Tag: Stoke City

Chelsea are back in action on Saturday, with a busy few days ahead. This clash comes just before a midweek trip to Arsenal, and then their FA Cup Third Round tie the following weekend. That wraps up a busy Christmas schedule, one which could make or break their season. Antonio Conte will want his side strengthening their place inside the top three, while they’ll have an eye on second with United faltering. While Man City are set to run away with the title, the Blues could force their way into second place in their title defence.

This season is playing out very differently for the Blues this time around, as they were the runaway leaders at Christmas last year. However, Conte’s side are now competing across multiple fronts, while at this stage last season they only had the league and FA Cup to focus on. With four competitions to compete in, squad rotation is going to be a big part of the next couple of months, so we should see a changed Chelsea side heading out at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Team News: Conte Expected to Rotate to Cope with Christmas Congestion

The Blues come in to this one on the back of a solid victory over Brighton, which saw a number of changes. They’ve handled their squad well across the Christmas schedule so far, and we expect that to be the case when Stoke roll in to town this weekend. Gary Cahill got a break last time out, and we expect him to return to the side for this one. The 3-5-2 formation used against Brighton should remain, with Danny Drinkwater likely to feature in a three-man midfield. The key for Conte will be keeping things fresh, especially with a big test to come at the Emirates during the week.

On-loan Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma is a big miss for the Potters, his presence in their defence is a pretty big one, as most Blues’ fans will know. He’s among the defensive absentees for the Potters, with Erik Pieters a doubt, and Bruno Martins Indi is another who is likely to sit out here. Up against Chelsea that could be crucial, with the Blues possessing some impressive attacking talents. A defensive reshuffle is likely to be on the cards for Mark Hughes, which isn’t ideal as they try to stave off the threat of relegation.

Stoke Form

Stoke are having far from a vintage year, and they’ve spent most of the campaign worrying about relegation. The Potters were rumoured to be considering Hughes’ position not too long ago, with a 2-1 win over West Brom seemingly keeping him in place over Christmas. The club still aren’t out of danger, and they remain one of the worst organised sides in the top flight.

Stoke have had particular problems on the road this season, claiming just a single victory on their travels. They’ve lost 60% of their away trips this term, averaging just 0.6 points per game on the road. That’s got to be a concern ahead of this game away to Chelsea, a side who have one of the strongest home records in the top flight.

Chelsea v Stoke Head to Head

Chelsea are in a good run of form against Stoke, as they won home and away against the Potters last season. They followed that up by pulling off one of their most impressive results this season against Hughes and his team, winning 4-0 at the bet365 Stadium back in September this season. While that sparked the possibility of a title charge, the Blues simply haven’t hit those heights regularly. Will they be able to return to that impressive form with a win here?

• Stoke 0-4 Chelsea, Sept 2017
• Stoke 1-2 Chelsea, Mar 2017
• Chelsea 4-2 Stoke, Dec 2016
• Chelsea 1-1 Stoke, Mar 2016
• Stoke 1-0 Chelsea, Nov 2015

Betting Tips

• Chelsea to win to nil – 4/5 with BetVictor
• Chelsea -3 handicap – 4/1 with Betfair

The Blues come in to this game as heavy favourites to claim all three points against the Potters. Following their comprehensive victory in the last meeting, the champions have been priced at just 1/6 with Coral for the victory, while the visitors have drifted out to 20/1 with Ladbrokes. You can back the draw at 6/1 with Betfred in this game, but little about the form of these two suggests that this game will be anything but a straightforward victory for the home side. With Alvaro Morata backed in to 7/12 with Coral to score in the 90 minutes, it’s fair to expect a few goals in this one too.

Stoke head to a Chelsea side who are in solid form at home, having won 70% of their home matches this term. They’ve won their last six here in the league, while four of their last five victories at the Bridge in the Premier League have come to nil. Stoke don’t exactly have a lot of attacking talent going forward, and the Blues have already kept a clean sheet in the away meeting this term. We expect this to be a comfortable victory for the champions, and we think a win to nil is worth backing in this one, and it is priced at 4/5 with BetVictor.

The Blues recorded a thumping win over Stoke earlier this term, and that’s nothing new for the Potters. Not only did they ship four goals in their trip here last season, but they’ve already suffered heavy losses against some of the league’s top teams. The Potters were hit for seven in their game at the Etihad against leaders City, while they lost 5-1 against Tottenham at Wembley recently. With that in mind, we think the Blues’ attack could click against this weakened Stoke defence, one which has lost by four goals on three occasions already this term. We’re backing the Blues with a -3 handicap here at a huge 4/1 with Betfair.

