In spite of the current supremacy enjoyed by Manchester United, maybe reinforced by their comprehensive victory over reinvigorated local rivals Manchester City in the Community Shield at Wembley, this season’s English Premier League campaign promises to be one of the most fiercely contested for a very long time.
Recent trends have it that a Big Four tends to pull away from the pack after maybe two or three months, once the obligatory surprise package from last year’s Championship has got over the shock of punching above its weight during the first few games and has begun its inexorable slide towards inevitable relegation ufabet.
Before last season the Big Four were identifiable as Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. Last season of course things were a bit different, with rich kids Manchester City entering the fray alongside a reborn Tottenham Hotspur basking in the glory of Harry Redknapp and his management skills.
In the meantime a once unassailable Liverpool side at first fell so far short of expectations that the word “relegation” began reverberate around the Mersey. Then, when all seemed lost, King Kenny answered the SOS and the side finished the season reasonably well placed by comparison, and playing some good football.
So here in 2011/12 are we talking about a Big Four, a Big Five or a Big Six? Or is there another team lurking around from without the ranks of this exclusive club that is getting ready to surprise us? After all, as I write Bolton Wanderers are top of the Premier League, albeit on alphabetical order, with just 37 games left to play.
My son won’t find it easy to forgive me these words, but I cannot see Arsenal holding the line with the other big boys this season. The loss of Cesc Fabregas, along with the imminent departure of Samir Nasri, will be far too much of a blow unless the club is prepared to alter its thinking in the transfer market and bring in someone significant to make up the deficit. The excitable new Brazilian did not impress me in his doomed league debut against Newcastle and the club is in serious danger of being left behind. Sixth place, behind Tottenham Hotspur, is my prediction for this campaign.
As for Spurs themselves they are a team that is nearly there but just not quite. They will challenge again but they will not overcome Manchester United, Manchester City or Chelsea over thirty-eight games and will need to pull out all the stops to successfully dispute Liverpool’s strong claim to the fourth spot.
Chelsea have been fairly quiet lately but a top three finish has to be expected. It is difficult to see beyond the two Manchesters for the other two top places.
One thing that is for certain is that the markets for the outright winner of the Premier League this season will slip and slide each week with the ebb and flow of the relative fortunes of the top clubs. A lean patch for any will push the price right out making it a good prospect to back, then when a few wins are strung together the price will fall again and that will be a great time to lay off the selection to lock in a guaranteed profit.
One way to be certain of success is to make the original wager with a free bet of the type that is offered by most online sportsbooks when you first open an account and place a bet. Lay it off at the right moment with a matched bet at a sports betting exchange and the guaranteed profit thereby created will be yours to keep.
Considering how long the wait is before even a successful wager on the Premier League title will pay out, it is important that the bet is worth placing, financially speaking. That is what makes the free betsoption, balanced with a lay bet, especially beneficial (you will need to check beforehand that the offer does not set a time limit on when the bet may be settled).
