music avenged sevenfold
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PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: CHELSEA V SWANSEA CITY
After five games in a row away from Stamford Bridge, we are back on home soil. Club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton take a look at our fourth meeting this season with the team from South Wales…
TALKING POINTS
Success in the League Cup is not guaranteed to inspire a team for the remainder of the season as it did José Mourinho's Chelsea in 2005. Birmingham in 2011are just the most recent example of a Carling Cup victor relegated 12 weeks later.
Only Stoke, QPR and Reading have a worse record over the last eight league games than Capital One Cup winners Swansea. Since beating Newcastle in the game that followed their triumph over Bradford City at Wembley Michael Laudrup's side have lost three and drawn two.
They are also winless in six away league matches, although that sequence actually began after they had inflicted a 2-0 home cup defeat on the Blues, who have not beaten the Welshmen in four meetings. However Stamford Bridge boasts the best home record in the Barclays Premier League over the last five matches.
KEY STAT
If selected, Frank Lampard will make his 400th Premier League appearance, the first Chelsea player to reach that milestone and the only non-Liverpool or Man Utd player to do so for one club.
Should Frank Lampard net against the side he was loaned to (from West Ham) in 1995/96 he will equal Andy Cole's record of scoring against 38 different teams in the Premier League.
Chelsea have played 20 more games than Swansea so far this season. The disparity is even greater against our closest neighbours. By May, the Blues will have played at least 101 games since the start of 2012. Over the same period Fulham will have had completed 63 fixtures - 38 fewer and the equivalent of an entire league campaign.
Chelsea have been awarded 10 penalties in the Premier League this term, more than any other club. Sunday's visitors have not been awarded a spot kick in the league this season.
Two goals in the victory in Switzerland on Thursday edged the season's total in all competitions closer to our all-time record of 142, set in the Double season of 2009/10.
Most Chelsea goals in a season
142 in 2009/10
133 in 2012/13
121 in 1964/65
117 in 1960/61 and 2006/07
112 in 2011/12
110 in 2008/09
KEY TWEET
Who would be your choice for non-Chelsea player of the season? #CFCPMB
Kicking off an hour later than Chelsea, Arsenal will hand a guard of honour to Manchester United, who have emerged victorious from the last three meetings between those sides, including an 8-2 thrashing.
Relegation candidates Wigan are looking to complete the double over visitors Spurs. A Ben Watson goal was sufficient to earn a win at the Lane back in November.
Barclays Premier League fixtures
Saturday
Manchester City v West Ham 12.45pm - Sky Sports
Everton v Fulham 3pm
Southampton v West Brom 3pm
Stoke v Norwich 3pm
Wigan v Tottenham 3pm
Newcastle v Liverpool 5.30pm - ESPN
Sunday
Reading v QPR 1.30pm - Sky Sports
Chelsea v Swansea 3pm
Arsenal v Manchester United 4pm - Sky Sports
Monday
Aston Villa v Sunderland 8pm - Sky Sports
The race for the Champions League - Games remaining
Chelsea (6) Arsenal (5) Tottenham (6)
Swansea (h) Man Utd (h) Wigan (a)
Man Utd (a) QPR (a) Southampton (h)
Tottenham (h) Wigan (h) Chelsea (a)
Aston Villa (a) Newcastle (a) Stoke (a)
Everton (h) Sunderland (h)
The race for the Premier League Golden Boot
Robin van Persie 24
Luis Suarez 23
Gareth Bale 18
Michu 17
Demba Ba 15
Christian Benteke 15
The race for the Premier League Golden Glove
Joe Hart 15
Petr Cech 12
Asmir Begovic 11
David De Gea 11
Simon Mignolet 11
Pepe Reina 11
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