Month: April 2018

Fresh from their victory at Wembley on Sunday, Chelsea head to Swansea this weekend as they look for a strong finish to the campaign. The Blues know that the Champions League is a tall order for them with just four games remaining, but at least 12 points from those matches would send them off on a high. They also have an FA Cup final to prepare for, and a winning run would be the perfect way to approach the showpiece clash at Wembley. Can Conte’s side take all three points at the Liberty Stadium this weekend?

The visitors do have some decent form behind them, which has raised hopes slightly in terms of a top four finish, but it still requires a huge slip from Tottenham or Liverpool. The Blues need to win all of their games to make it happen, including the clash with the Reds at Stamford Bridge, but first they’re out to claim a win against a Swansea side who are battling against the drop. It does seem like an opportunity for Conte and his side, but they have to be wary as they’re travelling to a side who are in danger and fighting for their lives.

Team News: Will Conte Go With Two up Top?

Chelsea come here knowing Emerson Palmieri will start at left-back for the third consecutive game, with Marcos Alonso still suspended. The Blues are also without Danny Drinkwater and David Luiz, neither of whom were likely to start in this one. The club may have finalised a cut-price tribunal fee for Ethan Ampadu this week, but the versatile Welshman is ruled out of this trip to his homeland due to injury. There aren’t too many big issues for Conte to wrestle with, as the only question is around Olivier Giroud and Alvaro Morata. Will the Frenchman lead the line, or will they form a partnership yet again?

The last time these two sides met, former Chelsea assistant manager Paul Clement was in charge of Swansea. However, Carlos Carvalhal has been called in as a firefighter, after Clement left them rooted in the drop zone. The former Sheffield Wednesday boss hasn’t made that many noticeable changes, but he’s turned things around at the club. They are currently lining up with a 5-4-1 formation in recent weeks, and against a Blues side who are starting to pick up a little momentum they’re likely to use a similarly defensive approach. The absences of Renato Sanches and Wilfred Bony won’t help the hosts either, but they still head into this one with options in attack.

Swansea Form

Swansea come into this clash down in 18th in the table, so facing off against one of the top six isn’t what they need right now. It’s not an easy weekend for rivals Southampton and Stoke, but the Welsh side are in danger of the drop after some poor recent form. They’ve failed to win in six matches, which culminated in their 5-0 thrashing at newly crowned champions Man City last weekend. Bouncing back from that loss is going to be a challenge for Carvalhal and his men.

The Swans saw their form pick up thanks to their impressive run in the FA Cup earlier this season. Getting results in the cup did seem to give them a boost in the league, but they’ve picked up just two points since a 3-0 hammering by Tottenham in the quarter-finals on St Patrick’s Day. That leaves the Welsh side in a tough position, as they look for a morale boost ahead of a crucial home clash.

Swansea v Chelsea Head to Head

Chelsea come into this clash following back to back wins against the Swans, but their performances against the Welsh side of late haven’t been great. They’ve taken a point from their last two visits to this ground, after throwing away a winning position under Antonio Conte here last term. We’re hoping for a more entertaining clash than the 1-0 Chelsea win the pair played out in November.

• Chelsea 1-0 Swansea, Nov 2017
• Chelsea 3-1 Swansea, Feb 2017
• Swansea 2-2 Chelsea, Sept 2016
• Swansea 1-0 Chelsea, Apr 2016
• Chelsea 2-2 Swansea, Aug 2015

Betting Tips

• Both Teams to Score – 5/4 with Coral
• Olivier Giroud to score – 7/5 with Ladbrokes

Chelsea visit Wales as 11/20 favourites with BetVictor, as they look for a strong finish to the season. You can back the draw at 3/1 with Bet365, while the hosts are 6/1 with Betfair. After improving their form, the former champions are now widely expected to follow that up by claiming the points in their trip to the Liberty Stadium. However, will they do Swansea’s relegation rivals a favour by claiming a win, as the visitors look to keep their faint Champions League hopes alive.

