Category: EFL Cup

Liverpool v Chelsea Betting Tips (EFL Cup) – 26th September 2018

Chelsea head to Liverpool this week fresh from dropping their first points of the season. A 0-0 draw with West Ham on Sunday was a setback for Maurizio Sarri’s side, and now they meet the only team in the Premier League who have a 100% record. The Blues kick off their EFL Cup campaign on Wednesday night, but can they end Liverpool’s good form? Jurgen Klopp’s side have started with seven wins in their matches across all competitions this season. They have set the early standard for a tilt at the title, although there’s still some way to go.

This a huge challenge for Sarri and his men, as it’s their biggest game of the campaign to date. They’ve got an eye on another meeting with Liverpool this weekend, with that Premier League clash coming at Stamford Bridge. It’s going to be a huge week for the new man in charge of the Blues, especially as he tests himself in a new competition. He also has to make major decisions about team selection, and that’s going to be a really interesting factor surrounding this clash.

Team News: Selection Test for Sarri

Last week’s trip to PAOK in the Europa League showed Sarri’s resistance to rotation. We all expected some major changes, given Chelsea’s supposed lack of interest in Europe’s second tier trophy. It was refreshing to see a manager who wants to win any trophy, but will that policy extend to this competition? There are plenty of fed up players desperate for minutes within the Chelsea squad. Will they get a chance to feature in this Carabao Cup tie? Or is this going to be a strong Chelsea side featuring on Merseyside?

It could well be a mix of both. Eden Hazard is one who could be a surprise inclusion. Sarri is likely to make a couple of changes, but given the respect he showed PAOK, a clash with the Premier League leaders isn’t one he’s going to take lightly. They left the Belgian behind in the trip over to Greece, but he should make the clash at Anfield, with a few changes likely for the Blues.

Jurgen Klopp has never been one to hide his desire to change players for cup clashes. His team selections in the FA Cup have long gathered criticism, following some bold moves. We saw him even rotate for the Champions League clash with PSG, so Klopp could make some moves in this encounter. If anyone is likely to make sweeping changes for Wednesday, then it’s the hosts.

Liverpool Form

Liverpool have made a perfect start to the new Premier League season, with 18 points and 14 goals from their first six matches this season. They also swept aside PSG in the Champions League, claiming a 3-2 win over the Ligue 1 winners. However, they’re likely to face a bigger test against the Blues. Chelsea look like a well-oiled machine after just seven games under Sarri, while PSG looked like strangers at Anfield in that defeat.

So far, Jurgen Klopp’s side are setting the standard in the Premier League. A 3-0 win over Southampton on Saturday showed their progress, and they’ve managed to win three straight home league games without conceding a goal. Of course, this is going to be a much changed side, so a lot of the elements which have made them so strong this season will be changed. Is that move going to allow the Blues to continue an impressive record in their visits to Anfield, or will Klopp’s second string show the strength in depth that Liverpool have lacked for years?

Liverpool v Chelsea Head to Head

Chelsea managed to get two credible results against the Reds last season. They were solid across both games, but that was a very defensive display from Antonio Conte across both clashes. This time, Sarri leads the side with a possession based style, which will prove to be quite the counterpoint to the dynamic, and more direct, style of the Reds. Having drawn 1-1 in four straight meetings at Anfield, that’s a score to keep an eye on.

  • Chelsea 1-0 Chelsea, May 2018
  • Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea, Nov 2018
  • Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea, Jan 2017
  • Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool, Sept 2016
  • Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea, May 2016

Betting Tips

  • Both Teams to Score – 8/13 with bet365
  • Eden Hazard to Score – 21/10 with Ladbrokes

The Reds come into this clash as the clear favourites, having been cut down to odds-on for this clash. They’re 10/11 with Coral to win this tie, while the Blues are 11/4 with BetVictor to get the victory. The draw is the same price with Betfred, so this is likely to be a close game. As we mentioned, rotation is likely here, with changed up sides bringing in bodies who aren’t quite as sharp. Hopefully that will give us an entertaining battle at Anfield, but will it bring a win for the Blues?

