One bookmaker has already paid out for bets on Arsenal to win the league after they moved onto 50 points from 19 games with a dramatic and enthralling 3-2 victory over Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. The win re-opened a five point gap to second placed Manchester City, though the Gunners still have a game in hand.
Mikel Arteta's men have been without a doubt the best side so far this season and have only failed to win three matches, losing to United in the reverse fixture and drawing with Newcastle and Southampton. However, with half the season left to go they still have to play last year's champions twice.
It is the two matches against Manchester City that fans and pundits now expect to decide the title, especially with one of those games coming up in the next month. Arsenal also face Pep Guardiola's men in the FA Cup next weekend.
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That hasn't stopped one bookmaker from rewarding those that have backed the Gunners to get their first league title in 19 years though. Stake have already paid out to fans who backed Arteta's men.
Having started the season as outsiders, at 28/1, coming in fifth behind City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham, they have moved to odds on favourites at 7/10. They will be forced to pay fans on hundreds of bets with one punter set to bank an astonishing £14,000 from a pre-season bet that works out to have been worth £500.
It doesn't mean that those who backed City or perhaps even Manchester United or Newcastle can't also win though. In the event that a team other than Arsenal win the league Stake will simply have to delve into their pockets once more and pay out on all the bets for the true winners.
In a statement made by Jarrod Febbraio, Head of Sportsbook Marketing for Stake.com, he said: “We’re calling it early - Arsenal are this season’s Premier League Champions. We’ve seen enough of the Gunners to make the decision to pay out on all bets for them to be crowned champions, so fans who had the faith at the start of term won’t have to wait any longer to be paid out.
“Despite starting the season as the fifth most likely side to lift the title, they’ve stormed to the top of the table in style and we don’t see City, Manchester United or any other rival catching them, meaning we’ll hand over thousands in early payouts so the red side of North London can get the title party started early.”
This is how the odds have changed throughout the season:
At the start of the season: 28/1
After beating Tottenham 3-1 on October 1: 6/1
After beating Chelsea 1-0 on November 6: 5/1
Going into the World Cup break: 9/4
After beating Tottenham 2-0 on January 15: 5/6
After beating Man United 3-2 on January 22: 7/10 with Stake.com paying out on Arsenal to win the title.
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