After delivering a winning selection on Tuesday night, SlipsTips shares a Bet Builder ahead of West Ham’s clash with Chelsea in the Premier League on Friday night.
West Ham vs Chelsea (Friday, 20:00)
West Ham and Chelsea will get this weekend’s Premier League action underway at the London Stadium on Friday night.
The Hammers will be looking to bounce back from a chastening 3-0 defeat away at newly-promoted Sunderland last Saturday.
As for Chelsea, they will also be targeting their first victory of the campaign after being held to a goalless draw by Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge last Sunday.
Over 0 Chelsea Goals
While Chelsea failed to fire last weekend, I suspect that they will get some joy in front of goal against a West Ham side that shipped three goals at the Stadium of Light. Graham Potter’s team were a soft touch defensively last season, and that certainly appeared to be the case again on the opening day of the campaign.
The Hammers failed to silence their opponents in 31 of their 38 top-flight tussles last term, including 17 of their 19 outings in front of their own supporters. It’s also worth noting that the hosts shipped five goals across their two league meetings with Chelsea last season, so it’s difficult to envisage them standing firm on Friday night.
Tomas Soucek To Commit 1+ Foul
For the first of two player-based selections, I’ll take Tomas Soucek to commit a minimum of one foul. The West Ham midfielder had a habit of getting on the wrong side of the referee last season, evidenced by the fact that he was averaging 1.60 fouls per game in the Premier League. In fact, the towering Czech Republic international has fallen foul of the match official in eight of the last 10 top-flight matches that he has started.
What’s more, Soucek was guilty of at least one offence in each of his two appearances against Chelsea last term, committing two fouls during last season’s corresponding fixture.
Marc Cucurella To Commit 1+ Foul
I’ll conclude the Bet Builder by backing Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella to commit one or more fouls during this all-London showdown. The Chelsea left-back made one misdemeanour during the Blues' season opener with Crystal Palace last Sunday.
By doing so, the Spain international picked up from where he left off last season, as he averaged 1.09 fouls per game for Chelsea in the top-flight last term. That coincided with him racking up 10 yellow cards and one red card, with one of those cautions coming against West Ham at this venue.
Recommended Bet
- Over 0 Chelsea Goals
- Tomas Soucek To Commit 1+ Foul
- Marc Cucurella To Commit 1+ Foul
- Bet Builder – 5/6 (Bet 365)
SlipsTips is a Freelance Sports Writer and Betting Analyst with over six years experience. He has written football and darts betting content for some of the biggest betting websites and newspapers in the UK. With a strong passion for the fascinating world of Scottish football, he also regularly features in Nutmeg, the much-loved Scottish football magazine. SlipsTips is a Falkirk season ticket holder and avid watcher of football and darts, whether it be UK-based or further afield. Feel free to follow him on X @SlipsTips
GambleAware