Manuel Pellegrini’s side took advantage of Liverpool’s slip-up by beating Crystal Palace 2-0 to become favourites to lift the title

For the second time in a week Chelsea orchestrated a positive result by playing their unique brand of defensive football.

Jose Mourinho’s men demonstrated just how effective their tactics can be when they restricted Atletico Madrid in the Champions League midweek and the Sunday’s game plan bore even more fruit as the Blues ran out 2-0 winners.

Liverpool were as short as 1/5 (1.20) for the Premier League title before Sunday’s match but they are now 5/4 (2.25) after Chelsea, now 14/1 (15.0), ended their 11-match winning streak.

Things went from bad to worse for Brendan Rodgers’ side though, Manchester City eased to a 2-0 win of their own at Crystal Palace to close the gap on the Reds to just three points and that result has seen their odds slashed by the bookmakers.

bet365 now make City the 4/5 (1.80) favourites to be crowned Premier League champions with Pellegrini’s men having been 9/2 (5.50) before Sunday’s game at Anfield.

Although Liverpool still have a three-point advantage over the odds on favourites, their price could be justified by the fact that if City claim maximum points in their three remaining games (Everton, Aston Villa and West Ham) their superior goal difference, which currently stands at +58, would prove enough to mean the title is heading back to the blue half of Manchester.

Liverpool’s two remaining games (Crystal Palace and Newcastle) look winnable but it remains to be seen if the Reds can recover from what seems to have been a hammer blow to their hopes of ending the 24-year wait for a top flight title.

The visit of Newcastle on the final day – a side who have lost six of their last seven games – could be an opportunity for the Reds to increase their goal difference but it seems unlikely that they would be able to do so sufficiently enough to better that of Pellegrini’s side.

City are 5/6 (1.83) shots to get the better of Roberto Martinez’s Everton side on Saturday evening, while Liverpool can be backed at 4/9 (1.44) to get the better of Crystal Palace on Monday night.

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