European Tour 1- Poland Darts Open Day 1 Picks 2026 (Friday 20th February)

The PDC Tour continues to expand into new territories and strong crowds at recent World Series of Darts events in Poland have seen the country rewarded with a full European Tour event.

In 2026, the Poland Darts Open act as the European Tour 1 tournament and the majority of the top names are amongst the forty-eight player field.

Qualification for the first four European Tour events have been completed and this is the start of a busy period for players across all levels of the PDC Tour.

You would imagine that some of the Premier League participants will decide to limit the schedule around those nights, as well as the European Tour, UK Open and Players Championship events- we have already heard that Gerwyn Price will not be playing this weekend, while Michael van Gerwen's participation remains uncertain having missed Night 3 of the Premier League with an illness.

In saying that, there are plenty of top names heading to Krakow and those higher Ranked players will be receiving a Bye through to the Second Round, which is played across two sessions on Day 2.

On Friday, Day 1 begins with the entire First Round to be played across the two sessions and there are some quality players heading out trying to take their place alongside the elite of the Tour.

Ritchie Edhouse v Cameron Menzies: You don't want to dismiss some of the issues Cameron Menzies has been having away from the oche, but there is no doubt that they are affecting his performances right now.

One match has been won when playing at Players Championship 1, but Menzies has lost all four other matches he has played in those floor events. That makes it nine losses in the last ten played and Cameron Menzies has been struggling in his game, which is not an ideal place to be when facing Ritchie Edhouse.

Two years ago Ritchie Edhouse won the European Championship as a massive outsider and he has worked his way through Qualifying for a couple of the upcoming European Tour events.

Much more solid form has been produced at the Players Championship floor events and Edhouse can win this one as the slight favourite.

Luke Woodhouse to win & most 180s v Carl Sneyd: If he continues to develop as he has been, Luke Woodhouse is going to fancy winning a big title some time over the next ten months.

He had a strong 2025 and Luke Woodhouse has been producing plenty of wins on the floor.

The higher Ranked player is also a big maximum hitter, although he will have to have some respect for Carl Sneyd who has Qualified for the Poland Darts Open.

Carl Sneyd won his Tour card at Q-School, which is a tough field to negotiate, and he has shown his capabilities with a decent showing at Players Championship 2.

Early losses in Players Championship 3 and 4 this week and in European Tour 4 Qualifying will have dented some confidence and Luke Woodhouse may need around three maximums in any winning effort to get this double over the line.

Niels Zonneveld & Dave Chisnell double: Both of the favourites have been showing decent form on the floor and they may be able to work their way through to the Second Round at the Poland Darts Open.

Niels Zonneveld is facing a host Qualifier and should have a considerable edge in scoring.

It was a difficult 2025 for Dave Chisnell, but he has won seven matches across the last three Players Championships on the floor and that has to have given him some confidence. He has also had plenty of experience in these European Tour events and Chisnell is well liked in the tournaments played, which can aid him.

He is facing Darryl Pilgrim who had a really good Players Championship 3, but who has just suffered with some inconsistency around that.

Failing to Qualify for European Tour 3 and 4 this past week will also have been a potential dent in confidence for Darryl Pilgrim and he will need to find another level to beat Dave Chisnell, even if the latter is not at his peak level.

Wessel Nijman to win & most 180s v Thomas Lovely: The most consistent player on the floor early in the 2026 season is Wessel Nijman and the Dutchman will be hoping he can take that form onto the bigger events being played.

It did not quite happen for him at the World Masters, but Nijman should be able to get off to a strong start against Thomas Lovely in the Poland Darts Open.

Wessel Nijman beat him twice on the floor last year and Thomas Lovely has been struggling for some consistency, while unlikely to match the scoring power that the favourite can bring into this First Round match.

Krzysztof Ratajski & Joe Cullen double: Two relatively strong favourites should be able to get past a couple of Qualifiers in this First Round match.

Joe Cullen is facing a home Qualifier and has been playing well enough on the floor to believe he should have too much for Krzysztof Kciuk who did enough, but did not overly impress in his three wins.

We have seen Cullen struggle for consistency, but he has a 7-4 record in Players Championship games and there is a level he can find that should be too much for the home player.

Earlier in the Evening Session, Krzysztof Ratajski should be able to overcome Mickey Mansell for the second time this week.

With the home crowd behind the top Polish player on the Tour, Ratajski should be able to back up the victory in Players Championship 3 when he beat Mansell 6-2 and had a huge advantage in the three dart average.

MY PICKS: Ritchie Edhouse @ 1.95 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Luke Woodhouse & Most 180s @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Niels Zonneveld & Dave Chisnell @ 2.15 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Wessel Nijman & Most 180s @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Krzysztof Ratajski & Joe Cullen @ 2.02 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 8-14, - 4.05 Units (21 Units Staked, - 19.29% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Friday 20th February)

The week has been a difficult one and the fine margins have just leaned the wrong way on one too many selections.

Some of the matches barely missed entering the criteria, which was a shame, but there are still a couple of days to round out the week before we put this one into the books.

Next week is going to be a quieter week all round with the WTA Tour moving into a couple of 250 events as attention turns to Indian Wells, which begins the following week.

Of course the WTA 1000 title in Dubai has to be handed out before that, while the ATP Tour will have big events in Dubai and Acapulco at the 500 level.

Once again the attention has to remain on the present and any selections from the ATP tournaments in Rio and Delray Beach will be added to this thread when the weekly totals will also be updated.

Jessica Pegula - 2.5 games v Amanda Anisimova: The WTA 1000 tournament in Dubai is down to the final four and there will be at least one American in the Final on Saturday.

Both of these players came through testing Quarter Final matches, but you do have to believe that Amanda Anisimove invested a lot more emotional energy in her battling win over Mirra Andreeva.

Not only did she come from a set behind, but it looked like Anisimova's run in the Middle East was drawing to a close when she fell 6-5 behind in the final set, but a break of serve and then coming through the Tie-Breaker has kept the dream alive of winning another title in this part of the world. Last year Amanda Anisimova won the title in Doha, and beating the defending Champion in Dubai has to have filled her with confidence.

Spending over two and a half hours on the court and putting herself through the mental and physical wringer could be a factor in this Semi Final, while Amanda Anisimova is also going to be trying to get the better of compatriot Jessica Pagula for the first time.

These players met at the Australian Open and Jessica Pegula was the better player on the day and she did get to play earlier in the day on Thursday when coming through in three sets against Clara Tauson.

It was a very tough match in the Quarter Final and Jessica Pegula has to be given credit for holding herself together at key times during that match. Getting through has maintained a strong start to the season and Jessica Pegula should be well rested having decided to skip Doha last week.

The serve is going to be a big weapon for both players, but it is Jessica Pegula who has just been producing at a slightly higher level compared with Amanda Anisimova. There isn't much between them, but Pegula is the player that is likely going to have the majority of the Break Points and having a bit more energy without a day break between matches should be in her favour.

At some point you would imagine Amanda Anisimova will begin to turn the tables on her older compatriot, but that may not be ready to begin on Friday in this big Semi Final.

Arthur Fils-Jakub Mensik over 0.5 tie-breakers: The ATP Doha Semi Finals do feature Carlos Alcaraz, but Jannik Sinner was beaten in the Quarter Final by Jakub Mensik who will now be under some pressure to back that up.

Last year Mensik was able to do that when winning the Miami Masters having beaten five players Ranked Number 21 or higher.

One of those wins was against Arthur Fils, who is the Semi Final opponent on Friday.

The Frenchman missed the opening month of the season, but has looked in solid form so far in Doha where the conditions make his serve dangerous.

The same can be said for the Jakub Mensik serve and that was an important weapon for him in the upset over Jannik Sinner.

You have to believe both are capable of putting the other under pressure behind the serve and both Arthur Fils and Jakub Mensik have needed at least one Tie-Breaker to be played in two of the three wins put together in Doha.

Arthur Fils has held 88% of service games played and has won 66% of service points played, which makes it tough for opponents.

Jakub Mensik has 89% and 69% marks in both of those categories and the sole match on the main Tour last year in Miami needed a first set Breaker to separate the two players.

MY PICKS: Jessica Pegula - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Arthur Fils-Jakub Mensik Over 0.5 Tie Breakers @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Thursday 20th February)

There were four Tennis Picks in action on Wednesday (with one holdover from Tuesday) and three were able to return as winners to get the week totals back on track.

