Joe Rindl is backing Chelsea to inflict revenge on West Ham in the Premier League with his best bet and score prediction.
Chelsea weren’t just beaten by rivals Arsenal, they were, according to the expected goals (xG) stats, completely outplayed.
In their 4-2 loss on Wednesday night Thomas Tuchel’s side mustered up an xG of 0.77 compared to Arsenal’s 2.00, more than double their opponents’.
There is no doubt that Chelsea are firmly in the top three teams in the country, but this recent loss to the Gunners is another reminder that there is still a gap to be closed to the top two.
Still, this season can hardly be branded as a failure. The Blues have an FA Cup final to look forward to, and a chance of revenge on Sunday against a West Ham side that beat them 3-2 in the reverse fixture in early December.
Kick-off time: 14:00 BST, Sunday
TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event
West Ham can be forgiven for having one eye on future fixtures when they travel to Stamford Bridge.
The Hammers face German side Frankfurt in the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday, arguably the club’s biggest match since the 2006 FA Cup final.
With David Moyes’ side so close to a European final, I’m certain the vast majority of West Ham fans would forgive him for making 11 changes, should he choose to for this London derby.
Seventh-placed West Ham have a 50-50 record in games immediately before Europa League knockout ties this season. They’ve lost to Liverpool and Brentford, but beat Aston Villa and a dire Everton side.
With the visitors likely to have their eyes elsewhere, and Chelsea hoping to bounce back from their loss to Arsenal, I see only one winner in this fixture.
The hosts are 4/7 best-price, but that jumps up to 7/5 when you back CHELSEA TO WIN AND OVER 2.5 GOALS.
That bet has come through in six of Chelsea's past nine. Plus, matches involving the Blues have seen an average of over three goals this season from an xG of 2.9.
Back them to win big against a distracted opposition.
Chelsea v West Ham best bets and score prediction
- 1pt Chelsea to win and over 2.5 goals at 7/5 (General)
Score prediction: Chelsea 2-1 West Ham (Sky Bet odds: 13/2)
Odds correct at 1930 BST (21/04/22)
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