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Blues cut for European glory after kind draw

CHELSEA were the last English team to win the Champions League when they lifted the trophy in 2012 and the Blues were once again the envy of their Premier League rivals after avoiding the big guns in Thursday’s draw in Monaco.

Jose Mourinho’s side were cut from 8-1 to 15-2 for glory and priced up at 4-9 to win their section for the sixth successive season after learning they will compete alongside Schalke, Sporting Lisbon and Maribor in Group G.

There was also support for Liverpool (cut from 28-1 to 25-1 with bet365 and Paddy Power) after they joined Real Madrid, Basle and Ludogorets Razgrad in Group B.

But there was a nasty case of deja vu for Manchester City, who were placed in the same section as Bayern Munich and CSKA Moscow for the second successive season.

City’s misery was complete after Roma, by far the strongest of the fourth seeds, landed in their group and there was an immediate drift in the Citizens’ outright price from 12-1 to a best-priced 14-1 on Thursday night.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side are 3-1 to win the group, with Bayern heading the betting at 4-6 and Roma 10-1.

Arsenal had mixed news – they join Borussia Dortmund, Galatasaray and Anderlecht in Group D – and have eased slightly on the outright from 22-1 to 25-1.

However, the Gunners are fully expected to qualify from the group, as they have done for the last 14 seasons.

They are no bigger than 6-5 to top their section with Dortmund their main challengers at 5-4.

Bet365 offer 13-10 that all four English sides make it through to the last 16 for the second successive season and 5-4 that three of them qualify.

An English winner can be backed at 23-10 with Paddy Power.

Chelsea are 7-5 favourites with Paddy Power to go the furthest of the Premier League contingent, with City 9-4, Arsenal 7-2 and Liverpool 4-1.

Defending champions Real shortened from 4-1 to 7-2 and replaced Bayern Munich at the top of the betting after the markets reacted to a favourable draw for the Spanish giants.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side are just 4-11 to win Group B with Liverpool 7-2 second favourites.

Bayern were pushed out from 15-4 to 5-1 and Barcelona were eased from 11-2 to 6-1 after being drawn with Paris St-Germain, Ajax and Apoel in Group F.

The Catalans are 1-2 to win their section while PSG, who they defeated in the 2012-13 quarter-finals, are 5-2.

There are odds-on favourites in four of the groups but a wide-open race is on the cards in Group C where 5-2 favourites Bayer Leverkusen are joined by Monaco (11-4), Benfica (10-3) and Zenit St Petersburg (9-2).

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