Stoke v Chelsea: Team news, predictions & odds
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The game kicks off at 1500 GMT at the bet365 Stadium.
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Stoke v Chelsea: Team news
Marko Arnautovic, Xherdan Shaqiri and Wilfried Bony return to the Stoke squad for the visit of Premier League leaders Chelsea.
Arnautovic missed the goalless draw with Manchester City through illness while Shaqiri has been absent for six matches with a series of niggling injuries, including a calf problem. Bony was ineligible at the Etihad Stadium under the terms of his loan agreement with City.
Glen Johnson (shoulder) remains out while Jack Butland returned to training this week as he steps up his recovery from a long-term ankle injury in the hope of making his comeback before the season ends.
Chelsea have two players Antonio Conte considers doubts, but the manager has not revealed who they are.
Victor Moses suffered a knock against Manchester United on Monday but is already back in contention after returning to training.
David Luiz is also continuing to manage a long-term knee problem, but he is expected to be available.
Teams
Stoke (from): Grant, Given, Shawcross, Pieters, Bardsley, Martins Indi, Muniesa, Cameron, Whelan, Adam, Imbula, Allen, Afellay, Arnautovic, Sobhi, Shaqiri, Walters, Crouch, Berahino, Diouf, Bony.
Chelsea (from): Courtois, Begovic, Fabregas, Zouma, Alonso, Kante, Hazard, Loftus-Cheek, Moses, Pedro, Costa, Matic, Willian, Batshuayi, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Luiz, Eduardo, Aina, Ake.
Stoke v Chelsea: Manager quotes
Mark Hughes (Stoke)
On facing Chelsea: "We gave a decent account of ourselves down there and we obviously had a good performance last time out and so we'll refer back to that as we approach the weekend.
"I don't think many people expected us to get any sort of positive result at Manchester City but we were very solid and had a threat up front, so all in all we are in decent shape and good heart.
"Chelsea are playing exceptionally well at the moment, so it will be a tough ask, but I think we can draw encouragement from how we've performed in our last two games."
On Bruno Martins Indi: "There's an agreement in terms of a fee.
"It's just about making sure Bruno understands where we are going and what our ambitions are and hopefully he'll want to be part of that. I think we are very close.
"There's hope on all sides that we get it done. He's played exceptionally since he walked through the door. It's not easy when you come to a new country and a new level, in my view, compared to where he was playing.
"He has been able to adapt very quickly and credit to him. He's embraced everything we're about and I hope we get it done. I think we are very close to an agreement.
"And when it's done I think Bruno can settle and understand where he's going to be in the next few years."
Antonio Conte (Chelsea)
On Eden Hazard: "Eden is showing great football but also has great character and great personality in every game.
"He is growing a lot in this aspect. For him, it's fantastic. Not only for him, but also for the team.
"In the first 20-25 minutes (against United) I saw only this type of situation for him, and it was impossible for him to play football.
"I don't like this, and I always want to face a team who want to play football and to beat us playing football. That's important."
On the prospect of one of his squad being named the player of the season, he replied: "It's too early to reply to this question. I hope that, at the end of the season, one of my players could be.
"It would mean we've won the league and, for me, it would be a great satisfaction to have one of my players winning this award.
"Until now it's important to be concentrated on the league and try and play game by game, to be focused. They are important but, if you don't win, they are not important."
Stoke v Chelsea: Our prediction
Our David John writes... the Potters have enjoyed a 10-day break since an impressive tactical display to get a point at Manchester City to keep them on course for another top-half Premier League finish.
It has been mostly steady and rarely spectacular under Mark Hughes this season but they have done enough to earn a day off this week at the Cheltenham Festival ahead of attempting to be the latest team to put the skids under Chelsea’s charge towards the title.
It is quite an interesting clash too as Stoke were the first outfit in some time on New Year’s Eve to serve it up a little to Antonio Conte’s men at Stamford Bridge and if they go about things with similar verve allied to a sound game plan then this may not be plain sailing for the visitors at the notoriously tricky Bet365 Stadium.
Chelsea certainly invested plenty of energy on Monday night into reaching the FA Cup semi-finals at the expense of Manchester United and I would not be massively shocked if there were to be a little bit of a mental and physical hangover.
I don’t believe complacency comes into the equation as Conte and his experienced players are far too savvy despite a 10-point advantage at the summit while depth in the squad provides scope for rotation if there are any tired limbs.
On that front, it seems Victor Moses is the only concern but there is very little in the way of drop off considering Pedro will step up and fill in if required.
Eden Hazard continues to buzz around to great effect despite the pummelling he took from some of the Red Devils while Marcos Alonso has been one of the best players in the top flight from flag fall so there should be huge motivation among the group to move 13 points clear before Tottenham run out on Sunday to face Southampton.
It is impossible to escape from the reality that Hughes and company are probably playing for eighth place but that might not stop them delivering a signature display to keep spirits up through the spring and can eke out something positive from the game.
Prediction: Stoke 1-1 Chelsea
Stoke v Chelsea: Opta facts
Stoke have won only two of their 17 Premier League meetings with Chelsea (D3 L12), with both victories arriving at the bet365 Stadium.
Chelsea have recorded just two wins in their last seven visits to Stoke in all competitions (D3 L2) – 2-0 in December 2014 and 4-0 in January 2013.
Cesc Fabregas has assisted seven goals in eight Premier League starts against Stoke, with the Spaniard also netting two in the process. Indeed, only against Spurs (11) has Fabregas provided more assists in the Premier League than versus Stoke (7).
Willian notched his first ever Premier League brace in the reverse fixture, equalling his goal tally for last season in the competition (5). However, the Brazilian has failed to score in eight league appearances since that game.
Diego Costa’s next Premier League goal will be his 50th in the competition and would be the seventh Chelsea player to reach that milestone for the club.
If Costa does score in this game, he will have reached 50 goals in 80 Premier League appearances. The only players to do this in fewer games were Andrew Cole (65), Alan Shearer (66), Ruud van Nistelrooy (68) and Fernando Torres (72).
Chelsea have used the fewest players (21) and made the fewest changes to their starting XI overall (24) this season in the Premier League.
Antonio Conte has used every substitution possible in the Premier League this season (81/81). The only side in Premier League history to have done this in a whole 38-game season were Manchester City in 2014-15 (114/114).
This will be the 13th occasion that Stoke have played against a team placed top of the Premier League on the day of the game. Of the previous 12, they have won just once – versus Manchester City in December 2015 (W1 D2 L9).
Stoke v Chelsea: Sky Bet odds
Chelsea are just 8/13 with Sky Bet to maintain their relentless title charge, with Stoke 19/4 for the win and 14/5 to hold the leaders to a draw. Antonio Conte’s men are even shorter odds to win the Premier League at 1/16, with Manchester City (18/1) and Tottenham (20/1) considered their main rivals. Diego Costa heads the first goalscorer betting at 11/4 while Peter Crouch and Saido Berahino lead the hosts’ side of the market at 9/1 apiece.
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