Wimbledon Tennis Day 9 Picks 2026 (Tuesday 7th July)

The Quarter Final was almost fully set as expected, but the two long matches on Centre Court prevented the full day of play being completed and Jiri Lehecka and Alexander Zverev will have to conclude their Fourth Round match on Tuesday.

That is a bonus for those who have tickets for the Centre Court Quarter Finals on Day 9, but both show courts have some excellent tennis to choose from.

Matches look like they are going to be very competitive in what is expected to be very hot conditions in London, although an overcast day should help the players and the fans.

Felix Auger Aliassime-Novak Djokovic over 40.5 games: If this was a Quarter Final played at Wimbledon two years ago, Novak Djokovic would have been a much stronger favourite than is the case in 2026.

The records continue to tumble as Novak Djokovic continues to compete at a decent level, but there is little doubt that this is a player on the slide and winning one more Grand Slam title may end up being an elusive target. Winning at Wimbledon may offer the best route to do that, but Novak Djokovic is in the tougher half of the draw and he is likely going to have to beat two players Ranked higher than himself to earn a spot in the Final on Sunday.

First up is this Quarter Final against Felix Auger Aliassime who just battled through an epic five setter to progress past Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and take his place in the last eight at another Grand Slam. The Canadian will be desperate to show what he can do at the highest level of the sport and there has been plenty to like about the way Auger Aliassime has gone about his business at Wimbledon this year.

The serve has been a huge weapon and Felix Auger Aliassime will need that to be firing to keep Novak Djokovic under pressure.

At his best, Djokovic was one of the greatest return players of all time, but he has struggled with his rhythm at this tournament and he has not won 40% or better of return points in any of the four wins produced. The Third Round win over Arthur Rinderknech will provide Felix Auger Aliassime with some kind of serving blueprint and the latter will certainly feel he has more about his serving than Rinderknech, which should mean having more joy.

Of course there will be plenty of respect for Novak Djokovic, but this is a player who does not have the same kind of movement as he did at his best and that should allow Felix Auger Aliassime to have success.

Novak Djokovic has gotten into the Quarter Final though and that is largely down to the way he has been serving and the match up against a return player like Felix Auger Aliassime should be one that the former World Number One is very comfortable. He will know the younger opponent has the power, but Djokovic has the experience and his serving will set up plenty of cheaper points to keep the scoreboard ticking.

These two players have not played one another in a competitive match since 2022, which will mean there is going to be some feeling out process.

The serving of both players will be important, and it feels like it would be a real surprise if either player is blown away in straight sets.

The underdog has every chance of earning the upset, but Novak Djokovic is always hard to dismiss and this looks like a Quarter Final that could need four, and possibly five sets to determine a winner, which is guiding the selection.

Jannik Sinner - 7.5 games v Jan-Lennard Struff: The defending Champion knows what it takes to win a title at Wimbledon, but Jannik Sinner also has plenty of successes at other Grand Slam events to build up his experience. He will not have been overly concerned about a slow start in this tournament, especially as the top Seed had not been seen since his upset defeat at the French Open, but there are real signs that Jannik Sinner is building up some momentum that could be very difficult to stop before Sunday evening.

The last two Rounds have been improved from the first two Rounds and Jannik Sinner will not be too concerned about facing an opponent he has beaten in all three previous matches on the Tour. One of those wins has been earned on the grass courts and Jannik Sinner is also vastly more experienced with these kind of big tournament matches.

Jan-Lennard Struff has forced his way into a maiden Grand Slam Quarter Final at 36 years old and this run has really come out of a surprising position when you consider warm up tournaments and performances in those.

Serving well has put pressure on his opponents, but Jan-Lennard Struff has also been on the right side of very fine margins and that is going to be difficult to replicate against someone like the World Number One.

In three of the four matches played at Wimbledon, Jan-Lennard Struff has split the first four sets and that will have been a situation where accumulated fatigue could be an issue.

The easiest win came against Daniil Medvedev in terms of it being a straight sets win, but the performance within that will give Jannik Sinner a huge amount of encouragement- Jan-Lennard Struff had been so far behind in each of the three sets played, but Medvedev crumbled in a situation that would be unexpected for the top Seed in the draw.

A bigger factor is the expected rise in heat in London- hot conditions have affected Jannik Sinner negatively in the past, including in Paris at the French Open earlier this year, and the underdog may be looking to keep him out on the court for as long as possible. The serve is one that can be frustrating for any player to deal with, but you have to believe that the inexperience at playing a match of this magnitude is going to be a factor against Struff.

The most likely outcome is that Jannik Sinner will be too good and he may be doubling down focus to avoid being dragged into a scrap in what is likely to be the hottest part of the day.

Jannik Sinner's own serve is one that should contain much of the threat on the other side of the court, while he will look back to the 18 Break Point chances created when facing Jan-Lennard Struff on the grass courts of Halle two years ago. The heat may aid Struff's serving, but Jannik Sinner is expected to have plenty of chances to get on top of him here and may ultimately wear down the lower Ranked player in a relatively comfortable victory.

Jessica Pegula-Coco Gauff over 22.5 games: The Ladies tournament has been decimated by upsets through the opening four Rounds of the 2026 Wimbledon, but there are still a couple of former Grand Slam Champions involved and they will be looking to use all of their experience to add this title to the collection.

One of those is Coco Gauff who made her first significant breakthrough on the Tour on these grounds back in 2019 when reaching the Fourth Round as a 15 year old.

Two Grand Slam titles have been won and Coco Gauff has reached the Semi Final at three of the Majors played, but it is a real surprise that the only event in which she had not played in a Quarter Final is right here at Wimbledon. That will change when she steps onto the court to face her compatriot on Tuesday, but Coco Gauff has been set as the underdog and that does not quite sit right.

Where Coco Gauff has shown she can win the biggest matches, Jessica Pegula has found her tennis stifled more often than not when the same opportunities have come up and at 32 years old, there will be a feeling that Pegula will not have a better chance to finally win a Grand Slam.

Jessica Pegula had lost the first six Quarter Final Grand Slam matches she played, although credit has to be given to the American for making it that far in every Grand Slam tournament. More recently things have begun to change and Pegula has won her last three Grand Slam Quarter Finals, but she has only made the single Final from all of those chances and finished Runner Up at the 2024 US Open.

Despite some of the performances in grass court tournaments ahead of Wimbledon, this has easily been the poorest of the Grand Slams for Jessica Pegula- she has reached the Quarter Final once before, but had only made the Third Round on one other occasion until the run to the last eight this year.

Both players have had to come through one tough match, which has to be respected, but Coco Gauff is the more battle-hardened.

Hot conditions will likely mean the extra tennis played could be a factor going against Gauff, but she will understand the match up considering the eight previous matches against one another.

Jessica Pegula is right to be favourite having won five of those matches, but also playing the superior tennis at this tournament, but pressure could ramp up the closer she gets to the winning line and that is where Coco Gauff can fight back. It feels like a match that will be won in either two very competitive sets or both players will be controlling a set apiece before a decider is needed.

With all that being said, this Quarter Final looks like one that will surpass the total games line that has been set.

Naomi Osaka-Karolina Muchova over 22.5 games: The Final at Bad Homburg last month ended prematurely when Naomi Osaka had to withdraw and allow Karolina Muchova to pick up the title, but they meet again at Wimbledon in a huge Quarter Final.

This is a tournament that feels wide open on the Ladies side of the event and the winner of this one is going to be full of belief that they can go all the way and pick up the title on Saturday afternoon.

Eight matches have been won between the players at Wimbledon and only a single set has been dropped- Naomi Osaka has the best win on the board as she crushed Aryna Sabalenka in the Fourth Round, but she had not been beyond the Third Round at this Grand Slam before, while Karolina Muchova is playing in the Quarter Final for the third time, but who had suffered four opening Round defeats in a row before her run to the last eight this season.