More is needed to turn the red into black, and the focus remains on the ATP Doha event where the Quarter Final matches are all to be played on Thursday.

Upsets in Dubai have given the Quarter Final lineup a slightly unfamiliar look and those matches all looked tough to call, while the ATP Rio event is just operating on a slightly different schedule with the Quarter Final matches not set to be played until Friday.

Andrey Rublev + 2.5 games v Alex De Minaur: Two top ten Ranked players meet in the ATP 500 Doha Quarter Finals on Thursday and both Andrey Rublev and Alex De Minaur will be feeling pretty good about the tennis they have produced so far this week.

They are very familiar with one another and this is going to be the eighth time they have faced each other on the Tour- six of the previous seven matches have been on hard courts and that includes a match at the Australian Open.

It has been twelve months since Alex De Minaur beat Andrey Rublev in the Rotterdam Quarter Final and that is the last time the players have faced off.

During that week, Andrey Rublev had been the higher Ranked player, but he is the World Number 10 in Doha and Alex De Minaur is the World Number 8. Improving those marks will be tough this week, but it is important for Rublev and De Minaur to just build some momentum ahead of another big event in Dubai next week and then the two North American Masters events to be played next month before the whole Tour turns attention to the clay courts.

Both players have been serving really well this week, but Alex De Minaur has produced better on the return and that is perhaps the reason he has been set as the favourite in this Quarter Final.

No one should doubt the improvements made by the Australian, but the Andrey Rublev tennis can match up pretty well with De Minaur with the aggression of the Russian capable of seeing him break through the Alex De Minaur defences.

However, it is perhaps correct to have Andrey Rublev down as the narrow underdog because of the slightly inconsistent play in the early part of 2025. His return game has not quite been as effective as it can be, but Rublev should be able to push Alex De Minaur and winning a set might put the lower Ranked player in a position to cover the spread with the games being given to him.

Daniil Medvedev - 2.5 games v Felix Auger-Aliassime: The three year anniversary of Daniil Medvedev becoming World Number 1 is coming up later this month, but he is operating as the World Number 6 these days.

The numbers on the hard courts dipped significantly in 2024 from the standards that Daniil Medvedev has set for him in recent years during a time when he was right up amongst the best players in the world on the surface. He is still a very good hard court player, but opponents may feel they have more of a chance against Daniil Medvedev, even if the early form in 2025 is trending back in a positive direction.

An early exit at the Australian Open will feel like a disappointment, but the Semi Final run in Marseille earlier this month may just have restored some confidence and Daniil Medvedev has played well in his two wins here in Doha.

In reality the numbers being produced are aided by the fact that Daniil Medvedev has yet to play a top 20 Ranked opponent in 2025 and he will not be facing one of those in the Doha Quarter Finals.

Felix Auger-Aliassime is the opponent and he needs to reach the Final in Doha to move back inside the top 20 having struggled for consistency on the Tour for some time now.

Suggesting the Canadian is inconsistent might sound foolish considering he has won two titles already this season, but Felix Auger-Aliassime has also lost early at the Australian Open and in Rotterdam.

Winning the title in Adelaide saw Felix Auger-Aliassime win some matches against top opponents, but it cannot be ignored that he did not beat anyone Ranked higher than 71 when winning the title in Montpellier. His sole win here was against the World Number 79 before receiving a walkover and so the 24 year old still has much to prove about where his tennis currently stands.

Serving well has not been an issue for Felix Auger-Aliassime, but he continues to struggle for consistency on the return and that has proven to be tough to overcome against Daniil Medvedev.

Felix Auger-Aliassime did win their last meeting on the clay at the Paris Olympics last year, but the seven previous matches had all ended in defeat and all on the hard courts.

There has been a huge difference in the returning numbers in those hard court matches, including at the Australian Open in January 2024, and Daniil Medvedev may just come through on those big Break Points played.

The lower Ranked player has won four consecutive matches against top 20 Ranked players on the hard courts, but this has not been the best match up for Felix Auger-Aliassime and that gives Daniil Medvedev the edge in this Quarter Final.

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 games v Jiri Lehecka: This is a wide spread to cover and especially in a Quarter Final at an ATP 500 event, but Carlos Alcaraz is playing at a steady level in Doha and will be entering the match with real confidence.

Steady may not be doing the World Number 3 much justice- he has been serving well and Carlos Alcaraz has won 42% of return points played in each of the two wins that have been put on the board.

A title has been secured in Rotterdam after the disappointing defeat to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open Quarter Final, but Carlos Alcaraz may still feel there is room for improvement in his tennis and especially if he is going to get closer to Jannik Sinner in the World Rankings.

The Spaniard most definitely feels like an improving player on the hard courts and there is plenty to like from what Carlos Alcaraz has displayed through the early part of the 2025 season.

Next up is Jiri Lehecka, who is one win away from setting a new career high World Ranking mark, and who has won plenty of hard court matches already this season. Like his opponent, Jiri Lehecka has picked up a title on the surface and only an injury curtailed his tournament in Rotterdam earlier this month.

Having a slight break from competitive tennis has seemingly helped and Jiri Lehecka has offered little encouragement for the opponent in each of the two wins in Doha.

The serve has been a big weapon for the World Number 25 and it has freed Jiri Lehecka when it comes to attacking the return.

However, it is hard to believe Jiri Lehecka can maintain his return numbers at their current level considering what we have seen from the player in recent years.

He also has plenty to prove against one of the top players on the Tour after Jiri Lehecka was beaten in routine fashion by Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open last month. The 3-4 record against top 10 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months offers some encouragement, but Jiri Lehecka has found himself under extreme pressure to serve very well with his limited return game exposed in those matches.

That was the case when Jiri Lehecka was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz on the grass courts of Queen's a little over eighteen months ago and the former may just struggle to stay with the World Number 3. Jiri Lehecka will look to try and build pressure with his serve, but Carlos Alcaraz can neutralise the shot and get himself into the rallies where he can just out-perform the lower Ranked player and cover a big mark with a solid Quarter Final win.

MY PICKS: Andrey Rublev + 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Daniil Medvedev - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 5-5, - 0.63 Units (10 Units Staked, - 6.30% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2024 (Tuesday 20th February)

The WTA tournament being played in Dubai is using a big format and that means they are rushing through the Rounds.

To put it another way, the First Round may have been split over two days, but the entire Second Round is scheduled to be completed on Tuesday. This will mean the Third Round is played on Wednesday, the Quarter Finals on Thursday and the Semi Final and Final will be completed on Friday and Saturday.

Sixteen Second Round matches are set to be played on Tuesday and a number of courts are being used on what is going to be an extremely busy day for a tournament outside of the Grand Slam events.

Matches are also scheduled for the tournaments being run by the ATP Tour, although the Picks, if any, from Los Cabos and Rio de Janeiro will be added to this thread, as will the weekly update once all of the Monday scheduled matches are completed.

There are not going to be any Picks from the ATP Doha matches scheduled for Tuesday- the only one that even had me a little interested to find an angle proved unappealing in the end and that will be a tournament that will hopefully provide more options as we move into the Second Round and beyond.

Leylah Fernandez - 4.5 games v Jasmine Paolini: It was perhaps not as easy as the final scoreboard might have suggested, but Leylah Fernandez did play well enough to earn her spot in the Second Round at the WTA Dubai event. This keeps some positive momentum behind the Canadian who had not had the best start to 2024, but who played well in Doha last week and looks to have brung that form into this latest WTA 1000 tournament.

She was a favourite to beat Bernarda Pera and Leylah Fernandez will be the favourite again when she takes on Italian Jasmine Paolini in the Second Round.

Jasmine Paolini has had to Qualify for the WTA Dubai event in the last couple of years and managed to do that each time, but she had not won a main draw match until beating Beatriz Haddad Maia in the First Round on Sunday. The fightback within that match will have given Jasmine Paolini confidence and she is playing on a career high World Ranking mark.

Unsurprisingly there have been plenty of successes on the clay courts, but Paolini is a solid enough hard court player who deserves to be respected. She reached the Fourth Round at the Australian Open and Jasmine Paolini has been able to snap a three match losing run in coming from behind to beat Haddad Maia.

