Tag: Huddersfield

The Blues get their new Premier League season started in West Yorkshire on Saturday, with a trip to Huddersfield first up for Maurizio Sarri. Of course, they lost to Man City in the Community Shield last Sunday but this is their first 100% competitive game and having endured a tough season last term they will be desperate to start with a win.

Under Antonio Conte the defending Premier League champions finished fifth, some five points shy of a Champions League spot. That means they will be in the Europa League this term and before that competition gets started on 20th September they will want to have accrued as many points as possible.

Their opponents on Saturday have different concerns and, as 12 months ago, simply surviving in the top flight will represent a brilliant achievement for the small club. The Terriers finished the 2017-18 campaign in a respectable 16th place and given their budget they would surely be happy with that outcome again. They were strong on home soil last term though and will be eyeing a win here as they hope to start the new season with an upset against one of the big boys.

Team News: What is Sarri’s Best XI?

New boss Sarri has had the summer to get to know the strengths and weaknesses of this squad and with the transfer window now shut he knows exactly what cards he has to play. The big question is, does the former Napoli man know his best hand? Preparations have been somewhat hit by the involvement of a number of players in the World Cup, whilst transfer speculation around the likes of Eden Hazard and Willian also haven’t helped.

Of course, there are some things we do know, chiefly that there will be no Thibaut Courtois, following the Belgian’s move to Real Madrid. Replacement Kepa cost a huge sum, so it will be interesting to see how he settles in at the Bridge. We also know that Sarri will play his usual formation, meaning a return to four at the back. Alvaro Morata is likely to have Hazard and Willian behind him, whilst new boy Jorginho and N’Golo Kante will be joined in midfield by either Cesc Fabregas, Ross Barkley or possibly Mateo Kovačić if the Real loanee is deemed ready.

The Blues essentially have a fully fit squad and with a likely back four of César Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Antonio Rüdiger and Marcos Alonso it is the final midfield place that seems the only question mark.

The Terriers have a few injury concerns and will have some late fitness tests, with midfielder Danny Williams the only player definitely absent. New striker Adama Diakhaby should start and David Wagner’s men will probably feature a few new faces after a relatively busy summer. Big money signing Terence Kongolo will strengthen Huddersfield’s defence but with a total of 13 new players to integrate, quite how well the home side will gel remains to be seen.

Huddersfield Form

Obviously there isn’t too much of real note to go on for either side here. Chelsea’s game with City was the most competitive either side has played since the end of last season and we really don’t want to read an awful lot into pre-season friendlies.

That said, the home team should, in theory at least, be full of confidence for this clash. Their final warm-up saw them beat RB Lipzig 3-0, with new striker Diakhaby scoring. A raft of changes were made in that game but it remains a positive result and saw the Terriers play 3-5-2, which we expect here against the Blues. Prior to that, Wagner’s men saw off Bologna and Lyon and they have had a good build-up, scoring goals with relative ease.

Huddersfield v Chelsea Head to Head

Despite their poor season last term the Blues recorded a big 3-1 win at the Kirklees Stadium. Given how strong Wagner’s men were on home soil and how few goals they conceded, that was a fine result. More of the same would certainly be nice here, although the most recent clash, in the penultimate game of last season, was less pleasing.

• Chelsea 1-1 Huddersfield, May 2018
• Huddersfield 1-3 Chelsea, Feb 2017
• Chelsea 3-1 Huddersfield, Feb 2008
• Chelsea 2-1 Huddersfield, Jan 2006
• Chelsea 0-1 Huddersfield, Oct 1999

Betting Tips

• Under 2.5 goals – 17/20 with BetVictor
• Draw – 3/1 with Bet365

Chelsea are big favourites here but we have a bad feeling that this might not be the easiest of games. Huddersfield have had a magnificent pre-season and will be confident they can get a result on home soil. Last season they were hard to break down in front of their own fans and with a raucous atmosphere guaranteed the Blues could struggle.

Last season games at the Kirklees saw a total of just 41 goals at an average of 2.15 per game. Wagner knows that a draw would be a solid result here and whilst we don’t expect them to play for such a result we certainly don’t expect them to go all out for the win either. They will fight for every ball and give the Blues a real game and the draw looks overpriced here at big odds of 3/1.

Chelsea are available at just 8/13 and sadly we can’t back them at that price, despite their 3-1 win here last term. Sarri has some big changes to implement in terms of style and that will take time. Moreover, with the European transfer window still open, there remains a chance that Hazard will be agitating for a move and things are certainly not as rosy off the pitch as would be ideal.

We expect a tight game here and although we don’t see the home side winning (11/2 Bet365) we do think they can nick a point. The 1-1 stalemate would be our correct score tip but we’ll play it safer and back the draw instead, in what is likely to be a low scoring clash, despite Sarri’s preference for attacking football.