The raw numbers point to Naomi Osaka playing the superior tennis, but Karolina Muchova is playing at a consistently high level too and has been comfortable through the opening four Rounds.

It is very clear that the serve is going to be key for both players having been an important part of their tennis in the run to the Quarter Final and especially in the conditions expected in London. The higher temperatures are going to be a real challenge for the players to deal with, but Naomi Osaka and Karolina Muchova are scheduled to come out in the late afternoon and that may allow them to play their tennis with more authority as the heat begins to cool.

Regardless, it will be a hot day and both Osaka and Muchova are very well aware of what the other brings to the court.

They have faced off in big matches having played one another at the 2024 US Open, 2025 Australian Open and 2025 US Open and Naomi Osaka should take great encouragement from having won the last two of those matches. The most recent was in the US Open Quarter Final, but it was a very competitive match and another is expected when Karolina Muchova and Osaka meet again on Tuesday.

The layers have perhaps got it right by having Naomi Osaka down as a favourite, but Karolina Muchova is comfortable on the grass courts and can play her part in a Quarter Final that may end up needing a deciding set.

MY PICKS: Felix Auger Aliassime-Novak Djokovic Over 40.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 7.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Jessica Pegula-Coco Gauff Over 22.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

Naomi Osaka-Karolina Muchova Over 22.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 33-31, - 8.76 Units (126 Units Staked, - 6.95% Yield)

2026 World Cup- Last 16 Knock Out Round (Saturday 4th July-Tuesday 7th July)

This is the time of any World Cup tournament when things move forward at a real pace and the Last 16 has pitted together some of the very best nations on the international stage.

With the Knock Out Bracket laid out, it does feel like France have benefited from some of the early upsets in the tournament, although they have yet to be really tested.

Spain versus Portugal looks to be the tie of the Last 16 Round, while all eyes in England are on the trip to the Azteca Stadium on Sunday night, which had been something they will have anticipated soon after the draw for the 2026 World Cup had been made.

It has been a solid tournament so far for the selections, but the challenges become tougher with teams much more evenly matched moved into the Last 16 and beyond.

Ties have been scheduled for four days beginning on Saturday, American Independence Day, and concluding with what looks to be an interesting fixture between Switzerland and Colombia on Tuesday.

This will lead to the first break of the tournament with Wednesday set for no action, but then the Quarter Final matches begin and those still involved will really be dreaming of picking up the World Cup on Sunday 19th July.

World Cup Last 16 Picks

Saturday 4th July

Canada vs Morocco Pick: At this stage of the World Cup, Canada are going to be feeling like they are playing with 'house money' having matched the ambitions that would have been set out before a ball had been kicked.

They made it out of the Group Stage and scored very late on to beat South Africa in the Last 32 and this should allow Canada to play with some freedom.

Unfortunately for them, they are also stepping up the level considerably when facing Morocco in the Last 16, although the latter did have to go through Extra Time and Penalties to see off the Netherlands in the last Round. In the hot and humid conditions of the United States, that could be a problem for Morocco, especially as that last Round fixture was played in Mexico where the intense conditions are not being managed by playing under a roof.

Morocco also played over twenty-four hours later than Canada, but they have all of the qualities needed to win this match and they are also a much more experienced squad.

The only criticism you could have of Morocco is that they do not score a lot of goals- they have begun games quite well and scored early against Brazil and Scotland, but Morocco have also shown they can maintain their belief very late on against Haiti and Netherlands. This is also a team that has defended pretty well and it is going to be very tough for Canada, although odds on quotes for a Morocco win look a touch on the short side.

However, four years ago, Morocco scored two early goals on their way to a win over Canada at the 2022 World Cup Finals and they have been the superior team in the competition. There has been a lot of determination shown by Canada and they will cause problems, which could see them manage at least nine shots against a Morocco team that can sometimes sit back and look to soak up the pressure.

A direct Canada approach can see the team in a position to try and test out their shooting boots and Canada have had at least twelve shots in every game at this tournament.

Paraguay vs France Pick: After beating one European giant in the Knock Out Rounds, Paraguay take aim at one of the favourites to win the World Cup and it would be a much bigger upset if they can take down France compared to beating Germany.

They rode their luck in that win over Germany- Paraguay almost blew the Penalty Shoot Out when in a commanding position, while an extremely controversial VAR intervention prevented Germany from taking the lead in Extra Time as the Paraguayans looked shattered.

It has been a few days of recovery for Paraguay, but this really doe feel like the end of the line.

France have been looking incredible in the final third and that threat has meant teams have been a little wary to get forward and test this vulnerable defence. That will change the longer we go into this World Cup tournament, but Paraguay may not have the energy nor the quality to really take the risks needed.

Instead they will likely set up deep and hope to frustrate the French, although that looks like it will be too great a challenge for them. The United States win over Paraguay was in the opening match of the tournament, but performances since have suggested this is a team that may have reached its ceiling in the 2026 World Cup and France should be a relatively comfortable winners when all is said and done.

Sunday 5th July

Brazil vs Norway Pick: It will be mentioned a few times in any broadcast that you may be tuning into, but Brazil have never beaten Norway and you have to wonder if that will have an impact on the way this Last 16 tie at the 2026 World Cup is played out.

There was a time when Norway would have been considered a dark horse for a major international tournament, but they have flattered to deceive and this squad is perhaps flying under the radar.

That should give them some freedom to perform, but Norway have been relying on out-scoring opponents and that has worked against the teams other than France. Wins over Iraq, Senegal and Ivory Coast have come in fixtures where Norway have scored at least twice, but a much changed team were thumped by France 4-1 in the Group Stage.

Norway will cause problems going forward- they are certainly stronger in the final third than the defensive third and this Brazil team has issues in midfield and full back areas that can be exploited. They did earn back to back clean sheets in the Group Stage against Scotland and Haiti, but Morocco were hurting Brazil and Japan really put them under early pressure before being worn down.

Carlo Ancelotti's experience makes Brazil dangerous and he has got his tactical advice and subs right at key times.

There is no doubt that Brazil have threats in the final third that will be looking forward to facing a Norway team that have conceded twice against Senegal and once each against Iraq and Ivory Coast. The latter gave as good as they got in the Last 32, but Brazil are stronger in the final third with the likes of Vini Jr and Matheus Cunha in good form.

Raphinha is back in training and could provide a boost off the bench if he is needed and the edge here is with Brazil to come through a high-scoring Last 16 tie and finally get the Norway issue off the back.

Mexico vs England Pick: The hope for those watching back home is that England are not going to be talking themselves into a mental issue about the altitude with the entire build up to this Last 16 tie focused on the conditions expected in Mexico City.

It is an away game in a World Cup and the home crowd are going to be passionate and loud, but England should feel they have the greater quality in the starting eleven and the stronger depth off the bench. This should make the difference as they bid to stop Mexico reaching the World Cup Quarter Final and matching runs in tournaments hosted in 1970 and 1986, although there has to be respect for the team in green.

Mexico have played well in the tournament, but the schedule has not been the most taxing.

They were better than South Africa, Czechia and Ecuador, but the margins were not that great, while South Korea will feel they were one goalkeeping mistake away from earning a positive result. The raw numbers suggest Mexico have made the most of their chances, but they have also been pretty effective defensively, although this England attacking unit is by far and away the best they will have faced in the tournament and perhaps for several months.

England have not been at their best so far in the tournament, but that is not a negative thing if they continue to create the better chances than their opponents and contain most of the threats. Defensive lapses of concentration have been punished, but England have bounced back to show the teeth in the final third and that can be the case in this Last 16 tie.

The key here will be to settle into the game and conditions- don't concede before the first hydration break and England can work into the fixture... If they do concede, Mexico will rely on their organisation to frustrate and work the counter attacks and so it feels the fixture can be decided that early.

