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Punters back Eagles for Premier League drop

CRYSTAL PALACE have taken a plunge in the Premier League relegation market as the club begins life after Tony Pulis with a daunting trip to Arsenal on the opening day of the new season.

The Eagles, 13-5 to be relegated when Pulis was still in place on Thursday evening, are as short as 7-4 to head back to the Championship and a best-priced 2-1 to slip out of the top flight.

Palace’s odds have been cut in all the related markets – the south London outfit are 7-1 from 10-1 to finish bottom,  while Sporting Index’s total points expectancy went from 40.5-42 down to only 36.5-38.

Finding a suitable replacement is an obvious priority for Palace, who will have Keith Millen at the helm on a caretaker basis until somebody fills the Selhurst vacancy following the shock departure.

Pulis had been as big as 66-1 in the Premier League sack-race market but a disagreement on transfer policy is reportedly behind the untimely split.

Malky Mackay is the narrow 6-4 favourite to replace Pulis but he has been uneasy in the market with Tim Sherwood backed to get the gig.
Sherwood is 7-4 and it’s double figures bar the front two.

A clash with Arsenal is not the easiest of starts in the best of circumstances with the Gunners set to unleash new signing Alexis Sanchez for his home debut.

Sanchez is 6-5 to mark the occasion by scoring and Alexis will soon be joined in England by fellow South American international Carlos Sanchez who is waiting for international clearance to seal his move to Aston Villa from Elche.

Paul Lambert needs more quality and Colombian Sanchez should help boost the midfield tenacity but bookmakers still feel the Villa boss is under pressure.

Lambert is 7-1 with Paddy Power to be the next Premier League manager to leave his current position with Ladbrokes rating Sam Allardyce their 2-1 favourite.

Allardyce, like Lambert, has been keen to add quality to his squad and West Ham yesterday signed Diafra Sakho from Metz. The Senegalese striker has scored 39 goals in the last two seasons in France’s Ligue 2 and Sakho’s 20 goals last term enabled Metz to gain promotion to Ligue 1.

Sakho won’t make his debut against Tottenham today but other newbies will be out to make a quick impression with Bojan a fascinating new arrival at Stoke.

The one-time Barcelona wonderkid can be backed at 11-5 with Boylesports to score against Aston Villa and at the other end of the experience scale, Rio Ferdinand is expected to make his first start for QPR when the playoff winners host Hull.

Rangers are 7-4 with Coral to keep a clean sheet on their return to the Premier League and Ladbrokes rate Harry Redknapp’s outfit 4-9 to stay in the top flight.

Swansea have been nibbled at to go down at 5-1 and not much is expected of the Welsh side away to highly-fancied Manchester United this lunchtime.

Ladbrokes have reported 37 per cent of ante-post title bets have been on United to be crowned champions but they will be offering 10-1 to digital customers (maximum £10) until the deadlock is broken at Old Trafford.

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