COURSE and distance winners, we all know Pep Guardiola and Man City get the trip.
Six times in the last eight seasons, it’s been those sky blue colours fluttering away on the Premier League trophy come that sunny day in May.
And as they round the turn with long-time leaders Arsenal right in their sights, the Etihad outfit are hitting their stride.
Five wins in all competitions in February and only one defeat in the league since last November.
The Gunners, despite an impressive 4-1 win at Spurs last weekend, have given City room up the inside – having shipped out leads and frittered away four points with draws at both Wolves and Brentford this month.
As it stands, if City win their remaining 11 league games, including the blockbuster at home to Arsenal on April 18, Pep and his side will land a magnificent seven-timer.
Still the market doesn’t believe they will. The Gunners are currently a best-priced 4-7 with Betway, while City can be had at 7-4 with Sporting Index.
So which horse would Coral’s John Hill rather be on? He said: “It was an important win over Newcastle last weekend, and a good sign for Pep that his side were able to gut it out.
“Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi are proving to be excellent signings, and are giving them the lift they need.
BET BALLS
- Man City to win both halves at Leeds tonight is 14-5 with BetGoodwin
- Brighton to beat Forest tomorrow, BTTS, is 11-4 with BetGoodwin
- Man United to win from behind against Palace tomorrow is 13-2 with BetGoodwin
- Arsenal and Chelsea to draw 2-2 is 12-1 with BetGoodwin
“All told I’d be backing City; they’ve been here before. I just think the pressure of being chased could get to Arsenal and they’ll end up the bridesmaids again.”
If anyone knows anything about being bridesmaids, it’s City’s hosts tonight, Leeds.
They were First Division runners-up twice in the 1960s and three times in a row, just like this Arsenal side, in the early 70s.
Now back in the elite after being relegated in 2023, they are doing an increasingly good job of staying there.
Since narrowly losing 3-2 at City on November 29, the mighty Whites have been beaten only by Arsenal and Newcastle in the league.
And having kicked off the season as 7-5 third-favourites to go down, that run has given them a six-point cushion on the drop zone and they are now out to 12-1 for relegation.
That run has included wins over Chelsea and a draw at Stamford Bridge, two draws with Liverpool, and an impressive point at third-placed Villa last weekend.
Tonight, then, will be no canter for Pep’s thoroughbreds, even though they are heavy odds-on to win at Elland Road.
The home side are a best-priced 22-5 with MGM, with the draw trading at 18-5 with Sporting Index.
But with the stakes as they are for the title-chasers, City can’t be opposed here. But with just two clean sheets in their last eight league games, nor can the likelihood of Leeds scoring.
City win and BTTS is a best-priced 21-10 with Ladbrokes Coral and bet365, while the visitors winning 2-1 at 8-1 with 365 has most appeal in the correct-score market.
While prolific, Erling Haaland hasn’t scored twice in a Prem game since December so the 4-1 he does tonight with BetGoodwin looks a decent shout.
Yelland Road then.
Goodwinners’ Enclosure
WHAT could be more Spursy than to win the Europa League one year, then get relegated the next?
And on the evidence of Sunday’s flimsy north London derby showing, here, at BetGoodwin Towers, we’re not sure that Tottenham’s players have the bottle for a relegation fight.
They are now into 17-4 to take their billion pound stadium into the Championship, with West Ham 4-6 and Forest 11-5 to join doomed Wolves and Burnley for the drop.
And getting buried 4-1 at home by Arsenal was a huge blow to Spurs’ chances in our eyes, especially with Vitor Pereira starting to lay some positive roots at Forest.
One side we don’t see in the relegation conversation is Leeds. Their form under Daniel Farke since December has pushed the Whites six points clear of the bottom three.
But it’s not just the points that have impressed us, it’s the nature of their points that has.
They’ve picked up key wins and draws against top-class sides and Stach-ed up another one at Villa Park last weekend after Anton scored.
Tonight they host title-chasing Man City and both come into this game at Elland Road in great form.
And with the reverse tie at the Etihad a close-run 3-2 home win affair, we see City to win and over 3.5 goals as a great bet at 11-8.
Last weekend in the ring, Burnley’s last-gasp equaliser at Chelsea didn’t do our punters any favours, sinking an armada of accas, while Brighton’s win away at Brentford was also a great result for us.
As far as the title race goes, Arsenal remain rightful jollies in our eyes after their huge win against Spurs. They are 4-9, with City out at 6-4.
But Pep’s boys have a habit of going on huge winning runs towards the end of the season, so we see this going right down to the wire, especially with City and Arsenal facing off at the Etihad in April.
