Wayne Rooney wrote his name into Manchester United’s history books on Saturday as his last-gasp free-kick sailed into the top corner to salvage a draw away at Stoke City. Rooney’s strike was his 250^th for the club and he now sits at the top of United’s goal scoring charts; just one ahead of Red Devils legend Sir Bobby Charlton.

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The England man, who passed Charlton’s record for international goals back in 2015, has enjoyed a very successful career; netting a grand total of 195 Premier League goals in stints with United and former club Everton. But how does Rooney’s mark compare to his fellow peers? I took a look at some of the greatest striking records in Premier League history...

MOST GOALS: ALAN SHEARER (260)

Rooney is second on the list of all-time Premier League scorers but he is still nowhere near Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer’s tally of 260. Most will remember his commitment and passion to boyhood club Newcastle but Shearer’s record in front of goal at Blackburn was nothing short of sensational.

As well as winning the title in 1995, Shearer netted 113 goals in 133 Premier League games for Rovers – an outstanding statistic. The Magpies hero scored more during his days at St James’ Park but it was his role at Blackburn that helped to put him on the map. With three Golden Boot awards, Shearer will go down as the greatest finisher in top flight history...

MOST CONSECUTIVE GAMES SCORED IN: JAMIE VARDY (11)

The Jamie Vardy story is the stuff of dreams and Leicester City fans will still be sat pinching themselves after last season’s dramatic title triumph. The Foxes were priced at 5000-1 with some bookmakers at the beginning of the campaign but Claudio Ranieri’s men, led by Vardy and Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez, defied the odds to lift the crown.

On their way to glory, Vardy eclipsed Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of scoring in 10 Premier League games in a row. Ironically, the Leicester star’s record-breaking goal came against United at the King Power Stadium. Meanwhile, Rooney has never scored in more than five consecutive top flight matches – which shows just how impressive Vardy’s tally is...

MOST GOALS IN A CALENDAR MONTH: LUIS SUAREZ (10)

In December 2013, Luis Suarez became the first footballer in Premier League history to score 10 goals in a calendar month. The Liverpool man netted braces against Cardiff City, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United as well as notching four (yes, four) against Norwich City in a 5-1 thrashing at Anfield.

Rooney scored six goals in March back in 2012 but has never managed to net seven or more in a single month. In fact, only Teddy Sheringham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mark Viduka have scored seven or more Premier League goals in the same month. Suarez’s impressive record will take some beating...

BEST SCORING RATIO: SERGIO AGUERO (EVERY 107 MINS)

Sergio Aguero is world class. The Manchester City man averages a Premier League goal every 107 minutes; an astonishing record to say the least. Kelechi Iheanacho has a better goals per minute ratio but the young Nigerian has netted just 12 goals in his brief top flight career and it would be unfair to recognise Aguero’s record over a longer period of time.

Comparatively, Rooney has averaged a goal every 196 minutes throughout his Premier League career. The United legend is approaching his twilight years and is unlikely to ever match Aguero’s sensational rate of scoring. If the City star stays at the Etihad Stadium for the rest of his career, he could eventually surpass Rooney’s total of 195 top flight goals...

Spurs are on fire

We begin at White Hart Lane where optimism abounds and the chance to win a first league title for over half a century grows more plausible with every passing week. 

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“I definitely think they’ll push Chelsea close. It’s going to be very difficult for anyone to catch Chelsea at the moment but if anyone can it looks like it could be Tottenham. I watched the game at the weekend and they were absolutely fantastic: they just brushed West Brom aside. They played good, attacking, Tottenham-like football and that’s what the fans like to see. Harry Kane is on fire and Dembele and Eriksen are playing really well while they look tight at the back.”

Pochettino’s men travel to Manchester this Saturday with an opportunity to put further distance between themselves and a fellow challenger that is struggling to find consistency. Would an away win spell the end of City’s title hopes?

The north London giants have been in sublime form for much of the season making it hard to pick out individual contributions. Yet Reid has little hesitation in choosing three who have particularly impressed.

“I love watching Dembele play. He is excellent and just slides across the surface and is very difficult to get the ball off. I’ve heard he is terrific in training too. He is really starting to show his class at the moment.”

“Harry Kane is just lethal at the moment. His finishes at the weekend show he’s in a rich vein of form and when he has confidence he puts them in the top corner and doesn’t give keepers a chance. In my opinion he can get thirty plus goals this season.”