Swansea are out of form overall, but they’ve picked up in their home matches. The hosts have scored in eight of their last nine at home ahead of this clash, and they’ll be looking to punish the Blues. The visitors are without a clean sheet in eight on the road, with little sign of that changing. There’s a clear lack of leadership within the side, and the Swans should take advantage. With that in mind, our first tip here is to back both teams to score at very handsome odds of 5/4 with Coral.

The Blues have looked good with Giroud up top and the striker scored against Southampton at Wembley on Sunday. That should earn him a starting place for this clash, and we feel like the forward can cause problems against the Swansea defence. He could well have Alvaro Morata creating space for him too, so we are backing Giroud to find the net in Saturday’s late game. He’s our pick for an anytime goal scorer, which seems like a good value bet at 7/5 with Ladbrokes.

Chelsea are up against Southampton for the second time in eight days, as they travel to Wembley on Sunday for an FA Cup semi-final. The Blues pretty much know that the cup is their last chance of taking anything from this season. It would put the Blues into the Europa League group stage, which isn’t exactly the greatest prize, but it’s still something. Given the competitive nature of the Premier League, the Blues will want to secure a place in that competition to boost their hopes of making their way back to the Champions League down the line.

Of course, in the shorter term Antonio Conte is simply aiming to win another trophy at Stamford Bridge, adding a line to his CV before his likely summer job-hunt. The Italian has endured a testing second season at the club, but he can at least tick something off his checklist this term. The former Juventus boss failed to win the Italian Cup in his spell in Turin, something the club have done every year since he left. Can he end his wait for a domestic cup win, redeeming himself after last season’s defeat to Arsenal in the final?

Team News: Can Blues Book Wembley Return?

Chelsea could possibly have David Luiz back for this weekend’s game, although his form this season and issues with Conte mean he probably won’t feature anyway. The Blues have a concern up front now that Olivier Giroud is pushing for a place in attack, while Alvaro Morata has struck up some form in recent weeks. Settling on one of that duo is going to be the biggest choice for Conte. Elsewhere, he should just go along with the first choice side, although with Marcos Alonso in line for a ban we’re set to see either a huge game for Emerson Palmieri, or Cesar Azpilcueta shunted out to the left.

Southampton don’t have any major issues going into this weekend’s clash. They’ve got Jack Stephens ruled out through suspension, but aside from that Mark Hughes has a full strength side to pick from. The only issue for them is that there’s been so few standout players in this Saints squad this season that settling on a side for such a huge occasion is bound to be difficult. The Saints caused problems by lining up with a 3-4-3 system last weekend, and they have little reason to change that for Sunday’s encounter.

Southampton Form

The Saints have suffered back to back 3-2 defeats against London sides, and they’ll be out to avoid a similar scoreline here. Hughes has taken over at St Mary’s, and his first move was to guide them through to the last four of this competition, with an impressive win over Wigan. The Saints have actually been much better under Hughes, despite the negative spell he had at Stoke this term and his early struggles for results with Southampton.

However, the Saints have won just one league clash since November, which suggests that their board waited too long before making a managerial change. They are out to improve their form, with the cup proving to be a bit of a release for the struggling side this season. Will they use their Wembley clash as a chance to rescue a potentially disastrous campaign, or are Hughes and co. going to play to form with yet another defeat on Sunday?

Chelsea v Southampton Head to Head

The Blues added to their strong run of form against the Saints with a victory last Saturday, although they had to come from two goals behind in the process. After five straight wins against the south coast outfit, the Blues will be expected to rack up another victory when the pair clash at Wembley on Sunday. However, can it live up to the drama of the latest meeting?