There is no doubt that there is still room for improvement in her tennis on the hard courts- over the last twelve months it has been seen that the Paolini serve can be a little vulnerable when playing top 50 Ranked opponents on this surface. That puts a bit more pressure on the return, which is clearly more challenging on the faster surfaces compared with her favoured clay courts.

You may not always expect Leylah Fernandez to have very strong serving numbers, but she does look after that shot well enough. If the Canadian can get enough first serves in play, she will believe she can dictate the tempo of this match and that will be key for Fernandez as she looks to earn a place in the Third Round.

The head to head will certainly give Leylah Fernandez plenty of confidence too having won all three previous matches against Jasmine Paolini. All of those have been on the hard courts and Fernandez is yet to drop a set, while the two most recent wins were both played in 2023.

Leylah Fernandez has had a clear edge in her serving games in the two wins produced over Jasmine Paolini last season and she won 51% of points played against the Paolini serve. That is likely to be the key to this match and the former US Open Runner Up can find a way to win and cover as she progresses to the Third Round of back to back tournaments in the Middle East.

Marketa Vondrousova - 4.5 games v Payton Stearns: A win over Mirra Andreeva should give Payton Stearns a boost in confidence as she snapped a four match losing run to open her 2024 season.

It was a back and forth match against the talented teenager, but Stearns was able to come out on top and move into this Second Round match against Marketa Vondrousova.

After playing well at the US Open in September, Payton Stearns has really struggled for form in her hard court matches. Following her Fourth Round exit in New York City, Stearns had been on a 3-9 run on the Tour in hard court matches before getting the better of Andreeva in the First Round.

Marketa Vondrousova has not exactly been at her best level in 2024 herself, but there were some signs that she was getting closer last week in Doha. She had chances in her loss to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, although there are some question marks about Vondrousova's current form and whether she can cover such a big handicap mark.

She has beaten Payton Stearns pretty comfortably in the two previous matches- one of those was at Wimbledon, a tournament Marketa Vondrousova went on to win, and the other was at the US Open.

Much like Payton Stearns, Marketa Vondrousova followed the US Open with a relatively poor run of form that has seeped into the 2024 season.

However, over the last twelve months, Stearns has struggled to a 1-8 record when facing top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts and her numbers have been pretty poor in that time too. While it is very difficult to trust Marketa Vondrousova on her current form, she has tended to be good enough to beat those outside of the top 20 of the World Rankings and the Czech player has had an edge in the serving numbers when facing Payton Stearns.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Liudmila Samsonova: It looks a good opportunity to back Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to continue her strong form from Doha as a slight underdog in this Second Round match.

A relatively comfortable win was produced in the First Round and there should not be any excuses about a long week in Doha in preventing Pavlyuchenkova from finding her best tennis in Dubai. The lack of distance between the tournaments and the fact that her Semi Final defeat was last Friday means there has been ample time to recover as Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova looks to get the better of her compatriot.

It had been a poor start to 2024 for Liudmila Samsonova who lost her first three matches, including a First Round exit at the Australian Open, but she had a solid run in Abu Dhabi.

Like her opponent, Samsonova found Elena Rybakina too hot to handle in that Semi Final in Abu Dhabi before another early exit in Doha last week. However, a solid First Round win in Dubai will have given Liudmila Samsonova a bit more confidence and she will know that her serve can be a massive weapon on relatively quick hard courts.

However, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova can produce some dangerous serving of her own and looks to be playing with a bit more consistency of the two Russians.

Out of the two players, Pavlyuchenkova has been getting slightly more out of the return of serve and that could be key in a match that may come down to the fine margins.

Anna Kalinskaya - 4.5 games v Cristina Bucsa: The run to the Australian Open Quarter Final would have come as a surprise to those outside of Anna Kalinskaya's team. The challenge for the player is backing up that performance and building on reaching a new career high World Ranking, which is why the early defeat in Doha would have been a blow.

She has battled through the Qualifiers to take her place in the main draw in Dubai and Anna Kalinskaya has won all three matches at the tournament without dropping a set.

This will have restored any drop in confidence and the hard court numbers in 2024 continue to impress.

Anna Kalinskaya deserves to be set as the favourite in this Second Round match against Cristina Bucsa who is playing in her third tournament this season as a Lucky Loser. She was beaten in the final Dubai Qualifier by Storm Sanders, but benefits from Ons Jabeur's subsequent withdrawal.

Cristina Bucsa did reach the Abu Dhabi Quarter Final as a Lucky Loser and she will feel this draw gives her a chance of extending her run in this tournament too. However, the Spaniard has not produced the same level as her opponent so far in 2024, especially when not playing the better players on the Tour, while Anna Kalinskaya will have fond memories of beating Bucsa in straight sets in Brisbane in January.

There was a massive edge in favour of the Russian on the return that day, but this match is expected to be closer. Of course it can't really be expected to be as one-sided as when Kalinskaya dropped just two games, but even a closer match is one in which the favourite can win and cover.

As long as Anna Kalinskaya can look after her own serve, the pressure should build on the Cristina Bucsa serve and the World Number 40 can find the breaks she needs to progress with some comfort.

Qinwen Zheng - 5.5 games v Nao Hibino: Any time a player reaches a Grand Slam Final, the target on their back will increase in size and opponents will really try and knock someone from off of their perch.

A 'nothing to lose' kind of approach to those matches can make it tough for the Grand Slam Finalist and especially when it has come unexpectedly.

Qinwen Zheng reached the Final at the Australian Open, but you have to factor in the way the draw opened up for her before she was well beaten in the Final by Aryna Sabalenka. Her performance in Doha was inconsistent to say the least and so it is perhaps a difficult spot in which to trust her to win, never mind cover a spread like this one.

However, Nao Hibino is not playing to the level she once was and she has suffered some one-sided defeats on the hard courts in 2024. Three wins in Dubai will have just given Hibino a boost in confidence to take into this Second Round match against an opponent who received a Bye through to this stage of the tournament, although the World Number 93 will know there is a considerable talent gap to bridge.

The Japanese player has always been comfortable on the hard courts, but she has a vulnerable serve and especially when she has been playing top 50 Ranked opponents over the last twelve months.

You don't always know what you are going to get from the Qinwen Zheng return, but she does have a big serve and that should at least contain some of the threat that Nao Hibino will bring to the court. Nao Hibino's return numbers have been pretty poor against the top players on the Tour over the last twelve months and it will build scoreboard pressure in favour of Zheng.

Over the last twelve months, Qinwen Zheng has won all fourteen hard court matches against players Ranked outside the top 50. The serve has dominated and she has won 47% of the return points played in those matches too.

Covering a spread like this one has been an issue with eight failures in those fourteen wins, but Nao Hibino has struggled to stay competitive within matches so Qinwen Zheng can be backed for a rare big cover here.

Karolina Pliskova - 2.5 games v Ashlyn Krueger: The biggest question about this Second Round match is how well Karolina Pliskova has recovered having played a lot of tennis over the last couple of weeks.

Winning the title in Cluj and then fighting her way through to the Doha Semi Final took its toll on the former World Number 1 and she was not able to compete in that match against Iga Swiatek.

Karolina Pliskova was able to beat veteran Shuai Zhang in the First Round, although that win is not massively impressive considering how long the latter has been out of competitive action. It was a solid, if unspectacular, performance from Karolina Pliskova and she may need to be a bit better when facing Ashlyn Krueger.

Coming from a set down to beat Caroline Garcia and having Monday as a day of rest is a benefit for the American, although it has been a relative struggle to find consistency for the 19 year old. She has put a few wins on the board in 2024, but Ashlyn Krueger knows the majority of those have been in Qualifying Rounds and this is a much tougher test.

None of the matches have been 'easy' though and wins over top 100 Ranked players have been racked up.

That will give Krueger confidence and she has been able to exert some control of matches with her serve. The teenager will need to serve well if Karolina Pliskova is bringing her best form to the court and the feeling is that the Czech player will ultimately have a bit too much know-how at this stage of their respective careers.

Jelena Ostapenko - 5.5 games v Lulu Sun: It looked like the run of beating everyone she has faced but Victoria Azarenka in 2024 might have been under threat when dropping four games in a row to lose the first set.

In previous years this might have ended up seeing Jelena Ostapenko just self-combust, but she has shown decent mental strength to recover and ultimately move through to the Second Round in Dubai without too many issues.

