A month ago all the talk was of the most open Premiership race in years, with six top sides all in contention. Chelsea have made a mockery of that by extending their winning run to 11 Premiership matches, soaring _____ points clear at the top of the table. They host Bournemouth in what could prove to be a total mismatch, and it would take a brave punter to bet against Chelsea extending their winning streak to 12.
How different it all looked in September, when Chelsea went to the Emirates and lost 3-0 to Arsenal. It was a humbling experience for Antonio Conte, who stayed up all night figuring out how to turn things around. He switched Chelsea to his favoured three at the back and since then Chelsea cannot stop winning. In those 11 wins, they have conceded just twice, beating Tottenham 2-1 and Man City 3-1. Conceding two goals in 11 games in sensational, and their defense is in outrageously good form. Gary Cahill, David Luiz, and Cesar Azpilicueta complement one another perfectly as a back three as they are all such different players, and in Thibaut Courtois, they boast arguable the best goalkeeper in the league. An injury or two could arguably derail them, but they still have Kurt Zouma to return and John Terry in the mix, so they have options and are looking frighteningly solid.
But going forwards Chelsea have been equally fantastic. They just have such great balance in their team. The introduction of Victor Moses as a right wing-back has been a masterstroke from Conte. He and Marcos Alonso on the left are full of energy and dynamism, and the new system has freed up star players Eden Hazard and Diego Costa to great effect. Hazard, freed of most of his defensive responsibilities, can concentrate on attacking and looks back to the form that saw him win Player of the Season a couple of years ago. Costa cannot stop scoring, having netted more times already than he did in all of the last campaign, and he tops the charts for goal scoring once again. He is in such great form that bookmakers are not even taking bets on him scoring at any time in this game at present. N’Golo Kante is full of energy in midfield and Chelsea looks set to win the league at a canter. Almost all of these players have vital experience of winning the title and they are now just 8/11 with Betfred to do it.
Bournemouth have had a bit of an inconsistent campaign, but they are 10th and should enjoy a mid-table finish. Their 3-1 loss to local rivals Southampton last time out will have disappointed their fans, but recent wins over Liverpool and Leicester mean Eddie Howe is still very popular. They are not a team that sits back and absorbs pressure. They will come out and have a right go at Chelsea, but they are likely to be outclassed.
The Blues are just 2/5 to win this with Green Listed Bookmaker, William Hill, Coral, and Ladbrokes, but that looks a good one to chuck in an accumulator. To get more value you will have to give them a handicap, however. The 29/20 Bet Victor is offering on a Chelsea win to nil looks great value when you consider they have only conceded twice in 11 and have by far and away the best defensive record in the league. The fact that Bournemouth have scored in each of their last seven games might dissuade you, but Chelsea won’t be frightened of the Bournemouth attack after keeping Crystal Palace at bay with ease last weekend.
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