Totesport is that convinced that the Premiership will be heading in the direction of either Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge that they are offering 3/1 that any other team can win the league. With Liverpool and Arsenal both starting their campaign on Saturday any punter who thinks they can win the league could be tempted to also have the rest of the field running for them.

Man U or Chelsea to win the league it a 2/7 shot.

Paul Petrie, totesport spokesman commented, ” There is plenty talk of the big four but when it comes to winning the league we think it is the big two and are happy to take the rest on.”

**Premiership Winners

2/7 Man U or Chelsea 3/1 the Rest

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With the Big Four all in television action, bookmakers are hoping that one of them can come unstuck as punters look to get off to the best possible start to the football season.

The Liverpool/Arsenal double is available to back at 21/20 with the Chelsea/Man U Sunday double an 8/11 shot. The four fold pays 5/2.

Paul Petrie, totesport spokesman commented, “When the big four are on television, the punters love to take advantage and we expect to be inundated with all sorts of combinations. Last season, Manchester United let the punters down and we will be hoping for a similar result this year.”

Following last night’s UEFA Cup matches the firm has also cut Aston Villa from top price 21/20 to 10/11.

Petrie, added, “Villa put in a good performance whilst it looks like Manchester City still have a lot of work to do.”

10/11 Villa 12/5 Draw 3/1 Man City

Keane 15/8 for Dream Premiership Debut

Last season, ten players managed to score for their new clubs on their Premiership debut on the opening game and totesport is offering top price on a number of players to make a dream debut this weekend. It is 15/8 that Robbie Keane can get on the score sheet against Sunderland; whilst it is 7/2 that El Hadji Diouf can also mark the game with a debut goal. One player that fans will hope to see score will be Newcastle’s new signing, Jonas Guitierrez, who famously celebrates by pulling on a Spiderman mask. He is a 10/1 shot

Paul Petrie, totesport spokesman commented, “Players will be keen to get off to the best possible start and at least one of these should make a dream debut. By going top price it means, that if the punter can find the right one, then they will get some good value.”

**Dream Debut – Players to score at anytime

15/8 Robbie Keane, Johan Elmander, 5/2 Bobby Zamora, 3/1 Dave Kitson, Amr Zaki 7/2 El Hadji Diof, 4/1 David Bentley, Peter Crouch, 5/1 Giovani dos Santos, Luka Modric, 11/2 Deco 6/1 Aaron Ramsey, Steve Sidwell, 10/1 Jonas Guitierrez

Players who scored on their debuts last season – M Chopra, Geovanni, R Bianchi, J Utaka, Santa Cruz, A Todd, D Healy, F Malouda, O Kapo C Pizarro

Premiership New Boys 5/6 for bad start

The three promoted teams, West Brom, Stoke, and Hull, are 5/6 with totesport to make a losing start to their Premiership campaign. However, anyone who thinks they will make the dream start can get a massive 150/1.

Paul Petrie, totesport spokesman commented, “Of the promoted teams last year only Sunderland managed to make a winning start on the opening day and a similar outcome is 23/20. There is no doubt that a good start is imperative for the teams fighting relegation but we don’t fancy their chances.”

According to the firm, West Brom are the team most likely to stay in the division and are 4/6 to stay up.

**How many of the promoted teams will win?

5/6 None, 23/20 One, 8/1 Two 150/1 All three

**Top Promoted team

11/10 West Brom, 15/8 Stoke, 12/5 Hull

** To Stay Up

9/4 Hull, 7/4 Stoke, 4/6 West Brom

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Wasn´t Wayne Rooney supposed to be missing the first few weeks of the Premier League season after contracting a nasty virus in Nigeria?

That´s certainly what the powers-that-be at Old Trafford had us believe. But lo-and-behold look who is in the starting line up for United´s opening fixture against Newcastle on Sunday.

Rooney is 10/3 to score the first goal of the game and as he will probably be leading the Old Trafford front line on his own there will be plenty of punters giving that bet very strong consideration.

Nani is suspended for the game and Cristiano Ronaldo is injured (although going by the Rooney diagnosis probably won´t be out for as long as is being forecast).

United won this corresponding fixture 6-0 last season when Newcastle were in disarray following Sam Allardyce´s sacking. In truth, the Toon Army don´t appear to be in much better shape since the return of Kevin Keegan.

But KK´s saving grace is that United have a habit of starting their Premiership campaigns slowly and with injury problems up front there is a chance that the Geordies can catch the Red Devils cold.

