Well the Magpies' luck had to run out sooner rather than later but nobody could have foreseen it happening so cruelly and with such vengeance as it did against Chelsea on Saturday.

Alan Pardew is likely to have to do without defender Steven Taylor for the rest of the season following his Achilles injury and Newcastle are now out to 6/5 in the market without the big six (before Everton's (2/1) game with Stoke (10/1).

Newcastle must travel to Norwich City's Carrow Road at the weekend and that won't be easy against a side who have only won one of their last six, although they sit comfortably in mid-table at present.

The Canaries are 6/4 to win with the Magpies' 13/8 and the draw at 23/10.

The fortuitous win for Chelsea was one of a number of dreadful results for the layers on Saturday with only the Championship defeats of Southampton and West Ham United preventing a bloodbath.

As soon as Steve Bruce was relieved of his managerial duties at the Stadium of Light we installed Martin O'Neill as favourite and always tried to keep on the right side of the Irishman.

Manager markets are fascinating as often you can get one or two false gambles. Many of the layers had flip-flopping favourites with some media outlets, including the BBC, suggesting Mark Hughes rather than O'Neill was first choice.

We disagreed but it still cost us!

Ahead of the Wolves game yesterday the Black Cats were 6/1 to be relegated with O'Neill's appointment considered a positive move; we have markets at victorchandler.com on how many points, goals scored and goals conceded Sunderland will have during the month of December.

O'Neill's first game in charge is against Blackburn Rovers and their under-fire manager Steve Kean, who was roundly booed by the Ewood faithful despite beating Swansea City at the weekend.

The Black Cats are even money to land the points with Rovers 3/1 and the draw 23/10.

Boro are 16s for the Championship after their last gasp success at Ashton Gate on Saturday evening and they face an improved Brighton & Hove Albion side on Saturday who themselves won 1-0 with a last minute goal against Nottingham Forest at the weekend.

Boro are evens to continue their push for an automatic promotion place with the south-coast club 11/4 and the draw 12/5.

Brentford have lost half of their home games and they entertain Hartlepool United who have won more than half of their away games; the hosts are odds on at 4/5 with the draw 5/2 and the visitors 10/3 which could be a big price despite their recent woes at Victoria Park.