Top 3 bets from Thursday's football & snooker

Who’s in control of the EFL Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Arsenal?

Arsenal will be the happier side after their 0-0 draw at Anfield in the EFL Cup semi-final first leg, especially given they played with 10 men for ¾ of it. Granit Xhaka was given his marching orders in the 24^th minute for denying a goalscoring opportunity, catching Diogo Jota with a high challenge as he tried to get on the end of an Andy Robertson ball. With their top two strikers, Sadio Mane and Mo Salah, away at AFCON, Liverpool struggled to impose themselves on the game, only managing one shot on target in the whole game, a total matched by 10-man Arsenal.

Xhaka Performance (settled at 6)

Sellers of Granit Xhaka’s Performance always have the hope that he will get himself sent off as part of the reason they are selling, and the Swiss midfielder didn’t let them down yesterday. The Performance market awards 25 points for a goal, 10 for an assist or hitting the woodwork, 5 for a shot on target or a blocked shot from within the six yard box, 3 for a freekick won and 2 for a completed pass in the opposition half. Xhaka’s spread was set at 47-52, meaning sellers won 46 times their bet.

How are hosts Cameroon doing in the African Cup of Nations?

Cameroon are the first team through to the last 16 of AFCON after a thumping 4-1 win against Ethiopia. Forwards Vincent Aboubakar and Karl Toko-Ekambi both scored twice as the hosts threw off the shackles to make sure they’ll at least be one of the best third placed teams. After the 2-1 defeat of Burkina Faso in their opener, Cameroon will fancy their chances of going through as group winners by winning their third game, against Cape Verde on Monday.

Cameroon Hotshots (settled at 100)

Captain Aboubakar followed up his brace of penalties in the opener with another two goals, and this time was matched by strike partner Toko-Ekambi. The Cameroon Hotshots market awards 25 points per goals scored by any of four of their players – Aboubakar and Toko-Ekambi, plus Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Nicolas Moumi Ngamaeu. The spread was set at 36-40, so buyers won 60 times their bet.

What happened in yesterday’s Masters snooker at Ally Pally?

In a titanic encounter between two of the all-time greats, it was Mark Williams who emerged victorious from the final frame decider to knock out John Higgins from the Masters and move into the last eight. Higgins knocked in a 126 break as he went 2-0 up, but Williams hit back with three frames of his own, highlighted by a 116. They then traded blows until at 5-5 it was next frame winner, and it was the Welshman who made a sublime 91, including a brave four ball plant with the frame on the line, to move on to a quarter-final clash with Neil Robertson. The Aussie looked in great nick as he knocked out Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-4 earlier.

Total Points (settled at 1226)

The standard of snooker at the Masters has been top draw, and those levels were maintained when these two members of the Class of ’92 met last night. Both Higgins and Williams were in top form, and in a match where they traded blows and both scored heavily whenever a chance was presented which was just about a perfect storm for buyers of Total Points, who of course love a match that goes to a final frame decider, allowing the maximum time to add to that scoreboard! The Total Points spread was set at 929-964, so buyers won 262 times their bet.