Weekend Review: Geordies get a glut against gutless Spurs in mixed weekend for the layers

It was a mixed bag for the bookies over the weekend in the Premier League and FA Cup despite some stunning results.

Where else to start apart from Tyneside where Newcastle (9/10) demolished Spurs (3/1) 6-1 on Sunday afternoon with a 21-minute blitz which saw the Magpies put five past the hapless Hugo Lloris.

Braces from Jacob Murphy and Alexander Isak and strikes for Joelinton and Callum Wilson sent the Geordie masses into delirium while further compounding Spurs’ miserable season. A consultation goal from Harry Kane failed to ease the pain for the travelling support.

North London rivals Arsenal (1/5) stuttered to a third consecutive draw as their title challenge unravelled at home to basement club Southampton (11/1).

Despite going 3-1 down to the relegation favourites, the Gunners clawed it back to 3-3 to keep Manchester City at bay ahead of a colossal showdown between the pair on Wednesday.

Bet365’s Steve Freeth said: “We had 17 pre-game wagers on Newcastle winning 6-1 and having been 16/1 for the top four after drawing with Eddie Howe’s former club Bournemouth in mid-September, the Magpies are now 2/9 for Champions League football next season after that emphatic victory.

“It was the third Arsenal game running where the two goals ahead early payout offer had been triggered in the first half only for us to pay on two outcomes, but fortunately for us and unfortunately for the Gunners title challenge, a draw wasn’t as bad as the previous two against West Ham and Liverpool.

“Pre-game Southampton backers, and there were a few with the Saints shortening from 16/1 into 11/1, certainly won’t be complaining, with their full-time result wagers in singles, multis and bet builders marked as a winner,” he added.

Elsewhere, there was some joy for Fulham as they dispatched of Leeds 2-1 at Craven Cottage while a draw for lowly Everton away to Crystal Palace gave the bookies a bounce. West Ham eased their fears of the drop after beating Bournemouth 4-0 on the south coast.

Kindred Group’s Ali Gill said: “Overall in the Premier League the traders finished up happy by Sunday afternoon as results on the whole went our way across the weekend. Fulham’s win over a Leeds team flying towards the trap door was our worst Premier League result of the weekend, while Newcastle’s sensational demolition of a woeful Spurs team went to the punters as well.

“Outside of that, though, numbers largely finished in the black, with draws between Palace and Everton as well as Brentford and Villa being the pick of the results in the book,” he added.

In FA Cup action, Manchester City and Manchester United will face off at Wembley in the final for the first time after making it through their semi-final challenges.

A Riyad Mahrez hattrick saw City (1/5) brush past Championship high-flyers Sheffield United (11/1), while a 0-0 draw in a 120 minute saw Manchester United (9/5) win out on penalties against Brighton (5/4).

Freeth said: “Manchester City had a comfortable 3-0 over Sheffield United with 26 pre-game bets on a Mahrez hat-trick, but with [Erling] Haaland being kept off the scoresheet as well as failing to register a shot on target, it was one for the layers.

“The second semi-final was even better, and the highlight of the weekend from a trading point of view was Victor Lindelof keeping his nerve to set up an all-Manchester FA Cup final after 120 minutes without a goal.”

Betfred’s Alan Firkins was delighted that Erling Haaland drew a blank during City’s routine win as well as the 90-minute draw between United and Brighton.

There was also a 2-0 loss for Rangers to Aberdeen while Celtic could only draw to Motherwell north of the border over the weekend.

Firkins said: “Decent stuff for us on Saturday with a few draws in Premier League, Burnley losing and Celtic drawing being the pick of the results. At Wembley, Erling Haaland not scoring first in the FA Cup semi-final was also good news.

“Sunday’s 0-0 in the second FA Cup semi was perfect, and we were top price Brighton. Rangers losing was the icing on cake, but the punters clawed some back on the late euro games with Napoli, Sevilla and Marseille all winning with last-minute goals.”

Elsewhere, in horseracing, 4/1 favourite Kitty’s Light won the Scottish Grand National at Ayr as yet another showpiece racing event was delayed due to protestors.

Police charged 24 people for breaching the peace after they made their way towards the track before the start of the race. The charges follow similar action at this month’s Grand National.

Despite the delay, Kitty’s Light ran well, and notwithstanding a mistake at the last fence, held on to the win under jockey Jack Tudor.

Gill said: “The Scottish Grand National at Ayr on Saturday went the way of the impressive favourite Kitty’s Light, who won comfortably in the end at 4/1. He was unsurprisingly well backed and that was a race that went the way of the punters.

“At Newbury, the Dubai Duty Free Stakes on Saturday went to Remarquee, a 7/2 winner under Rob Hornby. He wasn’t without support and that was another that saw the punters finish with some cash in their pockets.”