The Latvian will be a big favourite when playing Lulu Sun, the 22 year old from Switzerland who is Ranked outside the top 200 but who has been given a Wild Card into the Dubai tournament. A win over Paula Badosa should be a huge boost for Lulu Sun, even though the match ended prematurely at the end of the first set, while she did Qualify for main draw matches in Auckland and at the Australian Open.

It is still a big leap upwards to face Ostapenko in the form she has been in, while Sun had not been competitive in her two matches against top 100 Ranked opponents before beating Paula Badosa.

In fact she had never beaten a top 100 Ranked opponent on the hard courts prior to the First Round here in Dubai and Lulu Sun had struggled to be very competitive. The first serve has been decent enough, but the second is vulnerable and finding enough quality on the return of serve is something the young player is still trying to develop.

An aggressive player like Jelena Ostapenko is likely going to offer a stern examination of the Lulu Sun game and the feeling is that the World Number 11 will continue her strong form to open this season.

Elina Svitolina - 5.5 games v Tatjana Maria: She reached the Final in Auckland before narrowly losing to Coco Gauff and Elina Svitolina looked to be motoring in another strong Grand Slam effort at the Australian Open.

Three wins in straight sets took the Ukrainian into the Fourth Round in Melbourne, but an unexpected and shocking back issue forced Elina Svitolina to withdraw from that Fourth Round match after just three games had been played.

She has not really been able to explain what happened and Svitolina has spent some time away following the Australian Open, but she was able to produce a strong First Round win on Monday.

Now there is every chance Elina Svitolina can back that up against another veteran Tatjana Maria who has had a difficult start to the season. Her win in the First Round will be a boost, but Maria has suffered some extremely one-sided losses this season and it may be a tough match up for her in this one.

The five losses that Tatjana Maria has suffered this season have been by margins of eleven, seven, six, eleven and ten games- when she has lost, she has lost very, very easily.

The concern for her fans is that Tatjana Maria lost her last two hard court matches against Elina Svitolina in one-sided fashion, albeit the last of those was back in the 2018 US Open. Much has changed for both players in that time, but Elina Svitolina is still playing at a decent level after returning from giving birth and the edge has to be with the higher Ranked player.

Take away the retirement at the Australian Open and Elina Svitolina has won ten straight hard court matches against opponents Ranked outside the top 20. Strong serving has set her on her way and Elina Svitolina can get plenty of joy in the return during this Second Round to produce a strong win.

Adding the Tennis Picks from Rio de Janeiro and Los Cabos with a few thoughts on those.

I do think both Sebastian Baez and Arthur Fils should both be able to cover big spreads- the former has been in decent form on the clay courts, while the latter is confident enough on the surface and taking on a young, inexperienced opponent.

Both of those players are competing in Rio, but in Los Cabos the play is on Marcos Giron to maintain the fine run of form he has been in through the month of February.

Taro Daniel can be dangerous on the hard courts, but Giron is playing well enough to grind him down and cover this relatively big handicap mark.

There are a couple of underdogs that could certainly thrive in the First Round in Los Cabos, but neither Flavio Cobolli nor Nuno Borges convinced me to add them to the selections.

MY PICKS: Leylah Fernandez - 4.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Marketa Vondrousova - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Anna Kalinskaya - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Qinwen Zheng - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Karolina Pliskova - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Jelena Ostapenko - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Elina Svitolina - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Coral (2 Units)

Sebastian Baez - 4.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Arthur Fils - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Marcos Giron - 3.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Week Update: 5-4, + 0.84 Units (18 Units Staked, + 4.67% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2021- David Avanesyan vs Josh Kelly (February 20th)

It was good to have Boxing back in the United Kingdom last weekend, but I was as irritated as Eddie Hearn with more poor scoring. These incidents are becoming more and more common in British fights and foreign fighters may choose to not risk big fights here in the future if things are not cleared up, and I am beginning to feel we are seeing worse Decisions here than in Germany, which has long had a bad reputation for an away fighter.

I thought Kiko Martinez had done enough to beat Zelfa Barrett, especially as the latter hadn't really got into any kind of rhythm until the late Rounds. Even if you gave him a couple of earlier Rounds for the better quality punches, it wasn't enough to offer up the kind of cards we saw last weekend and the only hope is that something will be done behind the scenes to straighten things up.

Either that or we can forget about the big World Title fights taking place here as often as we would like.

One fight that was expected to be decided inside the distance was the one between Josh Warrington and Mauricio Lara, but no could have predicted the shocking outcome we saw.

The unheralded Mexican Knocked Out Josh Warrington in the Ninth Round and has not only taken the unbeaten record of the latter, but Lara has ended the immediate hopes Warrington had in taking on the other top names in the Division. An immediate rematch has been accepted by Josh Warrington with the hope it will be in front of fans, but he will also have to show a lot more intensity than he did last week and look to show Mauricio Lara why he was considered the Number 1 Featherweight in the World.

I think that is the right decision by the Warrington team, but I was disappointed with the lack of decisions they made for him last week.

His team should really have pulled Josh Warrington out at the end of the Fourth Round after he was dropped heavily and still didn't look right when the bell signalled the end of that stanza. At some point the corner has to take the decision from the fighter, who will never want to quit, and I am surprised that a corner with a father in it didn't do that for Warrington last week.

Even the referee can be questioned- there is no way Lara would have been allowed to continue in the same state- and I think we won't see the same thing happening as the cards come thick and fast in the weeks ahead.

One bit of news that was disappointing to hear was the latest postponement of the Carl Frampton-Jamel Herring fight which was supposed to take place next weekend. There are a lot of rumours floating around as to why that has happened, but there is a hope it is a short re-schedule needed with the fight now expected to be moved to Dubai and taking place at the end of March.

Eddie Hearn suggested that could be the same day Dillian Whyte's rematch against Alexander Povetkin will be moved to depending on the location of the fight. If it is in the UK, Whyte needs to go through quarantining procedures having been training out in Portugal which would mean a short delay to the March 6th date that is currently in operation, but more news is likely to come in the days ahead.

There are a number of cards taking place on Saturday 20th February and some good looking fights out there.

Next weekend will be dominated by the return of Canelo Alvarez has he defends the Super Middleweight Title he took from Callum Smith in December, but this weekend we have two Mexicans meeting for a World Title in the Super Featherweight Division and that promises to be a barnstormer.

Onto my thoughts on the fights and cards to come this weekend.

Robbie Davies Jr vs Gabriel Valenzuela

After the stunning performance from one Mexican in London, another one arrives on Saturday looking to follow Mauricio Lara's lead.

This is a fight at a level below the one that was main eventing the card last week and Robbie Davies Jr is likely to be that much more focused after we all saw what happened to Josh Warrington.

I expect the favourite will be able to box his way to a decent Decision on the cards in this one, especially as Gabriel Valenzuela hasn't shown the same kind of pop as his compatriot. Like Mauricio Lara, there isn't a lot known about Valenzuela with the majority of his fights taking place in his home country, but you can count on some attributes.

You know Gabriel Valenzuela will be looking to use his power and aggression to grind down Robbie Davies Jr, but the 31 year old has shown plenty of Boxing ability to put the Rounds in the bag as long as he doesn't lose focus as Warrington seemed to do. He can be hurt and has been dropped, but in a scheduled Ten Rounder I think Robbie Davies Jr will play this one more cautiously than he may have done if Josh Warrington had wiped out Mauricio Lara last weekend.

It may pay off for the British fighter and I can see him showing off superior skills which catch the eye and help him pull off the Decision victory.

Florian Marku vs Rylan Charlton

There seems to be no love lost between two Welterweights who are coming in off different showings the last time they were out in the ring at the end of 2020.

Rylan Charlton had no expectation on his shoulders as he faced a 9-0 Joe Laws and that is despite the fact that 'The Pint Size Powerhouse' was also unbeaten going into the fight. Instead Charlton announced himself with a Three Round win over Laws having put him down in the First Round too.

He pushed for the fight with Florian Marku who had won seven fights in his professional career and five of those by stoppage. The noise being made saw him signed under the Matchroom banner, but Marku had to settle for a Draw against Jamie Stewart last time out and that despite putting his opponent down in the Second Round.

Florian Marku was not happy with the judges on the night, but he has vowed to make amends with a much more special performance as the chief support to the main event on Saturday.

