CHELSEA – HULL CITY PREDICTION (22.01.2017)

Chelsea will try to stretch further the gap that isolates it in the leadership of the Premier League. Marco Silva faces his biggest challenge since coming to England. The injuries do not leave the squad of the Tigers and now it has to go to the house of the first classified. Not that the team suffered with his absence, but Antonio Conte gave free play to Diego Costa.

The loss to the Spurs did not derail Chelsea. Antonio Conte’s team was back on the way, giving Peterborough United (4-1) the slightest chance to snatch hair in the FA Cup. Neither did the Blues let themselves be affected by the explosive instability of Diego Costa, who was somewhat irascible with the possibility of a Chinese business. Even without him – who had been training the part to cool the spirits – Chelsea was comfortably beat King Power Stadium on the twenty-first journey. Without the best scorer of the team was Marcos Alonso to take a step forward and bisar – curiously, in the six minutes of the first and second part – to facilitate the triumph over Leicester City (3-0). Pedro Rodríguez closed the accounts.

The Blues remain isolated in the Premier League’s first league, with forty-nine points, seven ahead of all competition. It is a margin that allows one not to enter into stress when one thing or another does not run in style.

Now that Costa was reinstated in the group and Terry fulfilled the punishment, the Italian coach has all the players of the squad at his disposal for Sunday. Good news, considering that next Saturday there will be a reception for Brentford, to be counted for the 16 of the FA Cup and the following Tuesday there will be a marked move to Liverpool.

Eleven Probable: Courtois – Azpilicueta, David Luis, Cahill – Moses, Kanté, Matic, Alonso – Pedro Rodríguez, Diego Costa, Hazard.

Hull City’s reaction to Marco Silva’s Energetic League was very positive. The Portuguese coach made his debut at the Tigers with a win in the FA Cup against Swansea City (2-0) and last Saturday surprised again by beating AFC Bournemouth (3-1) conclusively. Even more impressive was the fact that they entered the match to lose, as Stanislas scored the first for the Cherries in the third minute on penalties. The Tigers were half-handicapped to the first goal of Abel Hernandez, and came from the hot springs with the fire. Whatever the Portuguese coach said at the beach club worked well. At fifty the Uruguayan striker made the second of his personal account and shortly afterwards the Hull counted on a push of Mings, who introduced the ball in the own goal. The merit remains the Tigers because it was the way they were touching the Bournemouth to the ropes that led directly to the error that gave the third goal.

After a galvanizing display like this Marco Silva should not want to mess with the dynamics of eleven, although the reinforcements Oumar Niasse and Evandro are ready to be used. And it will be very necessary, even if not already on Sunday, because the injuries do not ease to the sides of Hull City. Marcus Henriksen will be left standing for two to three months on a dislocated shoulder. It joins the group of Odubajo, Luer, Will Keane, Alex Bruce, Maloney, McGregor and Meyler, all injured. To these still add Elmohamady and Mbokani, who are in the Cup of African Nations.

Eleven Probable: Jakupovic – Maguire, Davies, Dawson – Diomande, Huddlestone, Clucas, Robertson, Mason – Hernandez, Snodgrass.