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Chelsea vs Liverpool - Match Preview

2011-11-18T16:23:00.028+05:30

Chelsea vs Liverpool

(English Premier League)

Date: Sunday 20th Nov, 2011; Kick-Off: 16:00 GMT

Venue: Stamford Bridge

Chelsea vs Liverpool - Catch all the latest team news, match preview, pre-match analysis, interviews and a lot more right here at Chelsea FC News. This is the first of two meetings between the rival sides over ten days at Stamford Bridge with the next scheduled match on 29th November is the League Cup quarter final tie.

Chelsea vs Liverpool Preview

International breaks never make you feel good and same was the mood last weekend, a weekend without any EPL action is not a weekend anymore. But we have something very exciting to look forward to, this Sunday. Its a Super Sunday for both Chelsea and Liverpool.

Chelsea go into this game with a hard fought win against struggling Blackburn Rovers team at Ewood Park. A solitary goal from Frank Lampard ensured Chelsea get back to winning ways after back-to-back defeats to QPR and Arsenal.

Liverpool had to settle with a frustrating goalless draw against Swansea, a game which Liverpool should have won but were denied by the heroics of Swansea keeper Worm. Liverpool are on an eight-match unbeaten run but still find themselves in lower half of the table due to some frustrating draws against newly promoted teams.

Both teams (Chelsea & Liverpool) are separated by three points with Chelsea 4th and Liverpool 6th in the League table. A win for Chelsea (if Newcastle lose to Man City on Saturday) will take Chelsea back into the 3rd spot ahead (level on points) of impressive Newcastle United side. But if Chelsea lose to Liverpool and if Arsenal and Tottenham win their respective games then Chelsea could find themselves in 7th place in the League table.

All eyes again would be on one man FERNANDO TORRES. It was Nando who scored twice against Chelsea for Liverpool last season, the season where Liverpool made the double over Chelsea with yet another former Reds Meireles on the score sheet as well.

To be frank Torres hasn't fired so far for Chelsea (just three goals in English Premier League since Jan move) and nobody knows it better than him alone. We want Torres to be back in the fluent form he showed in his days at Liverpool, its not that he hasn't shown those glimpses of form..its just that it hasn't been consistent and full of confidence. This game will surely provide that much needed hunger to prove his worth and to show that he can reach the performance level he reached during his time with the Reds, and previously with Atletico Madrid.

In his recent interview he stated that he is determined to repay supporters by getting back to his best.

"Whenever you go somewhere new, you expect to have difficulties, But whenever I have had difficult times, I look at myself and say, 'Yes, I can get back to my level."

"All that I need to do, above anything else, is to work. If you work and give everything and really want to do something, that is all you can be asked."

"But I am in debt to the Chelsea fans. They have always supported me. And I promise them the one thing I have never done and will never do in my life is give up."

So this is a crunch game for Andre Villas Boas' side. A game where three points will not only take us in top 3 but also give the much needed boost and confidence which we seem to be lacking as of late. It wont be a easy game given the the squad Kenny Dalglish has at his disposal. Surely seems to be a cracking game on paper..hope it transforms into the same on-field.

Andre Villas Boas Press Conference pre Liverpool

Andre Villas Boas on Daniel Sturridge:

"His [Sturridge's] performances for the club have taken him to his England first appearance which is something that is gratifying, When somebody arrives to that level you must continue to be up to that level so that is the challenge that Daniel has to face. He has to face that challenge in the club and then eventually, if [Fabio] Capello decides, in England - but it was a good experience for him."

AVB on the formation changes against Blackburn and change of personnel:

"Blackburn are always a team that could challenge you from any set plays and from almost any goal-kick, so we made the necessary adjustments to have extra height to deal with the set plays. To deal with them it is better to avoid them first but when you cannot avoid them, it is better to deal with them the best way so it was a specific team set out for a specific game."

"In attack we tried to get more runs in behind with pace and that is why we opted for Daniel. The decisions were based on that, not on a drop in form of any players."

AVB On Fernando Torres and his form:

"Fernando Torres has picked up from last season not only with his form physically but his availability in terms of movement for the team. He is back to his old sharpness and back to goal scoring so we are pretty happy with him the way he is performing. So we just have to make a decision in terms of what we want in behaviour from our front line. Fernando will always be in contention for that."

"Torres is not just about goals, he's there to create and to help his team and I'm happy with him, It's not a question of numbers, but how you make your team perform around you."

AVB on facing Liverpool:

"This Liverpool game also has different kinds of specifics and you have to adapt to what the game is going to represent."

"I think [Kenny] Dalglish has made the necessary changes to Liverpool for them to continue to be title contenders this year. The seven players that he brought in represent the level of commitment and investment that the ownership and Kenny have towards putting Liverpool back on title-winning ways."

"I will always take them like that because they represent one of the biggest clubs in England."

AVB on his team's performance:

"A striker is not only there to put the ball in the net. He's there for your team to perform and to create the goalscoring opportunities to take your team to win the games."

"At the moment our two main goalscorers are the two midfield players [Lampard and Ramires], but for them to finish, somebody must be creating, We create as many chances when we win as when we lose, but it doesn't mean the same players are always involved. The team is creating goalscoring opportunites so at the moment I'm happy with that performance."

"Confidence is about how you feel and how you relate to the team around you; good things you did can inspire you during good and bad moments."

In the mean time put on your thinking hats and let me know what will be your starting line up for the game against Liverpool this Sunday. Who will start for you? Lampard, Torres, Luiz, Anelka..... Express your views and opinions on our Facebook Fan page as well.

My starting line up would be

KEY STAT
The three Liverpool goals against Chelsea last season were scored by Fernando Torres (two) and Raul Meireles, both now at Stamford Bridge.

Our last meeting at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea v Liverpool in all competitions
Games played 160
Chelsea wins 56
Liverpool wins 71
Draws 33

Head to head in the League at Stamford Bridge
Games played 68
Chelsea wins 37
Liverpool wins 17
Draws 14

Biggest league win at Stamford Bridge for each team
Chelsea 6-1 Liverpool -28/08/1937
Chelsea 2-5 Liverpool - 16/12/1989

CHELSEA STATS

Chelsea have now won 10 of their last 12 Barclays Premier League games at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea haven't had a clean sheet at home this season. Our last home Premier League clean sheet was in the rain against West Ham in April eight games ago.

LIVERPOOL STATS

Liverpool are on an eight match unbeaten run since their 0-4 defeat at Tottenham on 18th September. Only Newcastle United have conceded fewer than Liverpool's 10 goals. The Reds boast the third best defence away with only five goals conceded in five games.

Liverpool have won nine points from 15 away from home this term with wins at Arsenal, Everton and West Brom and defeats to Stoke and Tottenham.

So get ready for some pulsating action at Stamford Bridge. Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

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Everton 1 Chelsea 2 - Goals - Match Highlights

2011-10-27T15:06:00.005+05:30

Chelsea produced a stellar performance this time again with 10 men. A game which was exciting and had everything that could have been offered considering it was a Carling Cup match.

Here are the match highlights for those who couldn't watch the coverage. ENJOY!!

Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

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QPR vs Chelsea Live - Match Preview

2011-10-21T23:47:00.004+05:30

QPR vs Chelsea

(English Premier League)

Date: Sunday, 23rd Oct 2011; Kick-Off: 16:00 GMT

Venue: Loftus Road

QPR vs Chelsea - Catch all the latest team news, match preview, pre-match analysis, interviews, followed by LIVE match and a lot more right here at Chelsea FC News.

QPR vs Chelsea Preview

Sunday's game marks yet another West London Derby between Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers. Previous to this season Chelsea and Fulham played out the West London Derby games but with the promotion of QPR to the premier league this season has introduced yet another enticing derby rivalry of all time. It will be our first league meeting with Queen's Park Rangers for 15 years.

And Chelsea go into this second West London derby (first being against Fulham) on a very positive note having struck 13 goals in the last three games in all competitions. Chelsea's 5-0 win over Genk was our biggest win in the UEFA Champions league history at Stamford Bridge. It was a brilliant performance by a side put out by AVB which had some major team changes keeping the game at Loftus Road in mind.

Chelsea 5 Genk 0 Goals

AVB made it clear by his selection policy that how much importance he gave to the Derby game against QPR resting Terry, Sturridge and many other first team squad. The win over Genk showed the class of the squad but in particular it was Raul Meireles and Fernando Torres along with the debutant Oriol Romeu who had a fantastic game.

It was good to see Torres in the same form as he was with Liverpool and both the goals scored by him were world class. I am really happy for this bloke as he has been very professional is his bad days at Chelsea and took a hell lot of criticism which according to me were all unwarranted. Its a pity though that we wont get to see another masterclass from Torres against QPR as he has to sit out for the last game for his red card incident.

QPR have made a decent start on their return to England's top flight having amassed nine points from their opening eight fixtures. QPR side managed by Neil Warnock currently lie on 11th position in the EPL table, a position which Neil Warnock is pleased with. QPR were held to a 1-1 draw by Blackburn in their last Premier League game, it was a game which Neil Warnock's side should have won given the awful form of Rovers but a point is not that bad for the newly promoted side.

Derby games are never easy especially the ones away from home but if Chelsea go in with the form they are in then another goal feast could be in the offering. Even though I am not a fan of past stats but Chelsea have had a good share of success against our Derby rivals. QPR do not have history on their side having won just one of their last 14 matches in all competitions against us.

Chelsea Team News

Ramires will miss out on the west London derby following the knee injury he suffered last weekend against Everton. Fernando Torres will sit out for the last of his three games for the red card suspension.

AVB has been spot on so far with this team rotation giving enough time for all players to have match time under their belt. 5-0 win against Genk saw AVB bring in six changes to the team that defeated Everton 3-1 last weekend and would be looking to do the same for the game against QPR with the likes of Sturridge, Terry, Mikel, Mata and Drogba being brought into the starting line-up.

Hilario and Essien remain our long term absentees.

QPR Team News

Warnock will be without striker DJ Campbell for the visit of the Blues as he is sidelined with a cracked metatarsal. Heidar Helguson who scored in the 1-1 draw against Rovers should retain his place.

Adel Taarabt is pushing for a recall having emerged from the bench against Blackburn Rovers.

Defender Daniel Gabbidon (knee), striker Rob Hulse (knee) and midfielder Kieron Dyer (foot) are all unavailable for QPR.

What could be the starting line-up for the QPR vs Chelsea tie at Loftus Road??

Probable Team Line-ups:

QPR: Kenny, Hall, Ferdinand, Young, Traore, Wright-Phillips, Derry, Barton, Taarabt, Faurlin, Helguson.

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Terry, Ivanovic, Cole, Meireles, Mikel, Lampard, Mata, Drogba, Sturridge.

Referee: Chris Foy

GET INVOLVED

Do let us know what will be your starting line up for the game against QPR this Sunday. Who will start for you? Lampard, Drogba, Luiz, Anelka..... Express your views and opinions on our Facebook Fan page

Put on your thinking hats and predict the scoreline for this match... Just LIKE our Facebook Fan page and predict your scores...who will score first for Chelsea.. and express your thoughts and opinions on the match...

My starting line up would be

Chelsea FC - Team news pre QPR

AVB on team rotation ahead of the game against Queens Park Rangers -

"We were able to make six changes to the team and were able to perform how we did and not lose our consistency in terms of play and result, and this is what gratifies the technical staff."

"The talent is so immense that we are able to change those players and still perform up to that level. That shows the kind of commitment and the kind of squad at our disposal."

"When changes like that happen and you have that kind of performance, you have to take that into account so everybody is competing for places. At the moment the minutes played by the players this season are spread out more or less in an even way, and this reflects the depth of our squad. We are able to choose from any 11 or 18 and keep the same level of performance and the same result."

AVB on certain players not getting match time under their belt -

"A couple of players still fall short and compared with last year, playing time has fallen short for Josh McEachran, but it is due to more midfield competitiveness and numbers than last year. His talent is enough to play for the team but it is down to a question of choice when everybody is up to the top of their form. I have just been choosing the other way but it doesn't mean that Josh's future won't be at Chelsea because I believe it will be."

"It is 26 players and just 11 playing and everybody with less playing time wants to play more and Salomon Kalou is no exception, He is training well and is competitive and he showed against Genk that he can play a part for his team and he just has to continue to compete."

AVB on Queens Park Rangers and their manager Neil Warnock -

"Neil Warnock is a person with great charisma, great personality and when he got Queen's Park Rangers promoted in that difficult situation it was fantastic."

"QPR have been able to stamp their way in the Premier League quite comfortably for a club coming up and they are able to compete to a good standard, so it is going to be a difficult game. It is a tight ground with a lot of emotions and I respect the job he is doing because he brings that charisma to the team."

Chelsea head into this weekend hoping we will make it even tighter at the top of the table with Manchester United playing Manchester City ahead of our kick off. Until now its been all about the Manchester clubs with experts and the media focusing on them being the only title contenders.

Chelsea head into this game three points behind leaders Man City and one point behind Man U so a win for Chelsea will put them at par along with the Manchester clubs.

AVB shared his thoughts on the same pointing out that this wont be three-horse race let alone a two-horse one -

"I have not in my short experience of managing or assisting Jose [Mourinho] seen a Premier League so tight as this one, or one with so many good teams."

"I think it is more competitive than the other years Chelsea won, and that is not taking merit from what the club has already done because in the 2005/06 Premiership win it was nine wins in the first nine games, and the record of points was beaten in the 2004/05 season, but I am saying more teams look like being in contention."

"Tottenham keep surprising everybody, But with the amount of talent that they have and the humble nature of what they are saying and the values of what they are doing, they are a competitive team. They will never put themselves across as title contenders because nobody likes that kind of pressure."

AVB also shared his thoughts on the impact and importance of this weekends fixtures and how too early it is to decide the title credentials at this stage in the league -

"If these games should happen with these distances between teams in March or April I would say it would be a big opportunity, but not at the moment."

"Anything that happens between us and the Manchester clubs won't dictate what is going to happen in March and April. From being five points from Man United we are just one point away so things have changed dramatically in a couple of weeks and there is still no pattern to how the table is going to behave regarding the future."

"Let the Manchester clubs play each other and see what happens. What is more important for us is to get the three points from our game. Without us doing that nothing that happens in Manchester will be important for us."

KEY STAT

Last weekend's strike by Heidar Helguson is the only home goal scored by one of QPR's own players over 376 minutes this season.

Our last meeting at Loftus Road

QPR v Chelsea in all competitions
Games played 48
Chelsea wins 18
Rangers wins 13
Draws 17

Head to head in the league at Loftus Road
Games played 20
Chelsea wins 4
Rangers wins 7
Draws 9

Biggest league win at Loftus Road for each team
QPR 6-0 Chelsea -31/03/1986
QPR 0-4 Chelsea -14/09/1968

CHELSEA STATS

Chelsea are unbeaten in our last 63 games against newly promoted teams in a run stretching back to April 2001 when Charlton defeated us at Stamford Bridge. The 63 games include 54 wins and nine draws.

Chelsea have kept only one clean sheet in our last 12 EPL games which came in the opening game against Stoke.

QPR STATS

QPR have not won at Loftus Road for seven games. QPR have not lost when they have opened the scoring and haven't won when their opposition scored first. Rangers have claimed just three of their nine points at Loftus Road this term.

No team have scored fewer than Rangers six goals

So get ready for some pulsating action at Loftus Road. Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

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Chelsea vs Genk LIVE - UEFA Champions League

2011-10-17T22:29:00.011+05:30

Chelsea vs Genk

(UEFA Champions League)

Date: Wednesday, 19th October 2011; Kick-Off: 19:45 GMT

Venue: Stamford Bridge

Chelsea vs Genk - Catch all the latest team news, match preview, pre-match analysis, interviews, followed by LIVE match and a lot more right here at Chelsea FC News.

Chelsea vs Genk Preview

Its back to the Champions league action for Chelsea as they prepare to host Belgian club KRC Genk at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea who played out a 1-1 draw at Estada Mestalla against Valencia in their last Group E match sit at the top of the table with four points from two games.

On the other hand, Genk suffered a 2-0 loss to German side Bayer Leverkusen away from home. Genk currently have just one point from two games and are placed at the bottom of Group E, earning their solitary point from the 0-0 draw against Valencia at home. This is the first time Genk will be playing against a English side in England.

This is the first time both clubs will be facing each other, having no past encounters in any form of league football. Although Andre Villas Boas does know about our opponents having faced them in the Europa league last year when he was the manager at the Portuguese league champions FC Porto. The encounter ending with a 7-2 aggregate win for Porto.

Another connection which Chelsea or AVB shares with Genk is the signing of Thibaut Courtois who was signed by AVB from Genk and later loaned out to Atlético de Madrid.

