From the Trading Desk: Punters Feeding off Scraps after Goal-sparse Premier League
A weekend to savour in the Premier League featured a voucher consisting of 3 games with both teams scoring, among which had over 2.5 objectives, leading to just 12 goals being scored across the nine games.
We experienced three 0-0 draws, and the video game at Arsenal likewise looked to be going that method before Jordan Pickford's rush of blood with the Gunners touching 4/1 in-play.
However, in the grand scheme of things, we can't grumble about an unusual winning preferred leaving it late having seen the similarity Manchester City, Chelsea, and after that the icing on the cake, the often-criticised Spurs, leaving Liverpool with an uncommon yet well-deserved point. Xabi Alonso is now 8/11 to be in the Anfield dugout at the start of next season.
Arsenal are 1/10 for the title after their late two-goal salvo and just 5/2 to win it by 10 or more points with replacements Viktor Gyokeres and Max Dowman scoring, which was music to the ears of Kai Havertz and Martin Zubimendi backers, thanks to our Sub On, Play On concession.
West Ham played their part by holding Manchester City to a 1-1 draw in East London, finishing a miserable day for punters having seen Chelsea lose in the house 1-0 to Newcastle with 'Huddle-Gate' when again raising its head - the Blues are out to Evens for a Leading Five finish.
The game at Old Trafford was more to the consumers' liking with 4 goals and a winning 'jolly', however they were eating scraps in the Premier League this weekend, unlike the Manchester United side with Bruno Fernandes providing two more helps to take him to 16 for the season and 5/4 to break the Premier League record of 20 held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
The European Saturday voucher wasn't much better for punters with various leaders and title oppositions not able to secure 3 points.
Bayern Munich had both Nicolas Jackson and Luis Diaz dispatched as the runaway leaders drew at Leverkusen. Top of the table Inter were also held at a comparable price in the house to Atalanta in Serie A, while Lens suffered a 2-1 defeat on the roadway at Lorient.
La Liga did have its fair share of winning favourites. Midweek hat-trick hero Federico Valverde scored once again for Real Madrid and Arda Guler scored from inside his own half against Elche. The Turkish worldwide had replaced Vinicius Junior, which implied backers of the Brazilian had actually gathered on various markets thanks to our Sub On, Play On deal as the hosts won 4-1.
Barcelona went one much better by beating Sevilla 5-1 with Raphinha assisting himself to a hat-trick (20/1) and third-placed Atletico Madrid continued their strong home form with a 1-0 victory versus Getafe.
Arsenal now sit nine points clear at the top, albeit having played a game more than Manchester City and it now feels like a concern of how far they will win their first Premier League title given that 2004. Indeed, Arsenal are now 5/2 to win by 10 or more points having actually been 16/1 to do so simply 2 weeks back and the Gunners are 14/1 to finish the season with the quadruple.
Bruno Fernandes is all the rage to win the PFA Player of the Year award after adding two more helps to take his tally to 16 for the season. We rank him as a 5/4 possibility to go beyond the record Premier League of 20 held by and Kevin De Bruyne.
At 9/2, the Portuguese playmaker is our only loser in the PFA book and to be sincere, I'm content with that. Why? Well, while his ability is undisputed and he's made the shortlist before, this is a trophy voted for by his peers and I just don't think he has enough of the likability element, compared to the similarity Declan Rice, who presently heads our betting at 4/7.
With a fifth put finish now looking significantly most likely to secure UEFA Champions League football next season, I'm taking a look at which team will end up sixth. Chelsea currently lead the marketplace at 2/1 after their defeat to Newcastle. All of us appear to have a viewpoint on huddle-gate - clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, Paul Tierney was quite stuck in the middle with Blue.