time.

The Blues have only conceded twice in six games, both times in the 90th minute on their Premier League travels - the latest instance at Man United occurring after being reduced to 10 men - and they have shut out three of their past four Capital One Cup hosts (Swansea, Swindon and Arsenal).

Correct Score

Mourinho's men scored exactly two goals in three of their previous four Capital One Cup encounters, as well as two of their last three Premier League matches, and would be greedy to expect more than that against a Shrewsbury side who haven't leaked more than twice in 90 minutes in 2014/15.

Chelsea haven't notched more than twice in any of their most recent six outings in the competition, despite opposing Swindon away and Bolton at home in that period.

Best Bet: Back Chelsea to keep a clean sheet @ 2.01/1
Other Recommended Bet: Back Chelsea to win 2-0 @ 7.613/2

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Agnieszka Radwanska vs Simona Halep Betting Preview. Saturday 25th October 2014

Halep looks set to make the final in Singapore...

The semi-final line-up is set and Abelson Info evaluate which of the remaining stars in Singapore will go on to contest the final...

After a dramatic day on Friday during which three of the remaining semi-final spots were filled, the group stage is complete and we're now a step closer to finding our WTA Finals 2014 champion.

Caroline Wozniacki topped the White Group while Simona Halep took first place in the Red Group, leaving Agnieszka Radwanska and Serena Williams to settle for second spot in their respective pools.

It's been a straight-forward progression for Wozniacki who won all three of her matches, but it was quite a struggle for the runners-up in a thrilling day of play on Friday.

In order to advance, Maria Sharapova had to avoid dropping a set to Radwanska, but after failing to do so she fell out of contention despite beating her Polish rival. Wozniacki's win over Petra Kvitova shortly after ensured that Radwanska would be joining her in the final four.

Radwanska conceded after the win that she'll be going shopping with her new best friend with her credit card at the ready, with the Dane opting to purchase a handbag for those interested.

In the Red Group, Halep ensured that Williams joined her in the semi-finals after taking a set from Ana Ivanovic with the Serbian ace dropping out despite going on to win the match.

As a result, after all the complications and technicalities, Williams will face Wozniacki while Halep takes on Radwanska as things start to get even more interesting in Singapore.

Given Williams leads Wozniacki 9-1 in their head-to-head record, it will take something special from the 24-year-old to deny the world number one from making the final. However, she will take some confidence from their previous few meetings, albeit the last was a loss in the US Open Final.

Prior to that, Wozniacki was able to take Williams the distance in back-to-back clashes in Montreal and Cincinnati, and based on her form in Singapore thus far, it is worth considering backing her to make the match competitive at the very least.

In contrast, the other semi-final is much more difficult to predict as despite Halep surpassing Radwanska in the world rankings in recent months, she trails her rival 4-2 in their head-to-head.

The Polish star won the last meeting in Indian Wells back in March, but Halep appeared to have the drop on her before that with consecutive wins. As a result, this is likely to be a closer contest, but Halep gets the nod as she'll be full of confidence after her destruction of Williams on Wednesday.

Serena bounced back from that loss with a comprehensive win over the hapless Eugenie Bouchard, and so the two stars of the Red Group could well meet again sooner than expected.

Recommended Bets
Back Halep to beat Radwanska 2-0 @ 2.111/10
Back Williams to beat Wozniacki 2-1 @ 3.55/2

Serena Williams vs Simona Halep Betting Preview. Sunday 26th October 2014

Back Serena for a spot of revenge over Halep.

Neither Serena Williams nor Simona Halep disappointed in the semi-finals, and Abelson Info take a closer look at their upcoming duel in the final on Sunday...

When Halep crushed Williams in Singapore on Wednesday, she would have perhaps considered the possibility that their paths would cross again later in the week.

The world number one conceded that her 6-0, 6-2 loss was "very embarrassing", particularly given that it was her worst defeat since 1998 when she was just a teenager trying to make a name for herself.

However, the American ace did have a chilling warning for her rival, claiming that she was "looking forward to our next meeting because I'm going to particularly train for her".

While that is enough to send a shiver down many a star's spine knowing that Williams is on a revenge mission on Sunday, Halep will have taken huge confidence from that win and her belief is potentially stronger than ever before.

The Romanian produced another faultless performance on Saturday in her straight sets win over Agnieszka Radwanska, and she has looked in great form all week as she looks to cap off a memorable year in which she rose to as high as number two in the world.