Neither look like they will take a backward step and I do think there are going to be fireworks in this one- I am still not sure what Marku is about, but Rylan Charlton won't be hard to find and this is a good chance for one of these Boxers to look really good on the night and perhaps steal the show.

It would be surprised if this goes too much beyond the midway mark with the likely approach both of these fighters will take into the fight and there is enough power on display to avoid hearing the bell for the Eighth Round.

David Avanesyan vs Josh Kelly

It has been a long time coming, but we look to finally be getting the David Avanesyan vs Josh Kelly fight that was originally scheduled for two years ago. Back then all the suggestions from the Avanesyan camp was that Josh Kelly had 'bottled' it and there have been two further dates that have been ruled out by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tests have been passed and all of the media commitments are now completed and we should get a crossroads fight that has all the makings of a top one.

Even before he turned professional, Josh Kelly has been considered one of the top prospects in Great Britain, but he has not impressed as much as some would have liked in the pro ranks. No one is going to doubt the talent the 26 year old possesses, but the controversial Draw with Ray Robinson in June 2019 shone a spotlight on some of the weaknesses that people believe Kelly has.

Some of that is a lack of an engine to put his best efforts in Round after Round and others believe he isn't willing to let his hands go as much as he should either. Josh Kelly is a pretty big looking Welterweight, but he has not been able to really stamp his authority on opponents and he will be fighting over Twelve Rounds for the first time.

Adam Booth has gone on record to say Josh Kelly is the most talented Boxer he has ever worked with, which is high praise on its own, but the game plan is going to have to be perfect to rip the European Title out of the hands of David Avanesyan who has operated at World level in his career.

A win for David Avanesyan would put him back in contention to have another shot in a loaded Division, and the two year wait to get his hands on Josh Kelly has clearly motivated the Champion. In that time he has two wins over the much talked about Kerman Lejarraga and both coming in Stoppages and the tactics seem pretty clear for the veteran in this one.

Namely that is to walk down Josh Kelly and try and drown the inexperienced younger man in the Championship Rounds and there is plenty to suggest David Avanesyan can do that. Last week we saw Zelfa Barrett getting a Decision operating on the back foot against Kiko Martinez, but David Avanesyan is at a much better stage of his career and he will feel he can pin down Kelly and test the resilience of the British fighter.

Some have questioned whether Josh Kelly has that resilience to last, but the 26 year old has been talking about a Stoppage of his own and I respect Adam Booth enough to believe he has seen something he feels his fighter can exploit. There could be some big fights ahead for Josh Kelly if he is able to find a way through the toughest test of his career to date, but I think this is going to be far from easy.

My feeling on the fight is that it will start off in the fashion the home fighter will want- I can see Josh Kelly using his length and strong amateur pedigree to pick up some early Rounds and keep the rampaging David Avanesyan from really getting to work.

However by around Round Four or Round Five I expect David Avanesyan to have begun to slow down the movement with early shots beginning to accumulate and slowing down Josh Kelly will mean bringing him closer to the kind of fight the Champion wants. There has been plenty of time for Josh Kelly to work on his craft and box to a plan for the full Twelve Rounds, but I do think David Avanesyan will force Kelly to resort to muscle memory and that means going back to some of the poorer habits he has sometimes displayed.

A close Decision on the cards in favour of the British fighter is perhaps the smart play, but my feeling for a while has been that David Avanesyan will find a way to produce a storm for Josh Kelly through the second half of the fight. The big question is how much punishment Josh Kelly is able to withstand, but David Avanesyan is likely going to leave it all on the line when he does get his opponent in trouble and a small interest in the Champion finding a late Stoppage has been my long-standing feeling on this bout.

David Haye had to suffer a defeat under Adam Booth before turning things around in his career and this will be far from the end for Josh Kelly even if he loses.

I think it will be a really interesting fight between the two and one I am looking forward to.

Miguel Berchelt vs Oscar Valdez

Any time two Mexicans get in the ring you know it is going to be a big, tough fight and those bouts are even better when they are being contested by what many consider to be the top two Super Featherweights in the world.

Miguel Berchelt and Oscar Valdez have a single loss between them and it is the unbeaten Challenger who will be the underdog. Oscar Valdez has come up from Featherweight and he was dropped in an Eliminator which is perhaps contributing to the prices for this WBC World Title tilt.

Adding to that is the performances of Miguel Berchelt who has looked very strong at the weight and who has Stopped his last six opponents. Only Miguel Roman was able to get into the second half of the fight and strong wins over Francisco Vargas and Jason Sosa show strong form from the Champion.

I do think it is going to be a very difficult fight for Oscar Valdez, although he is working with Eddy Reynoso and that camp is going to help produce the best version of the 30 year old. It makes me think there will be a strong plan in place for the naturally smaller Valdez, but I can't help but think there are too many miles on the clock and keeping Miguel Berchelt off through the full Twelve Rounds will be too much.

At some point you have to expect two Mexican warriors to stand in front of each other and I do think that is where Miguel Berchelt will display the clear edge in power.

For me the length of the fight is going to depend on how long Oscar Valdez can box to the plan and keep from getting involved in a firefight with a big puncher.

Ultimately I feel Miguel Berchelt will start earning considerable success in the middle of the scheduled Twelve Rounds and he will begin to wear down and slow down his challenger. It could just make it a little easier to begin to unload his big shots on Valdez and I think the extra power will be too much for the unbeaten fighter to cope with.

It would be a big surprise if this isn't a really good watch for the fans, but at the end of the night I expect the Champion to have extended his run of Knock Out wins and underline his spot as the top fighter at 130 pounds.

Otto Wallin vs Dominic Breazeale

A Heavyweight Fight which has snuck up on everyone sees two Boxers at a crossroads in their career having lost two the big three names of this era in the Division.

If he had a bigger name, I think Otto Wallin may have upset Tyson Fury when he fought the Lineal Champion in September 2019 having opened up two massive cuts on the Number 1 Heavyweight in the world. Put the two in the other's boots that nights and there is almost no way the referee would have allowed the fight to continue and Wallin has been speaking plenty about that night and the possibility of a rematch.

He was largely unheralded before the fight with Tyson Fury and so it is hard to really know what Otto Wallin is about. Since the defeat to Fury he has won his sole bout and that means the Swedish fighter has been largely inactive as he has hoped to be talked into a rematch rather than pushing to force that against the now WBC Heavyweight Champion.

Over the next several months there is nothing that Otto Wallin can do but improve his own World Ranking and hope he will be a viable option for whoever comes out of the rumoured two fight deal between Fury and Anthony Joshua. He certainly can't afford a loss to American Dominic Breazeale whose only two defeats have come against Joshua and Deontay Wilder, the latter wiping out Breazeale in the First Round.

We have not seen Dominic Breazeale since May 2019 and that inactivity has to be an issue for him with Otto Wallin at least having a single fight in 2020. It was the kind of Knock Out which can shorten careers massively and it will be interesting to see how much Breazeale has left in the tank as he looks to get his career back on track and perhaps force at least one more World Title bid.

The Heavyweight Division does have a void of real Challengers behind the big names in the Division and so for both of these Boxers there is a big opportunity to position themselves in a World Title shot over the next several months. They may have to wait, but the loser in this one is going to have a much more difficult road back.

Otto Wallin looked good against Tyson Fury, but still has questions to answer. The 6 foot 5 inch Southpaw looks to have the tools to be a problem in the Division, but he has to show he deserves to be talked about at the top of the Rankings and at least at the level behind the big three names. His resume is simply not that strong and it does feel a lot about what people feel Wallin can do in the Division is down to the one performance against Tyson Fury.

It was a huge performance, but sometimes you can see fighters 'over rated' because they did far better than most predicted in one bout and this is a serious test.

While I do think there is a real chance that Dominic Breazeale left something in the ring that night he was obliterated by Deontay Wilder, he has shown a durability and strength that can't be underestimated. The losses to two of the top three names in the Heavyweight Division will hurt, but Dominic Breazeale has shown toughness and resiliency in his career which has overcome some of the lack of finesse he has shown.

I think he is capable, but both will feel they can hurt the other in this fight which suggests we won't need the cards on the day. If Breazeale has lost some of his resiliency you can see Otto Wallin doing a job on a fighter that isn't hard to find, but I also think the American hits hard enough to be respected and won't stop throwing until this fight is over.

