Matchweek 32 of the 2022-23 EPL season was all about one clash, which saw Manchester City crush Arsenal’s title hopes. Elsewhere, Chelsea sunk to a new low.
Here’s how it looked for punters:
Dominant City crush Arsenal dreams
It was billed as the game of the season — and for good reason. The season’s two best clubs by some margin faced off in a true six-pointer. The carrot dangling for the winner was a giant step towards EPL title glory this season.
In the end, though, it was hardly a contest.
Just as Manchester City ($1.55 pre-game) have done to just about every opponent it has faced in the last two months, it brushed aside Arsenal ($5.50) like a crumb on the table. Pep Guardiola’s men dominated every facet of the game — tactics, tenacity, technical ability — to run out 4-1 winners at home ($23 correct score, $4.75 at -2.0). A clinical Kevin de Bruyne opener ($10 first goalscorer with Palmerbet) saw City take the lead after just five minutes, which was doubled on the stroke of half-time by John Stones ($9.75 anytime goalscorer). If the game wasn’t already out of reach, less than 10 minutes into the second half de Bruyne put an exclamation mark on City’s performance by bagging a second ($14.50 to score 2+ goals).
Arsenal pegged back some scant consolation in the unlikely form of centre-half Rob Holding ($19 anytime goalscorer) later on, before Erling Harland — of course — found his way onto the scoresheet, likely helping several EPL punters who had the Norwegian in their same-game multis as an anytime goalscorer ($1.62).
.@ManCity in the driving seat 🚘#MCIARS pic.twitter.com/yYtzlfzdnB
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 26, 2023
Is the title race over?
The result sees City trail Arsenal by just two points on the table with two games in hand. That means, if Arsenal are any chance of claiming their first EPL title since 2003-04, they need the Sky Blues to drop points. And given Guardiola’s men are unbeaten in 17 games and have brushed aside the likes of Liverpool, Bayern Munich and the Gunners themselves in recent weeks, it’s hard to see them dropping points against the likes of Fulham, West Ham, Leeds and Everton to come. Such was City’s incredible form heading into Thursday morning’s game and Arsenal’s comparative slump (the Gunners are now winless in four), they had already shortened into $1.20. Now? Well, Guardiola’s men are on the cusp of yet another EPL title according to Palmerbet’s title market, now at $1.05. Their charge towards an historic treble continues.
Man City's chances of securing a Treble this season 🏆🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/pBb0zAQcxG
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) April 25, 2023
29-year low looms at Chelsea
Any talk of Arsenal ‘bottling’ the title race is cheap and simply unreflective of what’s been a great season. Mikel Arteta’s men have been excellent for vast swathes of the 2022-23 EPL campaign. There is also no embarrassment to being swept aside by Guardiola’s side. What was embarrassing, however, was down the road in West London…
Chelsea started $1.79 favourites at home to Brentford ($4.87) and, despite an awful run of form were expected to snap a five-game EPL winless run. 90 minutes later, however, the Bees had run away with a 2-0 win ($14 at -1.0 pre-game) in yet another sobering night at Stamford Bridge. The loss leaves Chelsea on the brink of a 29-year low. Not since 1993/94 have they finished in the bottom half of the EPL. Now, the Blues (11th) sit six points behind Fulham in 10th with just six games remaining. To put it into perspective, Chelsea were $1.02 to finish in the Top 10 prior to the season kicking off.
Chelsea’s league points by coach this season:
𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗧𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹:
10 points, 6 games𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿:
28 points, 22 games𝗕𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗼 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗼𝗿:
1 point, 1 game𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗟𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗱:
0 points, 3 games pic.twitter.com/yGnNnmOPhw— B/R Football (@brfootball) April 27, 2023