Chelsea kept their top four hopes alive on Sunday, after a 1-0 victory over Champions League finalists Liverpool. The Blues are now guaranteed to finish at least level on points with the Reds if they can win their two remaining games of the season. Meanwhile, they’ve closed the gap to fourth placed Tottenham to just two points, although Spurs also have two matches left to play, compared to Liverpool’s one. While Chelsea are back in the frame, the fact that the other two sides are at home in all of their remaining fixtures makes things quite difficult for them to turn it around.

The hosts will still want to finish on a high, even if they’re going to be kicking themselves for past slip ups as a result. Wednesday’s meeting with Huddersfield is a chance for Antonio Conte’s side to continue their fight into the final day, but there are still questions surrounding the Italians choices which put the team in this mess. Complicating matters further is Huddersfield’s push for survival, as a point would all but secure their top flight place for another year.

Team News: Conte Set for Final Bridge Selection

Antonio Conte isn’t one to switch from a winning formula, but the Blues boss might make a slight tweak as he looks for a more attacking display in what is potentially his final match in charge at Stamford Bridge. He won’t be able to make a change up top, with Alvaro Morata a doubt for the midweek encounter. Danny Drinkwater is thought to be back in contention, but he’s unlikely to feature with Conte likely to switch back to a 3-4-3 after using a 3-5-2 to frustrate the Reds at the weekend. That should see the inclusion of Willian, who has enjoyed an impressive season to date.

The Terriers also like to use a 3-5-2 set-up to frustrate their opponents, and we can see something similar coming from the visitors here. Fresh from a 0-0 draw with Man City, David Wagner’s men are going to push for a similar result. They’re unlikely to make big changes from the team which picked up a crucial point at City, although Terence Kolongo is a doubt ahead of this one. The visitors will have to ready themselves for a clash with a side who are looking to achieve something, rather than facing a team who appeared to be on autopilot.

Huddersfield Form

The visitors really needed that point at City, as it moved them three clear of the drop with two matches to play. The two sides below them – Southampton and Swansea – meet in Wales on Tuesday, so there could be a lot of pressure on the Terriers following that one. The visitors have only themselves to blame should they come up short this season, following a run of one victory in eight matches. A point or two more across that run would have made all the difference, and the West Yorkshire outfit now have work still to do.

Huddersfield finish the season at Chelsea and then at home to Arsenal. Taking on the Gunners in Arsene Wenger’s final match in charge is a difficult one, and it’s going to leave the Terriers sweating on their place in the top flight. Having averaged just 0.72 points per game on the road this season, they’re not expected to turn things around on Wednesday night.

Chelsea v Huddersfield Head to Head

Chelsea won 3-1 at the John Smith’s Stadium in December last year, the first top flight meeting between the pair in over 40 years. They last met at the Bridge over 10 years ago, when the Blues won 3-1 against the Terriers in the FA Cup. However, with only three meetings this century, there’s not a huge lot to take from the head to head record between these two – other than the relatively easy Blues win earlier in the campaign.

• Huddersfield 1-3 Chelsea, Dec 2017
• Chelsea 3-1 Huddersfield, Feb 2008
• Chelsea 2-1 Huddersfield, Jan 2006
• Chelsea 0-1 Huddersfield, Oct 1999
• Chelsea 3-1 Huddersfield, Feb 1984

Betting Tips

• Chelsea to Win to Nil – 31/40 with BetVictor
• Olivier Giroud to score – 5/6 with Coral

The Blues’ push for a top four finish should get a boost this week, according to the bookies. They’ve been priced up at 2/11 with Betfred to win on Wednesday night, while Huddersfield are 18/1 outsiders with Bet365. The draw can be backed at 13/2 with Coral, with the Blues clearly expected to take the points. That would be a big blow for the Terriers’ hopes of staying in the division, and their away form certainly backs up those prices. Obviously the hosts aren’t great value to back outright for the victory, but there are other bets worth taking a look at ahead of this clash.

The home side have won five straight matches, following back to back 1-0 wins in the league. They are grinding out results in impressive fashion, which has kept them in the race for fourth. Meanwhile, Huddersfield come here having failed to score away to any top half side in the Premier League, which shows their issues up front. We expect Chelsea’s improved defence to continue that awful Huddersfield run, and we’re backing a home win to nil on Wednesday night, at 31/40 with BetVictor. In addition, another 1-0 wouldn’t be all that shocking, and that can be backed at 13/2 with Ladbrokes.

Olivier Giroud has been praised by Conte this week, and the French forward has really made an impact since arriving at the Bridge mid-season. He’s already faced the visit of Huddersfield once this season, scoring twice for Arsenal against them at the Emirates. With his recent form and a solid record against them so far, we think the Frenchman will once again make the difference for the Blues. We’re backing Giroud to score any time, which seems like good value at 5/6 with Coral.

