Betting tips / Ralph Ellis / 29 August 2011 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market

There were some extremely impressive performances from the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool this weekend, but as has so often been the case over the past few years, Manchester United keep bettering the field.

The biggest irony of a weird weekend came at the end of it. The man who should have had the most to cheer about was instead almost apologetic.

In the seven years that the BBC have been waiting for Sir Alex Ferguson to talk to them, they could never have imagined that his first interview would involve effectively saying sorry to Arsene Wenger for smashing eight goals past his team; not in a million years of waiting would they have thought he'd be expressing the view that "you don't want to score any more".

In that time they've chucked insults at each other, and their teams have chucked pizza. They have snarled, they have poured scorn. I suspect that for Arsenal's manager, having to leave Old Trafford listening to Fergie show such sympathy might have felt far more demeaning than wiping sandwiches and cheese off his suit ever did.

But then United's manager could afford a cautiously quiet and reserved reaction to an incredible 8-2 win that was Arsenal's biggest defeat in 115 years. After all, his team had just made the loudest statement in a weekend when everybody was declaring their ambitions.

It began just after noon on Saturday when Aston Villa and Wolves fought a 0-0 draw. Mick McCarthy's side went briefly top of the table, and the Molineux boss owned up to having set 47 points as a target for his team. If he's right that would earn them a top half finish, for which they are currently a healthy [3.8].

Then it was Chelsea's turn to do some talking. They have a new young manager in Andre Villas-Boas and he's aiming to bring some youth into his team. It was the arrival from the bench of new signings Juan Mata, 23, and teenage striker Romelu Lukaku that gave the Blues some late spark. Mata took just 23 minutes to come up with his first goal while £50m Fernando Torres struggles on. The former Liverpool star is now a lay of [11.0] to even be in the top four Premier League goalscorers.

Just as you started believing that Chelsea were reborn as a serious force, along came Liverpool to declare their ambitions. Kenny Dalglish's side lit up Anfield in the late Saturday game as they wiped away Bolton 3-1 with a performance that deserved more goals. The Kop's revamped squad are now [1.66] to restore their old position as a top four club and you could see why.

Fast forward to Sunday lunchtime where Newcastle were aiming to prove there is life after Joey Barton (and Andy Carroll, and Jose Enrique, and Kevin Nolan, and just about anything that hasn't been nailed to the floor). Leon Best looked handy as he got both goals in a 2-1 win over Fulham. You might be tempted to back the Toon to finish in the top half if it wasn't for the fear that if Best goes on scoring goals when January comes, they'll flog him too.

The biggest statement was at White Hart Lane. Edin Dzeko, who looked like a fish out of water when he came to Manchester City last season, scored four as Manchester City ripped Spurs to pieces. Roberto Mancini's natural caution remains - he was as concerned afterwards with the sloppy set-piece goal his team conceded as delighted at the five they scored. But here were signs of a new, expansive City with the freedom to play the sort of attacking football you'd want for the £300million they've spent. As frightening as the team on the field was the quality of the bench. The likes of Carlos Tevez, James Milner, Adam Johnson and Mario Balotelli never even got asked to warm up. Betfair's markets have taken notice, and City, once matched at [6.2], are now [3.25] to win the title.

They are not favourites though, and we know why. With nine points and a matching goal difference, Mancini must have thought he'd go into the international break top of the table. After all, how could United win by six and overtake them? But they did, and at the end of it no wonder not even Fergie felt the need to crow. His team had done all the talking for him.