Today's Papers / Top Dog / 08 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:

Two stories dominate the morning. Petr Cech is out for the season after a horrific training collision with Tal Ben Haim left his face slashed with a wound that needed 50 stitches. And Arsene Wenger is in fighting mood before tonight's Champions League clash at Anfield, insisting his team will not only win that, but go on to win the European Cup itself and also the Premier League. The Mirror brands him an April Fool and says you can get odds of 125-1 on that miracle at the bookies. Betfair punters know better. The Gunners are [10] for the Champions League and [28] for the Premier - making a double of about 270-1!

Cruft's:

Daily Express - Sheva a £31m write-off - The striker who was meant to be Chelsea's biggest star has instead been their biggest flop. Now Andriy Shevchenko looks certain to be allowed to leave this summer and according to Harry Harris he'll be given a free transfer to help him go. Now what was Peter Kenyon saying about the club being run as a business?

Pedigree Chum:

Daily Star - Henry to end pain in Spain - Word from Barcelona is that Thierry Henry is available for transfer back to England in the summer if anybody wants to find the cash to take him. West Ham and Newcastle are linked as possible buyers.

Daily Star - Pique set for Rio role - Gerard Pique will get the job of replacing Rio Ferdinand for Manchester United tomorrow after a ringing endorsement from Sir Alex Ferguson. But the good news is Rio could be back for the weekend's clash with Arsenal. United are [2.04] to beat their normal bitter rivals

Daily Star - Nuge has a final fling - One thing that has gone wrong for Harry Redknapp this season is the signing of David Nugent who hasn't begun to adjust to the top flight. He gets a chance at West Ham tonight and is determined to fight for a place in Pompey's FA Cup final team. Pompey are [3.35] the away win, and Nugent is [3.45] to score

Daily Mail - Laws steels himself to make history - Sheffield Wednesday need to beat rivals United tonight to help keep themselves safe from the drop, and if they do it will be the first time they've done the double in the Steel city derby since the start of World War One! It's [4.3] for Brian Laws' side to do that, but United are [2.04] favourites.

Dog' s dinner:

Daily Mirror - Mania pull-out - Presumably it was a Norwich fan who was in charge of the re-design of the Mirror's football pull-out - why else make green and yellow the dominant colours? The result is horrible, glaring and ugly, leaves less room for the words, and is harder to read rather than easier.

Daily Express - Kanu tell us how old he is, Harry - Harry Harris tries to make an issue out of the mystery of the true date of birth of Portsmouth's semi-final hero Kanu, who according to the records is age 31. It would have been interesting if Harris had any new evidence at all. But he hasn't.

The Sun - Ruin Giggs - Neil Custis gives publicity to a few idiots who've been ringing Manchester United's own TV station wanting Ryan Giggs dropped. You've heard them - the same sort who call the radio phone-ins and tell you Arsene Wenger is tactically naïve.

Today's other headlines:

The Sun - Cech out - And Rio KO'd for 2 games - Rafa's win heaven - Chelsea's hat trick of horror - Ian Wright column - Happy fella Fonte - Let's make a Nu start

Daily Express - Oh no not again - Wenger says he'll win two trophies - Xabi is after final say - Ballack is fired by past failings - Redknapp has two-way bet on Euro vision - Ledley moves from bus lane to fast lane - Boro fears over Alves go up in smoke

Daily Star - Ceck in new KO horror - Hitman Torres to silence Gunners - Wenger; We will Kop the double - I hate the thought of losing says Benitez - Ballack's rally cry for Blues - Blade runner Kaz - Joe Ledley feature - Kenwyne: give Keane more time

Daily Mirror - April Fool - 50 stitches Cech out for season - Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing says Rafa - We'll make history or I'm history says Grant - Fergie set for Euro gamble on Pique - Jealous Guy - Warnock Soares to heights

Daily Mail - We will win the title now - Season is over for Cech after horrific face injury - Last man standing at Anfield - Grant all smiles after United slip - Pique chance as Rio ruled out - Bruce was let off £200,000 payment says sore Sullivan - Tom soars above stuttering Stoke

Tags: Anfield stadium, Cech injury, Champions League betting, Wenger coments