Crystal Palace, West Ham and Stoke feature in our weekend review
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A weekend which saw Manchester City go 1/33 to win the Premier League also proved pivotal for teams at the bottom of the table.
West Ham United and Crystal Palace both picked up vital victories.
Meanwhile, Stoke City, Newcastle United, AFC Bournemouth and West Bromwich Albion all chalked up another game on their respective winless runs.
We take a look at the big weekend talking points…
Eagles starting to soar
It has been quite a turnaround at Selhurst Park.
After picking up seven points from their opening 11 games, Palace have now chalked up 13 points from their last seven matches.
Roy Hodgson has managed to tighten up the defence, get the best out of Wilfried Zaha and make the Eagles tougher to beat at home.
However, it was their performance against Leicester City at the weekend which showed just how far Palace have come.
The Foxes dismantled Southampton in the week and for most people’s money look the best outfit outside of the top-seven.
At the King Power Stadium on Saturday they were outfought, outclassed and outplayed by a rampant Eagles outfit that appear to have finally found their mojo.
West Ham and Stoke going in opposite directions
We may be one week away from Christmas, but Mark Hughes is really beginning to feel the heat at Stoke.
The Welshman is now odds-on at 4/5 to be the next Premier League manager to go after Saturday’s 0-3 home defeat to West Ham.
That loss was the Staffordshire side’s third in as many games and their 11th of the season in all competitions.
It leaves Stoke just one point above the relegation zone.
Things need to improve fast for Hughes or the Potters’ electrician might not be the only sparky under threat this week.
By contrast, the Hammers appear revitalised under David Moyes.
They’ve picked up seven points from their last nine and have doubled their seasonal clean sheet tally in a single week. It’s Arsenal up next in the Carabao Cup for the East Londoners.
Are City unstoppable?
After City’s 4-1 defeat of Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, the Citizens are now just 11/2 to go the season unbeaten.
You wouldn’t bet against them becoming invincible, either.
Pep Guardiola’s men have already been to Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge and picked up all three points on both occasions.
Those two games will probably prove to be their two most difficult tests of the season.
And given the manner in which they ripped Spurs apart at the Etihad, it appears that no-one can hold a candle to what looks to be one of English’s football’s great sides.
All Odds and Markets correct as of date of publication