With four straight games here bringing 1-1 draws, we have to look at goals in this clash. Regardless of who starts up front, Liverpool have a goal threat from the way they play. They have options going forward, while they face a Chelsea side who have looked really strong in attacking areas this season. We expect the Blues to pose a threat in this trip, especially if Sarri is going to be reluctant to make too many changes to his usual starting 11.

We expect Sarri to take Eden Hazard along here, and he should offer a significant threat going forward. That has us backing both teams to score in Wednesday’s cup tie, which is good value at 8/13 with bet365, with recent form pointing to a repeat. We’re also going to back Hazard to find the net here, and he is priced at 21/10 with Ladbrokes to score on Merseyside.

Arsenal v Chelsea Betting Tips (EFL Cup) – 24th January 2018

Chelsea head for the Emirates on Wednesday night, as they go in search of a place in the EFL Cup final. It’s fair to say that January has been far from the ideal month for the Blues, but they come in to this clash just 90 minutes away from yet another trip to Wembley. Can they manage to see off their London rivals in this big clash and take a big step towards adding some extra silverware to the cabinet this season?

This has got to be a big game for Antonio Conte, who will be aiming to win a domestic cup for the first time in his glittering career. It’s fair to say that the Italian has a fairly spiky relationship with both Arsenal and Arsene Wenger, so getting one over on the Gunners would be a big boost for him. This clash also sees the Blues boss facing another encounter with his newest rival – VAR. Having seen an incredible game last Wednesday decided by the new technology, the former Juve boss is likely to be pushing for video replays which he’ll hope will send his side into another cup final.

Team News: Conte Adds Firepower as Spaniards Return with Suspensions Served

Antonio Conte welcomes back two of his key forwards, just in time for the Blues to boost their attacking prospects. Losing Alvaro Morata and Pedro for the weekend was a blow given how poor the champions have been going forward of late, but the pair are back in line for a start at the Emirates. It’s hard to say if Pedro will get the nod on the wing, as the Italian could retain the 3-5-2 system he likes in these big trips. While that offers a little more security, it doesn’t seem to swarm opposition defences, which is what brought the title back to the Bridge last season.

Arsenal are enjoying a bit of a fire sale at the moment, but they’re not exactly looking stronger due to their January deals. Wenger’s stubborn choice to stick with David Ospina in goal during cup games could cost him, as he’s set to take the place of Petr Cech for this big game. You’d think that they’d settle on going with their first choice keeper in a tie like this, but those slight tweaks could be what ultimately stops the Gunners from making the final.

Arsenal Form

The Gunners must be thankful for their meetings with Chelsea, as they’ve saved their 2018 so far. Arsenal have had an awful couple of weeks in the New Year, and they seem vulnerable heading into this meeting based on their recent defeats. While they’ve had two draws with the Blues in January, those were both followed by damaging defeats.

The Gunners exited the FA Cup in the Third Round, losing 4-2 against Nottingham Forest. Having lost at Bournemouth this month in a shambolic display, it’s been far from comfortable viewing for Arsenal fans. When you mix in the January transfer window as well, you can see why the anger with Wenger is starting to rise again, although recently he’s dealt with that by pulling off a result against Chelsea.

Arsenal v Chelsea Head to Head

These two sides meet for the third time this month, and for the eighth time since Conte took charge back in July 2016. That’s a frequent set of encounters, and they’ve all basically gone the same way of late. The Gunners struck late to win May’s FA Cup final, and since then the pair have drawn every meeting. The one worrying thing is that Conte has claimed one victory against Wenger since taking charge, and that’s something he needs to change this week.

  • Chelsea 0-0 Arsenal, Jan 2018
  • Arsenal 2-2 Chelsea Jan 2018
  • Chelsea 0-0 Arsenal, Sept 2017
  • Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea, Aug 2017
  • Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea, May 2017

Betting Tips

  • Chelsea to win – 6/5 with BetVictor
  • Chelsea and Under 2.5 Goals – 5/1 with Betfair

Chelsea may be away from home, but they’re favourites for this second leg. The Gunners seem to have been written off here, having been priced up at 23/10 with Ladbrokes for their home leg. Meanwhile, the Blues are being backed as 6/5 favourites with BetVictor. Given the recent history of draws between these two, you can back this one to finish level at 12/5 with Coral. That would obviously send the clash to extra-time, which the visitors are being backed to win. The Blues are priced at 4/7 with Betfred to qualify by any means, so they’re clearly fancied to shake off their problems going forward when they visit the Gunners.

