Irish bookmaking company Paddy Power is already paying out on bets that Premier League champion Chelsea will win the title again this season û even though 31 games remain in the season.
Chelsea has started with a record seven consecutive wins and is the runaway leader, six points ahead of second-place Charlton Athletic, 10 ahead of Arsenal and 11 in front of Manchester United.
''We know and the punters know the Premiership race is already over so the winnings are better off back in people's pockets,ö said a spokesperson for Paddy Power.
Paddy Power could suffer a huge loss if Chelsea is beaten — which happened when it paid out early on Arsenal winning the 2003 title only for Manchester United to snatch it.
The reverse happened five years earlier when a Manchester bookmaker paid out early on United to win the 1998 title and it was beaten by Arsenal.