STAR PREVIEW: Arsenal v Middlesbrough

[dropcap]G[/dropcap]ood result last night with the over 2.5 goals landed (just!) at Selhurst Park.

More FA Cup action today and at the Emirates Middlesbrough get a good chance to test their Premier League aspirations as they take on cup holders Arsenal.

Boro come here having won their last six games and as joint leaders of the Championship with a game in hand over Bournemouth.

Clearly promotion will be 99.9% their priority – particularly with the ever increasing financial divide between the two divisions which widened this week with new of the £5 BILLION TV rights deals. Boro last played in the top flight five years ago and in 2006 were hammered 7-0 by Arsenal at Highbury.

This year Boro sensationally beat Man City in the last round and are playing good football under the Mourinho protégé Aitor Karanka.

Karanka said: “We go to Arsenal in good form and it’s going to be a massive game, because everyone’s thinking we can beat them. We beat Man City and played really well against Liverpool, and we’re not a surprise now. But if we go there thinking we can beat them by not playing our best, we will be making a big mistake. We have to prepare in the same way we did against Blackpool or Man City. We have to think it’s a tough 90 minutes against a very good team.”

The Gunners have lost just one of their last 40 FA Cup home matches (W30 D9 L1) which is some record.

Arsenal v Middlesbrough
FA Cup Fifth Round
4pm BT SPORT

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD
(Maximum 10 matches)
Apr 2009 Premier Arsenal 2-0 Middlesbro
Dec 2008 Premier Middlesbro 1-1 Arsenal
Mar 2008 Premier Arsenal 1-1 Middlesbro
Dec 2007 Premier Middlesbro 2-1 Arsenal
Feb 2007 Premiership Middlesbro 1-1 Arsenal
Sep 2006 Premiership Arsenal 1-1 Middlesbro
Jan 2006 Premiership Arsenal 7-0 Middlesbro
Sep 2005 Premiership Middlesbro 2-1 Arsenal
Apr 2005 Premiership Middlesbro 0-1 Arsenal
Aug 2004 Premiership Arsenal 5-3 Middlesbro

Again, I think there will be plenty of goals and am again playing over 2.5 goals at around 4/6 with Star Sports and also trying a sneaky over 4.5 goals at around 4/1.

RECOMMENDED BETS (scale of 1-50 points)

BACK OVER 2.5 GOALS for 10 points at around 4/6 with Star Sports

BACK OVER 4.5 GOALS for 2.5 points at around 4/1 with Star Sports

RETURN SINCE START OF WORLD CUP: PROFIT 128.62 POINTS

What’s your view? CALL STAR SPORTS 08000 521 321