The long wait is almost over! In just a couple of weeks’ time, the English Premier League will finally make its much-anticipated return to the sporting calendar. All eyes will definitely be on Chelsea as they look to defend the Premier League title they won so convincingly last season.
The Blues will begin their quest for a sixth league title when they take on Swansea in a blockbuster clash at Stamford Bridge. Can Chelsea extend their impressive unbeaten run at home? Or will the Swans record another major upset? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this Premier League matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of Manchester United vs. Tottenham and Arsenal vs. West Ham.
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Chelsea vs. Swansea Betting Preview
Where: Stamford Bridge, London
When: Saturday, August 8, 12:30 PM ET
Line: Swansea +762 at Chelsea -347, tie +358; total 2.5 – view all EPL lines
Betting on Chelsea
Chelsea will head to the new season with momentum on their side after their dominant showing in the Premier League last campaign. The Blues finished the season with a massive 87 points, eight points clear of second-placed Manchester City. Such was Chelsea’s dominance last season that they led the Premier League table for a record 274 days.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]Key to their strong performance last season was their excellent home form. They were unbeaten at Stamford Bridge last campaign, recording 15 wins and four draws in their 19 home games. Their 49-point output at Stamford Bridge was the best home mark in the league last season.
They will fancy their chances of extending that unbeaten home run when they take on Swansea in their league opener. Chelsea pulled off an impressive league double against the Welsh outfit last season with the Blues hacking out emphatic victories. Diego Costa was the hero in both of those wins with the Spanish international scoring five of Chelsea’s nine goals against Swansea. He scored his first Premier League hat-trick in a 4-2 home win against the Swans before grabbing a double in the Blues’ 5-0 rout at Liberty Stadium. Costa is expected to lead Chelsea’s forward line once again in this opening match. He led the Blues in scoring last season with 20 goals.
Apart from Costa, the Blues will once again rely on the sheer brilliance of midfielders Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas to get them through in this ballgame. Hazard, the PFA Premier League Player of the Year, scored 19 goals in all competitions for Chelsea last season. Fabregas, on the other hand, was the fulcrum of the Blues’ midfield, dishing out a league-best 18 assists. The former Arsenal captain also had the most passes in the league last season with 2,743.
Chelsea are 4-0-1 in their last five Premier League home games.
It’s great to be a Swansea fan nowadays. The Welsh side showed that they really belong in the English Premier League after their stunning eighth-place finish last season. It was Swansea’s best-ever finish in the English top flight as they ended the season with a whopping 56 points.
Providing the inspiration for Swansea’s rise last season was manager Garry Monk. He surpassed expectations in his first full season in management as he guided Swansea to their highest-point total in the Premier League. Swansea showed they can hang around with the big boys with gargantuan victories against Arsenal and Manchester United last season. In fact, Monk became just the third manager in the Premier League era to do the double over those said teams in the same season.
One team that gave them fits last season, though, was Chelsea. The league champions destroyed Swansea by a combined score of 9-2 in their two league meetings last campaign. Swansea will take heart in the fact, however, that they had Chelsea on the ropes in their first matchup last season. The Swans grabbed a 1-0 edge in their showdown at Stamford Bridge last year before Diego Costa went berserk with his hat-trick.
For Swansea to grab a positive result this time around, they need to be resolute with their defending. The Swans conceded just 49 goals last season, eighth-best in the entire Premier League. They will have their work cut out for them, however, against a Chelsea attack that scored an incredible 73 goals last campaign, the second-highest total in the league last season.
Swansea are 3-2-0 in their last five road games in the Premier League.
Writer’s Prediction
Chelsea open their title defense in style with a resounding 3-0 win.
