Home blues

London: One of the oldest adages in football is win your home games to succeed, but Chelsea are doing things in reverse as they attempt to capture the EPL the hard way.

Invincible on their travels, Luiz Felipe Scolari knows his side need to address their poor home form or risk missing out on the title. Chelsea have already dropped a remarkable 14 points at Stamford Bridge and suffered the indignity of being booed off the pitch last weekend against West Ham.

Most clubs look forward to playing in front of their own fans but a trip to Everton, Chelsea's next league fixture on Monday, will hold no fears for Scolari or his players. Frustratingly, however, they keep blowing the chance on their own patch to move ahead of their main rivals.

"It is important for us win at home but at the moment we are playing better away," admits Scolari. "It is difficult to explain and I am frustrated by it."

Chelsea keeper Petr Cech has pinpointed the festive programme as crucial to Chelsea's hopes of getting back on track at home. He, too, says the players are at a loss as to why their home form has suddenly deserted them.

Chelsea, whose Stamford Bridge ground used to be a fortress, have won just three out of nine home league games this season, with top four rivals Arsenal and Liverpool both recording victories at Stamford Bridge. It started when Liverpool ended an 86–match unbeaten home run in the league.

Since then Chelsea have won just once in the league at home, a downturn in form that is threatening to undermine their ambitions.

"It is disappointing because we have already had two chances to go top," said Cech.

"We are not able to win at home at the moment. We will try to work it out and now the important Christmas period is coming. The early goal is key. We have been doing that away from home and that has made the games slightly easier.

"Worringly for Scolari, Chelsea have no–one who can unlock defences. Full–backs and wide players are not getting in behind opposing defences any more and the attractive football served–up in the early part of the season has disappeared whenever they return from their travel's.

Luckily for Chelsea, Liverpool, who still lead the table by a point, are not exactly setting the world alight either at their own stadium, having drawn three straight times.

This week, Rafa Benitez takes his team to Arsenal for a showpiece fixture and he will be hoping his team can counter–attack and exploit the space often provided at The Emirates.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger appears to be running out of excuses for his team's inability to close the gap on the leaders, last week blaming Middlesbrough for time–wasting.

Arsenal aren't even in the top four at present, a rarity in itself, but striker Emmanuel Adebayor wants revenge over Liverpool after being dumped out of the Champions League last season by the Merseysiders.

"For sure, they broke our dreams last season," said Adebayor.

"But that happened last season. The most important thing is what we want to achieve now. All the people will be talking about it and that will make it a big game for everybody."

In Arsenal's favour is the fact that while they have struggled against so–called lesser teams, they have raised their game against the heavyweights. But Adebayor has called for caution.

"If we think because we have beaten Man United at home, Chelsea away, we are going to win easily against Liverpool then we have got everything wrong. For us the most important thing is to keep positive."

With Arsenal and Liverpool playing tomorrow, Chelsea playing Monday and Manchester United not playing at all because of their trip to Japan for the Club World Cup, Aston Villa have a great chance to put down a marker today by picking up three more points at inconsistent West Ham.

Villa are the form team of the moment with forwards Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlehor destroying opponents with their pace and link–up play. West Ham, too, love to attack, which should make for a terrific 
encounter.

Meanwhile, Stoke visit struggling Blackburn, while Portsmouth go to Bolton and Fulham host Middlesbrough.

Hull continue their dream first ever EPL season with a home game against Sunderland while tomorrow, in addition to the Arsenal–Liverpool game, there is an intriguing tussle between Newcastle and Spurs, both locked on 19 points and eager to push even further away from the drop zone.

Finally, but intriguingly, bottom–placed West Brom simply must win to give themselves confidence going into the holiday period. However, their opponents are Man City who have dropped ominously into the struggling pack themselves and badly need to kickstart their own season.

The author is an expert football columnist based in England