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Chelsea return to domestic action on Sunday, as they follow up a midweek Europa League game for the first time in over five years. The Blues aren’t too enthused about their commitments in Europe’s second tier, with Eden Hazard staying behind for the trip to Greece. The Belgian links up with his teammates for the short trip to the London Stadium this week, but can the Blues claim all three points to maintain their stunning start?

Maurizio Sarri and his men are trying to maintain their perfect start to the season. Their 1-0 win at PAOK in the Europa League means it’s six wins from six for the Blues so far. They’ll be hoping to build on that ahead of a busy week, which brings two meetings with Liverpool. Before that, they need to pick up three points at a ground where Antonio Conte’s team lost last season. Will this clash bring an end to Sarri’s perfect start?

Team News: Sarri Hoping to Revert to First 11

The Blues didn’t rotate as wildly as they could have during the Europa League in midweek. They made a few changes, which included leaving out Eden Hazard. Despite the midweek win, it’s unlikely that the tweaks to the team will stick, and Sarri is hoping to turn to his first choice group once again. However, both Pedro and Mateo Kovacic face late fitness tests ahead of this one, and neither of the pair featured on Thursday night. Should they not play, Willian will keep his place up front, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be hopeful of a start in midfield.

The Hammers have a lengthy injury list, which includes Marko Arnautovic. The Austrian was a vital part of their win at Everton last weekend, scoring at Goodison Park. They remain burdened with a few more long-term absentees, as Winston Reid, Jack Wilshere, Manuel Lanzini and Andy Carroll are all ruled out for this clash. Manuel Pellegrini won’t want to make too many changes to a side which just turned a corner, and he doesn’t really have many options to change things up now anyway. They’re set to start this one with a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Arnautovic leading the line if he can return to fitness in time for this clash.

Wes Ham Form

The hosts are fresh from their first league win of the season, but they remain towards the bottom of the Premier League after some poor form. They lost their opening four matches of the season, which saw the likes of Wolves and Bournemouth claim three points at this ground. Are they going to be able to raise their game ahead of a clash with a London rival? Or can the Blues become the latest side to walk away from this ground with maximum points?

The hosts don’t exactly have a stellar record when it comes to facing the league’s top sides. The only top seven team they beat across last season was that home win over Chelsea. They lost at home to three of the top four last term, and their early season results hardly inspire confidence that the Hammers can take three points away from Sunday’s encounter.

West Ham v Chelsea Head to Head

The Blues didn’t have too much luck against the Hammers last season. They took just a point from their two league games, with old foe Chicharito scoring the equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. They’ve struggled in trips to West Ham in recent years, losing three of their last four. However, given the respective starts the pair have made this season the visitors will expect that run to come to an end.

• Chelsea 1-1 West Ham, April 2018
• West Ham 1-0 Chelsea, December 2017
• West Ham 1-2 Chelsea, March 2017
• West Ham 2-1 Chelsea, October 2016
• Chelsea 2-1 West Ham, August 2016

Betting Tips

• Both Teams to Score – 4/6 with bet365
• Eden Hazard to Score – 23/20 with BetVictor

Chelsea make this trip to West Ham as favourites, and they’re priced up at 4/7 with Coral. Betfair make the draw 7/2, while you can find West Ham at 9/2 with Ladbrokes. The hosts will be hoping to carry on their momentum from last week, and they’ll be delighted by the impact of Andriy Yarmolenko at Goodison. He scored twice for the Hammers, and they’ll have him in a prominent role ahead of this clash at the London Stadium. However, will that be enough to take them to all three points on Sunday? After all, the Blues have already come through some tricky encounters so far this season.

The visitors have been excellent going forward, but defensive concerns remain. They did well to hang on to a lead against PAOK in midweek, but the Blues have just one clean sheet in their last four Premier League matches. Sarri’s side have quickly got up to speed with the way he wants to play moving forward, but not defensively. The last four meetings between these two in this fixture have seen the Hammers score, and we’re backing them to score again on Sunday. Both teams to score is our tip given their form going forward, and BTTS can be backed at 4/6 with bet365 here.

The Blues are boosted in attack by the return of Hazard, who will benefit from a midweek break. The Belgian is the Premier League’s top scorer, and fresh from last weekend’s hat-trick he is in fine form. The forward is emerging as the league’s best player and looks almost unplayable. West Ham have looked vulnerable at the back so far, and their lack of a defensive midfielder is a glaring weakness. As a result, we’re backing the Belgian to score this weekend. You can find Hazard at 23/20 with BetVictor to score any time. Given his strong start to the season, that seems like generous value.

Can Chelsea end their struggles at St James’ Park to continue a perfect start to the new campaign? While Maurizio Sarri kicked off the season warning of a possible slow start, six points and six goals is hard to argue with. Last weekend’s 3-2 win over Arsenal wasn’t without problems, but it’s certainly an encouraging sign as the Blues look to adapt to their new boss. Will their strong start continue during this weekend’s visit to the North East?

The Blues meet former boss Rafa Benitez this weekend, a man who they unceremoniously disposed of after his interim spell at the Bridge. His current job has been a struggle, with the purse strings remaining tight at St James’ Park. Mike Ashley isn’t giving him much support, and the home faithful don’t have much to shout about after a slow start. Is this the perfect time for the Blues to visit, or are they being lined up as a big scalp for a home side in dire need of a win?

