IN FOCUS: CHELSEA

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IN FOCUS: CHELSEA

We take a closer look at our opposition for the upcoming Premier League season

2023-06-24T09:00:00.000Z

IN FOCUS: CHELSEA

We take a closer look at our opposition for the upcoming Premier League season

2023-06-24T09:00:00.000Z

We take a closer look at our opposition for the upcoming Premier League season

Chelsea

Five-time Premier League winners Chelsea were founded by businessman Gus Mears in 1905, the year after he had acquired Stamford Bridge.

Yo-yoing between the First and Second Divisions in their early years, the Blues fast became a club who were attracting large crowds despite having little success during the inter-war years.

Ted Drake, who laid the foundations for a successful youth system at the club which still exists today, led Chelsea to their first major trophy – the League Championship – in 1955.

Replaced by Tommy Docherty, the London outfit went close to a treble in the 1964/65 season, but faltered late on and came out with just the League Cup. Winning the FA Cup in 1970, they eventually claimed a first European honour with victory over Real Madrid in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.

A re-development of Stamford Bridge saw financial problems in the 1980s, and the Blues were relegated, even flirting with the drop in the Second Division before achieving stability following promotion back to the top flight in 1989.

Billionaire Roman Abramovich took control of the club in June 2003 and with his backing the Blues didn’t look back. Over a near 20-year spell, they were successful domestically but in Europe too winning both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League twice respectively.

Abramovich sold the club last year, and the 2022/23 season was a turbulent one at Stamford Bridge with three separate managers and a finish in the bottom half of the table for the first time in almost 30 years.

Stadium: Stamford Bridge (40,343) – Fulham Road, London, SW6 1HS

Nickname(s): The Blues

Manager: N/A

2022/23 finishing position: 12th

2022/23 top scorer (all competitions): Kai Havertz / Raheem Sterling (9)

Played for both:

Gary Cahill – The centre-back joined the Clarets in the Championship on loan from Aston Villa in 2004. Cahill played 32 matches for Burnley before returning to his parent club. Following a transfer to Bolton, Cahill then moved to Stamford Bridge in 2011 and went on to make 290 appearances for the Blues scoring 25 goals before leaving in 2019. During his time in the capital, the now-retired defender won the Premier League and Emirates FA Cup twice as well as the UEFA Champions League in his first season.

Frank Sinclair – Sinclair came through the academy system at Chelsea and went on to make 218 appearances across eight seasons in West London. The Jamaican arrived at Turf Moor in the summer of 2004 from Leicester City and featured 102 times over three seasons in Burnley before moving to Huddersfield Town.

Ian Maatsen – Full-back Maatsen moved to Chelsea's academy set-up in 2018 from PSV Eindhoven. The Vlaardingen-born defender made his debut for the Blues in 2019 against Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup. Maatsen then joined the Clarets in August last year on a season-long loan making 42 appearances.

Full record against (competitive): P – 104, W – 38, D – 25, L - 41

Last time we met: 05.03.2022 – Burnley 0-4 [James, Havertz x2, Pulisic] Chelsea (PL)

Last win against: 12.08.2017 – Chelsea 2 [Morata, Luiz] – 3 [Vokes x2, Ward] Burnley (PL)

2023/24 Fixtures: H - 07/10/2023 / A – 30/03/2024