Why I’m backing Jose to claim the crown...

CITY may be favourites for the Premier League title – but both my heart and head are going for United.

Manchester’s big two top the betting stakes with more money on the Blues, but more individual bets on the Reds.

Now City, who are clear favourites to get off to a flyer at Brighton later today, are 7/4 for the title with Jose Mourinho’s new-look team 3/1 with reigning champions Chelsea 7/2, Spurs 10/1 while Liverpool and Arsenal are both 12/1 at Betfred.

Mourinho’s signing of Romelu Lukaku was a masterstroke – and Paul Pogba with the support of another six-footer Nemanja Matic will dominate the midfield. Ex-Everton striker Lukaku is 4/1 to be top scorer in the league this season with Pogba shortening all the time – and now 10/1 to be PFA player of the year.

United are odds on to beat West Ham tomorrow with Lukaku 11/4 to score first on his Old Trafford debut, while for all you Blues out there who love Joe Hart – well, he’s 7/1 to keep a clean sheet!

Man-for-man United are as good as City – and significantly bigger.

I’m a huge fan of sticking with the same in-form starting XI which Mourinho does much more often than Guardiola across town at the Etihad. Rotation, however many competitions a club is involved in, is a total nonsense because players nowadays are well capable of performing twice a week.

Our multiple bets are proving popular and City are 100/1 to win the Prem, Champions League and FA Cup, with United 225/1 to do the treble again.