Weekend Review: “Honours even” after mixed bag of Premier League results 

Stalemates across the Premier League this weekend scuppered accumulators, while a host of favourites picking up three points meant it was a mixed weekend for both operators and punters.

Aston Villa (4/5) being held 1-1 against Leeds United, West Ham’s (7/4) goalless draw (11/1) against Bournemouth and Burnley levelling late to earn a draw (5/1) against 10-men Chelsea (1/4) meant plenty of accumulators ended up in the bin before they had a chance to get going.

Favourite-backers did have some joy, though, with the highest profile contest seeing Igor Tudor in his first game as Tottenham manager fail to overcome fierce rivals Arsenal (2/5). Mikel Arteta’s side ran out comfortable 4-1 winners.

Their victory came 24 hours after Man City (1/2) beat Newcastle 2-1 to cut the lead at the top to two points, prior to Arsenal’s win.

There was also drama as Liverpool (4/5) left it late to beat Nottingham Forest 1-0.

On the weekend results, Betfred’s Alan Firkins said: “Three Saturday Premier League draws ended plenty of accas, with pride of place going to Burnley, who were good value for a point at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.

“Arsenal buried North London neighbours Tottenham 4-1 on Sunday to maintain a five-point advantage against Manchester City, who had temporarily reduced that deficit the previous evening when beating Newcastle in a tight Etihad contest 2-1.”

Elsewhere, Fulham (6/4) brushed aside Sunderland 3-1, while Crystal Palace (3/4) also needed a goal in the dying minutes to see past bottom-of-the-table Wolves.

Bet365’s Steve Freeth added: “Punters who backed Arsenal, despite their ‘bottle’ being questioned, were rewarded with a comprehensive North London Derby victory with all four Premier League favourites obliging on Sunday, resulting in honours even on the trading front.

“Liverpool left it late to beat Nottingham Forest, as did Crystal Palace against Wolves and Fulham completed the four-timer that paid around 11/1 on Sunday.

“Manchester City had kept the pressure on Arsenal with a victory over Newcastle to move within two points of the Gunners on Saturday night. We saw 36 wagers on Nico O’Reilly to score a brace at 80/1.

“On Saturday afternoon we saw three short-priced selections beat with the highlight being Chelsea at 1/4. They have now dropped 17 points from winning positions at Stamford Bridge – music to the ears of bookmakers.”

Reflecting on the action in the Premier League, Midnite’s Alex Firth commented: “Chelsea struggled at home to Burnley after receiving their sixth Premier League red card this season. The draw drifted to as big as 11/1 before Burnley’s 93rd minute equaliser.”

FDJ United’s Ali Gill said the operator finished the weekend ahead but only by a small margin, thanks to the draws.

“A 97th minute winner for Liverpool was a bit of a dagger both for Forest and us, with a big swing in the result for singles and multis, while an Arsenal win in the North London Derby was also unsurprising, as called by the punters.

“But, on the flip side, a well-earned draw for Leeds over Villa was a great result for the book, as was Chelsea being held to a draw against Burnley.

“A narrow victory for City over Newcastle, with Haaland kept off the scoresheet, meant we came out just about ahead in that one.”

Outside of the Premier League, bet365 took “a bit of a pasting” thanks to both Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United having a player sent off in the Steel City Derby and the operator boosting the odds from 50/1 to 66/1.

In Scotland, both Rangers and Celtic (2/5) failed to win. Rangers came back from 2-0 down but only managed a 2-2 against Livingston, and Celtic (4/9) fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to Hibernian due to a late Kai Andrews finish.

Those results leave Hearts four points clear at the top of the table ahead of Rangers and six of Celtic – who have a game in hand.

Bayern Munich (1/10) extended their lead at the top of Bundesliga thanks to a 3-2 win over Frankfurt  and Borussia Dortmund letting a two-goal lead slip to draw  2-2 against RB Leipzig (evens).

RC Lens (3/4) also failed to hold on to their two-goal advantage, losing 3-2 to Monaco (3/1) and slipped to second spot, two points behind PSG (1/10) who beat Metz 3-0 in Ligue 1.

Freeth said: “Sunday was a bad day for Old Firm punters and a great day for Hearts as both Celtic and Rangers fell short. Derek McInnes’ side are now 6/4 to win their first title since 1960.”

He added: “Bayern are now eight points clear at the top with Borussia Dortmund’s winning run ending at Leipzig.

“We had paid out on the hosts after 39 minutes when Christoph Baumgartner scored his second of the game. However, it was Fabio Silva who bagged his first Bundesliga goal to secure a point for the visitors.

“In France, we had also settled on Lens when they looked to cement their place at the top of Ligue 1, having taken a 2-0 lead at home to Monaco.

“However, Monaco netted three goals in 10 minutes to shock Lens with PSG taking full advantage with a 3-0 win at home to Metz, moving two points clear at the top of the table.”

Away from the football, after three falls in its last four starts over hurdles, Constitution Hill made a highly anticipated switch to the Flat and a floodlit Southwell on Friday evening.  

With crowds having flocked to the track to see how the Nicky Henderson-trained nine-year-old would react to a switch in codes, Constitution Hill didn’t leave them disappointed as he powered clear in impressive fashion to demolish the opposition, albeit a Class 2 novice stakes, at an SP of 6/4.

With Oisin Murphy on board, he cruised to a nine-and-half-length victory ahead of a Square Necker (9/4) and Gambino (12/1), sparking debate whether he should have another tilt at the Champion Hurdle next month or stick to the Flat. 

Constitution Hill won the two-mile Grade 1 in 2023, yet he missed the 2024 renewal through injury and fell in the race last time around. 

He is currently a best-priced 100/30 to line up for the Champion Hurdle on 10 March, though a decision on his inclusion in the race will be made after a schooling session this week.

Firkins said: “Racing’s big story was former Champion hurdler Constitution Hill rocking up to Southwell for a specially framed novice stakes race over a mile-and-a-half on the Flat, as he bids to rebuild confidence after three falls over timber in his last four starts.

“Jockey Oisin Murphy oozed confidence as the nine-year-old travelled beautifully and powered home. 

“Decent tests now look likely on the Flat but he still holds a Champion Hurdle entry, and there are reports of a make-or-break schooling session on Wednesday or Thursday after which a decision on Cheltenham will be made.”

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