There are so many problems surrounding Arsenal right now that it seems to have driven up their price. Losing players, matches and hope of silverware is really damaging morale around the club. A defeat here could leave them focusing on the Europa League – a competition which Wenger has refused to take seriously so far. However, it does feel like a typical Arsenal thing to do to crumble at this point, especially given how close they were to losing to Chelsea at the Emirates earlier this month. We think Conte’s Blues can get the job done here, so we’re backing an away win at 6/5 with BetVictor.

The Blues do have some issues up front, and that’s bound to come up again in this tense clash. We still expect the visitors to get the three points, but we can’t see this being an open tie. The recent meetings between these two have been low scoring, and Conte is likely to be relying on his defence given the form of the forwards, and that counts double if he does stick with the 3-5-2 set-up. As a result, our second tip on this semi-final is to back an away win and under 2.5 goals at 5/1 with Betfair.

Chelsea v Arsenal Betting Tips (EFL Cup) – 10th January 2018

Wednesday night sees Chelsea meet Arsenal for the second time in a week, which is just one of three encounters between the sides this month. They kick off their EFL Cup semi-final with the Gunners at Stamford Bridge, as they look to progress to Wembley. However, will the Blues be able to see off Arsenal following their dramatic draw at the Emirates last time out? Having the second leg in north London does make things difficult, especially if Antonio Conte isn’t taking this competition all that seriously – just as he did last season. Will he put that to one side going into Wednesday’s clash?

This is a competition that the Gunners could push for, especially as it’s one competition which Arsene Wenger has yet to win. Having already beaten Conte to lift the FA Cup last year, will this be another disappointment at the hands of the Frenchman? With the Premier League title already gone, this semi-final is pretty important for the Blues. Having enjoyed plenty of success in the League Cup during the Abramovich era, his could be some more silverware for the champions, providing they can navigate a path past Arsenal.

Team News: Will Conte Keep Weekend Changes for Gunners Clash?

The big question ahead of this clash is over Antonio Conte’s team selection. The Blues haven’t taken this competition seriously under the Italian’s stewardship, he’s tended to rotate in the cups since arriving at Stamford Bridge. The question is will he maintain that policy when the Gunners visit on Wednesday night. While he’s made changes to every side he’s named in this competition, we expect the Blues to bring back some of their top stars after the weekend’s FA Cup action. They need to get off to a flyer in the first leg ahead of their trip to the Emirates, so we’re backing them to go with a strong side in midweek.

The Gunners are in a similar boat, having rotated their side frequently throughout the season. They’ve rested their top stars in the Europa League, EFL Cup and FA Cup this season, preferring to push for the top four in the Premier League. Will they go for it now they’re in the semi-finals, or is this competition still a distraction for Wenger? The Frenchman has never really taken much interest in this competition, which is partly why they’ve never won it. They’re likely to stick with a weakened side in this one, as they look to secure a return to the Champions League.

Arsenal Form

The Gunners have hit a rough patch of form in the league, which has seen them drift five points off the Champions League spots. They’ve drawn three of their last four in the league, and they’ve been struggling to win matches. That’s certainly a concern coming into a cup semi-final. While they have a strong record against the Blues of late, they have work to do to turn their form around ahead of this game.

The Gunners have won just twice on the road since the start of November, claiming a controversial win at Burnley and a narrow victory against Crystal Palace. Can they add to that dismal run here? Given that they’ve won twice within 90 minutes in their last seven away trips in this competition, that doesn’t seem promising. The Gunners have been handed home ties through their run to the semis, which could hurt them in this tie.

