LONDON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Irish bookmaker Paddy Power is
already paying out on bets that Premier League champions Chelsea
will win the title again this season.
Chelsea have made a record Premier League start of seven
consecutive wins and are runaway leaders on 21 points, six ahead of
their nearest pursuers, Charlton Athletic.
Their usual rivals, Arsenal and Manchester United, are already 10
and 11 points adrift respectively of Jose Mourinho's men with only
a month and a half of the season gone.
Though Chelsea still have another 31 games to play, Paddy Power
said in a statement headlined 'Chelsea are Premiership Champs' that
they will pay out on all single bets placed before 0700 GMT on
Thursday for Chelsea to retain their title.
'Chelsea are clear of the pack and not looking like they will be
caught,' the company said. 'Accordingly, Paddy Power have declared
the title race over...'
A spokesman added that Chelsea, who are on a 36-match unbeaten
league run and set a defensive record with just 15 goals conceded
last season, were showing no signs of faltering.
'Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal have all shown their
fallibility. You can't see Blackburn Rovers beating Chelsea, can
you?' he said, referring to United's defeat last weekend.
'Chelsea's defence is like the Great Wall of China. You just can't
see a way round it.'
Paddy Power is hoping to be luckier than in the 2002-03 season,
when the company paid out early on Arsenal - only to pay out a
second time when Arsene Wenger's side were pipped to the title by
United.
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