Nevertheless, prior to Wednesday, Williams had won all three of their previous meetings, and she will hope that it was a bad day at the office for her while in contrast everything went right for her opponent.

She will have to recover quickly from her semi-final battle with Caroline Wozniacki though, after their encounter lasted two hours with Williams coming through in three sets.

Similarly to her loss to Halep earlier in the week, Williams started slowly and dropped the first set.

Although she powered her way back into the contest in the second, she trailed 4-1 in the third set tie-break before a huge slice of luck swung momentum in her favour.

Wozniacki was denied again after three epic meetings between the pair this year, and so Serena has secured herself an almost immediate opportunity of beating her Romanian rival.

Unsurprisingly, this match can go one of two ways. Williams will be desperate to avenge her heavy defeat and come away from Singapore with the ultimate prize.

The American is the best in the world for a reason, and making her angry is hardly going to help.

However, based on that performance and the trouble Wozniacki caused her, there is an argument to support Halep in this one.

Serena did pick up straight sets wins over Ivanovic and Bouchard in the group stage, but there are signs she can be broken down.

It is too much to expect a repeat performance from Halep, but she is certainly in form and ready to step up to the challenge.

However, Williams will be locked in on Sunday and given the odds, it is too tempting to not back her to complete her revenge mission.

Recommended Bets:
Back Williams to beat Halep 2-0 @ 2.1211/10

BNP Paribas Masters 2014 Betting: Home challenge looks strong in Bercy

Gasquet can lead a French charge in Bercy

We've reached the final week of the main ATP World Tour season and as ever tennis expert Sean Calvert is on the hunt for outright value - this week in Paris at the BNP Paribas Masters...

The final Masters 1000 tournament of the 2014 season begins on Monday and indeed the BNP Paribas Masters is last main tour event of the year.

And hopefully it will go a little better than last week, where I suffered the ignominy of both of my bets falling in round one in Valencia, which was painful to say the least.

Typically, my one suggestion in Basel, which was David Goffin, made the final as a 25.024/1 shot, so I chose the wrong bets last week, unfortunately.

This Bercy event tends to offer the punter some late-season value though, with a few peculiar results tending to occur here in recent years.

That might not be the case this time around though, as the gap between Bercy and the World Tour Finals is now a fortnight, rather than just the one.

It still looks wide open though, with Rafa Nadal out for the season and Marin Cilic and Ernests Gulbis also not here.

World number one Novak Djokovic is in Bercy, but with a brand new baby son on his mind he might be understandably distracted at a venue where he was beaten by Sam Querrey in 2012.

In fairness to Nole he did come back and win it last year, but none of the leading contenders have fabulous records here, which is almost certainly due to fatigue and the looming presence of the tour finals.

It's played on the same stodgy indoor surface as the World Tour Finals and uses the same balls, which is all very nice for eight of the field anyway.

Conditions tend to vary at the Palais Omnisports between the Centre Court and outside courts, with the main court generally being slower in recent years.

The draw has, once again, proved to be very lopsided, with a whole host of talent lumped together in the top half, leaving the bottom half wide open.

Djokovic, Andy Murray, David Ferrer, Kei Nishikori, Grigor Dimitrov, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are all in there, as well as Gael Monfils, Gilles Simon, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Vasek Pospisil, John Isner, Tommy Robredo and David Goffin.

That's a tough half and contrast that with the bottom half, which contains Tomas Berdych, Feli Lopez, Kevin Anderson, Fabio Fognini, Richard Gasquet, Stan Wawrinka, Milos Raonic and Roger Federer and it adds up to a great chance for the Swiss.

Wawrinka is miles off form, while Raonic was awful in Basel and looks all but done for the season after his illness in Tokyo, but he'll still be trying for a spot in London.

Lopez looks done as well, while Fognini has been finished for the season for months now, but Berdych and Gasquet could be interesting.

Gasquet hasn't played since a feeble showing in Shanghai, where he was heavily beaten by Berdych and has since withdrawn from Moscow and Basel, but he should be fit and ready to play this week in preparation for the Davis Cup final.

Indeed, the Gasman was in great form in Davis Cup prior to the Asian swing when he put Berdych to the sword on clay and he played well here last year before running into nemesis Nadal in the last eight.

If he's injury-free he should be well rested and 8079/1 looks like it could be decent value in a half with plenty of doubts about the shorter priced runners.