Team News: Kovacic Set for First Team Shot

Chelsea come in to this clash with little in terms of injury worries. Cesc Fabregas remains out for the Blues, but we struggle to see where he would fit in under Sarri. So far, the new boss has used Jorginho as a holding player, pushing N’Golo Kante into a box to box role. The third man in the three needs to offer energy and goals, which has seen Ross Barkley take up a starting role.

However, Matteo Kovacic has a chance to impress this weekend, following his cameo against Arsenal. The on-loan Croatian should be fit enough to make the starting 11. That’s a boost, given that his link up play with Jorginho and Eden Hazard was really promising last weekend. That’s something we’re hoping to see much more of.

Newcastle are missing Florian Lejeune in defence, while Isaac Hayden picked up a red card last weekend. The Magpies also have Kenedy ruled out, but that might be a blessing for them. The on loan Chelsea man had a horror show in their visit to Cardiff, failing to complete a pass before half time. He spurned chances, luckily dodged a red card and missed a penalty at the end of the game. Following that, he may not have even featured this weekend anyway.

Newcastle Form

The Magpies are chasing a first win of the season, after claiming just a point from their first two matches. Tottenham opened the season with a victory at St James’, but will the Blues continue that with a win here? The hosts aren’t looking all that impressive, and they certainly have issues to address after the weekend. A 0-0 draw at a poor Cardiff side was a bad result, especially after their late penalty miss. Benitez should have led his side to a victory in that visit, but they come into this weekend’s big game chasing a victory.

While a point from two games isn’t the worst start, it comes on the back of problems in the North East. Once again, Ashley is the target of Newcastle fans’ ire. The failure to adequately back Benitez in the transfer market has left them looking weak, but given their 10th place finish in the Premier League last season, they have little need to worry about a relegation battle. Their overall form should be a slight concern, with five defeats from seven matches ahead of this clash. Can they end that torrid run on Sunday?

Newcastle v Chelsea Head to Head

Chelsea may have won two of three meetings with the Magpies last season, but they were beaten in their previous visit here. The Blues lost 3-0 to Newcastle in May, a game they approached still in with a chance of making the Champions League. Following that defeat, the Blues come here looking for a first win at Newcastle since 2011, when Salomon Kalou and Daniel Sturridge were on the scoresheet in a rare victory at St James’ Park.

• Newcastle 3-0 Chelsea, May 2018
• Chelsea 3-0 Newcastle, Jan 2018
• Chelsea 3-1 Newcastle, Dec 2017
• Chelsea 5-1 Newcastle, Feb 2016
• Newcastle 2-2 Chelsea, Sep 2015

Betting Tips

• Over 2.5 Goals – 10/11 with BetVictor
• Pedro to score – 9/4 with bet365

Chelsea may have struggled in their recent trips to Newcastle, but they’ve been priced up as heavy favourites for this clash. The Blues are 4/6 with Ladbrokes, while the draw can be found at 14/5 with Coral. The hosts sit out at 22/5 with Coral, massive outsiders despite their great record in this fixture in recent years. Will Sarri succeed where his compatriot failed at the tail end of last season?

While we still aren’t sure what to expect from the Blues game by game, they’re certainly great to watch. They ran rings around Huddersfield, and with Hazard coming back into the side they’ve looked even better. The 3-2 win over Arsenal last weekend was a gripping advert for the Premier League, with the Blues showing a hollow defence behind their attacking glitz. Going forward the arrival and introduction of Kovacic is set to improve them even more, as is retaining Hazard. That means we’re at least expecting goals from the Blues.

Newcastle haven’t made major defensive additions, so that’s an area where they look vulnerable. However, they’ve now hit 12 goals in five home matches against Chelsea, so we can see the Magpies getting on the scoresheet at least once here. On top of that, the Blues have seen over 2.5 goals in eight of their last 10 trips in the Premier League, so we’re backing a high scoring game. Over 2.5 goals is our main tip at 10/11 with BetVictor, while we’re also backing a goal from Pedro, who is 9/4 with bet365 despite scoring in both games so far.

Chelsea face their first home clash of the new season on Saturday evening, as they prepare to host Arsenal. The Gunners are kicking off a new era this season, with Uani Emery taking over from Arsene Wenger. They started with a defeat at home to Manchester City last weekend, so this is a difficult beginning for the former PSG boss. Can he get one over new Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri, or will the Blues continue their impressive start under their new boss?

Their 3-0 victory at Huddersfield last weekend was a great way for Sarri to take to life in England. He had been warning that his style was going to be a tough change for the players to adapt to, but they looked effortless against the Terriers. We got to see a little more from N’Golo Kante going forward, as he has been freed up by the move to put Jorginho in the middle of the central midfield trio. After a poor title defence, there’s plenty to get excited about for Chelsea fans, and that excitement will grow with a result against Arsenal this weekend.