There is no doubt England have the better personnel, but the challenges to overcome are all mental- this is a good 'prove it' ground for Thomas Tuchel and his team and the feeling is that they can win this one and really boost confidence in going all the way at this tournament.

It may need Extra Time before the depth of England really shines through though and backing the European nation to qualify for the Quarter Finals is the play.

Monday 6th July

Portugal vs Spain Pick: Games between these two neighbours have tended to be very competitive in recent years and that includes the 2-2 draw in the Nations League Final that was eventually won on Penalties by Portugal.

They have not looked their best at this tournament, but the familiarity with an opponent like Spain will give Portugal plenty of belief.

There is a real sense of pressure on both sets of players with this tie set for the Last 16- an exit here would be seen as a big disappointment back home and that will be something at the back of the mind of those on the pitch.

It can build a pressure and Spain will know they are likely to be tested in this fixture more than any other played at the tournament.

Luis de la Fuente's team have looked pretty good going forward, but they will be hoping Nico Williams can have a healthy conclusion to the tournament to give his team a bit more balance. Others have stepped up, but Williams can be an 'x factor' on the other side of the pitch to Lamine Yamal and makes Spain that much tougher to defend.

They will feel they were the better team when these two met in the Nations League Final last year and Spain can create the superior chances, even if Portugal have a lot of talent in the forward areas. The latter have perhaps been more clinical than Spain when chances have come up, but it still feels like the superior balance in the starting eleven is with the defending European Champions and Spain can eventually Qualify for the Quarter Final.

Backing them to do that in a match where they have at least four shots on target brings up a decent price and Spain can do just enough to get the better of their Iberian neighbours.

United States vs Belgium Pick: There is already a huge amount of controversy attached to this Last 16 tie when FIFA announced that Folarin Balogun would not have to serve a suspension after being sent off in the Last 32 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina. He scored for the United States, but it has been made clear that President Trump asked for Balogun to be available for selection and Gianni Infantino has rolled out the red carpet.

This is a story that is going to run and run and everyone involved is being rightly criticised having changed rules on the fly to seemingly ensure Infantino's connections are not going to be upset.

You have to feel for Belgium, who described hearing the news as wondering if it was an April Fool's Day joke, but this is an experienced group of players that battled back to beat Senegal when the game looked lost. They have to lean on that performance, while the backs against the wall motivation is going to be clear to see.

It feels inevitable that Balogun will score, but the United States have yet to be tested at this World Cup and that is not going to be the case at the end of this Last 16 tie.

Belgium will believe they can create chances against this defence and that can make up for some of the lax defending that has been produced.

Whether it is enough to progress is to be seen, but United States and Belgium could be involved in a high-scoring tie as the last of the co-hosts fight to progress.

Tuesday 7th July

Argentina vs Egypt Pick: After barely scraping past Cape Verde, the critics have been sharpening the knives about this Argentina team and wondering how far they can go into the defence of the World Cup won in Qatar in 2022.

It was a really tough Last 32 tie for Argentina who could not get themselves out of second gear for much of the contest, although rallying in Extra Time will give the team some belief.

They face another African Qualifier in the Last 16 and Argentina will be aware that Egypt are going to cause a fair few problems for them.

Egypt were not at their best in the Penalty Shoot Out win over Australia, but they do have players capable of getting forward with real quality and that should pose a problem for the World Champions. They have players like Mo Salah and Omar Marmoush who will be expecting to find some spaces and it could see Egypt produce at least eight shots in this match.

However, it would be a big surprise if they are capable of upsetting one of the favourites on the form shown in this tournament.

Argentina have yet to hit a peak performance, but will be encouraged by the amount of goals they continue to score and they can win a match where Egypt offer threat throughout.

Switzerland vs Colombia Pick: This looks to be a fascinating final tie in the Last 16 Round and it certainly feels like a match that could easily go the entire way to a Penalty Shoot Out.

There is going to be very little between Switzerland and Colombia, and both will appreciate that the other represents a really awkward test to earn a spot in the Quarter Final.

Colombia did outplay Portugal in the Group Stage, but they have been a team that have just struggled to put a composed final touch to the football being produced.

Scoring goals has been less of a concern for Switzerland, but they have not been as convincing defensively until the 2-0 win over Algeria in the Last 32 and that is perhaps why they have been set as the underdog in this one.

The first goal could end up being crucial with Colombia showing plenty of grit at the back with three clean sheets in a row and a single goal conceded in the 2026 World Cup.

An early goal could change the rhythm and tempo of this fixture, but the expectation is that neither is going to want to give anything away and that could lead to a fixture in which at least one of the teams fail to score.

MY PICKS: Canada Team Over 8.5 Shots @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

France Win to Nil @ 1.77 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Brazil to Win & Over 1 Total Goal @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

England to Qualify @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Spain to Qualify & Over 3.5 Shots on Target @ 1.70 Bet365 (1 Unit)

United States-Belgium Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.70 William Hill (1 Unit)

Argentina to Win & Egypt Over 7.5 Shots @ 2.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Switzerland-Colombia Both Teams to Score- NO @ 1.91 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Last 16: 6-2, + 2.52 Units (8 Units Staked, + 31.5o% Yield)

Last 32: 10-6, + 4.38 Units (16 Units Staked, + 27.38% Yield)

Group Stage MD 3: 11-11-1, - 1.29 Units (23 Units Staked, - 5.61% Yield)

Group Stage MD 2: 16-8, + 7.44 Units (24 Units Staked, + 31% Yield)

Group Stage MD 1: 12-12, - 0.30 Units (24 Units Staked, - 1.25% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 7 Picks 2024 (Sunday 7th July)

It’s been a couple of busy days so selections are out later than I would have hoped, although still way before matches are due out on court.

I will update the Wimbledon totals in the Day 8 thread.

Madison Keys - 3.5 games v Jasmine Paolini: So much has changed for the World Number 7 since she last played Madison Keys in Dubai in February 2023.

Jasmine Paolini was able to win just two games in a comfortable defeat to Madison Keys, but the Italian was the World Number 64 on that occasion and she had to Qualify for the main draw.

Twelve months later, Jasmine Paolini was winning the title in Dubai to show that she is much more than a clay court player and the improvements of the last year have been clear to see. Even playing on the grass, which has been unfamiliar to Paolini, has posed little problems thanks to the confidence in her own tennis.

She had a run to the Eastbourne Semi Final in the week prior to the third Grand Slam of the season beginning and Jasmine Paolini, the French Open Runner Up, is now playing in the second week at Wimbledon too. Three wins in SW19 will have really boosted Jasmine Paolini and she is playing in the weaker half of the Ladies draw which will mean confidence in reaching back to back Grand Slam Finals.

Jasmine Paolini has been playing well and her ability to get returns into play and then the speed around the court have made her very difficult to beat.

However, Madison Keys poses the biggest threat to the Italian so far in the tournament and Keys has won all three matches here without dropping a set.

The styles are very different- Jasmine Paolini will work hard for her points and use defence and speed to turn things around, while Madison Keys has a big serve and booming groundstrokes. The key, pardon the pun, for the American is going to be avoiding leaking too many Unforced Errors as she perhaps feels she has to go for the lines to break through the Paolini defences, but serving well is also important for Madison Keys to allow her to play first-strike tennis.

The Keys second serve can sometimes be vulnerable and that is what Jasmine Paolini will look to exploit, but the former has beaten one Italian player already this past week and that should stand her in good stead as to what to expect from this Fourth Round opponent.

Make no mistake, Jasmine Paolini is playing at a much higher level than Martina Trevisan, but Madison Keys will know what is needed to win this kind of match.

Nothing ever comes easy for the World Number 13 and Madison Keys can sometimes be guilty of putting too much pressure on herself and ultimately capitulating within a match. That is a concern against someone like Paolini who will always look to make an opponent play one more ball, but Madison Keys may just have the edge on the grass courts to work her way past the higher Ranked of the two players.

