Man City, outside the top four, are still favourites to win Premier League

It is rare that a team which is currently not even in the Champions League places is the favourite to win the Premier League, but Manchester City’s utter crushing of Norwich has seen their price shorten a fraction from 9/4 to 2/1.

City were favourites before the weekend of course, although their form, seven-goal thrashings aside, has not been that of a contender, with only one win and three defeats away from home so far this season.

Instead, their popularity seems to be based on a conviction that Arsenal are not capable of sustaining anything like a winning run. The Gunners are available at 4/1, in from 9/2, terrific value for a team with a five-point lead over a confused pack.

It also assumes that Manchester United are not a valid contender, even though City’s crosstown rivals are only two points behind them. United, who shoved aside Fulham, can be backed to win the Premier League at 8/1.

Liverpool, in third, are likewise considered to have little chance and are the same price as United in the outright Premier League betting.

Only Chelsea, at 11/4, are close contenders in the betting, but after their flat performance against Newcastle, where they lost 2-0 and prompted manager Jose Mourinho to say “I made eleven mistakes, I should have picked the other eleven and not this one,” punters are finding it tricky to get behind them with any confidence either.

The only team besides Arsenal which is really showing the kind of form that leads to success is Tottenham. The two outstanding points in their favour, and which have brought silverware to others in the past, are their consistency (three wins and draw and a defeat both at home and away) and their tight defence – only five goals conceded all season.

The team with the fewest goals conceded in the last 15 years has, with only one exception, finished the Premier League in either first or second place (Chelsea finished third with 24 against in 2008/9, the same goals against as winners United.)

Spurs can be backed at odds of 16/1 to win the Premier League.