BRIGHTON face Chelsea in Monday night’s Premier League action. Tom Love (@TomLove_18) shares his betting thoughts.
Brighton vs Chelsea | Monday 14th September 2020, 20:15 | Sky Sports
It’s been an exciting summer for Chelsea fans with the additions of superstars Kai Havertz, Thiago Silva, Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner. Many are fancying the Blues to challenge the duopoly of Liverpool and Manchester City this season and it’s easy to see why with the attacking potential in this squad.
Frank Lampard saw his side create plenty of presentable opportunities last season, on a regular basis. Now they have more destructive finishers up top they promise to add even more goals to their game and will no doubt be one of the more fun teams to watch this season. Issues still remain about their defence though.
Silva has been far from his best since the shambolic 2014 World Cup for Brazil but his experience and leadership could be key nevertheless. Ben Chillwell is a decent signing but he can be got at from a defensive standpoint.
Brighton have gone about their business quietly this summer. Keeping hold of the excellent Ben White is a big plus and the Seagulls look well stacked in the centre of defence although they could probably do with an upgrade at left-back.
Brighton actually ranked as a top half side on a few of the data metrics and performed well last season. The club came in for a lot of criticism from mainstream media after the sacking of Chris Hughton but I was one that thought it was a step the club needed to take if they wanted to progress. Although Hughton kept them up, their performance data was amongst the worst in the division and the playing style wasn’t too easy on the eye. Potter deserves immense credit for improving both the playing style and the underlying numbers.
Away from home, Chelsea games averaged over four goals per-game, a whopping figure, and if that trend was to continue then you’d be looking seriously at the 5/6 available on Over 2.5 Goals. However, with a lot of unknowns at the start of the season, I’d rather take a look at something odds-against.
I do fancy Brighton to get on the scoresheet, after all Chelsea only kept nine clean sheets last season, the same amount as Brighton. The 12/5 (Bet365) on an away win and Both Teams To Score therefore looks a tasty way in to this season opener, it’s a big boost from the 4/7 about a Blues victory.
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Brighton vs Chelsea – Chelsea to win and Both Teams To Score (12/5 Bet365)
