Under Antonio Conte, today’s Chelsea squad is enriched with an abundance of talent and leadership that is the envy of all.
Meanwhile, West Ham’s future in the Premier League remains uncertain but not necessarily bleak. A strong January transfer window, which saw the arrival of dead ball specialist Robert Snodgrass, appears to have given the team a massive boost.
The ninth-placed Hammers are now in a good position to finish in the top half and build from there. Sadly, a European finish is seemingly out of the question.
Unsurprisingly, just one bookmaker is now offering odds for West Ham to achieve a top-six berth. The certifiably insane can back the Hammers to pull this off at 250/1 with Bet 365.
Can Bilic restore the faith?
West Ham has not made a particularly impressive start to life at the London Stadium. Yet, aside from two league defeats at home (to both Manchester clubs), 2017 has begun reasonably well for the East End club.
Neutrals will also do well to remember that the Hammers have already beaten Chelsea at home this season. That victory came in the EFL Cup fourth round on 26 October.
Tellingly, Bilic’s battlers have also scored twice against Chelsea in three of the last four encounters. That noted, Chelsea has seldom conceded against West Ham without response. Ultimately, this means that the Anytime Goalscorer Double market is a potential goldmine ahead of Monday evening.
Adventurous bettors may be willing to explore less obvious options, but at 11/2 (William Hill), the inclusion of Diego Costa and Andy Carroll on the scoresheet is a tempting proposition to back.
Awayday Blues
The EFL Cup exit was, in many ways, the best thing that could have happened to Chelsea. With no other distractions, Conte’s side became unplayable over the autumn of 2016. Though Chelsea is seemingly invincible at home, away games have occasionally disrupted the flow of West London’s finest.
One notable case in hand is Chelsea’s recent trip to Turf Moor. Drawing 1-1 in a flurry of East Lancashire sleet and hostility, the Blues badly under-performed against a spirited Burnley side. Not long before that came a 2-0 defeat at White Hart Lane. The latter match was comfortably Chelsea’s worst performance of this season to date.
Those matches are just two examples of Chelsea’s fallibility on the road, making Monday night’s London derby very difficult to predict. Therefore, we delve into the HT/FT market for potential gems.
West Ham owe it to the oft-suffering home faithful to make a strong start, and Bet Victor is currently offering generous odds of 19/1 for Chelsea to gain a draw after trailing at halftime.
Our Prediction
For away sides, Sky’s Monday Night Football represents the ultimate experience in crowd hostility and subjective scrutiny. It was a psychological test which Liverpool failed with flailing colours in the most recent edition – the heavy favourites went down 3-1 at relegation-battling Leicester.
The context of a local rivalry multiplies any impending psychological hardships many fold. For all its self-evident skill, the Chelsea starting XI will have to fight its way through hell for three points.
The official Betcirca prediction is West Ham 2-2 Chelsea. This exact scoreline can be backed at a market-high of 18/1 with Bet365.