Coco Gauff - 4.5 games v Emma Navarro: The bottom half of the Ladies draw might be the weaker of the two going into the Fourth Round, but this final Quarter looks incredibly tough.

Three American players are involved and three of the top 13 in the World Rankings are playing in this section just to reach the Semi Final.

Coco Gauff has looked every bit the kind of player that has been tipped up to reach the Wimbledon Final after Aryna Sabalenka withdrew on the eve of her own First Round match. Winning is one thing, but Coco Gauff has been winning in dominant fashion and that will have given her a lot of confidence as she chases a place in the Wimbledon Quarter Final for the first time.

There were moments in the Third Round when Gauff looked a little rattled by the home crowd who were firmly behind British player Sonay Kartal, but a strong second set underlined the status of the World Number 2.

Before that Third Round match, Coco Gauff admitted she had seen very little of her opponent but that is not going to be the case in the Fourth Round against the fast improving Emma Navarro.

Playing College Tennis before joining the Tour has been a very positive approach for a number of players on both the ATP and WTA Tour and Emma Navarro is the latest. She was the Collegiate Champion in 2021, while the improvement as a professional is underlined by the fact that Navarro was outside the top 50 of the World Rankings at Wimbledon in 2023, but is the World Number 17 this time around.

While she will not be thinking about a loss, Emma Navarro is going to be at a new career World Ranking mark at the end of the tournament even in a Fourth Round defeat and being Seeded at the US Open will be a big achievement. The 23 year old played well on the grass courts of Bad Homburg in preparation for Wimbledon when reaching the Semi Final, but Emma Navarro will know that this is a big test of her credentials.

She will not be intimidated having crushed a four time Grand Slam Champion Naomi Osaka in the Second Round and she avenged her Semi Final defeat to Diana Shnaider at Bad Homburg by beating the same opponent from a set behind in the Third Round.

Much like Coco Gauff, Emma Navarro will be very familiar with the tennis she is expecting to see and will be determined to be much stronger than when winning four games on the Auckland hard courts back in January against this opponent. She has improved from Number 31 in the World Rankings, but the key will be to find a way into the Coco Gauff serve and that is where the World Number 2 might have enough of an advantage.

The second serve was attacked relentlessly in the Third Round and Coco Gauff is capable of doing the same in this one, while the top Seed in the bottom half is serving very well.

With the crowd back behind her, Coco Gauff might just have a bit too much for Emma Navarro at this stage of their respective careers and that should see the higher Ranked American come through with a solid win.

MY PICKS: Madison Keys - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Coco Gauff - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 5 Picks 2023 (July 7th)

The rain stayed away from Wimbledon for the first time this week and we are due to have what is likely to be the hottest day of the tournament on Friday as another long day at The Championships is set to take place.

Ultimately by the end of Friday evening the hope will be that the tournament is where it should have been and that is having half of the Fourth Round matches confirmed. While it will be a busy day in tough conditions for those out there, it does look like a day where plenty of tennis will be able to be played and that can only be good news for the organisers ahead of what looks to be another few days of inconsistent weather.

Day 4 proved to be a mixed one for the Tennis Picks, but some of those that failed to get over the line were frustrating to see.

Players had enough chances or started too slowly, which can be irritating to see, but plenty of others put the wins together and that can only be appreciated.

With Second Round and Third Round matches set to be played on Friday, it looks to be another long day of selections which can be read below.

Carlos Alcaraz - 8.5 games v Alexandre Muller: He overcame the odds in the First Round when seeing off compatriot Arthur Rinderknech, but it is going to take something special from Alexandre Muller to beat Carlos Alcaraz in the Second Round at Wimbledon.

If you think the Spaniard and World Number 1 has limited grass court experience, it is actually Muller who has had the fewer matches on this surface and not much would have been expected from the current World Number 84.

Alexandre Muller is set for a new career high World Ranking having shown improvement to reach his current best mark at the end of June. The First Round win will have given him a few more Ranking points and the Frenchman can certainly head out onto court knowing he has very little to lose in this match.

However, Alexandre Muller is going to be a big underdog even if he throws caution to the wind and his prior numbers on the grass courts will not have offered a lot of encouragement. Winning matches can change the mindset, but Alexandre Muller will know that he has a serious gap to bridge to Carlos Alcaraz and a 3-6 mark against top 50 Ranked opponents in his relatively young career won't offer a lot of encouragement.

Holding just 66% of service games played against those stronger players will be a problem as Alexandre Muller prepares to face Carlos Alcaraz fresh off a very strong First Round win over Jeremy Chardy. Things got tighter for Alcaraz in the third set, but he had already put himself in a very strong position by then and there is no doubting the focus of the Queen's Champion.

Carlos Alcaraz has a serve that should be a big weapon on the grass courts, but he has impressed with his return over the last month and it could be tough for Alexandre Muller if the top Seed is anywhere near his best.

Spreads like this one can be tough to cover if an opponent is serving at a huge level, but Carlos Alcaraz is expected to get into enough of the return games to wear down Alexandre Muller. Even if one of the sets is very competitive, Carlos Alcaraz is breaking in 27% of return games played on the grass before the tournament began and he should be able to find enough of those in this Second Round match to move through without too many dramas.

Holger Rune - 7.5 games v Roberto Carballas Baena: Facing a home player at a Grand Slam is always a tough challenge, even for the most hardened of professionals, so Holger Rune has to be given a lot of credit for the way he handled the First Round at Wimbledon. An unfamiliar opponent was one issue, but Holger Rune would not have been accustomed to the rain delays that Wimbledon veterans will know all too well and so the manner of his victory has to be given a lot of respect.

He is one of the talented next generation on the Tour and Holger Rune reached the Semi Final at Queen's Club after failing to win a grass court match previously. That run will have given him a lot of confidence and the Danish player will also have appreciated the way the draw has shaped up to give him a chance to really work his way into this Grand Slam.

Holger Rune is a big favourite when taking on Roberto Carballas Baena who is a clay court specialist that does not usually spend a lot of time on the grass courts. After dropping the first set in the First Round, Roberto Carballas Baena was able to roll through his match and that will have given him plenty of belief to take into this match as the Spaniard perhaps looks for his experience to give him an opportunity to upset a top ten Seed.

This is asking quite a lot of Roberto Carballas Baena who has an 1-11 record against top 100 Ranked opponents on the grass courts and that drops to 0-3 when only looking at top 50 opponents. Of course Holger Rune is perhaps not as experienced as some of the others Roberto Carballas Baena may have had to face in the Second Round, but it will need a special effort from the Spaniard who has seen his serve attacked by the better players on the Tour on this surface.

Roberto Carballas Baena has beaten Holger Rune on the clay courts in 2022, which will give him confidence, but the latter is improving at a rapid rate in each passing week on the Tour. Holger Rune has been playing really well over the last month and his serve is a potent weapon when the youngster is on form.

If he can just look after that aspect of his tennis, Holger Rune should find Break Point opportunities and he can work his way into another strong win at Wimbledon.

Andrey Rublev - 5.5 games v David Goffin: Wins at the 2017 US Open and 2020 Australian Open may have been seen as upsets when Andrey Rublev got the better of David Goffin, but in 2023 the Russian is a significant favourite when they meet in the Third Round of Wimbledon.

Rain delays have meant both had to play on Day 4 of The Championships and will be back out on court on Day 5 to try and help get this tournament back on schedule. Both players were forced to go four sets in Second Round wins, but it would be a surprise if fitness issues are a massive concern, especially for Andrey Rublev.

His win over compatriot Aslan Karatsev saw Andrey Rublev serving really well and putting his opponent under pressure and the serve is going to be very important for him. It was an important weapon for Andrey Rublev in the two Grand Slam wins he holds over David Goffin, while he also served really well on his way to the Final in Halle to build the grass court confidence for a player who has not had his best Grand Slam results in South West London.

