Chelsea FC we know what you are !
Aug 23, 2025
We have a very good early handle on Chelsea, who opened with a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace and then hammered West Ham United 5-1.....
Chelsea- Crystal Palace
Chelsea:All those youngsters improved last season, especially through the final 3-4 months and should do so again and the group looks better still after this window. They were second only to Liverpool in the second half of games, which hints that perhaps Maresca knows more than I give him credit for, but the truth is they were better when he allowed them greater freedom and hopefully that will continue. XP gives them 5-6 points less, but they were also second for BC's created and will not have to rely so heavily on Cole Palmer to score goals this season, although he claimed to be disappointed with his tally of "just" 15 in the league last season and said that he wants 20+.
They have plenty of European experience from last season, but against weaker opposition than they will face in a first Champions League campaign in three years, but after their FIFA CWC exploits that should be up to that. The very short offseason, having spent a month in the US is a bigger concern and might take a toll, but the squad is big and deep now and things and life in general are easier when you are winning.
Palace: xP gave them 58 points, an additional five over reality and xGD saw them as 17 goals better. They also performed better the longer games went, coming in 5th with 60 points in the second half of games, only two points behind the team in second. Palace also created the 6th most BC's, the five teams above them in that table all finished top six, that is a good indicator of true ability.
Palace looked good again on Sunday in the Community Shield, are they really not going to sell anyone ? They were all back in the shop window and given some of the fees spent this off season, the £68m release clause for Eberechi Eze feels perfectly reasonable, or even cheap!
Last four h2h meetings have seen both teams score in each and a third 1-1 draw in a row would not surprise as both are strong after the break ( see above) and I would favour either to get back into things should they fall behind. 1-1/2-2.
Official bet: 1.75 units draw @ 4.40 asian line.
Chelsea- West Ham United
West Ham had a nightmare start losing 3-0 at newly promoted Sunderland and they and head coach Graham Potter look under enormous pressure. I did write earlier this month ....United were poor last season, have a bit of a soft underbelly and one goal conceded too quickly becomes two or three and some of their numbers are even worse! We are not sure that Graham Potter is the right man for the job and his record in the EPL, away from Brighton, where he had a lot of analytical help, is looking increasingly suspect. To be fair, he will have a full preseason, but has lost a lot of experience and his best player and ,goals are almost certainly going to be a problem.
We saw more of the same last weekend and after an "ok" opening half when they could have at least tried to put a nervous newcomer under more pressure, they again capitulated quickly and that second goal came soon after the first and the rest is an old story. So bad was the performance that their vice-chairman was rushed to a hastily arranged interview on television on Sunday morning to try and address the situation, which sounds a bit "panic stations", but where are the goals coming from (?) and they look a handful of players short. Chelsea were not great themselves and were fortunate to take a point from Palace , but this will be easier and United will have to push forward, which could be fatal and the home crowd could turn toxic quickly if it is. The visitors have won the last three h2h meetings including a 3-0 win here last season and something similar is on the cards.
2 units Chelsea -1 ball 2.24 asian line.
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