Month: September 2018

Chelsea picked up a decent victory at Anfield in midweek, but can they follow that up with a home win against the Reds? Liverpool lost for the first time this season in that EFL Cup encounter, which saw an impressive comeback from Maurizio Sarri’s men. Once again Eden Hazard was the star of the show, and there’s going to be expectations on him in this weekend’s biggest Premier League clash.

As predicted, the first meeting between Sarri and Klopp was an incredible clash of styles. The passing play by Chelsea dominated possession, but Liverpool’s dynamic attacking play helped them create chances without seeing too much of the ball. We’re expecting more of the same on Saturday, when the two managers are likely to return to their first choice sides as two of the top three in the top flight meet.

Team News: Can Sarri Keep the Ball Rolling?

Sarri’s approach to team selection is starting to become clearer, as he handed out opportunities in the visit to Anfield. The Blues kept just three of their first choice 11 in their side for the clash with Liverpool. Alvaro Morata got another opportunity up front, while Cesc Fabregas played in the Jorginho position, running the midfield. We expect things to return to normal this weekend, with Sarri quickly settling on a clear preferred line-up. We don’t expect him to make any major switches from that team ahead of his biggest test so far.

Like Sarri, Klopp made his fair share of changes for the cup game in midweek. Daniel Sturridge started, and scored, against his former club. However, he should drop back down to the bench here. Simon Mignolet started in goal, while he switched up their defence and midfield. Again, Liverpool will expect to switch back to their first choice side for this trip. Klopp doesn’t tend to change personnel for big clashes like this, so we expect him to try his usual approach.

Liverpool Form

The Reds had won every game they’d played this season before their midweek loss. Of course, they won’t be too worried about the EFL Cup, given that they’re focusing on a European run and a Premier League title push. So far, they’ve kicked off well in both competitions. The Reds beat PSG in their opening European clash of the campaign, and last weekend brought their sixth win of the season in the league.

Liverpool are the only side to have a perfect record in the Premier League, following Chelsea’s draw at West Ham on Sunday. They currently sit two points clear, although they’re being chased by both Man City and Chelsea. The Reds are the team to beat so far this term, and Sarri’s side will be looking to do just that, and to put themselves in a great position in the early stages of the title race.

Chelsea v Liverpool Head to Head

It’s hard to look past the latest result when it comes to head to head between these two sides. Chelsea have struck a significant blow to their rivals right on the eve of this game, if only due to the proximity to the league clash, and the Blues will be out to build on that in Saturday’s clash. At Stamford Bridge the pair have traded wins over the last few years, with Antonio Conte’s Chelsea winning 1-0 in this fixture last term. However, Sarri will be taking a very different approach this time around, which he’ll hope will be enough to prevent the Reds walking away with another three points this weekend.

• Liverpool 1-2 Chelsea, Sept 2018
• Chelsea 1-0 Chelsea, May 2018
• Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea, Nov 2018
• Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea, Jan 2017
• Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool, Sept 2016

Betting Tips

• Chelsea Draw No Bet – Evens with Coral
• Eden Hazard to score – 15/8 with Betfred

Despite being the away side, Liverpool have been priced up as favourites here. The Reds may have lost in midweek, but the bookies are confident in their full strength side. You can back Liverpool at 7/5 with bet365 for the points, while the Blues sit out at 15/8 with BetVictor. Ladbrokes have the draw at priced at 5/2, so clearly we’re in for a close encounter. It does have a similar feel to Man City’s trip here last season. Pep Guardiola’s side got early plaudits, but they proved themselves with a win at Chelsea. That narrow 1-0 win wasn’t the most stylish of the season for City, but is was key. Will Liverpool’s title challenge receive a similar boost when they make the trip to London?

While Liverpool are favourites, it’s hard to look past the way Chelsea stepped up with Eden Hazard on the field. He was able to take the Blues up a notch in terms of quality, and that could be crucial once again here. While Liverpool are returning to their first choice side, they’ve got to find a way past a Chelsea team who have easily clicked with Sarri’s approach. With their first choice midfield three on the pitch, taking possession of the hosts won’t be easy. We think the improvement for the Blues is being underestimated here, so we’re backing a home win on the Draw No Bet market. Chelsea are still available at evens with Coral on that market, which combines value with a little bit of safety.

We see Hazard making another big impact on this game, given that he continued his strong form against Liverpool. He’s still the top scorer in the Premier League with five goals in six matches, and the way he’s stepped up of late makes him a real threat here. Liverpool have had clean sheets this term, but their defence remains suspect. They’re vulnerable at the back, and that’s something which Hazard can exploit. Despite his goal in midweek and a strong start, the Belgian is a huge 15/8 with Betfred to score any time in Saturday’s encounter. At that price, we have to get Hazard onside ahead of this clash.