Team News: Sarri Set to Stick with Principals in Huge Derby

The Blues are hoping to welcome back Cesc Fabregas ahead of the meeting with his former club. That will give them a clean bill of health going into Sarri’s first home league game. The former Napoli boss will be looking to bring Eden Hazard into the starting 11, after the Belgian made a late cameo a week ago. The forward looked impressive in the early stages against Huddersfield, and Sarri’s system could really suit him. Kepa and Jorginho made their debut last week, and both will keep their place in this clash.

Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny won’t feature again in 2018, which is a blow for the Gunners. They’ve also lost Sead Kolasinac and Nacho Monreal, not ideal as Emery looks to fix their issues in defence. The new boss started with a 4-2-3-1 system in his first match since arriving in English football. They started just two of their summer signings, with highly rated Lucas Torreira missing out in the opener. After a poor performance by Petr Cech in goals there is every chance he may be dropped for this one.

Arsenal Form

The Gunners were full of hope ahead of the new campaign, thinking that things may finally change for them. A summer of signings and the addition of Emery as their new boss had raised expectations slightly. The build up to the new season was full of ex-pros telling us that players are going to try much harder under their new boss. However, that didn’t appear to be the case, as they were beaten 2-0 at home by champions City.

Their performance was incredibly Wenger-like during that defeat, showing that it’s not just a case of a new manager turning up. They have work to do in order to get this side up to scratch for a top four push, so the Blues might be doing well to get this game in early. They meet a side who won just four of 19 on the road last season, and the Blues are expected to add to Arsenal’s problems with a result at the Bridge on Saturday.

Chelsea v Arsenal Head to Head

Chelsea have seen their strong record against Arsenal evaporate over the last few years. They’ve failed to win in seven clashes with the Gunners, a run which started with the FA Cup final at the end of the 2016/17 season. Last term Antonio Conte met Arsene Wenger on several occasions, but the Italian simply couldn’t get the better of the Arsenal boss. It was a disappointing campaign all-round, but the results against Arsenal were one of the lowest moments. Sarri will be aiming to improve on that this weekend.

• Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea, Aug 2018
• Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea, Jan 2018
• Chelsea 0-0 Arsenal, Jan 2018
• Arsenal 2-2 Chelsea, Jan 2018
• Chelsea 0-0 Arsenal, Sept 2017

Betting Tips

• Both Teams to Score – 8/13 with Ladbrokes
• Eden Hazard to score – 13/8 with BetVictor

Chelsea come into this clash priced up as the clear favourites, probably due to Arsenal’s awful away form last season. You can back the Blues at 4/5 with Coral for this clash, with the Gunners sitting out at 3/1 with Bet365. The draw is priced at 29/10 with Betfair, so there’s little doubt about who the bookies are backing in this clash. After an impressive result in the opener, it’s hardly a surprise that the Blues are being backed for another win. However, can they shake their poor record against the top six? After stalling against their Champions League rivals last season, Sarri needs to get the most out of the hosts here.

The Pensioners won just twice at home to the top seven, and their recent struggles against the Gunners are a worry going into this game. While Sarri’s Chelsea looked strong going forward last weekend, you have to question their defence ahead of another meeting with a major rival. They’ve switched back to a back four, and that is going to take time to get used to. Arsenal’s forward line is bound to pick up, and we can see them finding an opening against a Chelsea side who are adapting to a new shape. That has us tipping both teams to score here at 8/13 with Ladbrokes.

Hazard’s display off the bench last weekend delighted fans, and he seems set to stay at the club. He’s looking focused, aiming to take his World Cup form back to the Premier League. The forward has caused problems for Arsenal for some time now, and we think he’ll do the same this weekend. He’s bound to play a bigger role in Saturday’s meeting, and we think that he is great value to score any time here at 13/8 with BetVictor.

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.

Chelsea return to Champions League action this week, and they are about to pay the price for their second place finish in the group. The Blues slumped to finish behind Roma in their pool, leaving them facing La Liga leaders Barcelona in the last 16.

Given how the Catalans are very much on the up domestically – despite the sale of Neymar – the Blues are the outsiders in this one. Can Antonio Conte inspire his side to a victory over another Spanish side, or will they drop out of Europe at the first knockout round as they did in the 2015/16 season?

The bookies clearly see a victory for Barcelona, not just overall but in this first leg. Losing the opening clash would be a huge setback for the Premier League champions, with a trip to the Nou Camp coming up in three weeks’ time. Chelsea crashed out to PSG in 2016 when they were last in the competition, during their last dismal season following a title win. While things haven’t been quite as tough this time around, crashing out of Europe at this stage would be a setback which Antonio Conte can’t really afford at this stage.

Team News: How Will Blues Deal With Catalans?

Conte made his customary changes in their FA Cup clash on Friday night, but don’t expect anyone to be held back for this clash. Marcos Alonso should be fit again to take up his place on the left side of defence, while Victor Moses will be on the opposite wing. Olivier Giroud is available for selection despite playing a role in Arsenal’s Europa League campaign, but he’s not likely to start ahead of Alvaro Morata. The Spaniard showed his worth in the trip to Atletico Madrid earlier this season, and there’s hope that he can provide a similar impact in this game.

Barcelona may be known for the 4-3-3 which Pep Guardiola utilised to take them to incredible levels, but things have been different this season. The loss of Neymar, and the injury to his replacement – Ousmane Dembele – means Barca are no longer using their front three. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are their double act up front, with a four man midfield behind them. While a 4-4-2 isn’t what you’d usually expect from Barca, but the approach does seem to be working for them. Having moved seven points clear at the top of the table in Spain, it’s clearly an effective approach.

