Chelsea can bridge the gap if they look back at history

1/8
11 April 2012

In times of trouble there has been one thing Chelsea have been able to rely upon over the past decade - their dominance of Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

The team's fortunes may have fluctuated in that period but they have not lost at home to Sir Alex Ferguson's side since April 2002.

It is a statistic that must bring some much needed comfort to coach Carlo Ancelotti as he goes into tonight's match against the League leaders knowing that only a win will do.

The significance of this game for Chelsea has taken a back seat while Ashley Cole and Wayne Rooney have done battle over who deserves the most negative headlines.

Yet as kick-off approaches, the Italian knows victory is a must, not just to maintain Chelsea's slim title hopes but to improve their chances of a top-four finish and qualification for the Champions League.

Captain John Terry has already spoken of his belief that United can be caught in the title race if Chelsea beat them this evening and again when they meet at Old Trafford in May.

But United defender John O'Shea is confident his side will be able to bring their dire run on the Fulham Road to an end.

He added: "Obviously, John Terry has to keep the season alive and we still have to play them twice. We have the experience but we have to show it on the pitch, it's pure and simple.

"It is definitely a case that the result is everything, especially when it comes to big weeks like this. Not many people will remember how well we played if we win. We are on top of the League at the minute and hopefully we can keep the cushion ahead of other teams.

"That obviously means not losing games and going to places like Stamford Bridge and getting results. We haven't had the most favourable of results down there recently. But we are looking forward to the challenge of trying to put that right."

On the surface there shouldn't be much room for optimism as Chelsea continue to struggle for consistency as the 15-point gap between the two sides clearly shows.

Ancelotti will certainly be hoping his players raise their game against United like they have so often in the past, however it would be an exception to the rule based on performances against the best sides this season.

On the way to taking the title last year, Chelsea became the first team to win all six matches against United, Liverpool and Arsenal.

Yet it has been a different story this time as they boast just one victory against Arsenal and that was back in October. Since then they have lost home and away to Liverpool and were comfortably beaten by Arsenal at Emirates Stadium.

United have also been far from spectacular this season but have shown the grit and determination Chelsea used to possess.

It is certainly a trait that Ancelotti is all too aware of and said: "They've played consistently. They've only lost one League game and are playing focused, concentrated. That's why they're top of the table. United can decide their own destiny."

Preparation hasn't been ideal for either side. There is a strong argument that neither should be involved, but Chelsea have decided to only fine Cole for shooting a work experience employee, while Rooney has escaped a ban despite elbowing Wigan's James McCarthy at the weekend.

Both of them are sure to attract jeers from opposition supporters and they will be under pressure to keep their cool, which is something they have struggled to do in the past.

Terry spoke last week over how all the negative criticism had created a siege mentality at the club and it remains to be seen how Cole's transgression will affect the men in blue.

This is certainly an opportunity to hand United a psychological blow, especially as they will get to play them again at Old Trafford in May and there is a possibility they could meet again in the Champions League.

Cole may be in the spotlight at kick-off off tonight but it is the whole Chelsea team who have to fire to keep their unbeaten record against United and their hopes for the season alive.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in