Month: March 2018

Chelsea’s Champions League hopes hang in the balance this weekend, as Tottenham head to Stamford Bridge. With just eight games of the Premier League season remaining, there’s so much on the line when the fifth placed Blues host the side directly above them in the table. The champions need to claim all three points in order to close the gap on the top four, and anything short of a win will leave Antonio Conte’s side staring at a season in the Europa League. There’s plenty of pressure on the hosts ahead of this huge game on Sunday, but just how will the hosts approach this massive derby clash?

Of course, this is a crucial game for Spurs as well, who are eying up the likes of Man United and Liverpool ahead of them. Such ambitions are long gone for Chelsea, who will just want to secure fourth and make their way into the Champions League yet again. Having recently missed out on Europe and slogged through the Europa League, they’ll know exactly what is on the line in this clash. On top of that, fans will remember stealing Tottenham’s Champions League spot after winning the competition in 2012, so pipping them to the post would be incredibly rewarding in a tough season.

Team News: Blues Close to Full Strength for Champions League Decider

Chelsea are only without David Luiz and Ross Barkley once again this weekend, although neither of those two would have featured in this clash anyway. Conte will want to stick with his most trusted side for this clash, and that’s going to see them stick with a 3-4-3 set-up. We expect no major changes from the usual set-up, which is a boost ahead of a game which the Blues can’t afford to lose.

Tottenham’s major worry for this game is the fact that Harry Kane remains on the side-lines. He’s set for a month out of action, and that could well derail Tottenham’s push for the top four. There’s now a gap up front for the visitors, who don’t have that much strength in depth in attack. Forward Fernando Llorente – a player Chelsea were haggling over in August – is likely to step up in his place.

Tottenham Form

Tottenham come into this game with five wins in their last six matches, having lost at home to Juventus in the Champions League. That’s their only defeat since Christmas, which is an impressive run from Spurs. However, they have a tough test in this clash, which puts that record in jeopardy; as they’ve only travelled to one top six side during that run.

Spurs have fixed up their home form, as they’ve adapted to their temporary home. They’re unbeaten in six away trips, but before that they picked up a single point in five league matches on the road, Given that those games included meetings with sides who were all in the top half at that stage, that doesn’t bode well for this trip.

Chelsea v Tottenham Head to Head

History is on the side of Chelsea here, given that Spurs are without a win at the Bridge since 1990, having failed to win in their last 26 attempts at this ground. Three of the last four encounters here have gone the way of the Blues, and they will be hoping to add to that against their rivals on Sunday. The Blues have won the last two clashes – which both came at Wembley. Can they now claim three points in front of their own fans?

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

Betting Tips

• Under 2.5 Goals – 4/5 with Betfred
• Chelsea to win 1-0 – 7/1 with Coral

Chelsea need a win in this game, and they do come into the encounter as favourites for the three points. The Blues can be backed at 13/10 with Ladbrokes for the victory, while the draw is out at 12/5 with BetVictor. Meanwhile, Tottenham have been priced up at 23/10 with Betfair to take the points back from the Bridge on Sunday.

However, we can’t see the visitors getting a result out of this crucial trip, especially given that this is a must win game for Conte and his charges. However, that doesn’t mean that we’re anticipating an open game, as the Blues are likely to be on the spot at times, so they’ll need to be solid at the back in order to stave off the visitors.

Luckily, that’s been the case in most of their big home clashes this season. We recently saw them hold off Barcelona for almost all of the game at the Bridge, and their big clashes domestically have gone in a similar direction. Arsenal have drawn 0-0 twice at this ground; once in the league and once in the EFL Cup. The Blues have beaten Man United 1-0 here and lost 1-0 to City despite a solid performance. With that form in mind, we can see a low scoring game against Spurs outfit who will miss Harry Kane. We’re backing under 2.5 goals as our tip here, which is priced at 4/5 with Betfred.

Tottenham have a bit of an issue when it comes to top sides, as they’ve had four trips to the top six this term and claimed just one point. A draw at Anfield was a fortunate result for Spurs, while they were beaten by Man City, United and Arsenal this term. That follows on from their troubles on the road last term, which saw them win just one of their meetings at top 10 sides. With Spurs in poor form in their trips to this ground, we are going with a narrow win for the Blues. We like the look of a 1-0 correct score, which you can back at 7/1 with Coral ahead of this clash.

After their Champions League exit in midweek, Chelsea head to Leicester in the FA Cup on Sunday. The Blues are aiming for a return to Wembley, as they chase the only silverware on offer for them this term. While the main focus for the campaign will be securing a place in the top four, Antonio Conte has unfinished business with this competition. The defeat to Arsenal in the final last term will still anger the Italian, and he’ll want to put an end to a record which has seen him lift four domestic titles without succeeding in a cup final as a manager.

