Bookmakers make Chelsea 2.5 to beat Liverpool in 90 minutes in their FA Cup Final clash at Wembley.
The Blues are hoping to to that for the fourth time in six years, and the seventh in their history.
Victory will keep alive their hopes of becoming only the second club to complete the FA Cup and Champions League double, first achieved by Man United when they did the treble back in 1999.
The side have certainly been transformed since Roberto di Matteo took over from Andre Villas-Boas at the beginning of March, and their midweek lost to Newcastle was their first in 12 games.
They have have won 11, drawn four and lost two in all competitions with him at the helm, and he now he has the chance to become the third Italian manager in three years to win the Cup.
If his record a player is anything to go but then he has a great opportunity of landing a unique “treble”.
His goal after 43 seconds for Chelsea in the 1997 win over Middlesbrough was the fastest scored in the final at the old Wembley and his winner against Aston Villa in 2000 was the last FA Cup final goal there before the stadium was demolished.
As far as the stats are concerned this will be the 10th FA Cup meeting between these two sides and the first FA Cup final contested by them.
There has never been a draw in the nine previous meeting, with Chelsea holding a narrow (5-4) advantage in the head to head record.
That’s good news if you are planning to back them to do the business in 90 minutes, especially when you throw in the fact that they have won five of their last six FA Cup final appearances and also managed to keep a clean sheet in four of these victories.
The only downside is that Liverpool have won their last four games against Chelsea in all competitions, scoring seven goals and conceding just one in the process.
However I strongly believe that Chelsea’s FA Cup record gives them the edge in this as the Merseysiders have been very hit and miss of late.
So who is going to get the opener for Chelsea?
Well, Mata is their top goalscorer in this competition with four and he looks overpriced at 12 with
bet365 to break the deadlock.
However a safer bet is surely Drogba who – excluding the Community Shield – has scored in all seven of his matches at Wembley.
That makes him look worth a punt at 7.5 with
Paddy Power to bag the first, and he also looks decent value at 3.2 with the same firm to net anytime.
Chelsea to win 2-1 is my idea of the outcome, and that is a 10 chance with
bet365.