2013 off to a flyer for the top two

2Jan 2013

Premier League

The top two win again in the Premier League whilst the race to finish in the top four hots up. Mike Norman details today's In-Play odds...

Manchester United are 1.44 favourites to win the Premier League title after starting the new year with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Wigan this afternoon.

Two goals each for Javier Hernandez and Robin van Persie sealed the win for Sir Alex Ferguson's men meaning they maintain their seven point advantage over second place Manchester City. Hernandez was backed at 6.8 to open the scoring, whilst the 0-4 Correct Score was matched at a high of 55.0.

City themselves recorded a comfortable victory at home to Stoke. Roberto Mancini's men dominated possession throughout but it wasn't until approaching half time that they made the breakthrough, 50.0 First Goalscorer option Pablo Zabaleta with the goal.

Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero completed the scoring in the second half - the 3-0 Correct Score was backed at 11.5 - but today's results mean City have drifted slightly in their quest to retain their title and are now available to back at 5.3.

Tottenham maintained their impressive form with a 3-1 win over Reading, though Andre Villas-Boas' men had to come from a goal behind after Pavel Pogrebnyak had put the visitors ahead.

Goals from Michael Dawson, Emmanuel Adebayor, and Clint Dempsey completed Tottenham's seventh win in nine league games and they can now be backed at 2.36 for a Top Four Finish.

Pogrebnyak was matched at 18.0 in the First Goalscorer market with the 3-1 Correct Score hitting a high of 14.0 In-Play.

Arsenal failed to make it five league wins in a row when they could manage just a draw away to Southampton in the late kick-off. Gaston Ramirez (22.0 FGS) put the Saints in front before an unfortunate own goal brought the Gunners level. The 1-1 draw was matched at a high of 9.8.

Elsewhere there was a dramatic finish at the Liberty Stadium where a late Swansea goal (draw matched at 15.0, 2-2 score at 34.0) denied Aston Villa what would have been a welcome three points, whilst in the day's other two games both Fulham (matched at 5.8 to win the game) and West Ham (2.28) recorded 2-1 wins over West Brom and Norwich respectively.