CHELSEA VS SWANSEA: PREVIEW, TEAM NEWS AND FACTS.

History is on Chelsea’s side as Jose Mourinho's men prepare to begin their Barclays Premier League title defence at home to Swansea City on Saturday.

In 23 BPL seasons, the defending champions have never lost their opening match, winning 20 and drawing three, and Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 16 curtain-raisers. The club were buoyed also by news late on Friday that Mourinho had signed a new deal through to 2019.

Chelsea, who lost last weekend's Community Shield to Arsenal, have also never been beaten by Swansea in the Barclays Premier League, winning all four encounters at home and claiming a 5-0 triumph when these sides last met in south Wales in January.

Asked whether that triumph, which came after a 4-2 setback at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season, would have any bearing on this weekend's opener, Swansea manager Garry Monk said: "No, we played at home. Down there we were excellent for 45 minutes and, if we can produce 90 minutes like that, it will be great.

"It's a fresh start, we want to improve on the good things we did last year. "It doesn't come any tougher - the champions, who set the standard and kept their team together. It's a challenge to relish, to put on a good performance and take it forward."

Aside from the departures of Petr Cech, Filipe Luis and Didier Drogba, Chelsea have managed to keep their title-winning squad together during the close-season, while also signing goalkeeper Asmir Begovic and recruiting striker Radamel Falcao on loan from Monaco. And Falcao is well aware of the dangers posed by clubs such as Swansea, who saw Chelsea account for 18 per cent of their total league goals conceded last season (nine out of 49).

"It's a very, very competitive league where each team gives absolutely everything they've got in every game they play," he told chelseafc.com.

"It demands 100 per cent of your ability and focus because it is very competitive, very physical and tactical too."

Like Chelsea, who could be without last season's top scorer Diego Costa due to a hamstring injury, Swansea have managed to keep the vast majority of their squad together, only allowing players who were surplus to requirements to make their Liberty Stadium exit.

The arrival of Andre Ayew promises to give the Welsh club's attack a new dimension.

 

TEAM NEWS

Chelsea (from): Begovic, Blackman, Courtois, Ake, Azpilicueta, Cahill, Ivanovic, Terry, Zouma, Cuadrado, Fabregas, Hazard, Loftus-Cheek, Matic, Mikel, Oscar, Ramires, Willian, Costa, Falcao, Remy.

Swansea City (from): Fabianski, Nordfeldt, Amat, Bartley, Fernandez, Naughton, Rangel, Tabanou, Taylor, Tiendalli, Williams, Ayew, Barrow, Britton, Cork, Dyer, Emnes, Fulton, Grimes, Ki, Montero, Routledge, Shelvey, Sigurdsson, Eder, Gomis.


Match Appointments
Referee: Michael Oliver Assistants: M Mullarkey, H Lennard Fourth Official: P Tierney

FACTS
In 23 Barclays Premier League seasons, the defending champion have never lost their opening match (winning 20 and drawing three).

Chelsea have won 14 and lost none of their last 16 Barclays Premier League fixtures on the opening weekend. The Blues have not lost a season opener since 1998/99 vs Coventry City.

Chelsea are unbeaten in 12 opening day matches at Stamford Bridge, last losing to Blackburn Rovers in 1993 (W10 D2).

Swansea have lost all four BPL trips to Stamford Bridge to date

PREDICTED LINE-UPS
Chelsea:  Courtois, Azpilicueta, Cahill, Ivanovic, Terry, Fabregas, Hazard, Matic, Oscar, Willian, Remy.

Swansea City: Lukasz Fabianski Neil Taylor Ashley Williams Kyle Naughton Federico FernandezSung-Yueng Ki Andre Ayew Jefferson MonteroGylfi Sigurdsson Jack Cork Bafetimbi Gomis.