Premier League: Three ways to profit as Chelsea thrive

Cesc Fabregas was the outstanding player on his Chelsea debut

Michael Lintorn offers three long-term bets for Chelsea following their forceful start to the season...

Five of the six Premier League favourites triumphed on the opening weekend of the campaign, but few would dispute that the last to take to the field - 2.56/4 frontrunners Chelsea - created the best first impression.

Scott Arfield's 14th-minute opener for newcomers Burnley briefly brought to mind memories of those terrible away days at the likes of Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Stoke last term, yet the damage was cancelled out within three minutes and they were 3-1 up 17 minutes after equalising.

Adding to the positivity were the performances of the debutants, with Diego Costa scoring, Cesc Fabregas creating two goals and Thibaut Courtois looking assured following his selection over long-term number one Petr Cech.

This writer remains unconvinced that they will win the title but, regardless of your view on that subject, there was enough about their display at Turf Moor to inspire confidence in these punts...

Cesc Fabregas to be a top-four Premier League scorer @ 9.08/1

Fabregas might not have scored at Burnley, though the match proved that he will be given ample opportunities to scurry forward even when used as one of the two in a 4-2-3-1. The Spaniard notched 15 times in his penultimate Premier League season at Arsenal and is filling the shoes of Frank Lampard, who twice blasted his way into the top-four scoring-chart positions.

Chelsea to be the top-scoring Premier League team @ 2.526/4

Jose Mourinho's first Chelsea side were accused of being functional rather than thrilling. However, they were still the most prolific Premier League participants in 2004/05 and joint-most in 2005/06. The Blues were unable to rival Man City and Liverpool's 2013/14 strike rates, yet were reliant on three attackers who scored 19 times between them. Costa is capable of beating that on his own.

Chelsea to finish above Arsenal @ 1.384/11

This one is unlikely to fund your wedding or funeral, but it is an enticing price for a bet that has paid out nine times in the last decade, including each of the five campaigns that Mourinho contributed too. There were three points between them in 2013/14, and the general consensus is that Chelsea built on that supremacy with the most impressive transfer window of any Premier League club.