Chelsea Set to Be Top of Premier League on Christmas Day
With both Liverpool and Arsenal dropping points in their last two Premier League games, Antonio Conte's side are now six points clear of their biggest rivals. And, the Blues are hoping to make this their eleventh consecutive league win by securing a victory in their next game with Crystal Palace set to take place on 17 December at Selhurst Park. Conte reckons that his high-flying Chelsea are going to enjoy a very merry Christmas this year after ensuring that they will smoothly go into the festive period at the top of the Premier League table after their tenth straight victory this season.
Getting Ahead
At Sunderland's Stadium of Light, Cesc Fabregas's goal during the first half was enough to send the Blues six clear points of the chasing pack, meaning that even a slip-up at their next match against Crystal Palace won't be enough to stop them from leading the way over the Christmas season. As every Blues fan knows, this is definitely a good omen as tradition dictates that whenever Chelsea are leading the Premier League on Christmas Day, they have gone on to win the title - this happened in 2004, 2005, 2009, and 2014.
Happy Christmas
After the 1-0 win against Sunderland, Conte stated that it will be a happy Christmas for the Blues. However, he also made sure to point out that himself and his players are very aware of the 'danger' in the league, and that the upcoming Crystal Palace game is likely to be 'very tough'. Despite another clean sheet for the Blues, the demanding boss was still not completely satisfied with the performance without the presence of injured Eden Hazard on the pitch. Ultimately, this ended in a near miss for the Blues, who nearly paid for their missed chances, but thankfully, Thibaut Courtois managed to pull off an excellent save, denying Patrick van Aanholt in the closing seconds of the game.
However, Premier League fans will know that this is one of the most unpredictable football leagues, and that Chelsea's success right now may not be the same once the season draws to a close. Recently, new Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp wondered aloud about how the Blues would cope should key players such as Hazard, Diego Costa or even Courtois or Victor Moses become injured and be out of the game. However, at Sunderland, the Blues showed that even without half of their dynamic duo, they can win in a way that says a lot about the team's determination to succeed.
High Hopes
Fabregas, who scored the winning goal against Sunderland, has not always been in favour in Conte's new regime for the Blues, however, the manager is increasingly beginning to appreciate the excellence of the Spanish player, finding it more difficult to ignore his increasingly persuasive claims for more playing time. According to Conte, Fabregas is a good player for the Blues, after evaluating his form on the pitch.
It's not just the Blues themselves who are raising their hopes for a win at the end of the season; predictions show that Chelsea have a huge 58% chance of winning the title this season, compared to just 10% for Liverpool, 11% for Manchester City and non-existent chances for Manchester United. With tradition dictating that Chelsea will finish top of the league tables at the end of the season after taking that position on Christmas day, don't forget to place a bet on them with a top bookmaker like William Hill - see review here.
Do you think Chelsea will be bringing home the Premier League title this season?