Who are the favourites for the Premier League title?

As we get ready for the Premier League restart on Boxing Day, it is Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal sitting top of the table with a five-point advantage over reigning champions Manchester City. 

However, the bookies still seemingly fancy an Arsenal collapse sooner rather than later, with the Gunners given a best price of 11/4 to win the Premier League title in the outright market. Pep Guardiola’s men remain odds-on-favourites at 8/15.

After watching the first 15 games of the Premier League season, the bookies believe it is a two-horse race. The next closest in the outright market is 3rd place Newcastle who hold a best price of 33/1 but can be found as short as 28/1 with one bookmaker. 

Which teams are in the hunt for the Champions League places?

The current top two City and Arsenal are both odds-on to make the top four given their current standing in the league and sit at 1/200 and 2/17 respectively. 

Interestingly, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool - 6th in the table and seven points outside the top four - are also odds-on at a best price of 8/11. 

Klopp’s men have been inconsistent to say the least, with losses to lowly Nottingham Forest and Leeds. However, they did pull off impressive wins against Manchester City and Tottenham, leaving the bookies confident they will close the gap and secure Champions League qualification. 

Tottenham are next in the market at the best price of 13/10 with Conte men’s currently occupying the highly desirable 4th place. His men held on to 4th last season, fending off local rivals Arsenal, but face a stronger supporting cast this year. 

Manchester United (7/5), Newcastle (6/4) and Chelsea (9/2) will all be hoping their squads are strong enough to survive the relentless post-World Cup schedule. Newcastle, four points inside the top four as the league restarts, have the advantage of no European football to contend with.

Who is fearing relegation from the Premier League?

The relegation battle is full swing with Wolves (1/1) currently bottom of the table on 10 points but only third favourites for the drop. Wolves fans will be hoping the appointment of Julen Lopetegui will help the Wanderers claw their way to safety.

Steve Cooper’s Nottingham Forest are the bookies favourites to go down at a best price of 11/18. 

Forest invested heavily in the summer transfer window, spending an eye-popping £163.4 million on transfers, which is a record for a team newly promoted to the Premier League. Yet, this investment has only yielded 13 points so far, and they sit one point from safety.

Gary O’Neil’s Bournemouth are also odds-on to go down at 8/11 despite holding a three-point advantage over Nottingham Forest. 

Everton are one point above the drop zone but can be found at 9/5 to be relegated to the Championship. After a poor run of results which have seen Frank Lampard’s side pick up 14 points from 15 games, he is the favourite to be the next manager sacked next at a best price of 4/7.