MIGHTY CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB THE BLUES

West Ham v Chelsea

Upton Park
Monday 2 January
Kick-off: 1245 GMT
BBC Radio Five Live



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West Ham are hoping defenders Danny Gabbidon and Tomas Repka will return from injury.

Striker Bobby Zamora could miss out with a hamstring problem and the Hammers are still without Teddy Sheringham after his calf injury.

Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole is suspended and is set to be replaced by Damien Duff.

Didier Drogba will start ahead of Hernan Crespo up front, with Claude Makelele returning in midfield.



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West Ham (from): Carroll, Dailly, Ferdinand, Gabbidon, Collins, Konchesky, Bellion, Reo-Coker, Mullins, Fletcher, Etherington, Harewood, Zamora, Aliadiere, Newton, Clarke, Hislop, Stokes, Noble, Repka.

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



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BIG-MATCH FACTS


WEST HAM UNITED and Chelsea lock horns for the 75th time in a League match. It could hardly be a tougher fixture for Alan Pardew's side, who've only picked up one point from four games - the 1-1 draw at Portsmouth on Boxing Day - and go into this tussle with the runaway leaders and defending champions in the wake of back-to-back two goal defeats, home to Wigan and away to Charlton.

The Hammers have not claimed a home League point since the 1-0 victory over West Brom on Guy Fawkes Day. They've subsequently lost at the Boleyn Ground to Manchester United, Newcastle and Wigan.

The Hammers 'doubled' Chelsea when they last met in the Premiership in 2002/03, following an odd goal in five victory at Stamford Bridge with a 1-0 triumph at Upton Park, courtesy of substitute Paolo Di Canio.

CHELSEA go into 2006 with exactly the same status as they entered 2005 - dominant at the pinnacle of the Premier League. They gathered a massive 101 points in 38 top flight games in the last calendar year. They've won 18 of 20 League games in the current season, and dropped just five points from a draw at Everton and 1-0 defeat at Manchester United. They've conceded just two goals (to Fulham) in eight successive Premiership victories.

Since losing 1-0 at Old Trafford, the champions have not conceded one League goal on the road and have taken maximum points from trips to Portsmouth, Arsenal and Manchester City. Chelsea have not conceded more than a single goal in any of their nine away Premiership matches this season and have managed block-outs in six of them.

The Blues have not beaten the Hammers in a League game since putting five past them at the Bridge on 20 January 2002. They met in the Third Round of last season's Carling Cup, also at Stamford Bridge, when a solitary Mateja Kezman goal settled the issue for the home side.


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REFEREE:
Chris Foy (St Helens)


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SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM

WEST HAM UNITED


Club stats
Fixtures
10th 26 points
Highest achievable after Monday's matches: 8th
Lowest could fall: 12th
CHELSEA


Club stats
Fixtures
1st 55 points
Highest achievable after Monday's matches: 1st
Lowest could fall: 1st


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KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES

WEST HAM UNITED


Squad profiles

Anton FERDINAND is the only player to have figured in every minute of every one of West Ham's Premiership games this season.
CHELSEA


Squad profiles

Frank LAMPARD, Joe COLE and Glen JOHNSON all began their professional careers with West Ham.
If involved, Robert HUTH will be making his 50th appearance for Chelsea.


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HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
League: West Ham 34 wins, Chelsea 25, Draws 15
Prem: West Ham 9 wins, Chelsea 8, Draws 3


HEAD TO HEAD at West Ham
League: West Ham 22 wins, Chelsea 8, Draws 7
Prem: West Ham 5 wins, Chelsea 3, Draws 2