Hull City owner Assem Allam defied Premier League convention by choosing to retain manager Steve Bruce despite the club’s relegation to the Championship last season. Allam, though, has been rewarded for his faith by solid performances that have given Hull the chance to finish the season in the automatic promotion places. A victory over the struggling Charlton Athletic would greatly strengthen their position.
Expectations
The Tigers lost the reverse of this fixture 2-1 in August. Since then, though, Bruce has turned his team around and made them into genuine promotion contenders. Their away form could do with a little improvement, but Hull have been consistent at the KC Stadium.
In their first 12 home games, Hull amassed nine wins and two draws. A return of 22 goals scored and just six goals conceded make Hull one of the toughest home teams in the league. Understandably, the odds are stacked against Charlton at 8.00 with Betfair.
Hull’s success in the Championship can be attributed the continuity of keeping Bruce as manager and also in keeping many of their best players. Talents like Curtis Davies, Tom Huddlestone, David Meyler, and leading scorer Abel Hernández are all crucial to this team’s success.
Charlton are entrenched in a relegation battle that could see them fall down to League One at the end of the season. Their dismal away form has resulted in the Addicks scoring a mere seven goals in their first 12 away games. Such a low return has left them stuck in the relegation zone in recent weeks.
The team is desperately lacking in talent, with midfielder Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson the only real creative presence. The Icelander has laid on six assists so far, but he is lacking a striker to put the chances away.
Match Tips
Tip one: Hull City @ 1.40 with Betfair
Tip two: Hull City and over 2.5 goals @ 2.00 with Betfair
Hull City are available at 1.40 with Betfair, but those odds can be enhanced to 2.00 if over 2.5 goals are combined at Betfair. Charlton’s inability to score goals mean they are unlikely to pose any real threat for Hull.