Chelsea to regain momentum against demoralised Blackburn
Published:Prior to their Champions League final on May 19, Chelsea will look to carry form into that match by beating Blackburn at 3/10 on Sunday.
Chelsea enter the game on the back of a somewhat surprising 4-1 defeat away to Liverpool in midweek, but the prelude to that was an FA Cup success that ensures European participation next season.
Guaranteed a sixth placed finish, Sunday’s result will have no bearing on Chelsea’s league standing, though the Blues will hope to carry momentum to Munich next week.
Their visitors similarly have nothing to play for in the league, after their relegation to the Championship was confirmed in a home defeat at the hands of Wigan on Monday night.
They are 9/1 to win at Stamford Birdge, but this price looks well worth avoiding bearing in mind Rovers have not beaten Chelsea in six years.
Three of the sides’ 15 encounters in all competitions during this time have ended level meanwhile, which will give a ray of hope to punters backing the draw at 4/1.
Whilst Chelsea will rest some players ahead of their Champions League final for the game though, they should still have enough to see off a Blackburn side that have lost seven of their last eight.
Players such as captain John Terry, the influential Ramires, Raul Meireles and Branislav Ivanovic are suspended for the European final, and so they will likely be afforded the chance to start on Sunday.
Also, with starting berths in the Munich showpiece up for grabs in light of so many absentees, fringe players will be eager to prove to Roberto Di Matteo that they are worthy of selection.
The likes of Daniel Sturridge have a point to prove too, as they aim to impress in the final competitive match before Roy Hodgson names his provisional England squad for Euro 2012, and this combination of factors should see Chelsea ease past Rovers.
