Chelsea v Leeds free betting tips: Best bets and preview | Premier League clash for Frank Lampard and Marcelo Bielsa
Marcelo Bielsa was careful not to fan the flames before he renews his rivalry with Chelsea boss Frank Lampard on Saturday, but we all know it's there.
Lampard was highly critical of Bielsa during the ‘spygate’ saga two seasons ago when in charge at Derby.
Bielsa sent a staff member to spy on a Derby training session, later admitting he had spied on every club he had faced and even giving a presentation to explain himself.
It certainly did not win Lampard over.
In fact, the former England midfielder appeared more irritated by the Argentine's attempted explanation; he was later irked further when Bielsa won Fifa's fair play award for allowing Aston Villa to score an unopposed goal.
Undoubtedly, matters were made somewhat worse by the fact Leeds won the Sky Bet Championship game in question.
The Football Association fined Leeds £200,000 for Bielsa’s spying admission, which he paid out of his own pocket.
But it was the Rams who ultimately had the last laugh.
They beat Leeds in an acrimonious play-off semi-final later that season, which led to some overzealous Derby celebrations.
No regrets over celebrations - Lampard
At the press conference ahead of Leeds' first Premier League meeting with Chelsea since 2004, Bielsa said he had learned his lesson.
When asked to describe his relationship with Lampard, and whether the Blues boss had gained the wrong impression of him, the Leeds head coach would not be drawn.
“It’s not a bad relationship. I have with him a similar to the ones I have with the rest of my colleagues," Bielsa explained.
“This is a moment that has gone past. It was resolved by the authorities, who judge how these actions need to be punished."
Play it down he might, but Saturday's game feels as much like Lampard v Bielsa as it does Chelsea v Leeds.
Chelsea v Leeds betting preview
- 20:00 GMT on Sky Sports Premier League
- Match odds: Home 8/15 | Draw 7/2 | Leeds 9/2
Tom Carnduff
There is a huge 22/1 bet worth taking on and that is on Leeds having 18 or more total shots on Saturday. A big ask, but one they have done on multiple occasions. Bielsa's men had 23 at Everton and 25 against Arsenal the week before.
At Aston Villa, they had an eye-watering 27 shots. Against Manchester City, despite the game finishing 1-1, their xG figure was 2.71. They may be a newly-promoted team, but Leeds are approaching these games in the right way. They are challenging the traditional 'big hitters' in contests that are essentially free hits.
It's a big ask for Leeds to have at least 18 here, of course, but it's worth a small play just in case the game turns out that way. Looking elsewhere, it's also worth a play on Leeds tackles given their high number and Mateusz Klich stands out in this area.
A number of Leeds players make a claim for backing in the stats markets, Luke Ayling being one in tackles, but 9/4 is available on Klich seeing three or more successful tackles. He has hit that target in three of Leeds' five away games this season.
Score prediction: Chelsea 2-1 Leeds (Sky Bet odds: 7/1)
Best bets:
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