The betting plunge on Nemanja Vidic being crowned this season’s PFA Player of the Year has forced bookie Paddy Power to cut the defender’s odds to just 5/4.

The big Serbian has been the bedrock of Manchester United’s defence as they stretch their record run of league clean sheets to 13 games and counting to caterpault the champions to the top of the league.

Vidic opened the season as a 150/1 outsider to take the coveted players award with his odds on a downward curve ever since as punters increasingly took note that it was more a case for the defence than United’s attack for the club’s dominance so far this season.

Vidic had still been available at 11/4 last week before another flourish from punters took his odds down to the present 5/4. The largest bet on the central defender so far has been £250 at 18/1, with Paddy Power now facing a payout of close to £40,000.

Some punters appear to have followed the same logic elsewhere but perhaps are more misguided in where their money has gone. United keeper Edwin van der Sar was first quoted for the award at the beginning of the month at 20/1 and has since been backed down to 10s even though he’s had very little to do, such has been the impregnability of United’s back four.

Other names in the running include last year’s winner Cristiano Ronaldo who is joint-second favourite at 4/1 with Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard whilst veteran Ryan Giggs is now 8/1 from a pre-season 100/1 following his Indian summer in the United midfield.

Darren Haines, spokesman for the bookie, said: “The betting on Vidic has snowballed as punters increasingly realised just who was the main man behind United’s success so far this season. We’re now looking at our biggest payout ever on the Player of the Year award should Vidic win.”

Having now been appointed as temporary manager at Chelsea, William Hill have made Guus Hiddink their 4/6 favourite to be in charge at Stamford Bridge on the first day of the next Premier League season.

“Hiddink is obviously very much in pole position now to keep the job for a longer period – but he may decide that two jobs is one too many and opt for the Russia position with the World Cup coming up in 2010,” said Hill’s spokesman Graham Sharpe.

Hills offer 8/11 that Hiddink will also be Russia manager on the first day of next season and evens that he will be doing just one of the two jobs, or neither, on that date.

Bet365 are paying out on Hiddink as the next manager of Chelsea and settling the remaining bets on the manager in charge on the first day of the 2009/10 season.

Spokesman Steve Freeth said: “These type of appointments could become more and more common practice in such a results driven industry and we’re in the process of tweaking our rules on managerial markets.

“Hiddink backers will be paid, whilst we’ll be settling the remainder of the bets on the first day of the 2009/10 season.”

It’s a similar story at Sky Bet who are also paying out on Hiddink, while bets placed on any of the other selections will stand with them until Chelsea confirm their appointment of a permanent manager.

Sky Bet’s PR Director Dale Tempest said: “With Guus Hiddink placed in charge at Stamford Bridge until at least the end of the current season, it seemed the right thing to do to pay customers who backed the Dutchman to be the next Chelsea manager.

“However, bets placed on any of the other potential managers will not be settled as losers but will be kept alive until Chelsea announce their permanent manager.”

Hiddink, who guided the Russia national team to the semi-finals of Euro 2008 is 13/8 with Sky Bet to taste his first defeat as Chelsea manager when they travel to Villa Park on February 21.

It’s also 500/1 that Russia win the 2010 World Cup and Chelsea win the Premier League this season and it’s 100/1 for Russia to win the 2010 World Cup and Chelsea to win next seasons Barclays Premier League.

Following the appointment, Coral have opened betting on where Chelsea will finish in the Premier League.

They make third the 7/4 favourite and also bet 9/4 that they finish fourth and 5/1 that they drop out of the top four.

“The title already looks to be beyond Chelsea,” said spokesman David Stevens.

“But qualifying for the Champions League looks to be the very least they would hope for, meaning Guus Hiddink’s first game in charge at Aston Villa could be absolutely crucial.”

Chelsea are 4/9 with Coral not to win a major trophy this season and 13/8 to win at least one.

Eduardo has described his goalscoring return for Arsenal in the FA Cup on Monday as “the best day of my life”.

Eduardo, who had been out since breaking his leg in February 2008, scored twice in his side’s 4-0 win over Cardiff in their fourth-round replay.

“It was the best day of my life – it was a special moment to score, very emotional,” said the 25-year-old.

