Sports Blog 06/03/2017: Premier League Preview – West Ham vs Chelsea, Monday 6th March 2017

Can Chelsea restore a 10 point lead at the top with a win at West Ham’s Stratford anti-fortress, at 8pm on Sky Sports 1?

At this point in the season it is hard to see the Blues relinquishing their grip on the Premier League title. Since their humiliation at the hands Arsenal at the end of last September – the defeat that caused Antonio Conte to rejig his tactics, and one that came and bit the Gunners in the backside at the start of February – the London club have looked unstoppable, winning 17 of their last 20 league games. And while those 3 blips have all come in 2017 (a loss to Tottenham and 1-1 draws against Liverpool and Burnley), there are no great signs that they are going to slip up any time soon.



The better question might be, just how successful can Conte be in his first year of English football. As the table currently sits Chelsea only have 2 top 6 sides left to face in the coming months, Man City and Man United, with both games at Stamford Bridge; that means the Blues have a pretty good chance of ending the season with a huge margin of victory. They are also still on track for a potential double, hosting United in the FA Cup next weekend. On a more personal level, the potentially China-bound Diego Costa could finish as the league’s top scorer; on 16 goals, and a Super Mega PGM of 45-52, he is 3 behind Harry Kane, but having played one less game.

As for West Ham, while there has been something of an improvement in the last 3 months, it’s not been that convincing. Since 2017 began, the Hammers have lost to Leicester, Man United and Man City (the latter games both at the Olympic Stadium), won against Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough and Southampton, and drawn against West Brom and Watford. It’s perfectly middling form that reflects their standing in 11th place; compare it to last season’s 7th place finish and factor in the glitzy new stadium, however, and it’s a bitter disappointment.

And yet and yet, bar Tottenham the Hammers are the only other team to have beaten Chelsea since that aforementioned loss at the Emirates last September, winning their EFL Cup 4th round fixture at home 2-1. Though the chances of them repeating that feat are slim, with Spreadex offering a Chelsea/West Ham (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 0.95-1.15 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.7-2.9, Slaven Bilic can dream!