By Brian Sears

26 November 2010

Pundits ponder Chelsea’s loss of form. Those of a numerate bent – and especially regular readers of these pages – will know Roman’s blues have been weighed down by statistical history. They’ve been so good for so long that a correction has long been overdue and it’s coming home to roost.

Consecutive defeats had been avoided for more than four years until last weekend. Now a hat-trick of losses loom, maybe. The last time Chelsea lost three Premier League games in a row was in October 1999: 0-1 at Anfield and 2-3 at home to Arsenal were followed by 1-3 at Derby.

But wait! Or rather weight! A new statistical gem is at hand. Chelsea have not lost a Premier League against a promoted side for more than nine (count ‘em) NINE years, or since 21 April 2001, when Charlton beat them at Stamford Bridge, completely a seasonal double for the Addicks as it happens.

Since then, Chelsea have gone 57 games unbeaten against promoted sides (50 wins, seven draws) and the current Premier League clubs’ records in this respect during the same period are in the table below. Manchester United have lost as many as six games against promoted teams in that time, and Arsenal have lost two this season alone, both at the Emirates, to West Brom and Newcastle.

Newcastle on their own ground are Chelsea’s next opponents. There is a statistical weight on the travellers’ shoulders.

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