Read what bet365's Steve Freeth had to say after a free-scoring week in the UEFA Champions League.
Weekend Review
This week has again taken a familiar path: battered and bruised from the goal frenzy that is the UEFA Champions League, but the pain eased slightly in the Premier League with a number of low-scoring matches.
It was honours even at Elland Road in what was one of a number of good results across the coupon, but we took some eye-catching business on Eddie Howe being in charge at Old Trafford on New Year’s Day at 5/2 during the first half – when Manchester United were leading 1-0.
Arsenal managed to find a winner late on at the City Ground, but we’d have taken a 1-0 win for the 1/2 pokes scoring with their only shot on target.
The shortest price on the slate, 1/4 Manchester City, did oblige with Erling Haaland scoring a brace, and Liverpool won away at Brentford, but ultimately we had enough on the coupon to keep us in front.
A Super Boosted Joao Pedro (4/9 – Evs) may have registered a shot on target, but he stayed off the scoresheet, leaving it to fellow Pedro, Neto, to score a brace with Chelsea earning their first clean sheet since January at Everton.
A similar story on Tyneside, where a flood of goals had been expected, but it was visitors Aston Villa who left with all three points following a 1-0 win. Favourites Fulham also secured victory by the same scoreline courtesy of a solitary goal from Alex Iwobi.
Diego Gomez was 11/1 to score from outside the area, which he did with quite a few yards to spare, as 4/9 Brighton hammered rivals Crystal Palace 5-0 and 11/10 Bournemouth finally recorded a three-point haul.
It was better for punters away from these shores, with the European giants continuing their winning ways, as well as their knack of scoring plenty of goals, as Bayern Munich hit six, Barcelona scored five, Real Madrid four and PSG bagged three, the same as Serie A table toppers Inter at Bologna.
Trading Talk
Manchester United left Elland Road with a point to ease the pressure on Michael Carrick after an uncomfortable week, but that hasn’t stopped the money coming for Eddie Howe to be Manchester United manager on New Year's Day. Howe has been punted from 5/2 into 11/10, while Carrick has drifted to 9/4 with Antonio Conte sitting in third. It’s a market to watch as the Red Devils head to Como this midweek.
The last round of UEFA Champions League fixtures averaged just under 4.5 goals per game, and it’s a competition that bet365 customers are understandably enjoying this season. Haaland and Kane helped themselves to braces, Barcola scored a hat-trick, and there were also goals from Mbappé and Dembélé. Haaland leads the stellar cast in the Top Scorer market at 7/2, followed by Kane at 9/2, Mbappé at 5/1, Dembélé at 10/1 and Raphinha at 16/1. Barcola & Jackson are both into 25/1 – and remember there are four each-way places up for grabs.
Sunderland and Leeds bucked the recent trend last season, and we’ve updated our market on how many of Coventry, Hull and Ipswich will make a swift return to the Championship. The trio have all shown signs of being able to compete at this level, and they’re all sitting outside the bottom three right now. Palace are struggling, Sunderland are stuttering and Manchester City are sweating – we’re 6/1 that the promoted trio avoid the drop and 10/1 they all go down.
Any odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and are subject to fluctuation and T&Cs apply to all offers.
