Chelsea FC vs Stoke City
Competition: 2013/2014 English Premier League, Round 33
Competition: 2013/2014 English Premier League, Round 33
Chelsea FC team appeared to be in commanding position atop the Premier League
just two weeks back when they drubbed Arsenal 6-0 behind an Oscar brace.
But a stunning loss to Crystal Palace last Saturday saw the Blues'
title hopes take a serious hit. They now must rely on results that are
out of their control, but they do have a massive macth with Liverpool
remaining as well as a very favorable schedule for the run-in. But they
must correct their recent slump in form that also saw the Blues lose 3-1
to PSG in the Champions League on Wednesday. A return to Stamford
Bridge this Saturday should be the remedy though, as the hosts haven't
lost int their last 25 games at home in Premier League action, not to
mention the fact that Jose Mourinho has never lost there in league play.
Stoke offer a tough proposition and did defeat Chelsea 3-2 earlier this
season, but we don't expect that to be the case here for Saturday.
Stoke City are in scintillating form at the moment, having gone
unbeaten in their last 5 matches. The Potters won 4 of those matches
inlcuding strong wins over Arsenal and away to Aston Villa. This form
has propelled the visitors up the table to 10th place with 40 points,
just 6 points adrift quickly fading Newcastle. However, despite the
result against Aston Villa, the Potters typcially struggle away from
home, and a matchup against a prolific home side doesn't spell good
news for the visitors here. Furthermore, the Blues have won and kept the
clean sheet in their last 6 matches with Stoke at Stamford Bridge.
Possible line-ups:
Chelsea FC: (Manager: Jose Mourinho) Cech - Azpilicueta, Terry, Cahill, Ivanovic - Lampard, Matic, Schurrle, Oscar, Hazard - Torres.
Stoke City: (Manager: Mark Hughes) Begovic - Pieters, Wilson, Shawcross, Cameron - Whelan, N'Zonzi, Arnautovic, Ireland, Odemwingie - Crouch
Match date:
Saturday, 5 April 2014 - 17:30 CET - 17:30 GMT
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London, United Kingdom
Referee: Lee Probert
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London, United Kingdom
Referee: Lee Probert
