The new English Premier League season is barely a month old but one team are dominating proceedings at the top of the table.

CITY SLICKERS

Four wins out of four has propelled last year’s runners-up Manchester City to the summit of the Barclays Premier League as well as being the only team in the top-flight to pick up a maximum points tally in August. Coach Manuel Pellegrini has to be commended for the way his team has took the initiative, after a summer that saw the Chilean tactician put under increased pressure with rumours of the pending arrival in 2016 of Pep Guardiola. His big summer signing Raheem Sterling has not been phased by the €69 million transfer fee the club were forced to pay and Spanish play-maker David Silva has been sensational in the early weeks of the new campaign. Captain Vincent Kompany is back to his best after an indifferent 2014-15, playing at the heart of a defence that has yet to concede a goal this campaign. The best online sports betting sites now have the Citizens as odds on favourite to reclaim the title from Chelsea at 1.50.

AN EARLY CHAGING OF THE GUARD AS PALACE LEAD THE CHALLENGERS

Crystal Palace, under the guidance of one of their former players Alan Pardew, leads the chasing pack after the opening month of the season. The club from South-East London are just three points off the summit and at the moment some football betting guides have them priced at 6.50 to finish in a top six position at the end of the current campaign.

Former Chelsea coach Claudio Ranieri has had a wonderful return to English football, taking his Leicester City side up to third place before the International break and they have been joined by Swansea City who under young English coach Garry Monk, could be the real deal this season as their fantastic comeback against Manchester United will testify. In French striker Bafetembi Gomis, they have a player in a rich vein of form, scoring four times in their opening four league games. If you’re looking for value on the best sports betting sites then the 30-year-old Gomis is a great price at 17.00 to finish as the Premier Leagues top marksman.

BIG THREE LOCKED TOGETHER

Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool all follow on seven points already staring up at a five point deficit behind the league-leaders. The Red Devils seem to have a more settled side this season as Louis van Gaal prepares for an assault on the league title, but with question marks remaining over Wayne Rooney as an out and out striker and of course the David De Gea affair, the betting exchanges have them at 15.00 to be crowned champions. Arsenal has once again started inconsistently, having yet to record a home league goal. The Gunners title odds sit at 7.00 whilst Liverpool’s are way back at 51.00. Coach Brendan Rogers still has defensive frailties to address at Anfield which were perfectly illustrated in the team’s shock 3-0 home defeat to West Ham United. They still have firepower up front in summer signing Christian Benteke however, for people who like a bet on football, the 2.62 on offer for the Reds to finish in the top-four looks a much more realistic punt.

CHELSEA HAVE THE BLUES

A month to forget at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea (after just one league win in August) cast away in 13th place in the current standings. Coach Jose Mourinho’s increasingly erratic behaviour during the opening month is a cause for concern. The odds for the “Special One” to be sacked have shortened dramatically with betting exchanges offering odds of 17.0 for the Portuguese tactician to be shown the exit door in West London.

By Steve Mitchell