Paddy talks all things sports coming up with his Weekend Wisdom.
The boss man is back with his Weekend Wisdom ahead of another busy winter weekend of sport.
Paddy talks Premier League action, Jonbon’s chance at renewing Nicky Henderson’s luck after Constitution Hill’s fall last weekend, our renewed partnership with the World Darts Championship and Irish hero Troy Parrott potentially moving club, not to mention our brand new Icebreaker game.
Take it away Paddy!
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
Plenty of Prem Action
WE have one of those glorious Premier League menus on the agenda this afternoon that kicks off with a sumptuous starter and ends with a delicious pudding.
Arsenal and Manchester City are in action before Liverpool and their under-pressure boss Arne Slot jump back onto the tightrope they are walking with a tricky trip to Leeds in the evening game.
It might be chilly out there and your Christmas shopping list won’t sort itself, but it’s worth getting in front of a TV wherever you might be today, as this is a feast of soccer you will not want to miss.
Let’s get the ball rolling with title favourites Arsenal and their trip to face a dangerous Aston Villa side.
This is a huge test for Mikel Arteta’s table toppers against opponents who are up to third in the table and on a four-game winning run in the Premier League, with Villa a big price to get another win against the Gunners.
Arteta has a few injury concerns heading into this one and will look to Bukayo Saka to score the opening goal.
Saka scoring with a header is in our Star Player Special market, while you could also have him scoring one or more goals in each half.
On to Man City’s game against high-flying Sunderland, and it will come as no surprise that Erling Haaland is favourite to score the first goal here.
You could have Haaland scoring with two or more headers and the big Norwegian to score a hat-trick is boosted in our Power Prices.
Then we get to Liverpool in the 17:30 kick-off and this feels like a game Slot dare not lose.
The grumblings of discontent around the manager who led Liverpool to the title last season grew even louder after the 1-1 draw against Sunderland at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Now Leeds are not at a bad price to ramp up the speculation around Slot’s future by winning today, maybe their star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin will grab the opening goal of the match.
Mohamed Salah’s future at Liverpool is under a cloud after he was left on the bench for the last two matches and he could grab the opening goal at Elland Road.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is also living through a miserable season and he is a massive price to silence a few critics by scoring the opening goal.
By the close of play today, several big Premier League questions should have been answered, so let’s get this party started!
WINTER RACING ACTION IN FULL SWING
IT’S Tingle Creek day at Sandown and Jonbon is a horse on a mission.
After Constitution Hill’s latest fall, his trainer Nicky Henderson will be hoping for a little more success with Jonbon after he was soundly beaten by Il Etait Temps in the Celebration Chase on the final day of last season before coming up short against Dan Skelton’s L’Eau du Sud in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham last month.
Now Jonbon is back at Sandown for a race he has won for the last two years and is third favourite behind favourite Il Etait Temps from the Willie Mullins stable and L’Eau du Sud.
Libberty Hunter is an outsider to watch here with Paddy Power ambassador Harry Cobden on board, but he admits he will need some good fortune to win.
“He hasn’t completed his last two starts, but I don’t have any concerns about his jumping,” Harry told our From The Horse’s Mouth podcast.
“He’s the outsider in the Tingle Creek field, but they’ll go pretty quick and I’m just going to ride him to nick as much as I can.”
PADDY POWER WORLD DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP ‘TIL 2031
THERE were hoots of celebration emerging from Power Tower this week as we renewed our sponsorship of the World Darts Championship until 2031.
So stand by for more mischief, mayhem and plenty of money raised for charity as we sprinkle our own unique brand of magic on one of the best sporting events of the year.
This year’s Alexandra Palace fancy dress party gets underway next Thursday and I will have a full preview of one of the best parts of Christmas in my Sun column on Wednesday.
Troy Parrott making a move?
IRELAND hero Troy Parrott had a nightmare as he tried a cheeky penalty for AZ Alkmaar last weekend and chipped it over the bar.
Parrott’s manager wasn’t best pleased after the match, so the Dubliner will have even more motivation to get on the scoresheet against Go Ahead Eagles tomorrow.
We have Parrott as favourite to score the first goal in this match and it won’t be long before the transfer speculation ramps up around our new national hero.
Parrott could join German side Stuttgart next month, with a move to the Premier League looking less likely but always there.
PADDY’S ICE BREAKER GAME
FANCY a bit of festive fun on the Paddy Power app over the next few weeks?
Check out my free-to-enter Paddy’s Ice Breaker game, where you have the fun of breaking up the snowballs thrown at you by me dressed up as Santa.
If you complete your mission, we have cash prizes and entries into big money draws up for grabs. I have to admit I love it, even if I have to look at myself when I’m playing the game!
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