It’s fair to say Andre Villas-Boas’ rebuilding project at Chelsea hasn’t gone to plan so far and the Portuguese tactician is currently teetering on the brink. On Saturday they face a West Brom side flying after some recent big victories. We look ahead to the clash at the Hawthorns and a number of other 3pm kick offs.
West Brom v Chelsea 3pm
Believe it or not, last Saturday’s 3-0 win over Bolton was Chelsea’s first in six matches and temporarily gave Villas-Boas some breathing space after recent reports linking him with the chop. However, Arsenal’s remarkable win over Tottenham the next day pushed the Blues back down to fifth, and Chelsea could find themselves three points off fourth should the Gunners win at Liverpool on Saturday lunchtime.
History shows us that Saturday’s game with West Brom should be a foregone conclusion, the west London outfit winning the last 15 matches between the two. The Baggies last win over the Blues came way back in 1979 and they’ll be desperate to set the record straight.
The 5-1 win over Wolves was followed up by a 4-0 thrashing of Sunderland, a rare success at home for Roy Hodgson’s men. West Brom are likely to field a similar team to the one that beat the Black Cats, with Jerome Thomas their only injury concern. As for Chelsea, trying to second guess Villas-Boas team selection has been nearly as tricky as trying to guess the Lotto numbers this year. Even so you’d expect Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Didier Drogba to start again.
West Brom are 3/1 to beat the Blues, with Chelsea 20/21 and the draw 5/2. At those prices the Baggies have to be worth a few quid.
Stoke v Norwich 3pm
Stoke’s European exit proved to be the perfect tonic to their recent struggles when it comes to winning games, comfortably beating Swansea 2-0 last Sunday. Before then the Potters hadn’t won a Premier League match since they beat Blackburn on January 2. However, without the Europa League to distract them, Stoke did what they have done best over the last three years, which is beating the teams they are expected to at home.
As for Norwich questions are beginning to emerge over whether the Canaries’ bubble has finally burst after back-to-back defeats. Granted last week they were narrowly beaten by Manchester United but the sucker punch of conceding such a late goal is bound to affect the team’s morale. Injuries are also beginning to mount up for Paul Lambert, with at least three players ruled out of the trip to the Britannia Stadium.
While the Canaries won’t shy away from the physical challenge Stoke present, the extra quality in the Potters team should give them an edge.Stoke are 10/11 to beat Norwich but a better bet might be for Stoke to be winning at HT/FT at 15/8.
Blackburn v Aston Villa 3pm
The news that Darren Bent will miss the next three months must be a hammer blow to Alex McLeish and Villa. The Villains have managed just one goal in the last three matches and, with Bent out injured and Robbie Keane back in America, options are thin on the ground. Emile Heskey and Gabriel Agbonlahor will have to be McLeish’s main threats, a frightening proposition given neither have had good seasons so far.
As for Blackburn, this is a game they will feel they must win if they are to scramble out of the bottom three. Rovers didn’t put up much of a fight against Manchester City last week but have been better at home recently, beating QPR 3-2 last time out at Ewood Park. That result made it two wins from three on home soil and that improved run of form should continue against Rovers.
Blackburn are 13/10 for the win, with a 2-0 win and Yakubu to score first priced at 33/1 if you are feeling adventurous.
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After securing two away draws on the bounce in their most recent Premier League games Liverpool should be keen to secure a win here with the home advantage, in order to make their second half push up the table. However with only two points between them and West Brom in the table it could be a close game, and The Baggies will be after the same thing. Liverpool are our hot favourite to come out victorious at 4/11 however with West Brom at 17/2, and Liverpool are entering the match in far better form.
These two teams come head-to-head in the Premier League tonight as both fight for European qualification at Goodison Park. Everton host a West Brom side that have had a decent season under manager Steve Clarke and will be eager for a victory over the Baggies as they sit just outside the Champions League spots.
West Brom have had a decent Premier League season so far and currently sit in the top 10. They will be hoping they can easily overcome a struggling Aston Villa side that have dropped into the relegation zone after a string of defeats.
Nobody could have predicted West Brom’s genuine progress in the Premier League this season and the same could be said for their opponents this afternoon. West Ham have made an impressive start since being promoted from the Championship, however both sides have had a slight dip in form with the Baggies on three straight defeats and West Ham also losing three of their last four matches.