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Bookmakers bashed after favourites oblige

PUNTERS were toasting a cracking late Christmas present after favourites went on a winning rampage on Boxing Day.

Eight of the ten Premier League favourites won and that included the TV triple bill of Chelsea (2-5), Manchester United (4-9) and Arsenal (3-10), while other popular punting presents were away sides Liverpool (10-11), Southampton (5-4) and Tottenham (6-5).

There was further carnage due to a number of hotpots winning in the Football League and Ladbrokes reported 16 of the most popular 18 teams on their Boxing Day coupon won, compounding the damage done by the two favourites in the big races at Kempton.

“It’s been a bleak Boxing Day,” moaned Ladbrokes’ Alex Donohue. “We are as miserable as the weather.”

Things would have been much worse for the layers had Everton not lost 1-0 at home to Stoke, with bet365’s Steve Freeth saying: “The Goodison Park result has saved us.”

Hull were the other underdogs to win – the Tigers came from behind to stun Sunderland 3-1 – but for the majority of bookmakers the damage was already done.

Chelsea got the ball rolling with a comfortable 2-0 success over West Ham to maintain their three-point advantage at the top and Betfair and Hills make the Blues 2-5 to lift the title.

John Terry opened the scoring before Diego Costa added a second and bet365 go 9-4 from 5-2 that Chelsea stay unbeaten at home in the league this term.

City were 3-1 winners at a snowy West Brom and United are 18-1 for the Premier League after triumphing by the same score at home to Newcastle. Wayne Rooney scored twice for United.

Arsenal remain favourites to finish in the top four after their 2-1 win over QPR but they made life difficult for themselves with first goalscorer Alexis Sanchez missing a penalty while Olivier Giroud was sent off at 1-0 and faces a three-match ban.

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