Its 'Stick the Blue Flag Day'
By 40 Years A Blue
January 2 2006
Chelsea look to complete back to back four wins from four over this Christmas and New Year period when the Champions travel to the East End to face West Ham at Upton Park in todays lunchtime kick-off.
Chelsea completed 2005 with only one defeat in the calendar year and in the process amassed a massive 101 points from playing thirty-eight matches and winning thirty-two of them and in the all-time Premiership table, Chelsea are third behind Man Utd and Arsenal winning 250 matches from 526 played. Chelsea's last visit to Upton Park in the Premiership was in May 2003 when West Ham won the game 1-0. Of 42 matches played between the two sides are Upton Park West Ham have won 24 and Chelsea 11 with seven draws. West Ham have scored 78 goals and Chelsea 50. Chelsea's last victory in the League at Upton Park was in 2001 winning 2-0 and in 2002 in a FA Cup replay Chelsea won a hard fought match, 3-2. For the first time this season we get to hear the Upton Park rendition of the Blue Flag. Can't wait for that. Definitely out for the game is Joe Cole who is suspended after picking up his fifth booking of the season against Fulham on Boxing Day. After Saturday's performance against Birmingham which had 'The Special One' fuming accusing Coley of playing for the crowd and not the team, Coley has been given four days off. Mourinho has told Cole that one more performance like that and he will be dropped. So it could be that this suspension might do Coley the world of good and I wonder if he will be allowed to go to the game. Frank Lampard will look to put on a show and quieten down the boo-boys and maybe Glenn Johnson could be in for a bit of stick if he gets into the sixteen. Barring injuries after the Birmingham game, I am going to predict the following starting line-up (7 from 11 last time) Cech, Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry, Geremi, Makelele, Essien, Lampard, Robben, Drogba, Duff 40 YEARS A BLUE!