Boro/ Chelsea, Saturday, 12.45pm, Sky Sports 1, free £10 bet

It’s easy to see why Chelsea travel to the North East as favourites: they are top of the league, have yet to taste defeat and have won all four of their domestic away games. However, despite the drab location and low attendances, there is something about the Riverside that makes the Big Four freeze. Chelsea managed to escape with three points last year, but the folks at chickendinner think they might not be so lucky this time…

» Since Gareth Southgate became Middlesbrough manager, they have lost just two of their eight league home games (25 per cent) against the Big Four.

» Middlesbrough have won two of their last three home games against Chelsea.

» And though they lost at home to Chelsea last year, not since April 2005 have Middlesbrough lost consecutive home league games to a Big Four club.

» Since 1932, Chelsea have only won on five of their 37 away games against Middlesbrough.

» Middlesbrough have only lost successive home league games four times in the last three-and-a-half years and had won five straight games at the Riverside prior to their shock loss to West Brom.

Middlesbrough’s record at home against the Big Four

» Their results last season were particularly impressive. The win against Arsenal was the Gunners’ only defeat in their first thirty games and the draw with Manchester United came straight after the Red Devils had beaten Liverpool 3-0 and Aston Villa 4-0 and directly before they beat Arsenal.

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