Chelsea head to Liverpool this week fresh from dropping their first points of the season. A 0-0 draw with West Ham on Sunday was a setback for Maurizio Sarri’s side, and now they meet the only team in the Premier League who have a 100% record. The Blues kick off their EFL Cup campaign on Wednesday night, but can they end Liverpool’s good form? Jurgen Klopp’s side have started with seven wins in their matches across all competitions this season. They have set the early standard for a tilt at the title, although there’s still some way to go.

This a huge challenge for Sarri and his men, as it’s their biggest game of the campaign to date. They’ve got an eye on another meeting with Liverpool this weekend, with that Premier League clash coming at Stamford Bridge. It’s going to be a huge week for the new man in charge of the Blues, especially as he tests himself in a new competition. He also has to make major decisions about team selection, and that’s going to be a really interesting factor surrounding this clash.

Team News: Selection Test for Sarri

Last week’s trip to PAOK in the Europa League showed Sarri’s resistance to rotation. We all expected some major changes, given Chelsea’s supposed lack of interest in Europe’s second tier trophy. It was refreshing to see a manager who wants to win any trophy, but will that policy extend to this competition? There are plenty of fed up players desperate for minutes within the Chelsea squad. Will they get a chance to feature in this Carabao Cup tie? Or is this going to be a strong Chelsea side featuring on Merseyside?

It could well be a mix of both. Eden Hazard is one who could be a surprise inclusion. Sarri is likely to make a couple of changes, but given the respect he showed PAOK, a clash with the Premier League leaders isn’t one he’s going to take lightly. They left the Belgian behind in the trip over to Greece, but he should make the clash at Anfield, with a few changes likely for the Blues.

Jurgen Klopp has never been one to hide his desire to change players for cup clashes. His team selections in the FA Cup have long gathered criticism, following some bold moves. We saw him even rotate for the Champions League clash with PSG, so Klopp could make some moves in this encounter. If anyone is likely to make sweeping changes for Wednesday, then it’s the hosts.

Liverpool Form

Liverpool have made a perfect start to the new Premier League season, with 18 points and 14 goals from their first six matches this season. They also swept aside PSG in the Champions League, claiming a 3-2 win over the Ligue 1 winners. However, they’re likely to face a bigger test against the Blues. Chelsea look like a well-oiled machine after just seven games under Sarri, while PSG looked like strangers at Anfield in that defeat.

So far, Jurgen Klopp’s side are setting the standard in the Premier League. A 3-0 win over Southampton on Saturday showed their progress, and they’ve managed to win three straight home league games without conceding a goal. Of course, this is going to be a much changed side, so a lot of the elements which have made them so strong this season will be changed. Is that move going to allow the Blues to continue an impressive record in their visits to Anfield, or will Klopp’s second string show the strength in depth that Liverpool have lacked for years?

Liverpool v Chelsea Head to Head

Chelsea managed to get two credible results against the Reds last season. They were solid across both games, but that was a very defensive display from Antonio Conte across both clashes. This time, Sarri leads the side with a possession based style, which will prove to be quite the counterpoint to the dynamic, and more direct, style of the Reds. Having drawn 1-1 in four straight meetings at Anfield, that’s a score to keep an eye on.

• Chelsea 1-0 Chelsea, May 2018
• Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea, Nov 2018
• Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea, Jan 2017
• Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool, Sept 2016
• Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea, May 2016

Betting Tips

• Both Teams to Score – 8/13 with bet365
• Eden Hazard to Score – 21/10 with Ladbrokes

The Reds come into this clash as the clear favourites, having been cut down to odds-on for this clash. They’re 10/11 with Coral to win this tie, while the Blues are 11/4 with BetVictor to get the victory. The draw is the same price with Betfred, so this is likely to be a close game. As we mentioned, rotation is likely here, with changed up sides bringing in bodies who aren’t quite as sharp. Hopefully that will give us an entertaining battle at Anfield, but will it bring a win for the Blues?

With four straight games here bringing 1-1 draws, we have to look at goals in this clash. Regardless of who starts up front, Liverpool have a goal threat from the way they play. They have options going forward, while they face a Chelsea side who have looked really strong in attacking areas this season. We expect the Blues to pose a threat in this trip, especially if Sarri is going to be reluctant to make too many changes to his usual starting 11.

We expect Sarri to take Eden Hazard along here, and he should offer a significant threat going forward. That has us backing both teams to score in Wednesday’s cup tie, which is good value at 8/13 with bet365, with recent form pointing to a repeat. We’re also going to back Hazard to find the net here, and he is priced at 21/10 with Ladbrokes to score on Merseyside.