Berdych was a surprising round one loser to Pablo Andujar last week and I suspect that it's too slow for him here, as when he won it way back in 2005 it was much quicker and around 15.014/1 is a little short for me on the Czech.

Federer is the obvious choice, but after a run to the title in Basel last week and London and the Davis Cup final to come will he really put it in here at a tournament he's made the final in only once in 10 attempts?

So, Gasquet for me as a huge-priced shot in the bottom half and the minefield of the top half might well pay dividends to have a think about backing Monfils at a whopping 10099/1.

Djokovic could well be stunned first up by Kohlschreiber if the German is in the mood and manages to hold his nerve - unlikely, I know, but possible - and Lamonf could be a great priced alternative to 3.02/1 jolly Djokovic.

Monfils was in rare form at the US Open before injury struck yet again afterwards in Metz and after six weeks off he'll want matches ahead of the Davis Cup final and where better to get court time than the city of his birth?

He's twice made the final here in the past and there are serious doubts about the major players in the top half too.

Murray and Ferrer will surely be exhausted in what will be their sixth straight week on tour and are worth opposing, while Goffin also looks exhausted; Tsonga is reportedly struggling with tendonitis in his forearm; and Isner rarely does well away from the US and surely it's too slow for him here anyway.

Dimitrov looks to be struggling with fitness at the moment and also looks like he's hit the wall for the year, but Simon might turn up this week after failing to last in disastrous style and 8079/1 isn't a bad price on Gillou, who made the semis here two years ago.

I also wouldn't count out Julien Benneteau from going on another Masters 1000 level run here after making the quarters and semis in his last two tournaments at this level.

Benny has had his moments here over the years, beating the likes of Federer and Raonic and at 200199/1 he's no hopeless chance and could be a decent back-to-lay in what looks a chance for the French players to shine ahead of Davis Cup.

Recommended back to lay portfolio

Back Gasquet @ 80.079/1
Back Monfils @ 100.099/1
Back Simon @ 80.079/1

Opta Stats: West Bromwich Albion v Crystal Palace

Can West Brom continue their improved form when they face Crystal Palace?

Only a point separates West Brom and Crystal Palace. Opta provides the statistics to give you the edge.

The previous two Barclays Premier League games between these sides at the Hawthorns have seen four goals in the last 10 minutes, including two in the 90th. The odds of the second-half containing more goals than the first are 2.05n/a.

Palace have lost only one of their last eight encounters with WBA in all competitions. They are 4.67/2 to win.

Palace are averaging less possession in the Premier League than any other team this season (34%). A West Brom win is 1.9310/11.

Saido Berahino has scored seven goals in 10 competitive appearances for WBA this season, with six of these coming at the Hawthorns. Berahino is 2.26/5 to score.

No English player has scored as many goals in the Premier League so far this season as Berahino (6). He is 5.59/2 to score the first goal.

The Baggies have conceded more long range goals than any other side in the league. Five of the 11 goals they have shipped have come from outside the area. Stephane Sessegnon is 3.7511/4 to find the net.

Palace are five points down based on results in the equivalent fixtures last season. Only Manchester United (nine points) have seen a bigger drop. They are 3.052/1 to be relegated.

WBA have lost only lost two of their last 13 Premier League games against London sides. The draw is 3.65n/a.

Mile Jedinak leads the division in tackles (40) and interceptions (29). Crystal Palace are 4.77/2 to keep a clean sheet.

Robin van Persie steals point for Manchester United

Robin van Persie smashed home a late equaliser

Chelsea looked all set to grab the three points but once more a late goal in Manchester left them with just the one point for their efforts.

Robin van Persie scored with virtually the last kick of the match as Manchester United hit back to draw 1-1 with Chelsea.

Jose Mourinho's unbeaten side looked set to secure a hard-earned victory after Didier Drogba had headed them into a 53rd-minute lead, only for van Persie to rescue a point for United when he lashed his shot home after Thibaut Courtois had kept Marouane Fellaini's initial header out.

It was a fitting end to a high-octane encounter between the two dominant Premier League sides of the last decade - Manchester United have been champions five times in the last ten years while Chelsea have three titles to their name, and are in pole position to finish at the top of the standings again in 2014/15.

Mourinho started with veteran striker Drogba in attack, as Loic Remy and Diego Costa were both absent, while Cesar Azpilicueta was suspended after being sent off in last week's win at Crystal Palace.

