Month: February 2017

Can Chelsea continue their push for the title against a former coach? Their meeting with Swansea sees a return to Stamford Bridge for Paul Clement, who took over at the Liberty Stadium last month. The former Blues assistant left a role at Bayern Munich to take over in Wales, and he’s overseen a revival in the Swans’ fortunes. They’re now out of the relegation zone, having performed well in big away games in the league. Their impressive recent performances should see them make this trip high on confidence. Can they continue their solid form away to the Premier league leaders on Saturday?

The Blues saw their lead at the top cut down to eight points in the last league weekend. Their draw at Burnley allowed Manchester City to move eight points off the top, so Chelsea can’t afford another slip. Recent weeks have seen a rotating roster of title challengers, which has worked in the leaders’ favour. Allowing any team to get too close is dangerous. Can they return to winning ways when they host the Swans? After 11 straight home victories, you’d expect that Antonio Conte’s men will take all three points.

Team News: Conte to return to full strength side

Chelsea continue to have no injury worries, which gives them a fully fit squad ahead of this home game. Last weekend saw several changes for the FA Cup tie with Wolves, with quite a few big names rested. Conte is likely to revert to his strongest side ahead of their return to league action. Nathaniel Chalobah had the unenviable task of standing in for N’Golo Kante. Expect the former Leicester man to return here, alongside the first choice back three. While they’re up against a team who are stuck towards the bottom of the Premier League, they can’t afford to rotate this weekend.

Swansea are missing long term absentee Jefferson Montero, the winger hasn’t featured since August. They’re also missing midfielders Ki Sung-yueng and Leon Britton. Paul Clement has set his team up in a 4-3-3 formation since taking over, that set up has helped them to climb the Premier League table. Will their new approach help them to cause problems at Stamford Bridge?

Swansea Form

Swansea were propping up the Premier League table back in January, which was when Clement took charge. While he suffered an early elimination in the FA Cup, their league form has been impressive. They’ve won four of six matches since Clement took over, which has seen them jump up to 15th place in the table. They now have a four point cushion on the bottom three, which represents a huge turnaround. They’ll be hoping to widen that gap this weekend. Survival looked very unlikely under Bob Bradley, so the former Chelsea assistant deserves a lot of praise for his work so far.

The Swans have made a couple of tough trips since Clement took charge too. Not only did they beat the champions Leicester at home, but they claimed three points at Anfield last month. Their 3-2 win over Liverpool was impressive, especially given the nature of their performance. The Welsh side looked assured in possession, and they controlled the tempo of the game. They came close to taking a point at Man City, as a last minute goal saw them suffer a 2-1 defeat. Clearly they won’t be overwhelmed by their trip to Stamford Bridge this weekend.

Chelsea v Swansea Head to Head

Recent meetings haven’t been kind to the Blues, they’ve won just two of their last five encounters with the Welsh side. Their 2-2 draw with the Swans here last season was the beginning of a season of turmoil. That was followed by a 1-0 defeat at the Liberty later on in the campaign. Their draw at Swansea this season was the first time the team dropped points under Conte. Can they claim revenge for that in the reverse fixture this weekend?

• Swansea 2-2 Chelsea, Sept 2016
• Swansea 1-0 Chelsea, Apr 2016
• Chelsea 2-2 Swansea, Aug 2015
• Swansea 0-5 Chelsea, Jan 2015
• Chelsea 4-2 Swansea, Sept 2014

Betting Tips

• Over 2.5 Chelsea goals – 23/20 at BetVictor
• Chelsea to win and both teams to score – 2/1 at Betfred

Chelsea come into this game as heavy favourites to take the points. They are priced at 2/9 with Bet365 to take the victory, while the visitors are outsiders. The Swans are priced at 10/1 with Sky Bet, while Coral make the draw 9/2. It’s hard to see anything but a home win, given their excellent record at Stamford Bridge. While the Swans have claimed a win at Anfield, that was against an out of form Liverpool side. This will be a much tougher test despite their impressive recent record against the Pensioners.

While Clement has led to some improved results, he hasn’t done much to end the Swans’ problems at the back. They’re still the worst defence in the Premier League, having conceded eight times in their last five, despite their move up the table. The Blues have an excellent attacking record this season, and they’ll be expecting to add to that this weekend. They’ve scored three or more goals in five of their last six outings. We’re backing over 2.5 goals for the hosts, especially with Diego Costa and Eden Hazard in excellent form. That’s priced at 23/20 with BetVictor, and it seems much better than backing them on the match result market.

We’re also going with a goal from the visitors, based on their recent away trips. They’ve scored at Anfield and the Etihad in recent weeks under Clement. Swansea have scored twice in their last two visits to Stamford Bridge, so they should be confident of getting a goal here. We’re backing a home win and both teams to score, which is priced at 2/1 with Betfred. They’ve scored in seven of their last nine away, so we expect them to get a goal away to the leaders.