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.

Chelsea kick off their Europa League group campaign on Thursday night, following on from last season’s disastrous finish to the league campaign. The Blues slumped to fifth under Antonio Conte, but five games into the new season and Maurizio Sarri has already raised expectations around Stamford Bridge. The Blues are hoping to secure Champions League football at the very minimum this season, but could they end the campaign with European silverware and gain entry into the Champions League regardless of their domestic performances?

With a competitive race for the top four likely in England, the Blues can’t quite afford to dispense with this competition entirely, given that the winner claims an automatic place in next season’s Champions League. Sarri is still waiting to land major silverware as a manager, and he’s leading the Blues into a competition where they’re among the biggest sides to feature. Ahead of the Blues’ meeting with Greek side PAOK in the Europa League, they may want to consider their chances of winning the trophy. The bookies certainly think they have a chance, with Chelsea currently the outright favourites.

Team News: Sarri Set For European Changes

The Blues aren’t likely to take the Europa League too seriously from the off, with changes likely to be made. Even with a much thinner squad, Sarri had a habit of rotating in Europe last term. He wrote off the Champions League so that Napoli would be fresh for their Serie A title chase. With Chelsea making a perfect start to the new league season, expect that to lead to changes in Thursday’s visit to Greece.

Following his weekend hat-trick, Eden Hazard is set to be rested in this one. The Belgian is among the top players in the world, so the Europa League isn’t really for him anymore. However, he could cause a world of problems for players at this level if he were to feature. The Blues have lost Ruben Loftus-Cheek to injury ahead of a game he would have featured in, which could allow Ethan Ampadu to feature. Sarri is likely to switch the majority of the squad, with Willy Caballero set to start in goal.

PAOK aren’t set to make drastic changes like the visitors. They come here with one issue, with Leo Matos picking up a ban during their Champions League qualifying campaign. That rules the right-back out for this clash, but otherwise the Greek side are at full strength. They’re set to go with their strongest line-up, which doesn’t feature many names familiar to English football fans.

PAOK Form

PAOK have enjoyed a solid start to the new season, with seven points from their opening three games. They were victors at the weekend, claiming a 3-1 win over OFI on Saturday. They’ll be hoping to take their good domestic form into the Europa League, but they’ve also made some strides in Europe already this season.

The Greek outfit had made a push for the Champions League group stage this season, and they came quite close. They drew 1-1 in their first leg visit to Benfica, and they were ahead against the Portuguese side in the second. However, the Eagles roared back to claim a 4-1 victory in the last European game here, which dumped PAOK out of the Champions League, and into this competition. That run came after they knocked out Basel and Spartak Moscow in the preliminary stages of Europe’s top tier tournament, so the hosts deserve some credit for their recent form in Europe and should not be taken too lightly.

Betting Tips

• Both teams to score – 4/5 with bet365
• Alvaro Morata to score – 13/8 with Ladbrokes

The Blues aren’t bad value here, coming into this clash priced at 20/23 with Coral. They meet a PAOK side who are priced at 16/5 with BetVictor to win at home, while you can find the draw at 27/11 with Ladbrokes. That suggests this is set to be an evenly matched clash. The wholesale changes to the Chelsea side and the fact that the Premier League team are away from home does balance the scales here, but can they still come away with three points in spite of that disadvantage?

The Blues are 6/1 favourites with Betfair to win the Europa League this season, so their second string squad will be expected to kick on and get a result. They face a difficult trip on Thursday night, as the Blues play their first game in this competition since beating Benfica in the final back in 2013. That success is something they could emulate this time around, but they’re likely to start with some weakened sides early on, which does give the hosts a chance to cause a shock.

We think PAOK will fancy their chances at scoring against a rotated Chelsea defence. So far, David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger have been the go-to partnership for Sarri in central defence. This game should see chances handed out to Andreas Christensen and Gary Cahill, although that pair could be rusty. We expect to see them challenged by a PAOK side who found the net in all of their home Champions League qualifiers this summer. The hosts have also scored in four of their last five matches in this competition, so they have the talent to cause problems. The Blues will remain strong up front, but with potential vulnerabilities in defence we’re tipping both teams to score here, which can be found at 4/5 with bet365.

Chelsea’s changes will still see their most expensive striker starting up top. Olivier Giroud had a hand in Hazard’s brilliance on Saturday, so the rotation policy for the Europa League should give Alvaro Morata a game. This competition is his chance to impress, and he has a solid European record behind him. We expect the Spaniard to make an impact in the Europa League this term, especially against a side like PAOK. At 13/8 with Ladbrokes to score any time, Morata seems like great value here.

