Chelsea and Arsenal are coming into this event following bad results posted this weekend. A win in this one is a must for both teams. Chelsea, on one side, needs to get three points to stay fourth, while Arsenal’s situation demands a victory for saving some chances of getting the spot, which leads to the international stage. And not only that. This is a London derby and regardless of the position in the standings, victory is a matter of prestige.
Preview
Football is cruel some times, and that is what Chelsea’s players learned on Sunday in Newcastle. The Blues lost in the finals seconds, although the home team looked desperate to hold on for at least a goalless draw. But this happens once you don’t use your chances. It was the sixth game in the past eight Chelsea played with both teams not to score, which is interesting, having in mind that Lampard’s boys played the first part of the season in an offensive mood. Also, six of their last eight contests ended with under 2.5 goals. By the way, Chelsea lost three of the previous five events at the Stamford Bridge. Christian Pulisic will be out for the hosts, but it seems that N’Golo Kante might be in the starting lineup, which is a massive deal for Lampard’s crew.
Arsenal posted two wins following a loss at Emirates against Chelsea, but after that, they played 1-1 with both Crystal Palace and Sheffield United. John Fleck scored for the Blades seven minutes before the end, to shock the crowd and once again deliver frustration for the Gunners’ fans. Their efficiency is also low lately, and like ways Chelsea, six of the previous eight matches finished with under 2.5 goals. Away from home, Arsenal has four straight draws against Standard Liege, Everton, Bournemouth, and Crystal Palace, and in neither of them, they had some excellent performance or deserved to win. What will be a big minus for the guests in this one is Pierre Emerick Aubameyang’s absence because of the pacey striker’s suspension. Sead Kolasinac might also be unavailable.
Head to head
The Gunners have a better head to head record throughout history. They’ve won 77 matches, the Blues have 64 victories and 57 events ended with a draw. However, in the previous four, the Blues posted three wins in all of them by scoring two goals. Arsenal hasn’t won at Stamford since 2011, and since then, Chelsea posted seven triumphs in nine contests, keeping the clean sheets on five occasions. In each and every win, the Blues netted at least twice.
Prediction
We are going with the Blues here because although they lost the previous event, they are playing much better, Chelsea has some sort of chemistry while on the other side, Arsenal didn’t show anything except against Manchester United. Also, Lampard’s guys are playing better against big teams, than against the lower-placed sides. Is that a motivational problem or something else, we can’t quite tell, but that was something obvious in the past few months. The odds at BetXChange are 0.75 for this suggestion. For you who like to bet on efficiency, Over 2.5 goals in this match is a realistic bet, so feel free to try it.
