Man City strong title favourites after hopping Everton hurdle
Published:As predicted here at News.Ladbrokes towers, Manchester City were able to reverse their miserable record at Goodison Park in the late Saturday kick-off to pick arguably their most significant three points of the season which ensured the Citizens returned to the Premier League summit.
Albeit with Chelsea and Liverpool still to play on Sunday and Monday respectively, City’s stay at the top could be a brief one.
But given the Manchester club’s extensive goal-difference advantage over the Reds, whom they’ve joined on 80 points, and two-point cushion over the Londoners, Manuel Pellegrini’s side are now understandably short at 2/7 to lift the Premier League title.
With their destiny firmly back in their own hands, City’s claims are made all the stronger by virtue of the fact that they now have two home games left against Aston Villa and West Ham, sides that both ensured their Premier League survival on the same day the sky blues beat Everton 3-2.
Wins for Villa over Hull and the Hammers over Tottenham, effectively mean that neither have anything to play for except pride when they arrive at the Etihad.
All this is bad news indeed for Liverpool, now afforded odds of 3/1 to secure a title, which, until the visit of Chelsea to Anfield had looked every bit like heading back to Merseyside after 24 long years.
Brendan Rodgers’ side now have absolutely no room for slip ups when they take on Crystal Palace at Sehurst Park and Newcastle at home in their final pair of fixtures.
With a nine-goal differential to make up on City though, it’s fairly safe to assume Liverpool and Chelsea will have to rely on the heavy favourites getting the jitters to stand any chance.
Jose Mourinho’s men are seen as the big outsiders of the trio at 33/1, although given the twists and turns that have already occurred in this most open of title races, perhaps there is still a huge one to come.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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