Chelsea’s lack of imagination and attacking cohesion could result in a Tottenham win, says Jones Knows, who also sees West Ham spoil Nottingham Forest’s party at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest vs West Ham, Sunday 2pm, live on Sky Sports
Jumping to hard conclusions at this time of the season rarely bodes well from a betting bank balance point of view, so I’m happy to forgive Nottingham Forest for such a limp and timid performance at Newcastle at the weekend past
Steve Cooper’s men produced an expected goals ratio of just 0.28 with five shots on target at St James’ Park and were completely dominated in key areas of the pitch, particularly in midfield where Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes show Forest how to run a Premier League game.
I’m expecting a lot more drive, enthusiasm and spark from Cooper’s boys when Premier League football returns to the City Ground for the first time in 23 years and 82 days, the longest gap between games for one team in the history of the Premier League. Of Forest’s starting line-up last week, Brennan Johnson and Neco Williams weren’t even born the last time Forest played at this level and the average cost of a pint of lager was £1.90 . The glory years.
I’m expecting a silly, cup atmosphere, something David Moyes will want his team to manage in the opening exchanges. They have the experience and class in midfield with the outstanding Declan Rice to handle from the start and then take over as the game wears on.
The Hammers scored 55 per cent of their goals after half-time last season and the Pairs for the second half to produce more goals it makes sense for those looking to attack a market.
SCORE PREDICTION: 0-1
Chelsea vs Tottenham, Sunday at 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports
The bravest act is still to think for yourself. Out loud.
It’s time to put it into practice.
As much as it seems to put a lot of faith in Tottenham to win a game of football at Stamford Bridge, if I’m fully committed to the theory that Spurs are a threat in every competition they play this season, I simply have to back them. to beat an undercooked and underwhelming Chelsea like the outsiders 21/10 with Sky Bet.
Many of you will be shouting at me right now for pointing out that Chelsea have lost just one of their last 32 league games at home to Spurs, winning 21. But this is a new era at Tottenham with Antonio Conte in charge. They go places and play with supreme energy while Chelsea, as evidenced by the last six months, stagnate.
This is a perfect time for Spurs to head to West London.
Thomas Tuchel is clearly unhappy with the tools at his disposal ahead of the close of the transfer window and that was evident throughout his slow and steady display in the 1-0 win over Everton.
It looked like a lack of imagination and attacking cohesion as they stumbled to an expected goals (non-penalty) figure of just 0.86, a very low amount considering they won 16 corners in the game against a team that he cannot defend with a set piece. A lack of imagination in forward areas has been a concern in 2022. Chelsea have scored just 34 goals from an expected figure of 32.1 since the turn of the year with Liverpool (46), Man City ( 50) and Tottenham (51) all showing. much larger number in the final third.
With Chelsea’s defense still among the best in the Premier League and Spurs very unlikely to run away with the game, I’m happy to be greedy and increase the price by backing Conte’s men to win by one goal at 7/2.
SCORE PREDICTION: 0-1 | BETTING ANGLE: Tottenham to win by one goal (7/2 with Sky Bet – Bet here!)
Liverpool vs Crystal Palace, Monday at 8pm, live on Sky Sports
If Liverpool bring the same lack of zip, physicality, desire and pressure to the table in their 2-2 draw with Fulham, then Sky Bet’s 1/4 takers on a home win could be in for a treat of suffering economic harm.
A team that usually averaged 19.1 shots per game in the Premier League last year and recorded an expected goals figure of 2.50 fell well below their usual standards, with just 11 shots and an xG of 1.23. They also recorded the lowest distance of any team last weekend and were beaten by Fulham by a margin of just under 7km – only Aston Villa (7km) and Wolves (8.6km) were further ahead by a greater distance on the opening weekend.
Jurgen Klopp will have been privately embarrassed by these numbers.
That makes this an absolutely terrible time for Crystal Palace to head to Anfield. A reaction is expected.
Despite starting the season with a defeat against Arsenal, there were encouraging signs for Patrick Vieira’s side in their approach, but I’m still really convinced they’ll score enough goals to seriously break into the top eight this season
The Reds have conceded just four goals in their last 14 Premier League home games and are expected to win a fourth successive clean sheet at home against Palace (4/5 with Sky Bet).