Chelsea hold the upper hand going into this game but KRC Genk will also be eager to prove their point as to why they deserve a place in the Champions league.

What does their domestic league form say ahead of this Champions League fixture??

Both teams are are having contrasting domestic league form, with Chelsea picking up form and points in their recent run of games whereas Genk have slowly lost the form and have been dropping points as games go by.

Chelsea came off with a impressive win over stubborn Everton at home. 3-1 win over Everton brought us close to the Manchester leaders with a point behind 2nd place Man U and three points behind leaders Man City.

Genk on the other hand have faltered in their recent games losing to Anderlecht and Lokeren, and now have just two wins from their last five games. This poor run of form sees them 7 points behind league leaders Anderlecht.

Given that the game is at Stamford Bridge Chelsea are expected to win this game. But no game is easy in UEFA Champions league as even Genk will be hungry to get some points on-board.

Chelsea Team News

AVB has confirmed that Ramires who was substituted in the last game against Everton after suffering knee injury will miss out on this game. Hilario and Michael Essien remain out injured.

Chelsea will welcome back Fernando Torres to the starting line-up after having to sit out of the domestic fixtures following his red card incident. And AVB will surely have some selection dilemma as far as the strike force is concerned. Daniel Sturridge has been in rich vein of form and Didier Drogba is making his comeback.

With games coming thick and fast AVB will surely make some changes to the line-up ahead of this game at Stamford Bridge. Likes of David Luiz, Raul Meireles, Malouda, Anelka & co. could feature for Chelsea.

Genk Team News

Genk will be without Nadson, Jelle Vossen and Jeroen Simaeys all due to injuries.

Genk are likely to retain their 4-4-2 formation with the Anele Ngcongca starting at the centre of defence alongside Abel Masuero. Anthony Vanden Borre will occupy the right back position with Daniel Pudil on the other side. The midfield is likely to have Khaleem Hyland and Daniel Tozser at the centre, with Kevin De Bruyne and Thomas Buffel on the left and right wings respectively.

Striker Elyaniv Barda could also play some part in the match alongside Marvin Ogunjimi.

What could be the starting line-up for the Chelsea vs Genk at Stamford Bridge??

Probable Team Line-ups:

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Luiz, Terry, Cole, Lampard, Malouda, Mata, Meireles, Torres, Anelka

Genk: Köteles, Ngcongca, Masuero, Pudil, Vanden Borre, Hyland , Tőzsér, De Bruyne, Buffel, Ogunjimi, Barda

GET INVOLVED

Do let us know what will be your starting line up for the game against Genk this Wednesday. Who will start for you? Lampard, Drogba, Luiz, Anelka..... Express your views and opinions on our Facebook Fan page

Put on your thinking hats and predict the scoreline for this match... Just LIKE our Facebook Fan page and predict your scores...who will score first for Chelsea.. and express your thoughts and opinions on the match...

My starting line up would be

Chelsea FC - Cech on Genk

Chelsea FC - AVB on Team news pre Genk

Andre Villas Boas on Genk, injures plaguing the squad and possibility of Chelsea finishing the group on top:

"One win puts Genk back in the battle for qualification and that is what we want to avoid, Tomorrow will be very important because we are at home. The opportunity is there but it is never easy."

"We had a draw in Valencia but we were so close to winning and now the group has become tight and anything can still happen. It is this unpredictable situation that we want to cut off by winning this first game. Also the Leverkusen-Valencia games will have something to say."

"I was made aware by my scouts involved in studying Genk that they are going through a period of a tremendous amount of injuries, which is unfortunate for them."

"They even had injury problems out of the return from the national teams, and they are going through a period of a lot of change in all kinds of aspects. First getting into the Champions League group stage for the first time in a while which is something very massive for the club, then the departure of [coach] Frank Vercauteren and a couple of big talents at the beginning of the season, and then the time they are adapting to Mario Been and his methods."

"It has made things difficult for Genk in the beginning of the season but this game is the ideal situation to find a different motivational stimulation for your team. When this is the case people can transcend themselves and create you problems so we have maximum respect for Genk."

"We know people will play out of position against us [due to injuries] but they will always be able to put a strong team out that can create us difficulties. We have to be aware and very concentrated in the 90 minutes."

AVB on the talented Genk midfielder Kevin de Bruyne:

"He is an interesting player, He can play in various positions, from wide left in a 4-4-2 or through the middle as a central midfielder."

"He is exceptionally gifted technically and reminds me of past technical Belgian players like Enzo Scifo, but he still has progression to be made and his next step, if he is thinking about moving, will be the most difficult one."

"We have not scouted just him, we have scouted many different players before so it doesn't mean that all the players we scout will eventually join us. We have to make the right decisions because it is always difficult to get into the Chelsea team."

"But he [De Bruyne] is an exceptional talent and hopefully he can continue to triumph in Genk and the Belgian national team."

Key Stat

Chelsea are unbeaten in 24 group stage fixtures at Stamford Bridge, winning 18 and drawing six since a 2-0 defeat to Beşiktaş on 1 October 2003.

Stats and Records

Chelsea's biggest home win in the Champions League
19/10/2005 - Chelsea 4-0 Real Betis - group stage
16/09/2008 - Chelsea 4-0 Bordeaux - group stage
21/10/2009 - Chelsea 4-0 Atlético Madrid - group stage

Genk's only away win in the Champions League
08/08/2007 - FK Sarajevo 0-1 KRC Genk - second qualifying round

Chelsea have topped our group six times in the last eight UCL campaigns. We have never failed to progress to the Champions League knockout stages in nine attempts.

Chelsea have lost just two and won 19 of our last 28 home Champions League matches since 2006.

Chelsea's last ten years in Europe

2001/02 Uefa Cup - second round
2002/03 Uefa Cup - first round
2003/04 Champions League - semi-final
2004/05 Champions League - semi-final
2005/06 Champions League - round of 16
2006/07 Champions League - semi-final
2007/08 Champions League - runners-up
2008/09 Champions League - semi-final
2009/10 Champions League - round of 16
2010/11 Champions League - quarter-final

Chelsea's overall record in European competition is played 175, won 92, drawn 48, lost 35. This is our 15th season in succession in Europe and 10th in the Champions League.

Tonight is our 108th match in the Champions League including qualifying games. We have won 54 of our 107 games, drawn 32 and lost 21.

Official Team News and LIVE Match to FOLLOW SOON...

So get ready for some pulsating action at the Stamford Bridge. Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

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Chelsea vs Everton LIVE - Match Preview

2011-10-14T13:40:00.005+05:30

Chelsea vs Everton

(English Premier League)
Date: Saturday, 15th October 2011; Kick-Off: 17:30 GMT
Venue: Stamford Bridge

Chelsea vs Everton - Catch all the latest team news, match preview, pre-match analysis, interviews, followed by LIVE match and a lot more right here at Chelsea FC News.

Chelsea vs Everton - Finally the 2 week international break has come to an end and the Premier league action is back! These two weeks have felt like a month, it seriously sucks with no EPL action and I am eagerly waiting for this tie to start.

Chelsea arrive into this game with a comprehensive 5-1 win against Bolton at the Reebok where Chelsea probably played the best first half of this season so far. Game also marked the return-to-form of Super Frankie who scored a wonderful hat-trick and Danny Sturridge as well who continued his good performance in the blue jersey with yet another brace against his former loan team.

Everton on the other hand went down in their fierce derby against Liverpool losing 2-0 at home. Everton (along with Spurs) currently lie 13th in the table having played a game less than any other teams. David Moyes can be proud of his team who hung on to the game till the 70th minute after losing Rodwell to a dubious red card in 23rd minute, a red card which was later overturned by FA. But goals from Carroll and Suarez lend Moyes yet another defeat in their Merseyside derby.

Chelsea will also be wearing special shirts for the game against Everton, to mark "Help a Capital Child's" first national appeal special home shirts emblazoned with the charity's logo have been designed for the players.

For the first time the Help a Capital Child logo will be included alongside Samsung and adidas on the matchday shirts for the game against Everton, then signed by the players and auctioned off to raise vital funds to help young people and their families fight cancer.

Chelsea Team News

Chelsea will be without Fernando Torres who is suspended, serving his second match under suspension after sitting out in the 5-1 win over Bolton. Hilario and Michael Essien remain out injured. there are no other injury concerns following the international ties.

Didier Drogba should start in place of suspended Fernando Torres upfront.

Few players played two games like David Luiz while rest had just one game, so it all depends on how AVB looks at these situations and as it has been his policy in the recent matches. He will definitely start with a sqaud which is fresh and not tired because of too much football.

Everton Team News

Everton welcome back Jack Rodwell who's red card suspension was overturned by FA. David Moyes has no major injury concerns but always had to work with a depleted squad. And this game could see the same starting X1 against Chelsea.

Probable Team Line-ups:

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Meireles, Lampard, Mata, Drogba, Sturridge

Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Rodwell, Osman, Coleman, Fellani, Cahill, Saha

Referee: Mike Jones.

>

Do let us know what will be your starting line up for the game against Everton this Saturday. Who will start for you? Lampard, Drogba, Luiz, Anelka..... Express your views and opinions on our Facebook Fan page

Put on your thinking hats and predict the scoreline for this match... Just LIKE our Facebook Fan page and predict your scores...who will score first for Chelsea.. and express your thoughts and opinions on the match...

My starting line up would be

Andre Villas Boas shared his views and thoughts ahead of the game against Everton.

Chelsea FC - AVB on Everton

AVB on the game against Everton and David Moyes' side:

"To emphasize the importance of our game, Everton is looking for the sixth game unbeaten coming to the Bridge. We have to be alert and it is going to be a hard battle."

"The most important thing when an international break happens is for you to get into winning mode straight away. We managed to do that against Sunderland with a good display. I don't think it really breaks a winning streak because it's the nature of the calendar and you cannot avoid it, but you have to get into winning mode straight away."

"Everton were on a very good run in my opinion, they lost against Liverpool but had they won they would be up challenging for the top with one game in hand. So they are in a good situation and once again proving that David Moyes's work is something fantastic. Even with the financial problems they have it is a club which is well organized and managed and something that should make the English public proud."

"In football and paper things look different but surprises happen, it's why I don't believe in having a favorites role in every game we play because the unpredictable can happen."

"With two difficult games against Everton and Queens Park Rangers we will try to get six points and see how we benefit from that situation, if it doesn't happen we just have to focus on the rest of the Premier League season to shorten the gap."

AVB on Team News ahead of the game against Everton:

"Of course a couple of the players were involved in two games, the English just one, so we had people arriving at different times, David Luiz will arrive today, but everybody is injury free so in that sense we only have Hilario and Essien still out. It is a big trip coming back and he was involved in both games, so it's a decision we have to take."

"We have a decision to make in every game, we are just confident in the work we do and eventually hopefully we can choose the best 18 and starting 11 possible to take us through to another important win."

"Everybody is competing to the highest level and we have to make our choices. I haven't made a decision yet. Tomorrow is the day we prepare strategically for the game, the players don't know about the decision and it would be unfair to say it before they know it."

AVB on transfer and contract speculation (Drogba, Kalou and Bosingwa):

"There is nothing new, this is a situation where we cannot discuss every week. It is better for us that when there is something to tell you we can announce it. We are dealing with the offer. End of story."

"Regarding market speculation it is going to be difficult to comment on all situations, Kalou was offered a contract and hopefully we will continue talks."

"In January these players are available to discuss their future but I think the fact they are emotionally attached to this club means we can count on them as a player independent of what happens in negotiations."

"The talks are ongoing. The option that we have protects us regarding Bosingwa until April 5 but the talks have now started and it won't be difficult. We are initiating talks with him."

Juan Mata on Everton:

"I think Everton is a difficult team to play against with strong players, conducting his first interview in English without the help of Spanish interpretation. The strikers are tall, they have good players and we have to be prepared with the crosses, which will make things difficult for us."

Juan Mata on Everton's Left-winger Royston Drenthe:

"Drenthe is a good player, I know him. He is fast, has a good left foot, can score goals and supply crosses. He is a very good player."

"Put to him that he could have been describing himself, I think he is faster than me! There is that and my play is more inside, he is a winger, winger, winger."

"I don't know if what happened to him in Madrid would have happened to me. Every player has a different career. In 2007 I went to Valencia and I am happy that I did, because I had four years there that were very good to me."

Official Team News, Pre-match interviews, detailed match preview and much more to FOLLOW SOON

KEY STAT

Everton have not won a Premier League match at Stamford Bridge in 17 years.

Our last meeting at Stamford Bridge

Our 10 previous meetings at Stamford Bridge
2001/02 - Chelsea won 3-0
2002/03 - Chelsea won 4-1
2003/04 -Drew 0-0
2004/05 - Chelsea won 1-0
2005/06 - Chelsea won 3-0
2006/07 - Drew 1-1
2007/08 - Drew 1-1
2008/09 - Drew 0-0
2009/10 - Drew 3-3
2010/11 - Drew 1-1

Chelsea v Everton in all competitions
Games played 163
Chelsea wins 61
Everton wins 50
Draws 52

Head-to-head in the League at Stamford Bridge
Games played 72
Chelsea wins 35
Everton wins 12
Draws 25

Biggest league win at Stamford Bridge for each team
11/09/1948 - Chelsea 6-0 Everton
15/03/1913 - Chelsea 1-3 Everton

CHELSEA STATS

Chelsea have won 9 of our last 10 EPL games at Stamford Bridge. Our last home defeat was against Liverpool on Feb 6.

We have only kept one clean sheet in our last 11 Premier League games - at Stoke on the opening day of the season. Chelsea have won all four Premier League games when we have opened the scoring.

John Terry will make his 350th Premier League appearance for the Blues and Ramires will make his 50th Chelsea appearance.

Chelsea need four more league goals to reach 6,000 in our 106 year history.

EVERTON STATS

Everton have only one away win out of their last five meetings with three defeats. Suffering defeat against Liverpool two weeks ago was the first occasion for 68 games that Everton lost consecutive league matches.

Everton have kept two clean sheets in their last 13 games in all competitions. David Moyes is the fourth longest serving manager in the Premier and Football League behind Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsène Wenger and John Coleman of Accrington Stanley.

So get ready for some pulsating action at the Stamford Bridge. Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

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John Terry Speaks His Heart Out on Stadium Proposal

2011-10-13T12:53:00.002+05:30

John Terry is the first current Chelsea player who has spoken his thoughts and views on the club's proposal to purchase the freehold of the Stamford Bridge stadium site from Chelsea Pitch Owner.

We have been hearing a lot about the Stamford Bridge stadium fiasco for the last one week or so. Comments have been pouring in across all parts of the world with most of the Chelsea fans against us moving away from Stamford Bridge.

But on the other hand some Chelsea fans have been disregarding the management and especially Roman Abramovich for thinking about moving Chelsea away from Stamford Bridge. Yes, all Chelsea fans are thinking about this from an emotional point of view but we need to look at the future and also about the fact that we are not a mid sized club anymore.

We are one of the powerhouses that exists in world football and it hurts that we cant match up with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester, Barca and other major European clubs as far as stadium development is concerned. Look at Arsenal with their new Emirates stadium, they built it for the fans and today if you ask any Arsenal fan they will say its a pleasure watching Arsenal play at Emirates.

John Terry in his interview has clearly stated the same and wants the fans to support the management and Roman especially in this new stadium proposal.

"For me obviously I have great memories of Stamford Bridge. I made my debut at Stamford Bridge and have spent my whole career at the one club, But what excites me is the thought of my kids, who are Chelsea through and through, being able to grow up watching the team play in a big stadium."

"We're talking about the next generation of kids beyond that as well. It excites me because I know for sure that we can grow. We can grow if we're successful on the pitch and if we've got the capacity to expand and do what other clubs are doing."

"It's not hidden that other clubs throughout Europe have gone out and bought sites for big stadiums, and we are not the only club with a rich owner. There are others, including QPR locally, who are going to look to expand in west London as well."

"We all have great memories of the Bridge but for us to go further, we might need to move, and we have to trust our owner. He has been amazing since he bought the club, along with our fans as well. No one is saying it is going to be an immediate change but we need to be looking because I am sure other clubs will be looking at the same potential sites."

"We have to remember that London is a hotspot, west London especially, and big development companies can build substantial flats and penthouses here and if we're not putting our name in the hat for these sites, then without a doubt they'll be snapped up by developers. Especially with the Olympics as well, London is the place to be."

He also highlights the fact that, with new financial regulations kicking in, some of our main competitors maybe adding one more world-class player to their dressing room every season with the extra revenue they generate compared with Stamford Bridge. It makes difference from players point of view as well, as pointed out by John here.

