Chelsea Vs Stoke (PL) Sat 31/12 2016 KO 15:00 GMT

Kante and Costa to come back into the team. I hope Fabregas will play alongside Kante, instead of Matic, because we could use his creativity against a compact Stoke team. I also thought Matic had a below average game against Bournemouth with a couple of big mistakes.

3 minutes ago, comtrend said:

Kante and Costa to come back into the team. I hope Fabregas will play alongside Kante, instead of Matic, because we could use his creativity against a compact Stoke team. I also thought Matic had a below average game against Bournemouth with a couple of big mistakes.

I wouldn't be surprised if Matic plays for set pieces against Chelsea. 

Back to the trusted starting XI that got the first 9 wins of the current run.

Expect another game where the opponents turn up and hack Hazard down at every chance, with some selective booking on the refs behalf to keep eleven of the opposition on the pitch. 

1-0 Diego.

Really worried about luiz and maticgetting a yellow in this game. Matic will be important in WHL because fab will get bulldozed if he starts that game and we have no one to replace luizin the line up. will go for

 

                      Courtois

 

      Dave        Zouma      Cahill

 

Moses   kante         fab      Alonso

 

 willian       Costa      Hazard.

 

   

If our run has to end I'd rather it be here with a draw than lose it to the spuds next week, they would be f**king creaming their knickers for years to come over that, but obviously wins in both ideal...stoke shouldn't be overly hard to get by and we should be up for it having our full squad back, the positives about going away to the spudniks is that they showed us their hand, we know how they want to play, we also know they can't keep it up, I suspect we will try and nullify them hit them in the break and take advantage when their gas tanks are gone. These next 2 wins would give us the record and take it off the goonies while beating the spuds "got no 'istory" can you imagine the melt down, arsenal fan channel 

It's happened! The day none of us thought we would ever see. The crystal ball is actually almost completely realistic! Here are the predictions:

 

Chelsea (3-4-3): Courtois; Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill (c); Moses, Fábregas, Kanté, Alonso; Hazard, Costa, Willian

Subs: Eduardo, Ivanovi?, Aina, Mati?, Loftus-Cheek, Chalobah, Batshuayi

 

Prediction: Chelsea 0-1 Stoke City

 

That's right. The one sodding time the crystal ball could actually pick the exact team and squad (providing Begovi? is unable to sit the bench), it goes and predicts another loss. Nah, got a good feeling about this one. We'll hopefully make it 13 and end a crazy year on a high. Go, Chels!

Well that's that then, we may as well concede the match now. For f**k's sake @BellettiBullet, smash that crystal ball!

I really enjoyed the front 3 yesterday. Best we've played offensively since Everton I think. At least nice to know Conte has a few options when certain players aren't available.

As for this game, again no jinx but should be a formality with Costa and Kante back. Matic is on a yellow from suspension so should be dropped for Cesc as we'll need him for Spurs. 

As i said before the Bournemouth game,let other teams worry about us.We have a good squad and can afford to make tactical changes and still be very competitive.The confidence is there to see in all the players and why wouldnt it be? Our run will end eventually but we wont lose many this season.It also helps to have a top keeper....

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS !

Costa and kante in for the suspend Pedro and matic for me. Can use cesc to open the door here and I thought he looked better than matic yesterday. 

I would rest Luiz too to avoid a potential suspension for Spurs but neither jt nor Zouma are match fit and that seems too big a risk, just have to tell Luiz to avoid silly challenges. It is a shame we have no option to protect Luiz for the game as missing him for Spurs would be huge, but so would be dropping points here. 

Off the back if their likely heavy defeat at anfield Stoke will be a wounded animal just looking to be compact and snapping at our heels.

Edited December 27, 20169 yr by axman2526

2 hours ago, PloKoon13 said:

Well that's that then, we may as well concede the match now. For f**k's sake @BellettiBullet, smash that crystal ball!

I try time and time again but it keeps coming back.

Edited December 27, 20169 yr by BellettiBullet

Walters you pretty little paddy get in, stoke up already, let's get of Liverpool out the race today and Saturday hopefully 

1 hour ago, DonAntonio said:

Walters you pretty little paddy get in, stoke up already, let's get of Liverpool out the race today and Saturday hopefully 

FFS at least we know stoke cave under pressure 

12 wins in a row and still 6 points clear. So we need to win the next 12 if we want to be 12 clear then? 

18 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

12 wins in a row and still 6 points clear. So we need to win the next 12 if we want to be 12 clear then? 

We had make up a huge deficit first don't forget. We were 8pts behind Man city at one point. Also it's pretty obvious this year's top 6 have some of the best managers in the world managing them so it's not gonna be easy as previous years when most of them were w**k. 

Kante and costa will be back for this. The only worry is Luiz and Matic are on 4 yellow cards. Do we risk it or take one game at a time. I think The latter 

 

I would go with 

 

Courtois

Azbi Luiz Cahill

Moses Kante Matic Alonso 

Willian Costa Hazrad

 

would like to see Zouma come on in this game to build up some match fitness. 

Courtois 

Zouma - Luiz - Azpilicueta 

Moses - Kante - Fabregas - Alonso

Willian - Hazard

Costa

 

We should have far too much for them.

Chelsea 3 Stoke 0

Costa x2

Hazard

welcome back costa and Kante

Courtois

Azpi Luiz Cahill

Moses Kante Matic Alonso

Willian Costa Hazard

Moses and Alonso probably got the most miles on the clock this season. Can't see em getting a rest just yet though.

Hughes as usual will pick a team to kick us off the park as in previous games against any of his teams his managed.

45 minutes ago, Sapper245 said:

Hughes as usual will pick a team to kick us off the park as in previous games against any of his teams his managed.

Yeah, despite signing the likes of Bojan, Shaqiri etc. and all the talk of them 'reinventing themselves', it's still a team managed by Mark Hughes, with Ryan Shawcross and Charlie Adam on the payroll...

Hopefully they roll over for us like they did Liverpool, but unfortunately I think that's going to make them even less of a pushover. However, we've found a way of breaking down tough teams a few times this season and I have a lot of faith in our attacking play at the moment. Fingers crossed it's another 3 points! 

Another difficult enough game.

I that for every game though.

Happy,as usual with 1-0 Chelsea. But take a 4-0 Chelsea win.

 

Come on Chelsea. Finish 2016 in style.