Can Chelsea continue to compete on two fronts when they travel to Wolves this weekend? The Blues are facing a team who have already claimed two Premier League scalps this season, which puts them in a tough position. While the visitors are the big favourites and they are expected to win with a rotated squad, they’re facing a team who have belief against top flight opposition, at a ground which will be packed full of fans hoping for a cup shock. Can Antonio Conte break hearts at Molineux on Saturday evening? A win here would be a major step towards a potential league and cup double.

This is the toughest test the Blues have faced in the FA Cup this year, after home ties against Peterborough and Brentford. However, they’ll be happy to face off against Championship opposition again, as long as they can record a similar result. We know not to expect the strongest 11 on the field here, but that can be said of both sides. Is this the end of Wolves’ fantastic FA Cup run, or are they going to claim a win over the Premier League leaders and book a place in the quarter finals?

Team News: Conte likely to ring changes ahead of this trip

Conte has made consistent changes in the FA Cup so far, despite not having to juggle European games alongside their push for the title. The lack of Champions League or Europa League duties mean that the fringe players need game time, as evidenced by Kurt Zouma’s recent comments about possibly leaving the club. The defender basically revealed that he has been promised minutes in the cup by the manager, so expect to see the big defender slot into central defence for this trip, possibly in place of David Luiz or Gary Cahill.

Given how Conte has rotated, we expect to see John Terry back, along with Nathan Ake. Hopefully Ruben Loftus-Cheek will get a little more time on the pitch, while Cesc Fabregas and Willian have both done enough for inclusion. At a certain point, the manager is likely to start fielding some first team stars in the cup, but that’s not likely to start until the quarter finals, should the Blues progress this weekend. Until then, expect the top names to be given a break ahead of their next Premier League outing.

Wolves come here without defender Mike Williamson, plus Michal Zyro and Jordan Graham are both ruled out. Despite being 18th in the Championship table, Paul Lambert is likely to make changes of his own for this clash. Even in their previous victories over Premier League outfits Stoke and Liverpool, Wolves named a rotated side from the start. That shows where their priorities are, while it also sends out a worrying message about the importance of the FA Cup. Their cup heroes so far, Andi Weimann and Helder Costa, should both feature in this clash.

Wolves Form

Wolves head into this game struggling in the Championship, despite their big money takeover last summer. They’ve spent quite a bit in the second tier, and tried to pull off some big moves, but former Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert was brought in to stabilise the club. Back to back defeats have left them in trouble, as they’re just six points above the drop zone. They could be set for a dreaded relegation into the third tier, not long after stating their aim to make the top flight.

Part of Wolves’ troubles this season has been their home form. They head into this cup tie having pulled off both their shocks away from home, which explains how they were able to beat top flight opposition. They’ve lost half of their Championship games at Molineux this season, conceding 1.64 goals per game and picking up just 1.07 points per match. That’s not good enough to trouble Chelsea, they’ll have to up their game in order to cause another shock on Saturday.

Wolves v Chelsea Head to Head

These sides haven’t met since 2012, the last encounter being a painful one for the side from the West Midlands. As one would expect, Chelsea have had the better of the most recent meetings between the pair.

• Chelsea 6-0 Wolves, Sept 2012
• Wolves 1-2 Chelsea, Jan 2012
• Chelsea 3-0 Wolves, Nov 2011
• Wolves 1-0 Chelsea, Jan 2011
• Chelsea 2-0 Wolves, Oct 2010

Betting Tips

• Both teams to score – 17/20 with Coral
• Chelsea -1.5 Asian Handicap – 43/40 with Bet365

The Blues are the obvious favourites, priced at 4/11 with BetVictor, while the hosts are 13/2 with Sky Bet to cause a shock. There’s quite a gulf between the two sides, which is all too clear judging by their differing league campaigns. While the cup is the great leveller, can it really put a side fighting relegation to League One up against the Premier League leaders and see a shock? It’s hard to see anything but an away win, although those 4/11 odds aren’t exactly great value.

While the Blues are heavy favourites, we can still see them conceding a goal here. They’re up against a team who have recently recorded cup shocks, plus they’re a side with nothing to lose. Wolves never thought they’d get this far, and now they have a huge game against the potential champions of England. They should have a go at this rotated Chelsea defence, and we’re backing them to score, given that they’ve found the net in 70% of their league games this season, and scored four times in two away trips to top flight teams.

However, we’re backing the gulf in quality to shine through in the final score. The Blues have scored four times in each of their FA Cup games so far, winning by at least three goals in each. They’ve won by two or more in 63% of their league victories, and they should find things easier against the Championship’s second worst home record. That has us backing the visitors with a -1.5 Asian Handicap, which is priced at a decent 43/40 with Bet365.