Barcelona Form

It’s hard to match Barca’s form this season, given that they’ve won 18 of their 23 league games, drawing the rest. It’s been too much for European champions Real Madrid to handle, who are 17 points behind the Catalans in the table. They’ve won 75% of their away trips this season, so can they take that form into this clash with the Premier League side?

The visitors have built their brilliant form on a strong defensive record, as they’ve conceded just 0.48 goals per game in the league this term. They’ve managed to keep a clean sheet in 61% of their outings in La Liga, which should worry a Chelsea side who have been hit and miss up front this season. However, the Catalans have drawn both trips to sides in the top three in Spain, so there’s a chance that they’ll struggle in another big game this week.

Chelsea v Barcelona Head to Head

The Blues have a fantastic record against Barcelona of late, having gone seven games unbeaten against the Catalans. That includes the last two meetings – the incredible double header in the 2012 semi-finals of this competition, including an incredible strike from Ramires and the late Fernando Torres strike. Can the Premier League side continue that run this week?

• Barcelona 2-2 Chelsea, Apr 2012
• Chelsea 1-0 Barcelona, Apr 2012
• Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona, May 2009
• Barcelona 0-0 Chelsea, Apr 2009
• Barcelona 2-2 Chelsea, Oct 2006

Betting Tips

• Under 2.5 Goals – 19/20 with Betfair
• 0-0 Draw – 10/1 with Coral

Chelsea are 3/1 outsiders with Betfred heading into this game, despite their impressive record against the Catalans of late. Meanwhile, the visitors have been made favourites at evens with Ladbrokes, while you can back the draw at 13/5 with BetVictor here. It does seem like the recent record between the two sides is being largely ignored, and there’s also a case to say that Barca’s results in this competition are being ignored too. They’ve not been a side who have won at a canter in their recent away trips in Europe, so could they struggle at Stamford Bridge?

Barca have slipped up at top sides in Spain, and they come into this game with a mixed record in Europe on the road. The last few seasons have seen them toil in trips to all kinds of sides. They’ve managed just three wins in their last nine away in this competition, including just one victory in five. They lost to nil away to PSG and Juventus last season, before seeing a single goal scored across the last three European ties. An own goal gave them a 1-0 win at Sporting, while they drew 0-0 at Olympiakos and Juventus in the group. That doesn’t bode well for this clash.

With Chelsea having a mixed record going forward this term, we can’t see this being a high scoring game. We’re backing under 2.5 goals in this clash, which looks like good value at 19/20 with Betfair. Given how the Blues are unbeaten of late against the Catalans, having drawn most of those clashes we expect this one to finish up level too. While the draw seems like good value in this clash, we’re backing a goalless draw in this one, despite many predicting goals. A 0-0 draw is well priced at 10/1 with Coral.

Chelsea are back in FA Cup action on Friday night, as Championship side Hull City head to Stamford Bridge. The Premier League champions are obviously heavy favourites to progress, given that they’re meeting a struggling second tier outfit in this clash.

While there have been problems surrounding the Blues in recent weeks, it’s hard to see a situation whereby they end up exiting the cup this weekend. After all, they should have far too much for the Tigers, even taking in heavy rotation into account. With the hosts aiming to go one better than last year in this competition, the stage does seem set for them to book a place in the quarter-finals.

Hull are hoping to lift the gloom after a tough 18 months by going on a cup run. The Tigers were finalists in this competition back in 2014, but can they go that far again? Having slumped in the Championship and after drawing the Premier League champions, you would imagine that the Tigers are cursing their luck. Having seen Chelsea just beat West Brom 3-0, you have to wonder how they’ll get on when they meet a poor side from the Championship this weekend.

Team News: Changes Likely Ahead of Catalan Visit

Antonio Conte doesn’t have a lengthy injury list this weekend, with Marcos Alonso and Ross Barkley both doubts. The Italian could have easily started without the pair anyway. With Barcelona heading for the Bridge in midweek, we expect that Conte will be looking to make changes for this clash. He’s likely to rest most of the back five, while Thibaut Courtois will sit out. Danny Drinkwater could make a start in midfield, while Willian and Pedro are the frontrunners to start behind Olivier Giroud this weekend, as Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata are held back for the clash with the Catalans.

Sadly, Hull man Ryan Mason retired in the lead-up to this game. It’s over a year ago that he fractured his skull at the Bridge in an aerial battle with Gary Cahill, and medical advice has told him not to return to the game. On top of that, the visitors have some selection issues to concern themselves with, as they have three Chelsea loanees. Ola Aina, Fikayo Tomori and Michael Hector are all unavailable for this game, so they all sit out. Without forward Abel Hernandez, the Tigers are significantly weakened going into this clash.

Hull Form

The Tigers have only just dropped down to the second tier, but they are battling against relegation to League One. They’ve found themselves in the relegation mix in recent months, having climbed out with a 2-0 win last weekend. They’ve won just six games in the Championship this term, suffering 14 defeats in 31 matches. Having scored less than a goal per game on the road in the league this term, which doesn’t bode well for a clash with Premier League opposition.

