On recent evidence, they should be too hot for a pedestrian West Ham side to deal with, so take the odds-against quotes on Antonio Conte’s men clearing the -1.5 Asian handicap at the London Stadium.
The main difference between this Chelsea side and the one that recorded 13 straight wins around this time last year is the role of Eden Hazard. The mercurial Belgian now operates in his favoured central role behind striker Alvaro Morata in a revised 3-5-1-1, having previously excelled on the left of a front three in a 3-4-3. And on current form, he looks unstoppable.
Hazard was reportedly unhappy with what he regarded as a peripheral role last term, but he nevertheless knuckled down once it became apparent that the balance of the overall team was better. Now his patience has been rewarded. Suddenly, the world is revolving around him again and the 26-year-old looks like a man on a mission to ensure it stays that way.
So even though West Ham might be inclined to sit deep and defend in numbers, as they did at Manchester City last weekend, a combination of Hazard’s trickery and the onus of being the home team should create enough room for a Chelsea breakthrough. And once ahead, the visitors have all the tools required to pick the Hammers off at will.
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| User |
Total tips |
Profit | 1 | Yield | Expected prize |
tatembot
|
11
|
202651 | 2 |
+36.59%
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500 EUR |
Abbe
|
13
|
118598 | 3 |
+19.51%
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250 EUR |
|
alex_cromby
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13
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+17.20%
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pimidor
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15
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+14.11%
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36
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+8.24%
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50 EUR |
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Chelsea have a huge job on their hands to catch City at the summit, but they might yet establish themselves as the team most likely team to carry the fight to Pep Guardiola’s men now they've hit their stride. With an astonishing 74 per cent win ratio over his past four seasons in club management, Conte is a top-notch alchemist who also knows what it takes to keep a good thing going.
Sadly, the complete opposite is true of David Moyes. The former Everton boss might have been a steady hand throughout the previous decade, but success in this day and age is built on more than the honest qualities that kept him in a job for 11 years at Goodison Park. Moyes appears short of ideas to create a spark, let alone start a fire and keep it burning.
The Glaswegian has been out of his depth ever since he left his comfort zone on Merseyside and walked into Old Trafford. And given his complete lack of impact at Sunderland, heaven knows what the West Ham board were thinking when they decided he was their best bet to dig them out of trouble. Little he has said or done since arriving in the capital suggests he is a changed man.
In years gone by, you might have been wary of opposing the Hammers on the basis of a tempo encouraged by a raucous Upton Park crowd, but there’s no hint of any home advantage at their new ground. If anything, the obligation is now with the players to ignite the crowd and visiting teams can have a field day once they get their noses in front.
Last season, Arsenal, Man City (twice) and Liverpool all won by four clear goals at the London Stadium, while things have barely improved this term with Tottenham racing into a three-goal lead in late September (before being pegged back to 3-2) and Liverpool winning 4-1 last month. In their last ten home matches against top-six opposition, the Hammers have conceded 30 goals.
Recommended bet:
Chelsea -1.5 on the Asian handicap at 13/10
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