Chelsea v Arsenal Head to Head

Meetings between Chelsea and Arsenal have been pretty frequent in recent times, they’ve met six times in the last 12 months. That includes an FA Cup final and a pre-season friendly. The draw between them last week was just the latest blow which Wenger has delivered to Conte in recent times, having beaten the Blues in the cup final and dishing out a 3-0 defeat in their meeting at the Emirates in late 2016.

  • Arsenal 2-2 Chelsea Jan 2017
  • Chelsea 0-0 Arsenal, Sept 2017
  • Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea, Aug 2017
  • Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea, May 2017
  • Chelsea 3-1 Chelsea, Feb 2017

Betting Tips

  • Chelsea to win – 4/5 with Ladbrokes
  • Chelsea to win and BTTS – 12/5 with Betfred

Chelsea head into the match as favourites for the points, priced up at 4/5 with Ladbrokes. The draw can be backed at 13/5 with Coral here, while the Gunners are slightly bigger at 14/5 with BetVictor. While the Blues are odds-on favourites, they have their work cut out to end their recent struggles against Arsenal. With games between the pair being so close in recent weeks, which of these two will be able to carve out an advantage and win this semi-final? Will Arsenal’s record of three wins and four defeats from 11 away league games play a part?

The Blues are more likely to name a full-strength side, and that could be the difference. They were already the better team in both league meetings this season, and Conte’s side have put together some strong form at Stamford Bridge. They were a solid display from Alvaro Morata away from a thumping win last week, and we expect better from the forward this week as the Blues look to pull off a first leg victory. While the recent meetings between these two have been close, we expect Chelsea’s home form mixed with Arsenal’s troubles away this term to swing this one in favour of the hosts. We’re backing a home win here at 4/5 with Ladbrokes.

In addition to that, the Blues have seen both teams score in four of their last five meetings with Arsenal, conceding in five of the last six encounters. We can see the visitors getting a goal in this one, which has us backing a Chelsea win and both teams to score. You can back a home victory and BTTS at 12/5 with Betfred ahead of this clash.

Chelsea v Bournemouth Betting Tips (EFL Cup) – 20th December 2017

Can Chelsea secure a place in the semi-finals of the EFL Cup on Wednesday night? The Blues may have crashed out of this competition early last season, but they’re currently favourites to make the last four of a competition they last won back in 2015.

Having seen their title hopes evaporate and with Barcelona looming in the Champions League, Antonio Conte may well focus on this competition for some potential silverware. Can the Blues edge their way past Eddie Howe’s men and secure a place in the next round? While they’ve had some pretty significant lows so far this season, losing out in a cup quarter-final to a struggling Bournemouth side would probably plumb new depths.

With fans readjusting their ambitions for the season, a push in the EFL Cup makes sense. This was a competition that was sacrificed last season, as they crashed out at West Ham just before their 13 game winning run in the league got started off. This time around they have reached the last eight, but we still have to wonder if Conte will be completely focused on winning this competition with a tough battle on his hands for a top four spot in the Premier League.

Team News: Conte Likely to Ring Changes for Quarter Final

While the Blues are just 90 minutes from a place in the semis, we have to wonder how much that means to Conte. Even the FA Cup took a spot on the back burner right until the final, when the league season had ended. The Italian went with Eden Hazard and Diego Costa on the bench for a semi-final with Spurs in that competition, so you have to wonder what kind of side he could produce for this quarter-final. There’s not a huge amount of depth in the Blues squad right now, so he’ll probably be forced into mixing up first teamers and the odd bench player to keep the team fresh over the Christmas period.

Bournemouth have little reason to make changes, even during the busiest of periods. They have quite a strong squad after their recent transfer business, and their squad should be able to take the addition of another big game in their schedule. The visitors will be expected to start with their first choice 11, despite making changes for their win over Middlesbrough in the previous round. If they don’t take it as seriously as a league game, then their hopes of progressing any further are basically done before the game.

Bournemouth Form

Bournemouth got this far thanks to victories over Championship sides Birmingham and Middlesbrough, while they also narrowly edged out newly promoted Brighton at home. That wasn’t the hardest set of games for the Cherries, and they have to expect a significant step up when they head to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.

