The English premier league approaches another captivating conclusion this Monday (May 8th), in what has been an thrilling, action packed campaign, as league adversaries Chelsea FC and the Middlesbrough FC battle it out at the Stamford Bridge Stadium, with Kick-off due to start at (21.00 CET/20.00 GMT).
The Chelsea FC will be desperate to claim all three points this Monday night, in a bid to keep the manager Pochettino’s relentless, title chasing Spurs side at bay, and extent their dominance at the top of the league.
The Boro currently finds themselves deep into the relegation zone, battling it out for top flight survival, and in dire need of six points, if they are to pull clear of the drop. The Middlesbrough FC visits the Blues at the Stamford Bridge Stadium on Monday, with everything on the line, as a loss will virtually guarantee relegation for the Boro.
Meanwhile, a win for Chelsea will all but guarantee domestic silverware for the manager Antonio Conte’s unstoppable Blues side.
CHELSEA FC vs. MIDDLESBROUGH FC
Three-Way: 1: Chelseas FC -500; X: +760 Draw; Middlesbrough FC +1559
Spread -2: Chelsea FC -116 ; Middlesbrough FC +112
Total +3.5: Over +136; Under -141
CHELSEA FC
Chelsea FC is currently flying high in the English Premier League this season, and the clubs charismatic coach Antonio Conte has been able to extract the very best out of his key players throughout this campaign. As a result, these rejuvenated players have been the catalyst behind the Chelsea FC’s success this season. The Blues previous manager Jose Mourinho, struggled to lift the talented Belgian Eden Hazard out of a dry spell last season, and the Chelsea frontman Diego Costa was struggling to find any form, until the clubs enigmatic manager Antonio Conte, inspired the clubs ruthless dwindling striker to find his shooting boots again, and now the striker looks to be in prolific form once more this season.
The Chelsea FC is in excellent form this season, and the club finds themselves seven points clear of their London rivals, the Tottenham Hotspur, with just two games left to play in the English Premier league this season. The Pensioners have put added pressure on the title chasing Spurs side, when the club snapped up all three points last weekend, in what was potentially a tricky fixture away to the Toffees at Goodison Park, thanks to a sensational strike from the ex-Barcelona star, Pedro.
The club has the 2nd best home record in the league this season with only the Tottenham Hotspur has performed better on home soil. The Blues have won fourteen of their sixteen matches played at the Stamford Bridge Stadium, losing only twice all season as the hosts. The Blues have managed to score in every home match this season, and currently have the best attack in the league, accumulating 43 goals at home throughout this campaign. In addition, the Chelsea FC has an excellent defensive record this season, only having conceded thirteen goals at the Stamford Bridge Stadium, whilst this resilient side has an impressive total of seven clean sheets in their sixteen games played as the home side.
The clubs midfield maestro and PFA Player of the Year N’Golo Kante has been instrumental to the Blues success this season, and the player has only been absent for one domestic match throughout this campaign. However, the industrious central player has sustained a thigh injury, and it is a race against the clock, as to whether the Frenchman will return to match fitness in time for the Chelsea FC’s critical showdown with the relegation scraping side Middlesbrough FC, this Monday night. The Brazilian defender David Luiz is a major doubt for Monday night, after the skilled defender hobbled off the pitch in the clubs recent match against the Toffees, and is unlikely to feature in this Monday’s exhilarating clash.
MIDDLESBROUGH FC
Middlesbrough FC is currently in a precarious position in the league, and the manager Steve Agnews and his side could slip down to the bottom place, if the club fail to beat the league leaders Chelsea FC, at the Stamford Bridge Stadium this Sunday. The Boro is currently ten points away from relegation safety, after the Swansea FC’s victory over the toffee’s on Saturday, and anything but defeat on Monday would see the club relegated to the Championship next season, where they would be joining their North-East rivals, Sunderland AFC. However, three points or a draw would keep their tenuous top flight aspirations alive, at least until the next weekend.
The signs are ominous for the Boro ahead of Mondays contest, the club is without a win from their last sixteen matches played away from home, and the side have lost their last four consecutive matches played as the travelling side. The club will need to draw inspiration from their recent stalemate with top five opposition Manchester City at the Etihad last weekend, and they will need to provide another resilient and robust performance, against a seemingly unstoppable Chelsea side that is high on confidence after their league rivals the Tottenham Hotspur lost to the Hammers on Friday.
The Spanish centre-forward Alvaro Negredo is the clubs current top goalscorer, the player on loan from the Valencia FC has scored nine goals domestically, with a grand total of ten goals in all competitions.
The Uruguayan midfielder Gaston Ramirez, is likely to miss the Middlesbrough FC’s clash with Conte’s Blues side, the attacking threat is currently recuperating from a Pelvic injury, and is unlikely to make it back to match fitness, in time for Monday’s encounter with the Chelsea FC. The Skipper Grant Leadbitter has returned to full training after missing his club’s previous three competitive matches due to a Hamstring injury, whilst Adlene Guedioura (groin), Victor Valdes (ribs) and Daniel Ayala (ankle) completes the list of potential absentees.
Chelseas FC vs. Middlesbrough FC Match Prediction
The Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, will be on the hunt for three valuable points knowing that his club’s league rivals, the Tottenham Hotspur, could close the gap to just one point at the top of the league table, if his side fail to win in this week’s Monday night fixture.
The signs are ominous for the Boro going into this Premier league clash. The relegation side has lost their last six encounters against the Pensioners, without scoring a single goal. Worse still, the visiting side has been unable to find the net at the Stamford Bridge Stadium, in their last seven Premier league matches, and we have to go all the way back to September 2001, to see the last time the Middlesbrough FC scored as the travelling side at the Stamford Bridge Stadium.
The visitors do not have a whole lot optimistic to grab onto going into this match-up, which is why I am expecting a comfortable win from the hosts and also the Blues goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to keep his goal untouched.
Can the Middlesbrough FC break this barren spell of goals at the Stamford Bridge Stadium? Or will the Chelsea FC pick up their 300th win on home soil in the Premier league.
MY PICK: CHELSEA FC AH -2 (-116)
Additional Pick: Both teams to score NO (-147)