Of course, the Blues are taking on a Leicester side who are chasing silverware to follow up their 2016 title win. The Foxes are having a strong season, as they push for a Europa League spot in the league. But can they add a cup run to Wembley on top of that? They’ll be out for a win on Sunday, but their memory of losing out at this stage of the EFL Cup in December is likely to hang over the Foxes’ heads going into this weekend’s big clash.

Team News: Conte Can’t Afford to Rotate at King Power

Chelsea remain without David Luiz and Ross Barkley, but neither of those two were likely to feature in this game anyway. The Blues boss tends to make changes in this competition, but given the current state of the campaign the champions can ill-afford to risk dropping out of the cup. With a two week international break to come before the top four push restarts, the Blues have no reason to try and switch things up or this trip to the King Power.

We expect to see a strong side to start for the visitors, although Conte may continue to make Willy Caballero the goalkeeper for cup matches. Aside from that, there’s little reason for Conte to rotate, so don’t expect too many changes from the side which took the field at the Camp Nou.

Leicester have no major injury concerns this weekend, which gives Claude Puel plenty of room when he approaches his team selection. The Frenchman has tried playing a 3-5-2 system with the Foxes recently, but last weekend saw them win at West Brom with a 4-2-3-1 set-up. They have tried going with a 4-3-3 featuring two wingers, and that kind of approach is probably best when taking on this Chelsea side, so we expect that to be the system Puel uses for this clash.

Leicester Form

Leicester’s 4-1 victory over West Brom last weekend keeps them in European contention, as they remain eighth in the Premier League. They’re just eight points shy of underperforming Arsenal, while they’re only three short of seventh. With three of the top five still in this competition – and each them are favourites in their respective ties – it’s likely that one will lift the cup, opening up a final seventh European place in the Premier League. Can the Foxes claim that?

They’ll have to boost their home form to take seventh, having passed up plenty of chances to leapfrog Burnley of late. The Foxes have drawn three of their last four at this ground, with their only win coming against Championship opposition in the FA Cup. While they have two wins at home in this competition behind them, recent draws at home to struggling sides have to worry Puel.

Leicester v Chelsea Head to Head

Chelsea have a strong record against the Foxes, having gone unbeaten in six encounters. The Blues have also managed to win three of the last four meetings between these sides, along with a 4-2 victory at this ground in the EFL Cup last term. The Blues have only failed to win once at this ground since the hosts returned to the top flight, and that was during Leicester’s title winning season. With that in mind, the Blues have a great chance of progressing here.

• Chelsea 0-0 Leicester, Jan 2018
• Leicester 1-2 Chelsea, Sept 2017
• Leicester 0-3 Chelsea, Jan 2017
• Chelsea 3-0 Leicester, Nov 2016
• Leicester 2-4 (AET) Chelsea, Sept 2016

Betting Tips

• Both Teams to Score – 8/11 with Betfair
• Over 1.5 Chelsea Goals – 21/20 with Coral

Chelsea make this trip as favourites to win the clash, priced up at 11/10 with Betfred to get the three points. Meanwhile, the Foxes are 12/5 with Ladbrokes to delight their home faithful with a victory, while the draw is 5/2 with BetVictor this weekend. Of course, a draw here wouldn’t force a replay at Stamford Bridge, with quarter-finals going straight to extra time these days. Can the champions live up to their billing as favourites, or will this be the week which sees their season fall apart?

The visitors will have to be a little concerned about their defensive form this weekend, having conceded in their last four. They make this trip having lost five straight away trips, which has seen them ship 12 goals across those matches. The Blues’ defence at the moment isn’t the most experienced, and we think that is playing a part in their defensive issues. While the side looked organised in Barcelona, it was defensive errors which cost the game. Unfortunately, that’s not the first time that has hit the Blues this term.

We see both teams scoring here, based on Leicester having scored in all but two of their home games this term. That outcome can be backed at 8/11 with Betfair. While the hosts are strong going forward, they aren’t that effective at the back. Leicester have conceded two or more in four of their home clashes with the top five, including a 2-1 loss to Chelsea. The Blues have scored twice in five of their last six trips here, and we’re backing over 1.5 goals for the visitors at 21/20 with Coral.

Chelsea are back in Champions League action for potentially the last time this season, and maybe the last time for a while. The Blues head into this trip to Catalonia with the bookmakers making no secret of their expectations here, as the Spanish league leaders are heavily backed to win the second leg and the tie overall. With the Blues now in fifth position in the top flight, they could fail to qualify for this competition next term, which would be a disaster for the reigning Premier League champions. Can they boost their season with a shock victory at Barca?

