Chelsea vs. Norwich City Prediction, 7/14/20
A defeat at Sheffield United leaves 3rd-placed Chelsea with an uncertain lookout on their chances of finishing in the top-four, making the game against relegated Norwich City a must-win. Kick-off - at 15:15 PM ET on Tuesday, July 14.
Chelsea Lose To Sheffield
A two-game winning run came to an end for Chelsea, who were beaten with a count of 3-0 by Sheffield United away at Bramall Lane on Saturday. The Blues controlled the ball 76% of the time and outshot the hosts 15-9, but made too many defensive mistakes, finally ending a run of eight consecutive fixtures, during which the team scored at least two snipes in each game. This was Chelsea’s heaviest Premier League loss since manager Frank Lampard’s first game in charge against Manchester United (4-0). The team currently sits 3rd in the standings (W18 D6 L11), but could drop to the 4th position if Man United, who have a game in hand, will beat Southampton on Monday.
English striker Tammy Abraham leads the Blues with 14 league snipes. Spaniard Kepa Arrizabalaga, meanwhile, occupies the 21st position in the Premier League’s goalkeeper chart, having recorded 53 saves for the season. He has picked up seven clean sheets in 31 contests during the current campaign and allows a goal every 66 minutes on average. Chelsea has scored the 4th highest amount of EPL markers this year (63) while delivering the 2nd highest quantity of shots per game (16.6). The team is 3rd in ball possession (57.9%) and 2nd in passing accuracy (85.2%).
Norwich Drop To Second Division
A record-fifth relegation from the Premier League was finally confirmed for Norwich City, who collected their seventh consecutive defeat following a 4-0 home loss to West Ham United at Carrow Road on Saturday. The Canaries (W5 D6 L24) controlled the ball 53% of the time but were outshot 19-11, allowing two goals in each half, failing to score themselves for a league-high 17th game this season. The team’s 24 defeats so far this year is an unwanted record in Norwich history, regardless of the league. The Canaries have managed to collect just five clean sheets and score no more than seven away goals during the ongoing campaign.
Finnish striker Teemu Pukki leads Norwich with 11 league goals, but has not gotten on the scoresheet for 11 straight EPL fixtures. Goalie Tim Krul, meanwhile, sits 3rd in the Premier League with 116 saves. He has collected five clean sheets in 33 appearances this season and gives up a goal every 50 minutes of play. The Canaries have netted the absolute lowest number of strikes during the ongoing campaign (26) while taking the 12th highest amount of shots per game (11.3). The team is 9th in both ball possession (50.8%) and passing accuracy (80.8%).
Prediction
After losing twice in their last four Premier League fixtures (W2 L2), Chelsea find themselves in quite a sticky situation. The team sits 3rd in the league prior to Monday’s clash between Manchester United and Southampton, but will drop to the 4th position in case of a victory for the Red Devils, with Leicester City following 5th just one point away and with three games remaining. After Manchester City’s two-year ban from European competitions was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the 5th place no longer qualifies for the Champions League next season. So, the Blues simply need to win every remaining fixture to guarantee themselves a spot in the most prestigious club soccer tournament in the world. And the game against Norwich City is a good clash to start with! The Canaries have already been eliminated from the Premier League and are riding a seven-game losing run, failing to score a single goal in six of those matches. Chelsea has looked vulnerable defensively lately but will be facing off against the league’s worst attack, while also playing against the worst defense in the competition.
Best bet:
Chelsea to win to nil (-125)