Tottenham big favourites at 5/4 to finish above Arsenal

Arsenal’s dreadful start to the season has seen the Gunners already drop out of the title race and, according to Ladbrokes, they are now behind local rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the race to finish in the Champions League places.

Arsenal are out at a previously unthinkable 11/4 to finish in the top four with Tottenham 5/4 to make it back into the big time.

Since Arsene Wenger guided them to their maiden Premier League title in 1998, Arsenal have never failed to make the Champions League.

Conversely, Spurs have only reached the European Promised Land once and that was in the 2009/10 season when they finished in fourth place – their best ever Premier League finish.

However, they still finished below Arsenal that year and you have to go back to the 1994/95 season to find the last time Spurs finished above their north London rivals – Arsenal finished 12th that year with Spurs 11 points ahead in seventh.

Spurs will have to stop history repeating but, with Arsenal starting poorly and relying heavily on Robin van Persie for goals and flair, it looks very likely that Harry Redknapp’s men may have the bragging rights at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Ladbrokes now have a market on when undefeated Newcastle United will lose their first game of the season.

Next up for Alan Pardew’s men is a home game against Wigan (9/20), followed by a trip to Stoke (6/4) and then Everton (7/2) visit St James’s Park.

Things get a lot trickier if they negotiate those games with away games against Manchester City (2/1) and then Manchester United (2/1) looming.

However, with the Magpies getting smashed 4-0 at the Britannia last season, the 6/4 on them to lose their first game there looks like a tempting proposition.