Arguably the most interesting match of the Round 31 in the English Premier League will be played on Wednesday at Stamford Bridge between Chelsea FC and Manchester City FC. Every soccer fan likes the head to head matches between English “top four” teams but besides the enjoyment, we would also like to get some money out of it too, right? That’s the reason why we have put our focus in analyzing this one with a hope that after the game ends, our wallets will be slightly heavier.
CHELSEA FC vs. MANCHESTER CITY FC
3-Way: 1: Chelsea FC +145; X: +455 Draw; Manchester City FC +299
Spread -0.5: Chelsea +142; Manchester City -145
Total +2.5: Over -123; Under +120
Chelsea FC
The Chelsea FC’s 1:2 loss at home on Saturday against Crystal Palace was their first in the last three months and first since September 16th last year at Stamford Bridge. The Spurs exploited this flop by the London Blues and with a win over Burnley got to the distance of only seven points behind the leaders, lowest since December last year. Playing against the fourth-ranked team in the League right after the home upset might not be the great fit for them but if they win they will definitely regain the confidence that might be a bit shaken.
The Chelsea FC is 12-0-2 at home with 37-10 goal difference (60-23 overall) and they rank second in the home league table with 36 of 42 possible points earned. They are 5-2-1 in the last eight games and 3-0-1 in the last four home matches. They’ve scored in each of their last nine matches but they’ve also conceded at least one goal in each of their last seven matches. The London Blues scored in every home game this year and they’ve also scored the opening goal in 79% of their total matches. 86% of Chelsea’s games at home are over 2.5 goals while 36% of their matches are over 3.5 goals.
The most common result at home is a 3:0 win (occurred three times). Diego Costa tops the team in scoring this season with 17 goals in the league while Eden Hazard scored 11 and Pedro scored seven goals so far. Leading the team in assists are Cesc Fabregas and Pedro with seven assists each in their accounts. Leading passer is Cesar Azpilicueta with 1.864 total passes while N’Golo Kante collected 1.740.
Victor Moses (Calf Strain) is the only player on the injury list with unspecified date of return and he is a major doubt for Wednesday game.
Manchester City
The Manchester City FC is raising their form lately in the Premier League and it looks like the unfortunate Champions League exit against Monaco had a positive effect on the players focus and performances. Currently, they rank fourth in the league table with 58 points in 29 games and are undefeated in the last eight consecutive games with 4-4-0 record including 3-1-0 record in last four away games.
Most recent defeat happened on January 15th on the road at Everton when the Manchester Blues got outplayed by the Toffees, 4:0. The City is 10-1-4 on the road this season with 32-18 goal difference (56-32 overall) and they rank second on the away league table with 31 of 45 possible points earned. 73% of City’s away matches are over 2.5 goals and 47% of those matches are over 3.5 goals in total. Most common result on the road is a 1:2 win (occurred three times). Team’s leading scorer this year is Sergio Aguero with 14 goals in the league so far while Raheem Sterling has six and Nolito has four goals on their accounts.
Kevin de Bruyne tops the team and the league in assists with 11 while David Silva and Raheem Sterling collected six each. Leading passer is David Silva with 1.646 total passes while Aleksandar Kolarov collected 1.615.
Ilkay Gundogan (ACL Knee Injury) will be out until at least September 2, 2017. Bacary Sagna (Groin Strain) and Gabriel Jesus (Metatarsal Fracture) are also major doubts for Wednesday game with unspecified dates of return.
First meeting of the season between these two teams on Etihad went Chelsea’s way, 3:1 on December 16th but the last match in the league on Stamford Bridge went Manchester City’s way, 0:3 on April 16th last year. Chelsea hasn’t defeated Manchester City in London since October 27th, 2013. Given the both team’s recent form, a draw with at least one goal scored by the both sides is the most probable result. A loss by either team would have a serious impact on their targeted league positions and it is unlikely to happen at this point.
MY PICK: Draw (+260)
