Premier League 2017/18: Week 25 Predictions

Lots of excitement is in store for us with a packed midweek Premier League schedule. Three matches are played on Tuesday and another seven on Wednesday. Here we give you the preview of the major matches along with the expert predictions to help you bet on these games. 888sport Welcome Bonus can help too, giving you £30 of free betting money if you make an initial deposit of £10.

One of the biggest clashes this week is expected to happen in United’s match versus Tottenham. United is currently second on the table, 12 points behind Manchester City and they need this victory to try to close the gap and stay in the race for the title. However, a win would bring Tottenham, currently fifth on the table, just five points away from Manchester United. United need to be careful, because Spurs are in excellent form and they are known for suddenly gearing up and moving up the table as the finals are coming closer. United will have to look out for Harry Kane, who continues to set new standards with his goal scoring. On the other hand, the Red Devils have just completed the most high-profile deal of the January transfer window, bringing in Alexis Sanchez as their new attacking talisman.

It’s hard to say who will win this game, but it is going to be a major clash. With such amazing scorers in front lines, there is no way that the match will end goalless.

Turning to Jurgen Klopp’s Reds, Liverpool probably still need to recover from the shock of being defeated by Swansea 1-0 last week. They play against Huddersfield on Tuesday and it’s essential they don’t make similar mistakes. Given how shaky Huddersfield are after losing three games in a row, Liverpool will probably use them as a punching bag to boost morale and keep their top four ambitions alive.

Although on the bottom of the table, after defeating Liverpool, Swansea will be hoping for more as they prepare for the match against Arsenal on Tuesday. They have a reason too: they are unbeaten in five games. However, the odds are still on the Gunners’ side who might be planning to test their new midfielder, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who was signed as a part of the deal that saw Alexis Sanchez move to Manchester United.

However, Swansea shouldn’t get their hopes too high, as Arsenal are more than ready to crush them.

Finally, João Mário will join West Ham squad in a game against Crystal Palace scheduled for Tuesday. Both teams stuttered at the beginning of the season and chose to change managers. With David Moyes and Roy Hodgson bringing positive change, both sides will be hoping for the victory that would push their team in the top half of the table. It is possible that the game ends in a draw.

Upcoming games:

 

Tuesday, January 30

7:45 p.m. Swansea City vs. Arsenal

7:45 p.m. West Ham United vs. Crystal Palace

8 p.m. Huddersfield Town vs. Liverpool        

 

Wednesday, January 31

7:45 p.m. Chelsea vs. Bournemouth

7:45 p.m. Everton vs. Leicester City

7:45 p.m. Newcastle United vs. Burnley

7:45 p.m. Southampton vs. Brighton & Hove Albion

8 p.m. Manchester City vs. West Bromwich Albion

8 p.m. Stoke City vs. Watford

8 p.m. Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester United

Best 3 Pubs to Watch Football in London

You are in search of the perfect sports bar where you can settle down with your friends, be as loud as you want and enjoy the action on the court as it unfolds? London has a helluva lot of excellent sports bars, from intimate pubs to lavish sports bars with big HD screens wherever you look. We’ve picked our top favourites below.

#1 The Famous Three Kings.  Located on 171 N End Rd, London W14, in the heart of west London, this is a pub for serious sports fans. The kind of fans who make sure to bet on their favourite team before heading to the pub to enjoy a match. The kind of fans that look for the best odds online and the most advantageous bonuses, which certainly increases their winning chances.

People come to the Famous Three Kings to watch live sport, and they sure do watch lots of it here. Football from all big European leagues is on top of the list, but fans of other sports will also enjoy hanging out here with their friends, as rugby, boxing, F1, handball, ice hockey and many more are also broadcast on the screens, so nothing gets overlooked.

The venue shows big matches across all types of sports and is not associated with any particular team or club. Games are shown on three big screens, 13 plasma screens and two 3D TV screens and the bar has access to over 71,000 TV channels.  Up to 14 different games can be shown at the same time, with six different commentary areas.

Besides that, there is a good range of beverages available, along with pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and sides to celebrate accordingly.

#2 Riley’s Sports Bar Haymarket is one of the oldest established sports bars in London and one of the largest such venues, able to accommodate no less than 600 people. It has thirty-seven HD screens and four giant HD projectors with access to more than 70 sports channels showing sports from around the world.  

And it’s one of those places where you can watch sports while you play sports, as it also features darts, pool and ping pong tables to keep the customers entertained in the quieter times.  Additionally, it has 4 bars, a restaurant and a Players` Lounge with its own bar, 3-metre HD screen, 3 plasmas and all the essentials for a meeting. 

When it comes to the food menu, customers can indulge in burgers, hot dogs, chicken wings, racks of ribs, potato skins, pulled pork wraps and pizzas.  

#3 Belushi’s – This is not a single bar, but a chain of sports bars across Great Britain. In London, there are six Belushi’s, in Covent Garden, Hammersmith, Greenwich, Shepherd’s Bush, Camden and The Dugout at London Bridge. The latter one is our favourite.

