💰 Punt: Vitaliy Mykolenko Over 2.5, Over 3.5 & Over 4.5 Tackles
📗 Bookie: Bet365
🎲 Odds: 2.25 (5/4), 4.33 (10/3) & 7.50 (13/2)
⚽️ Game: Everton vs. Arsenal

Vitaliy Mykolenko vs. Bukayo Saka in their head-to-heads:

• 04/02/2023 (ARS v EVE) - 4 tackles, 8 attempted tackles, 3 fouls & booked

• 01/03/2023 (ARS v EVE) - 3 tackles & 1 foul

• 26/03/2023 (ENG v UKR) - 3 tackles & 2 fouls (Super Sub = 4 tackles & 3 fouls)

• 09/09/2023 (ENG v UKR) - 2 tackles & 2 fouls

• 17/09/2023 (ARS v EVE) - 5 tackles, 7 attempted tackles & 4 fouls

• 14/12/2024 (ARS v EVE) - 4 tackles, 7 attempted tackles & 2 fouls

The Ukrainian is averaging 1.9 tackles a game this season, with a slight increase to 2.0 tackles per game since David Moyes took charge of the Toffees. The bet is based more on the fact he should be marking Bukayo Saka, which is something he’s struggled with as you can see in their previous match-ups above. So, the bets are very dependant on Saka getting his first start since his return from injury, I’m hoping he starts and gets about 60+ minutes minimum. Arteta is a divvy though isn’t he, so he’ll either get the last 25 minutes or full 90 and snap his hamstring in half. Cheers, Mikel.

IF Saka does start, I like the look of a few Mykolenko based bet builders.

• Vitaliy Mykolenko 3+ Tackles & 1+ Fouls @ 3.75 (11/4) - Bet365

• Vitaliy Mykolenko 4+ Tackles & 2+ Fouls @ 17.00 (16/1) - Bet365

• Vitaliy Mykolenko 5+ Tackles, 2+ Fouls & To Be Carded @ 86.00 (85/1) - Bet365

💰 Punt: Darko Gyabi To Be Booked. Callum Elder To Be Booked. Cross-Match Double
📗 Bookie: Bet365
🎲 Odds: 5.50 (9/2), 5.50 (9/2) & 30.00 (29/1)
⚽️ Game: Plymouth vs. Norwich & Swansea vs. Derby

Darko Gyabi has racked up 10 yellow cards in 30 starts this term (37 appearances), his yellow card vs. Watford last week came after the cut-off which sees him avoid a 2-game-suspension for accumulating his 10th booking of the season. He now faces a Norwich side who have 2 of the most fouled players in The Championship in Kenny McLean (2.2 fouls won per90) & Borja Sainz (2.0 fouls won per90). He’s likely to be in plenty of duels with McLean who has been fouled 30 times in 12 games in 2025, McLean’s fouls won look like this over that sample size: 2/5/3/0/0/2/1/3/0/3/7/4. Combined with the fact that Plymouth are more fucked than Bonnie Blue’s ribcage as relegation to League One looms large, the 9/2 available with Bet365 for Gyabi to be booked is more attractive than a bag of scampi fries after 4 pints. Or a bag of something else, if you’re that way inclined.

Callum Elder is committing 1.46 fouls per90 this year and will likely be tasked with marking Swansea’s Brazilian winger Ronald, who is fouled 2.7 times per90 minutes played. Elder has 8 cards in 24 starts (29 appearances) this season. The Derby full-back isn’t shy of a foul and can rack them up in games. His foul totals recently look like the following: 4/0/1/0/3/1/2/0/1/0/2/3. Hasn’t been booked since January so he’s obviously due one, that’s how it works isn’t it? 9/2 widely available and he’s as big as 5/1 with Betfair/Paddy Power if you have an account. I’ll be backing it on Bet365 because I’m a sucker for the old Sub On Play On feature! Sweat for 90 minutes patiently awaiting those sweet card notifications coming through, checking each side’s twitter (X) accounts & SofaScore/Flashscore apps to see if our man got the card. Of course, he never does. Sat there feeling numb like that Roy Hodgson on the bench meme.

The Gyabi x Elder booking double is a decimal point or two above 29/1 with Bet365 just incase I’m double right. Likely double wrong. Double vodka (bleach) lemonade and blackcurrant to drown our sorrows before entering the rat race again on Monday morning.

💰 Punt: Adam Wharton To Be Booked, Adam Wharton & Carlos Baleba To Be Booked
📗 Bookie: Bet365
🎲 Odds: 5.50 (9/2) & 19.00 (18/1)
⚽️ Game: Crystal Palace vs. Brighton

Why is Anthony Taylor officiating this game? Why?

Baldy has shown zero cards in 5 games this season, including 3 of his last 6, which would have been 4 if he hadn’t booked Trossard vs. Man Utd. God, I hate his eyebrow raise and shoulder shrug! Paddy Power/Betfair have ZERO CARDS at around 32/1 if you play around with their Bet Builder, I just can’t bring myself to back it.

If we just pretend Palace and Brighton is a derby like the Premier League script writers want us to believe, we could delude ourselves into thinking that there will be loads of yellow cards and we’re all gonna be filthy, stinking rich.

I’ll only berate Anthony Taylor for another month but here’s my lottery tickets:

• Adam Wharton To Be Booked @ 5.50 (9/2) - Bet365 (Available at 5/1 with SkyBet)

• Adam Wharton & Carlos Baleba To Be Booked @ 19.00 (18/1) - Bet365

• Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba & Will Hughes To Be Booked @ 86.00 (85/1) - Bet365

Hughes has just completed a 2-match-ban for picking up 10 yellows, so I’m unsure if he’ll get the start. If he does, he might take the cards out of Taylor’s pocket himself. Up the Eagle Seagull Shagging Derby!

#CheekyPunts

• Vitaliy Mykolenko 5+ Tackles, 2+ Fouls & To Be Carded @ 86.00 (85/1) - Bet365

• Darko Gyabi, Callum Elder, Adam Wharton & Carlos Baleba To Be Booked @ 574.00 (573/1) - Bet365

• Liam Delap & Jorgen Larsen To Score & To Be Booked @ 226.00 (225/1) - Bet365

No actual tip here as I’ll be waiting for team news but Nottingham Forest have a left-back crisis going into Saturday Night Football vs. Aston Villa. Ola Aina is out with a calf injury which will see Neco Williams revert to right-back/right-wing-back. Alex Moreno who would be the normal back-up is ineligible to feature as Aston Villa are his parent club. Which leaves errr, Harry Toffolo? Either that or a back 5 with Morato starting in a back 3 and possibly Callum Hudson-Odoi at left-wing back? Proper footy manager stuff this! If it is Hudson-Odoi in a more defensive position, a tackles, fouls and yellow card bet builder might be getting cooked up…