Everton has been in good spirits since Wayne Rooney returned to his old squad as it visits Stamford Bridge for a clash against Chelsea in round 3 of the new English Premier League season. Meanwhile, West Brom would like to continue its good form by scoring maximum points over Stoke City in the Baggies’ home pitch.
CHELSEA vs. EVERTON
3-Way: 1: Chelsea -182; X: +359 Draw; 2: Everton +750
Spread -1:Chelsea -125; Everton +120
Total +2.5: Over -102; Under +104
CHELSEA
After Antonio Conte pulled off an impressive feat in his first term at Stamford Bridge, pioneering a new tactical approach with Chelsea that helped it finish seven points clear at the top of the Premier League. However, the reigning champs are not having the best of starts in the new season. To begin with, they lost to Arsenal in the FA Community Shield than to Burnley FC to kick off its Premier League schedule. Then they went on to overcome Tottenham, 2:1, to notch its first victory in the league.
Marcos Alonso, who is one of the top three left side players in the league, was stellar last season and he resumes where he left off by top scoring for the Blues with two goals. David Luiz and Álvaro Morata have netted one apiece. Chelsea forked 70 million GBP for the former Real Madrid forward and plenty will be demanded from the two-time UEFA Champions League winner as a result. Having already proven himself in both the Serie A and La Liga, the 24-year old offers versatility in attack and contributes his fair share of assists as well as goals.
It will be a different story this season as Chelsea adds the Champions League to its fixture schedule and contends with stronger challenges from rivals that have all strengthened. In addition, the loss of Nemanja Matić to Manchester United and the impending departure of Diego Costa will see a change in style that may not necessarily be for the better. Furthermore, star man and four-time PFA Team of the Year member Eden Hazard will miss the first few weeks of the season with an injury, adding more obstacles to his club’s chances.
EVERTON
While Everton might have lost the goalscoring talents of Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United, it gained back its lost son, Wayne Rooney, who brought to an end a 13-year spell at MUFC to return to his roots. The 31-year old former England captain, who just announced his retirement from international duty this week, suffered a downturn in fortunes in his last two seasons at Old Trafford. He has been offered a fresh start and will be expected to lead the Toffees to greater heights, to which he has already contributed by scoring in his first two Premier League matches with his new (old) club. Against the Blues, Rooney will be looking to score in three consecutive Premier League matches for the first time since January 2016.
Unabashedly turning this into a Rooney retrospect, England’s all-time leading international goalscorer and second-highest appearance maker put the ball at the back of the net four times at Euro 2004, jump-starting a career that has never looked back, except now that he is back in Merseyside. Although he just scored once at the FIFA World Cup, his 53 in 119 caps is just as impressive Lionel Messi’s (0.49) and Cristiano Ronaldo’s (0.52) international goals per game average
With the pressure off (or is still there?), he is content trolling Manchester City fans on Twitter after scoring his 200th EPL goal, joining Alan Shearer in that prestigious club. Wazza just needs 60 more to tie the Blackburn and Newcastle legend.
The hype is real for the man who made his breakthrough as a teen at Goodison Park. Manager Ronald Koeman should thank his lucky stars for landing such a talent who has defied scrutiny and criticism only to deliver.
CHELSEA vs. EVERTON – Match Prediction
Chelsea is unbeaten in its last 22 Premier League matches with Everton since losing 0:1 in November 1994 and has not lost back-to-back home league matches since November 2011 as well. Everton has only lost one of its last 11 Premier League matches to reigning champions (W6 D4).
With the addition of Rooney, this is not the Everton that we have been used to. The honeymoon stage would come to an eventual end, but with Chelsea’s lineup in an unusual position of being in flux with the Costa situation, the Toffees’ good fortune might just continue. This is why I will take the extra goal offered for the Toffees with the AH and expect them not to lose with more than a goal difference.
MY PICK: Everton -1 AH (+120)
WEST BROMWICH ALBION vs. STOKE CITY
3-Way: 1: West Bromwich +145; X: +229 Draw; 2: Stoke City +264
Spread -0.5: West Bromwich +140; Stoke City -145
Total +2: Over -102; Under -104
WEST BROMWICH ALBION
West Bromwich has been one of the surprise packages this season, only one of three squads remaining that still has full points after week two in the Premier League. Granted it had the benefit of a relatively weak schedule, beating Bournemouth and Burnley FC with similar 1:0 scorelines, the same can be said of Manchester United’s and Huddersfield Town AFC’s level of competition the past two weekends. The Baggies also advanced to the next round of the EFL Cup after it defeated Accrington Stanley FC, 3:1.
West Brom was performing above all expectations in the first half of last season before allowing its form to dip somewhat in the second stage, losing seven of its final ten fixtures. While they still managed to land in the top half, the Baggies will be aiming to avoid a repeat of that scenario in 2017-18 with manager Tony Pulis demanding that his players do not take their foot off the pedal as they strive for greater consistency. Ben Foster’s 2016-17 season was excellent, and he already has two clean sheets to show.
STOKE CITY
Having gone ninth for three consecutive seasons, last year’s 13th place finish in the Premier League was a disappointment, and Mark Hughes will have to show the club’s owners an improvement as he enters his fifth campaign as Stoke City boss.
The Potters have a slightly different complexion this season following the departure of a number of established players. Marko Arnautović has left for West Ham, while Jon Walters signed for Burnley, and Glenn Whelan joined Aston Villa.
The Stoke squad, however, have brought in five-time Premier League winner Darren Fletcher from West Brom, and the 33-year old will add a much-needed winning mentality on the midfield. Should Jesé Rodríguez score in this match, he will be the second player to score in his opening two Premier League matches for the club after Ricardo Fuller.
WEST BROMWICH ALBION vs. STOKE CITY – Match Prediction
Although Stoke leads the overall head-to-head top division matchup, with most of its victories happening at The Hawthorns, since Pulis took over at West Brom, the Baggies have won four and lost none of their five Premier League matches against his former side. Just under half of Pulis’ PL wins as WBA manager has been by a 1:0 scoreline.
Five of the six goals scored in the last three PL matches between these two have been netted in the final 30 minutes. I will pick the hosts to win and go with the X at the halftime.
MY PICK: West Bromwich (+145)
Additional Pick: First Half – X draw (+100)
