AFTER a 31/1 treble the last time he tackled the Premier League, Chris Graham (@chrisgraham79) returns full of hope this weekend.
Chelsea v Southampton | Sunday 13:30 | Sky Sports 1
As you could tell during Friday’s press conference, Jose Mourinho is seething after his team’s Champions League exit on Wednesday night. I’m expecting them to kick back here on Sunday against a Southampton side beginning to drift out the Top 4 picture.
For starters, Chelsea have been very strong at home in the league this season with 11 wins accrued in a 13 match unbeaten Stamford Bridge run. They also don’t concede many goals at home – just five all season in the Premier League.
Southampton have found it tough over the last seven weeks. They’ve lost four of their last seven games, succumbing to Crystal Palace, West Brom, Swansea and Liverpool and you just get the feeling that the toil of this season might just be catching up with them.
Goals have also been hard to find for the club too, with just one scored in their last four matches. Indeed they’ve fired blanks in four of their last six games.
With Chelsea’s ruthless approach at Stamford Bridge I’m expecting them to struggle to notch on Sunday. The Blues have won to nil in nine of their 13 home league games and I’ll back that to occur again at 8/5 with BetVictor.
Crystal Palace v QPR | Saturday 12.45 | BT Sport 1
After a ferocious four days at Cheltenham, it’s taken me a bit of time to get my head back into football mode, so if I get zero out of three you know why! Anyway, enough of that negativity…
I don’t think we’ll see much negativity in this match at Selhurst Park on Saturday. As usual QPR look too big a price (4/1 with BetVictor) and I fancy them to play a decent part in this match.
Granted, on paper, their form looks a bit iffy. Eight defeats in their last nine matches is awful, but since Chris Ramsey took charge they’ve improved. One goal defeats to Arsenal and Tottenham are nothing to be ashamed of and he’s put to bed their winless away run. The signs look more positive.
With just nine games left after this they need to start picking up points and I expect them to at least score on Saturday at Selhurst Park. They’ve scored in their last four games and managed a goal against both North London sides.
Crystal Palace will expect a win here, but with them sitting pretty in 12th place the pressure will be less intense for them. Alan Pardew has now been in charge for 11 matches and his side have scored in nine of them, including games against Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham.
The Both Teams To Score bet has paid out in four of their last five matches, while QPR have kept just one clean sheet in their last 10 matches. I’m backing BTTS at Evens with Betway.
Arsenal v West Ham | Saturday 15:00
Arsenal’s win at Old Trafford on Monday night was a biggie, and to be honest, not one I expected. You could say it was the biggest win of their season so there must be a swagger about the place just now.
10th place West Ham turn up to the Emirates on Saturday but I don’t fancy their chances. The West Ham season (and perhaps Sam Allardyce’s reign) looks like it’s drifting into a sea of nothingness.
In fact the first use this season of that awful awful phrase – they’re on the beach might just be called for! No win in six games and just one win in their last 11 Premier League games, this side look ripe for taking on. And I will on Saturday.
Arsenal have lost just one home league game in the last 18 months and have now won seven home games in a row in the league. Four of those seven wins were by more than one goal and that’s the avenue I’m taking on Saturday.
Put those sexy Arsenal stats alongside the fact that West Ham haven’t won away in the league since early-December and there’s further reasons to get behind the bet. It’s Arsenal -1 for me at a tasty 11/10 with Sportingbet.
Best Bets
Crystal Palace v QPR – Both Teams To Score (Evens Betway)
Arsenal v West Ham – Arsenal -1 (11/10 Sportingbet)
Chelsea v Southampton – Chelsea win to nil (8/5 BetVictor)
Chelsea 6/1 To Beat Southampton
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They’re going 6/1 on Chelsea to beat Southampton and will give you a free bet if they fail. Tempted?
TOPICS English Football Tips Football Premier League Tips