Hull have been particularly poor on the road this season, having lost nine of their 16 away trips. The Tigers have managed just two away wins in the Championship, and the highest placed team they’ve beaten on the road is 17th placed Nottingham Forest. In 12 meetings with the top nine sides, they’ve won none, losing nine. While victories against Blackburn Rovers and Nottingham Forest have taken them in to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup, the Tigers are likely to struggle when they meet the Premier League champions.

Chelsea v Hull Head to Head

Chelsea come into this clash having won their last six clashes with Hull. They won to nil home and away to the Tigers last term, as the two sides went in very different directions. The first victory last term – a 2-0 win at Hull – was the first time Conte started out with a back three as Chelsea boss. That win was a shaky one, but it kicked off the winning run which fired the Blues towards last season’s Premier League title.

• Chelsea 2-0 Hull, Jan 2017
• Hull 0-2 Chelsea, Oct 2016
• Hull 2-3 Chelsea, Mar 2015
• Chelsea 2-0 Hull, Dec 2014
• Hull 0-2 Chelsea, Jan 2014

Betting Tips

• Chelsea half-time/full-time – 3/4 with Ladbrokes
• Chelsea to win 2-0 – 5/1 with BetVictor

The Blues are priced at 1/5 with Betfred to win this game, while they’re 1/14 with Betfair to qualify for the quarter-finals. The draw can be backed at 6/1 with Betfair in this game, while you can back Hull at 16/1 with Coral. The Premier League side are clear favourites for this clash, but can they live up to that favourites tag? We’ve had a look around at the betting on this one, as we look to find a couple of alternative picks with some better value.

While the Blues are likely to make changes, they’re set to include some big money signings in the mix. The likes of Willian, Pedro and Giroud should all make enough of an impact to leave key names out, as Conte looks to balance his side’s chances across multiple competitions. Of course, the Tigers are more significantly weakened than Chelsea – even with rotation taken into account. We struggle to see how the Championship side get anything out of this game given the gulf in class between them.

We’re backing Chelsea to take control of this tie early on, as we’re tipping them to be ahead at the end of each half. They seem like great value at 3/4 with Ladbrokes on the half-time/full-time market, which is our first tip. We’re also backing a comfortable 2-0 win for the Blues, given their excellent winning run against the Tigers. They won both meetings last season 2-0, while the last three encounters at Stamford Bridge have seen the Blues win 2-0, so we’re backing a repeat at 5/1 with BetVictor.

Chelsea face a huge test of their top four credentials when they travel to Arsenal on Wednesday night. The Blues take on the Gunners in a big clash in the race for the Champions League, with the champions aiming to push for a top two finish this term, with the title already a highly unrealistic target given Man City’s dominance. However, Chelsea could still be sucked into a fight for fourth given how many top sides are playing well and in contention for the top four.

There’s going to be huge pressure on matches like this from now until the end of the campaign. However, that’s going to be cranked up by the number of meetings these two are set to have. They were regular opponents in 2017, and now they start 2018 with three encounters in January. Let’s just hope they don’t end up paired together in the FA Cup Fourth Round. The Gunners haven’t always been the easiest opponents for Antonio Conte since he took over, this trip should remind the Italian of Chelsea’s big turning point on their way to the title last term.

Team News: Conte Likely to Stick With Packed Midfield

While this is the ground where Antonio Conte first switched Chelsea to the 3-4-3 system which won the title, they aren’t expected to use that formation here. They’re likely to stick with a 3-5-2 system that the Italian has gone to in big games of late. He’s switched to that set up in recent matches to fit three central midfielders into the side. Given how Arsenal pack the midfield and look to pass it around, that could be a crucial factor for the champions. They’re expected to have most of the squad available for this trip, although David Luiz will probably sit out once again.

The Gunners have lost Olivier Giroud, which is a big blow as he’s a great option from the bench. Santi Cazorla remains a long term absentee for Arsenal, while Aaron Ramsey could also sit out of this big game. The hosts have also drifted towards a 4-2-3-1 system in recent weeks, having started the year with a 3-4-3 set-up after Chelsea blazed a trail with it. The switch back seems to be working quite well for the Blues, and they’re likely to go with a back four, as that’s what they started with at home to Liverpool in their last big game.

Arsenal Form

Arsenal are have a solid season so far, but they’ve not definitively shown that they’re capable of returning to the Champions League through the top four this term. They’ve possibly got a better chance of pushing for the Europa League as Manchester United did, with the Gunners struggling for consistency in the top flight.

Their main issues are on the road, having won just three of their away trips this season. That isn’t good enough for a side who want to make the top four, but that form won’t have much of a bearing on this clash. The Gunners are much better at home, having won eight and drawn one of their 10 matches here, but the manner of their loss to Man United has to raise questions.

Arsenal v Chelsea Head to Head

These two sides are probably sick of each other at this point, before they play three times in the next month. They are fresh from four competitive clashes in 2017, plus a summer friendly meeting which the Blues won 3-0. The pair drew 1-1 at Wembley in the Community Shield this term and they had a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge, which their frequent meetings could be partly responsible for.

