Weekend Review: Bookies bounce as Manchester United mauled by the Tigers
Opening day of Premier League weekend a positive one for the layers, as newly promoted Ipswich also win and Erling Haaland draws a blank for City
Newly promoted Hull City (8/1) beat Manchester United (33/100) 2-0 to give the bookies an opening weekend boost in the Premier League.
Goals from Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy put Michael Carrick’s side to the sword on Saturday lunchtime ahead of fellow newcomers Ipswich winning 2-1 at home to Sunderland.
The other newly promoted side, Coventry City, were beaten 3-0 away at Arsenal (1/5) in a routine win for the champions.
Hull and Ipswich’s wins were positives for the layers, while Brentford (19/20) found backers as they thumped big spenders Tottenham 3-0.
Manchester City (9/20) needed a stoppage time winner from Joško Gvardiol to come from behind to beat Bournemouth in Enzo Maresca’s first game as City boss, which saw the Italian deploy Marc Guéhi in midfield.
The game also marked the first time Erling Haaland, replete with his new buzzcut, failed to score on the opening day of the Premier League season since moving to England.
And then on Sunday, Brighton (21/20) thrashed Aston Villa 4-0 on the south coast, while Newcastle drew 2-2 (3/1) with Liverpool after a last-minute penalty from Dominik Szoboszlai saved the Reds a point.
Bet365’s Steve Freeth said: “Two of the three newly promoted sides were the toast of the trading room this weekend, as Ipswich and, more significantly, Hull made it a profitable Saturday.
“It looked like that joy would carry over to Sunday, but 17/2 Manchester City put paid to that with their late show against Bournemouth.
“However, it was Newcastle that kept the weekend ticking over in our favour with a 2-2 draw against odds-on Liverpool.
“Arsenal got the season underway in routine fashion, with the Gunners comfortably beating Coventry 3-0. However, those waiting on the Arsenal (2/11) and Manchester United (1/3) double were in for a rude awakening as the Red Devils were mauled by the Tigers.”
Betfred’s Alan Firkins added: City’s first Premier League match post-Pep saw them trailing 0-1 at the Etihad to Bournemouth with six minutes to play, but they dug themselves out of a deep hole with two late strikes from fairly unusual sources – Marc Guéhi and Joško Gvardiol.
“A City reverse would have been a terrific result for the trading desk but at least the striking Viking Erling Haaland, looking more like a US marine after his buzzcut, failed to register.”
Brian O’Keeffe, spokesperson for BOYLE Sports, said: “The Premier League returned with a bang this weekend, but undoubtedly the result of the weekend arrived at the MCM Stadium as Hull City shocked Manchester United with a 2-0 victory.
“Having been 1/5 to be relegated last week, the Tigers are now 7/2 to return to the Championship. Ipswich also marked their return to the top flight with three points thanks to a late winner against Sunderland, with Gary O’Neill’s men now evens to be relegated.”
In the Championship, West Ham’s (2/5) stuttering start to life in the second tier continued with a 2-1 home loss to Charlton.
Freeth noted: “Well done if you won on the Championship coupon this weekend because the obvious-looking ones all came a cropper. Odds-on favourites West Ham, Middlesbrough, Birmingham, QPR and Wrexham all failed to land three points.”
On the continent, the top dogs got the job done one way or another, including Real Madrid (2/5) marking José Mourinho’s return to the dugout with a 90th minute winner from new signing Carlos Espí.
Los Blancos were drawing 1-1 with Espanyol before the former Levante starlet popped up with the winner.
Barcelona (3/10) strolled to a 5-0 win against Elche, including two assists for summer signing Anthony Gordon.
Freeth said: “Punters fared much better in Europe on Saturday. 2/5 Real Madrid left it very late in José Mourinho’s second coming, with Jude Bellingham bagging an 11/1 brace, despite only scoring one. Yes, you’ve guessed it, the bet365 Sub On, Play On offer meant his replacement, Carlos Espí, hit the winner with the clock on 90 minutes.”
PSG (9/20), fresh off of beating Aston Villa in the Super Cup, could only draw 2-2 at Rennes after finding themselves 2-0 down. World Cup winner Ferran Torres got a brace for the Parisians.
In horseracing, Daiquiri Bay won the Ebor Handicap at York in a three-way sprint finish to claim victory in Europe’s richest handicap.
The 10/1 runner edged out Hopewell Rock (13/2) and Opportunity (14/1) in the 22-strong field.
Pre-race favourite, the Willie Mullins-trained Love Me Tender (7/2), finished in 10th.
Firkins remarked: “An absolutely outstanding Ebor Festival at York concluded on Saturday with the big handicap going the way of Alan King’s Daiquiri Bay (10/1), ridden by Rossa Ryan.
“Meanwhile Friday’s Nunthorpe speed-test was won by US-raider Bacio in a scorching 59.42 seconds, after which jockey Juan Hernandez jumped into a helicopter to Heathrow and then back to the States, where he was riding at Del Mar at weekend.
“It was a sensational front-running performance that will live long in the memory, especially for those punters who backed the three-year-old colt into 3/1 favouritism.”