Both will feel they need the win at this stage of their career- while Otto Wallin may be the more well rounded Boxer, I think he has shown he can crack a bit and I would not be surprised if both are standing close together and throwing some bombs in this one. I think Dominic Breazeale is the more likely to want to get involved in a fight with Wallin likely to win wide on any Decision, but I also think his resistance may not be what it once was.

However with the punching power likely to still be there, I think this will be a Heavyweight contest that concludes before we get into the Championship Rounds. My feeling is that Otto Wallin has a lot less miles on the clock and will earn the victory, but I can't be confident in ruling out a returning Dominic Breazeale who has found a way to win fights whenever he has faced opponents outside of the very elite.

MY PICKS: Robbie Davies Jr to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Florian Marku-Rylan Charlton Under 9 Rounds @ 2.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)

David Avanesyan to Win Between 7-12 @ 6.50 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Miguel Berchelt to Win Between 7-12 @ 3.25 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Otto Wallin-Dominic Breazeale Under 10 Rounds @ 1.83 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Boxing 2021: 2-3, + 1 Unit (10 Units Staked, + 10% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 13 Picks- Women's Final 2021 (February 20th)

The Women's Final takes centre stage as the Australian Open draws to a close over the next two days.

I will have a fuller thread for the Men's Final ahead of the Sunday completion of the tournament.

Naomi Osaka - 4.5 games v Jennifer Brady: She may be the younger player, but Naomi Osaka will be the one with the experience edge when the Women's Final is played at the Australian Open. This is not only the fourth Grand Slam Final that Naomi Osaka has played, but she has won the previous three (two at the US Open and once here in Melbourne), while her opponent Jennifer Brady is in her maiden Grand Slam Final and has only just played in her second Slam Semi Final.

Both of these players are big hitters and the serve is going to be a key weapon for both on the day, but it does feel like Naomi Osaka has peaked in time for the Final while we have seen the best tennis from Jennifer Brady earlier in the tournament. The American was a little fortunate to come through her Semi Final against Karolina Muchova who was unable to complete the fightback despite being the stronger player in the match and Jennifer Brady will know she needs to be a lot better if she is going to beat someone as good as Naomi Osaka.

In the last two matches Brady has had to spend three and a half hours on the court compared with Osaka rattling through her two matches in over an hour less time. That is a potential factor considering the majority of those matches would have played in hot conditions and only furthers the edge towards the Japanese former World Number 1 who is likely going to cement her place at the top of the WTA Tour with a victory, even if the World Rankings don't reflect her status.

It also has to be noted that this is considerably the toughest challenge that Jennifer Brady has had to face at the Australian Open and the first player Ranked inside the top 20 she would have played. None of her previous six matches have come against anyone Ranked higher than Number 27 and the struggles in the last Round is a particular concern.

Jennifer Brady was not able to get her teeth into the Karolina Muchova serve, but took the chances when they came up. Ultimately if she has struggled in her return game in that match, this one is going to be a real problem for her although I do think the evening conditions will just make things a touch easier for the underdog.

Those conditions should slow up the ball enough for Jennifer Brady to see the ball a little better on the return, but there is a counter downside to that and that is her biggest weapon, the serve, may not be as effective as she would like. In the last couple of matches here, opponents have been able to create break point chances against the Jennifer Brady serve and Naomi Osaka just took the game to Serena Williams and has continued to have plenty of returning success.

The American has just struggled with her first serve percentage over the last week and I think that will only add pressure on her. You know Naomi Osaka will look to attack the second serve and I do think she has a big enough advantage in this match to secure another Grand Slam title and likely with a relatively comfortable win produced.

Naomi Osaka has room for improvement in her first serve percentage, but she has looked after her second serve a lot better than Jennifer Brady.

These two players met at the US Open in the Semi Final and it was Naomi Osaka who came through a tight three setter. However, the higher Ranked player had a considerable advantage on the return of serve that day in what was a relatively tight match, and I think that is likely to be the case again in the Final on Saturday.

If Brady serves at her best she can keep this close, but she may be tiring and will have to be a lot better than she has been in the last two matches here. There is some real pressure on Naomi Osaka as a big favourite, but she is in the better form and looks to be playing with the kind of belief that may see her dominate this Final.

MY PICKS: Naomi Osaka - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2021 (February 19-23)

The European competitions have resumed during the week and I am not entirely convinced with UEFA's decision to have teams playing 'home' Legs on neutral fields. Personally I prefer the two Leg approach to the Knock Out Rounds through to the Final rather than the neutral site one Leg tournament we have to deal with last summer, but the Covid-19 pandemic continues to play havoc with the schedule.

The same is likely to happen in the March World Cup Qualifiers which are due to commence, while UEFA also have a big decision to make about the upcoming Euro 2020 tournament. I have no doubt the tournament will be played and completed as they want, but whether all twelve Cities will host and whether fans are going to be allowed in, even in limited numbers, is yet to be clarified.

I do commend any organisation which is trying to keep competitions going at this time through the various sports and so many have proved they can run their events effectively even when people have criticised those events taking place. Unlike some, I absolutely believe Euro 2020 can be played and manage the bubbles efficiently, but I would perhaps limit some of the travelling that is currently scheduled to take place.

Instead of twelve Cities you could use four, but UEFA will likely be breaching contracts and that is a big factor to take into consideration.

While those decisions are coming up, the club football continues and this is still a very busy time of the season with games being played every few days. I will get into the Fantasy Football outlook for GameWeek 25 after running through my thoughts of the Premier League fixtures to be played this weekend and the make up fixture to come during the week.

Wolves v Leeds United Pick: Friday Night Football comes from Molineux this week to open the Premier League latest round of fixtures and both Wolves and Leeds United will feel they can still secure a top half finish this season. European Football is perhaps beyond both considering the lack of consistency that has been shown and this is a difficult fixture to predict.

There have been times where both have looked really good, but they are also never that far away from a poorer showing and the first goal is likely going to be important.

Wolves came from behind to win at Southampton last weekend and did the same when hosting Arsenal, while they did create some decent openings against Leicester City in a goalless draw. The absence of Raul Jimenez has really prevented Wolves turning a few close games into wins and they still lack the consistent threat in the final third without their talismanic centre forward.

However, Nuno Espirito Santo will be pleased by some of the build up play his Wolves team have put together and the manager has to be confident they can create chances against this Leeds United team. Even through some of their better results, Leeds United have a style which leaves them wide open and Wolves have some quality wide players who can use pace and skill to expose those areas.

In saying that, the Leeds United style is also one that will create chances and they showed that off in their 1-3 win at Leicester City recently. They have scored at least twice in 3 away games in a row in the Premier League, but Leeds United have not kept a clean sheet in any of those and have conceded in 8 of their last 10 away games in all competitions.

Leeds United lost 0-1 to Wolves at Elland Road, but they created the better chances on the day. They are playing with some confidence even as results remain inconsistent and I think this is a fixture that is likely to feature at least three goals, especially as Wolves have found some attacking threat in recent games.

Both teams scoring wouldn't be a surprise when involving Leeds United, while neither team is likely to settle for a point as they bid to move up the Premier League standings. If the game gets bogged down it could end up being a tight one, but Leeds United don't seem to allow that to happen too often and I would expect at least three goals to be shared out this evening.

Southampton v Chelsea Pick: The Champions League has already resumed, but Chelsea will be playing their Last 16 First Leg against Spanish leaders Atletico Madrid in the coming days. That is a competition that will always be a distraction to players and managers, but Thomas Tuchel can't afford to take his eye off the ball in the Premier League as Chelsea look for a top four finish and a return to the Champions League next season too.

In reality everything you hear about Tuchel suggests he will do anything but focus on the next game on deck and he will be looking to prepare his Chelsea team to the best of ability. Changes are likely to be made as he keeps the squad fresh, but his team look to be responding in the manner the manager will appreciate and the 5 game winning run will give Chelsea real confidence.

I do think Tuchel has been fortunate with the way the fixture list panned out in his first few weeks in charge of Chelsea and he may also be going up against Southampton at the right time.

Injuries have hurt the hosts and confidence has been dented which has seen Southampton lose their last 6 Premier League games including the last 3 in a row at St Mary's. However 2 of those defeats have come in games Southampton have taken the lead and the defensive issues are a problem for Ralph Hasenhuttl that he has yet to resolve.

