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Can Chelsea avoid a London derby upset from surprising West Ham?

Having faced the possibility of sitting down for Christmas dinner after dropping to second place in the Premier League, Chelsea now have the opportunity to turn the tables on Manchester City by moving six points clear at the top with a win over West Ham United.
With the match kicking off at lunchtime and concluding prior to City's meeting with West Bromwich Albion later that afternoon, the Blues have the chance to increase the pressure on their main title rivals. No doubt Citizens' boss Manuel Pellegrini...

Chelsea Report Card: A summary of the Blues' Premier League season

ESPN FC's Craig Burley examines whether Chelsea can win the quadruple this year.

With the Premier League season edging toward its halfway point, who has starred for Chelsea and is the Premier League title a foregone conclusion? Here's a look at how Jose Mourinho's men have fared so far.
Grade: A+
Your Season So Far -- In A Sentence
Top of the league, comfortably through to the knockout stages of the Champions League, in the semifinals of the League Cup -- Chelsea supporters disgruntled with that lot need their heads examined.
Highlight
Thrashing Tottenham 3-0 was joyous, even...

Premier League midseason awards

The FC crew give out their player of the year, manager of the year, biggest disappointment and other midseason awards.

Weekend Bender: Best EPL Christmas presents

Alison Bender takes a look at the best Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool accessories of the holiday season.

Chelsea still EPL favourites?

Midway through the season, the FC crew discuss who will make the top 4 and who won't be in the Premier League next season.

Burley: Chelsea face a tough West Ham

ESPN FC's Craig Burley discusses Chelsea's clash with West Ham on Boxing Day, where it is quite possible that the fourth-placed Hammers could down the Premier League leaders.

Steve Nicol's World XI

See who Stevie put on his World XI team of 2014.

Allardyce: Pressure is off of us

West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce believes his side has no pressure going into a Boxing Day fixture with Chelsea as they are not expected to win.

Jose Mourinho: There is no Christmas, just football, for players in Britain

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has praised players for giving up their families in the festive season and playing during a congested sporting calendar.

Footballers playing in Britain deserve respect because of the hectic festive fixture programme, according to Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.
Beginning with Monday night's 2-0 victory over Stoke, the Blues will play five matches in less than two weeks. Boxing Day sees the visit of West Ham while further Premier League matches against Southampton and Tottenham follow before an FA Cup third-round clash against Watford.
"It's very difficult," said Mourinho. "I have lots of respect for the players in this...

Hazard may miss Hammers clash

Chelsea

West Ham United

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Eden Hazard could be a doubt for Chelsea's Boxing Day clash with West Ham at Stamford Bridge.
The playmaker limped off late on in Monday's 2-0 victory over Stoke after a tackle from Jonathan Walters.
Oscar will hope for a recall after being left on the bench at the Britannia Stadium.
Boss Jose Mourinho believes footballers playing in Britain deserve respect because of the hectic festive fixture programme.
Beginning with Monday's win, the Blues will play five matches in less than two weeks.
Boxing Day...

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Sam Allardyce: Chelsea draw may have helped saved my job

Ahead of his side's Boxing Day English Premier League clash against West Ham United, Chelsea boss praised his opponents performances this season.

Sam Allardyce believes a strong showing from his West Ham side in a goalless draw at Chelsea last season played a part in keeping him in a job.
Allardyce, who also learnt on Wednesday that Alex Song will not be travelling to link up with Cameroon for the African Nations Cup, returns to Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day having transformed his team into top-four contenders.
Chelsea had 39 shots on West Ham's goal in the January draw but lost ground in the title race as they were frustrated by an Allardyce...

'Atletico Madrid negotiating Fernando Torres return with AC Milan'

ESPN FC's Sid Lowe is at a loss for words with the rumours Fernando Torres may be returning to his boyhood club of Atletico Madrid, as he questions if he will ever escape from his poor form in recent years.

Atletico Madrid are in talks with AC Milan over a deal that could see Fernando Torres return to the Spanish capital, according to widespread reports.
Torres left Chelsea for Milan on a two-year loan deal in the summer that was set to take him to the end of his contract with the London club, but he has struggled to live up to expectations in Serie A and there have been claims -- played down by the Rossoneri -- that the agreement could be cut short.
The Guardian reported on Monday that Milan were holding...

Premier League Report Cards: How has your team fared so far this season?

The ESPN FC crew give their Premier League week 17 team of the weekend, which includes three Manchester City players and Queens Park Rangers hat-trick hero, Charlie Austin.

As we approach the midway point in the 2014-15 Premier League season, it's time to have a look back at the campaign so far. We asked our ESPN FC bloggers to tackle seven questions. Who's your side's unlikely hero, and who has work to do?

Premier League Report Card

1. Grade
2. Your Season So Far -- In A Sentence
3. Highlight
4. Lowpoint
5. Surprise Star
6. Must Do Better
7. Great Expectations

Each team's grade for the season so far is below. Click on the team name for a comprehensive summary.

Jose Mourinho: Chelsea couldn't afford Barcelona star Lionel Messi

Our experts examine Lionel Messi's impressive numbers despite Barcelona's overall inconsistency in 2014.

Jose Mourinho has again dismissed any suggestion Chelsea could sign Lionel Messi, telling BT Sport that financial fair play rules mean the Blues cannot sign a "super amazing player."
Argentine channel DirecTV had reported last month that Mourinho had approved a deal to sign Messi, which the Daily Express claimed would be worth 200 million pounds, but the Blues boss told a news conference the stories were "obviously" not true.
Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has said in recent days that he would...