A controversial Adriano goal helped Inter claim the derby honours with a 2-1 victory over Milan. Replays showed the Brazil striker had used his arm. It was a sorry night for 40-year-old Paolo Maldini in his last derby before retiring while on-loan David Beckham, who still hopes to stay at Milan despite Los Angeles Galaxy demanding he return, was substituted after aggravating a hamstring injury.

Inter now have an 11-point advantage over third-placed Milan, while second-placed Juventus trail the Serie A leaders by nine points after a 1-1 draw with Sampdoria. Thanks to Adrian Mutu’s hat-trick and a 3-3 draw at Genoa, Fiorentina stayed fourth, a place ahead of their hosts. League top scorer Marco Di Vaio netted his 16th goal in Bologna’s 1-1 draw at Napoli, while Roma’s good run ended with a 3-0 defeat at Atalanta.

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres will be out of action for two to three weeks after sustaining a hamstring strain in Wednesday’s 1-0 win against Marseille.

The Spaniard completed 90 minutes but a scan revealed he needs another spell on the sidelines having just returned from five weeks out with a similar problem.

Defender Fabio Aurelio will also be out for a fortnight with a calf injury.

The victory over Marseille at Anfield earned Rafa Benitez’s side a place in the last 16 of the Champions League.

A club spokesman told www.liverpoolfc.tv: “Fernando has a strain in his right hamstring and will be out of action for between two and three weeks.

“Fabio has a calf strain in his left leg and will be out for two weeks.”

Steven Gerrard scored the winner against Group D rivals Marseill, heading in at the far post from Xabi Alonso’s cross on 23 minutes.

Filippo Inzaghi struck a late equaliser to break Portsmouth’s hearts and send AC Milan into the Uefa Cup’s last 32.

Inzaghi hit the post and the bar early on, while Peter Crouch was guilty of missing three excellent chances.

Younes Kaboul headed in Glen Johnson’s pin-point cross to put Pompey ahead and Kanu doubled the lead from close range.

Inzaghi hit the woodwork again with a diving header, before Ronaldinho scored with a superb free-kick and Inzaghi’s injury time toe-poke snatched a draw.

Talk before the game had been that Milan were not relishing the prospect of a wintry evening at Fratton Park.

And it looked like Portsmouth were going to pull off a famous victory until Inzaghi’s late, late intervention.

Not that anyone could really begrudge the striker his reward for a performance of real menace.

The former Italy international almost opened the scoring when he latched on to Andriy Shevchenko’s free-kick, sending a left-footed shot against the foot of the post.Inzaghi hit the woodwork again when he raced on to Gennaro Gattuso’s pass and lofted the ball over David James and against the top of the bar.

In between those chances for Milan, Crouch should have done better when volleying horribly off target after being picked out by Kanu’s cross into the box.
It was to be the story of the night for Crouch, who later headed back into the box with the goal gaping, sent a diving header wide and mistimed an overhead kick.

Pompey, though, were at least creating chances and certainly did not look overawed.
Following a slick passing move, they fashioned another opening, but the angle proved too tight for Glen Little to get his volley on target.
Aside from a couple of long-range efforts from world player of the year Kaka, Milan were unable to threaten.

And it was no great surprise when Pompey broke the deadlock though Kaboul, who rose between two Milan defenders to thump home a header.
Nine minutes later, the home side doubled their lead – and again it was Johnson who was the provider, this time sending in a cross for Kanu to convert.
But rather than folding, Milan came back strongly, with Inzaghi denied once again by the frame of the goal from a diving header.

On came Ronaldinho, who quickly made an impression when he curled in an exquisite 25-yard free-kick to give Milan a lifeline.
Luca Antonini went close with a low, skidding shot as the visitors searched for an equaliser, which they got when Inzaghi struck after his sublime first touch set him up to earn his side a vital point.

It was a hugely disappointing end for Pompey and their fans, but the club still has hopes of making the last 32.
They need to pick up points from their remaining games against Germany’s Wolfsburg – away next Thursday – and Holland’s Heerenveen to join Milan in the group’s top three.

West Ham are set to present Gianfranco Zola as their new manager this afternoon after calling a press conference for 4.30pm.

The Italian has agreed a three-year contract to take charge at Upton Park as successor to Alan Curbishley.

He will become West Ham’s 12th manager and will start work on Monday, with caretaker boss Kevin Keen leading the team at West Brom on Saturday.