So how does this sequence of results against the Eagles compare to our other winning runs against other Premier League clubs? Here is a look at our best six winning streaks to date.

Manchester City – 8 games

Man City were the only team to inflict a defeat on Chelsea when we won the Premier League in 2004/05 but after Joe Cole’s late goal secured a 1-0 away win in December 2005, we enjoyed a long run of success against the sky-blue-shirted side.

Our eight-game winning streak against City, which included a memorable 6-0 demolition at the Bridge in October 2007 and a come-from-behind 3-1 victory in Manchester the following September, was rounded off by a 1-0 win at the Bridge in March 2009 when Michael Essien scored our only goal.

Bolton Wanderers – 8 games (ongoing)

A stoppage-time equaliser by Matt Taylor earned Bolton a 1-1 draw at the Bridge in our final game of the 2007/08 Premier League season but a 2-0 win at the Reebok Stadium in December 2008 was the first of eight consecutive wins for the Blues before the Trotters were relegated in 2012.

We outscored Bolton by 24 goals to four in that stretch and won 5-1 at the Reebok and 3-0 at the Bridge in our most recent league matches against them in the 2011/12 campaign.

Crystal Palace – 9 games (ongoing)

When Palace won 2-1 at Selhurst Park in October 2017, it marked the third straight season in which they had beaten Chelsea by that score in the Premier League. However, the Blues won by the same margin at home later that season and have not dropped any points since then against the Eagles.

A hard-fought 3-2 away victory during Project Restart in July 2020 put us in a good position to secure Champions League qualification while a Christian Pulisic brace last season saw us romp to a 4-1 win at Selhurst Park.

Portsmouth – 9 games

Portsmouth have not won a league game against Chelsea since 1957 and after earning promotion to the Premier League in 2003/04, they experienced regular frustration against the Blues, losing 13 of 14 matches during their seven-season stint in the top flight.

Goals by Wayne Bridge, Frank Lampard and Geremi handed Pompey a 3-0 defeat in December 2003 and they went on to lose their first nine Premier League games against the Blues before picking up their only Premier League point to date in a 1-1 draw at Fratton Park in February 2008.

Sunderland – 11 games

Sunderland are one of two clubs that have suffered the longest run of consecutive Premier League defeats against Chelsea after enduring 11 straight defeats from 2002 to 2010.

The Blues kicked off that run with a 4-0 win at the Bridge in March 2002 and we maintained our dominance over the Black Cats as they yo-yoed between the top divisions over the next eight years, scoring 34 goals in that sequence of 11 games which was rounded off by a 7-2 victory in January 2010.

West Bromwich Albion – 11 games

West Brom also suffered 11 consecutive losses to the Blues in the Premier League, beginning with a 2-0 setback in October 2002 when Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Graeme Le Saux scored for the home side.

The Blues went on to regularly pick up three points against the Baggies during their four spells in the top flight over the next nine years which was highlighted by a 6-0 victory in west London on the opening day of the 2010/11 season. Florent Malouda’s late goal in a 2-1 win in August 2011 extended the sequence to 11 before it was finally ended the following March after a 1-0 loss at the Hawthorns.