THESE are deeply troubling times for Chelsea as the Maurizio Sarri revolution threatens to descend into a civil war that could see him ousted as supreme leader.
The Italian admitted he might not be able to motivate his players after they crashed 4-0 at Bournemouth on Wednesday night.
Sarri also ordered his coaching staff out of the dressing room so he could give his players a 50-minute dressing down and a dark cloud seems to be hanging over Stamford Bridge.
Having already upset star man Eden Hazard by playing him out of position and claiming he's not a “leader”, the omens do not look good for Sarri.
Many of the players who downed tools when Jose Mourinho lost the dressing room remain at Chelsea and they could now do the same to Sarri.
I'd be surprised if Sarri saw out the season and he's now 3/1 second favourite (Sky Bet) to be the next Premier League manager to leave his post, behind Leicester's Claude Puel (8/11, Sky Bet).
The only consolation for the Italian is that his next fixture is as easy as it comes in the Premier League, with a visit from whipping boys Huddersfield.
I fancied the new manager bounce to help the Terriers surprise Everton in midweek but Jan Siewert could only oversee another defeat.
Even against 10 men and a dodgy Toffees defence, Huddersfield still managed to draw a blank, summing up the lack of firepower that has made them certainties for relegation.
Philip Billing is an injury doubt after missing the Everton game with a knee problem but key man Aaron Mooy should start after making his return off the bench against the Toffees.
Despite that, they are 18/1 rank outsiders against Chelsea and it looks like the best they can hope for is a 0-0 stalemate at Stamford Bridge. You can get 73/4 with Marathonbet on such an outcome and it may be worth a small wager given the Blues' recent troubles.
A comfortable but unspectacular win is far more likely and I like the look of Chelsea to win by a two-goal margin which is 29/10 with 188Bet. Sarri's side to win after a level first half is also a decent option at 17/5 with Bet Victor.
Gonzalo Higuaín is still waiting for his first Chelsea goal and he won't have a better chance of opening his account than this, if he manages to shake off a back problem.
The Argentine is 3/1 for first scorer with most firms and a measly 17/20 (Betway) for anytime scorer. For better value in the same market, try Ross Barkley at 40/17 with UniBet.
Sarri should ring the changes after the Bournemouth battering so the midfielder could get a starting slot and he's always a scoring threat.
This English Premier League match between Chelsea and Huddersfield will be played on Feb 2, 2019 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Chelsea vs Huddersfield prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