At least there’s a few more runners in the top-four race! And with Man United putting together a monumental run under Michael Carrick to storm up the league, we now have them joint-favourites with third-placed Villa to finish in the top four at 8-15.
Liverpool are close behind at 8-11, with Chelsea now 2-1. But we fancy United to be best of the rest – and an Arsenal-City-United straight tricast can be backed at 100-30.
And we’re sticking with the big guns for this week’s Nap Acca, going for Liverpool, United, Arsenal, Man City and Newcastle all to win for 10-1.
Champions League
NAPOLEON famously said: “I’d rather have a lucky general than a good one.”
So he’d have liked Mikel Arteta, who qualified again on both counts after yesterday’s Champions League draw.
Having already had Portsmouth, Wigan and Mansfield in the FA Cup, Arteta’s Arsenal will now face Bayer Leverkusen (sixth in the Bundesliga) in the last-16 in Europe.
That would be followed by the prospect of surprise packages Bodo Glimt or Sporting Lisbon in the quarter-finals.
The bookies swiftly cut the Emirates outfit into 11-4 favourites to win it, a best price with Ladbrokes, Coral and 888.
Man City were not so lucky, pulling out Real Madrid in the last-16, with probably Bayern Munich to follow.
Chelsea will be 4-1 underdogs when they go to Paris Saint-Germain for their first leg, while Newcastle are odds-against 15-8 for their first leg at home to Barcelona.
Arne Slot’s Liverpool are heavy favourites to dispense with Turks Galatasaray, with Spurs massive 13-2 outsiders for their first leg at Atletico Madrid.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE OUTRIGHTS (best prices): 11-4 Arsenal; 11-2 Bayern Munich; 13-2 Barcelona; 8-1 Man City; 10-1 PSG; 11-1 Liverpool; 12-1 Real Madrid; 25-1 Chelsea; 33-1 Newcastle; 40-1 Tottenham; 125-1 Bodo Glimt.
Dark Horse
219-1: Man City are second in the Premier League, in the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal, and still in the Champions League and FA Cup. They are a best priced 219-1 with bet365 to win an unprecedented Quad.
TV Previews
Brighton v Nottingham Forest
LAST TIME Brighton won consecutive league games was against Brentford and tomorrow’s visitors Forest.
Well, they ended a run of one win in 13 Prem games at Brentford last weekend.
Relegation-fighting Forest were a shade unlucky to lose 1-0 at home to Liverpool on Sunday but have now failed to score in 13 of their 27 Prem outings.
Narrow home win and Diego Gomez to score anytime at 4-1 with BetVictor.
FORECAST: 2-1
Man United v Crystal Palace
OLD TRAFFORD has been Gold Trafford for Palace, who’ve won four of six there, including the last two.
The Eagles have also chalked up six road wins this term and scored in six of their last seven aways.
So while charging United, six wins from seven under interim boss Michael Carrick, should oblige, it could be tight.
Consistent Ismaila Sarr is the 4-1 anytime scorer pick with Sky Bet.
FORECAST: 2-1
Arsenal v Chelsea
IT’S five years since Chelsea beat Arsenal – a long time for the reigning world club champions.
In three meetings this term, the Gunners won two by a single goal, with the other drawn.
Tomorrow, with City breathing down their necks, leaders Arsenal will have to force the pace.
An opening for the Blues, who can take at least a point. Penalty-taker Cole Palmer is the anytime scorer shout, 10-3 with Sky Bet
FORECAST: 2-2
Top Tips
Pro bet
Newcastle to beat Everton, Fulham to beat Spurs, Swindon to beat Bristol Rovers, Fleetwood to beat Newport, Oldham to beat Crawley. Acca pays 23-1 with Betfred.
Retirement bet
Hull to win at Portsmouth, QPR to beat Sheff Utd, Oxford to beat West Brom, Wimbledon to win at Mansfield, Exeter to beat Bolton, Burton to win at Wycombe, MK Dons to win at Cambridge, Chesterfield to win at Barnet. Perm 1 x Acca, 8 x 7-folds, 28 x 6-folds. Acca pays 20,545-1 with MGM.
Away day
Brentford to win at Burnley, Wrexham to win at Charlton, Cardiff to win at Doncaster, Plymouth to win at Rotherham. Acca pays 17-1 with MGM.
Top draw
Preston v Millwall, Oxford v West Brom, Stevenage v Stockport, Colchester v Salford. Acca pays 121-1 with Coral.
TV special
Man City to win at Leeds, Man United to beat Palace, Brighton to beat Forest, Arsenal v Chelsea draw. Acca pays 20-1 with Coral.
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