Chelsea v Swansea: Premier League Match Preview

Chelsea and Jose Mourinho kick off their defence of the Premier League crown by welcoming Swansea City to Stamford Bridge in a teatime clash this Sunday.

The Blues have not lost on the opening day of the Premier League season since 1998 and a win over the Welsh club would extend their run  to 21 victories and three draws in 24 curtain-raisers.

Gary Monk and his Swansea team face a difficult task trying to end their hosts formidable record on the opening day of the league season, not least because of their own grim history in west London. 

The Swans have lost all four of their Premier League trips to Fulham Road, conceding seven goals while scoring just two.

Both squads are close to optimum strength ahead of the new campaign with only Diego Costa and Jordi Amat deemed unlikely to feature for their respective clubs.

Chelsea Form

(L) Chelsea 0-1 Fiorentina (Pre-Season)
(L) Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea (Charity Shield)
(D) Chelsea 2-2 Barcelona (Pre-Season)
(D) Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Chelsea (Pre-Season)
(L) New York Red Bulls 4-2 Chelsea (Pre-Season)

Swansea City Form

(D) Swansea 0-0 Deportivo La Coruna (Pre-Season)
(D) Nottingham Forest 1-1 Swansea (Pre-Season)
(D) Swansea 1-1 Reading (Pre-Season)
(W) 1860 Munich 1-2 Swansea (Pre-Season)
(D) Borussia Monchengladbach 1-1 Swansea (Pre-Season)

Last Five Meetings

Swansea 0-5 Chelsea (January 2015, Premier League)
Chelsea 4-2 Swansea (September 2014, Premier League)
Swansea 0-1 Chelsea (April 2014, Premier League)
Chelsea 1-0 Swansea (December 2013, Premier League)
Chelsea 2-0 Swansea (April 2013, Premier League)

Chelsea Team News

Diego Costa is a major doubt due to his troublesome hamstring flaring up once again. Jose Mourinho is likely to opt for Radamel Falcao or Loïc Remy to fill the void in his absence.

Swansea Team News

Jordi Amat should be fit enough to make the trip to Stamford Bridge, but is unlikely to get on the pitch with a foot problem.

New signings Andre Ayew and Franck Tabanou are both expected to debut for the Swans having joined from Marseille and Saint-Etienne respectively during the summer.

Probable Lineups

Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Matic, Fabregas, Willian, Oscar, Hazard, Remy

Swansea: Fabianski, Naughton, Fernandez, Williams, Tabanou, Ki Sung-yueng, Cork, Dyer, Sigurdsson, Ayew, Gomis

Score Prediction

Chelsea need a shot in the arm after a series of spluttering performances during pre-season. A convincing victory over Swansea would be the perfect way to clear out the pre-season cobwebs and, given our unbeaten record on the opening day of the Premier League season, Jose Mourinho and his men will be confident of securing three points at Stamford Bridge. Recent clashes between the Blues and the Welsh side also suggest we should come away with a win.

I see our title defence kicking off with a 2-0 win. What are your score predictions?