Reid’s final favourite is a midfielder who regularly gets fans on the edge of their seats. It takes one to know one. 

“You would imagine the England team of the future will be built around Dele Alli. He’s got everything you need from a midfielder and really is a special player. He can go up and down the pitch and score goals and has an absolutely fantastic temperament. He has everything it takes to be a really, really top player and I hope he stays at Tottenham and develops even more. It’s a good place to be and Pochettino is the perfect manager to help him develop as a player and as a person.” 

Sunderland are running out of options

Switching nearly 300 miles north to Wearside and the picture is considerably less rosy. Reid spent three happy seasons at Sunderland, all in the top flight, and is saddened by the prospect of the Mackems losing their Premier League status. The 34 year old insists their immediate future rests on a veteran striker and a successful fortnight ahead in the transfer market.

He’s a natural-born goal-scorer and the only natural goal-scorer there and with them being so hard to come by it is vital to keep hold of him. He’s got the firepower to keep them up.”

“This transfer window is make or break. They need more quality and it will be interesting to see if the owner is willing to put his hand in his pocket because he wants to get rid of the club. They lack creativity and need a couple more creative players. I thought Januzaj would have made more of an impact but he hasn’t so they’re short of someone to chip in with a few goals and create a few more for Defoe.” 

As for the man in the hot-seat Reid dismisses the option of bringing in a ‘fire-fighter’ to galvanize morale, an admittedly desperate measure that has worked for the club in times past.

“Sunderland should stick with David Moyes because the club needs stability now. There are not too many ‘Big Sams’ about and that’s why he got a job so soon after what happened with England. If that had happened to someone else clubs would have stayed away from them for a bit.”

Reid knows all about larger-than-life gaffers having spent his first year in the north-east playing under Roy Keane but insists his fellow Irishman’s reputation wrongly precedes him.

“There were times like any manager when he would lose it – and to be a good manager you have to - but most of the time he was a really calming influence. It was exaggerated how volatile Roy was.” 

“I probably had more arguments with him – well, not arguments because you daren’t argue with him – for Ireland. I had more dressing downs off him when playing with him than when he was a manager. I got on well with him and he was a good manager. I’m sure he’d admit himself that he made mistakes as it was his first job but overall he did a good job at Sunderland.” 

That season the club narrowly avoided the drop beginning a pattern of near-misses that continues to this day. Surely the legendary supporters are getting fed up with it by now?

“They deserve better but this situation has been going on for a few years now, just staying up at the last minute. So this won’t be a surprise to them. They have magnificent supporters and this is a real tough time for them but it won’t be a surprise where they are.” 

Keane of course is now the assistant to another former Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill as the duo look to guide the Republic of Ireland to successive major tournaments. Having played under both the 29-cap international Reid is pleased with how things are shaping up.

“Martin is doing a fantastic job and showing what a top class manager he is. I was in a couple of the squads with him before I got injured so I know how fantastic he is with the players. He knows when someone needs an arm around the shoulder or when they deserve a dressing down. He’s a very clever man and knows the right time to do those things.” 

“I’m not surprised in any way with how they qualified and now they’re getting off to a great start to this group. Obviously being an Irishman I just hope he keeps it up.”

Forest can’t see the wood for the trees

The upbeat mood ends when talk turns to Nottingham Forest, perhaps the club Reid is most associated with after two long spells at the City Ground. The two-time European Cup winners are presently mired in crisis with a recent failed takeover, minus a manager, and a series of poor results on the pitch. Now, to add insult to injury, it seems they may lose their captain to, of all places, Derby County. 

I don’t think he would go there and I’m not too sure the club would sell him to their local rivals.”

“Forest definitely have enough quality in the dressing room and there are some good players there so I’m pretty sure they’ll be okay. Having said that they need to pick up a few results sooner rather than later. It will be interesting to see who is still there in January and they have to hold on to their quality players. If they do that they’ll be okay.”

First and foremost they must look to fill their vacant manager’s position after sacking Philippe Montanier this week, a task that might be easier said than done. 

“Who would want to take on the job? With the takeover fallen through the club is in limbo so who could they convince to come there? At the moment the team is in good hands with Gary Brazil looking after them. I know that Jack Lester has been mentioned for the job from within the club and that wouldn’t be a bad idea for the time being.” 

What of Reid himself? Having moved from Dublin to Nottingham as a raw 17 year old the midfielder clearly cares deeply for the ailing club and a brief spell coaching there last season offers up the possibility of getting involved again. 

