MIGHTY CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB THE BLUES

Chelsea v Birmingham

Stamford Bridge
Saturday 31 December
Kick-off: 1300 GMT
BBC Five Live Sports Extra and this website



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Chelsea's Frank Lampard should shake off the virus that brought his run of 164 consecutive games to an end, but Ricardo Carvalho could miss out.

Carlo Cudicini might play instead of Petr Cech and Hernan Crespo and Arjen Robben should get the nod ahead of Didier Drogba and Damien Duff.

Birmingham will be without Jamie Clapham (knee) and Jiri Jarosik, who is ineligible against his parent club.

Marcos Painter could replace Clapham, while Muzzy Izzet returns after a ban.



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Chelsea (from): Cech, Cudicini, Ferreira, Geremi, Gallas, Terry, del Horno, Huth, Bridge, Lampard, Essien, Makelele, Gudjohnsen, Drogba, Crespo, J Cole, C Cole, Robben, Duff, Wright-Phillips.

Birmingham (from): Maik Taylor, Cunningham, Martin Taylor, Upson, Painter, Johnson, Butt, Kilkenny, Clemence, Heskey, Pandiani, Tebily, Vaesen, Lazaridis, Gray, Izzet.



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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho:
"I think the Chelsea project is not about winning one championship, it is about gaining a few over the next years.
"At that time we can compare ourselves to what Manchester United have done.

"But at this moment we have just one Premiership. We have to do more to persuade people that Chelsea are the club of the future."


Birmingham boss Steve Bruce:
"As manager, if we don't win football matches, you are under pressure from the media and you have to try to live with that.
"I am not enjoying the situation but we have got to try to get through this and there were encouraging signs against Tottenham and Manchester United.

"However, our current points tally is not good enough."



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BIG-MATCH FACTS


CHELSEA welcome struggling Birmingham to Stamford Bridge for a lunchtime New Year's Eve encounter. Jose Mourinho's men are proving seemingly unstoppable in their relentless surge towards a second Premiership title. They hold an 11-point lead over the field and are aiming to become only the second different club to successfully retain the crown in the Premier League era - Manchester United have achieved such a feat four times. That apart, the London Blues are pursuing a first home League win over the Birmingham Blues in three attempts, after being held to a goalless stalemate and a 1-1 draw in the last two seasons. Victory would be Chelsea's 250th in Premier League history.

The Londoners have won their last seven Premiership games and 12 at home. They hold a 100% League record at the Bridge this season (10 out of 10), and are undefeated in 35. They've won five more top tier games this season than any other club (17), lost only once, dropped just five points, scored 41 goals (one every 42 minutes on average), conceded nine (one every 190 minutes - three hours 10 minutes - on average), and won all 15 matches in which they've scored first. Indeed they've not dropped a point once in front. After this, the King's Road set go to the East End to face West Ham on Monday.

Chelsea hold an unbeaten Premiership record against Birmingham, and have won seven of the 10 League meetings.

BIRMINGHAM CITY head for west London buoyed by a 2-2 home draw against Manchester United on Wednesday night, when Walter Pandiani equalised with 12 minutes remaining to secure the point. It was the Uruguay international who looked to have set City on their way to an unlikely victory in last season's corresponding fixture with a 65th minute effort, but substitute Didier Drogba struck a late equaliser with just eight minutes left on the clock.

Even if the Brummies gave manager Steve Bruce a very welcome 45th birthday present of three points, it would not be enough to lift them out of the relegation zone. City have scored first in fewer Premiership matches than any other club (five) and conceded the opener in more games (12). Their players have been shown more red cards (five), and they have the weakest first-half record. Indeed the Midlanders have shipped nine goals in the first quarter of top flight matches - that's equal to Chelsea's entire total. Only one of Chelsea's nine has been conceded in the second period. Birmingham have only found the back of the net six times on the road. Awaiting after this is a home clash with the formidable Wigan on Monday.

Birmingham have not beaten Chelsea since eclipsing them 5-1 in the old Second Division at St Andrews on 11 March 1980. They recorded their last victory at the Bridge on 8 September 1979 with a 1-2 triumph in the second League level. But City have not enjoyed a top-flight maximum at the west London venue for 42 years, since a 3-2 win on 2 November 1963.


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REFEREE:
Mike Dean (Wirral)


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SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM

CHELSEA


Club stats
Fixtures
1st 52 points
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 1st
Lowest could fall: 1st
BIRMINGHAM CITY


Club stats
Fixtures
19th 13 points
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 18th
Lowest could fall: 19th


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KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES

CHELSEA


Squad profiles

If he plays, John TERRY will be making his 250th appearance for Chelsea.
If they figure, both Arjen ROBBEN and Robert HUTH be making their 50th appearances for the Londoners.
BIRMINGHAM CITY


Squad profiles

If they participate, Mikael FORSSELL and Mario MELCHIOT will be playing against their former club.
If he figures, FORSSELL will be making his 50th Premiership appearance in a Birmingham shirt.
Jiri JAROSIK is on loan to Birmingham from Chelsea and therefore ineligible to play.
If he plays, Stephen CLEMENCE will be making his 200th club career appearance (Tottenham and Birmingham).
Jermaine PENNANT will make his 100th career League appearance with a run out (Arsenal, Watford, Leeds and Birmingham).
If involved, Julian GRAY will be making his 50th appearance for the Brummies.
If selected, Emile HESKEY will be making his 50th Premiership appearance for the St Andrews club.
Muzzy IZZET needs a double to total 50 club career goals.


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LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Chelsea 1-1 Birmingham City
9 April 2005 - Ref: Clive Foy
Chelsea scorer: Drogba 82
Birmingham scorer: Pandiani 65



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HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
League: Chelsea 33 wins, Birmingham 19, Draws 22
Prem: Chelsea 3 wins, Birmingham 0, Draws 3

HEAD TO HEAD at Chelsea
League: Chelsea 19 wins, Birmingham 6, Draws 12
Prem: Chelsea 1 win, Birmingham 0, Draws 2