The EPL is always a heavily contested football league and this year has not been any different. However, the Blues have managed to separate themselves from the rest of the pack in recent months with a series of fantastic performances that have seen them accumulate 59 points from just 24 matches, giving them an 9 point lead over their closest rivals.
So far, the season has pretty much been smooth sailing for Chelsea and it is about time we started questioning whether or not anyone can really stop them. The recent defeat against Tottenham, one of the few clubs still in contention for the title, showed that Chelsea are not invincible but the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool will need to step up their game if they are to make the top 4 yet alone catch Antonio Conte’s boys.
Season So Far
Chelsea’s Diego Costa is currently the EPL’s top goal scorer with 15 goals and 5 assists from 22 matches, a spot he shares with Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez. However, looking at Chelsea’s stats we can clearly see that it has been a team effort which has lead them to the top of the table as another 40 goals were scored by the likes of Hazard, Pedro, Willian, Ake, Alonso and others.
To add to their amazing goal scoring tally, Chelsea’s defense only conceded 17 goals in the 24 matches, making them the best defensive team of the season. While both Arsenal and Liverpool have scored more than the Blues, no other side has conceded as few goals as Chelsea.
Conte’s team has only drawn 2 matches the whole campaign but have managed to lose on 3 occasions but this hasn’t hurt them too much as they’ve still managed to remain 9 points clear at the summit.
Upcoming Matches
The upcoming matches may not prove to be difficult for the table leaders as all the pressure is almost off them and as they have finished facing Liverpool away and Arsenal at home in two of the most difficult clashes they could have. The likes of Stoke, Crystal Palace and Watford have all showed themselves to be potential landmines in the past however, which means the title favorites will need to keep their A game alive throughout the next month or two in order to come into the final weeks of the season without losing much of their current advantage.
It is expected that Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham will all continue their attempts to reach for the summit and we are looking at several interesting matches that could see the balance of power shift somewhat at the top, even though Chelsea can hardly lose all of their advantage anytime soon.
Bookies Say Chelsea Will Bring It Home
Nine points is a lot in football and with only 14 games to go and Chelsea playing at top form, it is hard to blame the bookmakers for pricing them to win the league at only 4/11 before this week and their odds have likely dropped even more now. The price is ever changing of course, and should Chelsea drop some points in the upcoming fixtures, those who believe the Blues will win the title may be looking at a reasonable price boost. You can keep track of all the odds as they change at OpenOdds, one of the best places for live odds tracking on the internet.
While we were looking at a fairly one sided race at the beginning of the week, with the closest rivals priced as high as 8/1 to overtake the leaders, we know all too well how 9 points quickly become only 3 or 4 and there is plenty of time for things to change if Conte and his players are not careful with Tottenham the most likely side to make a late run at the Blues.
Is An Upset Realistic?
Last season saw the greatest upset in the history of English football as Leicester City won the EPL and shocked the world. However, this season the league has been much more consistent with what we would normally expect and given Chelsea’s current form and their apparent drive to win the title, it is probably unrealistic to expect an upset. Still, if you are a Gooner or Spurs fan, the price offered by the bookies on them making one is quite reasonable. Make sure to track the odds as they change as the season progresses and grab any opportunities if they arise.