Nemanja Matic believes Chelsea winning historic quadruple is 'possible'

Ahead of his side's Boxing Day English Premier League clash against West Ham United, Chelsea boss praised his opponents performances this season.

Nemanja Matic believes that he and his Chelsea teammates could sweep the board by winning the quadruple this season.
Chelsea can enjoy Christmas Day as Premier League leaders and they are also through to the Capital One Cup semifinals, the knockout phase of the Champions League and have an FA Cup campaign to come.

Burley: Standard of refereeing is quite poor

ESPN FC's Craig Burley criticises the refereeing throughout the world, while Peter Walton and Steve Nicol debate whether or not Phil Bardsley should have been shown red in his challenge on Eden Hazard.

How Will They Line Up: Boxing Day fixtures

It's Boxing Day, the most exciting day of the year. Anthony Richardson and Ian Fiveankles take you through all the Premier League fixtures.

Lowe: Torres an idol for Atletico fans

ESPN FC's Sid Lowe is at a loss for words with the rumours Fernando Torres may be returning to his boyhood club of Atletico Madrid, as he questions if he will ever escape from his poor form in recent years.

Liverpool's January transfer plans

ESPN FC's Steve Nicol predicts what he thinks his old side in Liverpool will do during the January transfer window.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho: Eden Hazard had fantastic spirit at Stoke

Ahead of his side's Boxing Day English Premier League clash against West Ham United, Chelsea boss praised his opponents performances this season.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho was delighted with Eden Hazard's flair and resilience during the 2-0 win at Stoke on Monday evening.
Hazard, 23, showed plenty of skill in the Premier League contest, and it was his ball into the box in the 78th minute that set up Cesc Fabregas for the visitors' second goal.

Mourinho: Hammers second only to Chelsea

Ahead of his side's Boxing Day English Premier League clash against West Ham United, Chelsea boss praised his opponents performances this season.

Atletico Madrid not ruling out Fernando Torres return from Milan

Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone remained coy on the possibility of Fernando Torres returning to Spain.

Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has denied the Liga champions are in discussions with AC Milan over a deal for Chelsea striker Fernando Torres, but has not ruled out a move for the former Rojiblancos captain.
Torres, 30, has scored one Serie A goal since joining the San Siro side on a two-year loan from Chelsea in the summer, with reports in the British media suggesting Atletico are looking to offer the striker a route back to Madrid with Alessio Cerci heading the other way.

TRANSFERS BY LEAGUE

Premier League Report Cards: How has your team fared so far this season?

The ESPN FC crew give their Premier League week 17 team of the weekend, which includes three Manchester City players and Queens Park Rangers hat-trick hero, Charlie Austin.

As we approach the midway point of the 2014-15 Premier League season, it's time to have a look back at the campaign so far. We asked our ESPN FC bloggers to tackle seven questions on their sides. Who's your side's unlikely hero and who has work to do?

Premier League Report Card

1. Grade
2. Your Season So Far -- In A Sentence
3. Highlight
4. Lowpoint
5. Surprise Star
6. Must Do Better
7. Great Expectations

Each team's grade for the season so far is below -- click on the team name for a comprehensive summary.

Burley: Matic influential for Chelsea

ESPN FC's Paul Mariner and Craig Burley break down Chelsea's 2-0 win over Stoke City, where John Terry praised the defensive play from Nemanja Matic and his importance to the Blues' success so far.

Three Points: Efficient victory sends Chelsea three points clear

STOKE, England -- A trio of observations on Chelsea's 2-0 win vs. Stoke in the Premier League.
1. Chelsea are top at Christmas
So Chelsea top the Premier League table at Christmas. That outcome long seemed a certainty but Manchester City's recent run of victories meant defeat at Britannia Stadium could have cost the Blues their lead.
Instead, they produced the right sort of response after the defending champions clawed back from a nine-point deficit in the space of three weeks, albeit partly because...

Cesc Fabregas stars again as Chelsea win 2-0 at Stoke City

Stoke City

Chelsea

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Chelsea will spend Christmas three points clear at the top of the Premier League after they regained the cushion with a 2-0 win at Stoke.
Cesc Fabregas proved a key influence once again for the Blues, providing the corner from which John Terry converted a second-minute header and then notching a goal himself in the 78th minute, teed up by another impressive performer in Eden Hazard.
Jose Mourinho's side could have had more goals, with Diego Costa failing to finish a couple of good opportunities,...

Jose Mourinho: Chelsea's frustrated fringe players must be patient

ESPN FC's Alejandro Moreno, Steve Nicol and Shaka Hislop preview Chelsea and Stoke City, where Mark Hughes has taken seven points from nine Premier League games against Jose Mourinho.

Jose Mourinho accepts there are individuals in the Chelsea dressing room frustrated with a lack of playing time but is confident such players are ready to help the team during this hectic festive period.
Chelsea's exceptional start to the season means the west Londoners head into Monday's clash at Stoke City at the top of the Premier League and, in theory, able to win an unparalleled quadruple.
Mourinho joked last week that the only quadruple he is interested in right now is a fourth consecutive...

Moreno: We will see the best of Chelsea

ESPN FC's Alejandro Moreno, Steve Nicol and Shaka Hislop preview Chelsea and Stoke City, where Mark Hughes has taken seven points from nine Premier League games against Jose Mourinho.

ESPN FC Extra Time: La Liga or Premier League?

The ESPN FC crew respond to your questions regarding whether or not West Ham can push for a Champions League spot, what can make the Club World Cup a better competition and the competitiveness between La Liga and the Premier League.

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