His team are not completely out of form as they have progressed to the FA Cup Quarter Final through this poor League run, but Southampton have not always been consistent in the final third. Coupled with the defensive worries which has seen Southampton concede at least two goals in 5 of their last 6 games in the Premier League and I think there is every chance that Chelsea can extend their winning run at least one more game.

The Blues have shown an attacking threat in recent games, but they have also been organised defensively and I think that gives them a real edge. Chelsea have also won 5 in a row at St Mary's and I think they are capable of adding another three points here and keeping the pressure on the teams in and around the top four race to stay with them.

Burnley v West Brom Pick: If you are being honest you have to say that both West Brom and Sheffield United are almost certainly heading for Championship Football in the 2021/22 season as both have looked cut off at the bottom of the Premier League table.

Sam Allardyce has plenty of experience to pull teams out of trouble in the Premier League, but he has not had the kind of impact West Brom have wanted and this is a team struggling for results. 2 points from a possible 18 since beating Wolves in the Midlands derby suggests there isn't the confidence in the squad to avoid the drop and West Brom are continuing to concede far too many goals.

At least this weekend they are not facing a top attacking unit and West Brom did restrict Manchester United to a single strike last week.

However Burnley have created a lot of chances in their recent 1-1 home draws against Brighton and Fulham at Turf Moor and only some poor finishing has let them down. They have not been helped by gifting leads to both of those visitors, but Burnley have not offered out a lot of chances to the relegation rivals they have faced and Sean Dyche will have Ben Mee back for this one too.

With the goals that West Brom are conceding I do think Burnley deserve the edge in this match and I think they will find a way to the maximum points. It will be close and another draw can't be ruled out, but that is no good to West Brom and I feel they may have to take the risks which will open spaces for Burnley who have been creating enough to produce one more goal than they concede.

Liverpool v Everton Pick: In recent years the Merseyside derby has become a pattern depending on where the game is played- those at Goodison Park have tended to finish up as draws, while Liverpool have dominated the victories at Anfield and the feeling is that the midweek results have once again given Liverpool the momentum to take into the latest derby.

While Liverpool were bouncing back from their latest Premier League setback with a win over Leipzig in the Champions League, Everton have lost back to back home games against Fulham and Manchester City. They played much better in the second of those games than the first, but Everton will have had some confidence dented.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin could return and that is a boost for Everton, while they have been better away from home than at Goodison Park. In fact Everton are unbeaten in 7 away games in the Premier League and they have scored at least twice in 5 of those fixtures so they won't be worried about taking on a Liverpool backline which is still leaking chances.

At the same time Everton have not looked that convincing at the back themselves and there are signs Liverpool are returning to form in the final third. They created chances against Leicester City and perhaps should have gotten a lot more out of that game than they eventually did, while Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah both scored during the week to give themselves some belief.

Goals at Anfield have not been easy to come by, but Liverpool will feel they can get after an Everton team which has conceded three or more goals in 3 of their last 4 overall. Everton haven't had a clean sheet in the Premier League since Boxing Day and this feels like a derby that could see both teams hitting the back of the net with the strengths being in the final third compared with the defensive third.

Only 3 of the last 9 Merseyside derby games have finished with at least three goals shared out, but that includes the last Premier League game at Anfield which ended 5-2 in favour of the home team. This feels like a game in which both teams will have to use attack as the best form of defence and I think they are likely to be involved in a higher-scoring derby than we are used to seeing.

Fulham v Sheffield United Pick: Two clubs inside the bottom three of the Premier League meeting in late February is clearly going to be a very important fixture and that is the case for Fulham and Sheffield United.

However, I do think this game should mean more to Fulham because they have a much more realistic path to get themselves out of relegation trouble compared with Sheffield United. That doesn't mean the visitors will roll over for Fulham, but the feeling is that even a win for The Blades will only be postponing what looks like an inevitable relegation and so the three points are much crucial to Scott Parker's team.

If Fulham can win they will move to within 3 points of safety having earned 4 points over the last week, while they also hold the goal difference edge over Newcastle United. The victory will give this Fulham team a huge jolt of confidence, but they have not played as well at home as they have away from Craven Cottage and you can't ignore the fact that Fulham are the lowest home scorers in the Division.

At the same time Sheffield United are the only club in the Premier League that have lost at least 10 away League games this season. The Blades have not been sharp enough in the final third having scored just 6 away goals this season and defensively they are liable to a mistake or two which will give teams a chance.

Fulham have been playing better defensively, but this is a team who have been lacking goals. They have been inconsistent in the final third all season, but there have been one or two signs they are finding their feet and Fulham may have a very slight edge in the fixture.

It won't be easy for either team and there will be some tense moments, while a mistake could prove to be the difference on the day. The home team have just shown a little more at both ends of the pitch compared with Sheffield United and I do think Fulham have an opportunity for a big three points to keep the momentum going before fixtures look to be getting a little tougher.

You can't really rule out the draw with confidence, but Sheffield United have not been as solid as their results may indicate and were fortunate not to be beaten by West Brom at home. Fulham are playing a little better than the two teams that are below them in the Premier League table and I think they earn a narrow victory in this game.

West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: The extra days off should really favour West Ham United in this Premier League fixture and they have to take advantage of that if they are going to continue their unexpected challenge for Champions League Football next season.

It is not just the extra days of recovery, but the form has been decent too and that has to be encouragement to David Moyes and his players.

Michail Antonio's absence would be a blow, but West Ham United have continued to create chances without him and I think they are a dangerous team as long as they have belief in their own game. That was not the case in their home defeat to Liverpool last month, but you have to think the players will have learned from that and they should not be in awe of a Tottenham Hotspur team that have been struggling for form.

A big win in the First Leg of the Europa League Last 32 means there is little pressure on the Second Leg and Jose Mourinho can turn his attention to the Premier League. The position looks precarious, but Tottenham Hotspur could be right back in the top four mix with a win at the London Stadium and they have won their last 4 away games at West Ham United.

Tottenham Hotspur have struggled away from home in the Premier League in recent weeks with a single win in their last 7 on their travels. They should have a fresh Harry Kane ready to go, but Tottenham Hotspur will have to be better defensively if they are going to finish in the Champions League spots, which has to be the minimum aim for Jose Mourinho at the end of this season.

Both teams should be strong in the final third with the recent performances they have produced, but neither has looked convincing at the back.

Games between these rivals have tended to be high-scoring and that includes the 3-3 draw at Tottenham Hotspur earlier this season. I have also noted that there are plenty of recent games where the losing team has made late comebacks which have either been completed or come up a little short so neither will feel comfortable until the final whistle is blown and the points are secured.

In 2 of the last 3 Premier League games here, West Ham United have fallen 0-3 down and then almost fully recovered in 2-3 defeats. David Moyes will want a stronger start in this one though, but I do think goals are likely to be the outcome between these teams with at least three expected on Sunday lunchtime.

Aston Villa v Leicester City Pick: This is really a fixture that could develop in a couple of different ways and I am of the feeling that an early goal could open things up.

Neither Aston Villa nor Leicester City will want to give too much away as they both look for a surprising spot in the top four at the end of this season, but Dean Smith's men do have a few more days to rest and prepare for this one. While Leicester City have played in Europe on Thursday, Aston Villa have not been in action since last Saturday evening and they should be ready to go.

They are facing a Leicester City team with some key injuries in the back, but Aston Villa will also be well aware of how good Leicester City have been away from home. Brendan Rodgers will set his team up to counter the spaces Aston Villa do leave and the injury to Matty Cash at right back will be a disruption for the hosts.

Aston Villa have been giving up some massive opportunities of late and this Leicester City team have a very good front line that should be more clinical than the likes of Southampton and Brighton have been. The goalkeeper has been important, but Aston Villa will need to get on the front foot in this one with attack being the best form of defence at times and I do think this will be a decent fixture.

3 of the last 5 between these clubs have finished up with at least three goals shared out and I do think an early goal opens this fixture up.

Both teams should be looking for the maximum points and that should keep the intensity up, but much will depend on a first half goal to prevent the teams from perhaps becoming more and more cautious as they begin to fear defeat than think about the positives of a victory.

Arsenal v Manchester City Pick: The Champions League resumes during the week and Manchester City's focus will turn to that shortly, but Pep Guardiola has made it clear to his players to ignore the schedule and play matches as they come. He will rotate his first eleven to keep players fresh as Manchester City remain in contention for all four competitions they entered back in August and Manchester City are playing with real confidence.

