Premier League on Betfair: Champions beat Foxes and Villa fall into bottom three

Manchester City took advantage of Liverpool's absence by closing the gap at the top of the table but it was a poor day for Aston Villa who dropped into the relegation zone. Mike Norman updates us on the Premier League betting markets...

Saturday started with one of the dullest Premier League games seen this season as Everton and Arsenal played out a goalless draw at Goodison Park in front of their respective new managers.

Both Carlo Ancelotti and Mikel Arteta were in the stands to watch the players they'll soon be working with as they strive to climb the Premier League table. Ancelotti's Everton sit 15th in the table while Arteta's Gunners are 11th

I'm happy to report the day did get better as a spectacle.

Champions back to within 11 points

While Liverpool were lifting the Club World Cup in Qatar, defending Premier League champions Manchester City were moving to within one point of Leicester City - and 11 of Liverpool - with a 3-1 victory over the Foxes.

In a game that the Citizens dominated it was Leicester that took a surprising lead when Jamie Vardy finished off a fine counter-attacking move midway through the first half. But Pep Guardiola's men showed why they are champions by quickly turning the game around, going into the interval 2-1 thanks to goals from former Foxes star Riyad Mahrez and a converted penalty from Ilkay Gundogan.

But undoubtedly the star of the show - yet again - was Man City's world class midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, who would go on to grab his 10th Premier League assist of the season when firing across goal for Gabriel Jesus to slide the ball home.

City, third in the table, will be confident of overhauling second-place Leicester but they remain 11 points behind runaway leaders Liverpool who have a game in hand. The Reds can be backed at 1.17 to win the title with Man City at 7.60 and Leicester at 70.00.

Fairytale continues for Blades but more woes for fellow promoted clubs

Sheffield United's remarkable start to the season continued when they won away at Brighton, meaning Chris Wilder's men remain unbeaten on the road this term while moving up to fifth in the Premier League table (before Sunday's games).

Whether or not the Blades can continue this glorious run is open to question but with 28 points on the board already they are well on course to record what many would have regarded an unlikely Top 10 Finish, for which they can be backed at 1.60.

It's a totally different story for fellow newly-promoted clubs Aston Villa and Norwich however as both fell to home defeats on Saturday, Villa losing 1-3 to struggling Southampton while the Canaries let slip a 1-0 lead in a 1-2 defeat to Wolves.

Norwich sit second bottom of the table, six points from safety, and can be backed at 1.22 in the Relegation market, while Villa are just three points better off and are trading at 1.92 to go down.

Wolves meanwhile have shortened slightly to 3.70 to record a Top 6 Finish this season.

Mid table slots for Clarets and Magpies

Two other teams expected to struggle this term - Burnley and Newcastle - recorded 1-0 wins over Bournemouth and Crystal Palace respectively, victories that saw both clubs climb into the top 10 of the table.

Injury hit Bournemouth - who last week shocked Chelsea at Stamford Bridge - didn't really lay a glove on a well-organised Clarets defence and the away side just about deserved the win through Jay Rodriguez's 89th minute winner, while a first goal for the club from Miguel Almiron late in the game sealed another precious three points for the Magpies.

Sean Dyche's men can be backed at 3.20 to record a Top 10 Finish this season, while Steve Bruce's men - one point and one place above the Clarets - can be backed at 4.00 in the same market.