Sky Bet's Jonathan Witty examines how the Premier League title odds have fluctuated over the season.
Rollercoaster ride could end after unmissable Manchester derby
The Premier League title race is galloping towards a grandstand finish and the stage is set for the most important Manchester derby in recent history on Monday Night Football.
It has been one of the most intriguing battles for years and the ebb and flow of the season has been reflected in the betting odds, with Sky Bet's prices fluctuating on a regular basis.
Reigning Premier League champions Manchester United started the season as 13/8 favourites to retain their crown ahead of Manchester City (7/2) before the two sides met in the Community Shield at Wembley.
Sir Alex Ferguson's men came from 2-0 down to record a hard-fought 3-2 victory, which established them as 5/4 shots to win a 20th League title, while City moved in to 3/1 as the online bookmaker prepared for a season-long battle for supremacy that would divide a city.
Indeed, both sides had a tremendous start to the campaign, with a free-scoring attitude that saw both teams sweep all before them.
This was illustrated on a particularly devastating Super Sunday double header on August Bank Holiday weekend which saw City give Tottenham a 5-1 drubbing at White Hart Lane, before United demolished their North London rivals Arsenal 8-2.
Both sides boasted a 100 per cent record until September 18, when City were pegged back to draw 2-2 at Fulham after leading 2-0 and dominating the game. United took full advantage as they took to the field later that day and defeated Chelsea 3-1 to go clear at the top of the league and shorten to 8/11 favourites.
After United dropped points in 1-1 draws at Stoke and Liverpool, Roberto Mancini's men edged ahead to set up an intriguing Manchester derby at Old Trafford.
Style
It was the first time in the Premier League era that City had topped the table heading into the derby - and they responded in style by putting United to the sword. United suffered their heaviest defeat for years as David Silva inspired the Citizens to a 6-1 victory that sent them four points clear at the top of the league and installed them as 11/10 favourites for the title.
Following the drubbing, Ferguson's side sacrificed their cavalier style to tighten their defence, but were unable to make up any ground on their bitter rivals until Boxing Day.
West Brom became the first team in the league to prevent City scoring and United piled on the pressure by hammering Wigan 5-0 to cut the gap.
As 2011 came to a close, the Red Devils (5/4) looked set for a title tilt as City moved to 8/11, despite suffering their first defeat of the campaign to Chelsea, but there was an unpredictable twist to come before Auld Lang Syne rang out around Lancashire. Relegation-threatened Blackburn, 28/1 shots, stunned Old Trafford by winning 3-2 on New Year's Eve, only for City to go down 1-0 to Sunderland on New Year's Day.
United's reprieve was short-lived however, as City beat Liverpool 3-0 to extend their lead at the top, and the following night United were hammered 3-0 by Newcastle as Demba Ba ran riot before heading off to the Africa Cup of Nations - a tournament which would affect City's title aspirations too.
Advantage
City were three points clear at the top and 1/2 to win their first title for 44 years and maintained that lead until Everton edged them 1-0 on the evening that the January transfer window closed.
On the same night United eased past Stoke to move level on points at the top, with Sky Bet offering 13/10 for Ferguson to lead his side to a second successive title. With Yaya and Kolo Toure missing for this crucial period of the campaign, City lost their flowing style but remained on top until March 11 when they went down 1-0 at Swansea.
After five months at the summit, Sky Sports pundits wondered whether they had let their chance slip, and more fuel was added to this fire the following weekend as United rattled five past struggling Wolves to go 8/15 favourites.
Successive stalemates against Stoke and Sunderland pushed City out to 7/2 for the title and defeat to Arsenal on Easter Sunday ensured they hit their longest price of the season to date (4/1) as they trailed United by eight points.
With some bookmakers paying on United's 20th title, Sky Bet moved them into 1/5 to retain their crown, until an unlikely 1-0 defeat to Wigan and sensational 4-4 draw against Everton allowed City (now 7/4) to cut their lead to three points and set up Monday's crunch encounter.
United are 12/5 to win at the Etihad - with City 11/10 and the draw 5/2 - and Sky Bet's head of football trading Sandro Di Michele believes Ferguson's men can get the job done.
He said: "I think United will nick it as they have the experience and Scholes and Carrick can dominate the midfield. City need to win and it isn't in United's mindset to play for the draw, so it could be an open encounter.
"We've already seen plenty of interest in this game as it is probably going to be the biggest betting event of the season with our punters!"
See all of Sky Bet's unmissable Manchester derby markets
here.
