Out-Foxed City out to 7-2 for title glory

SPORTS BETTING: HINDSIGHT is a wonderful thing.

Looking back, Leicester were simply asking to be backed at a ridiculous price against Manchester City.

Even though they were three points clear of their big-spending rivals going into the game, Leicester were written off at 9-2.

But why? City are carrying at least four or five players this season and Leicester are a team in which every individual knows his job and performs with efficiency and panache.

The warning signs were there for City in their recent 3-1 Capital One Cup victory over Everton. They were hit by Ross Barkley on the break and could have conceded at least twice more before they finally wrestled control.

Everton are nowhere near as potent at switching defence into attack as the Foxes and you just knew Martin Demichelis and Nicolas Otamendi were going to be exposed.

And with Yaya Toure, whose legs seem to have gone, strolling about in midfield, Leicester were always going to get some joy. So, a great betting opportunity went begging as the Foxes strolled to a 3-1 win.

The question now is where does that leave City?

They were 5-4 favourites to win the league a couple of weeks ago. Now they are 7-2. A growing injury list and fixture pile-up will surely count against a team fighting on four fronts, while all Leicester has to worry about is the title challenge.

Leicester are 9-4 joint title favourites with Arsenal – improving Tottenham are 5-1 – yet can be backed at almost 4-1 to win their crunch game at the Emirates Stadium this weekend.

Has the horse bolted or can lightning strike again?

Whether Leicester do it again or not, that price is a complete insult given their brilliance against City.



YOU have to feel for British tennis star Andy Murray. In any other era, Murray would surely have won more than two Grand Slam titles.

Alas, a legend named Roger Federer and a potentially even more successful player in Novak Djokovic have continually stood on the other side of the net.

Even though Murray is the clear world number two at present, I don’t see how he can make a dent in Djokovic’s armour. The evidence of their recent Australian Open final was overwhelming.

The Serb has everything a player needs, but it is his granite temperament and unflinching desire to improve that set him above the rest.

I envisage him breaking Federer’s record of 17 Grand Slam victories in the next two or three years and there is every chance he will complete the “calendar year” slam in the French Open in June.

Having won Wimbledon, the US Open and Australian Open on his last three outings, Djokovic just needs the French to bag the set.

He missed out on his dream at last year when Stan Wawrinka produced the performance of his life to beat him, but Djokovic has somehow improvemed since then.

Even with clay court king Rafael Nadal opposing in Paris, it is hard to see Djokovic being denied again and the evens on offer about his winning is entirely fair.

Nadal is 7-2, then it’s 8-1 Wawrinka, 12-1 Murray and 25-1 bar.



RECOMMENDATION: Leicester City to beat Arsenal, 15-4 (Ladbrokes).