Weekend Review: Heavyweights fail to impress as bookies win out in wet weather
Liverpool and Spurs fall to defeat while Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United all draw in damp squib of a weekend for elite sides
A disappointing weekend for the Champions League-chasing clubs in the Premier League left the bookies buzzing and bettors battered.
Liverpool (1/3), fresh off the back of victories over West Ham and Manchester City, fell to a 1-0 loss away to Nottingham Forest (17/1) courtesy of a tap in from former Red Taiwo Awoniyi.
The shock defeat in the lunchtime encounter, which would have busted plenty of coupons on Saturday, leaves Jurgen Klopp’s men in eighth place and 12 points behind leaders Arsenal in what has been a disappointing campaign.
Elsewhere, Spurs (6/5) failed to impress as Newcastle (12/5) ran out 2-1 winners in north London. A stunning strike from Callum Wilson following a Hugo Lloris mistake and a Leo Messi-esque run and finish from the reborn Miguel Almirón gave the Geordies all three points as they fended off an onslaught following Harry Kane’s header.
Saturday evening saw Chelsea (11/10) and Manchester United (5/2) face off at Stamford Bridge in a dull affair punctuated by late drama. Jorginho put the home side ahead with a 87th-minute penalty before unlikely goalscorer Casemiro popped up in stoppage time to head home an equaliser for Erik ten Hag’s side.
Another 1-1 draw, this time on the south coast, saw Southampton (6/1) hold a seemingly rampant Arsenal (4/9) after Stuart Armstrong levelled affairs following Granit Xhaka’s powerful opener for the Gunners.
RELENTLESS. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/dcmhGAatYr
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) October 23, 2022
Kindred Group’s Ali Gill said: “A great weekend for us in the Premier League as a lot of the big guns failed to fire. The weekend kicked off with layers delight as Liverpool lost to bottom of the table Forest, with just the one goal and Liverpool failing to score all giving a great result for the book.
“Top of the table Arsenal also failed to take three points in another result, which left traders happy. Chelsea versus United always looked like being a close game, and so it proved, with United’s last-minute equaliser bringing a draw which, whilst not left fully alone by punters, was certainly a very good result for us,” he added.
It didn’t all go the way of the layers in the Premier League, as Manchester City (2/9) shook off the disappointment of losing to Liverpool by putting Brighton to the sword.
City secured a 3-1 win, including two goals for Erling Haaland, which takes the Norwegian to 17 Premier League goals for the season already.
Elsewhere, Fulham (5/2) heaped more pressure on Leeds boss Jesse Marsch with a 3-2 win at Elland Road.
Bet365’s Steve Freeth said: “The high-profile Premier League games over the weekend were all bookmaker-friendly with Liverpool, Chelsea, United, Arsenal and Spurs all failing to win. An excellent set of results. Fulham away at Leeds was surprisingly one of our worst results with the in-form Cottagers proving popular with punters as they continue to smash the goals in.”
Betfred’s Alan Firkins added: “Manchester City won at home, and Erling Haaland bagged another couple of goals – but as for predictable, that was about it for the Premier League over the weekend. The lack of wins for fellow big six clubs shredded accas the length and breadth of the country.”
Erling Haaland bulldozing past everyone like it’s nothing. 💨
— 433 (@433) October 23, 2022
Despite joy in the Premier League, the bookies were looking down the barrel in the EFL after a series of comebacks from big hitters left the bettors beaming. Having gone 2-0 down away at Sunderland, Burnley came storming back to secure a 3-2 win, leaving both the Mackems and bookies burnt.
Freeth said: “Good results in the EFL were few and far between with a number of hotshots landing the spoils.
“Blackburn, Burnley, QPR, Peterborough and Bolton being the pick of the bunch for punters with the Burnley fightback, after paying out on Sunderland thanks to our 2 Goals Ahead concession, being particularly painful,” he added.
Elsewhere, in horseracing, favourites duly obliged at two key meetings to keep the punters happy and the bookies backed into a corner.
Shoot First gave the punters a welcome win at Cheltenham after the favourite strode to victory in the Pertemps Network Handicap while Auguste Rodin emerged triumphant in the Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes at Doncaster.
Gill said: “At Cheltenham on Saturday, the Pertemps Network Handicap went the way of the big gamble in the race, Shoot First who was backed off the boards to go off at 9/4 and win readily, a result which kept punters happy.
“At Doncaster back on the Flat, the Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes went the way of another well backed favourite, Auguste Rodin also going off 9/4 and winning impressively in another result which lined punters pockets,” he added.
Staying with racing, Betfair dodged a bullet to some extent on Sunday after a customer cashed out for £58,000 on two bets (a Lucky 31 and a five-fold accumulator) that would have paid out a total £425,000 had he held his nerve.
📲 Before the 5:05 this Betfair punter cashed out both bets:
💰 £21,756 from £1 each way Lucky 31
💰 £36,212 from £5 acca🐎 Credrojava then (just) won… pic.twitter.com/t6mQxsIfyK
— Betfair Racing (@BetfairRacing) October 23, 2022
The customer staked a total of £67 on five runners, with the first four winning at odds of 16/1, 9/1, 12/1, and 7/2. Offered a cash-out of £21,756 for the Lucky 31 and £36,212 for the acca, the punter took it only to see his final selection – 15/8 favourite Credrojava – win the mares’ bumper at Aintree by half a length. Ouch.
Betfair’s Barry Orr told the Racing Post: “The customer elected to cash out and bank nearly £58,000 for his £67 bet. I’m sure it wasn’t an easy decision to make and he obviously had mixed emotions having seen the last leg win but I imagine there are very few people who wouldn’t have banked the cash.”
With Max Verstappen having sewn up the Drivers’ Championship, the US Grand Prix appeared to be a free hit for the challengers. In a dramatic race in Texas, which saw Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll collide in a white-knuckle moment, Verstappen eventually emerged victorious after passing Lewis Hamilton late on, as Red Bull secured the Constructor’s Championship with his win.
Gill said: “The US Grand Prix almost saw Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes bring some sort of light to their nightmare season with their first win, but inevitably a Dutch fly in the ointment as now two-time champion Verstappen passed him late on and pulled away for yet another win, in a result which punters saw coming and left us in the red.”