The visitors have an awful away record in the league this season, losing five of their nine away trips ahead of this match. While they’ve won at poor sides like Stoke and Newcastle – teams who Chelsea have beaten by an aggregate score of 7-1 – the Cherries are having a more difficult time against top opposition. They’ve lost out to every top seven side they’ve faced this season, while they’ve faced nine of the current top 10 already and claimed just one point.

Chelsea v Bournemouth Head to Head

Chelsea have won four straight meetings against the Cherries, following a 1-0 defeat to them under Jose Mourinho two years ago. That loss to the then newly promoted side was a humiliating one for the defending champions, and the Portuguese boss barely got another two weeks in the job. Since then things have looked up, with Antonio Conte winning three meetings with Bournemouth on the spin.

  • Bournemouth 0-1 Chelsea, Oct 2017
  • Bournemouth 1-3 Chelsea, Apr 2017
  • Chelsea 3-0 Bournemouth, Dec 2016
  • Bournemouth 1-4 Chelsea, Apr 2016
  • Chelsea 0-1 Bournemouth, Dec 2015

Betting Tips

  • Chelsea to win and over 2.5 goals – 5/6 with Betfred
  • Chelsea to win and BTTS – 19/10 with Ladbrokes

Chelsea come into this one as the 3/10 favourites with BetVictor and other firms, as they look to secure a semi-final spot. The draw here can be backed at 4/1 with Coral, while the visitors are priced at 17/2 with Ladbrokes to take all three points. It’s hard to argue with that, given the recent record between the pair. The Blues have dominated meetings between these two in recent years, and that has us expecting a home win in this quarter final. However, the Blues are far too short to back outright for a victory here, but we think there are a couple of great value bets ahead of Wednesday’s game.

Chelsea will be expecting to progress regardless of the side Antonio Conte picks for this game. However, his choices in the cup do tend to leave the side open, although his sides do tend to produce strong attacking displays in cup matches. They scored eight times across their opening two FA Cup matches last season, while they hit four past Spurs in the semis at Wembley. Will we see another goal-filled game when these two meet on Wednesday?

It seems quite likely, given that over 2.5 goals has landed in every game in this competition under Conte’s watch. That’s partly down to an awful defensive record – which has seen them concede in all of their previous five games in the EFL Cup, including shipping two at home to Bristol Rovers last season and failing to keep clean sheets against Nottingham Forest and Everton at home this term. We expect a high scoring game, and our tips here reflect that. We’re going for a home win and over 2.5 goals, as we see Chelsea winning and Bournemouth grabbing a goal in this clash.

Chelsea v Everton Betting Tips (EFL Cup) – 25th October 2017

Chelsea return to EFL Cup action on Wednesday night, as the Blues look to wrap up a place in the quarter-finals. This is a competition that Antonio Conte’s side crashed out of early last season, but can they hang in and try to claim League Cup glory? While this will be bottom of Chelsea’s list of priorities, there’s still silverware on the line, and it’s a competition in which the Blues have been successful over the last few years. The champions have a big test to make the next round, as they host Everton.

The Toffees started this season as one of the dark horses for silverware, after a big spending summer at Goodison. Things haven’t been going so well for them lately, but they still have a strong squad and plenty of talent to choose from in this game. The Toffees have enough quality to cause problems at Stamford Bridge, but can under-fire boss Ronald Koeman get them into the next round of the cup?

Team News: Conte Expected to Make Sweeping cup Changes

Chelsea have almost always made big changes in cup games. The FA Cup run last season was built on a second string side, even in the semis Eden Hazard and Diego Costa started on the bench. The EFL Cup isn’t a competition that’s worth risking the likes of Alvaro Morata in, so we expect an almost entirely different 11 where possible here. Michy Batshuayi should get a start, while there could be room to test a few youngsters against Premier League opposition. Charly Musonda would have been a contender to start, but his recent Instagram rant could see him left out of the side for this one.

Everton’s dismal results in the league and Europe recently mean that they should take this game seriously. We could see Wayne Rooney brought into the team, given that he has a decent record at Stamford Bridge in his career. Overall, the Toffees are struggling for pace in their side, but Ronald Koeman seems reluctant to start any of their younger players. Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Oumar Niasse were the two scorers in the last round for Everton, and they’re both in contention to start this trip.