"With teams like Stoke, it probably suits them to have a smaller ground and a smaller pitch, but the type of team we have become in the last 10 years with the type of players we have, for us to have a bigger pitch would be a big benefit."

"We have suffered from this at the Bridge in the last few years when clubs come and park the bus, as we often say. We find it a little difficult to break them down at times but with a bigger stadium and a bigger pitch, with the quality we have in the squad and the quality we are aiming to have in the future, that would certainly serve us well."

"Barcelona, Wembley, Arsenal's ground, Old Trafford, they are all grounds that impress me when I play at them and looking at Arsenal and Man United, they are getting a lot more income due to their capacity than us without an owner dipping into his own pocket, like Roman has done consistently year after year."

He also showed his full support and respect for Roman Abramovich who always has been passionate about the club since he bought it eight years ago. And spoke about the man who has been part of this success and growth at Chelsea.

"Looking back to the end of the season before Roman bought the club, there was speculation that if we didn't make the Champions League then the likes of myself and other prospects coming through would be sold for financial reasons. But we had Desailly, Zola and these kind of players and we were on the verge of becoming a very big club, and we almost lost that chance."

"Now we are a very big club which is why we have to put our trust in Roman. He is Chelsea through and through and he certainly wouldn't have put the money in and shown the attention to detail that he has done over the last eight years, only to suddenly now stop doing what he believes is best for the club."

"Anyone who has been to Cobham can realize the detail that went into the training ground with Roman making sure he got everything right, and not just on a first-team level, for the reserves and youth as well."

"The fans play a massive part in the club and I can understand people being a bit wary of this proposal but they've seen what the owner has done in a short space of time and we have to keep faith with him that he will do the right thing by the football club. He will do the right thing now and he will still be doing the right thing in 10 years' time."

"He realizes that without the fans Chelsea is nothing. Players will come and go, managers will come and go over the next 50 to 100 years, but Chelsea fans will always be Chelsea fans. I am one of them, my kids are too, and I want to be part of that for the next 40 to 50 years."

"When Roman says that if we do move, he wants it to be within a three-mile radius, we have to trust him, and the people underneath him. Knowing the board as I do, I am sure they will answer questions fans have as honestly as they can."

He also stressed the fact that whatever is happening in and around Stamford Bridge is all in front of all the Chelsea fans and nothing of such would be done without the trust of Chelsea fans and for the same reason he came out and entrusted his views in clear transparent manner.

"I wouldn't be coming out, speaking publicly and backing the club if I didn't believe in it. I could quite easily say nothing and let the club do their thing but I've been here for so long and I've spoken to the owner on numerous occasions. He is Chelsea mad and wants us to be in with the Barcelonas, the Man Uniteds, and we know that doesn't happen overnight."

"We're not expecting it overnight. In the next five or 10 years he wants us to be in a position where we've got a great facility at Cobham and we also have the stadium to match our aspirations."

"All the fans who bought shares in Chelsea Pitch Owners have played a very important part in the history of the club. I am the president of CPO so I understand what it is about."

"If the club does end up moving then Stamford Bridge will never be forgotten, by myself or the fans. If the club does decide to move then there are some sites in west London that spring to mind that are not too far and I don't believe Roman ever wants to take us too far away from where the club started and where we've created our name."

I fully support Roman Abramovich on his ideas and plans for Chelsea. When he bought the club everyone was very happy to see this development coming in and it was not just a development it was one with passion and a distant look towards the future. Times have changed in football, today every big club is going much bigger and it all starts with new stadiums, bigger stadiums.

And all this is for Chelsea fans as well. A bigger stadium means more the number of people who can come and watch Chelsea play. And with new financial rules & regulations this has become a necessity.

Its not a overnight thing it might take some years before we move to a new stadium but before that happens we can try and do as much as possible to increase our stadium capacity and help the club become one of the best managed club financially as well. Our responsibility towards Chelsea doesn't get over once the final whistle sounds, we need to support the club as much as possible and help it climb the ladder of success.

So I request all Chelsea fans to support our owner and help us grow to a level where we can surely count ourselves as one of the most successful clubs in world football.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this one..and let us know what you think of John Terry's response.

LIKE our Facebook Page and open up your heart on this entire stadium proposal fiasco that has been surrounding the club. Be a part of this as every Chelsea fan has his say!!!

Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

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Bolton 1 Chelsea 5 Goals | Frank Lampard Hat Trick

2011-10-03T14:03:00.001+05:30

► Chelsea's seventh Premier League match held at Reebok Stadium:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

￭ Bolton 1-5 Chelsea

￭ Scorers for Chelsea are: Sturridge[1'][24'], and Lampard[14'][26'][58'].

￭ Great first half from the blues by scoring 4 goals. Early goal from Bolton in the second half and we were under pressure, but then we re-gained our total domination on the match.

￭ Luiz, Terry received a yellow card.

￭ Crowd 24,657.

￭ Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa (Ivanovic 53), D Luiz, Terry (c), Cole; Ramires (Mikel 55), Meireles, Lampard; Sturridge, Drogba, Mata (Anelka 72).

Bolton 1 Chelsea 5 Goals

Frank Lampard Hat-Trick

Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

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Bolton vs Chelsea LIVE - Match Preview

2011-09-30T18:04:00.013+05:30

Bolton vs Chelsea

Bolton vs Chelsea TEAM NEWS

Didier Drogba and Daniel Sturridge both return to the Chelsea attack. Juan Mata completes the front three andin midfield, Raul Meireles takes over from John Mikel Obi in the holding role.

The defence is unchanged from Valencia so David Luiz keeps his place.

Bolton welcome back Gary Cahill and Kevin Davies but are without keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. Adam Bogdan is between the posts.

Chelsea will line-up in the following 4-3-3 formation:
1 Petr Cech
17 Jose Bosingwa
4 David Luiz
26 John Terry (c)
3 Ashley Cole
7 Ramires
16 Raul Meireles
8 Frank Lampard
23 Daniel Sturridge
11 Didier Drogba
10 Juan Mata

Subs: 22 Ross Turnbull, 2 Branislav Ivanovic, 6 Oriol Romeu, 12 John Mikel Obi, 15 Florent Malouda, 18 Romelu Lukaku, 39 Nicolas Anelka.

Bollton are expected to line up in the following 4-3-3 formation: Bogdan; Steinsson, Boyata, Cahill, Robinson; Reo-Coker, Pratley, Gardner; Petrov, Ngog, K Davies.

Subs: Lainton, Vela, Knight, Muamba, Eagles, M Davies, Tuncay.

(English Premier League)

Date: Sunday, 2nd October 2011; Kick-Off: 13:30 GMT

Venue: Reebok Stadium

Bolton vs Chelsea - Catch all the latest team news, match preview, pre-match analysis, interviews, followed by LIVE match and a lot more right here at Chelsea FC News.

Bolton vs Chelsea - Chelsea currently third in the league take on Bolton Wanderers lying at the bottom of the league table.

Chelsea endured a frustrating draw at Estadio Mestalla against Valencia after having dominated most of the game until conceding the late goal.

Bolton Wanderers themselves are having a very tough run after losing last five of their EPL games conceding 16 goals in those five games.

Chelsea came of with a handsome 4-1 win over Swansea in their last EPL game but Bolton suffered yet another defeat after losing 3-0 to Arsenal.

Given the current form of both teams it appears that Chelsea shouldn't have any problems of coming away with three points from the Reebok Stadium. AVB and the Chelsea team will definitely be up for it and expecting Chelsea to come off with three points with ease.

Chelsea 4 Swansea 1 - Goals

Arsenal 3 Bolton 0 - Goals

Chelsea Team News

Fernando Torres begins a three-match ban, so either Didier Drogba or Nicolas Anelka will start up front. Frank Lampard might be back in the starting line-up after an impressive performance against Valencia which saw the midfielder scoring a well worked goal for Chelsea.

Daniel Sturridge who spent last 6 months of the 2010-11 EPL campaign at Bolton after being hired on loan could start against the team where he gained his confidence and scored 8 goals in 12 appearances to help Bolton to be in the top half of the league table.

Hilario remains the one player out short-term, due to hip and back muscle injuries but the experienced keeper could be available again after the imminent international break.

Michael Essien is the only long term absentee for Chelsea.

Bolton Team News

Bolton midfielder Stuart Holden is likely to be sidelined for six months after a follow-up operation on a knee injury revealed cartilage damage.

David Wheater and Ivan Klasnic are both suspended, while Gael Kakuta is ineligible (on loan from Chelsea) and Jussi Jaaskelainen is doubtful with a leg knock.

Probable Team Line-ups:

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Boyata, Knight, Cahill, Robinson, Petrov, Muamba, ReoCoker, Pratley, Eagles, Davies

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Mata, Lampard, Meireles, Drogba, Anelka

Referee: Peter Walton

Chelsea FC - Team news pre Bolton

Andre Villas Boas on Dider Drogba and Daniel Sturridge:

"Drogba, in terms of fitness, is ready, He has been selected for a few games now and we wanted to give him a run in the Fulham game which wasn't possible because of the circumstances of the game. Against Swansea we thought about the same but circumstances left us with only the option to bring him in later in the game, but he is in top form and we just have to decide what we want strategically in the game."

"Sturridge is fully fit and the selection decision will be taken tomorrow. He has played his part in the last games apart from Swansea and Valencia and he is a player that we trust."

Andre Villas Boas on preparation before Bolton game:

"We have had two days of recovery sessions, bearing in mind the effort and the delayed flight this week. We came back from a very strenuous trip but we should be okay as we have enough time to recover, so I think physically the team will respond accordingly so no worries in that sense."

Andre Villas Boas on facing Owen Coyle and his Bolton side:

"Owen when he arrived at Bolton did a fantastic job to take them straight out of the relegation places, He is a person that took his coaching pro licence with me so I know and I get along with him pretty well."

"We have spoken at lot at this beginning of my career in England, and also when I was at Porto, and I respect him a lot as a manager and as person."

"His teams are well-organised and bad phases during the Premiers League can happen to anybody. I think due to his competence he will come out of it."

AVB on Carlos Tevez controversy:

"It is not my business and I am not in full control of the information, so I cannot give an opinion because that opinion might be false."

"It is not to do with me, it is to do with Man City. Everyone must deal with their own problems and I get on with my job."

Daniel Sturridge has no obligations in thanking Owen Coyle and Bolton for his current success at Chelsea which sees him being part of the starting lineup for Chelsea. On loan Sturridge became a hero at Bolton and that success today has made him among the first choice players in AVB's list.

Before the game ahead at Reebok he shared his views about his former club, Owen Coyle and Bolton team members, who he thanked for the support he recieved during his days at Reebok.

Daniel Sturridge on Bolton and its players:

"Everyone knows Gary Cahill, he is great on the ball and he is strong and a very good player and I think Kevin Davies is a great player.The way he plays football gives the players around him an easier life and he certainly made my job easier."

"I enjoyed my time at Bolton and I have a lot of love for the players and a lot of love for the manager especially, because he gave me the opportunities to showcase what I can do and I don't think I would be in the position I am in now without going to Bolton and without the manager there showing faith in me."

Daniel Sturridge on Owen Coyle:

"He is a funny character and not just Owen but his staff also, they get involved in training every day and you see the manager scoring goals and celebrating and throwing remarks about. He knows how to motivate a team and he knows how to motivate individuals."

"I can't speak highly enough of him and the way he likes to play his football. It is attacking and six or seven years ago everyone didn't like playing against Bolton because of the aggressive side, but he is trying to adapt that and bring players in who can play football."

Daniel Sturridge on Bolton's poor run of form:

"The fixtures weren't maybe nice to them but it is a long season and it is still early days now, You look at the Premier League now and it is a little closer than it was last season. I don't think they will go down, they have got too much of a good squad for that and they have a great manager behind them."

Daniel Sturridge on his role at Chelsea football club:

"I am fine and I travelled with the squad to Valencia but I wasn't involved, That is part and parcel of football and I am hoping to be involved and get some minutes on Sunday."

"As a winger you have to create more for the team and it is about adapting your style to the position, so it is a learning curve for me."

"I am getting used to playing and performing in a different way. My body is used to playing as a striker and I am used to moving as a striker and receiving the ball as a striker and it is different. It is a new position and I am learning and trying to adapt to playing there."

Bolton Manager Owen Coyle on his team's performances and the early tough fixtures:

""We recognize that it has been a tough set of fixtures - the toughest that anyone has had in the Barclays Premier League - but that is the nature of the league. We are going to have to play these clubs sometime over the course of the season, although we have managed to get them in the first five or six weeks."

Owen Coyle on Chelsea:

"We know that Chelsea are an outstanding team, but we also know that we are at the Reebok where we had a tremendous record last season. We want to get that back again and if we play well then it's a game we can win."

"The fans have been brilliant, I've got to say that. What we need to do, as a team and staff, is give them something to shout about because they have backed the players to the hilt."

"We recognize that it is a tough game and that after the weekend we will have played five of the teams that will finish in the top six. But again, we have a good team and good players and we have to be positive."

"If we come out of the game sitting on six points after a run like that then we would be content, without doing somersaults. We have to look to get a result on Sunday and then kick-on from there."

"We'll soon start picking up points and start moving up the league. The bottom line is that if you win games then it rectifies everything."

Owen Coyle on Andre Villas Boas:

"Ultimately he is a winner. I saw that when we did our pro-licence together, This is not somebody who thought 'I'll go to Scotland on a whim and do a coaching badge, and then I might come back a year later."

"This is somebody who knew exactly how they wanted to plan their future development, to go from one year to another to progress."

"That emphasises how meticulous he is in his preparation, and that goes for everything."

Owen Coyle on AVB's managerial talents and his personality:

"I think all of us on the course could see that. As a group we all liked him, we all took to him, and I certainly felt he was somebody driven to succeed, very good at what they do and obviously wanting to progress."

"And like anybody else, because we all crave the same thing, if an opportunity did arise then I felt pretty sure he would take it, and he has done. He has become an outstanding manager."

"He is an absolute gentleman, Under Jose he had a fantastic set-up to learn, but when you sit down with him as well, you find he is a gem."

"He is somebody whose company you like. You could sit and chat with him all night about football, and any other topic, because he is a very intelligent man as well."

"And what a lot of people might not know about him is he has a very good sense of humour. He joined in with the banter, gave as good as he got, and we liked that about him. He didn't take himself too seriously."

"If you give a bit of stick you have to take some as well. We all did that openly with a big smile on our face, and he was a big part of that."

"I became very good friends with him on the back of that, and he is somebody I've a lot of time for, and because of that I'm looking forward to Sunday."

Official Team News, Pre-match interviews, detailed match preview and much more to FOLLOW SOON

KEY STAT

Bolton have not breached our net at the Reebok for 12 ½ hours since Henrik Pedersen managed it in November 2002 during a 1-1 draw.

Our Last Meeting at Reebok

Do let us know what will be your starting line up for the game against Bolton on Sunday. Who will start for you? Lampard, Drogba, Luiz, Anelka..... Express your views and opinions on our Facebook Fan page

Put on your thinking hats and predict the scoreline for this match... Just LIKE our Facebook Fan page and predict your scores...who will score first for Chelsea.. and express your thoughts and opinions on the match...

My starting line up would be

Bolton vs Chelsea - History
Our last 10 Premier League games against Bolton at the Reebok
2001/02 - Drew 2-2
2002/03 - Drew 1-1
2003/04 - Chelsea won 2-0
2004/05 - Chelsea won 2-0
2005/06 - Chelsea won 2-0
2006/07 - Chelsea won 1-0
2007/08 - Chelsea won 1-0
2008/09 - Chelsea won 2-0
2009/10 - Chelsea won 4-0
2010/11 - Chelsea won 4-0

Bolton v Chelsea in all competitions
Games played 113
Chelsea wins 49
Bolton wins 36
Draws 28

Biggest league win at Burnden Park (Bolton's previous home ground) and the Reebok Stadium for each team
Bolton 6-0 Chelsea 04/03/1959
Bolton 0-4 Chelsea 31/10/2009, 24/01/2011

So get ready for some pulsating action at the Reebok Stadium. Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

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Valencia vs Chelsea LIVE - UEFA Champions League

2011-09-27T16:57:00.012+05:30

Valencia vs Chelsea

(UEFA Champions League)

Date: Wed, 28th Sept. 2011; Kick-Off: 19:45 BST, 01:15 IST

Venue:Estadio Mestalla

Valencia vs Chelsea - Catch all the latest team news, match preview, pre-match analysis, interviews, followed by LIVE match and a lot more right here at Chelsea FC News.

Valencia vs Chelsea - Chelsea take on Valencia in the second match of group E tomorrow at Estadi de Mestalla. While Chelsea came off with a win in our first match against Bayer Leverkusen at Stamford Bridge, Valencia had to settle with a draw away at KRC genk.

