WE’RE just six games in and already the race for the Premier League title looks set to be a cracker.
Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are all likely to be quietly confident about their chances — and for good reasons.
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It’s advantage Liverpool at the moment as they have a one-point lead over their rivals at the top of the standings.
Ever since the news of Rodri’s season-ending injury, Arsenal have been the favourites in our betting for the title.
They are 6-4 to go one better than last season and get their hands on the Prem trophy for the first time since 2004.
All three of the big guns have favourable games today, at least according to our betting.
Gunners are 1-7 to beat Southampton, City are 1-4 to get the better of Fulham and Liverpool are 1-2 to defeat Crystal Palace.
Big Three treble works out around 11-10.
But the pressure is really intensifying on Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.
His side escaped with a point from their Europa League clash with Porto earlier this week.
They desperately need to start picking up some wins in the league as they’re already off the pace down in 13th.
Things don’t get much easier for the Red Devils as they face Aston Villa tomorrow.
Villa will be buzzing still from their victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
The hosts are 5-4 favourites here, with United 2-1 to cause an upset.
We are already betting on who’ll be the next United boss, with former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy the 6-4 favourite.
We’ve also seen some support for former England gaffer Gareth Southgate, who is second best in the betting at 3-1.
It is no secret that Jim Ratcliffe is a fan of Southgate, so should they decide to make a change, perhaps he will look to persuade him to take the job.
Other names at the top end of the betting include Thomas Tuchel and Kieran McKenna.
Another defeat this weekend will ramp up the heat on ETH.
CHARIOT AWAITS, THEN ARC
WE’VE a seven-race card at Newmarket today and the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes is the highlight.
The race, for fillies and mares, was won by Inspiral 12 months ago and she’s back to defend her crown.
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Now aged five, she’s without a win so far this season and, in Tamfana, faces a younger opponent who looks ready for the breakthrough at the top level.
Tamfana is trained by David Menuisier and it promises to be a big two days for the Frenchman now based in England.
After Newmarket’s feature race is run, he’ll be heading back to his homeland, joining the thousands of Irish and British racing fans on the pilgrimage to Paris for the two days of Longchamp’s Arc weekend.
Menuisier will be saddling Sunway tomorrow in the highly-anticipated Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe but today’s star performer is Kyprios, who will be sent off a red-hot favourite for the Prix Du Cadran.
Winner of this race two years ago by an incredible 20 lengths, Aidan O’Brien’s stayer has won all five of his starts this year and should make it six from six with the minimum of fuss.
If today’s action is top-class, it really doesn’t get any better than tomorrow’s Longchamp card.
As well as the feature, there are five other Group 1s.
Just two to keep an eye on are the unbeaten filly Zarigana, favourite for the Prix Marcel Boussac, and Kinross, who always goes well, in the Prix de la Foret.
The Arc itself has a wide open look to it and it’s not hard to make a case for several runners.
Look De Vega, who should improve from his third place in the Prix Niel, has been popular all week with punters, replacing Sosie as the current favourite.
Sosie cannot be ruled out and other rivals include Los Angeles, the mount of Ryan Moore, and Shin Emperor, who could end Japan’s long wait for an Arc win.