Following their highly significant victory over Arsenal last weekend, can Chelsea continue their push for the title at Turf Moor this Sunday? Having put 12 points between themselves and the Gunners, they’ll be hoping to move even further clear this weekend, when they travel to face the Clarets. Elsewhere, second placed Tottenham face a trip to Anfield, which could see them slip further off the pace. There’s a chance that the league leaders could go even further clear with three points on Sunday, strengthening their hold at the top of the Premier League.

However, Burnley will have something to say about that. Few sides come to their ground and get a result, so the Blues are going to face a stern test to say the least. While the hosts are newly promoted to the top flight, they’re looking very good for survival, and that’s almost exclusively thanks to their form at home. They’ll relish the challenge of facing the best side in the league, so Antonio Conte’s men need to be at their best here to come away with the points. Will they record yet another victory, or could the leaders allow the chasing pack to close the gap?

Team News: Could Fabregas return after weekend impact?

Chelsea once again come here with a fully fit squad to pick from. With all options available, Conte is likely to go with his strongest line up, starting in a 3-4-3 once again. The only possible change is the introduction of Cesc Fabregas, who scored soon after coming on against Arsenal at the weekend. The midfielder impressed in his cameo, and he could have worked his way back in to the team for this weekend’s game.

The manager will have a choice between the former Barcelona man and Nemanja Matic, with one of them partnering N’Golo Kante. Elsewhere, we expect no changes to the side which started last weekend, as the boss continues his consistent team selection.

Burnley come into this one without their big summer signing Jeff Hendrick, who was sent off for an awful tackle at Watford last weekend. Sean Dyche is also without Dean Marney and Steven Defour in midfield, which leaves them a little short of options. Hendrick and Defour are two of their four usual starters in midfield, so they have a couple of holes to plug. Dyche tends to start with a 4-4-2 formation, which could cause his side problems here. Teams who start with four in midfield against Kante and co rarely come out on top.

Burnley Form

Burnley come into this game 12th in the table, and they’re now nine points clear of the relegation zone. It’s their best Premier League season so far, having been relegated in their previous two. While they could still go down this term, there’s a lot going for the Clarets at the moment. Their fantastic home record has been the foundation of their push for survival, and it’s something that Chelsea need to worry about this weekend.

Burnley have the third best home record in the Premier League. Only the top two, Chelsea and Spurs, have taken more points at their own grounds than the Clarets have on theirs. They’ve averaged 2.15 points per game at home this term, winning 69% of their home games. They’ve won their last seven at Turf Moor in all competitions, which makes this a very tricky test for the leaders. Can they continue that fantastic run when they host the side with the best away record in the league?

Burnley v Chelsea Head to Head

Chelsea have had mostly good results against Burnley of late. They won at Turf Moor in both 2010 and 2014, winning the league in both seasons. They’ll be hoping for a repeat of that on Sunday, especially as they’ve won their last three visits to this stadium, with their last defeat away to the Clarets coming back in 1973. Will we see a repeat of the routine 3-0 victory they recorded at Stamford Bridge earlier this season?

• Chelsea 3-0 Burnley, Aug 2016
• Chelsea 1-1 Burnley, Feb 2015
• Burnley 1-3 Chelsea, Aug 2014
• Burnley 1-2 Chelsea, Jan 2010
• Chelsea 3-0 Burnley, Aug 2009

Betting Tips

• Both teams to score – 11/10 with Coral
• Eden Hazard to score – 11/8 with Sky Bet

Chelsea are priced as the 2/5 favourites with Betfair, despite Burnley’s impressive record at home. Betfred make the draw 7/2, while you can get 8/1 on an eighth consecutive home win for Burnley with BetVictor.

The leaders are expected to continue their push for the title. The Blues aren’t far away, with 34 points the all-important number for them. That’s the combined total of points claimed for Chelsea and dropped by their nearest rivals, which guarantees them another title. Can they cut that number this weekend?

Given Burnley’s strong form at home, the visitors are going to face a difficult test. The Clarets have scored in 85% of their home games, including their last eight consecutive home league matches. The Blues have found the net in 83% of their away league games, so they should grab a goal when they visit Turf Moor. We’re backing both teams to find the net this weekend, which looks very well priced at 11/10 with Coral. Given the form of these two sides, goals seem more than likely here, which makes that a huge price.

We also see Eden Hazard getting on the scoresheet for the Blues, after his wonderful effort against Arsenal last time out. The Belgian has been fantastic all season, and we’re backing him to follow up his excellent display against the Gunners by grabbing a goal at Turf Moor. We’re going with him to score anytime against Burnley, which seems like good value at 11/8 with Sky Bet. Given that he’s already scored 10 goals in the league this season, he’s well priced to add to that total.