No one should be overlooking the ability of David Goffin who reached the Wimbledon Quarter Final just twelve months ago, even if his grass court warm up run was not as impressive as the Belgian would have liked. In that run at Wimbledon, David Goffin beat Frances Tiafoe last year and he pushed Cameron Norrie to his limits so this is a player that can be very effective on this surface and will not have spent too much energy in winning his two matches.

It may have been different if Nick Kyrgios had taken his place in the draw as he was set to face David Goffin in the First Round, but the injury opened things up for Goffin and he deserves respect for taking advantage.

This time it will likely be much tougher for David Goffin and his service numbers have not been as strong in the build up to Wimbledon as they were last year. He will have to be aware that he is facing an opponent who looks to be returning efficiently on the grass and this is likely going to be the key to the outcome of this Third Round match with the expectation that Andrey Rublev will create more Break Points.

Nothing ever comes easy against David Goffin and his last three Grand Slam losses have come in five sets to suggest he is not going to go away even if he falls behind.

However, Andrey Rublev has found ways to beat David Goffin in these Slam events before and his game looks to be in pretty good shape at Wimbledon so he can find a way to break down the veteran as Rublev reaches the second week at this Grand Slam for the second time.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 8.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Holger Rune - 7.5 Games @ 1.80 Coral (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Alex De Minaur - 1.5 Sets @ 2.20 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Botic Van De Zandschlup @ 2.40 Coral (2 Units)

Christopher O'Connell @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Novak Djokovic - 7.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Denis Shapovalov - 1.5 Sets @ 1.66 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Aryna Sabalenka - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Coral (2 Units)

Jessica Pegula - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Sofia Kenin @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Donna Vekic @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Bianca Andreescu - 1.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 33-27, + 6.12 Units (120 Units Staked, + 5.10% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 11 Picks 2022 (July 7th)

After a pretty miserable Day 9 for the Tennis Picks, I could not have asked for much more than a perfect Day 10 and now the tournament is down to the final four days.

The Women's Semi Finals are first up before the Men's Semi Finals take place on Friday as Wimbledon comes to a crescendo once again.

MY PICKS: Ons Jabeur - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Elena Rybakina + 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Wimbledon 2022: 51-45, + 5.08 Units (192 Units Staked, + 2.65% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 9 Picks 2021 (July 7th)

It's just been one of those weeks where things have built up all around me and so this is another shorter post than I would have expected.

The Tennis Picks at Day 9 at Wimbledon shifts the focus to the Men's Quarter Finals and there are some good looking matches set to be played.

Novak Djokovic - 8.5 games v Marton Fucsovics: It is never easy to win a Grand Slam and there are always dangers lurking in a draw, but Novak Djokovic has to be a strong favourite having won the last two editions of Wimbledon. He has extended his winning streak to eighteen matches here after crushing Cristian Garin in the Fourth Round and Novak Djokovic is playing with a confidence and a belief that is going to be very hard to shake no matter who lines up across the other side of the net.

Novak Djokovic dropped his opening set at this year's Wimbledon, but he has won twelve sets in a row since then and has been largely untroubled.

Now he goes up against Marton Fucsovics who benefited from an early retirement in the Second Round, but has been forced to dig deep in matches all around that. It says something that he has spent considerably more time on the court than Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon already despite going through in the Second Round before the second set was completed, but the former Junior Champion in SW19 has been playing really well here again.

A couple of long four setters have been won by the Hungarian, but he needed to come from 2-1 down to take out Andrey Rublev in the Fourth Round, an impressive achievement considering the amount of times he has been beaten by the Russian already this season. That will inspire Marton Fucsovics, but he will also know he needs to be better if he is going to get his teeth into the World Number 1 who has become the dominant grass court player in the world in recent years.

The problem for Marton Fucsovics is that he may not be able to serve well enough to keep Novak Djokovic at bay- he has been broken at least three times in the three completed matches played this week. In this Quarter Final Fucsovics is taking on one of the strongest return players on the Tour and I do think that can make a difference for him as he builds the pressure on his tennis.

I expect Marton Fucsovics to cause problems for Novak Djokovic with his returning ability and the tennis translates very well on the grass courts, but the World Number 1 is playing at a very strong level. He has been serving so effectively in the tournament so far and I think Novak Djokovic will be able to wear down Marton Fucsovics.

They have met twice before and both times Marton Fucsovics was able to take a set from Novak Djokovic. However, I think the World Number 1 is playing at an extremely high level at the moment and may be too strong in this Quarter Final and especially when noting how much longer Marton Fucsovics has been out on the courts compared with Novak Djokovic.

A big spread is one that Fucsovics can cover at his best, but Novak Djokovic may be playing at a level that will be difficult for the Hungarian to reach and it may result in a fairly one-sided match when all is said and done.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 8.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Denis Shapovalov - 1.5 Sets @ 1.66 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Matteo Berrettini - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Roger Federer - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 59-45, + 15.56 Units (208 Units Staked, + 7.48% Yield)

Euro 2020 Semi Final Picks 2021 (July 6th-7th)

We are down to the final four at the delayed Euro 2020 Finals and all four teams remaining have been one of the 'hosts' at the tournament.

I do think it has underlined the difficulty for those teams that have travelled from day one of the tournament and it may be something that gives England the edge even if all four Semi Finalists are heading to London after Quarter Final wins littered around Europe.

Hosting both Semi Finals and the Final is huge for England though and many believe 'it's coming home', although I think Italy, Spain and Denmark will all be heading into these remaining ties filled with much belief of their own.

Hopefully we have three fun matches left to watch before the attention will soon turn to the World Cup that begins in less than eighteen months time.

Tuesday 6th July

Italy vs Spain Pick: The last time Italy played at Wembley Stadium they produced their worst performance of the Euro 2020 Finals when narrowly getting past Austria having needed Extra Time to beat the underdog. They were much better in their win over Belgium in Munich, but Roberto Mancini will return to England with his players knowing they can't have another sub-par performance in London if they are going to progress to the Final of Euro 2020.

It has been a remarkable turnaround from Italy who have been courageous going forward but without losing their strong defensive identity. Belgium created chances, but Italy held firm in their Quarter Final win and they are now coming up against a Spain team who have been inconsistent in the final third.

Spain are coming back from St Petersburg where they needed Penalties to see off Switzerland, but it was another match in which loose finishing threatened to cost them. This is a team that has looked good going forward until the final shot/pass and that kind of level is not going to be good enough to beat Italy.

Luis Enrique will know that, but his Spain team are still in the tournament and surpassing most expectations by reaching the Semi Final. They have largely been in control defensively, but Spain make too many mistakes and a high pressing Italy team is likely going to be in a position to turn the ball over and cause massive problems for the Spanish.

If Italy can get Spain chasing the fixture, it could be a match in which the counter attack is hugely effective and I do think Italy are the better team.

However, Spain can play their part in the fixture with their strong attacking approach and I would not be surprised if it is similarly open as the Belgium-Italy Quarter Final was a few days ago.

The longer trip Spain have been on and the emotional match they were a part of may ultimately cost them though and I think Italy will likely win a high-scoring game.

Wednesday 7th July

England vs Denmark Pick: Both England and Denmark would have welcomed being in the weaker half of the Knock Out draw and I think both teams have played well enough in their wins over the last ten days to give themselves a lot of confidence.

England have beaten Germany and Ukraine in the last two Rounds and have yet to concede a goal in the tournament and hosting the Semi Final will surely give them a real advantage through the remainder of the tournament. Earlier on they were being criticised for a lack of goals, but England have scored 6 goals in their Knock Out wins and Harry Kane is back amongst the goals.

Gareth Southgate will be confident, but England are also under some pressure to deliver a first major international tournament since 1966.

