Premier League race for European places is hotting up
- James M Buttler
- Apr 24
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
James Buttler finds the best bets this Premier League Saturday and is thinking Chelsea will continue their great Stamford Bridge form.
Chelsea v Everton
Chelsea kept their top-five Champions League hopes alive with a dramatic 2-1 win over Fulham, but manager Enzo Maresca's passionate celebrations earned him a third yellow card and a touchline ban for this clash with Everton. Despite that, the Blues remain just two points off the top five and will be confident, boasting an unbeaten home league record this season against teams currently tenth or lower (W7, D2).
Maresca may rotate ahead of a European semi-final, but Chelsea’s depth and momentum make them strong favourites. Everton, meanwhile, suffered a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City last time out, only their second loss in 13 league games. However, the absence of captain James Tarkowski due to injury could expose their defence against Chelsea’s attacking threats.
Historically, Everton have struggled at Stamford Bridge, failing to win in their last 29 league visits. However, a recent away win over Nottingham Forest shows they can spring surprises. Still, with only four of their 16 away games seeing over 2.5 goals, expect a tight contest. Stats and form point to a narrow home win in a low-scoring affair. Chelsea to win and Under 2.5 goals is 11/4 with SkyBet.
Brighton v West Ham
With European qualification still a possibility for eighth place, Brighton will be desperate to end their five-game winless league run (D2, L3), during which they've conceded 2+ goals each time. History suggests they can bounce back on Saturday. Brighton have lost just once in 15 Premier League meetings with West Ham (W6, D8), though that one defeat came in this fixture last season.
The narrative is spiced up by the return of former Brighton boss Graham Potter, now managing West Ham. His previous return to the AMEX ended in a 4-1 defeat with Chelsea, and he’s currently overseeing a six-match winless run with the Hammers (D3, L3). Should West Ham lose heavily again, Potter could become the first manager to suffer 3+ goal losses in his first two league visits to a former club.
West Ham’s slim hopes of ending that slide rest on their defence. Each of their last four Premier League away wins came with a clean sheet. However, they haven’t won an away game when conceding in over a year.
I’m playing Brighton to win, Over 2.5 goals and Danny Welbeck to score anytime at 5.48/1 with SkyBet.
Southampton v Fulham
Already relegated and sitting on just 11 points, Southampton are desperately trying to avoid adding another unwanted record to their season by surpassing Derby’s all-time Premier League low. Last week’s dramatic 1-1 draw with West Ham offered a glimmer of hope, and they’ll be eyeing Fulham’s visit as a rare opportunity to build on that.
History is on the Saints’ side at St Mary’s. Fulham have managed just one win in their last 22 visits (W1, D6, L15). However, current form is worrying. Southampton are on the brink of becoming only the fifth team to lose 14+ home games in a single Premier League campaign.
Fulham, meanwhile, have faltered after a promising push for European football. Despite a thrilling 3-2 win over Liverpool, Marco Silva’s men have since suffered three straight one-goal defeats, including a cruel late loss to Chelsea. Their away struggles continue, and they’ve failed to score in just two league matches all season, one of which came against Southampton.
I’m keeping this one simple in a match where goals are potentially lacking. Under 2.5 Goals is 23/20 with StarSports.
James’ Premier League Treble
If you put all the selections into a treble, it comes to 48/1 with Betfair.
Please gamble responsibly.
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