As is usually the case, there’s another big London derby in the English Premier League this weekend as table-topping Chelsea visits Selhurst Park to take on struggling Crystal Palace. Chelsea remained in the league lead on Wednesday with their 1-0 win in Sunderland while Palace conceded a late goal at home and lost 2-1 to visiting Manchester United.
Crystal Palace vs Chelsea – 5Dimes Soccer Betting Line:
- 5Dimes currently lists Chelsea as the favorites to win the game at -167 with Crystal Palace +542 and a draw at +322
Crystal Palace vs Chelsea – Head to Head:
- These two clubs met twice in league action last season with Palace winning 2-1 on the road at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea winning their away match 3-0 at Selhurst Park. Overall, these two sides have met 48 times in the past with Chelsea winning 23, losing 10 and drawing the other 15. Palace has just two wins in the last 18 meetings along with four draws and 12 defeats.
Crystal Palace – A Closer Look:
Crystal Palace enters the weekend in 16th place in the 20-team league with just 15 points out of 48 after 16 games. They have four wins, tree draws and nine losses with 28 goals scored and 31 allowed. Manager Alan Pardew should probably start worrying about his job if they don’t turn things around pretty soon. They have just one win in their past five matches with three losses and a draw and have lost 19 of their past 38 games overall.
In addition, they have earned only five points out of a possible 30 in the last 10 games with a win and two draws. Palace is just three points upon 18th-place Swansea City and the relegation zone. Meanwhile, they’re 25 points behind Chelsea. To make matters worse for Pardew and the fans, Palace has numerous injury problems to deal with. Pape Ndiaye Souare and Connor Wickham are both out for the season while Jonathan Benteke and Steve Mandanda aren’t expected back until January. Striker Loic Remy could be back just before New Year’s and James Tomkins and Bakary Sako are expected back early in January.
Chelsea – A Closer Look:
Chelsea is still the hottest team in the league after winning their 10th straight game on Wednesday while outscoring their opposition 24-2 during the winning streak. They also managed to shut their opponents out in the first six games of the stretch as well as the last two for eight clean sheets in those 10 wins. Last season’s 10th-place Premier League finish certainly looks like a fluke now as new manager Antonio Conte has them firing on all cylinders. The Blues are now back in top form with 40 points from 13 victories, a draw and just two defeats with 34 goals for and a league-low 11 against. They’ve managed to extend their lead over second-place Liverpool and Arsenal to six points now and are seven up on fourth-place Manchester City.
Chelsea’s only loss recently in all competitions came to fellow London side West Ham United when they were beaten 2-1 away in the English League Cup back on October 26th. Their only two league defeats this campaign have been to Liverpool and Arsenal. Conte doesn’t have as many injury concerns as Pardew, but Todd Kane, Mikel John Obi, Oscar and Eden Hazard are all listed as day to day while team captain John Terry is also expected to return to the lineup before New Year’s.
Crystal Palace vs Chelsea – Takeaway:
These two London sides are heading in different directions as Palace is trying to keep their collective heads above the relegation zone and Chelsea is zeroing in on the league title. The three points available here are crucial to both side’s goals.
by Ian S. Palmer
Click here to read our review of the 5Dimes online sportsbook.