Weekend Review: Mixed weekend for bookies as Spurs rock City’s title bid
A vintage Harry Kane performance at the Etihad opens the door for Liverpool to claw back at league leaders
Goals galore in the Premier League and a Harry Kane masterclass made for a mixed weekend for the bookies as the seemingly settled title race was restarted in earnest.
Facing a Manchester City (7/25) in imperious form, Antonio Conte’s Spurs (9/1) team was looking to avoid a fourth league defeat in a row.
A counter-attacking plan executed to perfection, led by the excellent Kane, saw Spurs run out 3-2 winners with a last-minute goal from Kane securing all three points after City had made it 2-2 in stoppage time with a Riyad Mahrez penalty.
Manchester United (3/4) ran out 4-2 victors against Leeds (7/2) after a spirited fightback from the Yorkshire club was quashed by further goals from Fred and youngster Anthony Elanga.
What a game! What a win! Proper shift from everyone. Love it ? pic.twitter.com/TrQEHbiFNm
— Harry Kane (@HKane) February 19, 2022
Kindred Group’s Ali Gill said: “City vs Spurs and Leeds vs Man Utd were our two biggest events of the weekend, and the fact they were both goal fests with the overs line being easily passed meant punters took both of them.
“Although the City defeat did take a fair few accas with it, United’s win was the worst result of the weekend across the board,” he added.
Liverpool (3/25) survived a scare after going down 1-0 to relegation favourites Norwich (16/1) before ending up as 3-1 winners to inch closer to City in the race for the title.
Chelsea (13/20) needed an 89th goal from Hakim Ziyech to defeat a spirited Crystal Palace (9/2) at Selhurst Park.
Ladbrokes’ Alex Apati said: “We were really helped by Spurs beating City – the draw would’ve been just as handy in truth. It could have been even better, and I suppose you could say bookies’ eyes lit up when Norwich took the lead against Liverpool, and then even more so with Chelsea being held for so long against Crystal Palace.”
Very happy to score my first goal at my new home ????#Anfield#YNWA pic.twitter.com/SNSxCEOHci
— Luis Fernando Díaz (@LuisFDiaz19) February 19, 2022
Betfred’s Alan Firkins detailed the latest title odds for EGR following the action-packed weekend.
He said: “Harry Kane reminded City fans of who they might have had leading their line, and the football world in general that he’s still a rare talent.
“Spurs’ heroics leave City a still skinny-looking 1/5 for their sixth title in a decade, with Liverpool 10/3, and it’s a massive 80/1 bar. Both United and Liverpool must visit east Manchester in the next six weeks or so,” he added.
Elsewhere, in horseracing, Fakir D’oudairies became the first Irish-trained winner of the Ascot Chase as the 9/4 favourite duly obliged.
Fakir D'Oudairies ?? pic.twitter.com/rE6qHBDWnG
— Racing Post (@RacingPost) February 19, 2022
Trained by Joseph O’Brien, Fakir D’oudairies managed to overtake earlier frontrunners Dashel Drasher and Lost in Translation and finished ahead of Two For Gold (25/1) with Fanion D’Estruval (9/12) in second and third.
Gill said: “The Ascot Chase was the highlight at Ascot on Saturday, and Fakir D’oudairies was a very well backed favourite on the day, winning well at 9/4 and leaving punters in the black on what was overall a bad day for the traders across the board for racing.”