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Relegated Hull 8-1 to come back as champions

THE odds said that Hull were unlikely to survive their Premier League relegation fight on the final day of the season and so it proved after they went down to the Championship following a goalless draw at home to Manchester United.

Hull would have been doomed even if they had beaten United after Newcastle saved themselves with a 2-0 win at home to West Ham with Moussa Sissoko and Jonas Gutierrez on target for the Toon.

An estimated £40m was spent by Hull this season, but Steve Bruce has already said the club had ensured they would be guarded against financial oblivion if they finished in the bottom three and bookmakers fancy City’s chances of bouncing back at the first attempt.

Ladbrokes are a best-priced 8-1 for Hull to win the Championship, while others are as short as 6-1 which currently makes them favourites for the title.

The Tigers are also 2-1 with bet365 to gain promotion at their first crack back in the second tier and it’s 6-4 that none of this season’s relegated clubs go back up in the shortest time possible.

Injuries and off-field issues have not helped Hull, who started the season in the Europa League although they failed to even make the group stages of that competition so fixture congestion can’t be used as an excuse.

Indeed, had Newcastle not flopped so badly in the final few months of the campaign then Hull would not even have taken the battle to the last day and yet the Magpies’ win against the Hammers saw United jump up to 15th.

Steve McClaren is seen as the favourite to replace interim boss John Carver on Tyneside, but whoever is in charge has been promised funds by much-criticised owner Mike Ashley.

However, Hills are not convinced and they make the Magpies just 5-1 to be relegated next season.

Perhaps Newcastle were lucky to have such soft opponents as West Ham and their manager Sam Allardyce confirmed he will not be at Upton Park next season.

Slaven Bilic, who will soon be leaving Besiktas, is the odds-on favourite with bookmakers to replace Allardyce, with Hills best at 8-11. David Moyes also features prominently in the lists.

Liverpool are another side who could be looking for a new boss after they were humiliated in a 6-1 defeat at Stoke.

The Merseysiders were 5-0 down at the break and Brendan Rodgers is 2-5 with Hills to survive the embarrassment with Jurgen Klopp 7-2 to be calling the Anfield shots next season.

Steven Gerrard notched a consolation goal on his final appearance, but the defeat saw the Reds drop down to sixth.

It was enough to secure Europa League football and Tottenham will be joining them in the competition after Harry Kane’s solitary goal at Everton saw them leapfrog Liverpool.

Southampton were 2-0 losers at Manchester City and need Arsenal to win the FA Cup against Aston Villa on Saturday to qualify for the Europa League.

The Wembley-bound finalists warmed up for the occasion in different ways – Arsenal thumped West Brom 4-1 with Theo Walcott claiming a first-half hat-trick, while Villa were surprisingly beaten 1-0 at home by Burnley.

Champions Chelsea finished in style, beating Sunderland 3-1 at Stamford Bridge in Didier Drogba’s Blues swansong and bet365 rate Jose Mourinho’s side 6-1 to repeat this season’s unbeaten home league campaign in 2015-16.

Despite easing to the title, Chelsea fell short in the handicap market and there were two different Premier League winners with

Southampton taking the honour with all RPSPORT’s featured pre-season firms except Betfred, Hills and Paddy Power, who paid out on Swansea.

The places were filled by either Saints or the Swans as well as Palace and Stoke.

Palace, who had been 9-2 ante-post for a top-half finish, beat Swansea 1-0 at Selhurst Park to move up to tenth and Leicester smashed QPR 5-1.

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