The opening weekend of the new FA Premier League season threw up plenty of goals and drama, and the second round shows no sign of abating. This coming Saturday (18 August) Chelsea and Arsenal meet at Stamford Bridge, with new coaches Maurizio Sarri and Unai Emery given their first taste of a London derby.
Maurizio Sarri and Unai Emery will get their first taste of a fierce local derby at Stamford Bridge this weekend
First things first
Before you go any further, head on over to the Oddsshark website, find your favourite betting agency and get your account up and running using your credit card. As a new customer and with the new Premier League season already underway, there should be a whole host of promotions and offers available to you.
Where can I win money in this tie?
These two teams have met 162 times previously, with Arsenal boasting the better head to head record. The Gunners have won 62 games with Chelsea only winning 51, with Arsenal scoring 226 goals to Chelsea’s 209.
But while history may point to Arsenal, more recent history has most certainly been with Chelsea. The Stamford Bridge club have won three Premier League titles since Arsenal’s last win back in the 2003/04 season.
And it is Chelsea who come into this game as the favourites to make it two wins in two at the start of the new campaign. The Blues comprehensively beat Huddersfield 3-0 on the opening day and are at just 1.80 to take all three points against Arsenal as well.
For Arsenal fans, there was a horrible sense of déjà vu this past Sunday as they saw their side comfortably outplayed by current champions Manchester City, who comfortably won 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium. And the odds are against the Gunners once again in this one, with Arsenal out at 4.50 to record an away victory.
Chelsea looked composed across the back line last week, with new goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga making his debut. And while it is never easy trying to predict the exact score of a game – particularly so early on in a new season – a 2-0 win for Chelsea is priced competitively at 10.00, offering a ten-fold return on any investment.
Arsenal failed to make much impact against City and could have just as much trouble at Stamford Bridge. You can more than double your money by backing under 2.5 goals at 2.15 – this may not be one for the annals.
Emery’s best ploy may well be trying to absorb pressure and then hit Chelsea on the counter attack. If that ploy is to work then the lightning pace of Gabon forward Pierre Emerick Aubameyang will be crucial, and you can back the striker to get on the score sheet at2.25, while he is at 5.25 to score either the first or last goal of the game.
Only Belgian ace Eden Hazard is at shorter odds than Aubameyang. The Chelsea playmaker is at 1.95 to score at any time and you can also back him at 4.50 to open the scoring.
Chelsea took a bit of time to get going against Huddersfield and, after a disappointing showing in the Community Shield against Manchester City, things look like they might just be beginning to click. You can back Chelsea to win this game to nil (without Arsenal scoring a goal) at a price of 3.40, giving you the chance to potentially more than triple your money.
Arsenal won just four out of 19 away games last season and there doesn’t look to be much cause for optimism here either. Chelsea, meanwhile, are at 5.00 to win both halves and just 2.50 to score in both halves.
As ever, remember the golden rule of betting – the more specific your bets, the higher the potential rewards. You can bet on a Chelsea win with under 2.5 goals also at 5.00, meaning that a US$5 bet would lead to a US$25 pay out.
The exact number of goals in the game could also be a money spinner. Two goals at Stamford Bridge on Saturday is priced at 3.75, while three goals rises slightly to 4.00, with four goals at 5.00.
It is also worth pointing out that five of the last six meetings between these two teams have ended in a stalemate. You can back a draw here at a price of 3.75, while a 1-1 draw comes in at 7.50 – both teams to score is priced low at just 1.61.
Premier League round 2 fixtures:
Saturday, 18 August
(3.25) Cardiff x Newcastle (2.55); draw (3.10)
(1.90) Everton x Southampton (4.75); draw (3.50)
(2.05) Leicester City x Wolves (3.90); draw (3.50)
(1.28) Tottenham x Fulham (12.00); draw (6.00)
(2.10) West Ham x Bournemouth (3.70); draw (3.60)
(1.80) Chelsea x Arsenal (4.50); draw (4.00)
Sunday, 19 August
(2.45) Burnley x Watford (3.40); draw (3.10)
(1.10) Manchester City x Huddersfield (26.00); draw (13.00)
(5.50) Brighton x Manchester United (1.75); draw (3.60)
Monday, 20 August
(7.50) Crystal Palace x Liverpool (1.44); draw (5.00)
