Posted on: Fri 08 Nov 2013 Having reacted well in Euro competition to last weekends defeat,the task now is to match that in the league. Club historian Rick Glanvill&club statistician Paul Dutton welcome a West Midlands challenge... TALKING POINTS In the last club action for a fortnight Chelsea face a West Brom side against whom we have a 100% home record in the Premier League. No team has a better record on their own patch than Chelseas 5 wins in 5 this season. Less impressive away form is the reason the Blues are looking to avoid successive Premier League defeats for the 1st time since May 2012. Back then we lost at home to Newcastle&away to Liverpool. The Magpies 1st goal on Saturday lunchtime was the 1st we have conceded this season in the league from a set-piece. After such a setback it was reassuring to remain Arsenals closest challengers. However,just 1point separates 2nd from 7th. It is crucial all 3 are taken this weekend - our neighbours Fulham are hardly in the best form for an upset at Anfield&Spurs host the Magpies. Wednesdays 3-0 win over Schalke was another brick in the rebuilding of a fortress at Stamford Bridge. Returning manager Jose Mourinho is unbeaten in all his 80 home domestic games in open play. KEY STAT Jose Mourinho manages Chelsea at Stamford Bridge for the 100th time on Saturday. The Special One has a 75.8% win record in his 99 home matches in all competitions up to now,comprising 75 wins,22 draws&2 defeats - vs Barcelona in 2005&Basel this season. Chelsea can qualify for next years Round of 16 by avoiding defeat in the next Champions League match at Basel on 26 November. The Schalke result was the 1st 3-0 in which all goals were scored by strikers since 3 December 2011 at St James Park when Didier Drogba,Salomon Kalou&Daniel Sturridge took Newcastle apart. Up until 19 October no CF had netted for the Blues in the Premier League or Champions League. Now 6 of our last 8 in those competitions have come from strikers. In last nights any other business section former Blue Gus Poyets Sunderland beat Southampton,setting up a quarter-final trip to the north-east on Tuesday 17 December. That will be our 1st meeting with the Mackems in this competition since the semi-final debacle of 1985. Chelseas fine record against the Baggies in London contrasts with the 2 consecutive defeats by them at the Hawthorns,the most recent of which helped secure them an 8th place finish last season. Ofcourse,on-loan Chelsea youngster Romelu Lukaku played a big role in that too. All at Chelsea will extend a warm welcome to Blues champions Steve Clarke,Nicolas Anelka&youth team graduate Scott Sinclair. This will be the 1st time Clarke has faced Mourinho across the technical area since he was his assistant from 2004 to 2007. After leaving the Bridge in 2008 Clarke was assistant at West Ham&Liverpool before striking out on his own at West Brom in 2012. There are 3 televised matches in succession on Sunday starting at midday&culminating in leaders Arsenals trip to Manchester. The Gunners have left Old Trafford with all 3points just twice since 1998. CHELSEA STATS In the Barclays Premier League,we have won 37points from the last 39 available at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have not dropped any points from winning positions this season. We have won all 5 league games when we have scored the opening goal. Chelsea have won 12&drawn 2 of our last 14 home Premier League games since QPR won at Stamford Bridge on 2 January. THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE Andre Marriner has replaced original appointment Lee Probert. Marriner is making his 2nd visit to the Bridge having been the official in September vs Fulham.
Posted on: Sat, 09 Nov 2013 00:21:43 +0000
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