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.

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, while Franck Tabanou, Eder and Kristoffer Nordfeldt will be hoping to challenge Neil Taylor, Bafetimbi Gomis and Lukasz Fabianski respectively for a first-team berth.

Former Arsenal goalkeeper Fabianski committed his future to the club on Thursday by signing a new four-year contract.

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

Match 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.


http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/matchday/matches/2015-2016/epl.match-preview.html/chelsea-vs-swansea

[size=25pt]Correct Score - 3:0

HSH - First

Over 2.5

Che win both half

Ivanovic to score












If Oscar starts [/size]

Thank God! EPL is back....no more boring weekends #SuperExcited






#TeamUnited

If Chelsea no win, make i close my biz






buy your cheap MTN data

Check my signature

UrchmanBiz:
If Chelsea no win, make i close my biz

U WILL SURELY CLOSE IT, CHELSEA 1 SWANSEA 2

#mybloodisblue #blues #chelseafc

nyabinghi:
U WILL SURELY CLOSE IT, CHELSEA 1 SWANSEA 2

Haha

Bad beller

A win will be good. But a draw is also acceptable. Its the 1st day of the EPL. So, no pressure.

Goal for Iva

cheksli can lose ..

Chelsea 1-1 Swansea

Hazard injury

draw match....

mukina2:
Goal for Iva

cheksli can lose ..

see her black lips, Ur prediction is doomed to fail, Haters don start this season again

pamcode:
see her black lips, Ur prediction is doomed to fail, Haters don start this season again

Haters make the game more lively lets pardon them.CFC!

cool

This is for all lovers of football.

Up Swansea.

Swansea to emerge victorious 3-1 today. Chelsea to commence the league in turmoil and sorrow and ends it in similar fashion.



*A minute of silent for the noise makers in blues*

una neva see anything dem go beat chelsea today

sure win blues for life

Wey Moses for d squad list hmmmm Ogun Wey go fire MOU if he no give dat boy chance still dey gym!

Swansea for life. Let's do it boys.

Starting line-up
13. Thibaut Courtois
2. Branislav Ivanovic
28. César Azpilicueta
26. John Terry
24. Gary Cahill
10. Eden Hazard
22. Willian
8. Oscar
21. Nemanja Matic
4. Cesc Fàbregas
19. Diego Costa
Substitutes
1. Asmir Begovic
9. Falcao
20. Victor Moses
7. Ramires
5. Kurt Zouma
12. John Obi Mikel
18. Loïc Remy


Starting line-up
1. Lukasz Fabianski
33. Federico Fernández
6. Ashley Williams
26. Kyle Naughton
3. Neil Taylor
10. André Ayew
20. Jefferson Montero
8. Jonjo Shelvey
23. Gylfi Sigurdsson
4. Ki Sung-yueng
18. Bafétimbi Gomis
Substitutes
22. Angel Rangel
14. Franck Tabanou
13. Kristoffer Nordfeldt
15. Wayne Routledge
24. Jack Cork
17. Eder
27. Kyle Bartley

Swansea for the win #gunnersforlife

team swansea all the way. Lets go dede ayew

Up Chelsea. Blue For Life! My predictions 3:0

mourihno will never change even with remy and falcao he is still playing one top. Smh

come on chelsea. king of england

Place a good bet....on Chelsea winning this contest,
and you'll smile to the bank.

Ask me how easy it is, ...it is as pie.
I can help u out on how to go about it, effortlessly.

Check my signature.