• Southampton 2-3 Chelsea, April 2018
• Chelsea 1-0 Southampton, Dec 2017
• Chelsea 4-2 Southampton, Apr 2017
• Southampton 0-2 Chelsea, Oct 2016
• Southampton 1-2 Chelsea, Feb 2016

Betting Tips

• Both Teams to Score – Evens with Ladbrokes
• Olivier Giroud to Score – 11/10 with Betfred

Chelsea’s victory at St Mary’s seems to have had an impact on the betting here, as the Blues are priced up at 4/9 with Bet365 to win within 90 minutes in this clash. The Saints are 13/2 outsiders with Coral, while the Premier League strugglers are priced at 7/2 with Betfair to force a draw against the recently dethroned champions. Antonio Conte’s side have clearly landed a plum draw in the last four, as they’re 1/5 with BetVictor to reach the final through any means. On the other hand, the Saints are 11/4 with Bet365 to qualify for a Wembley return.

After last weekend’s 3-2 clash at St Mary’s, we obviously have to fancy goals in this one. That game showed how poor the Blues are defensively, and they don’t exactly have a Plan B to switch to. We’re set to see another clash of two sides playing 3-4-3, and that hasn’t worked for the Blues for much of this season. Going man for man has caused problems for the Stamford Bridge side in recent matches, so we’re expecting both teams to score in Sunday’s semi, which is nicely priced at best odds of evens with Ladbrokes.

As we mentioned earlier, Giroud or Morata is Conte’s big decision for this game, but who will he settle on? In our eyes, it has to be the Frenchman after his two goal salvo against the Saints last weekend. He has that form backing him, along with 14 FA Cup goals since moving to England. With multiple wins in this competition to his name already, we see Giroud impressing at Wembley, so we’re backing him to terrorise this Saints defence yet again, as we’re going with the French forward to score at any time at 11/10 with Betfred.

Chelsea return to action on Thursday night, as they play their rearranged Premier League fixture from the coming weekend. The Blues are busy at Wembley on Sunday in the FA Cup semi-final, so they’re in league action against the Clarets this Thursday, with Sean Dyche’s side flying high in seventh, compared to the troubles of the visitors. Their differing fortunes kicked off when the two met at Stamford Bridge in the opening game of the campaign, with the Clarets winning 3-2 in that one. That victory kicked off a strong campaign which has put them in to the top seven, just two points off the top six.

While these two are on opposing sides on Thursday, their interests will align come the weekend. Although they are languishing in the bottom three in the Premier League, Southampton are actually the biggest danger to Burnley’s chances of making Europe. Should the Saints win the FA Cup, they’ll take a Europa League spot. However, a Chelsea win on Sunday would all but secure Europe for Sean Dyche and his men. Given that they sit nine points clear in seventh, the Turf Moor outfit can start looking forward to continental trips if the Blues book a cup final spot.

Team News: How Will Conte Prepare for Wembley

The looming prospect of the weekend’s semi-final will focus the minds at the Bridge, but it remains to be seen how that match will impact Thursday’s team. After moving within seven points of fourth at the weekend, Chelsea basically have to commit to chasing down the Champions League spots, despite that being a doomed cause. As a result, we expect to see the usual system and approach kept for the midweek game. While Victor Moses and Olivier Giroud started on the bench at the weekend, the pair are likely to step in to the first 11 for this clash.

Burnley have got a few long term absentees, with Ben Mee the latest on that list. Steven Defour, Jon Walters and Robbie Brady are all missing for this weekend’s clash, although recent form suggests that the Clarets are getting on regardless. The hosts have tended to start in a 4-4-2 formation this season, and they are likely to adopt that same approach here. Former Blue Jack Cork will take up a place in the middle for the home side, after playing every minute of the campaign so far.

Burnley Form

Burnley come into this clash in fantastic form, after winning their last five matches. They come here after some impressive results, which has pushed them in to European contention. That run of form culminated in the weekend victory against eighth placed Leicester, which put the Clarets nine points clear in the top seven with just five matches left to play. Can they extend that advantage with a victory over the Blues on Thursday night?

