Chelsea hasn't been in quite the same form in recent weeks that it was in when it went on one of the best runs we've seen in Premier League history, but the team is doing everything it can to remove all doubt of another championship in 2017. The Blues are nine clear heading into their home fixture with Arsenal, and a win would leave them 12 clear of the Gunners with just 14 matches to play.
This English Premier League duel will go down Saturday, February 4, 2016, at 7:30 a.m. ET at Stamford Bridge. The match will be televised live on NBC Sports Network.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Chelsea +100
Arsenal +290
Draw +255
Over/Under 2.5
Odds Analysis
A sort of peculiar looking line, no? Chelsea really figured to open up as an odds-on favorite to beat the Gunners. Sure, it might get there in the end, but the line as we speak sits at even money. Arsenal is only +290 on the moneyline, and it really feels like this team doesn't have a one in four chance to pick up three points at a stadium the Blues have dropped a total of three points in all season long.
The total of 2.5 is really more indicative of Chelsea's defense here at home, one that has conceded just six times in 11 matches.
Key Injuries
All eyes are going to be on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in this match. He was taken off against Watford with a knee injury on Wednesday, and we aren't sure yet whether he will or will not be available come Saturday morning. Aaron Ramsey, Mathieu Debuchy, and Yaya Sanogo are on the mend as well, while Granit Xhaka is in the midst of a four-match ban after picking up a second red card of the season two weeks ago.
Chelsea continues to be one of the healthiest teams in the Premier League, as Antonio Conte has nothing major to worry about on the injury front.
Recent Form
Conte admitted as much after the match against Liverpool that his side was just trying to weather the storm and survive Anfield. The Blues did just that with a point, but it's that type of complacency that often costs teams championships. That said, the team still has been beaten just once since dropping out of the EFL Cup to West Ham towards the end of October, and there's no doubt that this has been one of the hottest teams, not just in England, but in the entire world.
Arsenal has had some really good moments of late, but the last time it was on the pitch wasn't one of them. The Gunners were outplayed and overmatched by lowly Watford on Tuesday night, a shocking 2-1 loss at home that proved to be incredibly costly after Chelsea drew Liverpool. That said, the team had won its four previous matches. If you go around London though and ask about Arsenal, most will tell you that this team is in shambles.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
And shambles indeed it feels like the club is in with Ramsey out, the Ox struggling with his form and playing on a bum knee at best, Xhaka suspended and Mohamed Elneny still playing in the African Cup of Nations. We just don't see how the midfield for Arsenal can hold up if it keeps playing its tradition 4-2-3-1 formation, and changing forms now for a match like this where the team really has no choice but to go forward doesn't seem optimal, particularly with just three days to prep for the match after the loss to Watford.
The chants of the away fans at Chelsea have often been "Stamford Bridge is falling down," but all that's falling on Saturday is Arsenal in what will surely be its last gasp in the title hunt for 2016-17.
English Premier League Odds: Chelsea 4, Arsenal 0
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