by Anton Johan
It's never black or white when it comes to betting on the English Premier League, and interesting trends occur each season.
Irish and English bookies have said that Liverpool has attracted the highest number of bettors, despite the club's poor run last season.
Liverpool had its worst season in over a decade, finishing seventh, but that hasn't stopped bookies from reporting on a record number of fans backing their favourite team.
According to sites such as Ladbrokes and Paddy Power, around one fifth of the total bets placed on the Premier League Title win have been made on Liverpool.
Odds for the Red winning are 12 -1, making them fifth favourites.
Speaking for Paddy Power, Darren Haines said: "All fans are optimistic, and then there are Liverpool fans. The eternal optimists who always think it's going to be their year. It's been a long time since Liverpool has been 12-1. They may also be tempted by takeover rumours."
It is hoped that speculation of new ownership could lead to manager Roy Hodgson being handed a blank cheque to improve his squad significantly.
"Punters are tipping Liverpool to turn the corner with Roy Hodgson," said a spokesperson for Ladbrokes.
Ladbrokes is not keen to see bettors' predictions come true with a Liverpool win.
"We're quite happy laying them at 12-1 but that's not to say we wouldn't get a bit nervy if they start quite well," said Ladbrokes.
Paddy Power, meanwhile, is hoping that Arsenal won't win as it carries one of the largest bets placed on a club - £4,500 at 6-1 odds.
"In terms of money, it's significantly more than anyone else," said Paddy Power. "They are probably the realistic team that we currently fear the most."