Chelsea are coming off a handsome win over Swansea which saw them beat the newcomers 4-1 with Torres, Ramires (2 goals) and Drogba netting in for Chelsea. On the other hand Valencia lost to Sevilla 1-0 but had rested much of their prime squad as they had one eye on this Champions league fixture at home.

Both teams have shown good performances in their respective leagues, Valencia with their 2-2 draw against Barcelona and Chelsea producing an excellent display of football and determination (despite losing) against Manchester United.

Chelsea Team News

Andre Villas-Boas admits he has some tough decisions to make ahead of Wednesday's game in Valencia, such is the strength of his squad.

AVB has taken 20 players to Spain for today's Champions League group game, but said on Tuesday that he has not yet selected his side. Romelu Lukaku is ineligible and Alex, Paulo Ferreira and Josh McEachran did not travel to Spain.

Juan Mata makes his return to the Spanish outfit just months after joining Chelsea in August. He will definitely be apart of AVB's starting lineup for Wednesday.

Chelsea should welcome back Daniel Sturridge who missed the game against Swansea after suffering a knock on his leg in the Carling Cup tie against Fulham. Michael Essien is the only long term absentee.

AVB will make changes to the squad that beat Swansea 4-1 at Stamford Bridge, this after he had made it pretty clear that with so many matches happening around its good to have players rotated to keep them fresh.

So the likes of Lampard, Malouda and Luiz could feature in this tie. Fernando Torres would definitely get the nod after scoring in two consecutive league games and not to forget his red card which will see him sit out the next three premier league matches.

Valencia Team News

Valencia have a near full strength squad to pick from except Mehmet Topal the only player definitely ruled out of the clash.

Diego Alves, David Albelda, Pablo Hernadez and Roberto Soldado should all start after being rested in their La Liga game against Sevilla on Saturday.

Probable Team Line-ups:

Valencia: Diego Alves, Barragan, Rami, Victor Ruiz, Mathieu, Banega, Albelda, Pablo, Parejo, Piatti, Soldado

Chelsea: Cech, Luiz, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole, Mikel, Lampard, Mata, Ramires, Malouda, Torres.

Referee: Nicola Rizzoli

Chelsea FC - Villas-Boas pre Valencia

Andre Villas Boas on Valencia:

"Valencia will be extremely motivated, they had a good game against Barcelona but lost last weekend against Sevilla. They will try to get the three points. In the first game they only got a draw when they expected three points."

"We have to believe in our philosophy, the game will be very fast and intense, and if we get to win the three points tomorrow we will be in a very good position to go through."

"I am very good friends with [Valencia coach Unai Emery]. I think he is one of the best in the country. He has been extremely successful here in Spain and I hope one day he will go to England in the Premiership because the philosophy is very similar to what Unai believes in. I am very impressed by the way Valencia play football and by the way Unai motivates his players."

Andre Villas Boas on Frank Lampard ahead of the tie against Valencia:

"Frank is a magnificent player. The news that came out in the Mail on Sunday is incredibly surprising, something made up, so we refute this speculation. It's completely untrue."

"Frank is an established, top quality player, and is one of the most important players for the club and will continue to be like that. He is established for Chelsea and for England, he has nothing to prove to the football world. He is a spectacular team player, a spectacular professional and will continue to succeed at this club."

Andre Villas Boas on the team news, Juan Mata and his emotional return to Valencia:

"It will just have to depend on the strategy we want to use, we just make choices like any other manager makes choices, and there is nothing dramatic in that."

"Different players react differently when coming back home or to an emotional place, you just have to wait and see if he is going to be involved. We bought this player because we believe in his creativity."

"As we analysed the squad before the beginning of the season I mentioned we needed a midfielder and maybe a winger, and we've done so, and managed to get one of the most fantastic players in La Liga so I am happy with what we are achieving at the moment."

"There are players coming through, experienced players, we went for a mixture, not just for younger players. Mata was an established player in Valencia and the Champions League, and we just wanted to add in terms of competence. We have competence at the moment in all levels of the squad."

Juan Mata spoke ahead of his emotional return to Valencia, a club where he played his first Champions League game after joining from Real Madrid youth camp.

Juan Mata on his special emotional day when he plays Valencia later today:

"It will be strange to be in a different changing room, that will make it a special game and I know what the atmosphere is like in the Mestalla when Valencia play a Champions League game."

"I don't know yet if I will find it difficult, tomorrow I will find out, but I am going to focus on helping my team to win. I will say hello to all my old team-mates before the game but at kick-off, that is when friendship ends. After the game it will be different but during it every player must focus on helping his team to win."

"The manger knows Valencia pretty well. He knows they are a strong team, especially when playing at home as could be seen recently when they played against Barcelona and drew. They press a lot all over the pitch and in the midfield they have very skillful players who are also very fast."

"He knows that they will be a great threat, especially after their first game when they drew in Genk. In the Champions League you have to try to get three points and Valencia will be trying that tomorrow. They will be dangerous and tomorrow will be a very difficult game."

"I wish that both teams go through to the next stage but I hope Chelsea win the game. A player has to give his best for his team to win a game and that is what I am going to do tomorrow."

Valencia Coach Unai Emery:

"Tomorrow is a big game with the usual complications, but we feel confident. We know all about Chelsea but also know that we are a very strong side, even more so here at Mestalla. We are only focused on ourselves and want to produce a great game and a victory for our fans. Tomorrow every player wearing blue [including Mata] will be our enemy."

"Chelsea defend and attack their own way, and we'll try to exploit this and hurt them. I expect a physical game and we have to be switched on. We respect all our rivals but this doesn't affect our philosophy of playing football."

"We want a full stadium and it's our responsibility to put on a great show so the fans can enjoy a great game. I can't promise victory, but we will give our all to get one. We played our best match of the season against Barcelona [2-2 last Wednesday], but every opponent is different and we have to adapt to them."

"In the Champions League there are many great teams, and we're one of them. Chelsea were the top seeds and we were in the second pot, but the favorites don't always win."

Chelsea FC - Drogba pre Valencia

KEY STAT

Chelsea are unbeaten in our last six visits to Spain in the Champions League since we lost to Real Betis 1-0 in 2005.

Our Last Meeting at MESTALLA

Do let us know what will be your starting line ups for the game against Valencia tomorrow. Who will start for you? Lampard, Drogba, Luiz, Anelka..... Express your views and opinions on our Facebook Fan page

Put on your thinking hats and predict the scoreline for this match... Just LIKE our Facebook Fan page and predict your scores...who will score first for Chelsea.. and express your thoughts and opinions on the match...

My starting line up would be

What can we expect from this game.... This will be definitely the next big game for AVB following our game against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Chelsea currently are on top in group E with three points after winning their opening fixture against Bayer Leverkusen whereas Valencia have a point after their hard earned draw away at Genk.

Will Chelsea go for the win or will we settle for the draw is the question I am looking at? With the squad we have and with AVB's rotation policy I see AVB going in with players that can try and get three points away at Valencia, and why not history suggests that we can achieve the same.

Chelsea are unbeaten in their four encounters with Valencia (two wins, two draws). They met Valencia in the Champions League quarter-finals in April 2007 and then in the group stages in 2007/08. Chelsea have won both of their trips to the Mestalla, each time thanks to a 2-1 scoreline.

Chelsea have lost none of their last six Champions League away games in Spain (two wins, four draws). Also Valencia have a bad record against English sides at their home ground having lost their last three games, two against Chelsea and one against Man U. So stats are on our side but Valencia have showed good football in their last four league matches especially the one where they held Barca to a 2-2 draw.

But just like Chelsea, Valencia are being headed by another young manager Unai Emery (39) who is next young manager next to Andre Villas Boas (33). And Valencia have shown good attacking football under his management.

So we can expect a tight game but it wont be termed as overconfidence if we are expecting Chelsea to win this one. We have the squad, we have the talent which can register wins away from home. Match Lineups will be an excellent indication of what we can expect of. Valencia would definitely want to win this one not just because the game is at their home ground but also because they have just a solitary point on the table.

What can we expect from Juan Mata... No one must be as thrilled as Juan when the Champions League group stage draw was made. To face your ex-club in the Champions League is a special moment (just like Ballack when he faced Chelsea as part of the Bayer Leverkusen team).

Valencia was the club at which Mata made his career and became one of the most sought after players in the transfer window. And the games played so far he has proved to be one of the best buy's of the summer, an astute signing for Chelsea. He spent four years at the Mestalla Stadium before moving to Chelsea for £23million.

Valencia of all must be knowing the strengths of Mata, but its different playing against it rather than with it. Under AVB Mata has really jelled into the formation and characteristics of English football and really expecting a good game from him. Not to forget he already has scored for Chelsea in the Champions league 2-0 win over Bayer leverkusen. His movement will definitely cause trouble to the Valencia defense.

Juan Mata shared a few thoughts ahead of the tie against Valencia:

"It is going to be a very special and emotional match for me playing so soon after leaving, I was there for four years and had a wonderful time."

"I will try to be respectful and not celebrate if I do score.”

A small video put together for Juan Mata

CHELSEA STATS

Chelsea have topped our group six times in the last eight campaigns and we have never failed to progress to the Champions League knockout stages in nine attempts.

Chelsea's overall record in European competition is played 174, won 92, drawn 47, lost 35 and tonight is our 107th match in the Champions League including qualifying games. We have won 54 of our 106 games, drawn 31 and lost 21.

Ten years in Europe
2001/02 Uefa Cup - second round
2002/03 Uefa Cup - first round
2003/04 Champions League - semi-final
2004/05 Champions League - semi-final
2005/06 Champions League - round of 16
2006/07 Champions League - semi-final
2007/08 Champions League - runners-up
2008/09 Champions League - semi-final
2009/10 Champions League - round of 16
2010/11 Champions League - quarter-final

VALENCIA STATS

Valencia are competing in their eighth Champions League campaign. They were eliminated by eventual semi-finalists Schalke in last season's Round of 16.

Valencia have won 107 and lost 51 of their 226 games in Uefa competition. Tonight is their 94th match in the European Cup. They have won 43, drawn 28 and lost 22.

Ten-year European record
2001/02 Uefa Cup quarter-finals
2002/03 Champions League quarter-finals
2003/04 UEFA Cup winners
2004/05 UEFA Cup round of 32
2005/06 Intertoto Cup final matches
2006/07 Champions League quarter-finals
2007/08 Champions League group stage
2008/09 UEFA Cup round of 32
2009/10 Europa League quarter-finals
2010/11 Champions League round of 16

So get ready for some pulsating action at Stamford Bridge. Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

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Chelsea vs Swansea LIVE - Match Preview

2011-09-23T13:28:00.016+05:30

Chelsea vs Swansea

Andre-Villas Boas makes two changes from the side that started the last league game against Manchester United. John Mikel Obi starts in midfield and Nicolas Anelka comes into attack for injured Daniel Sturridge.

Mikel will play the anchor role with Raul Meireles moving further forward so Frank Lampard is on the bench today. Fernando Torres leads the attack with Didier Drogba among the subs.

Swansea are unchanged from the side that beat West Brom in their last game so there is a return to Stamford Bridge for Scott Sinclair.

Chelsea will line-up in the following 4-3-3 formation:

1 Petr Cech
17 Jose Bosingwa
2 Branislav Ivanovic
26 John Terry (c)
3 Ashley Cole
7 Ramires
12 John Mikel Obi
16 Raul Meireles
39 Nicolas Anelka
9 Fernando Torres
10 Juan Mata

Subs: 22 Ross Turnbull, 4 David Luiz, 8 Frank Lampard, 20 Josh McEachran, 21 Salomon Kalou, 15 Florent Malouda, 11 Didier Drogba.

Swansea are expected to line up in the following 4-2-3-1 formation: Vorm; Rangel, Monk (c), Williams, Taylor; Gower, Britton; Dyer, Allen, Sinclair; Lita.

Subs: Tremmel, Bessone, Graham, Richards, Routledge, Dobbie, Moore.

The referee is Mike Dean.

(English Premier League)

Date: Sat, 24th Sept. 2011; Kick-Off: 14:00 GMT, 19:25 IST

Venue: Stamford Bridge

Chelsea vs Swansea - Catch all the latest team news, match preview, pre-match analysis, interviews, followed by LIVE match and a lot more right here at Chelsea FC News.

Latest Team News: AVB confirmed that Daniel Sturridge will miss out on the game vs Swansea and Petr Cech would be available despite suffering a knock to his head, He also confirmed that Didier Drogba will be in the squad.

Chelsea FC - Team news pre Swansea

Chelsea vs Swansea: Chelsea and Swansea meet for the first time in top flight football. Our previous nine seasons together came in the old Division Two.

Chelsea vs Swansea; a game which many (I guess all) Chelsea fans are looking up-to. The reason?? We all saw how well we played against Manchester United and the 3-1 loss doesn't showcase the skill and commitment the players showed on the field and this game will surely provide all the action we are looking for.

AVB fielded a young side against Fulham in the Carling Cup giving rest to all key players, but all of them would definitely return for this game for sure. We need to continue where we left off and continue with the same impressive football we displayed at Old Trafford. And if we do that then we are in for some treat...

Swansea on the other hand got their first win of the 2011-12 EPL campaign by beating West Brom 3-0 at home, a day which saw all promoted clubs secure three points. Swansea's defence has been exceptionally after suffering a 4-0 loss against Man City in their opening game and have conceded only one goal (against Arsenal at Emirates) in their remaining four fixtures.

The opposite has been their attack which couldn't score even a single goal in their first four matches but they made up for that by scoring three against West Brom last weekend. Brendan Rodgers has a good side at his aide but will find it really difficult to handle a rejuvenated Chelsea attack.

Chelsea Team News

AVB looks set to recall his first team squad after being rested for the Carling Cup game in mid-week. Petr Cech and Daniel Sturridge who were part of the Carling Cup game were substituted after both suffering minor injuries.

Cech got a minor blow on his head while defending a ball but was substituted for precautionary measures and has a very good chance of starting the game. Daniel Sturridge took a knock to his lower leg as Kelly challenged him for the ball and was soon replaced before half time, and might miss out on the game against Swansea.

Dider Drogba has been declared fit and was on the bench for the Fulham game and could start alongside Torres for this game. Alex is suspended for one match after his dismissal against Fulham in the Carling Cup.

Michael Essien is our only long term absentee.

Swansea Team News

Steven Caulker (Knee injury), Alan Tate (Broken leg), Kemy Agustein (Hamstring injury), Craig Beattie (Ankle injury) and Danny Graham (Back injury) are likely to miss the game, although Neil Taylor who suffered from a head injury could still feature. This game will see former Chelsea player Scott Sinclair feature against us for the first time.

Probable Team Line-ups:

Chelsea (4-4-2): Petr Cech, Bosingwa, David Luiz, John Terry, Ashely Cole, Ramires, Juan Mata, Raul Meireles, Frank Lampard, Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba

Swansea (4-5-1): Vorm, Angel Rangel, Ashley Williams, Garry Monk, Neil Taylor, Nathan Dyer, Leon Britton, Joe Allen, Mark Gower, Scott Sinclair, Leroy Lita

Referee: Mike Dean

A game of THREE POINTS... This is not something which only I am saying..AVB had made this clear after the game against Manchester United that Chelsea will be targeting a win and three points against Swansea this Saturday.

I feel AVB said this to show that Chelsea are up for it, for us its winning and three points that matter the most and when you play good football this is what you will get. He also made it clear (by stating this) that Chelsea wont be complacent against the newly promoted Swansea side.

Torres (baring that miss) had an excellent game against Manchester United. He already had showed glimpses of him getting back into his game against Bayer Leverkusen where he provided assists for both Chelsea goals.

Torres was brilliantly played in by Anelka but the finish from Torres was world class. He looked sharp especially in the second half and had some good chances to score another goal for Chelsea. People talk about his miss but they forget how easily he made a fool out of De Gea when he rounded him off brilliantly. For me its the pressure and anxiety that got to him at that moment, he knew he had an open net to score but a usual Torres would calmly slot it home.

Chelsea's midfield in the form of Meireles, Mata and Ramires is looking really good and will prove key to Chelsea's success this season. Defensively we always have been a good side but any lapse in concentration will lead to a goal, this is something we have got to learn (Smalling's goal against us proved this point).

Swansea are no less of a good team, yes they havent scored many goals (except the last game) but they havent conceded much (baring their first game). And with strikers like Leroy Lita now in thier side they can provide a decent threat as well.

This game welcomes our ex-Chelsea youngster Scott Sinclair who had joined Swansea from Chelsea and is proving to be one of their key players this season.

KEY STAT

Chelsea are unbeaten in our last 62 games against newly-promoted teams stretching back to April 2001 and including 53 wins and nine draws.