A 17th win in a row in all competitions is keeping the momentum going and Manchester City have won 10 away games in succession. They have scored at least two goals in their last 9 and many of those fixtures have ended in comfortable wins for Manchester City with the strong defence now being backed up by a motivated forward line.

They will feel they can hurt this Arsenal team who have been conceding goals and who have been giving up some chances even when going through a period of better results. Mikel Arteta will be pleased by the progress he is seeing, but his Arsenal team are still lacking consistency and they have not had much success against this Manchester City team.

The last 5 at the Emirates Stadium have not only ended in defeats, but defeats by two or more goal margins. That includes a thumping defeat in the League Cup Quarter Final and Arsenal have also allowed some big chances to Manchester United in a recent goalless draw here.

Ultimately they are now taking on the best team in England and a team that looks to have overcome any injuries that have affected them. This weekend it looks like Manchester City have a much stronger squad all around with the returns of Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan expected and I simply don't think Arsenal will be able to stay with their visitors.

Having had one day less than Manchester City to prepare and travelling back from Italy are other factors going against Arsenal and I think the away team produce an 11th win in a row away from the Etihad Stadium. Like the previous 9, I think Manchester City will win by a good margin too if showing the clinical finishing they have been of late.

Manchester United v Newcastle United Pick: The big win in Italy on Thursday afternoon has set Manchester United up for a comfortable passage to the Last 16 of the Europa League and the hope will be that the result can spark the Premier League form.

A poor 1-1 draw at West Brom last weekend has ended any real hopes of challenging Manchester City for the title, but Manchester United cannot expect to coast into the top four. They have to pick up their form and there will be some pressure on them depending on how their top four rivals have performed in earlier games played this weekend.

Even that won't be an excuse for Manchester United when they host a slumping Newcastle United team. Steve Bruce's men are edging closer and closer towards the bottom three with 7 losses in their last 9 Premier League games, but recent wins at Everton and Southampton have just about kept The Magpies clear of the relegation zone.

However the gap may be as close as 3 points if Fulham have beaten Sheffield United earlier this weekend and that will put pressure on Newcastle United. Despite the bid to play improved attacking football, Steve Bruce's men are struggling in the final third and the injury to Callum Wilson does not help at all.

They have not scored in 5 of their last 6 away games and Manchester United, for all their mistakes at the back, have not given up a huge amount of chances in recent games. It feels like Manchester United will be punished whenever they make mistakes at the moment, but their visitors are without their best striker and I would expect a relatively comfortable evening for the hosts.

Manchester United should have enough attacking threat to break down this Newcastle United team that is likely without Federico Fernandez and I think they can win with what has been a rare clean sheet of late.

Brighton v Crystal Palace Pick: The M23 derby is played on Monday Night Football this week and Brighton look plenty short to win the game at odds on.

They are playing well and Brighton are unbeaten in 6 Premier League games, but last weekend was further evidence of the issues that have dragged them into the relegation battle. Namely they don't score enough goals despite the really good chances they are able to create and I imagine purchasing a striker will be a big request Graham Potter has of the board in the summer.

His team are still churning out results without a consistency in the final third and that is because Brighton have found a really good balance defensively. It has seen them restricting the threat teams are posing against them and Brighton have been able to edge away from the bottom three.

A win on Monday will see them take a big step towards maintaining their Premier League status for another season and Brighton have to be confident they can restrict a Crystal Palace team missing Wilfred Zaha. Without that magic from their best player, Crystal Palace have looked short of ideas and confidence and it has seen them lose back to back games without scoring a goal.

Any derby can produce some strange results though when the form guide may be pointing in one direction, while Crystal Palace did win here last season and were minutes away from beating Brighton at home earlier this season. Roy Hodgson has had plenty of time to work with the players he has available and, despite a long injury list, he will be looking for a much better performance than has been seen in the last 2 League games.

At odds on it is hard to back Brighton, but Crystal Palace can't be trusted without Wilfred Zaha either. Both defences will feel they can get on top of what has been inconsistent attacks to say the least and I would not be surprised if one of these teams fails to score.

Crystal Palace have not scored in 5 of their last 6 away games in all competitions, while Brighton have conceded once in their last 6 Premier League games. During the same run, The Seagulls have only scored 4 goals themselves and have had goalless draws with the likes of Fulham, Newcastle United and Burnley here already this season and so the feeling is we are going to see at least one clean sheet on the scoreboard at the end of this one.

Leeds United v Southampton Pick: The European Football will take most of the headlines during the week, but there are games to be made up in the Premier League and Leeds United and Southampton have found a slot for one of the fixtures they have to complete.

Both teams were involved early this past weekend so they should have had time to prepare, although both Leeds United and Southampton are stretched through injury. It means there are unlikely to be wholesale changes as both clubs look to earn the points to confirm Premier League Football for another season as soon as possible.

That might sound like weak ambitions, but I think it would be the makings of a strong season for a newly promoted club and another who have been involved in too many relegation battles in recent years. Both will have more convincing aims of trying to finish in the top half of the table, while Southampton have the bonus of a FA Cup Quarter Final to be played next month.

Neither team has shown much consistency of late, but Leeds United look to have the edge being at home and with more wins over the last few weeks. The 1-1 draw for Southampton against Chelsea snapped a 6 game losing run in the Premier League and it should be noted that Leeds United look to be the more creative of the two taking part in this one.

You can't really rely on Leeds United to produce a big defensive effort, but they controlled Wolves in the 1-0 defeat on Friday and it was only a ridiculously poor piece of luck which cost them a result. In the last home game Leeds United kept a clean sheet against Crystal Palace too and I do lean towards them earning the victory here.

It won't be easy as Southampton have been a team that can be very good on their day and have attacking players that can cause problems, but containing Leeds United may be beyond them.

Both teams have had inconsistent results over the last month, but the feeling is that Leeds United have been creating more chances than their visitors. With a little more composure in the final third, I think Leeds United will edge to the three points.

MY PICKS: Wolves-Leeds United Over 2.5 Goals

Chelsea

Burnley - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Liverpool-Everton Over 2.5 Goals
Fulham - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Fantasy Football GameWeek 25

It was a solid week for the Fantasy Football team in GW24 with almost 100 points earned and that is without using a Chip.

As I am writing this most in the Community are still waiting to see which fixtures are going to be placed in GameWeek 26 which looks like being the biggest Double GameWeek remaining this season. The comments made by Pep Guardiola before the match against Everton suggests Manchester City will be playing Wolves in GW26 as an addition to the home match against West Ham United, while they will then be facing Southampton the following week.

However it may mean having to wait until close to the GW25 deadline, which is Friday evening, before we get an idea as to how the March calendar is going to look.

That is an issue for my team with the idea that the Bench Boost Chip is best to be employed in DGW26 and with two free transfers to use this week. Both Leeds United and Southampton are on a double this week so I don't really want to touch those assets, but I do have to make use of one and then keep two for the following week when I can shape my squad to cover as many Doubles as possible.

It is causing problems and I am wondering whether Everton and Southampton will be the teams with most DGWs remaining this season if their match scheduled for Monday 1st March is not moved/swapped with another earlier that weekend. If it isn't, they won't be involved in a DGW in 26, but will have at least two matches each that need to be re-scheduled and that is after the Southampton match at Manchester City is already likely to be played in GW27.

By the time most read this we should have a release of the fixtures for GW26, but I would not be surprised if Aston Villa vs Everton is set for a DGW27.

I still believe there will be twelve teams on a DGW, but the irritation would be if Southampton are not one of those teams. It would mean I have as many as six players missing the double, which loses some of the impact of the Bench Boost. That means I will be making my Free Transfer this week as late as possible to the Friday 6:30pm deadline, although I won't be touching the four players in the squad that are scheduled to play twice this week (Che Adams seemingly has been dropped from the starting eleven for Southampton which is a blow, but I will keep him in as he may get at least one full game and a sub appearance in the other).

The most likely transfer will involve Aaron Cresswell as someone who is guaranteed to be playing only one fixture in DGW26 and that coming at Manchester City no less. A bigger decision may be which teams to target to replace him, but much will depend on the fixtures released for March which I am hopeful will be out before the deadline as I have mentioned before.

I will update my team on Twitter around the deadline.