Both North London clubs are looking strong this season, but Tottenham can pose the biggest challenge to Manchester City in the Premier League.
Who do Bettors Favor?
Looking across the main sports online betting sites, it seems that no bookmakers are prepared to take on Manchester City. The reigning Premier League champions are -300 favorites, while their nearest challengers, Liverpool, are as big as +700. The resurgent Arsenal team of Mikel Arteta is available at +1000, just ahead of Tottenham at +1400, with Manchester United and Chelsea both on +3300.
Since Jurgen Klopp arrived at Liverpool, betting on the Premier League winners has meant choosing between Manchester City and Liverpool. In five seasons, Manchester City has won it four times and finished as runners-up once, while Liverpool has one win and two runners-up places.
This season, Manchester City, boosted by the goalscoring prowess of Erling Haaland, are already eight points clear of their Merseyside rivals, although Liverpool has a game in hand. But new challengers are emerging. Arsenal is top of the league right now, a point ahead of City, while Tottenham is level on points with the reigning champions and Manchester United and Brighton are both in the mix.
Can any of these rivals upset the champions? Liverpool may already be too far behind, and they have yet to find a way to cope without Sadio Mane. Manchester United is fast improving but is about twelve months behind Arsenal and Tottenham, whose rebuilding process is now in its second year.
Arsenal has been hugely impressive so far this season, but the Premier League is a long, grueling competition, and a couple of factors could count against them. The Gunners squad is younger than most of their rivals, and with youth comes inconsistency and inexperience, particularly in high-pressure situations. And although the Arsenal first team is a match for anyone in the Premier League, they don’t have the strength in depth of some of their rivals.
If there is to be a new challenger, it is more likely to be Tottenham. Unlike Arsenal, Spurs have an experienced, battle-hardened squad led by a manager who is a proven winner at the top level of European football. Under his guidance, the Spurs have recruited well and are much stronger this season than last. With an entire summer to drill his team, Conte has them playing the way he likes and also benefits from one of the best strike duos in the Premier League in Harry Kane and Son Heung-min. It will be tough for anyone to overtake City, but at the current odds, Tottenham looks like the best bet.
With Liverpool and Chelsea struggling and Tottenham, Arsenal, and Manchester United all improving, the battle for a place in the top four looks particularly tight this season.
That means there is likely to be little room for a team outside the Big Six to sneak into contention, so don’t be tempted to get too creative when you’re betting on the Premier League top four. Brighton is currently in the top four, and Fulham, Brentford, and Newcastle are all in the top ten, but the first three of those teams don’t have the depth of squad to sustain a title challenge, while Newcastle will be aiming for progress this season but haven’t yet shown they are top four class.
The best bet for the top four is Manchester United. Erik ten Hag has been able to recover from an early double loss to get his new team playing in the way he wants, and their rapid progress has been. Whereas Liverpool appears to be regressing, and Chelsea is treading water. At the same time, their new manager gets to grips with the job, Manchester United are moving rapidly in the right direction, and given that they are priced higher than the rest of the top six, they have to be the wager here.
There’s a strange look to the Premier League relegation zone at the moment, with both Leicester City and West Ham United in the bottom three, while newly promoted Bournemouth and Fulham are inside the top twelve. But when you’re betting on Premier League relegation, it is important not to get carried away by early season form.
Fulham and Bournemouth will likely drift down the table as the season progresses. Fulham’s position, in particular, looks false based on Expected Goals, so this could be the best time to wager on them in the relegation betting market.
Outside the newly promoted clubs, there is always the possibility of one of the more established teams dropping into the relegation struggle. Everton appears to be moving in the right direction, while Wolves can spend money in the transfer window, as do Aston Villa. Southampton is regularly tipped for the drop, but their odds are not very tempting, so it could be worth wagering on Leeds.
The Whites had an eye-catching win against Chelsea, but they have looked poor on the road and have the Premier League’s smallest payroll. At these odds, they are worth a wager.
For more than a decade and a half, Teri Geis has carved a niche in the world of betting. Her writing has graced the pages of some of the industry's heavy hitters, including the likes of Betfair, ESPN, and Sporting Life. With her extensive understanding of sports betting, readers can now peruse her insightful reviews, features, and previews here on this website.