Chelsea v Swansea City in all competitions

Games played 19

Chelsea wins 8

Swansea wins 5

Draws 6

Head-to-head in the League at Stamford Bridge
Games played 9
Chelsea wins 5
Swansea wins 1
Draws 3

Biggest league win at Stamford Bridge for each team
Chelsea 6-1 Swansea - 06/12/1983
Chelsea 1-3 Swansea - 21/11/1925

Official team news, AVB Press Conference & interview followed by LIVE STREAMING to follow soon...

In the mean time put on your thinking hats and predict the scoreline for this match... Login to our Facebook Fan page and predict your scores...who will score first for Chelsea.. and express your thoughts and opinions on the match...

So get ready for some pulsating action at Stamford Bridge. Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

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Andre Villas Boas on Chelsea vs Fulham

2011-09-20T22:20:00.001+05:30

Ahead of the derby tie against Fulham in the Carling Cup at Stamford Bridge tomorrow evening, Andre Villas Boas had a press conference where he shared his thoughts on many aspects of the game including the the team likely to face Fulham.

Andre Villas Boas had already stated how tough it is when your team is involved in so many competitions. Here is where squad rotation comes into picture and he has made it clear that a young side will be taking on Fulham with the likes of Josh, Romeu, Lukakau and Bertrand to be part of the starting XI.

This is something even I had predicted when picking what could be my probable starting XI against Fulham. He also stated that Didier Drogba is available for selection after recovering from concussion he had suffered three weeks ago against Norwich. Hilario is out due to back problem, so Ross Turnball could fit in.

Chelsea FC - Team news pre Fulham

Andre Villas Boas on facing Fulham in the Carling Cup:

"Since last year the club has given these kind of opportunities to the young players and it is good for us that Fulham is the challenge because it is a Premier League team, so it gives us a good idea of where we are regarding the young players that we are trying to bring through."

"I am excited to put them against Premier League opposition. I don't know what [Fulham manager] Martin Jol's thoughts are on what he is going to do because you can approach the Carling Cup in various different ways."

"He has come across saying the same way for Fulham as we are taking which could make it a good spectacle for the fans."

"Fulham are also in the situation where they want to grab some points in the Premier League and they have the West Brom trip ahead of them, plus they have the Europa League and a trip to Odense next week so maybe that will play an important part in Martin's decision for the squad that he selects."

Andre Villas Boas on his policy of selecting a young side for Carling Cup unlike the ones selected by Jose Mourinho

"It is a different approach and I am not making comparisons, I am not to judge Jose's choice. We also want to win the most amount of trophies possible but we have taken this approach to the Carling Cup to promote the youngsters. That time before there was an aggressive approach to winning the first trophy available."

"It is a trophy and for us as a top team it is for us to try to win it. We have enough good players to try to win the trophy and we try first to give opportunities to players that have been used less and opportunities will be given to our youngest players."

Andre Villas Boas on the shoddy match officials at Old Trafford on Sunday:

"Our objective was to win and we managed to create so many opportunities and they should have translated into a better result for us."

"I am glad it was a spectacle that everybody wanted because the game belongs to the fans but I am very unhappy with the poor performance from the referees which in the end had the decisive role in the result."

"I don't take it very lightly because of those two first goals. You expect the linesman to do his job and I have already gone ahead with the situation by speaking to the correct people."

"We all feel very down when the officials had such an impact on the result but I am very happy with the display and the resilience we showed after such a negative impact."

And finally he also expressed his thoughts on Frank Lampard, as to why he was substituted and what role does he play ahead.

Andre Villas Boas on Frank Lampard:

"It was a decision we had to make bearing in mind the score at half-time. It was an attacking substitution that we thought played right, not because Lamps was playing badly because he wasn't."

"He was having quite an impact on our game and he recovered a couple of balls in our midfield and he had a couple of shots. It was just something that we had to do to adapt the team to a more attacking style, not that he doesn't give to the attacking style because he does and he has proved it throughout his career."

"When you have won so much in the game and you have proven quality and prestige gained nationally and internationally, Frank doesn't have to prove anything to anybody."

"He is a top player in the world and he could add to any team in the world. Jose Mourinho wanted him for all the top teams that he went to when he left Chelsea so that is the importance of Frank."

"The substitution is nothing dramatic because Frank is a fantastic player and he will be one of the key players for the rest of the season."

For more on the Carling Cup tie at Stamford Bridge..Visit Chelsea vs Fulham for pre match analysis, score predictions and Live Match tommorow.

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Chelsea vs Fulham Live - Carling Cup Match - Match Preview

2011-09-20T15:30:00.014+05:30

Chelsea vs Fulham

(Carling Cup - Third Round)

Date: Wednesday, 21st Sept 11; Kick-Off: 19:45 BST
Venue: Stamford Bridge

Chelsea vs Fulham - Catch all the latest team news, match preview, pre-match analysis, interviews, followed by LIVE match and a lot more right here at Chelsea FC News.

Chelsea vs Fulham (THE DERBY GAME): Carling Cup third round action sees Chelsea play Fulham at Stamford Bridge, one of the four matches which sees Premier League clubs battling each other to qualify for the the fourth round of Carling Cup (others being Stoke vs Tottenham, Everton vs West Brom and Aston Villa vs Bolton).

Chelsea lost 3-1 against Manchester United but the scoreline doesn't suggest the fact that Chelsea played one of the best games they have played so far, away from home that also at Old Trafford. All Chelsea fans know how well the team played, the spirit and the bold approach of Andre Villas Boas. Let the media and rival fans criticize Chelsea and Fernando Torres for the loss, the reason they are doing is to overshadow how well Chelsea played as a team against Man U.

I can bet that each and every Chelsea fan would have felt optimistic about Chelsea and its players even after losing to Man U at Old Trafford, such was the high level of commitment and skill which Chelsea showed. Something that was lacking for a few years. A game which had everything from a couple of offside goals to glaring misses to some exceptional movement from both teams and a couple of wonderful skillful strikes.

Fulham under Martin Jol also had one of their best games so far, coming from 2-0 down against the mighty Manchester City side to secure a point. Fulham are a good side and also our derby rivals so even Martin Jol wouldn't want to lose this game.

Chelsea Team News

Dider Drogba returns to the Chelsea line-up after missing out on more than three weeks of football due to the concussion he suffered against Norwich.

Youngsters in the name of Josh McEachran, Ryan Bertrand, Romelu Lukaku and Oriol Romeu will certainly start the game at Stamford Bridge.

Fulham Team News

Fulham are without injured defender Aaron Hughes, who is nursing a hamstring problem.

Andrew Johnson is carrying a knock and Bobby Zamora may be rested. Deadline-day signing Bryan Ruiz is likely to feature for the Cottagers.

Martin Jol will also be looking to make some changes in his squad as his team is involved in Europa competition as well.

Probable Team Line-ups:

Chelsea: Turnball, Ferriera, Luiz, Alex, Bertrand, Josh, Romeu, Lampard, Malouda, Didier Drogba, Lukaku

Fulham: Somogyi, Kelly, Hangeland, Senderos, Briggs, Sidwell, Gecov, Duff, Sidwell, Bryan Ruiz, Sa

KEY STAT
The Blues are looking for our 50th home win in the League Cup in our 79th match at Stamford Bridge in the competition.

Previous Cup meeting between Chelsea and Fulham

Chelsea vs Fulham History

Chelsea v Fulham in all competitions
Games played 73
Chelsea wins 42
Fulham wins 9
Draws 22

Biggest win at Stamford Bridge for each team
Chelsea 4-0 Fulham - 26/09/1925 and 07/04/1984 (both Division 2)
Chelsea 0-2 Fulham - 27/10/1979 (Division 2)

Chelsea Stats

Chelsea in the League Cup
Winners: 1965, 1998, 2005, 2007
Runners-up: 1972, 2008
Semi-finalists: 1973, 1985, 1991, 2002

Last 10 seasons in the League Cup
2001/02 - Semi-final
2002/03 - Quarter-final
2003/04 - Quarter-final
2004/05 - Winners
2005/06 - 3rd round
2006/07 - Winners
2007/08 - Runners-up
2008/09 - 4th round
2009/10 - Quarter-final
2010/11 - 3rd round

Fulham Stats

Fulham in the League Cup
Winners: None
Runners-up: None
Semi-finalists: None
Quarter-finalists: 1967/68, 1970/71, 1999/00, 2000/01, 2004/05

Last 10 seasons in the League Cup
2001/02 - 4th round
2002/03 - 4th round
2003/04 - 2nd round
2004/05 - Quarter-final
2005/06 - 3rd round
2006/07 - 2nd round
2007/08 - 3rd round
2008/09 - 3rd round
2009/10 - 3rd round
2010/11 - 3rd round

Chelsea vs Fulham - Carling Cup 3rd Round - Video Preview

From this game onwards I would put forward my thoughts of what the starting line-up should be as per my views (before any updates from the man Andre Villas Boas himself) and would expect fans around the world to express the same, as to who would you put out if you were in the shoes of Andre Villas Boas.

Being In Andre Villas Boas' Shoes -

What would my team line up be if I was to put myself in place of Andre Villas Boas? I will have to answer a couple of question before I decide on my team.

First question: Is Carling Cup important as compared to the other competitions Chelsea is involved in? The answer is not so.

Second Question: Do I need to make wholesale changes to the squad like playing an entirely new starting XI (considering the fact that its a good Premier league opposition and not a division one or two opponent)? Again the answer would be NO.

Squad rotation will be there with certain players being rested, all this is important as players need to remain fit in this gruesome schedule of football. But most important thing is winning the game, so put out a squad that will make sure that happens.

Based on the points mentioned above, the starting line up I will go with would be

Chelsea: Hilario; Luiz, Alex, Terry, Bertrand; Mikel, Lampard, Romeu, Josh; Nando, Lukaku

(substitutes - Anelka, Malouda, Kalou, Paulo, Sturridge on the bench)

Inclusion of Lampard is for the sole reason that this guy needs matches under his belt, he is not in good form but he is an important integral part of the Chelsea squad. Nando purely for the current form he is in, he is getting close to his best and his rhythm should not be broken just because its a Carling Cup tie.

Luiz, Alex and Terry form a good defensive lineup. Lukaku, if he is going to be brought on as a substitute late on to change the game then he needs some good game time and this is a perfect opportunity for this young forward, same goes for players like Bertrand and Josh.

So put on your thinking caps and tell us WHAT WOULD YOUR STARTING LINEUP BE IF YOU WERE IN ANDRE VILLAS BOAS SHOES ?

If your team line up matches with that of Andre Villas Boas and then you will see yourself featured exclusively on the Chelsea FC News Facebook Fan Page. So go on and predict your line up here or on our Facebook fan page.

Chelsea-Fulham derby game has always been a tough game irrespective of what the competition is and where it is played, so expecting this one to be a great game of football.

Official team news, pre match analysis followed my LIVE STREAMING to follow soon

So get ready for some pulsating action at Stamford Bridge. Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

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Manchester United vs Chelsea LIVE - Match Preview

2011-09-17T14:28:00.005+05:30

Manchester United vs Chelsea

(English Premier League 2011)

Date: Sunday 19th Sept 2011; Kick-Off: 16:00 BST

Venue: Old Trafford

Manchester United vs Chelsea - Catch all the latest team news, match preview, pre-match analysis, interviews, followed by LIVE match and a lot more right here at Chelsea FC News.

Manchester United vs Chelsea: One of the biggest game of the season is upon us and it doesn't get any bigger than this. Manchester United along with their neighbors City are the only teams to have 100% win rate after the first four games. Chelsea are two points behind Manchester United and a win for Chelsea will see them go ahead of Manchester United.

Manchester United vs Chelsea - Promo

Chelsea Team News

Dider Drogba misses out again, as he is still feeling the after effects of the concussion after his awkward clash against Norwich goalkeeper.

Apart from Micheal Essien our long term absentee, Andre Villas Boas has a fully fit squad in front of him. Ramires is also available again following a European suspension.

John Terry and Frank Lampard who were rested for the mid-week European tie against Bayer Leverkusen will definitely be re-instated in the starting line up.

Manchester United Team News

Manchester United are without the injured quartet of Nemanja Vidic, Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley and Rafael.

Ferdinand and David de Gea will resume their normal duties after being rested for the mid week European tie against Benfica.

Probable Team Line-ups:

Manchester United: De Gea, Smalling, Jones, Ferdinand, Evra, Nani, Anderson, Giggs, Young, Rooney, Hernandez.

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Terry, Luiz, Cole, Mata, Lampard, Ramires, Meireles, Torres, Sturridge.

Refree: Phil Dowd

Andre Villas Boas on the game against Manchester United:

"I just hope that the players are able to put on a good show for the fans because the fans are the ones who carry the most emotion and are with the most passion, the real passion for a club's colours"

"We [the coaches] just try to do our best for the players to perform to the fullest extent of their talent."

"It is a game against a title contender and winning it will put us in a better position than we are in. Drawing it we will be the same. Losing it, the statistics of the Premier League's history show that we could still do it and we would still fight for it. I just hope I can motivate the team enough to win."

"Regarding mind games, I really don't know how to position myself, I just have to wait to see how we are provoked and if there is need to respond then very well, but if there is no need to respond then I don't."

"In the end I don't know if it really affects the mindset of the players, who are the most important guys. You can react in different ways and then you can transmit other ideas to the players. The most important thing is for the players to feel comfortable and to have belief in their manager. If a manager concedes an advantage of that kind it might look as if he is subject to pressure."

Andre Villas Boas on the Chelsea squad:

"It's good to have everybody fit. Of course it is more headaches to me. To be fair my worst day is the day I have to make selections and pick 18 or 19 to take to the game and select the 11 when everybody is so good. It takes a bit of my heart out when you have to do it, but it is just a manager's choice."

"Didier made a medium intensity session with us yesterday, today high intensity but it will be too soon for the Man United game, so maybe out."

"Ross [Turnbull] is coming along quite strongly and will join us soon, Hilario might have picked up an injury yesterday with a knock and is another doubt."

"One of them will be available but Hilario picked up a big knock yesterday and went for a scan so we are trying to find the extent of the injury to his hip and Ross is making a steady recovery from an injury he picked up in a reserve team game and is at 80 percent"

Andre Villas Boas on Manchester United:

"It's for all of us to praise when any team in the world starts a league like that, it is impressive and the fans are able to enjoy these kind of goals from Man United or Man City or any team in the world who starts a goalscoring spree like this one. It's good for all football."

"We are confident with what we have been doing so far. Of course we would prefer to have been level on points by this date but it didn't happen. We think we had an important point at Stoke. It's early season and the Premiership is so unpredictable."

"It's the fifth game of the season. I think if any manager is judged on five games of the season there is not something wrong with the manager there is something wrong with the people who run clubs."

"We have made a good strong start in the Premiership. This game comes at a good time for us because both teams feel very motivated and feel strong so hopefully this will be enough for the spectacle to be excellent which all of us should hope for."

"Normally when there is this high expectancy for a game sometimes things go the other way round and it is a boring, tactical game. Hopefully it won't because that's not the culture of the Premiership. I think it will be a high-intensity game fuelled by emotion."

"Anything that comes out from that game won't mean anything. Maybe it will play to the motivation for the team that wins or both teams if we draw."

"Let's wait and see, we are confident coming from a good European start as well and know the game is going to be a big challenge but hopefully everybody in the club is able to give one step further in effort for us to try to get the three points at Old Trafford [but] observing the behaviours of the Premiership table you will see it will not be determinant for the rest of the season."

Andre Villas Boas on Sir Alex Ferguson:

"Ferguson promotes talent, young talent, and you have a couple of good quality young players coming through from Cleverley to Jones to Welbeck and Chicharito. This plays to the importance of the work that he does. Sir Alex can take the best out of all his players and choose two strong starting elevens. He has been doing this throughout his life."

"In '86 [when Ferguson started at United] I was too young and was in love with my Porto. I didn't have enough football knowledge to extend myself. It was the first division and it just didn't play on any channel like it does today."

"I think my love for the Premiership also started when the Premiership started broadcasting itself a bit more. The first team I member studying properly was Blackburn Rovers, the winning side."

Andre Villas Boas on Chelsea's young talent Mata followed by Sturridge:

"It's potentiated by all of his (Mata) colleagues of course, and when you find a player that comes from such a different league as the Spanish league to this one, because this one is frenetic and faster, and to see him express his talent, for the adaptation to be so quick, shows the talent he has and we are fortunate to have him playing for us."

" He has been doing well like the rest of the team. Progressively he will eventually find better form but he has been doing tremendously well, not only scoring but assisting. He is a player that is able to express himself freely in the game and exploit the full potential he has. If you ask him he would feel more comfortable in the striking position but I feel he has a lot of potential in the wide position."