That is a far longer wait than Denmark have had who won the 1992 European Championships and looked like real dark horses in this tournament. They have only lost 4 of their last 33 games and 3 of those came against Belgium, while the other to Finland was in extraordinary circumstances after Christian Eriksen's collapse and all of the worry that his team-mates had surrounding that moment.

It might have become a rallying moment for Denmark though and the team have won 3 games in a row while scoring 10 goals in those wins.

This isn't just a fairytale for Denmark though and I think there was a genuine feeling they could have a big tournament before a ball was kicked. A good manager and a team that is greater than the sum of its parts could not be underestimated and Denmark have played really well in the tournament to feel like they can upset the odds here.

They have done it before- it isn't that long ago since Denmark took four points from England in the Nations League, although the win at Wembley Stadium came after the hosts had been reduced to ten and then nine men. Even then it was a tight victory for Denmark and the game in Copenhagen ended goalless which suggests we could see some nervous moments when the teams clash in a much bigger situation in the Euro 2020 Semi Final on Wednesday.

While England deserve their spot as favourites and especially with Denmark travelling to London from Baku after their Quarter Final win, I do think the Danes can make things very difficult. They have the size to cope with the set pieces and Denmark have some real pace and quality in the final third which will make them dangerous.

My feeling is that both managers are going to urge a touch of caution despite the goals each team have been scoring in the Knock Out Rounds and we could see something similar to the two Nations League meetings. A single goal was scored across two matches and even that was through a Penalty and my feeling is that both England and Denmark have played well enough defensively to see at least one clean sheet produced in this Semi Final.

An early goal will change the whole picture, but I think this will be the tighter of the two to be played and backing one, or both, to fail to hit the back of the net is the play.

MY PICKS: Italy-Spain Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.37 Bet Victor (2 Units)

England-Denmark Both Teams to Score- NO @ 1.72 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Quarter Final: 2-2, + 0.50 Units (8 Units Staked, + 6.25% Yield)

Last 16: 2-6, - 8.30 Units (16 Units Staked, - 51.88% Yield)

Group Stage: 21-15, + 11.96 Units (71 Units Staked, + 16.85% Yield)

Match Day 3: 9-3, + 12.40 Units (23 Units Staked, + 53.91% Yield)

Match Day 2: 5-7, - 3.54 Units (24 Units Staked, - 14.75% Yield)

Match Day 1: 7-5, + 3.10 Units (24 Units Staked, + 12.92% Yield)

Midweek Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2020 (July 7-9)

July is going to be a strange month for English Football fans as the Premier League and Championship wrap up their 2019/20 seasons with games being played almost every day until the 26th.

It does mean the Fantasy Football deadlines for each GW are at times when we won't have the full team news from each and every Premier League game as we would usually get, although my decision to Wild Card and Bench Boost across three GameWeeks turned out to be a positive move.

More on that later.

Before that you can read my thoughts about the upcoming Premier League games below.


Crystal Palace v Chelsea Pick: The first game of the latest round of Premier League fixtures gives Chelsea a big chance to stamp their authority on a top four place when they visit London rivals Crystal Palace.

In usual circumstances a trip to Selhurst Park would be seen as a big test for any club in the Premier League, but Roy Hodgson has admitted things are not quite the same without the fans. It doesn't help that his Crystal Palace team have lost 3 in a row without scoring a goal and a couple of the defeats have been by wide margins, but The Eagles are normally much more resilient than they have shown in defeats at Anfield and the King Power Stadium.

At home that is certainly the case and Selhurst Park has not been blessed with a lot of goals this season- Crystal Palace have scored 12 and conceded 14 in their fourteen Premier League games here, but they were beaten 0-1 by Burnley last time out and Roy Hodgson will be looking for a big reaction from his players.

He should get that in a local rivalry game and Crystal Palace were unfortunate to lose to Burnley last time out here. They have players who can cause problems for teams and the set pieces could be huge against a Chelsea team that have struggled defensively in their 2 away games played since the restart of English Football.

Chelsea did win at Villa Park, but Aston Villa did enough to earn a positive result, while West Ham United exposed the defensive problems which have been a feature of the season for The Blues.

Frank Lampard will be aware that this is going to be far from an easy game for Chelsea who concede far too many away goals. Even though Crystal Palace are not exactly flourishing in the final third, they have created chances in their last couple of games and the attacking options should be better for having the fixture against Leicester City under their legs.

You do have to wonder if Crystal Palace can keep Chelsea out with the amount of away goals Frank Lampard's men have scored, but I do think The Eagles can keep this close. They don't concede a lot of chances and I do think Crystal Palace will score and that should make it very difficult for Chelsea to beat them by a comfortable margin if they do win at all.

Chelsea have a good record here, but only 1 of their last 6 visits to Selhurst Park have been won by two or more goal margins. I think Crystal Palace could potentially cause an upset here, but at worst I don't believe they will be blown away by a Chelsea team who have simply not defended as well as they would have liked.


Watford v Norwich City Pick: The last couple of performances may not have been up to the level that Nigel Pearson would have wanted, but the manager remains convinced his Watford team have enough to avoid the drop.

Things may become much clearer in the next three Premier League games as Watford get ready to face Newcastle United and West Ham United following this home game.

Make no mistake, this is a must win game for Watford as they take on a Norwich City team who have been struggling at both ends of the field and who look to be playing with little to no confidence. Hosting the game only gives Watford more of an edge even without the fans in the stands and Nigel Pearson knows his team need the points which would give them a healthy gap to Aston Villa and Bournemouth below them.

Watford were beaten well by Southampton in their last game here, but they arguably deserved more in their 1-1 draw with Leicester City. Under Nigel Pearson The Hornets have been much better at home and the second half performance at Stamford Bridge is encouraging enough to make me believe they will be good enough to win this one.

This is an opportunity for Norwich City too who can move to within 4 points of Watford if they win this game, but Daniel Farke's team have looked desperate. 5 Premier League losses in a row is one thing, but Norwich City have not scored in any of those and they were hammered 4-0 at Arsenal in their most recent away game.

They will offer effort and look to play some football, but Norwich City have looked vulnerable at the back and are making mistakes which are proving costly. At Vicarage Road Watford do create chances and I think they can bounce back from some poor results with a big victory on Tuesday which can lead the team into a strong position to avoid the drop with four more Premier League games to come.

Watford have won 4 of their 7 home Premier League games under Nigel Pearson and all of those wins have come in games in which they have scored two or more goals. They have the attacking players to take advantage of Norwich City in this one and could hurt their visitors if they have to chase the game and so I believe this is a game that Watford can win and win well.


Arsenal v Leicester City Pick: This looks to be a fascinating fixture on Tuesday evening and one that many other managers will be keeping a close eye on.

Even before the three month suspension of the Premier League there had been signs that Leicester City were slipping and struggling for consistency. That has continued over the last month to the point where they are no longer strong odds to finish in the top four.

Brendan Rodgers would have felt the easing of some pressure when his team beat Crystal Palace 3-0 on Saturday, but they were helped by some awful defending from the visitors. The manager will be hoping the victory has given his team some momentum, but the absence of both Ben Chilwell and James Maddison would be a huge blow.

At least Leicester City have looked a little more threatening in their last two Premier League games and they will need to be at their best in their final third to pick up a vital result at the Emirates Stadium.

It is not going to be easy against an Arsenal team who arguably produce their best performance under Mikel Arteta when winning 0-2 at Wolves on Saturday. That means the team have bounced back from defeats at Manchester City and Brighton in the space of a few days to win 4 in a row in all competitions and only conceding once in that time.

The defensive record looks good on paper, but Arsenal have been far from watertight and that will encourage Leicester City. The Gunners did have too much for Norwich City in their last game at the Emirates Stadium, but prior to that teams have created arguably the better opportunities in games against Arsenal on this ground and that will boost Leicester City's belief.