Having clashed so often, it could just be that these two have little new to pull out of the hat to edge a game this big. Of course, the two league meetings were decisive last term, with Arsenal’s 3-0 win at home becoming the springboard for the Blues’ title success. Their turnaround was clear in their 3-1 win in the return fixture.

• Chelsea 0-0 Arsenal, Sep 2017
• Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea, Aug 2017
• Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea, May 2017
• Chelsea 3-1 Chelsea, Feb 2017
• Arsenal 3-0 Chelsea, Sep 2016

Betting Tips

• Under 2.5 Goals – 13/10 with Betfair
• 1-1 Draw – 13/2 with Betfred

The bookmakers are struggling to pick a favourite between these two, with Arsenal slightly ahead at 29/20 with BetVictor. Chelsea can be backed at 7/4 with Coral, while the draw here is at 5/2 with Ladbrokes. This is clearly going to be a close affair, but just how will this one play out? It’s hard to see Chelsea getting involved in the kind of end to end affair that the Gunners have enjoyed of late. Will they end up opening up here, or will this clash be more like their meeting at Stamford Bridge earlier this season?

With six goals across their last five in the league, the Blues aren’t exactly clinical at the moment. They’ve seemingly slowed down going forward, and that form could be a worrying sign if it lasts much longer. One big factor is the importance of Eden Hazard. Half of those six came in a win at Huddersfield, the only match in which he was allowed to play well. Elsewhere teams have been marking the Belgian out of the game for the most part, and as a result we’re backing under 2.5 goals here based on the job Arsenal did in their trip to the Bridge this term.

Given the number of meetings between them, and the back to back draws in their meetings this season, we can see this one finishing level. The Gunners should be a little more conservative in this match than they were against Liverpool, so we’re expecting a close run game. While the draw is well priced at 5/2 with Ladbrokes, we’re going for a 1-1 correct score here at 13/2 with Betfred.

Chelsea are back in action on Saturday, with a busy few days ahead. This clash comes just before a midweek trip to Arsenal, and then their FA Cup Third Round tie the following weekend. That wraps up a busy Christmas schedule, one which could make or break their season. Antonio Conte will want his side strengthening their place inside the top three, while they’ll have an eye on second with United faltering. While Man City are set to run away with the title, the Blues could force their way into second place in their title defence.

This season is playing out very differently for the Blues this time around, as they were the runaway leaders at Christmas last year. However, Conte’s side are now competing across multiple fronts, while at this stage last season they only had the league and FA Cup to focus on. With four competitions to compete in, squad rotation is going to be a big part of the next couple of months, so we should see a changed Chelsea side heading out at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Team News: Conte Expected to Rotate to Cope with Christmas Congestion

The Blues come in to this one on the back of a solid victory over Brighton, which saw a number of changes. They’ve handled their squad well across the Christmas schedule so far, and we expect that to be the case when Stoke roll in to town this weekend. Gary Cahill got a break last time out, and we expect him to return to the side for this one. The 3-5-2 formation used against Brighton should remain, with Danny Drinkwater likely to feature in a three-man midfield. The key for Conte will be keeping things fresh, especially with a big test to come at the Emirates during the week.

On-loan Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma is a big miss for the Potters, his presence in their defence is a pretty big one, as most Blues’ fans will know. He’s among the defensive absentees for the Potters, with Erik Pieters a doubt, and Bruno Martins Indi is another who is likely to sit out here. Up against Chelsea that could be crucial, with the Blues possessing some impressive attacking talents. A defensive reshuffle is likely to be on the cards for Mark Hughes, which isn’t ideal as they try to stave off the threat of relegation.

Stoke Form

Stoke are having far from a vintage year, and they’ve spent most of the campaign worrying about relegation. The Potters were rumoured to be considering Hughes’ position not too long ago, with a 2-1 win over West Brom seemingly keeping him in place over Christmas. The club still aren’t out of danger, and they remain one of the worst organised sides in the top flight.

Stoke have had particular problems on the road this season, claiming just a single victory on their travels. They’ve lost 60% of their away trips this term, averaging just 0.6 points per game on the road. That’s got to be a concern ahead of this game away to Chelsea, a side who have one of the strongest home records in the top flight.

Chelsea v Stoke Head to Head

Chelsea are in a good run of form against Stoke, as they won home and away against the Potters last season. They followed that up by pulling off one of their most impressive results this season against Hughes and his team, winning 4-0 at the bet365 Stadium back in September this season. While that sparked the possibility of a title charge, the Blues simply haven’t hit those heights regularly. Will they be able to return to that impressive form with a win here?

• Stoke 0-4 Chelsea, Sept 2017
• Stoke 1-2 Chelsea, Mar 2017
• Chelsea 4-2 Stoke, Dec 2016
• Chelsea 1-1 Stoke, Mar 2016
• Stoke 1-0 Chelsea, Nov 2015

Betting Tips

• Chelsea to win to nil – 4/5 with BetVictor
• Chelsea -3 handicap – 4/1 with Betfair

The Blues come in to this game as heavy favourites to claim all three points against the Potters. Following their comprehensive victory in the last meeting, the champions have been priced at just 1/6 with Coral for the victory, while the visitors have drifted out to 20/1 with Ladbrokes. You can back the draw at 6/1 with Betfred in this game, but little about the form of these two suggests that this game will be anything but a straightforward victory for the home side. With Alvaro Morata backed in to 7/12 with Coral to score in the 90 minutes, it’s fair to expect a few goals in this one too.

