1) Vardy fires Foxes to the top of the table
Jamie Vardy’s decision to quit international football is paying dividends for Leicester who go into the season’s second international break leading the Premier League by a point.
Brendan Rodgers’ side were the fourth team to top the table this weekend after replacing Tottenham who replaced Southampton who leapfrogged Liverpool after the Saints beat Newcastle on Friday night.
Vardy was spot on with a 15th minute penalty, but failed to convert from 12 yards six minutes before half-time which would have put him clear in the race for the Golden Boot award where he can be backed at 7.06/1.
Despite seeing Vardy’s second penalty saved, their first miss in eight spot kicks awarded this season, the Foxes held on to secure their sixth successive win in all competitions.
Leicester can be backed at 30.029/1 to follow up their miracle 5,000/1 success in 2016 with a second Premier League title. The Foxes are three points better off this season than they were at this stage of their title-winning campaign.
2) Kane’s winner has him back in the hunt for the Golden Boot
It’s hard to keep a good man down and it’s even harder keeping a good goalscorer out of the headlines. Many strikers would have been happy with one goal in his first three games, but Harry Kane’s standards are higher than that.
Kane did have five assists – all to Son Heung-min – in those opening fixtures, but he has returned to form with six goals in his next five league games to put him back in contention for third Golden Boot award and his first in four seasons. Kane can be backed at 5.14/1 to finish the season as the league’s leading scorer.
Kane has plenty of company around him at the top of the goalscoring chart with Mohamed Salah, Jamie Vardy and his Spurs team-mate Son all one goal better than Kane’s seven strikes.
Spurs boss Jose Mourinho will hope Kane returns from England duty fit and healthy to face Manchester City and keep Tottenham in the title race . Spurs can be backed at 11.5 to be crowned champions for the first time since 1961.
3) Back-to-back defeats drop Leeds into the bottom half
The Premier League season can be described as a marathon and like many of the athletes who take part in the 26.2 mile race, Leeds are at the stage where they have hit the wall.
A promising start underlined manager Marcelo Bielsa’s qualities and raised expectations around Elland Road that the team could surprise many people this season.
There is plenty of quality in this Leeds side to suggest they will finish much higher than the other two promoted sides, especially with Patrick Bamford continuing his impressive goalscoring form.
Bamford will feel he should be on eight goals after having a second goal disallowed at Crystal Palace on Saturday for pointing to where he wanted the ball to be placed. The striker is 25.024/1 to win the Golden Boot award.
Leeds’ third defeat in their last four matches dropped them to 15th in the table but a top half finish can be backed at 2.89/5.
4) Everton’s top four hopes hit with third successive loss
When Everton twice came a goal down to draw 2-2 with Liverpool, the blue half of Merseyside had their sights set on challenging their neighbours and the defending champions. The point helped keep the Toffees top of the table with just two dropped points from their opening five games.
However, Saturday’s 3-1 loss at home to Manchester United, which was priced at 14/1, has seen the Toffees drop out of the top four into seventh spot in the table.
The good start made by Carlo Ancelotti’s side is in danger of being undone by a sudden loss of form, but a win at Fulham following the international break should get their season back on track.
A top four finish for the Toffees can be backed at 12.011/1 which will be of little comfort to Everton fans wanting to see them battle it out with Liverpool for the title.
5) Saints seek to be taken seriously for top four spot
Southampton found themselves in unfamiliar territory on Friday night following their 2-0 win over Newcastle. The victory put Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side top of the Premier League table for the first time ever leading to Saints fans dreaming of what this season could produce.
Following the win, Hasenhuttl said, “We should stay hungry and we should feel anything is possible with this team.” Maybe it’s time for everyone else to believe in this Saints team.
Hasenhuttl’s latest win was achieved without their leading scorer Danny Ings, but that loss did not stop Saints from scoring in both halves for the fourth time in their last five league games.
Southampton can be backed at 18.50 to secure a top four finish in the Premier League for just the first time in their history.
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For more analysis on the weekend action, check out Mike Norman’s round-up of the latest Betfair odds
Source: Betfair Premier League
