Title rivals are hard to split in massive match
CHELSEA vs MANCHESTER UNITED
SUNDAY, 4.00PM, SKY SPORTS
CARLO Ancelotti was much happier with his team’s performance at Tottenham on Sunday, but how he must wish that Didier Drogba had converted his injury-time penalty. A draw was probably a fair result in the end and taking a point from White Hart Lane is never a bad result. However, the worry for Chelsea is that they have now gone five league games without a win and have slipped to fourth in the table.
Manchester United are still unbeaten this season and deserved their 1-0 victory against Arsenal on Monday night which saw them return to the top of the tree with a game in hand. Sir Alex Ferguson will be hoping his side can add yet more gloom to Chelsea’s title aspirations and strike what could be a potentially fatal blow.
United have a pretty shoddy record at Stamford Bridge in recent years, though, losing five and drawing three of the past eight league contests. The Blues are traditionally very strong on home soil, but it’s fair to say their aura of invincibility has been tarnished slightly with their recent defeat against Sunderland and dropped points against struggling Everton.
This is a huge game for both sides and could go a long way to deciding the destination of the Premier League trophy. Chelsea will be desperate not to suffer another defeat and with United having drawn six of their seven away games, the stalemate looks the correct call at 12/5 on Betdaq.
The champions haven’t scored more than one match goal in their last seven league games and they also haven’t kept a clean sheet in eight. Their last three league matches have ended 1-1 and a repeat of that scoreline is available at an attractive 6/1 with William Hill.
Bettorlogic.com analysis suggests that this game isn’t going to be especially high scoring. There have been fewer than three goals in five of Chelsea’s eight home matches this campaign and also in six of their last seven hosting Big Four opponents. In fact, only two of the Blues’ last 12 league games home and away have produced more than two goals.
United have been involved in some higher scoring games of late, notably their 7-1 hammering of Blackburn, but the games between the top sides are often tighter. There have been two or fewer goals in six of the last 10 meetings between these two and a sell of goals at 2.45 with Sporting Index is the advice for spread bettors.
POINTERS…
Draw at 12/5 on Betdaq
1-1 correct scoreline at 6/1 with William Hill
Sell total match goals at 2.45 with Sporting Index