It didn’t take Manchester United a long while to make the first splash in the upcoming English Premier League season. The perennial contender looking to reclaim the EPL championship took the unprecedented step in bolstering its attack by landing Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie into the mix, joining Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, Javier Hernandez, and Dimitar Berbatov to form a formidable attacking core that could give rivals Manchester City something to sweat over.
dropping their line for ManU from 5/2 to 2/1. In the grander scheme of things, that drop in odds may not mean a whole lot, but rest assured, those who plucked United to win the 2012-2013 EPL season are no less enthused about getting better odds on a team that now has the reigning Golden Boot winner on its side.
Manchester City’s line remains relatively unchanged, going up a tad from 6/5 to 13/10. It seems that despite RVP’s addition to United, City’s overall depth is still something that bookmakers still hold in high regard. The biggest drop in odds, understandably so, belongs to the penny-pinching Arsenal squad. From 11/1 odds only a few days ago, the Gunners’ line stock dropped faster than a loaded penny, hitting 14/1.
Make no mistake, Arsenal still has some quality pieces to go around, particularly the addition of German left wing Lukas Podolski from Cologne. Likewise, Theo Walcott and Mikel Arteta will be heavily leaned on to account for the goals Van Persie will be taking to Old Trafford.
Van Persie’s move to United is only the latest domino to drop before the 2012-2013 EPL season kicks-off this weekend. With the transfer window still open until the end of the month, expect more movers and shakers to happen before August gives way to September. But with Van Persie now sporting a Manchester United kit, you can rest assured that the title race between the two Manchester rivals just got a lot more heated.
