Man City are Premier League title market movers after dropping points

Manchester City have their odds substantially lengthened by Coral to 7/1 (from 4/1) in their bid to keep hold of the Premier League title, after drawing at the Etihad with Hull City while leaders Chelsea beat Aston Villa.

The champions’ manager Manuel Pellegrini accused his players of having “a lack of ideas” in the absence of influential midfielder Yaya Toure, who missed the match alongside Ivory Coast colleague and new City signing Wilfried Bony as they turned out in the Africa Cup of Nations final.

Jose Mourinho’s men, meanwhile, took full advantage by winning a league game for the first time in his managerial career at Villa Park. Chelsea have thus seen their price on lifting the Premier League trophy halved to 1/8.

Southampton are among movers in the race for a top four finish, with Ronald Koeman’s Saints now 15/8 (from 7/4) to end the campaign in the Champions League places. This follows a last-gasp victory over managerless QPR.

Tottenham also shorten significantly from 11/2 to 7/2 after a north London derby victory over Arsenal (still odds-on at 4/9) courtesy of Harry Kane’s brace. With the clamour mounting for the Spurs striker to get a senior England call-up, Kane is now a 16/1 shot to be Premier League top scorer this season.

Down in the relegation dogfight, basement club Leicester City and fellow promoted sides Burnley and QPR are odds-on 1/2 joint-favourites for the drop. Hull’s survival prospects, meanwhile, have improved slightly as they have drifted from even-money to 6/5 to lose top-flight status.