Home and Away: Back CFC to deliver knockout blows this Boxing Day

Jonno Turner backs the CFC's to do the business in todays Boxing Day fixtures.

 

Focusing our attentions on the top tier for our first Boxing Day tip - as a buoyant Chelsea side travel to Norwich, aiming to continue the lethal form which saw them stick eight past Aston Villa last time out.

Yes - Villa were terrible in that clash - but the Blues showed the tactical nous that Rafa Benitez is famous for, and some of the stick that he has been receiving has rightly subsided since that result.

One such masterstroke was moving David Luiz into midfield - and the floppy-haired Brazilian pulled all the strings in a midfield display which saw todays visitors humiliate their opponents.

And that made if five wins from six games for the Londoners, who have smashed a whopping 25 goals past their last half a dozen opponents (and people say they are missing Drogba!).

Three wins from their last four away from Stamford Bridge suggests that the Champions League winners have more than enough in their locker to punish this Norwich side today - and two losses from their last three will leave home boss Chris Hughton nervous ahead of this one.

The Canaries have failed to win four of their last seven - and a 2-1 loss to West Brom at the weekend will have knocked confidence in Norfolk.

Hughton's side have not kept a clean sheet since mid-November - and that could be their downfall, as they welcome this free-scoring Chelsea side to Carrow Road this afternoon.

In fact, half a dozen goals shipped in their last three in front of their own fans suggests that they may have serious weaknesses at the back, and rest assured that Rafa will have spotted those.

Bet 1: Chelsea (AWAY) @ 1.65

 

We're off to North Derbyshire for our second pick of the day - and Chesterfield will be aiming to get back to winning ways as they welcome York City to the Proact Stadium.

The Spireites have been going well since the appointment of Paul Cook at the helm, but their recent impressive run of results came to a halt on Friday night as they were beaten 3-0 at Southend.

That was just the second loss that the hosts have encounted in Cook's reign - and will have hit them hard as they were beaten so convincingly by fellow promotion contenders.

But the last time the Blues lost in the league, they followed it up with a three game winning streak, and I have confidence that they will chalk up three points in this Boxing Day fixture.

And the Spireites have been exemplary on their own patch of late - four games unbeaten, of which they have won three - and scored a whopping 13 goals, conceding just four.

Those statistics underline just how formidable Cook has made his side in front of their own fans - and with the play-off places still in sight, they will be desperate to put in a positive performance here.

York travel south having won just one of their last five on the road, and Gary Mills' charges will be keen to arrest that slump against their Derbyshire opponents.

But 10 goals conceded in their last four away from Bootham Crescent suggests that the Minstermen have weaknesses in defence which may require attention - and I think that could have a major bearing on the outcome of this fixture.

A 2-0 loss at Plymouth Argyle in their last outing on their travels won't have done much for confidence in the away camp, and just four wins from 11 on the road this campaign is not the kind of return that Mills will be looking for.

This promises to be an enticing clash - but I'm backing the hosts to bounce back from a rare loss, at very decent odds.

Bet 2: Chesterfield (HOME) @ 2.28

 

Bet HERE

Viewed 559 times