I do think Leicester City will have their chances here, even without James Maddison. Jamie Vardy may be back in form and I think the Arsenal defence is yet to really convince despite the final results of recent games.

On the other side Arsenal will believe in their own attacking qualities and feel those can make the difference as they look for a ninth home win in a row against Leicester City. The Gunners have some dangerous attacking options and I do think they will cause problems for the Leicester City defence and I am not surprised most are expecting goals at both ends.

There will be a real push for the three points from both teams and I think that could see an attacking game produced. Recent Leicester City away games have not been the most entertaining, but Arsenal may make this a fairly open affair and I do think this could be the eighth game in nine at the Emirates Stadium where at least three goals are shared out when these two teams meet.


Manchester City v Newcastle United Pick: Too many times in the 2019/20 Premier League season Manchester City have dominated a game in terms of chances, but have failed to convert those and ended on the wrong side of a defeat.

Nine Premier League games is a shocking return for a squad that has dominated this Division in the last two seasons and returned 198 points from a possible 228 available.

It has allowed Liverpool to run away with the Premier League title, but Manchester City are still set for a 2nd place finish and they will be looking to bounce back from their upset loss at St Mary's. The likes of Kevin De Bruyne should be restored to the starting line up and Manchester City are unlikely to be as wasteful in their own Stadium as they were on Sunday evening.

Manchester City have won 3 in a row here since the resumption of play and they have out-scored Arsenal, Burnley and Liverpool by a 12-0 aggregate. The side have been creating chances and they should do the same against this Newcastle United team who have looked a little vulnerable at the back in their last 3 Premier League games.

Those have been played against teams with weaker attacking threats than the one Manchester City bring to the table. Steve Bruce's team may have nothing to lose, but the absence of Allan Saint-Maximin is a huge blow to their attacking intentions and I feel the game will flow in a similar way to their Cup tie at the end of June.

That day Newcastle United sat back and hoped to soak up the pressure, but Manchester City created some very good chances and they are likely to do the same here. With the goals Manchester City are scoring and the motivation to bounce back from an upset, I do think it is reasonable to believe Manchester City will win this one by a slightly more comfortable margin than they did in the FA Cup tie.

Manchester City are at home this time too and it is the same Handicap mark which is perhaps a surprise. In the Cup I thought Newcastle United would do enough to stay within the mark at home, but they have not travelled well to the Etihad Stadium, are missing arguably their biggest attacking threat and face a motivated Manchester City who have dismissed their first three opponents faced here since the restart of play.

The home team should create enough chances throughout this one and I would expect better all around finishing from them.


Sheffield United v Wolves Pick: This is a fascinating game between two teams who have proven to be very tough to break down, but perhaps still lacking some consistency in the final third to really kick on up the Premier League table.

I may be being a little harsh on both Sheffield United and Wolves when you consider their lack of experience at the Premier League level, but that also highlights how impressed I have been with both Chris Wilder and Nuno Espirito Santo.

Both managers deserve a lot of credit for guiding their clubs into the positions they are in having been in the Championship recently. The two managers have solid foundations from which they like to spring forward and I do think this is the kind of fixture in which the first goal could be absolutely massive.

Much of that is down to the fact it is really difficult to break down these teams when they go in front and also the somewhat inconsistent attacking performances of both Sheffield United and Wolves.

I did mention that Wolves are not really creating a lot of chances even though they had won 3 Premier League games in a row following the resumption of the League. They had been clinical, but that caught up with them in their 0-2 home defeat to Arsenal.

Now they have to face a Sheffield United team who have looked pretty impressive going forward in their last 3 games in all competitions. They beat Tottenham Hotspur comfortably in their last fixture here, although Sheffield United did get a huge slice of luck in the first half, and The Blades cut out some fine openings in their 1-1 draw at Burnley.

I do think Sheffield United are being a touch under-rated here, as they were against Tottenham Hotspur, and so I am going to select the hosts with the start to earn a positive result.

The draw looks a major player in this one, but I do think if Sheffield United get the first goal they can go a little better and reinvigorate their push for a European berth.


West Ham United v Burnley Pick: The next three games look to be the ones that West Ham United can use to make sure of their place in the Premier League next season and they do go into those matches with some momentum.

A surprising win over Chelsea last week followed by the draw with Newcastle United has opened up a nice gap to the bottom three and with five games remaining it might already be too much for the likes of Bournemouth and Aston Villa to pull back.

However David Moyes won't want to see West Ham United back their way into the new season and picking up the points to secure safety themselves will give the squad a boost ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.

In the last two games West Ham United have shown they can create a lot of chances and they should be able to exploit some of the defensive injuries that Burnley are dealing with.

That can't be ignored, but Burnley have been a stubborn team under Sean Dyche and the 'next man up' mentality has seen the squad pick up results even at a time when you would think the motivation and the injury list is too much to handle. The side have lost 1 of their last 11 Premier League games and they have won 3 of their last 5 away from home which has to be respected.

With nothing to lose Burnley can try and get forward and create chances of their own and I do think they can do that against this West Ham United defence which is anything but watertight. They have scored at least two goals in their last couple of visits to the London Stadium and Burnley have been looking decent in the final third in their last couple of League games.

Unsurprisingly Burnley have been a little weaker defensively with the likes of Ben Mee, Matthew Lowton and Jack Cork all ruled out. They were perhaps fortunate to get away with a point against Sheffield United on Sunday, but ultimately I have to respect how tough Burnley have been to beat over the last few months.

Both teams look like they are capable of creating chances against the other in this Premier League game and I think that is going to lead to goals. 4 of the last 6 between Burnley and West Ham United have ended with three or more goals shared out and the last 2 at the London Stadium have ended that way too.

Recent defensive performances from both teams suggest that trend can continue here.


Brighton v Liverpool Pick: Both teams look very much on their way to achieving their goals set out for the 2019/20 season, although Brighton may have a touch more work to do to make sure they hit their marks.

They should be motivated to respond to their 0-3 home loss to Manchester United having bounced back on Saturday to win at Norwich City, but facing Liverpool is another difficult test for Graham Potter's team.

Liverpool have won their first title in thirty years, but they have looked a little lethargic in their last two Premier League games. However the quality was still on display as late goals secured the win over Aston Villa and Jurgen Klopp has made it clear he won't be sending out 'weak' teams to maintain the integrity of the Premier League.

There is some motivation in the Liverpool camp as they look to snap a really poor away run of form- the side have not won any of their last 5 away games in all competitions and have been beaten 4 times in that run. Even more surprising is that Liverpool have not scored in that set of fixtures and now face a Brighton team that can be stubborn to break down.

It would be a surprise if Brighton were to upset Liverpool though because this is a team that have not created hosts of chances. While Liverpool have not exactly been watertight in recent away games, they are a team who should have a settled back five going into the fixture and that should be enough to at least control their hosts.

The lack of goals and chances Liverpool have been creating away from home has to be a concern, but they have largely played stronger teams than Brighton so I do think the away team will be better in this one.

Even then the feeling is that this is a game that won't feature a lot of goals and I do believe we will see at least one clean sheet. Brighton have not been giving up loads of chances, but they have not produced a consistent threat in the final third either and Liverpool have been lacking some intensity in the final third in their last couple of Premier League games.

I am surprised that the layers don't follow that thinking, especially when noting that one or both teams have not scored in the last 7 Liverpool away games. It has also happened in half of Brighton's last 6 home games in all competitions and looking for at least one clean sheet in this one is where I am leaning.


Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: Eddie Howe was happy to see some of the attacking potential of his Bournemouth team come to the fore in their last game at Old Trafford, but the season long defensive problems were evident again too. That resulted in Bournemouth losing 5-2 which means they have lost all 4 games played since the restart of the Premier League and they have conceded four goals in back to back games.