Everton Form

Everton come into this game in awful form, and they’re on the verge of an early exit in Europe. Their defeat at home to Lyon leaves them with one point from their opening three group matches in the Europa League. That loss to Lyon was the 10th time in 12 matches that the Toffees have failed to win, with their only clean sheet in that run coming in this competition against Championship side Sunderland. Can they improve on their recent run at the home of the champions?

It’s hard to make a case for the Toffees here, given that they’ve failed to win their last six away games. Their only victory on the road this term came at Ruzomberok in the Europa League, and that was almost three months ago. Ending that wait is going to be difficult for the Toffees, who have lost seven of their last nine meetings with top six sides. They’ve not got a lot of hope coming in to this one, they’re just going to have to rely on an understrength Chelsea side failing to click here.

Chelsea v Everton Head to Head

Everton had a decent run of form against Chelsea, until Antonio Conte arrived at the Bridge. The Blues have since won three meetings with Everton, scoring 10 and conceding none. The champions already have a result against the Toffees this term, having won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge at the end of August. Will they be able to secure another home win this week and move in to the quarter-finals of the cup?

  • Chelsea 2-0 Everton, Aug 2017
  • Everton 0-3 Chelsea, Apr 2017
  • Chelsea 5-0 Everton, Nov 2016
  • Everton 2-0 Chelsea, Mar 2016
  • Chelsea 3-3 Everton, Jan 2016

Betting Tips

  • Both teams to score – 10/11 with Bet365
  • Over 2.5 Chelsea goals – 6/4 with Coral

Chelsea are widely expected to make it through, as they’re 2/5 favourites with BetVictor for this game. They’ve surely benefited from Everton’s poor form, which has the Toffees out at 7/1 with Ladbrokes for the points. Meanwhile, the draw here can be backed at 39/10 with Betfair, so obviously few are expecting this to be a long night. There’s not a huge amount of value in backing the home win at that price, especially when there’s going to be a huge number of changes being make by Antonio Conte. However, we believe we have found value elsewhere here by looking towards the goal markets.

The hosts have been far from solid at the back in recent weeks, and their second string side are likely to suffer the same kinds of issues. The Blues have played two home League Cup games under Conte, which have seen them concede three against Bristol City and Nottingham Forest. All four of their matches in this competition under Conte have seen both teams score, so we’re backing that as our main tip for this game at 10/11 with Bet365. While the visitors are struggling for results, they should have enough quality up front to take advantage of a changed Chelsea defence.

We’re also backing Chelsea to grab a few goals here, with over 2.5 for the hosts priced at 6/4 with Coral. The Blues have Michy Batshuayi in impressive form when he gets a chance outside of the Premier League, after he hit a hat-trick in the last round. With genuine squad depth now, the Blues should have a strong attack on show against Everton, and we can see them racking up a few goals against a side who are in awful form. That makes us think that over 2.5 goals from the home side is the best value bet here.

Chelsea v Nottingham Forest Betting Tips (EFL Cup) – 20th September 2017

Chelsea kick off their EFL Cup campaign this week when they host Nottingham Forest. The Championship side have made a solid start to the season, but can they pull off a major shock at the home of the champions? The Blues made an early exit this competition last term, just as they started the winning streak with bought them the title. They could have added the EFL Cup to that collection with that run, but can they make amends when they return to the competition this week? After a run to the FA Cup final last season, a quick return to Wembley would be a bonus for the champions. Could they add to their 2015 win in this competition?

It’s hard to see this being a priority for Antonio Conte, the Italian has already bemoaned the number of games his side have to play in September. Having made plenty of changes for their first clash in the Champions League, the Italian is likely to switch out a few first team stars for this clash. Given that Forest have already seen off Premier League opposition this season in this competition, that could be a risk. Will we see the Championship side triumph at Stamford Bridge, or a straightforward win for the champions?

