Sports Blog 09/05/2018: Premier League Preview – Chelsea vs Huddersfield, Wednesday 9th May 2018

Can Huddersfield secure a spot in next season’s Premier League by avoiding defeat against Chelsea, at 7.45pm on Sky Sports?

One point from their final 2 games doesn’t sound like too tough an ask for the Terriers, especially since they managed to hold champions Man City to a 0-0 draw on the day of their crowning last Saturday. However, Huddersfield face the unenviable task of trying to stop either the Champions League-chasing Blues or, at the weekend, an Arsenal side looking to send off Arsene Wenger in style.



Matters are made all the more difficult by the fact that Huddersfield are, alongside their relegation contemporaries Swansea, the least prolific side in the league, with just 27 goals scored. The Terriers are so toothless going forwards that, after failing to score in 20 Premier League fixtures this season, they are just 2 goalless games away from equalling the miserable record set by Derby back in 2007/08 (they’ve actually already matched the Rams’ 13 goals-free appearances on the road).

Of a pretty duff pack, Steve Mounie, who has 9 goals in all competitions, is probably Huddersfield’s best bet at nabbing a goal. He sits at a Super Mega PGM of 10-14, trailed by Laurent Depoitre at 8-11 and Thomas Ince at 7-10.

If Chelsea didn’t have anything to play for, then Huddersfield might stand more of a chance. However, the Blues are breathing down Tottenham and Liverpool’s necks to claim one of the 2 undecided places in the Champions League. In 5th place on 69 points, the Blues are 2 points behind Tottenham, who have also played 36 games, and 3 behind Liverpool, who are one game ahead.

Victory for Antonio Conte and co. on Wednesday, especially if Spurs also beat Newcastle, would lead to a tasty final day of the season. Luckily Chelsea are, belatedly, in a fecund run of form, racking up 5 wins on the trot (4 in the league, alongside April’s FA Cup semi-final triumph over Southampton). Olivier Giroud has been key during that period, his 4 goals in 5 games leaving him with a Super Mega PGM of 55-63, a smidge ahead of Alvaro Morata’s 53-61.

It looks likely that the Terriers will get the Stamford Bridge blues on Wednesday, with Spreadex offering a Chelsea/Huddersfield Goal Supremacy spread of 1.85-2.05 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.9-3.1.