It’s almost April, and Paris Saint-Germain have retained the title in France. Bayern Munich are closing in on the Bundesliga crown, and Barcelona are running away with La Liga. Meanwhile, here in England, the Foxes are of course ready to bring the Premier League back to its rightful home – Leicester City. No, wait. Is that right?
Believe it or not, fellow punter, it is. Leicester City are going to win the league. The fans sang it for fifteen minutes after the final whistle before being kicked out of the stadium last weekend. This, one of the greatest sporting stories of our generation, is surely one that is going to see it through to the end.
Starting the season as relegation favourites (perhaps unfairly due to their finish to the 2014-15 year) and paying 5000/1 to win the league, Nigel Pearson’s replacement Claudio Ranieri – known in the past as ‘The Tinkerman’ – has defied the critics, kept the same team on the park, and is going to reap the rewards of some stellar recruitment and star performances.
No one – except for those optimistic fans or drunken punters who put money on them with the above odds – expected Leicester to do this. But led by the now-coveted Riyad Mahrez and ex-bricklayer Jamie Vardy, with a more than stellar supporting cast, this is seriously going to happen.
To be honest punters, I’m halfway through this post and I’m still laughing quietly to myself. It’s quite remarkable.
The money that controls the world of football, from TV rights to sponsorships to World Cup bribes, tends to mean that the sides we’re used to seeing win the trophies will continue to do so, and the rest of the pack need to hope for the best. When Athletico Madrid pipped the title from their neighbours a couple of years back, the whole world celebrated. This, however, is a step above that shock.
It really isn’t a question at this point (we all hope) as to whether Leicester can do it. It now becomes: what next for the Premier League? Chelsea disappeared, Manchester City and United might both miss out on Champions League next year, Liverpool continue to try to catch their Merseyside rivals down near the bottom, and Tottenham are looking like finishing above Arsenal for the first time in a long time.
You heard it here first people – Aston Villa to win the Premier League in 2016-17!
Disclaimer: All opinions expressed herein are that of the author and not necessarily those of Hello Punter, and should not be taken as betting advice. No bets are guaranteed, and you may lose more money than you get back. Please gamble responsibly.