Team News

Chelsea’s team against Qarabag should give us a clue of what direction Conte will go in here. The Blues have added strength in depth to the side which won the title last term, and their win in Europe suggests they can compete across all fronts. They rested the likes of Alvaro Morata and Eden Hazard, and we should see the same thing happen against Forest, though Hazard might start after starting on the bench in the 0-0 draw against Arsenal on Sunday. This trophy comes bottom of Chelsea’s list, and they’re facing a Championship side. Surely we will see a few changes, with Willy Caballero likely to feature in goal for this clash. Others who could feature are Michy Batshuayi, Davide Zappacosta and Charly Musonda.

Forest may be facing Premier League opposition, but gone are the days when this was a big occasion. Heading to a top flight side probably feels like a chore in the EFL Cup, when so many Championship sides kick off the season aiming for a place among the elite. Forest are at least in play-off contention this term, so there’s little reason for them to go all out this week. Expect plenty of changes from the away side in this tie.

Nottingham Forest Form

Forest have made a solid start to the new season, taking 12 points from a possible 21 in a very competitive league. Having beaten relegation on the final day of the Championship season last time out, they’re clearly off to a much better start this time around. Recent defeats to Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday have shaken them, but Forest should be looking forward to testing themselves against a Premier League side.

Of course, Forest have already tasted a giant-killing this season, thanks to their 3-2 win over Newcastle United at St James’ Park. That came in round two of this competition, meaning they’ve now won four of their last five in the League Cup. They’ve also managed five wins in their last six away, with their only loss coming at Tottenham in 2014.

Chelsea v Nottingham Forest Head to Head

With just one meeting this century, it’s fair to say there’s little recent record between the sides. Forest were regulars in the Premier League during the early years, so there are quite a few clashes in the late 90s. Given that the former European champions haven’t been back in the top flight since, meetings have been few and far between. Will we see a repeat of the Blues’ 3-0 FA Cup win 10 years ago?

  • Chelsea 3-0 Nottingham Forest, Jan 2007
  • Forest 1-3 Chelsea, Feb 1999
  • Chelsea 2-1 Forest, Sept 1998
  • Forest 2-0 Chelsea, Jan 1997
  • Chelsea 1-1 Forest, Sept 1996

Betting Tips

  • Over 3.5 goals – Evens with Coral
  • Both teams to score – 23/17 with Ladbrokes

Chelsea are unsurprisingly heavy favourites to take the points in this game. It’s hard to see Forest closing the gap, with the visitors priced as the 18/1 outsiders with Betfred to take a win. Chelsea’s team selection may give the away side a chance here, but we struggle to see anything but a home win. The Blues will want to avoid an upset, which could derail their season just as it got back on track. Given Antonio Conte’s relentless attitude, we can’t see him allowing a cup competition to pass his players by, we expect the Blues to go out fighting for a place in the next round.

Of course, we saw against Qarabag that players are playing for a starting spot. The fringe players were looking to make an impact and get more minutes, which is a situation Chelsea haven’t really had in a number of years. Their squad is growing, and we expect that to pay off when Forest come to visit. These players aren’t going to accept a 2-0, they’ll keep pushing forward like they did in the Champions League. We see the Blues pushing for another big win, so we’re backing over 3.5 goals in this match at evens with Coral.

We can also see plenty of goals here because we think Forest can score themselves. While Chelsea beat Qarabag to nil, their clean sheet came thanks to some good fortune. Their were big chances missed, and we think that the likely absence of Courtois makes it easier for Forest to get a goal. The visitors scored in eight of their first nine games, and we expect them to follow that form up with another goal After hitting three at St James’ Park, one against a weakened Chelsea seems very possible. With the visitors likely to have chances, we like both teams to score in this one at 23/17 with Ladbrokes.

West Ham v Chelsea Betting Tips (EFL Cup) – 26th October 2016

West Ham host Chelsea on Wednesday evening in what is very likely to be a hard-fought EFL Cup encounter at London Stadium. The club will be hoping for the battles to stay on the pitch of course, and an alcohol ban and a “robust policing plan” have been put in place to ensure things don’t get too nasty between the fans.