Stoke head to a Chelsea side who are in solid form at home, having won 70% of their home matches this term. They’ve won their last six here in the league, while four of their last five victories at the Bridge in the Premier League have come to nil. Stoke don’t exactly have a lot of attacking talent going forward, and the Blues have already kept a clean sheet in the away meeting this term. We expect this to be a comfortable victory for the champions, and we think a win to nil is worth backing in this one, and it is priced at 4/5 with BetVictor.

The Blues recorded a thumping win over Stoke earlier this term, and that’s nothing new for the Potters. Not only did they ship four goals in their trip here last season, but they’ve already suffered heavy losses against some of the league’s top teams. The Potters were hit for seven in their game at the Etihad against leaders City, while they lost 5-1 against Tottenham at Wembley recently. With that in mind, we think the Blues’ attack could click against this weakened Stoke defence, one which has lost by four goals on three occasions already this term. We’re backing the Blues with a -3 handicap here at a huge 4/1 with Betfair.

On Saturday Conte takes his Blues’ side back to the ground where they won the Premier League title just six months ago. Plenty has changed for the Blues since that dramatic victory at the Hawthorns, which wrapped up a fantastic debut season in English football for the Italian manager. Things aren’t going quite as well this time around, as they trail leaders Manchester City, with United and Tottenham between them and top spot. Retaining the title is going to be a tall order for the Blues, and it’ll be even more difficult if they can’t at least repeat their 1-0 victory here in May.

The international break came at the worst time for Chelsea, as there’s been a two week break between their win over United and this clash with West Brom. That result was a huge boost for Conte and his side, before they all departed with their national sides. Can they pick up where they left off when they travel to the Hawthorns on Saturday? The champions need to build on that last victory, especially with the race for the Champions League spots heating up.

Team News: Can Luiz Make a Return?

Antonio Conte’s biggest move last time out was to drop David Luiz from the side, claiming after that he’d finally picked his first choice trio in central defence. He claimed it was a tactical move, but reports of a clash between the manager and the Brazilian defender suggests he’s likely to miss out here. The Blues boss did welcome back N’Golo Kante for the United game, which saw him switch to a 3-5-2 formation. He’s likely to return to the 3-4-3 set-up for this weekend’s match, which should see Pedro step back into the team. Danny Drinkwater – who turned down an England call up due to fitness concerns – isn’t likely to make the starting line-up here.

James Morrison and Craig Dawson are both missing out for the Baggies ahead of this clash. Tony Pulis may make big changes as he desperately tries to end their awful slump in form, which makes it hard to call his starting line-up this weekend. However, he has been utilising a three-man defence of late, and we expect the Welshman to stick with that approach in order to match up with Conte’s tactics. They have named Jay Rodriguez and Salomon Rondon up front in recent weeks, and they should lead the way in a 3-5-2 formation.

West Brom Form

The Baggies are going through a real rough patch ahead of the visit of the champions. They’ve hit nine matches without a win, after taking six points from their opening two Premier League matches of the season. That’s a pretty big tail off, and it’s left many fans calling for Pulis to get the sack. When you play results football and fail to get results, you can’t really expect much else.

A 1-0 loss to Huddersfield last time out has left them a point above the drop zone, leaving West Brom in trouble. The Baggies have to be concerned by their recent form, especially losing out to newly promoted sides. Having managed to win one and lose 13 of their last 16 meetings with the top seven, it’s difficult to hold out much hope for the hosts ahead of this clash.

West Brom v Chelsea Head to Head

It’s hard to not think about Chelsea’s latest title triumph when you consider their recent encounters with the Baggies. The Blues picked up two 1-0 wins over West Brom last term, both vital in their push for the trophy. The first came via a late Diego Costa winner, and the second was an even more dramatic victory via Michy Batshuayi’s title winning goal.

• West Brom 0-1 Chelsea, May 2017
• Chelsea 1-0 West Brom, Dec 2016
• Chelsea 2-2 West Brom, Jan 2016
• West Brom 2-3 Chelsea, Aug 2015
• West Brom 3-0 Chelsea, May 2015

Betting Tips

• Morata to score any time – evens with BetVictor
• Chelsea to win 1-0 – 13/2 with Bet365

Chelsea come into this clash as 4/7 favourites with Coral to claim the three points. The Baggies may have failed to win any of their last nine league outings, but they can be backed at 5/1 with Betfred to win on Saturday. Meanwhile, the draw is priced up at 27/10 with Ladbrokes, which might tempt some.

The champions aren’t bad value considering the form of these two going in, but we believe you can find some better value on this game. The champions are worth backing for the points, but having looked at the stats and the form of each we believe we have some better options when it comes to pro-Chelsea bets on Saturday.

One thing that has to worry Tony Pulis is that his side just aren’t doing the things they tend to specialise in. The Baggies are a side who keep clean sheets, are hard to beat and tend to dominate in the air. Usually that wouldn’t be a good match for Blues’ forward Alvaro Morata, but this season is a different story.