KEY STAT

Chelsea have earned 22 points from 19 Premier League visits to Old Trafford - six points better than any other club.

Our last 10 Premier League games against Man Utd at Old Trafford

2001/02 - Chelsea won 3-0
2002/03 - Man Utd won 2-1
2003/04 - Drew 1-1
2004/05 - Chelsea won 3-1
2005/06 - Man Utd won 1-0
2006/07 - Drew 1-1
2007/08 - Man Utd won 2-0
2008/09 - Man Utd won 3-0
2009/10 - Chelsea won 2-1
2010/11 - Man Utd won 2-1

Chelsea v Manchester United in all competitions

Games played 161
Chelsea wins 44
United wins 70
Draws 47

Head to head in the League at Manchester United

Games played 69
Chelsea wins 18
United wins 28
Draws 23

Well I have a lot to say about this game.... Manchester United with the start they have had are in the driving seat and favorites to win this one. They have now scored eighteen goals in total just in the first four games and are in prime form. Rooney seems to be on fire scoring eight of those eighteen goals.

Chelsea on the other hand have scored seven goals in their first four games and are looking to put together a decent streak of wins under their belt. All seven goals have been scored by different players.

As I said stats favor Alex Ferguson's side but even he knows it wont be a walk in the park or a high scoring game like the one they played against Arsenal. I read some articles here and there some from so called football pundits and according to them this is a must win game for Andre Villas Boas or Chelsea will be out of the title race.

After reading such articles I couldn't stop laughing... Yes this is one of the most important games of the season but with more 33 games to follow this game, you just cannot write some one off.

Everyone knows what happened with Chelsea last season we started on the same note as the Manchester Clubs have done this year but that didn't guarantee the title for us. It goes same with the Manchester clubs, its the team which shows consistency in its performance will win the title.

Chelsea and Manchester United both have added crucial players to their squad. Ashley Young for me will be the key player as far as midfield is concerned, he has overshadowed Nani in the first four games. United have got a lot going ahead with Young, Nani, Anderson, Rooney and Hernandez but its the defense where they still are fragile.

Smalling and Jones are less experienced players and a lot has already been said about De Gae. If Chelsea want to win this game then they should exploit this players as much as possible. Go for long range shots, hackle the defense and put United under as much pressure as possible.

The team who scores the first goal will definitely control the game and would try and keep as much as possession as possible. The likes of Torres, Sturridge, Mata and Ramires who have pace can definitely exploit this weaknesses which United have at their back. Try and counter-attack as much as possible.

I do see Manchester United scoring against us not because our defense isn't good but with the form they are in and not to forget the game is at Old Trafford they will surely attack the Chelsea post as much as possible.

Andre Villas Boas should go with the inform players and make sure that we dont sit too deep in our own halfs coz that will just play in favor of United. We need to be attacking and try and sneak in the first goal, it wont be easy but it aint difficult as well.

It will be a tough game for sure. Both teams have played each other many times before and it always has been a tight affair. Chelsea have the potential to come out of Old Trafford with all three points but a point wont be a bad result either.

So get ready for some pulsating action at Stamford Bridge. Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

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Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen LIVE - Preview - UEFA Champions League

2011-09-13T14:15:00.008+05:30

Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen

(UEFA Champions League 2011)

Date: Tuesday, 13th Sept 2011; Kick-Off: 20:45 GMT,
Venue: Stamford Bridge

Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen - Catch all the latest team news, match preview, pre-match analysis, interviews, followed by LIVE match and a lot more right here at Chelsea FC News.

Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen: Champions League is back.... Watching the Champions League draw live was pretty thrilling, especially from pot 2 onwards when we came to know who we will be facing in the group stage. 1st match of group E sees Chelsea seeded in pot 1 play Bayer Leverkusen who were seeded in pot 3.

What should I say.. hiring of Andre Villas Boas is proportional to Chelsea winning the Champions league, well thats what Roman Abramovich's mathematics said when he signed the 33yr old ex-Porto manager. Will we win the Champions league this year? I feel this question is being asked too soon. We need to look at it match by match and step by step because winning these matches is also important, considering where we will be standing when the draw for last 16 comes up.

With Valencia and KRC GENK being the other two teams in the group we expect Chelsea to be on the top. But Valencia are a good team as well and they themselves will be targeting the 1st spot in group E. We need to make sure we win all our home matches for sure, and it starts with Bayer Leverkusen tonight.

Chelsea Team News

Fernando Torres should start this game after he was benched for the game against Sunderland with Daniel Sturridge taking his place.

Didier Drogba will miss the European tie as he is still recovering from the head injury he sustained last month. Michael Essien is likely to be out until January after undergoing surgery on a knee injury he suffered in the first week of pre-season training.

David Luiz is fit and was on the bench against Sunderland but did not take part in the action at Stadium of Light. Another Brazilian Ramires is suspended for this game as he was sent off in the last game against Manchester United of Champions League 2010 campaign.

John Obi Mikel and David Luiz could feature in the starting line-up tonight.

Bayer Leverkusen Team News

This match marks an emotional return for ex-Chelsea player Michael Ballack who joined Bayer Leverkusen in June 2010.

Lar Bender chances of playing this game are 50-50 according to the team coach Robin Dutt, after the player suffering a knee injury.

Tranquillo Barnetta will miss the tie after the player undergoing yet another operation on his right knee. First-choice goalkeeper René Adler has been sidelined since July after undergoing knee surgery in and reserve goalkeeper Fabian Giefer has not played since suffering concussion against Mainz on 7 August.

Bastian Oczipka has a broken left ankle.

Probable Team Line-ups:

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Luiz, Terry, Ivanovic, Cole; Lampard, Juan Mata, Malouda, Meireles; Torres, Anelka

Bayer Leverkusen (4-5-1): Leno; Castro, Reinartz, Toprak, Schwaab; Balitsch, Rolfes, Renato Augusto, Ballack, Sam; Kiessling

Referee: Stéphane Lannoy

Chelsea manager Andre Villas Boas who guided Porto to Europa League success last year has made it pretty clear that this trophy is the toughest to win. And it all starts with the game against Bayer Leverkusen at Stamford Bridge tonight.

Andre Villas Boas on the UEFA Champions League and Group E:

"I think it's good to be in this top European competition, a competition that we have been determined to make one of our objectives throughout the seasons and we have not been far from achieving finals."

"We have been in one and want to progress all the way to the end. We have come about in a difficult group with Valencia, Leverkusen and the Belgian champions Genk and it's a fresh start to another season where the level is extremely high. We have to be up to the challenge."

"I think everybody knows the importance of this competition, it is the most difficult to win and if we compare it internationally there are a lot of good teams competing for one trophy. Motivation plays a big part in international football and the World Cup for sure, because the players are involved completely in that sole objective of trying to win it."

"The Champions League is more difficult because it is an "in between" competition, most of the top clubs compete in the national competitions domestically, so it is a more difficult task because it requires more of the players' talent and more of the manager's awareness to rotate a couple of them, keep everybody fresh, to motivate everybody in every single sense of every competition."

"The amount of top teams you have, it is even more visible this year with the amount of teams of quality and in-depth squads. Man City, Inter Milan will try to regain a trophy they lost, Real Madrid with the squad they have. There are so many in-depth squads that can go all the way in this competition."

"It is regular that the team who wins the Champions League normally wins their domestic title, so you really have to balance the amount of minutes the players have plus the recovery they should be allowed for the squad to be fresh in both competitions and take it all the way through. For that to happen you need the best available talent you can get, and there are a lot of teams that have these in-depth squads in Europe this season."

Andre Villas Boas on squad rotation:

"We'll just wait and see, it is very tight because most of them went away and a couple played 180 minutes, and then came back straight away with one-and-a-half days to play the Sunderland game, then two days to play this game."

"This has to play a part and you will see some changes tomorrow, and then of course we will have to address the rest of the four days after to make as wise a decision as possible for Old Trafford."

"We have four days to recover for the Old Trafford game. I think what will happen is that the international week passed by and the fact we didn't have a lot of time to work for the Sunderland game might take its toll on this game because we played Saturday and now we play Tuesday with only two days in between, so let's make wise decisions and hopefully we can make the right choices to win this game and take us to be up to the level of Sunday's game as well."

Andre Villas Boas on Didier Drogba's injury:

"Didier is away, he did some damage to his teeth when he fell to the ground and we decided to give him some days off to come back, everything is alright with his scan, he will be between Man United, Swansea and Fulham, but hopefully Man United."

Ballack back at Stamford Bridge: This game marks an emotional return for Michael Ballack who left Chelsea for Bayer on June 2010. Ballack had a good outing with Chelsea during his four year stay at Stamford Bridge winning a Premier League winners' medal, three FA Cup final victories and a League Cup success.

Ballack who turns 35 this month could be in contention to start this game but Bayer coach Robin Dutt has still not revealed whether the German superstar will feature for this tie. Whether he starts or not, he will receive a presentation from Chelsea before the game.

Michael Ballack on being drawn in the same group with Chelsea and his Chelsea career:

"When I first saw the draw I was really happy for me personally and for the club. For me personally it is a very big, very important match, but also for the club it was a very nice draw. I played at Chelsea for four years and it is very nice to be back in London for the first game in the Champions League."

"The presentation is a very nice gesture and it will be a very emotional moment for me tomorrow. There are still a few players there and some who left in the meantime who I am still friends with and whom I am still in touch with, and also a few of the staff."

"When I moved to Chelsea it was a big, big challenge and experience for me at the time to play with so many good players. If I look back I had a very good time. I feel always welcomed by the fans and the club. They treat me always very well and we had success."

"It could have been a few titles more, we missed a few chances, but we had some successes and I will remember this always and it is a big part of my career."

Michael Ballack on the game against Chelsea:

"It is just a game of football although we are aware there are some big names on the other side, we will have our chances. Chelsea have not started like last year but you can't start every year like last year. Especially in the last game against Sunderland they looked in a good shape, very strong and confident, so that makes it not easy for us."

"They have great individual players but as a team it is maybe not the worst thing to play them now because the season has just started, but we will know more after the game."

Bayer Coach Robin Dutt on the match and Champions League:

"I do think we actually have our chances here even if it will be fairly difficult. We are looking forward to this match. [Being back in the UEFA Champions League] is very important for all of us, players, managers and coaches. It is a very high level on the pitch and it reflects positively on the club our being in it."

"Keeping our emotions in check will be key. We have a lot of young and inexperienced players and for them it is really very special playing there tomorrow. We have respect for Chelsea, which is definitely necessary, but we are trying not to have too much. I think we can use our emotions to turn it into a positive energy for ourselves."

"I have already decided and I have told Michael but everyone will have to wait a bit longer to find out. He is very experienced and it would be foolish not to use that experience, and he has shown in the Bundesliga that he is in very good form, but I want to leave a bit of doubt for the opposing manager."

KEY STAT

In six attempts over 45 years no German side has ever won at Stamford Bridge.

Previous Meetings

This game marks the first competitive match between both sides. Chelsea have had good success against the German sides which have traveled to Stamford Bridge so far, with Chelsea winning four, drawing one and losing none.

CHELSEA Stats

Chelsea's home record against German teams

Chelsea's biggest home win in the Champions League
19/10/2005 - Chelsea 4-0 Real Betis - group stage
16/09/2008 - Chelsea 4-0 Bordeaux - group stage
21/10/2009 - Chelsea 4-0 Atlético Madrid - group stage

Chelsea's last ten years in Europe

2001/02 Uefa Cup - second round
2002/03 Uefa Cup - first round
2003/04 Champions League - semi-final
2004/05 Champions League - semi-final
2005/06 Champions League - round of 16
2006/07 Champions League - semi-final
2007/08 Champions League - runners-up
2008/09 Champions League - semi-final
2009/10 Champions League - round of 16
2010/11 Champions League - quarter-final

BAYER Stats

Bayer's away record against English teams

Bayer's biggest away win in the Champions League

20/03/2002 - Deportivo La Coruña 1-3 Leverkusen - second group stage

Ten-year European record

2001/02 Champions League runners-up
2002/03 Champions League second group stage
2003/04 Did not qualify
2004/05 Champions League round of 16
2005/06 Uefa Cup - first round
2006/07 Uefa Cup quarter-finals
2007/08 Uefa Cup quarter-finals
2008/09 Did not qualify
2009/10 Did not qualify
2010/11 Europa League round of 16

So get ready for some pulsating action at Stamford Bridge. Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

Check all the latest football scores live at footballscores.com, where they give you an update scoreline for games from all over the globe. So go check it out!

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Sunderland vs Chelsea LIVE | Match Preview | Team News

2011-09-08T17:51:00.009+05:30

Sunderland vs Chelsea

(English Premier League)

Date: Saturday, 10th Sept 2011; Kick-Off: 15:00 BST, TV: ESPN
Venue: Stadium Of Light

Sunderland vs Chelsea: After a two week long break, its back to the English Premier League and next up is Sunderland at Stadium Of Light for Chelsea. Both teams haven't had the best of the starts to this season's Premiership action, with Chelsea scrapping to victories in their last two matches and Sunderland with zero points from the three games they have played so far.

Sunderland vs Chelsea - Catch all the latest team news, match preview, pre-match analysis, interviews and a lot more right here at Chelsea FC News.

Where should I start... the two week break was something I guess everyone was looking for (except the fans) after the intense drama unfolding during the last day of the transfer window. Players coming in and going out for both Chelsea and Sunderland.

Chelsea brought in Raul Meireles right on the brink of transfer day deadline. And as everyone is, even Meireles expressed his shock (a pleasant one) over the move from Liverpool right at last minute if to say.

Another deadline move saw player hungry Arsenal taking Yossi Benayoun on loan. Yossi already has tweeted that he was on the brink of leaving Chelsea but his move to Arsenal did shock some fans (including me).

Gael Kakuta snubbed Fulham and joined Bolton on loan (Daniel Sturridge's resurgence at Bolton could be the main factor). Patrick van Aanholt joined Wigan on loan as well, and according to me Martinez has got the best deal as far as having someone on loan is considered.

Sunderland also made some moves during the last day of transfer period signing Arsenal's Bendtner on loan with QPR signing Anton Ferdinand on a three year deal.

Chelsea Team News

David Luiz and Petr Cech are both available for selection after recovering from their respective injuries.

Cech has missed the last two games with a knee injury and David Luiz has yet to play this season having picked up a thigh problem immediately after returning from the Copa America, but they have both been in full training ahead of the resumption of the league season.

Didier Drogba wont be rushed in after suffering a concussion against Norwich after falling awkwardly. Essien is the only long term absentee for Chelsea.

Daniel Sturridge is back, and up for selection after serving his three match suspension.

With the signing of Juan Mata, Raul Meireles and Oriol Romeu Chelsea have strengthened their midfield and now have some good options as well. Romelu Lukaku also is another option for Chelsea upfront. All these new signings are available for the match against Sunderland.

Nicolas Anelka could partner Torres up-front given the strikers goal scoring streak against the Black Cats, having scored seven goals in last five games against them.

Sunderland Team News

Asamoah Gyan is out after returning injured from international duty. Nicolas Bendtner, Sunderland's new signing on loan from Arsenal would definitely feature in this game. With Ferdinand going to QPR and John Ohea still injured Sunderland will look to Titus Bramble to handle the central defensive area.

Sunderland could also have their new signings Craig Gardner and Seb Larsson featuring against Chelsea in the midfield area. Bendtner and Sessengnon could be part of two men up front for Sunderland.

Craig Gordon, Fraizer Campbell and David Meyler (all knee) are on the sidelines.

Probable Team Line-ups:

Sunderland (4-4-2): Mignolet, Brown, Bramble, Richardson, Bardsley, Cattermole, Gardner, Larsson, Bendtner, Colback, Sessengnon.

Chelsea (4-3-3) : Cech, Terry, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Cole, Lampard, Juan Mata, Malouda, Ramires, Torres, Anleka

Referee: Mark Halsley

Chelsea FC - Villas-Boas press conference pre Sunderland

Andre Villas Boas on David Luiz, Petr Cech and Didier Drogba:

"They are available for selection, Petr is lucky to be with us so quickly and he made an extremely good recovery with fantastic work from the medical staff."

"David Luiz got injured during the first few minutes when he came back and has been steadily progressing and is finally up for selection."

"He went with the national team last week. He was selected but not available to play because we felt he was in the last process of recovery. Both players have done extremely well since the whole squad got together yesterday."

"Didier Drogba has to be authorised medically to make his full return to training, He has been doing light sessions in the gym with our physios and we will try to have him available for the Man United game next weekend. I wouldn't say that he will be available for the Bayer Leverkusen match."

