Chelsea will host Crystal Palace at home in the first round of the English Premier League. The Eagles have become a very comfortable opponent for the Aristocrats in recent seasons. Chelsea prevented Crystal Palace from scoring a single point in the last seven games of the EPL. What can the visitors show under Patrick Vieira?
Chelsea form
Chelsea are thriving under Thomas Tuchel. In the previous EPL campaign, they finished fourth in the table. The team won the Champions League trophy by beating Manchester City in the final. The season was slightly hampered by a loss to Leicester in the FA Cup final. In the preseason, the Blues played four friendly matches that resulted in three wins and one draw. A few days ago, Chelsea won their second trophy under the German coach. The London club beat Villarreal in a penalty shoot-out to win the UEFA Super Cup.
Crystal Palace form
Crystal Palace managed to keep their place in the English league. In the previous season, the London club scored 44 points and took 14th place in the standings. The Eagles’ managers entrusted the coaching job to the legendary French midfielder - Patrick Vieira. Under his guidance, the team have held six friendly matches which saw four wins, one draw and one loss.
Head-to-head encounters
In the previous EPL season, Crystal Palace failed to play well on the defensive against the Aristocrats twice. Chelsea defeated their opponent on two occasions. In the first round at home the club scored four unanswered goals to Crystal Palace, and the away result was 4-1. In total, the clubs have played 54 matches. In terms of victories, the home team has the advantage, 28-11.
Significant figures
- Chelsea won their last 7 head-to-head matches against Crystal Palace in all competitions;
- Chelsea scored at least 3 goals in their last three games against Crystal Palace in all competitions;
- Crystal Palace conceded at least 2 goals in seven of their last eight EPL matches;
- In five of their last six matches at Stamford Bridge the bet "Total Over 2.5" paid off.
Predicted lineups
Chelsea: Mendy, Azpilicueta, Zouma, Rudiger, Alonso, Jorginho, Kovacic, Hudson-Odoi, Mount, Havertz, Werner.
Crystal Palace: Guaita, Ward, Kouyaté, Guéhi, Mitchell, McArthur, Riedewald, Schlupp, Ayew, Mateta, Zaha.
Expert Betting Tips
It’s going to be the fifth face-to-face meeting of Thomas Tuchel and Patrick Vieira. The teams under their guidance met in Ligue 1. In France, Tuchel's PSG beat Vieira's Nice three times, and one more game ended in a draw. Crystal Palace has become one of the most comfortable opponents for Chelsea in recent seasons. Chelsea are clear favorites. I think that the home team will be able to find some weaknesses in the Eagles' defense once again. I expect a confident start to the EPL season for the Aristocrats. Also I suggest betting on a large number of productive actions, as happened in the last head-to-head games.
- Handicap Chelsea (-1.5) for 1.896;
- Total Over 2.5 for 1.97;
- Chelsea To Win + Total Over 2.5 for 2.14.