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Chelsea and Swansea will square off in the last match of the Barclays Premier League opening day.
Chelsea lost the Community Shield against Arsenal 0-1, but it was a good performance from the Blues, even if it was clear that they didn`t put too much value on that match. Strangely, Chelsea was the aggressor against Wenger’s side, but they could not find a way to break down the Gunners. The hosts will be buoyed by the news of Mourinho signing a new contract and they will surely be confident of starting the season with a home win.
Swansea City finished the last season with two consecutive defeats against Man City and Crystal Palace, but Gary Monk’s side has been undefeated in friendlies, so they will come into the first round with a good morale. Swansea made some pretty good signings this season, most notably Andre Ayew, so they should be able to get a mid table finish, maybe even challenge for an Europa League spot if everything clicks and other sides under perform.
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Team news & lineups:
Diego Costa continues to be doubtful for Chelsea, but Loic Remy is 100% fit and he should start. Swansea has a clean bill of health and can field the best lineup.
Chelsea: Courtois – Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta – Matic, Fabregas – Hazard, Oscar, Willlian – Remy
Swansea: Fabianski – Naughton, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor – Cork, Ki – Ayew, Sigurdsson, Dyer – Gomis
Mourinho knows that this season will be much more difficult than the last one, with Manchester United and especially Arsenal looking legitimate contenders for the Premier League title and then you have Manchester City, which can`t be overlooked. Needless to say Chelsea can`t afford to lose points at home against a team like Swansea and this gives me confidence that, despite being the opening day of the season, Chelsea will be very focused for this clash.
Swansea is a decent side, but I expect a classic, solid football game at home by Chelsea. The odds look pretty good to me and I`m a bit surprised that we`re seeing over 1.30 – probably just the “opening day factor”. My tip is Chelsea to win with a -1 asian handicap. The Blues should also have a small advantage by playing an official match already. A simple bet really, I`m really confident in the win, they asian handicap could be more difficult but I expect Chelsea to cover it and, at the worst case, we should have a void bet and see our money back. Prediction: Chelsea – Swansea City 2-0.
Pick: Chelsea (-1 Asian Handicap)
Odds: 1.64 @ Sbobet
Stake: 8
Possible profit: 5.12
Event date: 8 August
