Gudjohnsen makes return to the Premier League

Tottenham fans should be delighted with the news that Harry Redknapp has managed to secure the services of Eidur Gudjohnsen for the rest of the season. The 31-year-old will arrive at White Hart Lane on loan from Monaco, with Redknapp fighting off intense competition from West Ham.

Tottenham’s hopes of doing a deal for the striker were dealt a blow earlier in the week when reports emerged that Gudjohnsen was due at West Ham for a medical but it would seem that officials at the north London club convinced him to move to a club in a far better league position than the relegation-threatened Hammers. David Sullivan has revealed his disappointment at the deal falling through, stating that he believes firmly “in karma and what goes around, comes around”.

It seems likely that Harry Redknapp and the Spurs set-up won’t be too concerned by this threat from the new Hammers co-owner, since there is no doubt that Gudjohnsen is a player of real quality. He was an instrumental part of Chelsea’s Premier League title-winning team under Jose Mourinho after making a name for himself in England at Bolton and quickly became a fan favourite at Stamford Bridge. He has since had invaluable experience at Barcelona, where he made over 70 appearances, scoring a total of 10 goals.

Critics have questioned whether he will be able to fit back into the league with any level of success but the striker’s ball control, versatility across the football pitch, and creativity can only provide benefits to the club.

Online sports betting experts think Spurs could achieve a top four finish this season and Gudjohnsen could give the side a much needed boost.

Spurs will also have one eye on a trophy this season and the FA Cup match betting suggests they should win their fourth round replay with Leeds.

Gerrard bemoans Liverpool’s failures

Stephen Gerrard reckons all Liverpool players need to accept responsibility for the club’s failures this season.

The Anfield captain has seen his side knocked out of the Champions League, while seven defeats already have ended the club’s Premier League title aspirations.

Liverpool currently sit in seventh in the table and manager Rafa Benitez is reported to be under pressure to guide the team into the top four so they qualify for the Champions League next season.

It is a far cry from the start of the season, when Liverpool were among the Premier League betting favourites.

Gerrard told Zoo magazine that Liverpool are sitting in this position because they have “not been good enough” and he called for all the players to take responsibility for that fact.

“All us Liverpool players have got to look at our league position, roll our sleeves up and get this football club back where it belongs, as far up the table as possible,” he said.

“There was a big belief we could go all the way. But now is not the time for hiding. We have to look at ourselves and put it right.”

Benitez was recently dealt a blow as it was revealed that defender Glen Johnson will miss at least a month due to injury.

The England right-back suffered a medial ligament tear in his right knee during Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa and should miss vital upcoming Premier League games. It remains to be seen if Liverpool can defy the football odds and drag themselves back into the top four.

Hull hoping Zaki can fire them to safety

Phil Brown has moved to aid Hull’s fight against relegation from the Premier League with the signing of a new international striker.

The club has confirmed on its official website that Amir Zaki has agreed to join on loan for the rest of the Premier League season.

Egyptian international Zaki arrives from Zamalek in his home country and returns to the Premier League after completing a similar loan deal with Wigan Athletic last season.

His time at the DW Stadium was hit and miss, he scored 11 goals but then incurred the wrath of his manager Steve Bruce as he was late returning from international duty on a number of occasions.

This led Bruce to brand Zaki the most “unprofessional” footballer he had ever worked with. However, the striker will be looking to impress at the KC Stadium and help Hull defy their Premier League relegation odds.

“We are pleased to confirm the loan signing of Amir Zaki from Zamalek FC. The player has signed a loan agreement until the end of the season to join Hull City AFC,” the club stated.

Hull managed a 0-0 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend but still sit in the Premier League relegation places and face a daunting trip to Old Trafford in their next game where the football odds will be stacked against them.

The Season Starts Now

This is the time of year when the title is won and lost. You have just come out of the busy Christmas/New Year period but the amount of games isn’t diminishing – there are FA Cup and European ties to contend with in addition to the Premiership games.

At this point in time Chelsea look like the time to beat. They didn’t have the best run in late December and early January but the thing is that they they didn’t drop as many points as they could have They are still top and have the springboard to go higher.

Manchester United haven’t had it any easier. They lost in the third round of the FA Cup under Sir Alex Ferguson for the first time and also dropped points. They are second and just ahead of Arsenal. Arsenal have made ground on Chelsea – following their loss to them, Arsenal fell to being eight points behind Chelsea but this is down to three.

There is a fierce battle for fourth spot with Manchester City, Tottenham and Aston Villa all contending for it. You could include Liverpool but they just aren’t playing good football. They are out of the Champions League but still in the Europa League but out of the FA Cup. Who knows what is happening at Anfield apart from the fact that things have to change.

Everton are in good form and have climbed from relegation danger to mid-table safety. They are slowly receiving all of their injured players back and should finish in the top half of the ladder after a disastrous start to the season.

Relegation wise, Portsmouth look absolute certainties to go down. Most soccer betting isn’t even accepting any more bets on this. That is if they aren’t kicked out for bankruptcy. The truth of the matter is they will be lucky if they can compete in the Championship. Bolton and Hull are also in high-danger. Hull only escaped relegation on the final day of the season last year and two years in a row could be too much.

You could also include Burnley, West Ham and Wolves in the mix. It is going to come down to the matches involving these six teams and who gets the points.

David Wiseman writes for this blog. He also writes about the Australian Open.