talkSPORT tips – Best football bets and expert advice on Thursday 12 February

Brentford’s home clash with Arsenal is the highlight of a Thursday night, with the Gunners looking to take another step closer to the Premier League title, while there is also the first leg of a mouth-watering Copa del Rey semi-final tie between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.

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Thursday football tips

Bet of the Day – Brentford not to score v Arsenal @ 13/10

Arsenal will have winced when Manchester City came from 1-0 down to beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield on Sunday and the Gunners’ advantage at the top of the Premier League standings may be cut to three points by the time they kick off at Brentford on Thursday night.

However, Mikel Arteta’s men have shown little sign of feeling the heat and they can keep the Bees at bay in west London.

Arsenal were beaten 3-2 by Manchester United at the end of last month, and that was the opportunity for potential doubt to set in for the north Londoners. However, the Gunners responded to that defeat with a 4-0 hammering of Leeds at Elland Road, a 1-0 second-leg League Cup semi-final success over Chelsea and last weekend’s 3-0 victory over Sunderland.

Arteta’s side have kept four clean sheets in their last five Premier League games and in each of their last three in all competitions, and while Brentford are enjoying a cracking season, they look to have a job breaking down a rock-solid Arsenal defence.

The Bees have failed to score in recent games against Nottingham Forest and Chelsea and Keith Andrews’ men were downed 2-0 by Arsenal at the Emirates in December.

Key attacker Kevin Schade remains suspended for Brentford and backing the Bees to fail to score looks the best play on Thursday night’s action.

Longshot of the Day – Viktor Gyokeres to score first in Brentford v Arsenal @ 9/2

Viktor Gyokeres has copped plenty of criticism following his big-money summer move from Sporting and that appears a little harsh.

The Swede isn’t going to dazzle the Arsenal crowd in the way forwards Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and Ian Wright have done in the past, but the 27-year-old has certainly found his form, scoring six goals in his last eight appearances.

Gyokeres found the net at the San Siro against Inter, struck at Stamford Bridge in a League Cup tie at Chelsea and notched twice in Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Sunderland on Saturday, despite starting that game on the bench.

He is likely to be restored to the starting line-up given his recent record and at 9/2, he can open the scoring in a game which the Gunners are expected to dominate and win.

Special of the Day – Atletico Madrid to win and over 2.5 goals v Barcelona @ 11/4

Barcelona have been good at sweeping away La Liga’s lesser lights this season, but they have lacked control against better quality opposition and it could be a similar story in the first leg of their Copa del Rey tie with Atletico Madrid.

Barca have lost at Chelsea, Real Sociedad, Real Madrid and Sevilla this season and Hansi Flick’s men were beaten 2-1 at home by Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the campaign.

Atletico Madrid haven’t found a consistent level this season, but they have won 13 of their last 16 matches at the Metropolitano and that impressive record includes victories over Real Madrid, Inter and Villarreal.

There have been 39 goals in Barca’s last 10 games, with all but one of those going over 2.5, and that line looks set to be bust again.
 

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