Chelsea came up short in their last Premier League game at home to Arsenal, but can they respond this weekend and get back to winning ways? The Blues didn’t look great in their draw at the Bridge with the Gunners, and the momentum they had previously built up evaporated pretty quickly in that game. Will they find it as difficult to break through Stoke this weekend? The Potters haven’t made the best of starts this season, and Mark Hughes will be worried that his side could suffer yet another loss when the champions roll into town this weekend.

Not only will Antonio Conte be thinking about this trip, but he also has to cast an eye forward to the Champions League tie with Atletico Madrid shortly after. That’s going to be a critical fixture in their group, with the pair battling for a place in the last 16. Chelsea may have added to their squad, to ensure they have enough depth for this campaign, but the key thing now is getting their first team through two vital away trips in the coming days, with a win at Stoke needed first to keep their title hopes alive.

Team News: Blues expected to be back at full strength

After making plenty of changes for the League Cup clash with Nottingham Forest, the Blues are set to be back to full strength for this clash. Eden Hazard is a player we can see starting, after his slow comeback from injury saw him left on the bench for the Arsenal clash. However, Stoke away probably isn’t an ideal place for the Belgian to start, as he’s likely to be kicked around in 90 minutes at the Bet365 Stadium. Conte may choose to rest a couple ahead of the Champions League trip in midweek, but we struggle to see anything but the strongest possible side taking the field for this trip, after a mixed start in the Premier League from the Blues.

Stoke were also in EFL Cup action in midweek, but that’s not going to be a priority for them this term. While a side like Stoke should be pushing in that competition, they’re much more concerned with securing Premier League safety. They are likely to start in a 3-4-3 set-up this weekend, after using that formation away to Newcastle last week. The concern for Hughes is that teams who try and match the Blues man for man don’t always come off too well. Stoke are set to be without Chelsea loanee Kurt Zouma, which weakens their three man defence.

Stoke Form

Stoke lost 2-1 to Newcastle last weekend, which was just their second defeat of the season. That loss has left them sitting in mid-table in the early standings, with five points from a possible 15. Stoke have taken most of those points against top sides, but will they be able to add to their haul when Chelsea visit this weekend?

After a 1-0 win at home to Arsenal and a 2-2 draw with Manchester United, Stoke are in form against top sides at home. However, could they have just caught them at the right time? Hughes and his team lost at home to five of the top six last term, and that’s bound to worry them before the Blues pay a visit on Saturday. After conceding twice in their last to league games, Stoke shouldn’t put up too much resistance to Chelsea’s attack this weekend.

Stoke v Chelsea Head to Head

Chelsea have a pretty mixed record against Stoke overall, despite winning home and away last season. The Blues have won just three of their last six trips to this ground, with Stoke coming out on top in the other three. Will this be another victory for Mark Hughes and his side, or can Antonio Conte get his team through another difficult trip to the Bet365 stadium?

• Stoke 1-2 Chelsea, Mar 2017
• Chelsea 4-2 Stoke, Dec 2016
• Chelsea 1-1 Stoke, Mar 2016
• Stoke 1-0 Chelsea, Nov 2015
• Stoke 1-1 Chelsea, Oct 2015

Betting Tips

• Both teams to score – 19/20 with Bet365
• Alvaro Morata to score any time – 21/20 with Coral

Chelsea head to Stoke as odds-on favourites to take the points this weekend. You can back the Blues at 8/13 with BetVictor on Saturday, despite their mixed record at this ground. Meanwhile, Stoke are 9/2 with Betfred to take the points this weekend, while the draw here can be backed at 14/5 with Ladbrokes. The champions need to get back to winning ways after their slip against Arsenal, but will they take maximum points against the Potters? With the Manchester clubs starting to pull away at the top, the Blues can’t afford to drop any more points if they’re going to retain their title this season.

The problem for Chelsea is that they’ve not looked defensively solid for a while now. All season there’s been some concern over their backline, and now David Luiz is suspended for the Blues, which leaves them a little short. Stoke have been scoring a few goals, while they hit three goals against the champions last term. We can see Stoke scoring here, after scoring against United and Arsenal in their home matches already this term. We’re backing both teams to score here at 19/20 with Bet365.

While Alvaro Morata didn’t score against Arsenal last weekend, the Spaniard still looked sharp. He’s already scored in three of his first five games, failing to find the net against Tottenham and Arsenal. He should find things easier against Stoke, and we’re expecting the Spanish international to grab a goal on Saturday. Given how poor Stoke have looked at the back in recent games, there should be a few opportunities for Morata and co this weekend. We’re tipping a goal for the Spaniard, who is priced at 21/20 with Coral to score at some point during the game.

