Heroes
On the opening weekend past we saw Merseyside provide the biggest punters’ pals in the first goalscorer markets as both Liverpool and Everton got amongst the goals in their season debuts.
The Reds were out for blood against West Ham, routing the Londoners 4-0, and Mo Salah struck the first blow as plenty of claret was spilled at Anfield despite the Hammers’ splashy summer spending.
Salah salutations were in order from a swathe of our plucky punters who snapped up the Egyptian King on the first goalscorer market and were rewarded with a regal pay out from Paddy. Last season’s player of the year was the most popular winning goalscorer selection from the weekend’s fixtures.
Across Stanley Park – via Wolverhampton – Everton’s big money moves provided dividends for some gamblers too, with £40m Richarlison dispelling some doubts about his worth – he had not scored since November 2017 – by bagging a brace as the Blues drew 2-2 with newly promoted Wolves.
The Brazilian opened the scoring and was the third most picked player who paid out a profit, with former Liverpool man Raheem Sterling second in the standings as he gave Man City the lead at Arsenal.
Villains
It wasn’t all good news from the Northwest though, as Man United’s Alexis Sanchez and Marcus Rashford both broke bettors hearts when they were beaten to the punch in the Red Devils’ first bout of the new season.
Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final between Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford on March 17, 2018 in Manchester, England.
Paul Pogba caught Leicester cold in the opening minutes of their Friday night face-off from the penalty spot with a cooly converted penalty. Alexis earned the spot-kick thanks to a shot that was handled, but that’ll be little consolation for the thousands of backers who saw their bets beaten inside five minutes.
Sanchez was the most popular selection to let punters down, with Rashford the third most, and their cross-city rival Kun Aguero split the two United forwards by drawing a blank at the Emirates.
The Manc trio will surely fancy their chances of righting these wrongs next weekend, when United head to Brighton and City host Huddersfield.
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