Well, just like last season, we have the league match up of the FA Cup final just a few days after the Wembley showcase. Chelsea triumphed for the fourth time in six years in the FA Cup final, with goals from Ramires and Didier Drogba beating out Kenny Dalglish’s men. But the two have to knuckle back down to Premier League business on Tuesday night, as both sides jostle for final finishing positions. Chelsea desperately need a win to keep their hopes of a top four finish alive, while Liverpool are playing for pride and trying to secure a top seven finish. But with changes to come in Chelsea’s line up, and with this being a match up of Liverpool’s poor home form against Chelsea’s less than stellar away form, some betting coverage with Bet365’s 0-0 Bore Draw Special may make a bit of sense.
If Liverpool v Chelsea betting ends in a 0-0 draw, then online bookmaker Bet365 will refund lost stakes on any Correct Score, Half Time/Full Time or Score-cast bets placed on the match. This applies to pre-match bets and it provides good coverage in what could be a bit of a Wembley anti-climax at Anfield. In the Correct Score market, a 1-1 draw is trading as the favourite option for a great price of 11/2, while a Liverpool 1-0 Correct score is just back at 15/2. So good value in the Correct Score market, and also the other ones covered by the Bet365 Bore Draw Special. Online bookmaker Bet365 offer a free £200 bet for new customers registering an account. The bookie will match the value of your first deposit on a new account with a free bet, up to the maximum value of £200.
Liverpool v Chelsea Betting Odds at Bet365
Liverpool 6/4, Chelsea 17/10, Draw 5/2 at Bet365
Well, Liverpool start this match as favourites, despite their Wembley defeat to Roberto Di Matteo’s side. That is because, on home soil, you would expect some kind of response from the Anfield crew, at least to bury the misery of a lack-lustre league campaign. They need to give the Kop something to cheer about in their final home game of the season. The Reds have won just once at home during 2012, and that totals up to just one home win in their last eight. Clearly not good enough for a club of their stature. Is it down to inexperience as Kenny Dalglish suggests? Has it been down to luck with the amount of times they have hit the woodwork this season? Poor form from the likes of Jay Spearing, Andy Carroll, Luis Enrique and the usually reliable Pepe Reina have all played their parts. But at least Andy Carroll looks to have come to life over the past few games, and he was the bright spark for Liverpool at Wembley after coming off the bench. He pulled a goal back and was unlucky not to level the match as well, having been denied by a great save from Petr Cech. Andy Carroll is probably worth a look at in the goalscorer markets.
So Liverpool really need to go into this final home fixture of the season with a positive attitude, and frankly, the much maligned Carroll may as well thrown in from the start. Liverpool need to get out of their mould of passing the ball around in their own half and going nowhere with it. They need more conciseness going forward the players should need no motivation in front of the Kop other than redressing their FA Cup final defeat. Liverpool are likely to rest some of the players who were involved in the Wembley spectacle on Saturday. So too Chelsea, as Roberto Di Matteo needs to shuffle his pack once more. He will have one eye on a fourth place finish, which is not guaranteed even in the Blues win on Tuesday, and perhaps a bigger eye on the Champions League Final to come against Bayern Munich. So the likes of Fernando Torres and Michael Essien may well come back into the line up. David Luiz and Gary Cahill probably won’t be ready so John Terry may have to soldier on.
Chelsea had the better of Liverpool at Wembley for two thirds of the game, and they will be hoping for more of the same at Anfield. They haven’t done too well against the Reds though, and that win on Saturday was the first time that Kenny Dalglish had lost to Chelsea in fourteen matches as manager. Chelsea haven’t managed to even score against the Reds in five of their last eight Premier League meetings, so they aren’t taking form up north with them. The Blues have had a poor run on the road as well in general this season, as they have only managed one win in their last eight away matches. However, they are unbeaten in their last three. So, will Chelsea’s confidence be high enough to go and control the game at Anfield, or will the distractions of the Champions League Final, coupled with Liverpool’s desire to do something right in front of their fans finally put paid to Di Matteo’s hopes of a fourth place finish? Chelsea start five points back of fourth placed Spurs and have to win this to stand a chance on the final day of the season.
Prediction: Liverpool have to be better, and have one last chance to shine in front of their home fans. Daglish needs the win, the Reds need the win. The Blues need the win too, but their poor away form, change of personnel and Champions League distraction will probably hand a narrow advantage to the home side.