Can Chelsea build on their FA Cup quarter final victory over Manchester United when they face Stoke at the weekend? They make the trip to the Potteries on Saturday, as they aim to continue their push for the Premier League title. After their win over the Red Devils on Monday night, there’s a very real possibility that Antonio Conte’s men can end the season with a league and cup double. However, they need to keep their focus in the remaining weeks, with a queue of top sides lining up behind them.

With Liverpool facing Manchester City, another one of the top four is guaranteed to drop points this weekend. That can boost the Blues’ position at the top of the table, as long as they can see off Stoke this weekend. This will be a brand new test for Conte, but he’s built a side which should be able to withstand any challenge they face at the Bet365 Stadium. This trip is their final match of the month, can they round off an impressive run in March by winning against the Potters?

Team News: Changes unlikely after cup success

It’s hard to see Antonio Conte making too many changes for this game. He kept his full strength side for the clash with Manchester United, bringing in Willian for Pedro and Nemanja Matic for Cesc Fabregas. Those two switches helped them to victory over a top six rival, and they should help them through a difficult away trip. The combination of Matic and N’Golo Kante in midfield is a bruising partnership, while Willian offers more tracking back. That leaves more room for Eden Hazard, who’ll play in support of Diego Costa. Conte isn’t going to feel the need to change from that, especially with no club game for another two weeks.

Mark Hughes doesn’t have the same injury free squad as Conte. They’re missing first choice goalkeeper Jack Butland, while Xherdan Shaqiri is also out for the Potters. They’ve been lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation of late, which sees Peter Crouch as their main focal point in attack. The forward has caused plenty of problems for Chelsea in the past, including a goal at Stamford Bridge earlier this season. However, just how will that setup fare at home to the 3-4-3 system employed by the league leaders?

Stoke Form

Stoke come into this game in patchy form, following a 0-0 draw with Manchester City. That point was a solid result, but the Potters had their backs to the wall at the Etihad. While that was a hard earned point, they have still won just two of their last seven matches. An early exit in the FA Cup was a serious blow to their campaign. They lost 2-0 at home to Championship side Wolves, who Chelsea then dumped out a couple of rounds later.

Stoke are currently ninth in the Premier League, which would represent a good finish to the campaign, after a poor start. Hughes was under pressure at the Bet365 earlier this season, but he’s managed to straighten things out for the Potters. They’ve been in pretty mixed form at this ground so far, winning six of their 14 home league matches. Unlike in previous years, most of those victories have been against weaker sides, with no big scalps of note. Heavy defeats to Tottenham home and away have shown that Stoke have fallen slightly, after once possessing a fortress like home record.

Stoke v Chelsea Head to Head

Recent meetings between these two sides have been very mixed, including a couple of poor results for the Blues away to Stoke in the past. A league defeat and a penalty shootout loss here in 2015 didn’t do much for Jose Mourinho’s hopes of holding on to his job. The Blues did claim a victory in their last meeting, which proved more difficult for the league leaders than they’d imagined.

• Chelsea 4-2 Stoke, Dec 2016
• Chelsea 1-1 Stoke, Mar 2016
• Stoke 1-0 Chelsea, Nov 2015
• Stoke 1-1 Chelsea, Oct 2015
• Chelsea 2-1 Stoke, Apr 2015

Betting Tips

• Both teams to score – evens with Betfred
• Chelsea to win and over 2.5 goals – 31/20 with Coral

Chelsea come into this match as 8/13 favourites with Sky Bet, despite travelling to the Bet365 Stadium. While this tends to be a tough place to go, Stoke are priced at 11/2 with BetVictor to get a result here. Meanwhile, Betfair are offering 3/1 on the draw. It’s telling that the Blues are such heavy favourites in this kind of difficult fixture. While trips to Stoke aren’t as difficult as they once were. Can the Blues take full advantage of some patchy Stoke form and continue their push towards the Premier League title?

Chelsea should be worried about their defensive record of late, after conceding in their last five Premier League matches. They struggled against Stoke’s attack in their previous meeting, despite coming out 4-2 winners. Hughes’ men found a way around an excellent Blues defence, and they’ll be confident of scoring against a side who have looked more open in recent weeks. The leaders should be able to find the net in this game, after scoring in 86% of their league matches. That’s why we’re backing both teams to score, which is priced at evens with Betfred.

Chelsea should still take the points, despite their problems at the back. Stoke are a side who look vulnerable, especially against those at the top of the table. While we see Stoke getting a goal, their recent form against Tottenham, two 4-0 defeats this term, makes us think that Conte’s men will be able to hit a few goals. After all, 63% of their league matches this term have seen over 2.5 goals. That’s why we’re backing an away win and over 2.5 goals, which is priced at 31/20 with Coral.

