It's the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday, with Chelsea taking on Manchester City. Tom Carnduff has found a trio of goalscorers to back at good prices.
Football betting tips: Chelsea v Manchester City
1pt Ilkay Gundogan to score anytime at 16/5 (Betfair, Paddy Power)
1pt Mason Mount to score anytime at 26/5 (Sporting Index)
1pt Kai Havertz to score anytime at 23/4 (Unibet)
Victory over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday kept Manchester City's quadruple dream alive. They are now 7/2 to secure all four trophies on offer but face a tough test in the FA Cup against a Chelsea side on the up under Thomas Tuchel's guidance.
This could well be a dress rehearsal for the Champions League final too, but both will be fully focused on returning to Wembley in May to lift this trophy. City's dominance has pushed Chelsea to huge outsiders - with near 4/1 on offer for victory in 90 minutes and above 2/1 on progression to the final.
Both have experienced defeats in recent weeks but the Blues shouldn't be brushed aside as the odds suggest. They've beaten sides at the top-end of the division and saw off Atletico Madrid (twice). This will be City's toughest test to their quadruple hopes so far.
Goals on the cards?
It's an intriguing game between two strong attacks but also two defences which have the ability to close teams out. Under Tuchel, Chelsea's games have largely been low scoring but City's back line has been conceding more often in recent weeks than previous months.
Both teams to score is floating below even money on both options but I'd be leaning towards yes being hit. Chelsea have conceded in three of their last four while City have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last three. It could be a cagey affair, but both can get onto the scoresheet.
Three prices stand out in the goalscorer market, and I'm surprised to see odds as big as 16/5 on offer for ILKAY GUNDOGAN TO SCORE ANYTIME in this game. The midfielder is averaging a goal every two games in the Premier League this season.
He's enjoying his most prolific season by far and breaking away from a holding midfield role has played a big part in that. Gundogan has 16 goals across all competitions, that includes one in the win over Everton in their quarter-final contest.
It was getting to a stage where I didn't believe we'd see 16/5 on offer for a Gundogan goal in any remaining game this season.
Chelsea's form since Tuchel arrived may be a factor in this but it would be a huge surprise to see City failing to strike in this one. With constant rotation of their centre forward, the importance of goals comes elsewhere and Gundogan is regularly answering that call.
On the Chelsea side of things, one player who continues to impress is MASON MOUNT. While he hasn't been as prolific as Gundogan this season, the fact that the majority of his goals have come under Tuchel makes his 26/5 best price on a goal here interesting.
Six of his nine goals have come since the managerial change in January. The attacking midfielder has also scored four in his last nine Premier League outings and Mount netted in the recent Champions League victory over Porto. He seems more suited to the new formation.
He should be in one of the two attacking midfield roles behind the striker given his importance to this Chelsea side and the mixed fortunes of the forwards - their goal could come from one of those players in these positions.
The player who could be in the centre forward role for Chelsea is KAI HAVERTZ, and they seem to have found their ideal formation by playing him in front of the two attacking midfielders. At a best price of 23/4, he's the third of a trio of goalscorers to consider in this game.
His performance against Crystal Palace brought a goal and an assist and he seems to have returned to his best under Tuchel. Havertz's last two starts as a centre forward in the Premier League have also seen a combined total of nine shots - a remarkable tally of eight have hit the target.
That's something to consider if the shots market is more appealing because of the 'safety net' it provides but I'm willing to take the near enough 6/1 on offer that one of those shots finds the back of the net. We can expect a strong conclusion to the campaign for the German international.
It wouldn't be a surprise to see this game go beyond 90 minutes, and while it's likely that all three goalscorers named above won't be on the scoresheet, both teams have enough about them to strike. The draw is 13/5, but the better value comes in GUNDOGAN, HAVERTZ and MOUNT to be involved at some stage.
Chelsea v Manchester City best bets and score prediction
- 1pt Ilkay Gundogan to score anytime at 16/5 (Betfair, Paddy Power)
- 1pt Mason Mount to score anytime at 26/5 (Sporting Index)
- 1pt Kai Havertz to score anytime at 23/4 (Unibet)
Score prediction: Chelsea 1-1 Manchester City (Sky Bet odds: 11/2)
Odds correct at 1130 BST (15/04/21)
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