There is a very good reason why English football is considered the best in the world. As a matter of fact, it is not a single one but a whole group of reasons. Firstly, football has its origin in the country meaning it started in and developed from England. It has the longest tradition there with the oldest teams as well as the oldest and most devoted fan bases. Furthermore, and the most relevant for contemporary football and the sports betting that surrounds it, England has the highest number of great teams. Everyone knows about the big 5 of Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal, but many other teams are heavyweights in Europe and easily recognizable all over the world.
With such a selection of good teams, it makes sense that the Premier League of England is considered the best domestic football league in the world and the leader among the Big 5 (alongside Spain, Italy, Germany, and France). Not only that, but second, third, and even fourth tiers of English football are popular both in the country and outside of it because there are just so many teams and organizations with devoted fans who come to the stadiums, watch at home, and enjoy online sports betting. If you are a fan of English football and have a favorite, and if you are particularly keen on wagering on the outcome of games where these teams participate, we have an important guide for you. In this article, we talk about betting on English football teams and bring you the latest match news, upcoming fixtures, and odds.
Current Premier League Situation
Since the start of the 2024/25 Premier League season, it is one team that has been outperforming everyone by a long shot. That of course is Liverpool FC who is currently at the top of the standings and in the best form out of any other English club. At the moment of writing, they are leading the standings with 35 points from 14 matches, and are one game behind most of the league. In those 14 games played, they have 11 wins, 2 draws, and a single loss. They have scored the third-most goals so far with 29, but have only allowed 11 which is the best in the league. This gives them the league-best goal difference of +18. Mo Salah has been leading his squad and is tied with the most goals so far with 13. Arne Slot has been doing wonders from the Liverpool bench as the new manager and it seems he is the next in line for great Anfield bosses who are bound for greatness. Those who were worried about Jurgen Klopp leaving can take a breather.
Two nice surprises are taking place in London as both Chelsea and Arsenal are having great seasons so far. Until the previous matchday, they had the same stats across the board, from their record to the goal difference. However, Arsenal dropped points meaning Chelsea is now second with 31 points. Cole “Cold” Palmer is leading the squad and is playing the best football of his life. The Blues have 9 wins, 4 draws, and 2 losses so far and have scored the league-best 35 goals. They allowed 18 and their current goal difference is the second-best with +17. Arsenal is right behind them with 29 points from 15 matches, with 1 less 1 but 1 more draw. The Gunners have been continuously at the top of the standings for several seasons now but are yet to go over the hump. So far, they have scored 29 goals, the same as Liverpool, but have allowed 4 more.
The biggest disappointment of the season so far is the defending champion, Manchester United. While they are decimated by injuries, none bigger than the Ballon d’Or winner Rodri being out for months, they are not playing good football right now. In their last 5 matches, they have 3 losses, 1 win, and 1 draw. They are fourth with 27 points and a measly +6 goal difference, which is awful for their standards. Their November and December winless stretch went down in history and will live in infamy for decades. Pep Guardiola has his hands full as he needs to get his boys out of this awful slump as soon as possible. Erling Haaland is the rare positive as he shares the top goalscorer spot with Salah with 13 goals to his name already.
English Teams in the UEFA Champions League
Things are exactly the same in the UEFA Champions League standings because Liverpool is dominating there as well. Sports betting has been easy for the fans of the Reds this season, particularly in the top tier of European football leagues. The new format suits them well, and that is an understatement. Liverpool is the only team without a single lost point after 6 matchdays. They are leading the UCL table with 6 wins in 6 matches, scoring 13 goals and only allowing 1. These clean sheets are an amazing feat and a testament to Slot’s strategy as well as the form of his team. Unlike in England, the scoring has been spread across the payers with nobody, particularly in front. They are playing as a team and dominating with a great chance to go 8-0 and cement their name in history books.
Arsenal is doing very well in UCL as they are third with 4 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw. They have not been scoring that many goals with 11 so far, but they only allowed 2 which is a great stat. Considering they are also doing well in England, their season is very successful right now as they have a chance to move on from one of the better spots in the new format of the competition. A breath of fresh air comes in the form of Aston Villa in the 5th spot and is a great example of why the new format of European cups is so well-received. With the same record as Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Inter, Brest, and LOSC, Villa is leading the mid-tier teams in their charge to prove themselves and show everyone their quality. Similar to their domestic struggles, Man City is in the 22nd spot with 2 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses. They only have 8 points after 6 UCL matches and have a goal difference of +4. Who would have guessed that they would be the worst out of the four UCL teams?