Chelsea’s final game of 2016 sees them host Stoke at Stamford Bridge on New Year’s Eve, can they finish the year six points clear? The Blues will be widely expected to continue their impressive winning run, which has led them to a commanding lead at the top of the Premier League. Can they extend that with a victory over 13th placed Stoke?

The visitors come here in a poor run of form, can they repeat the draw that they picked up here last season? This Chelsea side are a lot different, they’ve put together a fantastic 12 game winning run. They can equal Arsenal’s 13 game winning run record with a victory on Saturday. They’re heavy favourites for the points, especially now that Antonio Conte has almost a full strength side to choose from.

Team News: Conte Welcomes back Costa and Kante

Chelsea’s only missing player ahead of this game is John Terry, who hasn’t started a league game since the trip to Swansea in early September anyway. David Luiz, Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta are set to start at centre back for the 13th game running. They’ll be protected by N’Golo Kante, with the former Leicester man now back from suspension for this weekend’s game.

Kante and Diego Costa were both suspended for the victory over Bournemouth, but they return for the final game of the year. Cesc Fabregas came in to the side ahead of the last game, and he’s probably earned a place in the starting line-up. Nemanja Matic has started the last two games, and he could be rested here. Conte played Eden Hazard as a false nine, with Willian and Pedro in support. The Spaniard impressed, opening the scoring, so we expect the Brazilian to drop out for Costa. Conte is likely to shift back to the side which won 1-0 at Crystal Palace before Christmas.

Stoke have a couple of injury worries for this game, with Jack Butland once again missing in goal. Stephen Ireland and Geoff Cameron are both injured for this trip, while key attacker Marko Arnautovic is suspended. The Potters started with a back three at Anfield, but it’s hard to see them taking the same approach here. After all, the last sides who tried to match Conte’s system were Man City and Everton, and that didn’t finish well for either of them. Expect a more conservative team selection from Mark Hughes here.

Stoke Form

Stoke come here having failed to win any of their last four games. That includes their first match of the festive period, which saw them thumped 4-1 at Anfield. They took a shock lead against Liverpool, but they couldn’t cope with the Reds’ forward line. The way that back three crumbled doesn’t bode well for them in this trip, especially given how lethal the Blues can be going forward.

Stoke are usually a side who push for the top half, but they’ve spent a large chunk of this season fighting relegation. They’ve manged just over a goal per game in the league, while they’ve let in 28 in total before the half-way stage. There are clearly some big problems for Hughes to fix, and his side still needs plenty of work. A trip to Chelsea isn’t exactly what he would have wanted, given how Conte’s side are in incredible form and full of confidence.

Chelsea v Stoke Head to Head

The Blues really struggled in three meetings with Stoke last season. They were dumped out of the EFL Cup on penalties in October last year, before a 1-0 league defeat there the next month. Even their meeting at Stamford Bridge was disappointing, with a late equaliser giving the Potters’ a 1-1 draw. Chelsea did win home and away against Stoke on their way to the 2015 title, can they do the same this term?

• Chelsea 1-1 Stoke, Mar 2016
• Stoke 1-0 Chelsea, Nov 2015
• Stoke 1-1 Chelsea, Oct 2015
• Chelsea 2-1 Stoke, Apr 2015
• Stoke 0-2 Chelsea, Dec 2014

Betting Tips

• Over 2.5 Chelsea goals – 6/5 with BetVictor
• Diego Costa to score first – 5/2 with Coral

Chelsea come in to this game as heavy favourites: they’re 1/4 with Ladbrokes to take the points on Saturday. Meanwhile, Stoke are 12/1 outsiders with Betfred. Clearly the leaders are expected to continue their excellent winning run, but will they make this a 13th victory out of 13? They’ll have to be careful, as Stoke have a decent away scoring record. They’ve found the net at Old Trafford, Anfield and the Emirates so far this season. The hosts have conceded just two goals in their winning streak, but backing them to win to nil here could be risky, especially as the Potters have scored on their last two trips to the Bridge.

However, we can see quite a few goals for the Blues this weekend. They’re up against a side who have conceded far too many in recent games. The Potters shipped four at Liverpool, three at Arsenal and two at home to a 10 man Leicester side. With Chelsea in excellent form and scoring for fun, we can see them adding to Hughes’ misery. Six of the Blues’ last nine games here have seen them score three or more goals. We’re backing a repeat of that, with over 2.5 goals for the hosts priced at 6/5 with BetVictor.

Costa wasn’t missed last time out, and the forward got a much needed rest. He’ll walk back into the side for this game, given that he’s the league’s top scorer. We can see him being refreshed, given that he’s had two weeks break heading into this game. That’s bad news for Stoke, and we’re backing them to suffer. Costa has six goals in his last eight outings, and we’re predicting him to open the scoring this weekend, which is priced at 5/2 with Coral.