United new favourites after Bridge battle

SEVERAL bookmakers have Manchester United as title favourites after their 3-2 win at Chelsea crowned a scintillating afternoon of Premier League football.

Javier Hernandez poached a controversial winner against a Blues side reduced to nine men after the second-half dismissals of Branislav Ivanovic and Fernando Torres which played a huge part in Chelsea's first league defeat of the season.

It had been a pulsating contest with a David Luiz own goal and a Robin van Persie strike putting United two clear only for Juan Mata and Ramires to equalise before Hernandez's strike.

Chelsea remain top of the table but both Manchester clubs are lurking just a point back and Roberto Di Matteo's men are 3-1 third-favourites for the league, from 11-4 at the start of the weekend.

Ladbrokes were most taken by United's performance, slashing them from 15-8 to 11-8 and  the Red Devils are no bigger than 7-4 to win the title. Boylesports make Manchester City 15-8 to retain their crown.

There was also a fiery ending to the Merseyside derby as Liverpool had to settle for a 2-2 draw at Everton after Luis Suarez’s late strike was disallowed. The correct score had been a 14-1 chance before the match and the result means that Everton remain six points clear of their local rivals. Ladbrokes make them 5-6 to finish above the Reds this season.

Suarez is 8-1 with bet365 to be the top goalscorer in the Premier League this term but Robin van Persie, who scored United’s second at Stamford Bridge, is the firm’s 2-1 favourite.

All four games in the Premier League rewarded backers of over 2.5 goals and both teams to score. Tottenham beat Southampton 2-1 at St Mary’s, leaving the Saints second-bottom on four points and just 5-6 with Betfred to be relegated.

Spurs are 9-4 with the same firm to finish in the top four while Southampton boss Nigel Adkins is Ladbrokes’ 6-4 second-favourite to be the next top-flight manager to lose his job, behind QPR’s Mark Hughes at 11-10.

Papiss Cisse claimed the late goal that fired Newcastle to a 2-1 home win over West Brom and the Magpies are 25-1 to finish in the top four.