Phil Agius
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The English Premier League has provided plenty of entertainment since it sprang back into action last week and London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea had very different first matches of the season. Big-spending Arsenal lost 2-0 to EPL newcomers Brentford in the opening match of the season, while Champions League winners Chelsea started out with a comfortable 3-0 win over Crystal Palace.
To add to the drama of this matchup, we’ve come up with a same game parlay for Sunday’s 11.30am ET game that pays nearly 8/1 with FanDuel Sportsbook. Let’s break it down.
Chelsea -1 (+230)
Romelu Lukaku first scorer (+290)
Parlay odds: +778
Let’s go through each of the legs in more detail, but make sure you also check out the rest of our soccer predictions for all the EPL and MLS games this weekend.
Chelsea -1 (+230)
There are just two legs in this same game parlay, but it still pays at nice odds. Chelsea have continued to improve ever since Thomas Tuchel took over as their head coach and their immense squad depth makes it virtually impossible for them to field a weak lineup. Not that they would want to rest their stars this early in the season or against another side from the English capital.
That’s why we feel comfortable asking the Blues to win this match by more than one goal. And the visitors will certainly be keen to make amends for their two EPL defeats to Arsenal last season. Playing on the road should be no problem for them as Chelsea went 12 away games without losing before a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa in May.
Arsenal looked disorganized in their shocking loss at Brentford, and they are lacking in attack. Their top striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is rated doubtful for this match after sitting out against Brentford and Alexandre Lacazette–Arsenal’s top scorer last season–has been ruled out.
Read our full match preview for Arsenal vs Chelsea here
Romelu Lukaku first scorer (+290)
The only obvious concern for Chelsea heading into the summer was the lack of an elite level center-forward. Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, and Timo Werner are all valuable attackers, but the expensive acquisition of Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku was exactly what the Londoners needed.
Take the better odds for Lukaku to score the first goal than at to find the net at any time in the game, as he might not be asked to play the whole match on his first appearance. However, he took part in a full training camp with former club Inter so should not be lacking for fitness.
The lackluster Arsenal defense may struggle to cope with his powerful presence and he can be fancied to put his new team in front.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of our EPL predictions for the weekend
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