That is a real problem as Bournemouth's goal difference has taken a hammering and dropped them down to 19th in the Premier League table. If Watford beat Norwich City on Tuesday like most would expect, Bournemouth will be 4 points from safety with just five League games left on their slate and that is likely going to lead to a lot of pressure on their players in this one.

Callum Wilson is back from a suspension which will add to the attacking potential of this Bournemouth team, but injuries at the back should mean Tottenham Hotspur have their chances too.

Spurs did not create a lot against Everton on Monday Night Football, but they did win the game and that will give the players a boost. There is a big North London derby to come on Sunday, but Tottenham Hotspur can't afford to slip up as they did at Sheffield United in their last away game and so the focus should be on this fixture.

There are enough attacking options to believe Tottenham Hotspur can become the latest club to create chances and score goals against this Bournemouth team. On the other side I do think Tottenham Hotspur have still not fully got on board with Jose Mourinho's tactical approach and that has meant they have yet to look fully secure at the back.

They did play well defensively on Monday night, but Bournemouth have to take chances and I think they will put more pressure on Tottenham Hotspur than Everton did.

2 of the 4 games played between these teams at Bournemouth since The Cherries were promoted to the Premier League have been tight affairs. But the other 2 have seen at least three goals shared out and on current form of both Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur I do think there will be goals produced in this one.


Everton v Southampton Pick: Both Everton and Southampton will be chasing top half finishes in the Premier League and have every opportunity to do that with a strong end to the month.

Carlo Ancelotti may still believe a European spot is a possibility for his Everton team despite the 1-0 defeat on Monday night at Tottenham Hotspur, but they can't afford to drop too many more points.

Everton have been very strong at Goodison Park since the Italian took over as manager of the club and that record looks more impressive when you think of some of the teams that have visited here. The side beat Leicester City 2-1 here last week and they will believe there are going to be more spaces to exploit against this Southampton defence.

However this is a Southampton team who are off back to back wins and who will be bouncing after holding off Manchester City for a 1-0 win on Sunday. They have won back to back away games in the Premier League since the resumption of play and Southampton have scored three times in both wins at Norwich City and Watford.

Ralph Hasenhuttl will understand that Everton are a much stronger team than those two, but his players have nothing to lose and are playing with pace and confidence in the final third. In Danny Ings they have a clinical goalscorer chasing down the Golden Boot and I do think Southampton will pose problems for Everton in this one.

Both teams hitting the net is a distinct possibility and I do think there is no real need for either to sit back and accept a point. That may produce an open game between two clubs who have shared three or more goals in 5 of their last 7 against one another.

3 of the last 5 at Goodison Park between Everton and Southampton have ended in 1-1 results and that may be the biggest threat to three or more goals being shared out on Thursday.


Aston Villa v Manchester United Pick: After scoring at least three goals in 3 successive Premier League games in a row for the first time since December 2018, Manchester United are big favourites to beat Aston Villa in the final Premier League in this round of fixtures.

There is no doubting the importance of the fixture at both ends of the Premier League table and I can imagine Manchester United will make up a key part of a number of accumulators this week.

They are playing with fluidity in the final third and have some exciting talents that are capable of creating chances and breaking down teams. The deep defensive teams that have given Manchester United problems are now having to deal with players like Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba who can find the right passes to open things up, while Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood have all be amongst the goals.

It is easy to think this is going to be a relatively routine win for Manchester United in their current form.

However this is a team that have not always been at their best away from home this season and even with the boost that Bruno Fernandes has clearly given them. Manchester United did crush Brighton in their last away game as the early goals opened the game up for them, but I do think this Aston Villa team have shown plenty of stubbornness and defensive discipline since the restart of the Premier League that they have not shown for much of the season.

While I can't ignore that Aston Villa have the worst defensive record in the Premier League with five games remaining, I also have to accept that they have been preventing teams creating a lot of chances in their games since the restart. The last 2 against Wolves and Liverpool have seen Dean Smith's men produce strong efforts at the back and I expect the home team will want to make life as difficult as possible for as long as possible for their visitors.

Aston Villa have struggled in the final third to create chances of their own though and Manchester United had been pretty solid before the two goals conceded against Bournemouth. Victor Lindelof's absence could be a concern because Eric Bailly has not been at the races in recent performances, but Manchester United will feel they can deal with what Aston Villa will throw at them.

All in all it feels like it could be a much tighter game than the layers believe and it might not be one that features a lot of goals. Manchester United's attacking intentions have impressed and they could blow past Aston Villa as they did against Brighton, but I think the home team are defending well enough to restrict chances and a narrow victory for the top four chasing visitors may be the outcome.

MY PICKS: Crystal Palace + 1.5 Asian Handicap
Watford to Win & Over 1.5 Goals
Arsenal-Leicester City Over 2.5 Goals
Manchester City - 2.25 Asian Handicap
Sheffield United + 0.5 Asian Handicap
West Ham United-Burnley Over 2.5 Goals
Brighton-Liverpool Both Teams to Score NO
Bournemouth-Tottenham Hotspur Over 2.5 Goals
Everton-Southampton Over 2.5 Goals
Aston Villa-Manchester United Under 2.5 Goals

Fantasy Football GameWeek 34+

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned using my Wild Card in the hope of having a strong squad that would also be effective in GW33+ when I would look to use the Bench Boost Chip.

The 98 points in GW31+ were followed by 91 points in GW33+ and that has at least boosted the team, although I do feel the squad I have is still one that can be significantly improved for the final weeks of the season.

However it is a situation in which I would have to take some hits to do that and that may be a fatal mistake with so little time to make those points back. This is something that I have been considering over the last couple of days with one of the improving teams in my mind being West Ham United who have a very strong fixture list remaining.

Watford have not been in good form, but they have three winnable games in front of them, while trying to work out Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City selections from game to game is anything but easy. At this stage of the FPL game it does make it that much more important to make the right decisions in order to push on as high as possible in any Leagues you are playing and that is where I am reluctant to take a hit.

The players who are most interesting me in GW34+ have to be Phil Foden, Jarrod Bowen and Troy Deeney with all three players having good looking home fixtures to be played.

For the main I am quite happy with the squad, even if I would like to make some adjustments. If I am going to make the transfers the most likely candidates to be removed are Mason Mount and Dwight Gayle this week. However my feeling with the deadline fast approaching is that I want to keep the strikers as they are and simply move Mount out ahead of two tough looking away games.

I do think Mount will get his minutes, but he is playing with Ross Barkley and Chelsea's main threats are still coming from the former Everton man as well as Willian and Christian Pulisic. If you read my thoughts above I think Crystal Palace could make life difficult for Chelsea so it makes sense to remove one of the two players I have from that squad that make up my midfield.

Out of the two, I think Christian Pulisic is likely to offer better returns.

The transfer or transfers I will make will likely go down to the wire, but the majority of my starting eleven for the week have been set.

I think Kevin De Bruyne is a good choice as Captain this week because I think Manchester City will be coming out with some fire after losing on Sunday and the Belgian was rested. He has been on penalties and free kicks and De Bruyne looks capable of a double digit return in this fixture.

I picked him ahead of the Manchester United options even though United have been in fine form. My feeling is that the game at Villa Park may be tighter this week so the edge has to be given to Kevin De Bruyne for me.

My likely GW34+ team is going to be as follows with a single transfer likely to be made:

Alisson (Liverpool v Brighton)

Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool v Brighton)

Harry Maguire (Man United v Aston Villa)

Willy Boly (Wolves v Sheffield United)

Christian Pulisic (Chelsea v Crystal Palace)

Bruno Fernandes (Man United v Aston Villa)

Anthony Martial (Man United v Aston Villa)

Kevin De Bruyne (Man City v Newcastle United)

Raul Jimenez (Wolves v Sheffield United)

Roberto Firmino (Liverpool v Brighton)

Bench: Emiliano Martinez, Justin James, Dwight Gayle, Federico Fernandez.