Man United’s controversial late winner has enormous repercussions for the Champions League race
- Paul Okey
- 24 January 2022
Added-time defeat of West Ham plus Spurs’ loss to Chelsea forces bookies to rethink their odds on who will finish fourth.
It's the hope that kills you, as Tottenham supporters know only too well.
Fresh from a dramatic 3-2 win at Leicester City and with three games in hand on fourth-placed West Ham, Antonio Conte's side were installed as favourites to bag the coveted fourth and final Champions League spot.
Hell, having played four fewer than Chelsea and with the Blues to play, third spot wasn't even beyond the realms of possibility.
But now, having succumbed to a 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge, Spurs sit down in seventh, below even Arsenal.
And it was Manchester United who were staging the injury-time heroics, with Marcus Rashford's controversial winner against West Ham sending them into top four for the first time since early October and restoring them to the head of the top-four betting alongside Spurs.
Most firms cannot split the pair, offering them both around the 6/4 mark, with Planet Sport Bet quoting 13/8.
Arsenal are out to 9/4 after their tame goalless draw with Burnley, while West Ham United have drifted out to 10s from 6/1 following their second successive league defeat.
The weekend's biggest losers, however, were surely Watford, who were so bad they allowed Josh Sargent to score not once but twice.
This is a player who had failed to notch in any of his previous 18 Premier League appearances, even when presented with an open goal.
Safe to say @Carra23 absolutely loved Josh Sargent's wonder goal 🤣
— Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) January 21, 2022
Giving @GNev2 a run for his money with that OOOOOOO 🤣pic.twitter.com/bTCvNNsDMn
Watford are now 3/10 from 8/15 to be relegated, with Claudio Ranieri 1/3 to be the next top-flight manager to leave.
Norwich, in contrast, have drifted to 2/9 from 1/12 to join them in the Championship. Newcastle are 11/8 to go down after a Jonjo Shelvey strike at Elland Road gave them only their second league win of the season.
Meanwhile, at the top, Manchester City's surprise draw with Southampton allowed Liverpool to cut the deficit at the top to nine points.
With the Reds holding a game in hand, that could be reduced further. Nevertheless, the bookies still cannot see past a City title, with the reigning champions 1/10 to retain their crown.
