Weekend Review: Spurs outfoxed in stuttering six-pointer showdown

A Saturday full of favourable Premier League results for punters was overturned by the bookies coming out on top on Sunday, as Liverpool’s title charge continued in earnest.

Arne Slot’s side (1/10) easily dispatched Ipswich Town (14/1) as three first-half goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo set the Merseysiders on their way to victory.

Gakpo added a second after the break, with Jacob Greaves adding a late consolation goal for the Tractor Boys.

The win kept the league leaders six points clear at the top after Arsenal (5/1) beat Wolves away thanks to a Ricardo Calafiori second-half strike.

The match was overshadowed by a contentious red card shown to Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly just before the break, though the home side were also reduced to 10-men when João Gomes was shown a second yellow card with 20 minutes remaining.

Bournemouth (1/1) put an abrupt stop to Nottingham Forest’s (11/4) excellent form with a 5-0 thumping, while Manchester City (7/5) came from a goal down to win 3-1 against Chelsea (7/4).

On Saturday’s action, Kindred Group’s Ali Gill said: “Another good week in the Premier League overall with some layer-friendly results.

“City versus Chelsea topped the turnover charts unsurprisingly, and a City win there with Haaland on the scoresheet left us in the red, as did Newcastle’s win over Southampton, but other than that it was a sea of black for the book.”

With results favouring the punters for the most part on Saturday, bookmakers came out on top 24 hours later.

Tottenham (1/2) took the lead against Leicester City (9/2), before succumbing to a 2-1 loss at home against the relegation-threatened Foxes.

Spurs are now 15^th on 24 points, just eight ahead of Wolves who occupy the final relegation berth.

Combined with Crystal Palace (19/20) losing to Brentford (11/4) and Fulham (7/5) failing to overcome a struggling Manchester United (2/1), bookies finished the weekend strongly.

Bet365’s Steve Freeth said City’s win was one of the worst results of the weekend for the operator but it was offset by Sunday’s scores.

He noted: “There were a lot of winning favourites such as Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle, Bournemouth and Manchester City on Saturday, but there was enough for us to come out of the weekend unscathed thanks to a Premier League Super Sunday for bookmakers with defeats for odds-on shots Tottenham and Crystal Palace, Fulham as well as Aston Villa drawing at home to West Ham.

“Pep Guardiola’s side were noticeable drifters before kick-off, going from 11/10 to 13/10, but it was one of our worst results of the weekend as they kept their top four hopes alive – not a statement heard very often under the Spaniard’s tenure.

 “Spurs started the New Year as 500/1 pokes for relegation, and while the drop still seems unlikely despite four defeats since the start of January and no wins since beating Southampton in mid-December, that hasn’t stopped a surge of interest, with Tottenham now trading at 33/1 for the dreaded drop.”

Gill echoed Freeth’s points, highlighting how Leicester and United’s win were “great” results for the firm.

He said: “Spurs’ poor run continues as their loss to Leicester was the best result of the round for us, along with United sneaking past Fulham in another great result for us.”

For Betfred, Alan Firkins noted that the 7pm kick-off between Fulham and United resulted in a lighter turnover.

He said: “Leicester’s win at Spurs was a highlight not only for under-pressure Foxes boss Ruud van Nistelrooy but certainly for the football desk.

“Interestingly, one senior trader told me that the public’s appetite for 7pm Sunday evening matches, if the Fulham versus Manchester United clash was anything to go by, was limited, with turnover noticeably lighter. Does seem an odd piece of scheduling.”

For OLBG’s Jake Ashton, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou is 2/5 favourite to be the next Premier League manager to get the boot, with Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola the favourite to succeed the Australian.

“Yet more pressure is heaped on Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou after his side were beaten 2-1 at home to relegation strugglers Leicester on Sunday,” remarked Ashton.

“The Spurs boss remains the 2/5 favourite to be the next Premier League manager to go, with Daniel Levy and the Tottenham board still reluctant to sack him according to reports.”

Meanwhile, on the continent, a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick and Barcelona thumping Valencia 7-1 were helped by Atlético Madrid drawing against Villarreal, according to Freeth.

He said: “I always like to keep my eye on the goings on in Europe, with 1,946 pre-game wagers being placed on Kylian Mbappe (14/1) taking the match-ball home as 2/9 Real Madrid won easily at Valladolid. Barcelona went off the same price but managed four more goals with these two results being our worst in Europe over the weekend.”

Over at Cheltenham, the superstar that is Constitution Hill (1/12) made it 10 wins out of 10 races, winning the Unibet Hurdle but not without a scare.

The Nicky Henderson-trained horse was pushed from 1/10 out to 1/12 at the off, and was able to fend off the second-favourite in the shape of 10/1 Brentford Hope.

Despite winning by three lengths, Constitutional Hill barely cleared the final hurdle – putting his win in slight jeopardy, before recovering and setting off up the hill at Prestbury Park.

Constitutional Hill is still the favourite to take the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, 4/5, with Firkins backing him to regain his crown.

Firkins noted: “The mighty Constitution Hill survived clattering the final obstacle in an otherwise bloodless win during Saturday’s Cheltenham trials day – he’s 4/5 for the real thing in March as he bids to regain his hurdling crown.

“East India Dock was impressive in the Triumph Hurdle trial and is now 3/1 from 11/2 for the big juvenile test that opens proceedings on Gold Cup Friday.”

On the Cheltenham card, Gill added that punters took Constitutional Hill despite being 1/12 and still came out on top – just.

He reported: “A great day of racing at Cheltenham on Saturday, including Constitutional Hill getting another one in the form book, although looking perhaps a shade less imperious than we’ve been used to.

“Priced at 1/12 it was hard to get excited from a betting point of view, but punters did come out just about ahead on that one.

“In the Triumph Trial East India Dock won very comfortably at 1/2, punters latching on to that despite the price and coming out well ahead.”

Over in the US, the Kansas City Chiefs (4/5) kept their Super Bowl threepeat hopes alive by beating the Buffalo Bills (1/1) in a 32-29 AFC title win.

In the NFC title fixture, Jayden Daniel’s Washington Commanders’ (2/1) fairytale came to an end against the Philadelphia Eagles (7/20), who won convincingly 55-23.

The Chiefs versus Eagles match-up in New Orleans sets up a Super Bowl LVII rematch, with the Eagles looking to avenge their 38-35 defeat.

Betfred’s Firkins said: “It was Conference finals weekend in the NFL, and while the Eagles readily dismissed the Commanders in the NFC, predictably it was much closer at Arrowhead as the Chiefs set up a possible, unprecedented Super Bowl threepeat by edging past the Bills 32-29 in an AFC title thriller.

“Generational quarterback Patrick Mahomes once again got the better of opposite number Josh Allen in the post-season, and history now beckons in New Orleans on 9 February.

“We’ve got the Chiefs edging favouritism at 8/11, with the Eagles 20/21.”