What about the Europa League and Conference League?
There is no shortage of English clubs in European competitions, that much is certain. The best-ranked team in the UEFA Europa League, the second-tier competition, is Machester United. They are in the 7th spot right now after 6 matchdays with 3 wins and 3 losses. This means that they are another club other than Liverpool without a loss in Europe this season. It is a good sign for the struggling team, especially with Ruben Amorim taking the helm in the meantime. They have 12 points and have scored 12 goals, allowing 8.
Two spots below them are Tottenham Hotspurs with 3 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss. They have the same goal difference as United with +4, but 1 less point. Both in England and in EL, the Spurs have been streaky at best. Wins, draws, and losses are coming interchangeably with the team unable to get a rhythm and connect three or four strong performances. The two lone English teams in UEFA EL will look to ramp it up in the final two matchdays and attempt to secure their spots in the knockout stage. Man UTD is playing at home against Rangers on January 23, and then against FCSB away on January 30. They are the favorites in both games and could have a nice record going into the knockouts. Tottenham is facing Hoffenheim away and then IF Elfsborg at home on the same day, and is also the favorite to capture two nice wins.
Do you know who is atop the UEFA Champions League? Well, it is none other than the lone English side Chelsea with 5 easy wins in their first 5 tames. The team stumbled and found themselves in a competition that was underneath them. They are simply too good right now for this rank, but last season they were not. As the absolute favorites to win the title, they could become the first team to win all three UEFA Cups. So far, they have scored 21 goals and only allowed 4, for a league-best +17 goal difference. They are leaps and bounds ahead of the competition and it truly does not seem fair. But hey, that is sport for you! This record also means that they are another English team without a loss in Europe. They have 1 game remaining, against Shamrock Rovers at home on December 19, a chance to go a perfect 6-0.
Upcoming Big Games and Odds
On December 14, a new gameday in England awaits us so it is high time we explored the latest Stake odds so that you can make your betting slips. Newcastle United FC is playing against Leicester City FC and is the absolute favorite with 1.30 odds against 9.20. It should be an easy win against the heavily favored home side. Arsenal is hosting Everton and is the favorite with 1.24 odds. Everton stands no chance against the Gunners right now and the odds of 13.00 show it. They might hope for a draw at 6.40 but that too is unlikely.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are the favorites against Ipswich Town in what is a match between two of the three teams in the relegation zone right now. The Wolves are playing in front of their home crowd and should win this game with 1.97 odds. Ipswich is not without their chance at 3.70, but a draw is also more than possible as the bookies give it 3.80 odds.
Liverpool has a great chance to make their case for the title even stronger with an easy home win against Fulham. Their odds are 1.34 right now, basically a lock, as the away side only has 8.40. Salah will probably add to his scoring tally in this game so bet on him to score. In the final game of the day, Nottingham Forest is hosting Aston Villa in what is the most interesting and balanced match of the weekend. These two teams are the biggest surprises and it is great to see them near the top of the standings. Forest has the minimal advantage with 2.65 odds, as the visiting Villa is in slightly better form, hence the 2.70 odds. Make sure to tune into this one!
On Sunday, December 15, there are 5 more games on the schedule. Brighton & Hove Albion is ghosting Crystal Palace and is the favorite. The home team has 1.90 odds while the visitors have a tough task ahead of them with 3.95. After this match, we have one of the biggest rivalries in football, the Manchester Derby. However, rarely has the craze and excitement been this low for such a big match. City is the home team and the Etihad will be packed, but it is United who is playing better football right now. But in this case, better does not mean much. Both are struggling to score as well as keep the score in their favor, so it will be an interesting match, to say the least. City of course is the favorite with 1.60 odds to United’s 5.00.
Chelsea has a great chance to add 3 more points to their tally with an easy home win against Brentford. Unlike other big teams, they are not losing too much strength in Europe considering their dominance in the Conference League. This gives them a chance to play harder at home and the 1.35 odds against the visitors who only have 7.60 odds confirm it. Look for Palmer to score at least once. The Spurs are going to Southampton and are the favorites with 1.71 odds. The home team is at 4.20 and will have a tall task to contain them, but it is not impossible considering how streaky they have been as of late. The final game of this matchday is between the visiting West Ham and AFC Bournemouth. The Hammers are not the favorites considering their struggles and only get 4.50 odds to win. Bournemouth is sitting comfortably at 1.73 with a chance for a nice win in front of their spectators.
