Saturday's Battle of the Billionaires

It's the battle of the billionaires on Saturday evening as Manchester City take on Chelsea at what football fans are now affectionately, or perhaps enviously, referring to as 'Middle Eastlands'. Mark Hughes is calling it "The clash of the cash", and if so, then Man City took the first round on points having gazumped Chelsea in the race to sign Robinho. The Manchester club's capture of the Brazilian is a signal of intent from the club's new owners, and the fact that they outbid Roman Abramovich illustrates the lengths they are willing to go to in order to achieve success. I expect Man City will give Chelsea a good game here and once Mark Hughes has more time to spend the millions he has at his disposal they will be a force, but at 10/11 the Blues have to be a bet on a ground where they have won in 6 of their last 7 visits. Just how much Robinho knew of Manchester City before signing for them is anybody's guess, but judging by the fact that he seemed confused as to who he had signed for when quizzed by reporters, the answer is probably not much. He is likely to be thrown in at the deep end though and by Saturday night the ex Real Madrid man will know all about Manchester City, and Chelsea for that matter. Chelsea's players will surely be keen to give the new boy or kick or two and let him know who's boss and Paddy Power are offering a great market on the first Chelsea player to commit a foul on the £32 million man. Picking out a bet here really depends on where Robinho plays, but given the limited number of forwards available to the Hughes at present, it is fair to expect that he will start his new signing up front alongside his compatriot and fellow new boy, Jo. If that is the case then you have to be looking at Chelsea captain John Terry as one of the first in the queue to have a dig, and you can back him at 6/1. If Hughes opts to play Robnho on the left hand side though, where he often featured for Real Madrid, then Bosingwa is a far more attractive option at 15/2. Of the other games on Saturday the pick has to be Blackburn v Arsenal. Both sides like to play open, attractive football and I expect an entertaining encounter. All eyes will be on Theo Walcott, fresh from his hat trick against Croatia, but I wouldn't put it past Arsene Wenger to leave his young protégé on the bench in an effort to keep his feet on the ground. Blackburn concede too many goals for my liking, and I think that Arsenal will prove too strong and I think the 5/6 available is the bet of the weekend. Gianfranco Zola will take charge of his first match as West am manager at the Hawthorns on the same day, and I think he can start his reign with a win over newly promoted West Brom. Recommendations:Chelsea to beat Man City - 10/11 (General)John Terry first player to foul Robinho - 6/1 (Paddy Power)Arsenal beat Blackburn - 5/6 (Bet 365)West Ham beat West Brom - 3.1 (Betfair - currently)