Paddy Power will refund losing first/last goalscorer, correct score and scorecast bets if this match finishes as a draw

Without doubt, a super Sunday is in store in the Premier League this weekend, with Arsenal’s match against Manchester City preceeded by the most traditional rivalry in the county; Liverpool against Manchester United.

The Merseysiders produced arguably their best performance of the season so far by holding champions City to a 2-2 draw and will be hoping to raise their game once more against their illustrious rivals.

A first home win of the season for Liverpool can be backed at 9/5 (2.80) , while United, who have struggled away from Old Trafford so far, are offered at 8/5 (2.60) and the draw is priced
at 11/5 (3.20).

The last 10 meetings in league and cup between these two sides have been extremely tight, with five wins to Liverpool, four to United and a solitary draw.

With both sides desperate to win given the passionate rivalry between the two sides, there seems to be one bet above all others that stands out; both teams to score at 4/6 (1.67) and although not the biggest price in the world should provide punters with some profit.

This bet has paid out in eight of the last 10 meetings between the two sides, as well as proving the correct selection in four of Liverpool’s last five matches in all competitions.

If both teams look likely to score, then there could be money made in the goalscorer market, and if the match ends in a draw, Paddy Power will refund any losing first-scorer bets.

To this end, the price of 4/1 (5.00) on Robin van Persie scoring first looks tempting, given the excellent scoring start made by Dutchman in a United shirt.

For Liverpool, Steven Gerrard loves the big occasion and there can be no bigger game than face United at Anfield.

The England captain is available at 9/1 (10.00) to net first, but perhaps a better option is to back him to score at any time priced at 16/5 (4.20).

Given his ability to prosper from free kicks, penalties and open play he remains a constant goal threat despite his 32 years.

Paddy Power will refund losing first/last goalscorer, correct score and scorecast bets if this match finishes as a draw

Sign up for up to £250 in free bets and back Phil’s selections for this match

Phil Kitromilides is a sports broadcaster working on radio and TV in London and Madrid. You can also follow Phil on Twitter.

This Sunday, the Premier League is the place to be, watching two of the most anticipated domestic matches of the season.

The afternoon kicks off with Sir Alex Ferguson taking his Manchester United side to Anfield to face a Liverpool team that are yet to win a match this season.

Indeed, looking at Liverpool’s recent home form, the omens do not look good for Brendan Rodgers’ side as they have only won four of their last 15 home games.

However, they certainly raise their game when facing teams of United’s stature and their recent record reads won four, drawn four and lost two.

Also, Liverpool have had by far the better of the head-to-head encounters at Anfield with W3, D1, L1 record, so they should certainly not be ruled out.

Manchester United on the Asian handicap could be the best selection here, and the Red Devils look tremendous value; +0 goals at 19/20 (1.95)

Moving on to Etihad Stadium, Arsene Wenger takes his much-improved Arsenal to Manchester City, in a mouthwatering clash that I believe could be a very tight affair.

For those who want to put money on a Manchester City win, a better option than backing them to win at 4/5 (1.80) is to back the hosts by one or two goals in the winning-margin market.

This pays a shade over 5/4 (2.26) and looks very worthy of consideration as Roberto Mancini’s men have won by the one or two goal margin in all six of their recent home victories to teams of the Gunners’ grading.

For example, to back Manchester City to win by one or two goals for every £10 you wish to stake you place £4.23 on City to win by one goal at 10/3 (4.33) and £4.77 on City to win by 2 goals at 15/4 (4.75) this means if either of these two come in you collect £22.65 (£12.65 profit).

If you would like further tips and selections please head over to Premier Betting and sign up for the FREE Weekly Insider which is delivered to your inbox by 11am every Saturday morning
You can follow Pete on Twitter @petenordsted

COMMENT
By David Lynch

Sir Alex Ferguson has so often revelled in being painted as a man with a cold, ruthless disposition during an unparalleled 25-year stint at Manchester United.

The Scot has rarely let his guard down in front of journalists – those who impart judgements on his character to the world – meaning this representation is an unchallenged assumption amongst football fans. However, on Friday morning, ahead of the weekend’s clash with Liverpool, the 70-year-old released a letter which appealed to the hearts of the club’s supporters.

In it, Sir Alex claimed the recent report from the Hillsborough Independent Panel should “wake the conscience” of football fans everywhere and called for “personal hatred” to be put aside when the two teams meet at Anfield on Sunday. The former Aberdeen boss also insisted a rivalry which has reached a concerning intensity must be put in perspective following the recent shocking revelations surrounding the tragic events of April 15 1989.

Though he did not explicitly reference the chants which have plagued these fixtures for many years, the implication was clear for all to see.

The context is apparent; the HIP’s report did not just expose a police cover-up, it humanised the dead.  The sick chants which have long echoed around Anfield and Old Trafford cannot survive in that environment, as they seek only to belittle the loss of life – whether referencing Hillsborough or the Munich Air Disaster.

And so the Ferguson letter is a welcome rallying cry not just to his own club’s fans, but to those of the opposition. The exchanging of insults which reference the deceased between two clubs who have led the way in English football for so long is mindless; now is the time for it to end.

The timing of the correspondence also has particular gravitas, with the clubs’ rivalry having undoubtedly reached its zenith last year. The enmity appeared to hit new heights following the Anfield edition of the fixture during the 2011-12 campaign, as the start of a grubby, long-running race row between Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra cast a dark shadow over the game.

Every nuance of the Football Association’s findings on the matter and each player’s contribution to the affair was analysed to microscopic level, with disagreements played out on television, radio & social networking website Twitter. Yet, as bizarre as it sounds, at least there was an upside to the row. The problem of racism in football was cast back into public consciousness and efforts to eradicate it from sport and wider society have stepped up since.

However, the added antipathy it brought to this North-West derby simply resulted in the memories of the dead being further stained.

The songs chirped up with added gusto, leading to the invention of the “always the victim, it’s never your fault” chant which was strongly condemned following the Red Devils’ recent win over Wigan. There have been attempts to disguise the ditty as solely based on the Suarez/Evra situation since of course, though the word ‘always’ betrays the sinister connotations it holds.

Of course, it is perhaps sad that the backlash against Hillsborough chants has only been deemed a worthy cause at the denouement of a 23-year fight for the truth. That those referencing the Munich disaster were not also decried years before hints at the fact that such behaviour had seemingly been deemed reasonable even amongst right-thinking people.

Now though, if football is truly to move on from rivalries built on hatred, then the trivialising of matters which are rooted in tragedy, not tribalism, must end. Sir Alex Ferguson speaking out with such passion is a start to that, a watershed moment in repainting the face of a fixture which has become abhorrent to look at in recent times.

Oh, to hear the thoughts of Sir Matt Busby – a former Liverpool player of some distinction and a survivor of the Munich Air Disaster as United manager – on what the game has become.  That two proud cities he once called home have abandoned everything that unites them in order to embrace the needless mocking of the dead is yet another tragedy.

So when Ferguson, a calculated Glaswegian who embodies Busby’s spirit as a winner, allowed observers that rarest glimpse at the humanist which lies beneath, United fans had little choice but to take notice. Though accusations of champagne socialism are often thrown his way, Sir Alex can doubtless identify with the city of Liverpool, its football clubs’ working class roots and the struggle many of its residents have faced over the last two decades.

Now it is time for fans of both clubs to show that, even in this sanitised Premier League era, they can also still reflect those near-identical, humble beginnings, built on respect.

Follow David Lynch on