“I’m finishing off my coaching badges at the moment. I would definitely like to go into it at some stage and if that was at Forest it would be brilliant. I have a big affinity with the club and the fans and a lot of the players there.”

The Premier League is one of the most popular leagues in world football and here at 888sport, we have a range of different markets associated with the league for you to bet on to make the action even more interesting. Here is a look at the different markets on our site and everything you need to know about the odds, terms and potential returns.

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Premier League Outright Betting

At the start of every season, 888sport have an outright market on who will win the Premier League title. Once the season begins, though, this market then continues to be updated after every round of fixtures.

This means that you can wait for as long as you like into the season before making your mind up about who you want to bet on for the title. If you are playing beforehand, though, and want to bet each-way, the place terms are 1-2 1/2.

Manchester City went into the 2017/18 season as the favourites to win the league at the end of the campaign, however, as we saw in the 2015/16 season, the bookmakers don’t always get the outright betting correct. Leicester were as big as 5000/1 to win the title that year, and, steered by manager Claudio Ranieri, ended up stunning the world.

Following a number of additions to their squad in the summer and after a fast start to their campaign, Manchester United are also one of the fancied sides in the betting for the title this season. Jose Mourinho has an excellent record in his second season at the football clubs he has managed and that is reflected in the betting, as United have only their neighbours and rivals City ahead of them.

Golden Boot Winner (Top Goalscorer)

With so many world class strikers now applying their trade in the Premier League, the goalscorer market is an exciting bet to place as with every goal scored by your player in the season, you can cheer even louder.

Harry Kane has been successful in each of the last two seasons in the top goalscorer market, with 25 and 29 goals to his name respectively. As a result, the Tottenham forward was once again the favourite to make it a hat-trick of Golden Boot trophies at the end of the 2017/18 campaign before the season began.

Alan Shearer, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez all share the record for the most goals in a Premier League season, with 31, so Kane will have his eyes on breaking that record this season, which is likely to be enough to win this market if you have backed the Englishman.

New Manchester United forward Romelu Lukaku has made a fast start to his campaign at Old Trafford and is also likely to have been popular in the Golden Boot betting. The former Everton man was only four goals behind Kane last season. He will be expected to be United’s leading talisman.

If you are having a bet on a player to win the Golden Boot trophy, it is always worth checking if they take penalties for their club. This will obviously help their total goals at the end of the season and if it is a new player to the Premier League from a foreign club, you might just be able to find a bit of value in this market.

Top Assists Market

888sport are one of the few firms to offer betting on who will top the assists chart at the end of the season. You can find stats online on which players are producing the most assists before placing your bet. Manchester United’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan is the favourite to top the charts this season, while Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne are usually popular selections in the betting heat.

Relegation Betting

Three clubs will be relegated from the Premier League at the end of the season and with 888sport, you can bet on which club you think will end the campaign in the relegation zone.

Normally, the promoted clubs from the Championship are among the favourite in this market and that is the case in the 2017/18 relegation betting, where Brighton, Huddersfield and Newcastle are all near the top end of the betting. Like the outright market, relegation odds are updated throughout the season so you can wait a few games to assess each team before placing your bet.

888sport also offer a market on who will finish bottom of the Premier League table. If you have a strong view on a team and you think will struggle more than any other club, this is a good market as the odds will be much bigger for them to end the campaign rock bottom than they would be just to be relegated.

PFA Player of the Year

The PFA Player of the Year Award is given to the player which has stood out the most each season and is awarded by a panel assembled by the sponsors of the league.

In the 2016/17 campaign, N’Golo Kante was recognised for his performances for the champions Chelsea following his move from Leicester. The Frenchman was excellent in front of the Blues’ back three and a key part of their success.

Some of the names at the top of the betting for this year’s award include Lukaku, Paul Pogba, De Bruyne and Eden Hazard.

PFA Young Player of the Year

Betting is also available on who will scoop the PFA Young Player of the Year this season. Tottenham’s Dele Alli is the favourite in this market, however, he could face stern competition from Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus, Marcus Rashford of Manchester United and German international Leroy Sane, which is reflected in the betting as it is a tight market.

Just like the PFA Player of the Year, the betting will be updated throughout the season, depending on how well the youngsters are performing for their respective clubs.