The venue has got many large, state-of-the-art screens to watch and cheer up your favourite team, along with a projector for the big games. Visitors can enjoy the major football matches, but also other international sports like Rugby Union, Rugby League Champion’s League, Premier League, NFL, AFL, Basketball, NBA, Tennis, Cricket, Golf, Basketball, F1, and so on.

What’s also important for sports fans is that they offer a large selection of international bottled and draft beers, ciders, spirits, wine and cocktails. 

England faces Brazil – no goals scored

On November 14th, 2017, England played against Brazil at Wembley. It was just a friendly game, but it doesn’t mean the teams did not play tooth and nail to score a victory. Unfortunately, not only that nobody won but no player managed to score a single goal.

After the 0-0 draw with Germany, England’s manager Gareth Southgate made several changes to the team, allowing defender Joe Gomez a full debut and introduced Dominic Solanke. This decision gave Gomez the chance to prove his worth in the team’s central defence. Moreover, goalkeeper Joe Hart had an awesome performance in the second half when he saved shots from Coutinho and Paulinho.

Gomez and Rashford were definitely the ones that shone during this match. Rashford showed his willingness and ability to keep running at Brazil’s defence with courage and determination. There were moments when he even demonstrated footwork skills you’d normally see in Brazilian players. As for the visitors, they definitely put on a show at Wembley, taking the breath away from both Brazilians and British fans on multiple occasions.

If you take a look at match stats, Brazil had dominated the game in terms of possession: 66% over 34%, and Southgate admits it saying they “couldn’t get hold of the ball and keep it.” However, the manager is proud of his players who showed resilience, courage and had a great defence.

Stats show that Brazil had 13 shots out of which only 3 were on target whereas England had just 4 shots but 2 of them were on target. If you take a look at percentages, one could say England managed to direct half its shots toward the target while Brazil only about a quarter of them. The game had just 2 corner shots, both belonging to Brazil. In terms of fouls, England made 5 more than Brazil: 20-15.  Anyway, all these didn’t count toward the end result: England 0-0 Brazil.

Let’s discover the Callooh Callay Bar

If you’re like us, you’ll love to step away from the busy Old Street to find something a bit different. We have recently come across a very interesting bar in Shoreditch, London, called Callooh Callay. The name alone is usually enough to make you want to find out more, so let’s see why you should spend a night out in this quirky cocktail bar.

First of all, you can find Callooh Callay on 65 Rivington Steet. The nearest tube is Old Street while the closest Overground is Shoreditch High Street. The bar is open every day from 6 pm to 1 am, and they have recently decided to keep the kitchen open until midnight. The entire bar can be reserved for special events, so feel free to check out their website for more contact details.

What’s special?

For starters, the bar looks like it’s been taken out of Narnia. It looks small but in fact there is a hidden room accessible through a wardrobe, literally. Downstairs there is a bar section and a table service area but if you go upstairs you will get to a second bar with a more secretive vibe and a collection of limited edition spirits.

Another thing that sets this place apart from all the others is that bartenders are given the opportunity to prove their creativity. The bar manager gives every bartender the task to create a weekly menu based on a certain theme or list of ingredients. If you’re the type who enjoys to try new things, you will definitely be drawn to this place.

The overall feeling

Those who want to get away from the never ending chaos of Shoreditch bars, you will find Callooh Callay to be a calmer venue. The music still resonates through the entire pub but at a comfortable volume that allows you to carry on conversations without yelling to one another. The staff is well trained and quite chatty, so they can help you with the detailed cocktail menu. The place seems to be preferred by couples on a date, after work corporatists and alike.

The menu

At any moment you will see at least 20 different types of unique cocktails on the menu, created and skilfully mixed by experienced bartenders. Make sure to try Spruce Willis and Salt N Vinegar Martini. You will also enjoy delicious bar snacks to go with all the alcohol you’ll be ingesting throughout the night.

Watch a game in Walkabout, Bournemouth

Bournemouth, the large resort town on the south coast of England is a popular holiday destination. There are lots of pubs and clubs here, but one of them stands out: Walkabout on 156-164 Old Christchurch Road. It was designed with sports fans in mind.

Believe it or not, this great pub actually has an Australian theme, but after all, they do share the same queen, don’t they? So, what can you drink here? The most unusual thing about this pub is that it lacks beer altogether, which can be quite sad for ale enthusiasts.  The only beer you’ll find here is made of ginger. Anyhow, there is a wide selection of Aussie cocktails, shooters and bombs, for those who don’t plan on staying sober for much longer.

As for food, there are some delicious snacks such as crispy battered chicken strips, onion petals and sweetcorn fritters with maple bacon. Vegans will love mushroom bruschetta and Tempura Veg with Thousand Island dip.

If you want something more, you could try duck wings with hot sauce topped fries. Still, the main attractions are the Roo burger with salsa sauce and the Mega Wafflewich consisting in a beef burger between two giant waffles with a few more ingredients.