Toon hit man Michael Owen is up for grabs at 12/1 to nick the first goal but niggling injury doubts mean he may well miss out. That leaves exciting Obafemi Martins as their key striker and at 11/1 he could well give their travelling supporters some much needed early cheer.

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This is an extremely competitive affair where the draw can be very significant. Seven of the last 10 winners have been drawn 11 or higher with two drawn low (six winners have been drawn 17 or higher).

Favourites have fared badly with only one obliging in the last decade. Recent form is important with 40% of winners having won their previous race and 60% being placed.

Dandy Nicholls targets this race having had 40 runners over a 10 year period but only one winner. He has had nine placed, however, so his runners are always worth a second look.

With lots of rain about a horse that appreciates plenty of give should be at an advantage on Saturday.

Three against the field which make some appeal in the likely conditions are the Nicholls-trained Valery Borzov, TJ Etherington´s Fullandby and Derek Shaw´s Baby Strange.

Valery Borzov coped with very soft ground at Haydock on August 9 over 6f staying on strongly to account for Bel Cantor and his stable companion Joseph Henry and should go well.

Fullandby ran a very promising race at Ayr over 5f finishing second to Look Busy. He will be well suited to the return to 6f on an easy surface here.

Baby Strange ran a fine race at Goodwood on August 1 beaten a length by Pearly Wey over 6f on good-to-firm ground. The Superior Premium gelding will appreciate the softer surface here and should go close.

Much will depend on the draw but given a favourable berth Fullandby is the selection.

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The Geoffrey Freer run over 1m 5f 61yds looks a highly interesting race. It has been a very good heat for fancied runners with five of the last 10 favourites obliging.

The trainers with the best record over the last decade have been Sir Michael Stoute with two wins from six runners (he won last year with 6/4 favourite Papal Bull). Geoff Wragg one win from two entries, John Dunlop with one win and two placed from five runners and Mark Johnston with one win and one placed from three entries.

Recent form is not so important with only 20% having won their previous race and 50% being placed.

The enigmatic Geordieland is probably the best horse in the race but having passed the post only once in front in the past three years (a slowly run Group 2 at York in May - for which he now carries a 4lb penalty) he is hard to fancy.

Of more interest is the Jeremy Noseda-trained Sixties Icon. Lightly raced since winning the St Leger when it was run at York in 2006 his recent form has been excellent. Given a fine ride by Johnny Murtagh at Goodwood he stayed on well over 1m 4f to narrowly beat Galactic Star and Lion Sands. 2lbs worse off now it may well be closer here.

The Saeed Bin Suroor-trained Eastern Anthem has definite possibilities if turning out here. Very lightly raced the stoutly bred colt by Singspiel impressed when staying on well at Newmarket over 1m 4f on July 25 to beat Munsef by 10l. He will be well suited by the step up in distance here and is the selection.

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The divisional accumulator. It’s one of the most ambitious bets a punter can place, but get it right and for a small stake you’ll be booking your next summer holidays in Hawaii.

With one round of matches of the respective domestic Championship leagues just completed we managed to catch a few glimpses of things to come.

Bristol City are available at 18/1 to win the Championship and that’s just too good to resist considering Gary Johnson’s side looked certainties for automatic promotion to the Premiership for most of last season.

Johnson has managed to keep his young and progressive squad together and the men from the West Country have recruited goal machine Nicky Maynard from Crewe for 2.25 million. Expect a bold challenge. They won 1-0 at Blackpool at the weekend.

In League One it’s Essex side Southend who get the nod. The talented Steve Tilson could well manage in the Premiership some day and has enormous experience of this league. The Shrimpers got their campaign off to a flier beating Peterborough on the opening day and are great value at 16s.

League Two outfit Shrewsbury have flashed the cash over the summer and have a fine manager in Paul Simpson who so nearly took former club Preston to the Premiership on two occasions. The Shrews thrashed Macclesfield 4-0 on Saturday and can justify their 5/1 favourites tag.

Readers of this blog will be well aware that we’ve been keen on Manchester United’s Premier League hopes for some time. Over the course of a season we feel Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have too many guns for chief rivals Chelsea who may take a season to gel under new boss Felipe Scolari. At 11/8 United complete our acca.

For a 5 pound stake that pretty lot comes to a whopping 23 grand. What are you waiting for?

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With nine of the top 10 ranked men taking part in Beijing the field for this year’s Olympics tennis is as formidable as it has ever been.

Rafael Nadal’s extraordinary efforts this season see him overtake Roger Federer as world number one – and that is sure to add extra spice to the proceedings as the freshly disposed Swiss stroke-maker seeks to avenge defeats at Wimbledon and Roland Garros.