First Premier League Manager to Leave

It is unlikely to take long for the first managerial casualty of the 2017/18 Premier League season to be announced, such is the pressure on the shoulders of the 20 managers in the league. During the summer, Rafa Benitez was the favourite in the market as there have been rumours that the Newcastle manager is unhappy that he has not been backed enough in the transfer window.

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is also one of the early frontrunners in the sack race as West Ham have made a slow start to the campaign, while they were expected to finish a lot higher than they did last season, therefore, Bilic has to deliver this year.

Once the first manager is sacked or walks from his position, the market then turns into the ‘next Premier League manager to leave’, where updated odds will be published. This process continues throughout the season. If you like these managerial markets, look out for the betting on who will become the club’s new manager once a sacking has been made.

Best London Team

This is a market offered by 888sport where you can bet on who you think will finish highest in the Premier League this season out of the six London-based clubs. You are effectively reducing the number of teams in the league by excluding all the clubs outside of London. Defending champions Chelsea are the favourites in this market, while Arsenal and Tottenham are not too far behind.

If you are betting on the Premier League this season, good luck with your bets and check the latest prices on all of 888sport’s market following every round of fixtures.

Clear your schedule; you won’t want to miss Super Sunday this weekend. Starting with Real Madrid’s conquerors Tottenham Hotspur at home to Crystal Palace, football fans should be prepared for one of the biggest Sunday’s of the Premier League season. Later, Manchester City will host Arsenal before Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United travel to Stamford Bridge for what may be a fiery affair at Stamford Bridge.

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So without further ado, let’s get stuck into some of the top tips and betting advice ahead of the weekend. With it being Bonfire night, will we 'remember remember, the 5th of November' or is it going to be a damp squib? Check out my thoughts on the action below...

TOTTENHAM vs Crystal Palace

Spurs fans were in dreamland on Wednesday night – Mauricio Pochettino’s men ran out 3-1 winners against 12-time European Cup champions Real Madrid. On their day, Tottenham are capable of slugging it out with the best teams in the business but the hosts must be wary of complacency.

Assuming that Palace will roll over and encourage Spurs to tally up a cricket score would be foolish to say the least; the visitors will be tough to beat. Spurs will be riding high on Wednesday's win but they cannot afford to take the Eagles lightly.

Roy Hodgson has failed to inspire confidence during his brief Palace tenure but there have been some positive signs for Eagles supporters. Victory over Chelsea in October gave fans a much-needed confidence boost but the 4-1 defeat to Championship side Bristol City in the Carabao Cup shattered all momentum.

It is hard to see Palace getting anything here if Spurs bring their A-game; the 5/4 for a Tottenham win and clean sheet represents solid value.

TIP: Spurs to win to nil @ 5/4

MANCHESTER CITY vs Arsenal

Pep Guardiola’s side are starting to look unbeatable. It may be a little early to compare City to Arsenal’s “Invincibles” side just yet but the Blues are certainly a class above their rivals in terms of talent, guile and desire.

With so much attacking talent on display, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see City rack up plenty of goals. Prior to last month’s goalless Carabao Cup clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers, City had bagged 19 goals in their previous five home games...

A positive result here could act as the catalyst for Arsenal to go on and rebuild their season after a sub-par start to the campaign. Yes, they are still well in contention for the Champions League spots but defeat in this fixture would see the Gunners drop even further behind City in the title race.

Arsenal are worth considering given City’s perceived aura of invincibility – the Blues will go through a difficult patch at some stage this season. It won’t be here though, the 13/10 for a City win with goals at both ends of the pitch is my best bet of this encounter.

TIP: Man City to win and both teams to score @ 13/10

CHELSEA vs MANCHESTER UNITED

And then in the final game of Super Sunday, we have the big one. Jose Mourinho, Chelsea through and through for so long, will take his Manchester United side down to Stamford Bridge for what could be a fiery encounter.

Antonio Conte’s side have struggled to inspire confidence so far this campaign and supporters will be nervy after Chelsea conceded three goals away at Roma earlier this week – hardly an assured defensive performance and very uncharacteristic of the Blues side that won the Premier League title last year.

United know that defeat is not an option here; Mourinho won’t stand for it. The Red Devils were humiliated 4-0 in the corresponding fixture last term and Chelsea fans were quick to jump on Jose’s back.

A win here, especially with Paul Pogba side-lined, would send out a statement of intent to United’s title rivals, especially those “noisy neighbours” at the Etihad Stadium. Their record at Stamford Bridge isn’t great though and the draw looks well priced at 43/20 given Mourinho’s hesitant approach in the big games.                           