The pub is very student friendly offering a lot of discounts and epic parties. They organize live events quite often, but a big part of their success is due to broadcasting football games, especially those in the Premier League. They also focus on boxing matches, rugby and even Formula 1 races. Whenever there’s a big sports event, you can watch it at Walkabout in Bournemouth.

Moreover, every Tuesday is Stupid Tuesday, meaning huge discounts at shots and ridiculous competitions you learn about once you go there. Also, every Friday is Fest Friday when you should expect live CO2 shows, free glowsticks and festival inflatables only to prepare you for Selfie Saturday.

As you can see this pub caters to all sorts of clients, including those who want to dance and those who’d rather stay around a table watching a sports game. The lack of beer is indeed sad but the overall atmosphere easily makes up for it.

Why go to a pub and not a club?

They say there are two kinds of people: those who go clubbing and those who go pubbing. We’re from the latter category, so we’ll try to give you reasons why pubs rock. It may be a biased view since we love both football and beer and you won’t find neither in a club.

Sports betters will love this combination since they can place their bets online while watching the game in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Speaking of online betting, claim your bonus here and sign up to a reliable betting website. Anyway, we hope this article will make at least a clubber consider going to a pub for a change.

Did we mention the good ales?

Many pubs are tied houses, meaning they are owned and operated by local breweries. While this restricts the brands of beers you will find a tied house, you will have the chance to taste traditional British ales. They usually sell a guest beer as well, meaning you will have a second option if you don’t like the main ale. If you don’t like what they have, you can simply try another and then another pub until you find the right brewery.

Now, if you are the type who wants a wide range of choices, you can go to a free house, meaning it is free to sell any brand of beer available on the market. They offer lots of draught ales but also bottled options.

Watch football

There are hundreds of British pubs dedicated to football fans. So, you basically get a few friends, sit around a table with pints of beer in front of you watching live football games on huge TVs. There’s a special bond created between men when they simultaneously cheer for a common favourite team.

Good music

While you might not be able to dance, pubs are the perfect place for good music. Some of them are dedicated to rock culture while others prefer a retro theme featuring total legends like Queen, The Beatles and Eurythmics. Anyway, you will definitely find plenty of pubs with modern commercial music if that’s what you prefer.

Board games

Believe it or not, there are pubs dedicated to board games, meaning that each table has a certain board game or you can ask the personnel to bring one of your choice, ranging from the popular Monopoly to games like Catan and even Activity.

There are of course pubs for those who prefer classic games like chess and backgammon, but it might be counterproductive to play chess in a place where you can barely hear each other speak because of the loud music, not to mention, how are you going to watch football?

All kidding aside, board games pubs are quite popular in London. Also, some pubs have real vintage games and arcade machines if you want a throwback to the 90s.

To recap, why go to a pub? High quality football on 4K flat screen TVs, traditional delicious ales, good music and fun games should be enough to make you try it out.

Party 40s style in Cahoots, London

London is home to all sorts of quirky pubs and Cahoots is definitely one of them. You can find it in Soho at 13 Kingly Court, Carnaby. The pub usually opens around 4-5 pm during weekdays and a few hours earlier in the weekend.

What to expect?

The minute you enter, you will leave 21st century London behind to discover the 1940s. Most of their clients weren’t alive back then, so there’s a certain feeling of curiosity to discover post-war Britain through nothing more than a pub in the country’s capital.

The location is actually a disused air-raid shelter used during the war and now transformed into a tube station with all sorts of old art objects like decorated teacups that speak of how people used to decorate their homes with a selection of items they could find in places like street markets. It’s one of the best nostalgic themed pubs in London.

Drinks and food

Drinks are served in old mugs, vintage milk bottles, and even tins to recreate the 1940s atmosphere. You will be enjoying classic cocktails, liquors and other beverages people used to drink in that period, probably from the black market considering the scarcity of resources in the post-war era. Expect beverages like Hendrick’s gin, white wine, ginger ale, Russian standard original vodka and cherry-almond milk.

As for food, there aren’t many choices, but you can definitely eat some delicious snacks like platform pastries and toasted treats. There are several events organized at Cahoots. For starters, every Saturday you can book a Squiffy Picnic, meaning that for about £46 per person your table will get a hamper full of sarnies and picnic treats.

If you provide a 48-hour notice, the chef can create a gluten-free or a vegetarian picnic. That’s not so 1940s like, but they have to adapt to the clients that seek their service. You can call this the point where the old meets the new.

Music genres

Jazz and swing are regular here, but you will also hear some lindy hop beats, rock’n’roll and electro-swing music later in the night. Friday to Sunday after 10pm, you will listen to live music bands that match the theme of the place so that you experience an authentic and complete experience of those days. As for dress codes, you’re encouraged to look sharp in a glamourous 40s vintage style.

Things you should know

One disadvantage might be the pub’s age policy of allowing only people who are over 21 years old. Apart from this, the venue is quite intimate and you can’t book tables for more than 8 people. The standard booking time is 2 hours and you get half hour extra if you come in groups of 5-8 persons.