Chelsea and Manchester United stand only one point apart going into the final third of the 2009/10 English soccer season.
Friday 12th February 2010
The race for the 2009/10 English Premier League title got even more interesting on Wednesday evening after table-topping Chelsea fell by the odd goal in three away to Everton while defending champions Manchester United drew at Aston Villa.
Going into this week, Chelsea were listed at odds as short as 8/11 with SportingBet.com, Ladbrokes.com and SkyBet.com to win their first title since 2005/06 but the Londoners have allowed Manchester United to catch up and the teams now sit only one point apart having each played 26 games.
Although WBX.com lists Chelsea at odds of 7/10 to win this season’s Premier League title, ToteSport.com, Bet365.com and Ladbrokes.com are offering a longer 4/5 while SkyBet.com, BetFred.com, BoyleSports.com, SportingBet.com, BlueSq.com, StanJames.com, PaddyPower.com, 888Sport.com, Coral.co.uk and WilliamHill.com show 5/6.
The two sides each have twelve games remaining and this season’s title could well be decided on April 3 when the teams clash at Old Trafford. VictorChandler.com is offering odds of 10/11 that Chelsea will triumph this season followed by BetDaq.com and Betfair.com with 21/20.
For their part, Manchester United were stranded in fourth spot in the table at one stage behind Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea but manager Sir Alex Ferguson has masterminded yet another comeback and the team is now listed at odds of 5/4 to triumph this season with 888Sport.com, Bet365.com, SkyBet.com, BetFred.com, SportingBet.com, VictorChandler.com, PaddyPower.com, BlueSq.com, StanJames.com, Ladbrokes.com and WilliamHill.com.
Being crowned champions this season would see the Manchester side become the first team to win four consecutive top division titles in England with BetDaq.com offering odds of 129/100 on this eventuality.
A championship this season would also see United surpass Liverpool in terms of the most top division titles in English soccer with 19, a possibility that BoyleSports.com, ToteSport.com and Coral.co.uk are offering at odds of 13/10. Slightly longer, Betfair.com has Manchester United at 137/100 followed by WBX.com showing 163/100.
Despite their victory over Liverpool on Wednesday night, the odds on third-placed Arsenal winning this season’s English Premier League title have not improved with numerous online bookmakers including SkyBet.com, BlueSq.com, WilliamHill.com and 888Sport.com offering odds of 8/1.
Arsenal began February with losses against both Manchester United and Chelsea by a combined score of five goals to one with PaddyPower.com, StanJames.com, Sportingbet.com, BetFred.com and Coral.co.uk offering odds of 9/1 that Arsene Wenger can bring home this season’s title.
