Opposition level the reason to back Man City for best home record
Published:It may come across as the predictable pick, to opt for the team to have started the best on their own patch to end the campaign with the best home Premier League record, but it is the calibre of opposition Manchester City have beaten that makes them stand out even more in this particular market.
Man City have won four from four at the Etihad to sit top of the Premier League ‘home table’, albeit only on goal difference over Chelsea, while there are five teams in total still to be defeated in front of their own fans.
It is 8/13 that Man City remain on top of this table at the end of the campaign and what is especially noteworthy is that all of their successes thus far have come against teams currently situated in the top half of the complete Premier League standings.
Furthermore, none of these triumphs over Newcastle, Hull, Manchester United or Everton have been particularly tight, with all winning margins being by at least two goals.
Of their main rivals, only one of Chelsea’s four wins have come against top-half opposition, Arsenal have only entertained north London rivals Tottenham from the present top 10 and Liverpool have hosted two of the bottom five.
Chelsea are 9/4 to finish the season with the best home record, with Arsenal 10/1 and Liverpool 14/1.
What Manuel Pellegrini will do well to emulate is Man City’s home form in the 2011/12 season, which is the other time that they scooped best home-form honours and coincided with their maiden Premier League title.
That year, Man City won their first 16 home games of the campaign, dropping only two points at the Etihad all season.
Meanwhile, since 2005/06, Man Utd are the only team to have ended a season with the best home record that had failed to win each of their first four fixtures on their own patch.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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