Flutter-owned bookmaker Paddy Power announced on Saturday that it had paid out early on an Arsenal Premier League win, as the Gunners sat nine points clear at the top of the table following victory over recently promoted Sunderland at home.
Now, however, following Manchester City’s dramatic victory at Anfield 24 hours later – the bookmaker sheepishly took to X (Twitter) to post a GIF of a pensive Michael van Gerwen, indicating that it may have jumped the gun.
Indeed, the weekend’s footballing action in the UK saw Manchester City jump right back into the title race after defeating reigning league champions Liverpool, placing them six points behind leaders Arsenal in second place. With 13 games still to play, anyone who has followed Premier League football for a number of years will know that six points is still a fine margin at this juncture, especially with Pep Guardiola’s historically imperious Manchester City giving chase.
Within that context, Paddy Power’s decision to declare Arsenal as winners is a big one.
The bookmaker has not specified how much was paid out to players backing the Gunners; however, it has a history of making early calls on pivotal outcomes. This time last year, Paddy Power correctly called Liverpool to win the Premier League, paying out in late February. Nevertheless, the bookmaker also paid out incorrectly on Everton to be relegated just two games into last season.
Paddy Power has also suffered additional previous blunders, including paying out on a Hillary Clinton US presidential election win in 2016, and a Tiger Woods PAG Championship victory in 2009.
Regardless of what happens for the rest of this Premier League season, those who backed Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal to claim the club’s first league title since 2004 will – at the very least – have some consolation prize winnings to celebrate at the end of the season.
The largest ever points gap overturned in Premier League history saw Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle throw away a 12-point lead in the 1995/96 season