The hosts are middling in terms of home form, as they come into this clash with the ninth best home record in the division. They’ve won fewer than half of their home matches so far, claiming more points on the road than at home. The hosts have been successful on the road to the top sides, but they’ve not been able to translate that form into meetings with the big six at Turf Moor. While they’ve managed to win five on the bounce, most of those did come against out of form sides, which should serve to temper Sean Dyche’s optimism ahead of this clash.

Burnley v Chelsea Head to Head

Chelsea were upset in the last meeting between the two teams, but the Clarets have lost just one of four encounters. They’ll be confident going into the game, although the Blues have won two of their last three trips to Turf Moor in the Premier League. The Blues will be going all out to add to that good run this weekend, as they try to get some revenge for their opening day defeat at the Bridge.

• Chelsea 2-3 Burnley, Aug 2017
• Burnley 1-1 Chelsea, Feb 2017
• Chelsea 3-0 Burnley, Aug 2016
• Chelsea 1-1 Burnley, Feb 2015
• Burnley 1-3 Chelsea, Aug 2014

Betting Tips

• Both Teams to Score – Evens with Ladbrokes
• Chelsea and BTTS – 17/5 with Coral

Chelsea’s weekend victory sees them posted as the favourites in this one, as they’re priced up at evens with Betfred to win. The Clarets may be in fantastic form, but they sit out at 7/2 with BetVictor for the three points. Meanwhile, you can back the draw at 12/5 with Bet365, which could tempt many a punter. Will the Blues come out with a victory to take into their FA Cup semi this weekend, or will Burnley continue their push for European football?

Chelsea head here on the back of a 3-2 victory over the Saints, but if they’re to rotate anywhere ahead of the semi final it’s likely to be the defence. The issue for the visitors is that they’re now nine games without a clean sheet, conceding in their last seven trips across all competitions. Burnley are in great form, which has seen them pick up in front of goal. However, four of their last five matches have seen both teams score, and in the other West Ham wasted plenty of chances to draw a blank. As a result, we’re backing both teams to score at odds of evens with Ladbrokes.

On top of that, Burnley do have clear issues against top sides at home. They may have done well away to the top sides, but they’ve taken a single point in five home games with the top six. They’ve conceded in all of those games, while Man United, Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal have all won here. With that in mind, we think an away win and both teams to score is a good bet here, which is priced at 17/5 with Coral.

Chelsea took the disappointment of losing to Tottenham into last weekend’s top flight game, and they dropped another two points at home to West Ham. That demoralising result has only added to the sour mood around the camp, with Cesar Azplicueta all but labelling their Premier League campaign as a disaster. Having fallen from champions to mere Europa League hopefuls in the space of 12 months, the players just haven’t offered enough over the course of the last 32 games. With a 10 point gap between themselves and fourth place, will the Blues have any reason to up their game for this weekend’s trip to the South Coast?

Chelsea head to 18th placed Southampton at the weekend, their opponents in the FA Cup semi-final later this month. The champions are coming off a slip to another relegation threatened side. Having dropped five points to David Moyes’ West Ham, the Blues have failed to assert themselves against the worst sides in the league. Can they improve on that record when they visit Mark Hughes’ new side, or will the former Stamford Bridge hero get a boost after a tough start to his reign as Saints boss?

Team News: Is It Time for Conte to Rotate?

We suggested last week that the Chelsea side should incorporate younger players after the Champions League got away from them. However, Antonio Conte upped the age of the team last weekend as Gary Cahill returned for Andreas Christensen. That feels quite counterproductive, but there’s simply no case for making a Champions League push now, with the gap up to 10 points. These two sides meet again at Wembley a week on Sunday, so keeping a few players back might be worthwhile. The Blues are without Ross Barkley, David Luiz and Davide Zappacosta, but they still have plenty of room to rotate. However, Conte is likely to avoid rocking the boat in this trip, so don’t expect him to make any changes in this trip.