Here though we’ll focus on the game itself and it could be a real cracker. With both managers supremely eager to bring some silverware to their respective clubs, we fancy both will opt for strong teams in this one. After Chelsea’s emphatic 4-0 victory over Man United, will they kick on in style against the Hammers, or will the home side build on their back-to-back 1-0 league victories?

Team News: Terry Set to Warm Bench Again

It seems that John Terry is far from an automatic selection for Chelsea these days, especially after Chelsea kept a clean sheet against Man United on Sunday while he looked on from the bench. We expect him to start as sub once again, with the trio of Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz and Gary Cahill set to play. Kurt Zouma is on the way back from injury and might feature on the bench.

For West Ham, Slaven Bilic is likely to stick with the crux of the side which earned a 1-0 victory over Sunderland last time out. There are no fresh injury worries to contend with (obviously Andy Carroll is still absent!) so it will be simply a matter of whether or not Bilic feels he should shuffle his pack for this one.

West Ham Form

Prior to their win over the Black Cats on Saturday, West Ham had earned only four points from four home league matches this season. In fact, since their campaign started prematurely way back in July in the Europa League, the Hammers have won just five of their 14 games in all competitions.

Things might be starting to turn around a little for Bilic and his men. After an appalling run of four straight defeats in August/September, West Ham have won three and drawn one from five matches. Having just put together back-to-back wins for the first time this season, the Irons will go into this game in confident mood. Whether or not that confidence proves to be misplaced remains to be seen, of course.

West Ham v Chelsea Head to Head

All the meetings between these sides in recent years have been in the Premier League, with the last being on the opening day of the current season. While Chelsea have had the upper hand on the whole, the Hammers have held their own on a number of occasions, and it has rarely been a walkover.

  • Chelsea 2-1 West Ham, Aug 2016
  • Chelsea 2-2 West Ham, Mar 2016
  • West Ham 2-1 Chelsea, Oct 2015
  • West Ham 0-1 Chelsea, Mar 2015
  • Chelsea 2-0 West Ham, Dec 2014

Betting Tips

  • Chelsea to win to nil – 23/10 at Coral
  • Eden Hazard to score first – 6/1 at BetVictor

Chelsea are the odds-on favourites to win this one, with Bet365 and others pricing them at 4/5. The draw is out at 3/1 with BetVictor while the home side can be backed at 19/5 with Betfred. Looking purely at the match result odds, there will be a fair few punters out there who see backing the home side as the best value option. We would agree if this match had taken place after Chelsea’s winless (in normal time) September, but we think they’ve turned a corner since.

Chelsea looked ruthless and determined when facing their old boss Jose Mourinho on Sunday and put Man United to the sword, winning 4-0. That result comes on the back of two other victories – 2-0 away against Hull and 3-0 at home against Leicester. If Antonio Conte has now found the formula that combines a solid defence and a decent attacking threat, the Blues could cruise to the win here against a West Ham side who have been somewhat inconsistent to say the least this season. As such, backing Chelsea to win the match without conceding – as they have done four times this term – could be worth a look at odds of 23/10 with Coral.

Conte’s 3-5-2 formation looks not only to be making the defence harder to penetrate, but it is also starting to give Eden Hazard the chance to shine once more. He scored against Man United – his fourth league goal of the current campaign – and the Belgian might well be afforded enough space to make an impact in this one. He is priced at best odds of 6/1 with BetVictor to get the opening goal of the game, and we think that is a price worth grabbing.

West Ham’s best hope of success in this one is to keep things as tight as possible for as long as possible. If Chelsea start with the vim and vigour they showed in the early stages against the Red Devils, this might prove a very difficult task for the home side. But if Bilic sends his troops out with a defensive mindset there is a fair chance they will make it to half time without conceding. Backing the draw at half time, or even the half time correct score of 0-0, are both options that hold some appeal at respective odds of 7/5 and 12/5, both with Bet365.

Of course, an early goal for the visitors could open the floodgates, as it did against United at Stamford Bridge, but on balance we think this one will turn out to be a narrow victory for Chelsea. Correct score bets are notoriously difficult to land but backing Chelsea to win and under 2.5 goals to be scored could be a decent option at 19/5 with Coral.