"The first days were ones of tremendous pain for him, He had his family supporting him and he had complete support from our medical staff who were with him 24/7. Now we just have to make sure that he is fully recovered before he comes back to training because that is the requirement you have to do neurologically."

Andre Villas Boas on Daniel Sturridge:

"Sturridge never stopped training very, very well since his last game against Rangers where he scored twice. He is very competitive in training."

"Everyone saw the part he can play, not only in our pre season but at Bolton last year so it is a plus that he is available for selection and he can add to the team as well."

Andre Villas Boas on the season's start:

"We played seven games in pre season and only conceded one goal so it would be stupid of me if now I have suffered a couple of goals to criticise my defence, We use most of our defensive weapons as attacking weapons, that is the objective. We feel that organising the team defensively gives you more of the ball and turns you more attacking. That is what we have been focusing on since the beginning of the season."

"Our football can be better and our objective is to get it better. In football perfection is very difficult to obtain but what people expect from us is to get fluency in the way we play."

"I am very happy that we have created enough chances in the games. It is a good sign and it is what we have to focus on. Fluency and quality come by playing more games more often, not by having the weekly breaks that we have been having since the start of the season."

Andre Villas Boas on the transfer deadline signings :

"We have a good three months to focus on the real objectives, Signing Raul Meireles was an extremely good deal for us and we are happy to have him here."

"I had said we needed one more player in midfield. Yossi Benayoun had variability, he could play in the middle and he could play out in the channels or behind the striker, but we felt that towards what we wanted to achieve in terms of playing style, Raul would fit with this requirement."

"We were very far from meeting Porto's demands regarding Alvaro. We are very happy with Ashley Cole and Ryan Bertrand and the availability we have for that position with Paulo Ferreira and Jose Bosingwa also able to play on the left, and even David Luiz has done it before."

"We are happy with what we have and now the market has closed the team now is together and focused on the objectives, so we are pretty happy with what we have done."

Andre Villas Boas on Sunderland:

"It is a fantastic stadium to play in but it is a good time to go to Sunderland, Normally when you go to there the winter is a bit more difficult."

"They have drawn at Liverpool so the signs are that it is a good team, well organised. [Stephane] Sessegnon is an excellent player as an assister. John O'Shea didn't play for the national team so he is fresh and they are competitive in midfield. They have added with [Seb] Larsson who is a quality player and [Nicklas] Bendtner who had a fantastic international break with Denmark, so all the signs are there to be aware."

KEY STAT

Sunderland have lost seven of their last eight at the Stadium of Light starting with the defeat to Chelsea on 1 February.

Last Season:

Chelsea 0 Sunderland 3, Sunderland 2 Chelsea 4

History

Sunderland v Chelsea in all competitions
Games played 112
Chelsea wins 52
Sunderland wins 39
Draws 21

Head-to-head in the League at Roker Park and the Stadium of Light
Games played 54
Chelsea wins 17
Sunderland wins 28
Draws 9

Biggest league win at Sunderland for each team
Sunderland 4-0 Chelsea - 30/10/1909, 08/02/1913, 08/09/1934
Sunderland 2-4 Chelsea - 01/02/2011

So get ready for some pulsating action at Stamford Bridge. Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

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Chelsea vs Norwich - Live | Match Preview - Team News

2011-08-26T23:50:00.001+05:30

Chelsea vs Norwich

(English Premier League)

Date: Saturday, 27th August 2011; Kick-Off: 15:00 BST, TV: ESPN
Venue: Stamford Bridge

Chelsea and Andre Villas Boas secured their first win of the 2011-12 EPL campaign by defeating West Brom 2-1 at Stamford Bridge. Norwich City on the other hand had to settle with 1-1 draw at home against Stoke.

Chelsea vs Norwich - Catch all the latest team news, match preview, pre-match analysis, interviews and a lot more right here at Chelsea FC News.

Chelsea Team News

Chelsea manager did confirm that David Luiz wont feature in this tie as he is still recovering from his injury but has returned to full training on Thursday morning.

Andre Villas Boas also confirmed that our new signing Juan Mata who completed his move to Chelsea a few days ago could also feature (probably on the bench), but chances of him starting are very few considering the fact that he only had a few days of training with the team.

As for the rest of the team, leaving Micheal Essien and Petr Cech everyone is fit to be picked in the starting line-up for tomorrows game against Norwich City.

Norwich City Team News

Norwich who made 11 changes to the team that drew with Stoke for their Carling Cup clash with MK Dons, have their injury concerns as well with midfielder Wes Hoolahan coming off with a hamstring concern and defender Daniel Ayala injuring his knee.

However Norwich Boss Paul Lambert will definitely put up his best starting XI against Chelsea this Saturday.

Probable Team Line-ups:

Chelsea: Hilario; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Mikel, Lampard; Drogba, Torres, Malouda.

Norwich City: Ruddy; De Laet, Ayala, Tierney, Naughton; Crofts, Johnson, Bennett, Pllkington; Martin, Holt

Andre Villas Boas on Juan Mata and David Luiz:

"It is too early. This league is very specific in terms of intensity and emotionally and culturally. It doesn't mean he (Juan Mata) is not threatening the starting 11 but two training sessions is short for playing and creating new relationships with the players, so we will assess tomorrow. Tomorrow is the decisive day for the strategic part of our game and we will decide tomorrow."

"David Luiz is coming back to full training, today he had a full intensity training. It will be too early for him but he is selected for Brazil and I am going to let him go to add a couple of minutes.

Andre Villas Boas on Chelsea's team news:

"On other fronts there is nothing special. Petr has made a tremendous recovery and is looking good for after the international break, and Essien is long-term. Everybody is up for selection. At the moment the funny thing is we are on full weeks running into a game, then when the transfer window finishes we have two games a week. It seems now we went into a pattern of the 18 and 11 but it doesn't mean changes won't happen after."

Andre Villas Boas on our new signing Juan Mata:

"He can play right, left and through the middle, he has been tested as well in 4-4-2, not just 4-3-3 so it gives us flexibility in formation as well."

"He has an eye for goal and a magnificent record for assists throughout his career. Now comes one of the biggest challenges for his career now in the Premiership and he has made public his comments on that, it is a step up for his career and we hope he can add to the quality of our squad."

"We were looking for a player that would give us creativity in the final third, not that we don't have it, but we want always to add when you can find talent of this nature."

"We thought the price was reasonable for what Mata's qualities and his demonstrations in the Spanish league and Champions League so we decided to bring him in. It's a big addition everybody was looking for, speculation was coming from all fronts, and criticism for a lack of market activity, so we can feel laid off now!"

Andre Villas Boas on Norwich City and manager Paul Lambert:

"I cannot go in depth on Norwich last season but I know they had a fantastic season, an incredible amount of goals scored last season and the season before, coming up twice."

"Paul Lambert likes to organise his teams and play good attacking football, that's why they were the highest scoring team last year."

"It is twice making promotion and this is a high value because you know how tight the Championship is."

"I can only assess what has been happening in pre-season and their first three games and there were some changes Paul made to his team. It leaves us a little bit trying to assess what he is going to do, it seems his principles are well established but to get the starting 11 right will be difficult for us because he changed dramatically his team in the last three games."

"In two difficult games coming out with a draw, almost a win against Stoke, means Norwich is here to play a part and I look forward to playing against him. I think Paul was influenced throughout his career on his influences in European football, and maybe why he uses a mixture of European flair with the attacking British game."

Andre Villas Boas on the potential transfer of Alvaro Pereira:

"I can confirm that we have made a bid for him but we are very far apart in terms of numbers, it's a big, big difference. I am not very confident."

"Not only in Porto, he has a tremendous influence in the Uruguayan national team and played an important part in the Copa America."

"He plays regularly, I think he beat the record for games played in Porto, and gives consistency. He has versatility as well, he can play in side in midfield, on the wing and left-back, so he can add to any squad in the world."

Andre Villas Boas on the speculation and rumors surrounding the future of Florent Malouda:

"Speaking about the number of goals and assists we can speak about the number of goals and assists Malouda has for Chelsea. This is the kind of importance this player has for us, he is an excellent professional, very driven and determined throughout his career, so we can't let ourselves sell talents of this quality. "

"As you know I have no problems whatsoever with the average age of the squad because I believe in their competence and I believe in Malouda's competence."

KEY STAT

Chelsea are unbeaten in our last 61 games against newly-promoted teams, a run stretching back to April 2001 and including 52 wins and nine draws.

History :

Chelsea v Norwich City in all competitions:

Games played 41
Chelsea wins 15
Norwich wins 14
Draws 12

Head to head in the League at Stamford Bridge:

Games played 16
Chelsea wins 7
Norwich wins 4
Draws 5

Biggest league win at Stamford Bridge for each team:

Chelsea 4-0 Norwich18/12/2004
Chelsea 0-3 Norwich16/11/1991

MORE TO FOLLOW...

So get ready for some pulsating action at Stamford Bridge. Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

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UEFA Champions League Group Stage Draw

2011-08-25T22:46:00.003+05:30

UEFA Champions League Group Stage Draw

Valencia, Bayern Leverkusen and Genk are Chelsea's opposition in the this year's UEFA Champions League Group stage.

The draw for UEFA Champions League 2011-12 has been made and this one sure seems to a tough 2011-12 UEFA Champions League campaign for all the teams and not just for Chelsea.

Chelsea who were in POT ONE have been drawn with Valencia (POT TWO), Bayern Leverkusen (POT THREE) and Genk (POT FOUR). The most notable threat will come from Juan Mata's ex-club Valencia who have always been one of the fierce competitors. Bayern Leverusen from Germany is also a tough opposition who have had a good season due to which they qualified for the Champions League, which also means a reunion with Ballack who moved to Leverkusen a season ago. GENK are the only team who most of the people wont consider as much of an opposition but hey this is the Champions League and nothing comes easy, we signed goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois from RC Genk this summer before loaning him to Atletico Madrid.

Manchester United and Arsenal seem to be in a more comfortable group and the other English team Manchester City have been drawn in Group A with Bayern, Vilarreal and Napoli so even they have a tough group, not to forget this is their debut season.

Group A and Group D seem to be the toughest of all the groups but all in all a fantastic start for this years UEFA Champions League campaign, cant wait for the matches to start.

This years UEFA Champions League final will take place at Allianz Arena in in Germany on May 19 2012.

The group stage fixtures will be played on 13/14 September, 27/28 September, 18/19 October, 1/2 November, 22/23 November and 6/7 December. The section winners and runners-up will progress to the round of 16 in the spring. Teams finishing third in each section will transfer to the UEFA Europa League round of 32.

Match dates -

Tuesday September 13
Chelsea v Bayer Leverkusen

Wednesday September 28
Valencia v Chelsea

Wednesday October 19
Chelsea v RC Genk

Tuesday November 1
RC Genk v Chelsea

Wednesday November 23
Bayer Leverkusen v Chelsea

Tuesday December 6
Chelsea v Valencia

These are the Groups for this years Champions League Group stage -

Group A : Bayern Munich, Vilarreal, Manchester City and Napoli.

Group B: Inter Milan, CSKA Moskova, Lille and Trabzonspor

Group C: Manchester United, Benfica, Basel and Otelul

Group D: Real Madrid, Lyon, Ajax and Dinamo Zagreb

Group E: Chelsea, Valencia, Leverkusen and GENK

Group F: Arsenal, Marseille, Olympiakos and Dortmund

Group G: Porto, Shaktar, Zenit and APOEL

Group H: Barcelona, AC Milan, BATE and Plzen

This is how the UEFA Champions League Group Stage draw was made starting from POT 1 to POT 4

POT 1

POT 2

POT 3

POT 4

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Juan Mata Deal Completed

2011-08-25T14:02:00.003+05:30

Juan Mata Deal Completed

Juan Mata finally made the much needed move to Chelsea and looks all set to play for Chelsea in our next game against Norwich this Saturday. He also trained with the rest of the team at Cobham.

Juan Mata has signed a five year contract with the reported transfer price of around £23.5m. Following his training session with the Chelsea team Mata shared his views on his acquisition by Chelsea. He also confirmed that there were more clubs interested in him most notably Arsenal and Tottenham, but it was Villa Boas' vision which made him join Chelsea (as mentioned by him in his interview ahead).

Juan Mata after joining Chelsea

Juan Mata on his move to Chelsea:

"Right from the first moment there have been good feelings all around me. Training has been great and the players are a great group to train with. Valencia was a big club anyway but I have left to join a bigger club and it is all about the opportunity to win trophies and I have that here."

"He (Andre Villas Boas) said he wanted Chelsea this season to play more attacking football, and that I would be a big part of that. Villas-Boas is someone who won almost everything last year and we are both here with the idea of winning lots this season."

"The plan is that I can play on either flank or even in the middle playing in between the lines of midfield and attack. I like to keep the ball and use it well, I am an attacking player and above all I like to set up goals and score them also."

"I want to adapt as quickly as possible to my new surroundings, my colleagues and this league, and I would love to win a trophy in my first season. If it can be the Premier League then great."

"Fernando got me excited about the thought of coming here, he said it would be good for me here and that me and him together could be good. I also talked to my family and friends about it as well."

"This is obviously a big thing for me, to have a father who knows football, and he has always given me good advice and I never had a problem because he was there to help."

"Despite there being football in my family, I always wanted to have skills other than football so I studied while I was in Madrid."

"It wasn't easy but I wanted to do it, and I learned about marketing and sports science. Away from football I like normal things for someone of my age, the cinema, music, theatre and reading. I am looking forward to living in London and adapting to a new cosmopolitan city and getting to know that."

Juan Mata, a left-winger who can also operate centrally in an attacking role is our fourth new signing of this summer following the arrivals of Oriol Romeu, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois who has joined Atletico Madrid on loan.

In his four years which he spent at Valencia, he went on to make 179 appearances and scored 43 times. He also becomes the third Spanish player to be signed by Chelsea in 2011 following Fernando Torres's signing from Liverpool in January and Oriol Romeu who arrived from Barcelona.

'Where will he fit in' is the big question everyone must be discussing and debating, for me it has to be his normal position. This will be beneficial to both the club and the player (at least at the start when he is settling in). Right now Chelsea lack an out-an-out left winger. We have Malouda but he plays mostly on the right from where he is more prolific.

Kalou for me never was a winger and if he has to play then it has to be behind the striker, he hardly delivers in any good crosses. He is good in running at defenders but you need good cross from the flanks, Malouda does so from the right and with Mata in we now will have someone doing the same for Chelsea as Malouda does. Same goes with Anelka, he is a forward and not a winger so I will not criticize him as he is decent striker and can be the best in his position.

But based on the last two performances I would say Kalou should start on the bench. We have more influential players like Josh McEachran, new signings Romelu Lukaku & Oriol Romeu and Benayoun to an extent who look to be a good option given the current state of play. And it was no surprise when the manager replaced him with Malouda before half time in the last game against West Brom.

Juan Mata will fill in this gap and provided that much needed width on the left side of the field.

I welcome Juan Mata to Chelsea Football Club on behalf of all the Chelsea Fans worldwide and wishing him a prolific career as a Chelsea player.

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Juan Mata Deal Agreed

2011-08-22T20:15:00.007+05:30

Juan Mata Deal Completed

Juan Mata Deal Agreed

An agreement has been reached with Valencia CF for the transfer to Chelsea of midfielder Juan Manuel Mata.

The 23-year-old Spaniard will join Chelsea FC, subject to passing a medical and agreeing personal terms, reportedly joining Chelsea from Valencia FC for around €27m (£23.5m).

Juan Mata then confirmed via Twitter that he was heading to London on Monday to undergo a medical with the Stamford Bridge club.

He tweeted: "Travel to London for medical examination, and come back to Valencia to say goodbye to everybody as you deserve...thanks so much!"

Juan Manuel Mata Garcia was born on April 28, 1988 and his career at Real Oviedo close to where he grew up but later was signed by Real Madrid and joined the club's Academy as a 15-year old where he would stay until 2007.

Juan Mata soon became star with Real's B side and back in 2007 he agreed for a move La Liga rivals Valencia and went on to spend next four years at Valencia where he became one of the most important and influential players in the side.

Juan Mata made his debut for Valencia against Almeria where his side won 2-1 and soon became a regular in the La Liga side making 24 league appearances in all in his first league campaign. In this stay he went on to score five goals netting both in the semi-final of the Copa Del Rey, and the final on the way to lifting silverware and being voted the club's Young Player of the Year.

Juan Mata will become the third Spaniard to join the club in 2011 following the arrivals of Torres and Oriol Romeu. He was already a target of Tottenham last season who failed to complete his signing and this season he was heavily linked to Arsenal as well.

