BBC Pundit Steve Claridge is backing Chelsea to go on and win the Premier League title if they win their next two games against Liverpool and Arsenal.
Chelsea are currently eight points clear at the top of the table after winning 18 of their 22 games so far this season.
Former Premier League striker Claridge reckons Chelsea have their impressive defensive record to thank for their strong position in the standings.
Antonio Conte’s side have conceded the least amount of goals in the division (15) and have kept 13 clean sheets in the process.
And after Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Hull, Claridge believes they’re favourites for the title if they see off rivals Liverpool and Arsenal in their upcoming fixtures.
The BBC pundit said: “Yet again they’re picking up points against a protagonist who you think might have been able to put a little bit of pressure on them.
“They just keep doing what they do well. They didn’t concede. That’s 14 clean sheets and that does it for you.
“They are where they are because they don’t concede, they’re the most consistent.
“Two big games coming up, Arsenal and Liverpool. If they win both of them, you’ve probably got to shake hands and say: ‘It’s yours.”
Steve Claridge – BBC Pundit
Claridge is also a football coach and former player. He was a pundit for BBC Sport football shows including Football Focus and The Football League Show, until recently when he became both manager and a director at newly formed Salisbury.
Claridge’s career was known for its longevity and diversity. Born in Portsmouth, he has spent a number of periods with teams from Hampshire and Dorset, having begun his career with non-league Fareham Town in 1983.
After failing to gain a permanent contract at local league club A.F.C. Bournemouth, Claridge spent three years at Weymouth, in his longest single spell with any club. From 1988 till 1996 Claridge played for a number of Football League teams, before moving to Leicester City with whom he played in the Premier League and won the 1997 Football League Cup.
In 1998 he moved to Portsmouth, where he was also player manager from 2000–2001. After a spell with Millwall, he dropped down to the Southern Premier League to work as player-manager for Weymouth.
After this ended in 2004, Claridge played for ten different clubs in a variety of leagues, never spending more than a season with one team. He has played at all levels of English football and has also appeared in 1000 professional or semi-professional football matches.
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