This season West Brom have been poor at the back, conceding their fair share of headers. That’s not a huge surprise, given that no team has won fewer aerial duels than the Baggies this term. Morata has scored the majority of his goals in the air, so we’re backing him to score any time against West Brom. He’s priced at evens with BetVictor to score any time on Saturday.

West Brom come into this game having lost their last three games by a single goal. Having gone down 1-0 home and away to Chelsea last season, we can see the Baggies making things difficult for the Blues here. We’re backing another 1-0 win for the champions at the Hawthorns, which is great value at 13/2 with Bet365.

Chelsea started their season with an awful home defeat to Burnley, leaving the champions in trouble ahead of their clash with Tottenham. The Blues were the first defending champion in the Premier League to concede three on the opening day, a worrying snapshot of their awful defending. The last thing they need after losing to one of the relegation favourites is a clash against last season’s runners-up. With the game taking place at Wembley, will that be the saving grace for Antonio Conte and his threadbare squad?

This could well be a third loss at Wembley across the Blues’ last four competitive games in all competitions. Having lost twice to one London rival, Arsenal, going down to Tottenham too is unthinkable for most fans. However, Mauricio Pochettino’s men started the season with a solid win at Newcastle, which suggests they’re ready for the new campaign despite their lack of additions to their squad. If only Chelsea could say the same, having been left short by the selling policy of the Stamford Bridge hierarchy this summer.

Team News: Suspensions leave Conte short with his selection

Chelsea come into this game with just one of their three scorers from their mast meeting with Spurs. While Willian is likely to make an appearance, Eden Hazard is injured and Nemanja Matic is now at Manchester United. The Blues are without the suspended Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas, meaning Cesar Azpilicueta is set to take the armband. After barely managing to field a team on Saturday, those two absences leave Antonio Conte with a tough task preparing a side to face Spurs. A formation change has been mooted, simply because they lack numbers to fill the regular 3-4-3.

Tottenham are set to miss Danny Rose once again, with the full-back still out injured. Given his comments to the press, he’d probably be fighting for a starting place even if he was fit. Aside from that Spurs should be at full strength, with Harry Kane starting up front. However, the forward is still searching for his first career goal in August, can he find that on Sunday?

Tottenham Form

Tottenham were able to make a comfortable start to the new season, winning 2-0 at newly promoted Newcastle. Spurs weren’t completely convincing until Jonjo Shevley received a red card, which changed the game and allowed them to take control. However, that win has likely built up confidence in the Tottenham squad going in to this game, which would have been needed after the summer they have had. While the part line has been to boast about the strength of the team, cracks have begun to appear.

Danny Rose’s decision to come out and blast the club’s transfer policy and wage limit means things weren’t rosy at the club last week. Pochettino even said that his side have fallen behind the rest of the top six after failing to sign anyone. While the Blues are having problems with regards to transfers, this is the same side which lost to Chelsea twice last season. Can they turn that around at Wembley, or will their awful run of form at this ground hurt Spurs?

Tottenham vs Chelsea Head to Head

The last clash between these two sides came at Wembley, as the Blues came from behind to win 4-2 in an FA Cup semi-final. That has set the scene for this game, with Spurs set to kick off their Premier League campaign in their temporary home. That makes this another landmark meeting between these two rivals, after a strong of high profile games. Before that cup semi-final Spurs ended Chelsea’s 13 game winning run, a streak which contained a 2-1 win over Spurs in November. The Blues stopped Spurs from winning the title in May last year, so these clashes have been quite high profile of late.

• Chelsea 4-2 Tottenham, Apr 2017
• Tottenham 2-0 Chelsea, Jan 2017
• Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham, Nov 2016
• Chelsea 2-2 Tottenham, May 2016
• Tottenham 0-0 Chelsea, Nov 2015

Betting Tips

• Both Teams to Score – 8/11 with Betfred
• Tottenham to win – 21/20 with Sky Bet

Coming into this game, Tottenham have been priced up as 21/20 favourites with Sky Bet, with clear distance between them and the Blues. The champions can be backed at 5/2 with BetVictor, while the draw is available at 12/5 with Bet365. Unfortunately we have to side with Spurs on this one, because they seem to represent value in this match. However, we should get a pretty entertaining game when these two meet.

With Chelsea’s issues at the back, we think a Spurs goal is pretty much nailed on. They’re facing a makeshift back line which is weaker than the one which conceded three at home to Burnley. However, the Blues fought back in that game and got on the scoresheet, with Alvaro Morata looking sharp. There’s a chance that Conte pairs him with Michy Batshuayi in the absence of Eden Hazard and Pedro, so we expect the champions to score here. Spurs won’t have enough to cover all the space behind their defence at Wembley, and Morata proved that he can run in behind and exploit that with his weekend display. We’re backing both teams to score in this clash at 8/11 with Betfred.

However, the Blues have too many problems with their selection to get a result here. There are too many similarities to 2015 for us here, in which Chelsea defended their title, lost to Arsenal in the Community Shield and then slipped up at home to Swansea in their opener. They followed that up by heading to the previous runners-up, Man City, in which they were heavily beaten. We think that history will repeat itself once again, and Spurs will win this clash. Given their price of 21/20 with Sky Bet, it’s hard to say they aren’t well priced with everything going on right now.