The Premier League action continues on Saturday with six games in total and the one that stands out most is the meeting between Chelsea and Stoke, which sees a true clash of cultures (Match Betting – Chelsea 1/3, draw 4/1, Stoke 19/2).
The Blues will go into the match full of disappointment, having squandered a two goal lead in the Champions League against Juventus and will be looking to get straight back on track after their superb start to the campaign.
One of the only bright spots to come out of Wednesday’s draw was the performance of Brazilian youngster Oscar, who will be desperate to continue his progress following his brilliant display in his first start for the club.
Unlike last year when they visibly struggled, the Potters don’t have European football to deal with this time around and should be fresh ahead of the game at Stamford Bridge.
Tony Pulis’ men will surely be looking to use their physical advantage over the Blues and, after seeing their defensive frailties in midweek, are likely to try and expose their opponents at the back.
This one really does have the potential for an upset but Chelsea may feel they have a point to prove and should come through comfortably (Chelsea 5/1 to win 2-0).
The other game that really stands out on Saturday is the clash between Southampton and Aston Villa at St Mary’s (Match Betting – Southampton 7/5, draw 12/5, Villa 2/1).
This may not be the most glamorous tie but with both sides struggling so far this term, three points could prove vital come the end of the campaign. Southampton truly were a breath of fresh air in the opening weeks, as their cavalier style saw them come agonisingly close to wins over both Manchester clubs.
However, they were outclassed by Arsenal last Saturday and it will be interesting to see how they respond to that drubbing.
Despite the positively brought to the club following the summer appointment of Paul Lambert, Villa unfortunately look set for another long and difficult season. Now bereft of the talent that saw them look set to go on and challenge for the title under Martin O’Neill, the Villains currently have to rely on seasoned veterans and unproven youngsters.
Despite this though, they earned a surprise win against Swansea last time out and will be looking to kick on after their sluggish start to the season.
Like the first game, this looks almost too close to call but the Saints will be desperate to win and should come through in what may turn out to be a thriller (Match Betting 28/1 to win 3-2).
In the other games, Swansea will be confident of continuing their fine home form against injury-plagued Everton, while West Brom will fancy themselves to carry on Reading’s dismal return to the Premier League.
Elsewhere, West Ham will be hopeful of earning another home win against Sunderland while Fulham will see their trip to Wigan as a superb chance to earn their first away points of the campaign.
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