Chelsea return to Premier League action on Saturday, as they welcome Neil Warnock’s Cardiff to Stamford Bridge. The newly promoted side have had a mixed start to their first season back in the big time. Typically for Warnock, his team just don’t look up to the level required to survive in the top flight. Will that bring another victory for a Chelsea side who have a 100% record to their name so far?

A flying start has made the Blues one of the early pacesetters in the Premier League, sitting alongside Liverpool and Watford on 12 points. The three sides will be pushing to continue those perfect starts, especially a Blues outfit who were tipped to struggle. Even manager Maurizio Sarri thought that the first five or six games would be tough in a new system. He could start with a five game winning streak if they can brush aside the Bluebirds in Saturday’s clash.

Team News: Sarri to Ignore Options and Keep Faith

There should be a lot for Sarri to consider in his team selection here, but he’s expected to keep faith with his first 11. Many of those stars have played around the globe this week, while the Blues return to European action on Thursday. Their Europa League clash with PAOK should bring changes to the starting 11, which allows Sarri to field his strongest side here, as they go in hunt of a fifth straight victory. Unfortunately, that doesn’t have any room for Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who seems frustrated by his lack of playing time.

Cesc Fabregas is the only real concern for Sarri here, with the Spanish midfielder slowly returning to fitness. That gives the Italian boss a full squad to pick from for a busy week, but he has little to think about when it comes to team selection. His only real worry is which winger completes the front three, with Willian challenging Pedro for a first team start this weekend. However, the Spaniard’s direct play looks like a perfect match for the man who got so much out of inside forwards Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Callejon at Napoli.

Cardiff head here with both Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Aron Gunnarsson ruled out. They’re likely to start with a straightforward 4-4-2 system, which doesn’t inspire much fear from the Blues. Instead of trying to pinpoint a weakness in Sarri’s style, the Bluebirds are likely to just dig in and try to hold off the Blues, but they’re unlikely to have much answer for the hosts’ impressive movement.

Cardiff Form

The visitors make this trip searching for their first win since getting back to the top flight. They came close to claiming a result at home to Arsenal just before the international break, but the Gunners claimed a 3-2 win in the Welsh capital. The hosts won’t be expecting to make such hard work of this game. Unai Emery’s side let Cardiff in on too many occasions, making that clash much more difficult than it should have been.

Cardiff started their season with a loss at Bournemouth, while they claimed a point away at Huddersfield in their other away trip. With two points from four games they sit just above the drop zone in the Premier League, with a relegation battle likely for Warnock’s men this season. On top of that slow start, they have already lost to Championship opposition in the EFL Cup, which sees them come here on the back of consecutive defeats and with questionable morale.

Chelsea v Cardiff Head to Head

There have only been two recent league meetings between these two. Jose Mourinho led the Blues to home and away wins over Cardiff in his first season back at the club. Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti saw off the Bluebirds back in 2010 as his men moved to pick up the league and cup double. Sarri will be hoping that a win over the Welsh side will propel his team on to similar success in the future.

• Cardiff 1-2 Chelsea, May 2014
• Chelsea 4-1 Cardiff, Oct 2013
• Chelsea 4-1 Cardiff, Feb 2010
• Chelsea 2-3 Cardiff, Sept 1961
• Cardiff 5-2 Chelsea, Sept 1961

Betting Tips

• Chelsea to win to nil – 20/23 with BetVictor
• Pedro to score any time – 7/5 with bet365

Chelsea are widely backed for another win, as they’re 2/11 with Betfair to see off the Bluebirds. Meanwhile, the visitors are 18/1 with Ladbrokes, and the draw sits out at 6/1 with Coral. It’s hard to argue with those prices, given that the Blues are out to continue their perfect start against a Cardiff side who are struggling against top class opposition. Does that suggest that we’re going to see a rout when these two clash on Saturday?

The bookies have also slashed the odds on over 2.5 goals this weekend, which suggests that they see the Chelsea attack being busy. However, they were much more restrained against Bournemouth in their last game, which brought them a much needed clean sheet. They have been crying out for some defensive stability, and with a settled back four they should improve over the coming weeks and months. They will expect little trouble from a side who have yet to score on the road, and have found the net in just one of their first four games. That has us backing a home win to nil at 20/23 with BetVictor.

We also like the look of Pedro to make an impact here. As we mentioned, the Spaniard is on the right track to success under Sarri, and is set to get a starting position for this weekend’s game. He found the back of the net against Bournemouth last time out, and we’re tipping the winger for success in this clash. While the likes of Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata are odds-on to score, Pedro is great value at 7/5 with bet365.