Today's Papers / Top Dog / 10 April 2008 / Leave a comment " class="free-bet-btn" rel="external" onclick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/G4/inline-freebet');" target="_blank">Free Bet

Betfair's top dog sniffs around the truth behind the latest tabloid tales.

Betfair's top dog sniffs around the truth behind the latest tabloid tales.

Cruft's champion - Top stories that can dominate the news agenda
Pedigree chum - Insights that tell you something you don't know
Dog's dinner - Speculation, guesswork, or ideas that just don't come off.

Top Dog says: Previews of Augusta reduce the amount of space for football in all but the Daily Star, and the pages that are available are mostly taken up with Champions League match reports. Manchester United have shortened to [2.82] favourites to win the trophy after seeing off Roma with Ronaldo and Rooney on the bench, and the general verdict is the night proved the depth of Sir Alex Ferguson's options to get past Barcelona in the semis. It's now [1.26] that an English team wins it, and [4.6] if you fancy a Spanish club (that would be Barca!) to go all the way. Betfair punters just make Chelsea favourites [1.96] to win the other semi-final.

Cruft's: Daily Star - We'll Nik 5th off Everton - Ten pages of football in the Daily Star this morning, giving room for Portsmouth's Niko Kranjcar to promise his side are trying to pinch fifth spot off Everton and qualify for Europe twice when they win the FA Cup too! Tuesday night's win at West Ham has cut the gap to four points. Pompey are [2.24] to beat Newcastle on Saturday

Pedigree Chum: Daily Star - Real £20m Drog raid - Danny Fullbrook's contacts in Spain tell him that Real Madrid are preparing to try to buy Didier Drogba in the summer, aiming to get in and do the deal before Jose Mourinho takes over another club. They are likely to watch him against Wigan on Monday - Blues are [1.25] the home win

Daily Express - Champs to chumps - Brian Woolnough sets out the day it all started going wrong for Arsenal, when their weakened team got thumped at Old Trafford in the FA Cup. Interesting and well argued piece.

Daily Mail - Lost in transition - Matt Barlow continues the theme of analysing Arsene Wenger's troubles and says the Gunners boss must bolster the defence in the summer. Arsenal are as long as [5.2] to win at Old Trafford on Sunday while United are [1.91] the home win.

Daily Express - Gambling nearly destroyed Bentley - Ever since the Sun signed up David Bentley on an exclusive contract he's not been able to stop talking to everybody else! He's revealed in an interview on Setanta that he's a reformed gambling addict and that was one of the reasons he flopped at Arsenal.

Daily Mirror - Keegan chases Henry fantasy - Three wins and Kevin Keegan has got the taste again. He's told a group of fans his fantasy signing for the summer would be to bring Thierry Henry back to England. And he's due to meet owner Mike Ashley shortly to discuss ways to make it happen.

Dog' s dinner: Daily Express - Ban plan blooms in many shades of red - Harry Harris reveals a plan to shake up the disciplinary system in the Premier League next season with yet another panel meeting to review red cards and decide the length of ban according to the severity of each incident. Top Dog had to check it wasn't still April Fools day as Harris explained about 'pink' and 'scarlet' offences. Sounds like something else for the big clubs to moan about!!

Today's other headlines:

The Sun - Happy Tever after - Cech ready for masked return - Bentley: I had 100 bets a day - Carlos the cackle - Semi heartbreak drives us on says Joe Cole - Wenger will clear out Euro flops says Adebayor - Oh Kay as Wembley flop stings Hornets

Daily Express - Tevez stoops to conquer - Blues shock as Brady is arrested - Kenyon's cheer for Grant - Tevez puts power into United - Rafa is back in driving seat

Daily Star - Carlos clincher - Tev sets up Barca duel - Woeful Watford Kay-ode - I thought my goal was Fer nothing - Ballack: prove you are great

Daily Mirror - Threesy does it - Brady arrested by Bung police - Bentley: My 100 bets every day - Carlos a winner - Torres: The best night of my life - Blue star Joe: Heartbreak drives us on - Adebayor: Wenger plans shake-up

Daily Mail - United's Barca reward - Karren Brady is arrested - Tevez flat out for Fergie - I blew thousands in gambling hell admits Bentley - Lampard: Past pain can spur us to win - Cech could return as the man in the mask - Odejayi goes from zero to goal hero

Tags: Barcelona, Champions League Betting, Chelsea, Didier Drogba, Man Utd