One of the many great things about the English Premier League is any team is seemingly capable of pulling off a result when we least expect it. Ask any online bookmaker and they will present you with a list of Premier League matches that have caught them by surprise.
Even the largest betting operators, such as NetBet, have been baffled by some of the Premier League results we have seen over the years and this is a hugely popular betting brand. One look at the NetBet review on scams.info shows how highly rated this website is among punters but they have been left red-faced by some Premier League matches.
Starting in November 2010, one of the amazing times English Premier League games baffled the bookies was the meeting between Chelsea and Sunderland at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea were the reigning Premier League champions and they were sitting top of the table following a 1-0 victory over Fulham in round 13 of the Premier League. Sunderland came into their 13th match of the campaign having picked up just 3 victories, so Carlo Ancelotti’s men were the huge favourites to get the win.
With the likes of Petr Cech, Ashley Cole, Branislav Ivanovic, Didier Drogba, and Nikolas Anelka in the team, Chelsea had more than enough talent to win the game, despite the absence of central defender John Terry, plus midfielders Frank Lampard and Michael Essien. However, with the referee about to blow the whistle for half time, Sunderland’s Nedum Onuoha worked his way past three Chelsea defenders before finding the back of the net to give the visitors a shock lead.
Into the second half and the runs and pace of Sunderland’s attacking duo, Asamoah Gyan and Danny Welbeck, started to cause the hosts a lot of problems. Following a good Sunderland move, it was Gyan who extended their lead with a good finish in the 52nd minute and Chelsea looked rattled. With time running out for the hosts, it was the visitors who struck again, with Welbeck sliding the ball home to secure a 3-0 win for the Black Cats.
That result was the beginning of the end in terms of Chelsea’s title defence and they went on to finish second, 9 points behind winners Manchester United.
The introduction of live betting means it is now possible to place a bet on a Premier League game during the match. When Manchester United visited Leicester City in 2014, their star-studded line-up appeared well on their way to victory having opened a 3-1 lead in the second half. Ander Herrera scored the third goal for the Red Devils in the 57th minute and the odds for a Leicester City victory were massive.
However, The Foxes did not give up and a David Nugent penalty just 5 minutes later gave the hosts hope. Argentine midfielder Esteban Cambiasso equalised in the 64th minute and it was Jamie Vardy who did the unthinkable and gave Leicester City the lead with 11 minutes remaining on the clock. The home fans were ecstatic but even better was to come as Leonardo Ulloa converted from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute to seal one of the greatest comeback victories in the history of the Premier League. If the odds were anything to go by following Manchester United’s third goal in the game, Leicester City had no chance of winning the match and the outcome certainly baffled the bookies.
Moving to 2019 and in September, Manchester City travelled to Carrow Road to take on newly-promoted Norwich City. The defending champions had not lost a Premier League match since January and enjoyed playing promoted teams, having not lost to one for almost five years. Norwich City were struggling with injuries to first-team players and they were forced to name two goalkeepers on the bench. This match was predicted as being a comfortable victory for Pep Guardiola’s team and the bookmakers set their odds accordingly.
However, Norwich City came out of the blocks quickly and within 28 minutes, they were 2-0 up thanks to goals from Kenny McLean and Todd Cantwell. Sergio Aguero pulled a goal back just before the break with a header and everyone expected to see Manchester City come out and score the goals to win the game. Norwich City had other ideas and Teemu Pukki took advantage of a misunderstanding in the Manchester City defence to restore Norwich’s two-goal lead, to the delight of the home fans. There was a nervous finish inside Carrow Road, as Rodri pulled a goal back for Manchester City with two minutes remaining but the Canaries held on for a shock win.
Finally, we come to 2020 and Liverpool’s visit to Watford. The Hornets were struggling around the relegation zone while Liverpool were on course to become only the second team to complete a Premier League season undefeated. With the score 0-0 at half-time, No one could believe what they were seeing in the second half as Watford tore into the Liverpool defence and scored three unanswered goals to win the match 3-0. The Reds had won their past 18 Premier League games and just one more victory would have seen them set the record for the longest winning run in the English top-flight.
