Premier League Betting: Royals ready to rule as top promoted team

Will Reading survive their first season back in the Premier League?

All three promoted sides survived their first season in the Premier League and this year's trio are hopeful of matching that achievement. But which of the three can finish on top of the mini league? Hannah Duncan tries to find the answer

Last season was a very decent one for those teams promoted to the Premier League - so decent, in fact, that not only did each of Swansea, Norwich and QPR manage to extend their stay, it was the first time in ten years that none of the promoted sides found themselves going straight back down.

The last sides to do so were Fulham, Bolton and Blackburn in 2001-02 and, ironically, it was Bolton and Blackburn, along with Wolves, who each found themselves on the Football League Show instead of Match of the Day last weekend.

But can the class of 2012-13 replicate the form of last season's new boys?

At this very early stage of the season, all three may have cause for optimism. West Ham immediately kicked off their top-flight campaign with three points, while Southampton gave champions Manchester City a run for their billions. And, although Reading will feel slightly aggrieved not to have taken anything away from Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night, they can be pleased with both the performance and the solid point they'd already got against Stoke at the weekend.

West Ham are 2.166/5 favourites on Betfair to finish highest of the promoted sides. Sam Allardyce's team undoubtedly have the most Premier League pedigree of the trio, with the likes of Kevin Nolan, Matt Taylor and summer signings Jussi Jaaskelainen and Matt Jarvis, but whether Big Sam can turn them into a side capable of maintaining their top flight status is another matter.

Allardyce isn't everyone's cup of tea in terms of the style of play his teams have produced over the years, but there can be no doubting his ability to work on a shoestring and pick up points when it matters most.

Southampton, meanwhile, set the Championship alight last year with their free-flowing, attacking style of play and only missed out on the title at the last hurdle.

They have great firepower going forward in Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Billy Sharp but they perhaps lack the X-factor the signing of a marquee player like Gaston Ramirez would have provided, with the deal to bring him from Bologna stalling this week.

And if Nigel Adkins' side are to stand a real chance of recreating the achievements of Swansea and Norwich last year, they may need to bolster their back-line with experienced Premier League figures.

If they don't, the odds of 2.68/5 on Betfair for them to be relegated may look pretty fair - they are currently joint second favourites for the drop, along with Reading.

The Royals pipped the Saints to the Championship title right at the death last season.
Brian McDermott's side flew up the table relatively unnoticed, scoring fewer goals than any of the top five and without a single player featured in the league's top-ten goalscorers. The additions of Pavel Pogrebnyak and Danny Guthrie to their attacking ranks should help the Royals find the goals they lacked at times last season.

But clean sheets were the secret to their Championship success, conceding the fewest goals of any of the 24 sides, with goalkeeper Adam Federici helping his side to 20 clean sheets over the campaign.

As history has proven, life back in the Premier League will be far from easy for the three promoted sides and it will take a combination of good tactics, good signings and good fortune to see them in the fixture list this time next year.

Each of the sides are certainly capable of prolonging their stay beyond one solitary season, but at present it looks as though the market has it right. Best equipped for the task are favourites West Ham, while Reading could again maintain their status as dark horses.

Brian McDermott's side are 3.711/4 outsiders to come out best of the promoted teams, but they could surprise one or two this campaign and are the value bet in this tight market.

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Back Reading @ 3.711/4 to be top promoted team