TIP: Match to be drawn @ 43/20

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Every October a team is appointed champions elect. Often a rash, reactionary naming after a tidal wave of early season hype, it seems to – more often than not – prove to be a foolish misjudgement based on results and short-term form.

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It has happened prematurely to most of the top six clubs on one occasion or another. Manchester City have suffered the cursed fate before, and this year are having their name engraved in the trophy by some before Halloween has even passed.

11 matches into the 2017/18 Premier League season, Pep Guardiola’s side are on course to break every imaginable record. The swooning at their otherworldly football is justified. With 31 points, 38 goals scored, and only seven conceded, the two-time Premier League winners are winning with a panache we rarely see in England.

Pressure For Early Favourites

City were pre-season favourites for many, but the question that haunted their credentials was how their defence would cope. And, more specifically, how it would cope in the absence of Vincent Kompany. Until Stoke had the audacity to nick a couple of goals in their 7-2 drubbing last month, Guardiola’s team had let in just two, with Kompany having appeared in only three matches.

Sergio Aguero’s fitness has been similarly depended on at the Etihad Stadium since he arrived in 2011. The Argentine’s absence has been hardly noticed thanks, in part, to the form – and sensational talent – of Gabriel Jesus. Ex-Liverpool midfielder and pundit Danny Murphy noted Jesus as the best young talent he’s seen since Lionel Messi. Praise indeed...

A few can stake a claim to that title, but the 20-year-old Brazilian is certainly in the Premier League Golden Boot discussion and he will be quietly confident of adding to his tally of seven in the near future.

City have been scoring goals for fun this season. Their attack has everything, from the pace of Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling, the guile of David Silva and Kevin de Bruyne, to the lethal finishing of Aguero and Jesus. Now paired with a seemingly secure defence, City are a complete team. Their goalkeeping crisis has even been nullified with the arrival of the calm Ederson.

Goals rarely tell the whole tale, but City’s ruthlessness offensively can elevate them beyond domestic football. Their defence can afford a relapse with their current attacking form, and, even then, their ability to dominate possession gives their backline protection.

Where their Premier League contemporaries will become frustrated, City never suffer from a creative block. Ideas flow between their midfield and their attack, as they move like one entity, picking holes in their opponent at will.

Champions Swept Aside

Chelsea tried absorbing all of City’s play, and there’s arguably no Premier League team set up better to do so. Antonio Conte’s side limited their chances, but could not get enough of the ball to even momentarily panic John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi.

Guardiola has the five-star luxury of depth, especially in the final third. Should any team be able to limit their relentless chance creation, the vast quality will produce a moment of individual brilliance, just as De Bruyne did at Stamford Bridge.

Teams often have a whiff of invincibility early in the year. Guardiola’s team are one of the first to pose a significant threat to Arsenal’s USP, though. No Premier League squad has ever had this amount of quality in the attacking third, and the defence is solid even without Kompany and Benjamin Mendy.

City have deserved the plaudits. It could all come to a thunderous halt, but the performances thus far are as good as I can remember in the Premier League. Teams are not just being beaten, they are being dismantled. Kevin de Bruyne, almost a shoo-in to record more assists than any of his Premier League peers this season, almost single-handedly put Stoke to the sword in City's demolition job last month.

An unbeaten season has become a holy grail, and it is probably far too great an ask, though reasonable to suggest as a possibility. To say it is already City’s to lose, however, is no exaggeration. Their lead is up to eight points already and they are playing majestic football bordering on the unstoppable.

As Good As Anyone

October hyperbole has frequently been greeted with a hindsight giggle. Of all the early season fliers, though, Manchester City are the best we have seen. There might be a lengthy code to solve the puzzle opposition managers are faced with, but no manager has come close to toppling City in the first couple of months.

The once-overshadowed neighbours are the noisiest of all right now, and so they should be. City are playing joyous, jaw-dropping football. In De Bruyne they have perhaps the world’s best midfielder, and in the dugout they have a man whose place in footballing history is already cemented.

Guardiola has us watching in awe. The Spaniard has the talent at his disposal, but his brilliance is in how that talent is utilised and the spectacle it produces.

Trophies seem an inevitability for City this season. It’s simply a case of which ones. The longer this all-conquering, goal-heavy football continues, the higher the chance of a truly historic season becomes.

If ever the sweeping, autumnal, headline statements are deserved, it is for this Manchester City team. 

*Odds subject to change*