Having recently come under fire after a poor display against Man City, it will be interesting to see how Antonio Conte approaches the second leg. Will his side play a high intensity game in this trip and risk burning out towards the end, or will there be another defensive set-up on display? With a potential final appearance among Europe’s elite coming up, hopefully the Blues can produce a memorable performance at the very least.

Team News: How Will Conte Handle the Catalans?

Conte will be hoping that N’Golo Kante is at full fitness for this huge clash, as his presence will be crucial for the Blues to get anything out of this trip. Without the Frenchman, the Blues lack organisation and dynamism, which cuts a large chunk out of their game. It’s already a huge ask for Chelsea to get anything out of this game, and their approach here will depend on the fitness of Kante.

Without him we could see Conte compensate by using a five man midfield. On top of that, the Chelsea boss has to decide if his team are going to go all out for a crucial away goal or not. However, we think the recent visit to the Etihad may be the blueprint that the champions turn to on Wednesday. Whether such tactics could be at all successful remains to be seen of course.

Barcelona shouldn’t have any major issues ahead of this game, as they don’t have any big selection worries. The hosts have been going with a 4-4-2 system this term, and that is working out pretty well for them so far. We don’t expect them to make any big changes to that approach ahead of this visit from the Blues, especially with Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi playing so well right now.

Barcelona Form

Barcelona come into Wednesday’s meeting in fantastic form, having won all but two of their last 18 home matches. That’s not only put them top of La Liga, but the Catalans are making good progress in Europe and in the Spanish cup. With a potential treble on the horizon, it’s hard to argue with what Barca have been producing this season, and that’s why they’re expected to make it through here.

While Barca’s away problems in the Champions League made us think that the Catalans were going to have some issues at the Bridge, it’s a very different story in the Camp Nou. Barca have won 18 of their last 19 in this competition at home, while it’s almost five years since their last home defeat in the Champions League, and that was in a clash with that season’s victorious Bayern Munich side, who won a treble of their own. With that kind of run behind them, La Liga’s leaders will be expecting a victory this week.

Barcelona v Chelsea Head to Head

The first leg meeting between these two continued the string of draws between them. There’s been six draws in the last seven encounters, which means that we might see a closer game once again. Given how we’ve seen Chelsea approach the recent encounters with Barca and Man City, we’d have to expect them to make things tough for the Catalans, which could lead to yet another draw.

• Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona, Feb 2018
• Chelsea 2-2 Barcelona, Jul 2015
• Barcelona 2-2 Chelsea, Apr 2014
• Chelsea 1-0 Barcelona, Apr 2012
• Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona, May 2009

Betting Tips

• Under 2.5 Goals – 11/8 with BetVictor
• Under 1.5 Barca Goals – 17/10 with Betfair

Having struck late to come away from London with a draw, Barcelona are now heavy favourites to book a place in the quarter-finals. The Catalans are priced up at 4/9 with Betfred to win this clash within 90 minutes, while the Blues are a huge 13/2 with Ladbrokes to come away with a victory this weekend. The Blues did qualify with a draw here in their last trip to Catalonia, and Coral make it 7/2 for this clash to finish all square. However, the Premier League side would need a 2-2 draw to progress on away goals, which can be backed at 16/1 with Betfair.

However, it’s hard to see this game racking up quite that many goals. The hosts may be strong at the Camp Nou in Europe, but they’ve seen a few low scoring matches of late. Eight of their last nine in all competitions have seen fewer than three goals scored, as have five of their previous six in this competition. With Chelsea likely to come here looking to make things difficult for the Barca attack, we don’t see this becoming a high scoring tie. We’re backing under 2.5 goals in this trip, which can be backed at 11/8 with BetVictor.

Chelsea do need an away goal, but a key thing for them will be keeping the score down in this visit. We’re backing the visitors to put in a strong defensive shift, especially given they restricted Europe’s strongest attack – Man City – to just one goal and very few chances in the meeting at the Etihad earlier this month. Following on from that display, we’re backing under 1.5 goals for Barca in this game, as they were well-marshalled in the first leg. That bet seems well priced at 17/10 with Betfair ahead of this clash.

Following a defeat and an awful display at Manchester City on Sunday, Chelsea should be worried about their meeting with Crystal Palace on Saturday. Not only did the Blues lose away to the Eagles earlier this season, but Palace have been tricky opposition for Chelsea in recent years. Having fallen even further off the pace in the top four race, the last thing Antonio Conte’s side need right now is to come up short against a side in the bottom three. Could Palace spring a surprise, or will the hosts return to form?

