Chelsea is one of England’s most successful and beloved football clubs. They compete in the English Premier League, the top tier of English football, and have done so since the EPL was first founded in the 90s. They’ve won a number of football’s most prestigious awards, including the FA Cup, the Cup Winners’ Cup, and in 2022 became the third English club to win the Club World Cup.
All these accomplishments have propelled Chelsea to worldwide fame. They are the seventh most valuable football club in the world, and one of England’s most popular sports clubs. Not only that, but their track record has made them favorites in the betting scene. Unfortunately, during the ongoing 2022/23 season, Chelsea have not been doing so well. Taking a look at the odds for their next Premier League match, it seems most websites list them as underdogs. So, in this article, we would like to take a look at Chelsea’s last couple of matches, and maybe give a glance towards their upcoming game against Manchester City.
In late December, the Premier League finally returned from a two-week break. As many of you will know, the break happened due to the 2022 World Cup. For those that missed it, Argentina played against France in the final, and won, earning Lionel Messi his first ever World Cup title. Messi fans celebrated the victory, and the player has seemingly changed teams, in a move similar to his rival, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Upon the Premier League’s return, Chelsea’s first match was scheduled on 27 December, when the Blues went against Bournemouth. Certainly, the tensions were high, though all odds seemed to be in Chelsea’s favor. And in this case, the odds were right. Chelsea won the match in a score of 2 – 0. Coming off of three consecutive losses before the break, this victory came as a breath of fresh air to the club, and its fans.
Only four days later, on the first day of the new year, Chelsea faced off against Nottingham Forest. If you don’t follow the rankings, you should know that Nottingham Forest is ranked in the bottom 3 this time around. They’ve only won three games, and have lost a total of 9. So, once again, the odds were entirely in Chelsea’s favor. However, this time, the Blues did not do so hot.
To be fair, they didn’t flub the game. In fact, Chelsea managed to score the first goal in the 16th minute. Raheem Sterling scored it on the rebound, putting the Blues ahead. The first half-time ended with a score of 0 – 1, with many fans of Chelsea being satisfied with the club’s performance. So, what happened?
Well, Nottingham Forest upped their game, and Chelsea faltered in the second half. In the 63rd minute, Serge Aurier evened the score, and the whole game ended in a draw. A huge step for Nottingham Forest, but a massive blow to Chelsea. It seems their “away blues” continue in 2023.
The Blues’ next match is scheduled to happen on 5 January, when they will be playing against last year’s champions, Manchester City. The Blues vs. the Sky Blues is expected to be a rather exciting match, though it would seem that most experts are predicting a Chelsea loss. Manchester City currently sits in the top 3 ranks, behind only Arsenal. Chelsea on the other hand remains at the 10th spot. However, Chelsea fans can take comfort in knowing that it will be a home match, played at Fulham. So at the very least the “away blues” will not be affecting the Blues.