Chelsea are looking to bounce back from a surprise 1-0 loss at West Ham on Saturday when they travel to Huddersfield on Tuesday night. The champions suffered a poor defeat away to the Premier League’s bottom side for the second time this season, which capped off a pretty poor week. Having fluffed the chance to top their Champions League group with a 1-1 draw with Atletico, things just aren’t going right for the Blues right now. Can Antonio Conte inspire a turnaround, and take advantage of a straightforward December fixture list?

Their hopes of racking up points this month and pushing up the table have already been blown, with that defeat at London Stadium. However, Chelsea do have an impressive away record this term – but can they continue that here? Having won five of their eight matches on the road so far, Conte will be hoping that he can lead his side to victory over the newly promoted Terriers. However, the hosts are impressing in the top flight this season, and they have to be considered a threat. Having lost to West Ham and David Moyes, the Blues have to be fearful of most of the Premier League.

Team News: Conte Could Revert to Type After Struggles

Conte was quite bullish after the West Ham defeat, noting that the Blues have lost just four of their 16 matches so far. Obviously that isn’t good enough to sustain a title push, and the champions are facing a fight just to make it in to the top four this term. He’ll look to make a change after that, and switching to a 3-4-3 set-up once again could be the answer. It’s hard to see Tiemoue Bakayoko earning a place in the team this week – and it’s likely that N’Golo Kante and Cec Fabregas will be partnered up in the middle of the park. With a favourable fixture list to come, the Blues need to shake things up and get points on the board.

Huddersfield aren’t likely to have any major injury concerns heading into this game, which is a boost as they look to continue some solid home form. They set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation for their win over Brighton at the weekend, and we can’t see the Terriers looking to shake things up for a clash against the champions. That same approach was used in their clashes against the two Manchester clubs, and we expect them to treat Conte’s side as a similar threat. Having scored twice at the weekend, expect Steve Mounie to lead the line for the hosts.

Huddersfield Form

Huddersfield claimed a much needed win on Saturday, seeing off Brighton 2-0 at the John Smiths Stadium to keep their distance from the relegation zone. They’re now just outside the top half on goal difference, so the Terriers are enjoying an impressive first season in the Premier League, so they can’t be underestimated here. They did end a four game losing streak with that result, while it continued their impressive home form this term.

Huddersfield have won half of their home matches since gaining promotion to the top flight, suffering just two defeats. The Terriers may have slipped up against two of the top six – losing to Man City and Tottenham – but they also managed to pull off a victory over Man United here this term. Will they add to that when the champions visit on Tuesday?

Huddersfield v Chelsea Head to Head

These two sides have rarely met in recent years – the only two encounters were cup matches at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are preparing for their first trip to Huddersfield since the early 70s, which was a very different time for both sides. Having built a new ground since then and after years in the lower reaches of the Football League, the Terriers will be viewing this as a huge game for them.

• Chelsea 3-1 Huddersfield, Feb 2008
• Chelsea 2-1 Huddersfield, Jan 2006
• Chelsea 2-2 Huddersfield, Jan 1972
• Huddersfield 1-2 Chelsea, Aug 1971
• Chelsea 0-0 Huddersfield, Mar 1971

Betting Tips

• Both teams to score – 5/4 with Betfred
• Chelsea and over 2.5 goals – 11/10 with Coral

Chelsea come into this one as heavy favourites for the points, they’re 1/3 with Ladbrokes to become just the third side to win at the John Smiths Stadium this season. The hosts are out at 10/1 with BetVictor for the victory, while the draw can be found at 4/1 with Betfair. The Blues may have lost out on the road on Saturday, but they’re clearly heavily fancied to get back to winning ways on their travels. Will they be the latest top side to win at this ground, or will they fall to a similar fate as United did here?

The Terriers do carry a threat going forward, although they are only really scoring in their home matches. Huddersfield have scored 73% of their goals this season at home, while they’ve not scored on the road since the opening day of the campaign. They’ve managed to score in their last four home matches, averaging exactly a goal per game at home this term. Having found the net against both Manchester sides, we’re backing them to score against the Blues. Backing BTTS in this one holds a certain appeal at 5/4 with Betfred.

The Blues will be looking to bounce back with a win, and the way that Tottenham and Man City won here should give them hope of a victory. Both of those defeats saw at least three goals scored, while 62% of the Blues’ trips have seen over 2.5 goals. With the visitors averaging close to two goals per game on their travels this term, we expect them to edge a high scoring match against a side who have a good scoring record in front of their own fans. We’re backing Chelsea to win and over 2.5 goals in the match, which can be backed at 11/10 with Coral.