EPL Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal or Spurs?
September 23rd, 2013 by G WaldorfI recently wrote about how there had never been a better time to bet on Manchester United, after their hammering at The Etihad in the small hours of Monday morning, has my opinion changed?
No. In fact if anything my opinion that there has never been a better time to back Manchester United has strengthened, and it is nice to see United drifting so far from odds of $4.00 or $4.50 to $5.50 with Sportsbet. That is a cracking price.
Here is my forecast for the EPL finishing positions come May 2014.
1st – Manchester United. Moyes will have worked out his best starting 11 by mid Oct, and Kagawa will be a regular starter along with Zaha. Young will be dropped to the bench and Tom Cleverly will probably drift out of the squad completely. United will buy a big name in January, possibly Herrera or Barkley or the hotly fancied Julian Draxler. Backing United now at odds of $5.50 is an awesome bet.
2nd – Chelsea. My early season tip to win the Premier League, I actually think Chelsea will finish a close second. Jose still hasn’t a clue what his best team is, and the dropping of Torres (plus the loaning of Lukaku) for a clearly unfit Samuel Eto’o has to rank amongst The Special One’s most bizarre decisions. Eto’o who had the goal getting sharpness drilled out of him at Inter (under Mourinho) in favour of a more defensive role, has basically been on holiday for 2 years in Russia. Chelsea are bet priced at odds of $4.00 with Sportsbet.
3rd – Tottenham. Controversial! Tottenham are building an awesome squad with the oddles of cash they received for Gareth Bale, and I don’t think they are finished spending yet. AVB is still working out his best team, but unlike Jose, is making logical decisions. I can see Spurs rising to the challenge and finishing in the top 3 for the first time for many many years. Available at odds of $4.00 on the handicap betting (Spurs +16) we’ve invested heavily on them.
4th – Manchester City. Whilst City looked like world beaters against Man Utd on Sunday, they were helped by one of the most lacklustre performances United have ever put in…well since City won 6-1 at Old Trafford anyway. Pelligrini will have a hard job keeping his 98 strikers happy and is bound to start tinkering. For every minute Fernandinho spends on the pitch, City should drift a point in the betting, and I simply cannot agree with Sportsbet that they are $2.75 favourites.
5th – Arsenal. Sorry Gooners but despite the resurgence of Aaron Ramsey and the acquisition of the frankly awesome Mesut Ozil Arsenal won’t quite have the good to claim a spot in the Top 4. Which for Gunners fans won’t be a bad thing. A season without Champions League football will undoubtedly see an influx of big name signings as Arsenal (probably not under Wenger) build a new team. I’d be backing a return for Fabregas and possibly for Ian Wright and Dennis Bergkamp….
After the top 5, its anyone’s game, Liverpool and Everton will be up there, as might Newcastle, Villa or frankly anyone. One team that won’t be is Sunderland. With Roberto Di Matteo hot favourite to take over from Di Canio, even at this early stage of the season, I cannot see Sunderland surviving, and their 29 new Italian players had better prepare for life in the Championship.
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