Nadal, who has claimed seven titles this season and has only been beaten twice in his last nine events, is rightly installed as totesport’s jolly.

But favourite backers may want to take note that since 1988 the men’s singles event has never been won by a player ranked in the first five.

Federer is second in the betting but his recent Masters Series defeat against giant Ivo Karlovic has led to many experts questioning his powers.

But let´s not forget that he came within a whisker of winning this year’s Wimbledon and he has after all won a staggering 12 Grand Slam titles.

Classy Serbian Novak Djokovic will be a warm order due to his excellent results on this year’s Olympic surface - Deco Turf II.

But the reigning Australian Open champ is probably reeling from his recent Cincinnati Masters Series final upset to Scot Andy Murray.

For our money we make the in form Dunblane man the value bet of the men’s singles.

More Beijing hopefuls come in the form of James Blake, David Nalbandian, David Ferrer and Nikolay Davydenko.

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While most winners of this race have been prominent in the betting no favourites have obliged in the last 10 years. Recent form is most important with 70% having won their last race and 90% having been placed. The most successful trainer by some way in the past decade has been Barry Hills with a very impressive 4 wins from 8 runners.

Other successful trainers have been Clive Brittain - 1 winner, 1 placed from 5 runners, and Richard Hannon with 1 win from 4 entries.

The one that jumps off the page here is the John Gosden-trained Dynaformer filly - Rainbow View. Stoutly bred she is from the same family as Raven’s Pass who went so close to winning last week’s Sussex Stakes.

A late foal (May 21) she made her debut over course and distance on July 18. Held up, she was produced over 1f out and running on strongly was six lengths clear of the line. She did hang left but this can be attributed to greenness. She has been working well at Newmarket and with Gosden’s record of improving 2-y-o’s for their first run she must have a very good chance here.

It would be nice to see the very progressive filly Rosabee from the small yard of Vicky Haigh win. A very cheap purchase at 4,400 euros she has been a revelation winning 3 of her last 4 races. She was only beaten a length last time by the very useful African Skies, however she may have to give way to the classier Gosden filly on Saturday.

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This has been a good race for the market leader with four wins and three seconds over the last 10 years. Four of the most successful trainers over the same period have been Marcus Tregoning with 3 wins from 5 runners, Sir Michae Stoute with 2 winners from 5, Mick Channon with 1 winner from 2 and Mark Johnston with 1 victor from 7 entries.

Recent form has been important with 45% having won their previous race and a similar percentage having been placed. Two worth a second look are the Mark Johnston-trained 4-y-o colt by Peintre Celebre - Hearthstead Maison - and the Saeed Bin Suroor handled - Stage Gift.

Hearthstead Maison made a highly promising seasonal debut on July 19 when 4l behind the classy Henry Cecil-trained Passage Of Time when conceding 11lbs. Turned out a week later at York he ran a respectable race when sixth to Pipedreamer.

That race probably came too soon. With the Johnston stable now firing on all cylinders he looks to have a very good chance.

The Godolphin gelding by Cadeaux Genereux - Stage Gift is a very interesting runner. Previously with Sir Michael Stoute he joined the Godolphin operation last year and was most progressive.

He won a Group 3 at longchamp in June followed by a Group 2 at York on heavy ground the following month. He was well beaten by Many Volumes on his return at Sandown on July 4. However, he invariably needs a run to bring him to his peak and he was probably unsuited by the fast ground that day.

With plenty of rain forecast he is likely to have his ideal conditions on Saturday and he is the selection.

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With the news that both Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo are set to sit out the first few weeks of the season, there are some punters going cool on Manchester United’s title chances.

Doubters of the Red Devils point to the importance that Ronaldo’s goals played in last season’s title charge – many of which were set up by Rooney.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson looks to be down to the bare bones of his squad, with only Carlos Tevez, Louis Saha and novice Fraizer Campbell to lead the line.

But the fact remains that United are notorious for their slow starts at the best of times.

Who could have predicted that they would only bank two points from their opening three fixtures last season? Games against Reading, Portsmouth and Manchester City can’t have held too many fears for Untied last term.

Rather than be wary about United’s hopes of retaining their title, punters should view any slow start as an opportunity to back Ferguson’s side at a better price.

A sluggish beginning, coupled with heavy early points hauls for any of United’s chief rivals – Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool – will see United’s odds drift. If that scenario should arise, get stuck into the Premiership Champions as over the course of a season they will have too much strength for their challengers.

Luiz Scolari will take a season to bed in at Chelsea, serious questions have to be asked about William Gallas’s leadership of Arsenal and Liverpool are still not the finished article under Rafael Benitez.

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