Chelsea Soccer Pick
A scrambling Chelsea side welcome West Ham to the Bridge for this round’s only London derby. The two sides are in surprisingly similar form, and the Hammers have actually performed slightly better in the last ten Premier League (PL) matches.
Chelsea entered this season more or less in the same fashion as they finished their title winning previous season, collecting 45 points from their 21 matches up until New Year. 2018 has turned out to be an annus horribilis thus far, as Conte’s Blue Army have collected a dismal 11 points from ten matches. Consequently, a spot in next year’s Champions League now seems out of reach.
West Ham Soccer Pick
West Ham are collecting points on a regular basis under David Moyes, but are not out of the woods yet as just five points separate them from the relegation zone. Playing away from home, they have a dismal streak of four consecutive losses.
The reverse fixture at the London Stadium in December saw West Ham claim all the points (1-0). Chelsea will hope to better their performance here, as they failed to register a single shot at goal in the second half of that game.
Players News
Chelsea talisman Eden Hazard will be eager to find the net after a poor performance against Tottenham last round (3-1 loss).
Marko Arnautovic is on fire after scoring five in four matches for West Ham. His strike in the reverse fixture in November saw the Hammers claim all the points, and the Chelsea defenders will surely be paying him extra attention here.
Stat Strategy Soccer Pick:
Out of Conte’s 14 PL losses, six have now come in London derbies after their loss against Tottenham.
This London derby has proved to be a surprisingly open spectacle, as both Chelsea and West Ham have registered three wins each in the last seven games between the two sides (in all competitions).
The score in this fixture has ended goalless just twice in the 34 matches played in this millennium.
Soccer Pick: Chelsea to win
Odds: 1.33
