Twists, turns and bottlers: The Premier League week that was

The story of the 2015-16 Premier League season was perfectly summed up in the space of just over 24 hours this week as the pendulum swung one way and then another.

Leicester City went into latest round of fixtures as 2/1 chances to claim the title after their explosive campaign so far, but a 2-2 draw against West Brom wasn’t in the script.

The Foxes could have gone five points clear with a victory over the Baggies but left themselves open to Tottenham usurping them with a win over West Ham.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men went into their London derby on Wednesday night as favourites for the title for the first time in 31 years.

But like that time back in the 1984-85 campaign, could it be that the Lilywhites ‘bottle it’?

The combination of a lacklustre Spurs outfit and the dogged display of a determined and steadfast performance from the Hammers saw the north London side fall to a 1-0 defeat.

That defeat saw them pushed back out to 9/4 (from 15/8) to top the pile come May, while Leicester were trimmed into 9/5 (from 7/2).

While Tottenham couldn’t take advantage, neither could their neighbours Arsenal who went from 11/4 into 23/10 after Leicester’s draw on Tuesday.

However Arsene Wenger’s side were embarrassed at home to Swansea who left the Emirates with a 2-1 success.

That loss means the Gunners remain six points off the lead, and third-favourites at 10/3.

Manchester City’s 3-0 loss to Liverpool saw their Premier League hopes suffer another blow as they were shunted out to 7/1, but it wasn’t all bad for the teams in the city.

Louis Van Gaal’s Red Devils still have a long, long way to go to be in a real position to push for the number one slot, but a late win over Watford might have some United fans dreaming of a late charge.

The Old Trafford club were cut right in from 80/1 to 33/1 for a 21st top tier triumph after the latest round of fixtures as they moved to within 10 points of the Foxes.

A more realistic target though will be top four position, probably at the expense of their city rivals.

With their win, coupled with the Citizens’ defeat moving the Manchester clubs onto the same points tally, it could be a matter of time before the red half of the city move into fourth spot for the first time since December.

They were slashed from 4/1 to 21/10 to do just that as they moved to within goal-difference of their neighbours.

Whether or not there is a chance they can climb right into the driving seat remains a pertinent question, but as we’ve seen this week, it’s never wise to second guess how this season will go.

For the moment at least though, Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester are the men back in the driving seat.

All odds and markets correct as of the date of publishing.