Premier League Matchday 33 sees Chelsea welcome former striker Mark Hughes' Stoke City to West London to contest the sides' third-to-last home and away matches of the season respectively.

The Blues will be looking to bounce back from their first set of back-to-back defeats (and a worrying 3 in their last 5) since early September after a 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace the weekend before and a crushing 3-1 thumping at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday in the Champions League with a now-vital 3 points from Saturday's affair. José Mourinho's men find themselves already 2 points behind now-League-leaders Liverpool after said losses, and are likely to fall farther off the top when Manchester City, currently 2 points behind with 2 games in hand, level up the fixture count, and will know only all too well that absolutely anything other than full points from this match and their Premier League title goose is well and truly cooked, if, indeed, it isn't already.

Stoke, on the other hand, have enjoyed a superb run of late. Undefeated in their last 5 – consisting of 4 wins, including a 4-1 battering of Aston Villa on the road, a 3-1 thumping of West Ham United, and a shock 1-0 scalp of Arsenal a month ago – the Potters look to have well and truly acclimated to summer managerial appointment Mark Hughes' way of playing, after years under longball devotee Tony Pulis. This remarkable resurgence from relegation battlers last season to the solid, mid-table side they had been for years previous has seen the club to a hugely impressive 10ᵗʰ in the table, where they currently sit with 40 points, virtually assuring Premier League survival, a fate that was largely in question going into the season. They will undoubtedly be looking to continue on this remarkable run, and a positive result over fractured Chelsea at the weekend would be the perfect way to do it.










The corresponding fixture over a year and a half ago early into the last domestic campaign saw Chelsea nick a 1-0 win over their guests courtesy of a late goal from Ashley Cole chipped past Potters keeper Asmir Begović 5 minutes from time to hand Roberto Di Matteo's men an important 3 points and send them 3 clear at the top of the infant Premier League table.










The reverse match between the sides at the Britannia in early December ended tragically for José Mourinho's men. The visitors took the lead early on through André Schürrle, whose clever bit of work and well-aimed shot into the bottom corner put the Blues ahead after just 9 minutes, but the home side leveled things up through Peter Couch, who capitalised on some comical Chelsea defending 3 minutes from halftime to ensure his side went into the break on equal terms with their guests. Stephen Ireland struck again 5 minutes after the end of the interval to complete the Potters's turnaround, but another goal from Schürrle 3 minutes later looked to have gotten José Mourinho's side out of jail. Low and behold, with the game looking headed for a stalemate, Liverpool loanee Oussama Assaidi fired an absolute scorcher into Petr Cech's top corner in the last minute of regulation time to hand the home side an exhilarating win, and the visiting one a crushing and unforeseen defeat.










The sides also faced off in the 4ᵗʰ Round of the FA Cup in late January, which resulted in a 1-nil win to the home side courtesy of a superb Oscar free-kick.










As mentioned, Stoke boss and former Chelsea League Cup, FA Cup, and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup winner Mark Hughes has done a superb job for far in what was and is undeniably a defining step in his career. The Welshman had failed abjectly at his last position at hopeless Queens Park Rangers, following mediocre to outright disappointing spells at Fulham and Manchester City, and it was all too obvious that another blemish on the former striker's record could well damage his managerial career and reputation immensely. Taking over a team that battled relegation the season before before ultimately finishing a relatively comfortable 6 points off of it, his job looked to be a big one, but he has, as yet, not put a foot wrong, leading his side to what's shaping up to be a phenomenal season, that has included wins over all of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and that has seen his side currently into the top half of the table - a position which, if they hold until season's-end, would qualify as the Potter's highest League finish ever.


















Missing for the visitors are winger and Liverpool loanee Oussama Assaidi and defender and Chelsea academy product Robert Huth, both out with long-term injures, while the Blues remain up in the air over the availability of striker Samuel Eto'o, who's missed the London sides' last 2 games with a hamstring injury.

cant believe you managed to write this after that diabolical result

I usually write most of these matchday threads well in advance and just wait on the injuries and possible most-recent results of the teams in question to add in that evening if there are 2 back-to-back games in the same competition, but this one I slacked on and had to write about 85% of tonight.

Good lord, we need a win here. Matic will be back which is a huge plus, I'd say play DL4 next to him, same defence, and don't care who is up top, unless Eto'o can play.

Where do you find all these Chelsea related pics/gifs, Shed? You seem to have one for every occasion   

I think that our defenders need a rest, how long have we been starting the same backline? They've looked more shaky and error-prone than ever against Palace and PSG. So yea, I'd rest some defenders, play Matic, probably rest Hazard too.

Liverpool is playing West Ham away so we might return at the top of the table, must win.

jay07 wrote:Where do you find all these Chelsea related pics/gifs, Shed? You seem to have one for every occasion  

Sorcerer's magic

Salah starting

Very good start.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!!!


Salah

Brana goal chalked off for offside Correct decision.

good stuff and expected from him.

I mean here we have a guy who is super fast and aggressive so why not play him? Just because he doesnt have the super star aura. Salah is like a robben / ribery. I d rather have him playing over either willian and especially oscar. I am all for selling oscar to PSG for 50millions. just my two cents.

Oh and we need thibaut courtois back as No.1. Cech is no more the keeper he once was. Still one of the best, but we have the best so we have to consider playing him. Cech is like a toothless lion compared to thibaut.

That would make a huge difference.

Azzar coming on for Schurrle

PENALTY!!!!


Frank to take...

Saved by Begovic but Sir Frank pops in the rebound

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLL!!!!


Lovely goal from Willian. 3-0.

I'm starting to really like salah, he's a good guy

Yeah he's a really exciting type of player, like Lennon with a bit more end product everytime he gets the ball he's so positive.

Really happy with that result. I was glad to see the players rotating a bit, we looked much more lively because of it.
Stoke were never in the game. Salah played well, same with Schurrle, Matic and Willian.

The commentators kept going on about how Torres just lacked confidence and needed one goal to get back to his best, felt like it was 2011 again!

Missed the game   
Can anyone link me the highlights? I'm struggling to find one atm

Good result   it's important to put pressure on City and Liverpool, we never know  

jay07 wrote:Missed the game   
Can anyone link me the highlights?  

Shed will link u to the full game eventually

jay07 wrote:Missed the game   
Can anyone link me the highlights? I'm struggling to find one atm

Good result   it's important to put pressure on City and Liverpool, we never know  

Will post them in a few moments mate

Full Match - http://tinyurl.com/pjasqqm
MOTD - http://tinyurl.com/o6xbyhy
MOTD2 - http://tinyurl.com/q8zvwmj
Football League Show - http://tinyurl.com/nbx4zgk