Chelsea’s first massive game this week was a solid result; can they follow that up with a win over Arsenal? After drawing 1-1 at Anfield, the Blues actually ended up having a strong week. They’ve kept their lead intact after their rivals slipped up in some straightforward encounters. They can’t rely on the same thing happening this weekend, plus they can deliver a serious blow to the Gunners’ title hopes with victory in this game.

Chelsea will also be aiming to avenge their 3-0 loss to Arsenal in their first meeting this season. That result had Antonio Conte stood on the side of the pitch looking helpless, with his head in his hands. He switched to a 3-4-3 in the second half, which then prompted the 13 game winning run which put them top of the table. That makes this game a big test of Conte’s new set up, can it result in a reversal of that defeat at the Emirates? A big win here would really stamp the Blues’ position as champions in waiting.

Team News: Conte to keep faith with Anfield 11

One again Conte comes in to this match with no injury worries. His side came through the January window with no signings, despite being linked with a couple of players on deadline day. They didn’t let any of their first team players go, despite interest in Nathan Ake. That gives the Blues a strong squad to pick from here, but the manager is likely to keep faith with the side which picked up a 1-1 draw at Anfield. The only possible change is Cesc Fabregas coming in for Nemanja Matic, given that they should be able to attack more at Stamford Bridge than away to Liverpool.

Arsenal aren’t just missing a couple of players for this game, they’re also without their manager. Arsene Wenger is serving a four game touchline ban for pushing a fourth official, which keeps him out of the dugout this weekend. He’s joined in the stands by Granit Xhaka, who is suspended. Both Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey are out injured, which leaves the Gunners looking a little light in central midfield. That leaves Francis Coquelin as their only available central midfielder, with Mohamed Elneny off at the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt. That’s a serious problem, given that they’re up against N’Golo Kante this week.

Arsenal Form

Arsenal are coming into this game on the back of a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Watford, which was a serious blow to their title hopes. They found themselves 2-0 down within 14 minutes at the Emirates, and they failed to get back in to it in the following 76 minutes. Alex Iwobi did manage to pull one back, but the Hornets managed to claim a win which knocked the Gunners down to third in the table, they’re now behind Tottenham on goal difference. That defeat was also a blow to their Champions League hopes, as things are very tight between second and sixth.

That defeat followed a 5-0 win for Arsenal at Southampton in the cup. The Saints had fielded a weakened side, which played a part in their collapse. They had won six of their seven matches before that loss on Tuesday night, will they be able to get back in form with a result at Stamford Bridge? They come here with a very weak away league record, winning just one of their last four, and only nine of their previous 24.

Chelsea v Arsenal Head to Head

Obviously the 3-0 defeat to Arsenal will still leave a scar for the Chelsea players, they’ll be out to make up for that loss here. Their recent record against the Gunners has been mixed, with a defeat to them at Wembley in the 2015 Community Shield. The Blues won home and away last season despite struggling to defend their title. They also have an excellent record at Stamford Bridge against Arsenal, winning their last four home meetings with Arsene Wenger and his team. That includes a 6-0 thumping back in 2014.

• Arsenal 3-0 Chelsea, Sep 2016
• Arsenal 0-1 Chelsea, Jan 2016
• Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal, Sep 2015
• Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea, Aug 2015
• Arsenal 0-0 Chelsea, Apr 2015

Betting Tips

• Chelsea to win – 21/20 with Betfred
• Diego Costa to score first – 7/2 with Sky Bet

Chelsea are 21/20 favourites for this game with Betfred, while Arsenal are priced at 3/1 with BetVictor to take the points. The Blues will be hopeful of continuing their four game winning streak at home to the Gunners, especially given their midweek defeat. A win here would also be massive for their title chances, but can they find a way past Wenger’s team on Saturday lunchtime?

Given that this is a tactical battle between Conte and Arsenal’s stand-in touchline manager Steve Bould, it’s easy to see a home win. On top of that, the Blues have an excellent home record ahead of this game, winning 91% of their outings at the Bridge, averaging 2.73 points per game. They’ve won their last 10 at home in all competitions, conceding in just three of those clashes. That should be enough to see a home win this weekend, which is what we’re backing here. A win for the Blues is our bet at 21/20 with Betfred.

Results against Arsenal tend to depend on the performance of Diego Costa up front. He scored the winner at the Emirates when these two met last season, while his absence was obvious during the Community Shield game at Wembley last season. The striker was isolated during the meeting at Arsenal earlier this season, but with the 3-4-3 we expect things to be different at the Bridge. The Premier League’s top scorer is now back in the side and scoring, and we’re backing him to get over his penalty miss at Anfield with the first goal here. The Spaniard is priced at 7/2 with Sky Bet to open the scoring.