Steve Davis is the only real concern Southampton have right now, so they should name a strong side here. Hughes’ went with a 4-4-2 on his return to Premier League action, but that resulted in a loss at West Ham. They looked much better going forward at Arsenal, where they used a 3-4-3 set-up. The wing-backs and attackers flourished with that approach, while Pierre Emil Hojberg and ex-Chelsea man Oriol Romeu act as a shield in front of the three man back-line. That system has troubled the Blues this term, which isn’t a good omen for either of the upcoming clashes with Saints.

Southampton Form

Mark Hughes took charge of Southampton last month, and he managed to inspire a 2-0 win at Wigan in his first game in charge. Since then, the former Stoke boss has dragged his team in to the drop zone, following defeats to West Ham and Arsenal, conceding three goals in each.

There are plenty of concerns for the Saints this season, including the fact that they’ve won just three home matches all season. The highest placed team they’ve beaten so far is ninth placed Everton, having claimed three of their five league wins against bottom four opposition. That run has left Hughes and his team in trouble, and with no home win since November, the Saints are facing the prospect of playing Championship football next season.

Southampton v Chelsea Head to Head

Chelsea edged a win in a meeting with Mauricio Pellegrino’s Southampton earlier this season, when the pair met at Stamford Bridge. The Blues were brilliant in a 2-0 victory at this ground last season, which is one of three victories they’ve recorded at this ground in their last four trips. Can they match the highs of last season, or will this be another slip for Conte and his men?

• Chelsea 1-0 Southampton, Dec 2017
• Chelsea 4-2 Southampton, Apr 2017
• Southampton 0-2 Chelsea, Oct 2016
• Southampton 1-2 Chelsea, Feb 2016
• Chelsea 1-3 Southampton, Oct 2015

Betting Tips

• Both Teams to Score – 10/11 with Betfred
• Draw – 5/2 with Coral

Chelsea come into this game as favourites, but it’s rare that you’ll see the defending champions priced at 17/20 with Ladbrokes to win at a relegation threatened side. With almost 30 points between the sides, the Saints are priced up at 18/5 with BetVictor to record a much needed victory, while you can back the draw at 5/2 with Coral this weekend. Given recent form from both sides, it is hard to settle on a winner between the pair. Chelsea do seem like a decent price, but can they shake their recent problems and find something to fire them up for this clash?

The Blues have clear concerns at the back, and the three man defence hasn’t really been effective for over a year now. Problems emerged towards the end of the previous campaign, and now Conte seems lost for a way to combat that. The champions aren’t up against the highest scoring of opponents this weekend, but the Saints did just score twice at in-form Arsenal last weekend. The Blues have failed to keep a clean sheet in eight, while they’ve recorded one away clean sheet in the league in 2018. With that in mind, we’re backing both teams to score at 10/11 with Betfred.

Chelsea’s defensive woes are causing plenty of dropped points, with just two wins in nine away trips in the league. They’ve recorded 12 points from their last 11 matches, and that could offer the Saints a chance to get something out of this clash. Both Tottenham and Arsenal – the teams either side of Chelsea in the table – both drew 1-1 at this ground, with the Saints securing seven draws at home this term. They’ve picked up a point in 13 Premier League matches this season, so the draw seems worthwhile at 5/2 with Coral given how the visitors are playing right now.

Chelsea head into Sunday’s clash with West Ham in a real state of limbo. Quite where they go from this point is tough to figure out, as they sit eight points off the top four. They’re set for a season in the Europa League next time out, while they’re heading into the weekend expecting to lose their champions tag. It seems like Antonio Conte’s reign at the club is fizzling out, as failure to make the Champions League isn’t something which the Blues board are going to take lightly. So with seven games remaining, this season seems to lack a sense of direction for the hosts.

