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Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez has set his sights on finishing above Sunday’s opponents Manchester City in the Premier League.

A win for the Blues at the Etihad would take them to within a point of the current champions, who currently sit in second, and Benitez has warned City they would not be content to settle for third place. However, he has conceded the title is now Manchester United’s to lose.

This is a massive game.

Rafael Benitez

Chelsea are 12/1 to win 2-1 on Sunday, and are 4/1 to keep a clean sheet. Fernando Torres is 13/2 to score first.

“To finish as high as possible is a challenge,” he said. “So we’ll try to finish second if we can, you never know – this is a massive game, so let’s see where we are at the end. Until the last week, we may be fighting each other.

“My idea is to think about this one, because it will make the difference. If you are closer to City, you have to chase the second position.

“The other one (winning the league), it depends on United. If they don’t lose games and drop points it’ll be difficult. We just have to concentrate on us.”

Benitez is likely to field a much-changed line-up from the side that drew 1-1 against Sparta Prague on Thursday evening, with Frank Lampard, Branislav Ivanovic, Ashley Cole, David Luiz, Eden Hazard and Demba Ba all pushing for a start.

Don’t forget, all Premier League matches are covered by the bet365 100% Euro Soccer Bonus, where you could earn a bonus of up to 100% on your returns on pre-match accumulator bets.

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Premier League team Chelsea’s interim manager Rafael Benitez has warned his players they cannot afford any defensive lapses against Arsenal on Sunday.

The Blues have won just once in the league at home under Benitez and were forced to settle for a draw against Southampton on Wednesday after throwing away a two-goal lead. Arsenal visit Stamford Bridge looking to close the gap on the top four and Benitez knows the Gunners pose a sizeable threat to his side.

Chelsea are 20/1 to win 3-2, and are 9/4 to keep a clean sheet. A 1-1 draw can be backed at 6/1.

We have to defend as a unit, as a team, be more compact and not give them any hope they can score.

Rafael Benitez

“The team are scoring a lot of goals, as we expect them to, but we have to manage this advantage in a better way,” said the Spaniard.

“We have to be more clinical. We have to defend as a unit, as a team, be more compact and not give them any hope they can score.”

Benitez is backing his side to recover quickly from Wednesday’s disappointing result and is hoping to increase the gap between them and Arsenal, which currently stands at eight points.

“It’s always important when you have a draw at home to have a big challenge ahead of you,” he insisted.

“To have Arsenal is a very good thing for me and the players. They are a rival who are close to us. We have to use that as a positive.

“They are close (in the league) and if we win there’ll be a big difference.”

John Terry could make his first start since November, while Demba Ba is pushing to be selected up front ahead of Fernando Torres.

Don’t forget, all Premier League matches are covered by the bet365 100% Euro Soccer Bonus, where you could earn a bonus of up to 100% on your returns on pre-match accumulator bets.

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Harry Redknapp believes his former club and QPR’s opponents this weekend Tottenham are strong enough to field two teams in the Premier League.

Redknapp left White Hart Lane at the end of last season, despite guiding the club to a fourth-placed finish, and was replaced by Andre Villas-Boas.

They’re full of quality everywhere. It’s a similar group to the one I left.

Harry Redknapp

The former Chelsea and Porto manager has continued the good work Redknapp started at Spurs and the club is currently 11/10 to finish in the top four once again this season, while QPR are now 4/9 to be relegated.

Spurs are third, 26 points better off than Rangers, and are 5/6 to win Saturday’s London derby at Loftus Road.

Redknapp said in the build-up to the clash: “Spurs could field two teams who could compete in the Premier League. They have a second team who would hold their own at the top level without any problem. For a start, they have five top-class centre-backs.

“They can afford to let Danny Rose go to Sunderland on loan because they have people like Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Kyle Naughton and Kyle Walker in the squad. They have loads of top-class midfielders.

“They’re full of quality everywhere. It’s a similar group to the one I left but then Moussa Dembele has gone in and done well. They have an outstanding group of players, no doubt about that.”

Meanwhile, Spurs target Leandro Damiao has said he will remain at his current side, Internacional – for now.

Don’t forget, all Premier League matches are covered by the bet365 100% Euro Soccer Bonus, where you could earn a bonus of up to 100% on your returns on pre-match accumulator bets.

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Veteran Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard remains confident that his side can overhaul the Manchester clubs to claim the Premier League title this season.

The Blues, 15/2 to be champions, are four points behind Manchester City and a massive 11 points adrift of leaders Manchester United, but, with a game in hand, Lampard believes that there is still hope for the European champions.

He told his club’s official website: “Of course we can still win the league, it is possible.

Of course we can still win the league, it is possible.

Frank Lampard

“If we concentrate on ourselves, win our games, put a long run together and we can put pressure on Man United, who knows?”

United are currently 4/11 to be crowned champions, with City 7/2 to retain their top-flight title.

Lampard has also urged his team-mates to forget about the seven-match run without a win which saw them lose ground to their Manchester rivals, adding: “It’s the position we’ve put ourselves in because we had a funny run in November and December, but we can’t look back at that.

“We have to be positive and the big change going into games is attitude, with a desire not only to pass and move the ball, but to get close and work for your team-mates.”

Don’t forget all Premier League matches are covered by the bet365 100% Euro Soccer Bonus, where you could earn a bonus of up to 100% on your returns on pre-match accumulator bets.

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It’s 9/2 the field for bet365’s ‘Highest Scoring Premier League Team’ market over the next couple of days.

We saw a flurry of goals during the last round of Premier League matches and bet365 are 5/1 about 34 or more goals being scored over the two days.

Premier League Totals 1st – 2nd January

Highest Scoring Team E/W ¼ – 1,2,3

Total Goals

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Premier League : Everton manager David Moyes is relishing taking on former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez once again when Chelsea visit Goodison Park on Sunday.

Benitez and Moyes met many times while the Spaniard was in charge at Anfield, with Everton only able to win three of their meetings during those six years.

I don’t think it is any surprise that Chelsea are winning games.

David Moyes

“It was always tough because Liverpool had a great team,” admitted Moyes.

“It was always hard to get the better of them. They had a tremendous team, and still have.

“I think he (Benitez) always wanted to be in the Premier League. I think he enjoyed his stint here.

“I think, like a lot of people who come to this country, he enjoyed the honesty and the way the Premier League is played.

“I think he has bided his time to get another job.”

Everton and Chelsea are separated by just two points and two places in the Premier League table but Moyes expects a tough test from a side which has won six of their last seven games. The Toffees are 4/1 to finish in the top four, while Chelsea can be backed at 1/10.

“I don’t think it is any surprise that Chelsea are winning games,” he added.

“He (Benitez) is doing a very good job. He has inherited a really good team, some very good players. You would expect him to win games.”

Darron Gibson is available for the clash after having his red card against West Ham rescinded, but has been suffering from a thigh strain. A 1-0 Everton win can be backed at 9/1, while a 2-2 draw is available at 11/1.

Don’t forget all Premier League matches are covered by the bet365 100% Euro Soccer Bonus, where you could earn a bonus of up to 100% on your returns on pre-match accumulator bets.

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