Weekend Review: Super Salah shines as Slot’s stars slice City in two 

Liverpool (1/1) looked every inch the champions elect as they breezed past current holders Manchester City (5/2) to register a 2-0 victory at Anfield in what was a mixed weekend for the bookmakers.

Mo Salah was integral to an 11th Premier League win of the season for Liverpool, assisting Cody Gakpo’s 12th-minute opener before slotting home a second-half spot-kick to keep the title momentum in Merseyside. 

The result places a significant dent in City’s title hopes (7/1), with Pep Guardiola’s side trailing Arne Slot’s table-toppers (4/7) by 11 points down in fifth place. 

Liverpool’s nearest challengers Arsenal (2/5) got the better of London rivals West Ham (6/1) via thumping 5-2 victory at the London Stadium that saw all seven goals scored before half-time. 

It was a much-needed victory for the Gunners, who are aiming to chase down the Reds and face a huge clash with long-time rivals Manchester United on Wednesday night.  

Meanwhile, Ruben Amorim’s first league game at Old Trafford as Manchester United boss went off without a hitch, as the Red Devils (3/5) ran out 4-0 winners over Everton (19/4). 

Chelsea (7/10) made light work of Aston Villa (33/10), breezing past Unai Emery’s men with a 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge, while Tottenham (19/20) were held to a 1-1 draw by fellow Londoners Fulham (12/5) at home.  

Brentford (3/5) ran riot at home against Leicester City (4/1), hammering the hapless Foxes 4-1, Nottingham Forest (7/10) had the edge on Ipswich (39/10) with a 1-0 win, Wolves (7/4) were humbled at home by Bournemouth (3/2), who came away from the Molineux with a 4-2 win, while Brighton (7/20) were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Southampton (6/1). 

Bet365’s Steeve Freeth said: “The draws at Crystal Palace and Spurs helped greatly in stopping a full house of top flight favourites winning with Brentford, Forest, Bournemouth and Arsenal on Saturday followed by Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool on Sunday. 

“5/2 is the biggest price that Manchester City have ever gone off at Anfield under Pep Guardiola with the champions thoroughly outclassed by the well backed even money shots Liverpool. 

“Punters were also in clover with Arsenal at West Ham, most notably the several thousand wagers we took on the boosted Gabriel to score with a header at 14/1.” 

Betfred’s Alan Firkins added: “Plenty of goals across the Premier League on Saturday, including that remarkable affair at the London Stadium, teeing us up beautifully for a 24-carat Super Sunday. 

“Manchester City were the biggest price to ever win a Premier League game under Pep Guardiola, travelling to Anfield hoping to end a dismal run. Liverpool should have been out of sight after 20 minutes but still controlled the champions with ease, winning 2-0 with goals from Gakpo and a late Salah penalty.”

Reflecting on the Anfield clash, Kindred Group’s Ali Gill added: “A punters weekend in the Premier League as the big games went against us. No surprise Liverpool versus City topped the turnover table, and no surprise at all in the result really.

“City staying off the scoresheet probably helped, and the overs goal line just about remained intact, but overall it was a poor result for the book.”

With Liverpool now in a commanding position, OLBG’s Jake Ashton said: ““Bookies have now drifted City’s odds right out to 7/1 to win the Premier League as they stretched their unwanted run to seven games without a win across all competitions. Liverpool are now 4/7 to make it 20 titles with a Premier League win in Arne Slot’s first season in charge of the club.”

On the continent, Real Madrid got the better of Getafe with a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe. 

However, La Liga title rivals Barcelona slumped to a shock 2-1 home defeat by Las Palmas, meaning the Camp Nou giants boast a slender one-point lead at the top of the table having played one game more than Los Blancos. 

Freeth heralded the impact Las Palmas’ surprise victory as he said: “Christmas cards have been sent to Las Palmas for winning away at Barcelona for the first time since 1971 with the 1/7 hotpots coming unstuck with Wolves loanee Fabio Silva causing many accumulators to go awry.

“We also had another fine result in the Bundesliga with 8/11 Bayern Munich drawing 1-1 with Borussia Dortmund.

“We had no such luck with the other Spanish giant, with us losing on the Real Madrid versus Getafe game as Jude Bellingham bagged a goal and an assist while other notable losses were incurred by away wins for 4/9 Atletico Madrid (at Real Valladolid), 29/20 Athletic Bilbao (at Rayo Vallecano) and 17/20 Bayer Leverkusen (at Union Berlin).” 

It was a sentiment shared by Kindred’s Gill, who added: “Mixed results in La Liga as Real Madrid’s 2-0 win left us well in the red, but Barca’s shock home defeat to Las Palmas was a great individual result as well as taking heaps of European accas with it.” 

Away from football, Saturday was a busy day of racing, with Gill reflecting on what was on balance an even day for both punters and bookmakers after Sir Gino, ridden by Nico de Boinville, romped to victory in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle. 

The 6/5 joint favourite secured a comfortable victory as fellow market leader Mystical Power ended up in sixth, while stablemate Constitution Hill was absent from the race.

The Coral Gold Cup at Newbury went the way of 8/1 runner Kandoo Kid as Harry Coden managed to hold on to win by a length-and-three-quarters after 4/1 favourite Broadway Boy failed to recover fully after a mistake three out.

“At Newcastle on Saturday, Sir Gino put a smile on Nicky Henderson’s face after a tough couple of weeks with a very impressive win in the Fighting Fifth, although main market rival Mystical Power never showed up. That one just about went to the punters, although in truth there was very little in it,” Gill explained. 

“In the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury, 8/1 shot Kandoo Kid kept his head in front to beat 4/1 favourite Broadway Boy, that race another draw between layers and backers with a couple of well backed horses in the places.” 

Betfred’s Firkins reflected on what was a positive weekend of racing for the Warrington-based outfit, particularly at Fairyhouse, where Lossiemouth ran out the victor in Sunday’s Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle. 

He remarked: “Lossiemouth advertised her Champion Hurdle claims with a facile success in the Hatton’s Grace over 2m 4f, impressively sauntering past Stayers’ Hurdle winner Teahupoo. Willie Mullins’ superstar mare is 7/4 for the Champion and might just take in the Xmas Hurdle at Kempton en route. 

“Nicky Henderson’s Sir Gino was equally impressive in Newcastle’s Fighting Fifth, showing electric acceleration, and was clipped into 4/1 for racing’s top hurdling prize at the Festival.

“Generational talent Constitution Hill, another Seven Barrows resident at Nicky’s, remains under a bit of a cloud and is 9/2, the same price as reigning champion State Man. What a race that’s brewing up to be.”