Fellaini started for United after scoring in the 2-2 draw at West Brom, while Radamel Falcao was injured and missed out.

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United created the first clear opening in the fifth minute but van Persie mishit his shot before Fellaini's attempted back-heel was blocked.

Fellaini, who was particularly impressive in the first half, then got in a great tackle inside his own penalty area to dispossess Eden Hazard.

In the 23rd minute there was another opening for van Persie but Courtois raced off his line to block the Dutchman's effort.

Chelsea struggled to contain a lively United team in the first half but they thought they should have had a penalty in the 38th minute. Branislav Ivanovic appeared to be thrown to the floor by Chris Smalling as they both tried to get on the end of Cesc Fabregas' corner but referee Phil Dowd was unimpressed and waved play on.

Four minutes before half time David De Gea saved Drogba's powerful low strike with his legs after the Ivorian had been set up by Oscar and, when play swung to the other end, Adnan Januzaj's rasping left-footed drive was only just too high.

Juan Mata then fired way over the bar after a clever Angel Di Maria pass had left him in acres of space just inside the penalty area.

United started the second half poorly and an incisive Chelsea move ended with the home defence scrambling the ball away.

As the Blues' pressure intensified, the United defence was cut apart again, only for De Gea to keep out Hazard's shot when the Belgian was clean through.

However, from the resulting 53rd-minute corner, which was delivered by Fabregas, Drogba got above Rafael and powered a header past De Gea.

United were chasing shadows for long periods in the second half as Chelsea slowed the pace of the game down.

When Chelsea did break forward, De Gea had to be alert to keep Willian's 30-yard effort out but the three points appeared to be heading back to the capital when Courtois saved another van Persie shot after the former Arsenal striker had been sent clear by Luke Shaw with ten minutes left.

Although they lost their way in the second period, United refused to give up though and, after Ivanovic had been sent off for a second bookable offence deep into stoppage time, van Persie was on hand to ensure the spoils were shared.

The result leaves United eighth in the table, three points adrift of fourth-placed West Ham, while Chelsea are now four points clear of Southampton, who are second.

Fourth time a charm for Redfearn

Neil Redfearn is back again to Elland Road

Darko Milanic survived 32 days at Leeds United and that club lurches from one manager to yet another.

In the least surprising news of the season, Darko Milanic has been sacked as the manager of Leeds United.

Just 32 days since his appointment by controversial owner, and well known 'manager eater', Massimo Cellino, Milanic is the second manager to have been sacked at Elland Road this season.

Cellino had plucked Milanic from the relative obscurity of Sturm Graz in the Austrian Bundesliga to permanently replace David Hockaday, who had survived just six games at the club. However the appointment was met with a collective head scratching not only in Yorkshire, but also in Austria.

Milanic essentially had to win straight away to have any chance of getting through the first few months of his contract, never mind the full two-year term.

The former Maribor manager did not secure a victory in his six games at the club, drawing in three against Reading, Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich City while losing to Brentford, Rotherham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

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Saturday's 2-1 loss at home to Wolves was the final nail in the proverbial coffin for the former Slovenian international who leaves the club sitting in 18th place in the Championship, five points above the relegation zone.

Returning to the Elland Road hot seat is Neil Redfearn who, after three previous stints as the caretaker manager, is finally given the job on a full-time basis. Redfearn had taken 10 out of a possible 12 points when in charge of the club earlier in the season after Hockaday's dismissal and the Leeds United fan base had actively lobbied for the Academy Manager and Head of Coaching to be promoted to the top job permanently. Those same fans chanted for Redfearn on Saturday and the move was made shortly after the end of the game.

Born in Dewsbury West Yorkshire less than 10 miles south of Elland Road in 1965, the 49-year old Redfearn was reportedly a boyhood fan of the club. The youngster grew up in the local area as Leeds were ascending to the top of the old English First Division in the days of manager Don Revie and such legendary players as Billy Bremner, Peter Lorimer, Eddie Gray, Paul Madeley, Jack Charlton and Norman Hunter.

A professional for 24 years amassing an impressive 790 league appearances and over 1000 when late career non-league games are added, Redfearn finally hung up his playing boots six years ago.

The new manager's first game in charge will be at Cardiff City next weekend with two home games against Charlton Athletic and Blackpool following shortly after. One thing is certain, life is never going to be boring at Leeds with Cellino in charge.