offsides

A player is in an offside position if the ball is played forwards to them in the opposing team's half, and there is no other player between them and the opponent's goalkeeper.

Shkodran Mustafi gave the home side the lead by heading home from what replays showed was a slightly offside position in the 36th minute.

And while offsides are a occupational hazard for lone frontmen, the 2.3 offsides per game is something that Swans boss Garry Monk will be wary of and will need the former Lyon star to work on.

They have two basic jobs: spotting if the whole of the ball goes over the touchline, and whether a player is in an offside position when the ball is passed him.

Ronaldo claimed Danish referee Claus Bo Larsen "did not have best night" and two crucial offside calls denied United goals.

Referees' boss John Baker made it clear there has been no fundamental change in the offside law for this season as he said: 'Defenders can breathe easily again.'

It is arguable that we should expect Chelsea to be responsible for at least 55 per cent of the offsides that are awarded at Wembley, and if that argument is correct they should be favourites by at least 0.5 in the spread offside supremacy market.

The sell price is 6.25 in the Chelsea v Valencia tie, and although this is still significantly higher than the Champions League average, it is just about justified by the offsides record, in both the Champions League and La Liga, of Valencia.

In Arsenal games, I would normally be looking to get long, because in recent seasons they have tended to produce more offsides than the games of most other Premiership teams - but, it has to be said, the midweek total was extraordinarily unusual, and was almost entirely the responsibility of Aston Villa.

In each of the last five seasons, the number of offsides in Manchester United games has been lower than the Premiership average - overall, just 77 per cent of that Premiership average.

THE two spreads on tonight's action that seem worthy of closer inspection are those on offsides in the Champions League tie between Barcelona and Liverpool at Camp Nou and bookings in the Premiership relegation battle between Watford and Wigan at Vicarage Road.

SELL offsides at five with Sporting in the televised FA Cup fourth round tie between Manchester United and Portsmouth.

BUY offsides at six with Sporting for this afternoon's televised Premiership game between Blackburn and Arsenal.