Chelsea V Stoke
The Blues are without a win in their last three competitive matches now, the rot setting in against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup. With draws against QPR and then Juventus, Roberto Di Matteo needs to get his side playing just a little bit better. The defence of Chelsea has come under some criticism and with Stoke’s aerial power and directness, the home side could come under some big threats from set pieces. The Blues have won their previous two home matches in the Premier League this season, but Stoke haven’t tasted defeat yet.
Chelsea v Stoke Betting Odds at online bookmaker Bet365:
Chelsea 4/11, Draw 15/4, Stoke 8/1
Verdict:
This should be a real test of character for Roberto Di Matteo’s men here. The Chelsea system is still a bit flawed, a lack of ability to really hold on to the ball in the middle of the park, and Fernando Torres cutting a frustrated figure up top, not really part of the team. Chelsea squandered a 2-0 lead against Juventus during midweek and it could have been worse for them because the Italians were wasteful in front of goal. However, Chelsea have won their last five home matches against Stoke and haven’t conceded a goal against the Potters in the last four. So there is good reason to suggest that Chelsea will get things back on track.. This should be a win for the home side given the run of form they have against Stoke and they have it in them to win by a couple of goals, that is the margin by which their other two EPL home matches have been won by this season. A Chelsea Two Goal Winning Margin is trading at a price of 3/1 with online bookmaker Bet365.
Stat Attack:
Stoke have not won any of their last 11 away matches
Chelsea have won the last five home matches against the Potters
Stoke haven’t scored in the last four visits to Stamford Bridge
Chelsea are without a win in three matches in now in all competitions
Head to Head:
The Blues are in the ascendancy in the head to head against Stoke. Chelsea are undefeated in their last ten matches in all competitions against the Potters and that is a pretty strong run. Stoke have failed to find the back of the net on their last four visits to Stamford Bridge, while Chelsea have netted twelve goals in those four matches. So things are heavily in favour of the Blues who have won the last five home matches straight against Stoke.
Online bookmaker promotion:
Stoke City of course are kings of the draw. They have picked up four straight draws this season in the league, and in all competitions they are on a stretch of six straight draws in a row. They frustrated Manchester City to a draw last weekend and will they shut up shop and keep Chelsea at bay? Online bookmaker Bet365 have some great coverage on football betting with their 0-0 Bore Draw promotion. If a match ends in a 0-0 draw, then Bet365 will refund any losing bets placed on the Correct Score, Scorecast or Half Time/Full Time market. This is good coverage from online bookmaker Bet365 who offer a free £200 bet for new customers registering an account with them, and deliver great football betting coverage through their excellent live in play service.
Chelsea v Stoke Betting Preview:
Can Roberto Di Matteo get Chelsea back on track? The Blues are without a win in three games and there are some problems which need fixing. They don’t look very capable of holding onto a great deal of possession and the back line is looking a bit disorganised and slow. Chelsea have some great young talent at their disposal to try and shake things up a bit. It could all come down to whether Di Matteo is going to be brave enough to shake up his team a bit and give other players a chance. It worked in playing young Oscar against Juventus, but the Brazilian is likely to go from the bench, so too new signing Victor Moses, as Di Matteo will likely continue with Lampard and Mikel in the middle with Juan Mata and Eden Hazard supporting Fernando Torres. Chelsea are on a good run of form at home against Stoke, but they really need to up their overall level of performance and game if they are going to really maintain any title challenge. They have been the early pace setters, but after a uninspiring 0-0 draw at QPR the last time out, Chelsea need to find a way to tap into their potential.
Stoke, under Tony Pulis are always going to be difficult opponents for any team. The Potters have picked up four draws in a row in the Premier League so far, only one of them being a 0-0. So they are really hard to knock off and will amass their defensive ranks to try and earn at least a point at Stamford Bridge. You would have to think that that would actually be a good result for them. They may have some advantage in this match by throwing long balls forward to Peter Crouch up front because he can really trouble the Chelsea back line which is not looking too solid at the moment. Stoke will try and block up the midfield make life as difficult for the home side as possible. The Potters will be a threat from set pieces and while the stats are against them, the way they are playing at the moment, they could hang on in there fore a draw.