Last weekend’s defeat showed a clear issue with the current side, which is a lack of ideas when Plan A doesn’t go well. The switch to a 3-5-2 was problematic and quickly scrapped, while the Blues have transformed into a squad built to play three at the back in the last 18 months. Part of the run-in will have to involve finding a way forward for the club next season and beyond, even though Conte’s stay at the Bridge surely won’t last longer than nine games at the most.

Team News: Will Conte Bother Naming his Strongest 11?

Chelsea’s strength last season was a settled 11, one which barely changed across the title winning campaign. There have been considerably more changes this term, but there’s still little depth outside of the first team. Conte does have a favoured side, but is there any point sticking with them here? Tottenham’s fixture list basically guarantees they won’t let an eight point lead in fourth slip, while the Blues basically have to go all in for the FA Cup. Keeping their main men out of the firing line might be good, and it could shake up the team.

With Chelsea now looking towards next season, it might be worth going in different directions with selection here. Other systems, players and approaches should probably be tested out. While it’s hard to see Conte ditching the side he seems to always stick with, some rotation might just do the Blues some good in this clash.

West Ham head here with a number of injury worries to consider, as they’ve lost Manuel Lanzini, Pedro Obiang and Winston Reid. Unsurprisingly Andy Carroll is ruled out through injury, facing the side he was ludicrously linked with back in January. With as many as six players out, David Moyes is limited in what he can do in this trip.

West Ham Form

West Ham visit the Bridge on the back of a huge 3-0 win over Southampton, which sent them up to 14th place in the Premier League. The Hammers are edging towards safety, which doesn’t really seem like a huge achievement given the poor quality of some of the sides left in the division.

West Ham have managed to muster just two away wins to their name this term, and they’ve suffered a defeat in over half of their away matches. They’ve lost seven of 10 trips to teams above them so far, and we expect them to struggle once again in this visit.

Chelsea v West Ham Head to Head

Chelsea suffered a real low point in their last clash with West Ham, which saw them lose 1-0 at the Olympic Stadium back when David Moyes and his men were in real trouble. The Blues’ previous three meetings with West Ham have been played in East London, but Chelsea have won four of their last six at home to the Hammers, going unbeaten in that time. Surely with that record behind them they can get a result and put last weekend’s loss behind them?

• West Ham 1-0 Chelsea, Dec 2017
• West Ham 1-2 Chelsea, Mar 2017
• West Ham 2-1 Chelsea, Oct 2016
• Chelsea 2-1 West Ham, Aug 2016
• Chelsea 2-2 West Ham, Mar 2016

Betting Tips

• Alvaro Morata to score – 5/6 with Ladbrokes
• Both Teams to Score – 11/10 with Betfair

Chelsea may not have the greatest form behind them going into this clash, but they are still heavy favourites against the Hammers. The hosts have been backed in to 1/4 with Coral to get back to winning ways, which is something Conte’s side really need to do this weekend. You can back West Ham at 11/1 with BetVictor to take the points from this one, while the draw is 9/2 with Betfred. However, will the visitors be able to upset the odds and pull off a shock result in this clash?

The one bright spot for the Blues from the game against Tottenham was Alvaro Morata and his return to scoring form. The striker now has the most headed goals of any one in the Premier League this term, and the Chelsea man should take confidence from his strike against Spurs. That should earn him a start for this game, and luckily enough Morata is going up against the side who have conceded the most headed goals away from home in the top flight. While the ex-Real Madrid man has plenty of talents and can cause trouble in other ways, his aerial prowess should hurt the Hammers. We’re backing another goal for the Spanish forward, and he’s priced at 5/6 with Ladbrokes to score at any time.

Chelsea are in awful losing form, with five recent defeats in the league. Things are going downhill for the Blues, but they should still score against a poor Hammers defence. However, the visitors have been strong going forwards on the road, and they have found the net in their previous eight away matches. West Ham should hurt Chelsea at the back going off current form, yet you can back both teams to score in Sunday’s encounter at 11/10 with Betfair, which seems like great value as far as we are concerned.