Chelsea have spectacularly blown a strong position in the Premier League to find themselves lying in fifth place in the table. They’re having a tough time keeping pace with Tottenham, while Manchester United and Liverpool are streets ahead of the reigning champions right now. Conte clearly sees a gulf between his side and the elite, given the conservative way he lined his side up for their weekend trip to the Etihad. Can the Italian turn things around with a more positive approach this week? At this point, three points should really be all that he’s focused on, because the Blues really need to get some form together.

Team News: Conte Needs Style Change Following City Slump

Of course, there’s no excuse for Chelsea being so reserved against any Premier League rival. Not only have we seen attacking sides get more joy against City, but the Blues’ squad should never be so pedestrian and sheepish. The Italian needs to make some sort of change for this clash, even just in the approach he takes. While going with the 3-4-3 formation once again wouldn’t be a huge problem, a tactical shake-up might be key given how the team have been playing of late. It might be a quick-fire way to wake this team out of their slumber.

Palace have some big injury concerns coming into this game, with Chelsea loanee Rueben Loftus-Cheek among their 10 unavailable players. Mamadou Sakho, Yohann Cabaye and Scott Dann are among their experienced names who miss out, which leaves Roy Hodgson with some selection issues. Their defence should be an issue, with four players missing going into a difficult trip for the relegation-battling side. Palace have been sticking with a 4-4-2 set-up lately, and they’re unlikely to change that approach.

Crystal Palace Form

Palace made the worst ever Premier League start, yet they still managed to bounce up in to mid-table by January when they beat Burnley. However, that was their last win. The Eagles are winless in six going in to this trip, and they have been sucked straight back in to trouble after those poor results. They’re now 18th in the table, and they’re heading for the Championship once again if they can’t arrest this slump.

The question now is did Hodgson actually make a difference, or did the change just spark them temporarily in to life. There’s little time for the Eagles to make another sacking, so they need to end their poor run. Putting an end to a run of two wins in 18 away trips would also be helpful for the Eagles’ survival hopes.

Chelsea v Crystal Palace Head to Head

Recent meetings between these two teams haven’t gone all that well for Chelsea. The Blues lost in a shock defeat in this fixture last season, while the Eagles won here in their first trip to the Bridge following Chelsea’s last title win. This has been a fixture which Antonio Conte hasn’t quite adapted to, and after the Palace display on Monday night you’d have to wonder if the visitors will pose a threat once again.

• Crystal Palace 2-1 Chelsea, Nov 2017
• Chelsea 1-2 Crystal Palace, Apr 2017
• Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea, Dec 2016
• Crystal Palace 0-3 Chelsea, Jan 2016
• Chelsea 1-2 Crystal Palace, Aug 2015

Betting Tips

• Both Teams to Score – 11/10 with Coral
• Alvaro Morata to score first – 29/10 with BetVictor

Despite Chelsea’s troubles, the Blues are priced up as 2/7 favourites with Betfred. Meanwhile, struggling Palace are out at 10/1 with Ladbrokes to pull off another win at Stamford Bridge, which might actually be a little too big given their head to head record against the champions. You can back the visitors to get a point at 22/5 with BetVictor. With Palace winning 2-1 in three of their last five meetings with Chelsea, Betfair are offering 30/1 for that to happen once again. However, we can’t see the Eagles doing that well given their results of late.

That being said, the visitors should still be able to get a goal at Stamford Bridge. This Chelsea defence hasn’t been up to scratch of late, while the Eagles have shown some decent attacking form. They hit their first goals of the season against Chelsea in that 2-1 win earlier this term, and they continued to excite going forward in Monday night’s meeting with Manchester United. Their two goals in that game continued their scoring form, as they’ve found the net in 13 of their last 15. Having scored in seven straight matches on the road, we’re backing them to fire past the Blues’ defence. Both teams to score here, which is available at odds 11/10 with Coral.

Chelsea have attacking threats of their own, and we think one of them will come roaring back to form this weekend. While Alvaro Morata has enjoyed a tough spell at Stamford Bridge at times, this seems like the perfect game for him. Palace have struggled defending out wide, which should allow opportunities for the wing-backs and attacking midfielders to get crosses in. Given that just three sides have conceded more headed goals than Palace this term, Morata should have a chance of making a difference here. We think he’ll get the nod up front in an attacking change from Conte, and as a result we’re backing Morata to score first at 29/10 with BetVictor.