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Chelsea vs West Brom - Match Preview - Team News

2011-08-20T14:20:00.001+05:30

Chelsea vs West Brom

(English Premier League)

Date: Saturday, 20th August 2011; Kick-Off: 17:30 BST, TV: ESPN

Venue: Stamford Bridge

After the disappointing draw against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium, Chelsea will now be looking to securing all three points against Roy Hodgson's men. This will also mark Andre Villas Boas first game in charge as a manager at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea vs West Brom - Catch all the latest team news, match preview, pre-match analysis, interviews and a lot more right here at Chelsea FC News.

My Views:

I still remember the 6-0 trashing that Chelsea gave West Brom when they last visited Stamford Bridge which included a hat trick from Didier Drogba. Whether he will start or not is in the hands of the manager but looking at the last game against Stoke I feel Torres and Drogba should start up front.

Torres looked lively and should definitely keep his place in the starting line up. I have heard a lot of Drogba-Torres partnership not working and all that stuff (for me its just crap). Both have different styles, Drogba has power and Torres has pace and its an ideal combination for strike partnership not to forget their individual skills.

I was really disappointed with Lampard and Kalou in the last game. It wasn't Frankie's day. Kalou has always looked good when he comes on as a sub (time when he scores most of his goals) and with players like Josh, Anelka, Sturridge, and Romelu Lukaku in the squad he either needs to up his game or the manager must look at the other players.

We hardly created any chances in the last game they were a few to count and we need those services to Torres and Drogba who then can do their stuff. I am not being critical of the team or the manager, goalless draw was a decent result considering it was Andre Villas Boas first game in charge of Chelsea away from home. But today we need to make sure we get all three points and get our campaign started with good number of goals as well.

West Brom did lose 6-0 last year but looking at their previous game against Manchester United they looked solid in defence, yes it was a home game but Hodgson has got things right for West Brom and it will need a special performance (one I am hoping for) from Chelsea to emulate the same result.

It will be emotional return for Robert Di Matteo who faces his previous club which he managed last year.

Its a tough league so every game counts and now even every goal does, so really expecting some good performances from Torres, Drogba, Lampard and Malouda especially our goal force.

I will go for a 3-0 win for Chelsea with Torres brace and Drogba scoring the third.

Chelsea Team News

Petr Cech will be out of action for a month or so after injuring medial ligaments in training. Hilario or Turnball will take the Czech International's place in goal but its yet to be decided.

David Luiz is the other player out injured due to the thigh problem he has carried since returning from the Copa America. Micheal Essien being the only long-term casualty. John Obi Mikel has declared himself available for the game despite the drama surrounding his father's abduction.

New signing Romelu Lukaku is also available while Oriol Romeu has returned from the Under 20 World Cup on Wednesday. Romelu Lukaku could feature on the bench for Chelsea.

West Brom Team News

West Brom striker Peter Odemwingie is battling to shake off the ankle injury that saw him miss the Manchester United defeat. He recently signed a three year contract at West Brom.

Steven Reid and Gareth McAuley are both available for selection but Jerome Thomas is definitely out.

Probable Team Line-ups:

Chelsea: 40 Hilario; 17 Bosingwa, 33 Alex, 26 Terry, 3 Cole; 7 Ramires, 12 Mikel, 8 Lampard; 21 Drogba, 9 Torres, 15 Malouda.

West Bromwich Albion: 1 Foster; 12 Reid, 3 Olsson, 30 Tamas, 20 Shorey; 7 Morrison, 33 Scharner, 21 Mulumbu, 11 Brunt; 5 Tchoyi; 9 Long.

Referee: Lee Mason

Chelsea vs West Brom - Preview (20-8-11)

Andre Villas Boas on Petr Cech: "He fell awkwardly with weight on top of him, and he stretched a little bit a medial knee ligament."

"We expected much worse when we saw the incident. The good news is that it is just for three to four weeks. We have two goalkeepers, Hilario and Ross Turnbull, and tomorrow we will make a decision which one will start and which one will be on the bench."

"Tomorrow we prepare more strategically for the game and then I will let the players know first."

Andre Villas Boas on David Luiz: "David Luiz can't make a return yet but it is nothing too dramatic. Next week he will be joining us because he already had a light session today and he will come back next week to full training, so it will be a step-by-step recovery for him."

Andre Villas Boas on Robert Di Matteo (ex-manager West Brom) and Chelsea's 6-0 win over West Brom last year: "I think Robbie is too depressed about the result last season to talk about it. We just had some banter about it but he is now on this side and he just wants to win, like we all do."

"Of course it will be emotional for him seeing people he is close to. For sure he will salute those people. Last year was an excellent result and we have two games at home now and we must do everything in our power to get three points from each of them."

"A total of seven points can get us into a good position but West Brom as we saw last week presents a very difficult challenge because they held Man United, the Champions League finalists, up to the 80^th minute."

"They had a couple of good chances and they favour good football, they play short and quick in between them which is something important for the spectacle, so it is a difficult game for us."

Andre Villas Boas on West Brom: "They showed last week against Man United that Roy's values of football are being taken into account. That is why he took Fulham to the Europa League Final."

"That game told me the same about Man United, the team that won the championship last year. They suffered a few injuries, unfortunately for them, but they are a strong team and one of the favourites for the title. All of the good signs for Manchester United are there."

Andre Villas Boas on the first round of games in EPL: "Regarding all the first games in the league, there were a couple of surprises but that is nothing new. In the beginning for all the top teams you can have average performances and I would say that about all the top teams apart from Man City, although until the breakthrough of the first goal Swansea had a couple of periods of possession when, without threatening a lot, they were in control of the game."

"You sensed that a breakthrough would take Man City through to a better result. I thought the same about our game. If you unlock one goal it takes Stoke out of their area and you find more spaces and you can go on to a better result but it just didn't happen."

'The Man United game was a good game with chances at either end and it fell in the end to Man United. I think it was even in opportunities for both teams.'

Andre Villas Boas on Mikel: "I have to go with the word my player gives to me and for the game against Stoke, Mikel felt well enough to play."

"Players that go through major disappointments or personal things in their lives can still be okay to play because they feel well on the pitch. It is the way to avoid the things that are running in their personal lives or to focus on the different things."

"Mikel made himself available for training and selection so I will just judge it like that. I agree he is showing amazing mental toughness."

"Hopefully this can be resolved as soon as possible. All of his colleagues are hopeful of that. Different players can react in different ways. Some players want straight away to go back to their families, others prefer to be like this and live on day by day, not because they are distant from what is happening but it's their choice."

KEY STAT

Last season's opening day 6-0 win equalled our best-ever winning margin over the Baggies, following our 7-1 victory in 1960.

Last Season:

Chelsea 6 West Brom 1, West Brom 1 Chelsea 3

So get ready for some pulsating action at Stamford Bridge. Come on CHELSEA!!! KTBFFH.

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Chelsea Fixtures 2011 & EPL Table Analysis

2011-08-12T17:29:00.001+05:30

Chelsea Fixtures 2011

DATE	OPPOSITION	Home/Away	TIME	COMPETITION
Sun Aug 14	Stoke City	A	13:30	Premier League
Sat Aug 20	West Brom	H	17:30	Premier League
Sat Aug 27	Norwich City	H	15:00	Premier League
Sat Sep 10	Sunderland	A	15:00	Premier League
Sun Sep 18	Manchester United	A	16:00	Premier League
Sat Sep 24	Swansea City	H	15:00	Premier League
Sun Oct 2	Bolton Wanderers	A	13:30	Premier League
Sat Oct 15	Everton	H	17:30	Premier League
Sun Oct 23	QPR	A	16:00	Premier League
Sat Oct 29	Arsenal	H	12:45	Premier League
Sat Nov 5	Blackburn Rovers	A	15:00	Premier League
Sun Nov 20	Liverpool	H	16:00	Premier League
Sat Nov 26	Wolves	H	15:00	Premier League
Sat Dec 3	Newcastle United	A	15:00	Premier League
Sat Dec 10	Manchester City	H	15:00	Premier League
Sat Dec 17	Wigan Athletic	A	15:00	Premier League
Tue Dec 20	Tottenham Hotspur	A	19:45	Premier League
Mon Dec 26	Fulham	H	13:00	Premier League
Sat Dec 31	Aston Villa	H	15:00	Premier League
Mon Jan 2	Wolves	A	15:00	Premier League
Sat Jan 14	Sunderland	H	15:00	Premier League
Sat Jan 21	Norwich City	A	15:00	Premier League
Tue Jan 31	Swansea City	A	19:45	Premier League
Sat Feb 4	Manchester United	H	15:00	Premier League
Sat Feb 11	Everton	A	15:00	Premier League
Sat Feb 25	Bolton Wanderers	H	15:00	Premier League
Sat Mar 3	West Brom	A	15:00	Premier League
Sat Mar 10	Stoke City	H	15:00	Premier League
Sat Mar 17	Man City	A	15:00	Premier League
Sat Mar 24	Tottenham Hotspur	H	15:00	Premier League
Sat Mar 31	Aston Villa	A	15:00	Premier League
Sat Apr 7	Wigan Athletic	H	15:00	Premier League
Mon Apr 9	Fulham	A	15:00	Premier League
Sat Apr 14	Newcastle	H	15:00	Premier League
Sat Apr 21	Arsenal	A	15:00	Premier League
Sat Apr 28	QPR	H	15:00	Premier League
Sat May 5	Liverpool	A	15:00	Premier League
Sun May 13	Blackburn Rovers	H	15:00	Premier League

The 2011-12 English Premier League season is upon us with just a day remaining. And it doesn't get any bigger than this. I already have started getting the goosebumps as this season promises to be a hell lot exciting and a thrilling one.

My Thoughts on Chelsea's Season

Really looking forward to Andre Villas Boas managing Chelsea, the pre-season form has been good and hoping for the same to continue in the Premier League.

The few signings made so far are some new young promising prospects for the future (Romelu Lukaku, Oriol Romeu and Thibaut Courtois). But if we go by the rumors few more transfers could be done before the transfer period ends. Luka Modric being the much awaited and the much discussed one. Neymar is another player on the target.

But the one thing I am looking forward to more than anything else is Drogba-Torres partnership upfront. Really want to see this partnership flourish under Andre Villas and see Torres in his best form playing under him.

We need to make sure we win all the important matches especially against the title rivals and for me the team (top 6-7 contenders) which wins most of these matches will go ahead and lift the title.

Buy 2011-12 kit launched by Chelsea

My Thoughts on this Season's EPL Table

For me this year we have more than two or three contenders for the title, second John Terry's words on this. Manchester City being the main threat and Liverpool seem to be going in the right direction. And it seems these two teams are the main threat to the last year's EPL Champions Manchester United and Chelsea.

Arsenal and Tottenham are also up there but for some reason the build up seems to suggest that these two might finish below Chelsea, Man U, Man City and Liverpool. So title could be fought between these six teams.

Fight for the next few Europa spots and a place in the top half of the table wont be a piece of cake or walk in the park (if I may say so) for teams like Aston Villa, Everton, Newcastle and Fulham.

Now coming to the lower half, this year we have seen entry of three new teams to the Premiership those being Norwich, QPR and Swansea City. All three seem to be promising but everyone knows life in Premier League is much much harder and every point matters. Really hope to see QPR and Swansea stay up, as I have seen them play and they have some good players and talent.

Teams like Bolton, Stoke, Sunderland and West Brom could fight for the top 15 positions making sure they stay out of the relegation battle. All these four teams would need to play with all their resources at their best to stay clear of the relegation battle.

So the teams left are Norwich, Wigan, Blackburn and Wolves. For some reason just like last year's season end drama which saw Wigan crawl out from the relegation by the skin of their teeth, I expect the same to happen for them again this year. Rest three teams have a very tough year of football ahead of them but compared to other teams they lack the finesse and the quality to stay up.

So this was my analysis (a short one of course) of this year's Premier League Season which surely will bring all the goals, saves, drama and may be things we haven't seen before.

So get ready for this season's EPL action. Sit back and enjoy world's best league football.

Awesome new kit launched by Chelsea FC. I have pre-ordered mine, now its your turn. DO IT NOW

Chelsea FC

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Chelsea's New Kit for 2011-12 Revealed

2011-08-11T15:51:00.003+05:30

Chelsea Football Club and Adidas today unveil the new third shirt for the 2011/12 season.

Chelsea's New Kit

Chelsea's new third kit for 2011-12 season which was revealed earlier looks to be far more different from what we have seen in the last couple of years.

The sleek and stylish white shirt features bold color blocking in navy and yellow on the upper chest, giving away from our traditional blue color which always was the major in most of our previous kits.

Features:

The playing shirt features the Adidas TechFit™ technology which will help improve speed, increased endurance capabilities and enhanced awareness. This works by stabilising and focusing the muscles' energy to generate explosive acceleration and deliver maximum power output.

The replica shirt incorporates Adidas Climacool™ technology, a mixture of heat and moisture controlling materials, ventilation channels and 3D fabrics which improve air flow to the skin in the key heat zones.

Pre-order and purchase right here at Chelsea FC News

BUY NOW

Chelsea FC

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Romelu Lukaku Deal Agreed

2011-08-08T16:51:00.004+05:30

An agreement has been reached with Anderlecht for the transfer to Chelsea of striker Romelu Lukaku.

The 18-year-old will join Chelsea FC, subject to passing a medical and agreeing personal terms.

The son of a former Belgian professional, Roger, 18-year-old Lukaku was born in Antwerp in May 1993, and joined the Lierse academy as a 10-year-old, scoring more than a goal a game in their youth team before being signed by Anderlecht at 13.

He signed a professional contract with the Anderlecht on his 16th birthday, and wasted no time in making an impression on the first team, making his debut shortly afterwards and contributing 15 league goals in the title-winning 2009/10 season while still only 16.

Standing 6ft 4ins, Lukaku is a powerful presence with a dangerous left foot, and helped himself to 16 league goals last term, while also scoring his first international goals for Belgium. He has 10 senior caps.

He was voted runner-up for Belgian player of the year in 2010 behind his Anderlecht strike partner Mbark Boussoufa after the pair had helped the club win their 30th league title.

Anderlecht announced the sale of Lukaku on their website, but did not reveal the fee. Chelsea reportedly had an £18m bid turned down last month.

Anderlecht manager Herman van Holsbeeck on Lukaku: "It's a shame we have to let go of Romelu, who was scouted and trained by Anderlecht, but the transfer is a win-win situation for the player and the club."

Andre Villas-Boas on Lukaku: "He's an interesting young prospect, the situation with Lukaku is that he's a very interesting young prospect and we have to be able to position ourselves to get this kind of talent."

"And not only him but other talent that we are scouting at the moment."

All Chelsea fans worldwide welcome Romelu Lukaku with open arms at Stamford Bridge, wishing him a very successful career at Chelsea Football Club.

Chelsea FC

Google Blog

Yuri Zhirkov Leaves Chelsea

2011-08-08T15:52:00.002+05:30

Yury Zhirkov has left Chelsea Football club before returning to his homeland Russia to sign for Russian Premier League side Anzhi Makhachkala.

Yuri Zhirkov joined Chelsea FC from CSKA Moscow for £18million in in July 2009. This move brings to an end a two-year stay for the Russian left-back. Zhirkov has signed for Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala for a reportedly £13million.

After joining Chelsea in July 2009 Zhirkov suffered a knee injury which prolonged his debut late until September. he made his debut against QPR where the Russian international played 60 mins in 1-0 win in the Carling Cup.

Zhirkov was seen more of an attacking left-back and was seen more of a left attacking midfielder in his second season at Chelsea. With Ashley Cole in good form Zhirkov was mostly restricted to the bench with playing only last few minutes of the game.

Zhirkov also admitted to the fact that he found it difficult to play in these conditions as they were totally different o those at his native Russia. But he did shine in some of the games he played for Chelsea most notably being the game against Aston Villa where Chelsea won the game 7-1 with Zhirkov playing important roles in the three goals scored by Chelsea, earning two penalties and providing another cross for Malouda.

Zhirkov's first goal in Chelsea colors came at his homeland Russia against Spartak Moscow in the Champions League stage sending in an unstoppable25-yard volley. It was nearly four months before he began a game again as an injury took a long time to heal and his last start came in the home Champions League defeat by Manchester United.

Andre Villas Boas on Zhirkov: "In the end it was mostly his [Zhirkov's] decision. It was a great financial offer for him, it is a return home for him."

Zhirkov after joining Anzhi Makhachkala: "I am very glad to be here in Makhachkala. I did not expect such reception. It is fantastic. I want to thank Anji fans and wish to our team great success today."

In total Zhirkov made 32 starts and 17 substitute appearances. Chelsea Football Club thanks the player for his contribution during that time.

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Andre Villas-Boas Exclusive Interview

2011-06-26T21:53:00.001+05:30

Watch the first interview of Chelsea's new manager
Andre Villas Boas

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