Chelsea can improve on recent dodgy Goodison record
CHELSEA have begun the season in ominous style with back-to-back wins getting them off to a perfect start.
Those victories might have come against Burnley and Leicester but – to borrow a cliche from page one of the football phrase book – you can only beat what’s in front of you.
Indeed, those matches have given new Blues stars Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa, as well as returning goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, the perfect platform to bed into what looks an incredibly rounded side.
Fabregas has already produced three assists, while Costa scored once in each match, so it will be a blow that the Brazil-born Spain international is likely to miss out on Saturday’s trip to Goodison Park after a training ground injury this week.
However, Jose Mourinho has cover and his unit looks stronger than Roberto Martinez’s Everton.
Make no mistake, the Toffees are a very strong side; one that could feature two former Chelsea strikers in Romelu Lukaku and Samuel Eto’o, and one that I would usually back to win at home.
Furthermore, they have beaten tomorrow’s opponents in four of their last five league clashes on Merseyside. It’s just that they haven’t quite got up and running yet this time around.
They’ve drawn both games – away to Leicester and home to Arsenal – after conceding late goals and throwing away leads.
That level of sloppiness suggests that they are still a little rusty – something I expect Chelsea to exploit. Back the visitors at a generally-available 11/10.
Mourinho will be happy to play the patient game so I don’t see the match having an explosive start nor a high scoring conclusion.
The half-time draw / full-time Chelsea double result appeals at 4/1 and I will be selling total goals at 2.4 with Sporting Index.
Pointers…
Back Chelsea to beat Everton at 11/10 (general)
Back HT draw / FT Chelsea double result at 4/1 (general)
Sell total goals at 2.4 with Sporting Index