Chelsea are back in Premier League action this weekend, as they prepare for a trip to leaders Man City. The English champions are facing the side who are set to dethrone them at the summit, with Pep Guardiola’s side now 16 points clear of second placed Manchester United following a midweek win over Arsenal. The Citizens are a full 22 points clear of Chelsea, who have now slipped out of the top four following a defeat in Manchester last weekend. Can the Blues boost their Champions League hopes with an unlikely victory on Sunday?

Antonio Conte has a tough job to stop this City side, especially given how well they’ve played over the last couple of games. Managing to shut down this City team is something which seems almost impossible on current form, while the hosts can’t stop scoring. While there’s basically nothing but time between the leaders and the league title, the Blues are facing huge opposition for a top four finish in the Premier League. After losing to Man United, falling behind Liverpool and now Tottenham, Chelsea have surrendered so much to their rivals that fighting their way back into fourth is set to be an uphill battle.

Team News: How Will Conte Plan to Stop City?

The big question here isn’t around player selection, but with regard to Conte’s tactics. The Blues boss tried to combat City with a five man midfield at the Bridge, which couldn’t match up to the Citizens’ technical skill. However, a high intensity 3-4-3 did push Barcelona in the Champions League. Will Conte take a risk with that system, especially after it started so well at Old Trafford last weekend? We expect him to start with that usual set-up, without a huge number of changes from the team which lost at Old Trafford last time out.

Man City tend to line up with a 4-3-3, and they’re playing with David Silva in a central midfield role in order to fit an extra name in the front three. They did that in two meetings with Arsenal, but they may choose to change ahead of a likely battle with Chelsea in this clash. The Blues should pose a more physical threat, so City could react to that. The hosts are without Fernandinho and Raheem Sterling, while Gabriel Jesus and Benjamin Mendy remain long-term absentees.

Man City Form

Man City continued their great run with a 3-0 win over Arsenal on Thursday night. That was their second win by that scoreline over the Gunners in the space of days, following a win at Wembley in the EFL Cup final. Having won the first silverware of the season last weekend, they should be in great form going into this clash. They’ll be looking to keep that momentum going in this meeting with the champions, as they look to wrap up the title as soon as possible.

City are impressing at home, having won all but one of their league matches at the Etihad so far. They’ve won 13 matches on the spin there, heading into this meeting with the Blues. Will Antonio Conte’s side be able to break that run, or can City extend that fantastic run of results? Having scored at least twice across all of those wins, the hosts are going to be really difficult to stop.

Man City v Chelsea Head to Head

Chelsea have a mixed record away at the Etihad in recent years, but most of their recent meetings have been at Stamford Bridge. The Blues lost the reverse fixture earlier this term, while they have lost three of their last six trips to City. The 3-1 win which the Blues picked up last season was followed by a home win, but the victory for Pep’s men earlier this term showed how the dynamic has changed between these two.

• Chelsea 0-1 Man City, Sep 2017
• Chelsea 2-1 Man City, Apr 2017
• Man City 1-3 Chelsea, Dec 2016
• Chelsea 0-3 Man City, Apr 2016
• Chelsea 5-1 Man City, Feb 2016

Betting Tips

• Over 2.5 Goals – 7/10 with BetVictor
• Sergio Aguero to score – 21/20 with Ladbrokes

Chelsea are massive outsiders coming into this trip to the Etihad. The Blues are priced at 21/5 with Coral to claim another win at this ground, while City are priced at just 13/20 with Betfred to make this their 14th straight Premier League victory at this stadium. Meanwhile, the draw can be backed at 31/10 with BetVictor. The Blues are looking to follow up their 3-1 win at this ground last season, with a repeat of that scoreline incredibly priced at massive odds of 40/1 with Betfair.

We do expect another high scoring game on Sunday, although it is more likely to go in City’s favour on current form. The Blues did make a strong start at Old Trafford last weekend, but their inexperienced defence couldn’t hold the Red Devils at bay. That doesn’t bode well for this meeting with City, who have been scoring goals for fun at their own ground. The Citizens have seen over 2.5 goals land in their last 13 home matches in the league, while the Blues have averaged close to two goals per game on the road. On the back of that, we should see plenty of goals here, with over 2.5 priced at 7/10 with BetVictor.

One man who is likely to get in on the scoring is Sergio Aguero, with the forward scoring 10 times in 15 clashes with Chelsea. The Argentine has 21 goals in 21 league starts, and we expect him to hit the target against the Blues on Sunday. Despite his impressive form and great track record against Chelsea, Aguero can be backed at 21/20 with Ladbrokes to score any time in this weekend’s big game. With a high scoring game likely, we’re tipping him to get one of the goals at the Etihad.