Confident Chelsea look to fourth game
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-01-04 10:03

Premier League leaders Chelsea are confident they can complete a perfect Christmas programme with a fourth successive victory in Tuesday's home match against Middlesbrough.

Chelsea's Damien Duff. The English Premiership leaders will face Middlesbrough at home on Jan. 5, 2005. [AFP]

Chelsea's confidence could not be higher after wins over Aston Villa, Portsmouth and Liverpool as they prepare for their fourth match in 10 days five points clear at the top of the table.

"Nobody's tired here, we can't wait for the game and we're ready for it," Chelsea assistant manager Steve Clarke told the club's website on Monday.

"It's been a good Christmas and New Year so far, we want to make sure we come out the other side with 12 points."

Clarke believes Chelsea's miserly defence is the main reason for their impressive form in the first half of the season, which has put them on course to claim their first English league title in 50 years.

"I think any successful team is built on a strong foundation," he said. "We've got that with two top-class goalkeepers, we've got top quality central defenders, full backs, we're solid in midfield and even the forward players we have do their part defensively."

Russian midfielder Alexei Smertin trained on Monday after recovering from a virus and Chelsea suffered no new injury problems in Saturday's win at Liverpool.

Middlesbrough have lost two of their last three games, including Saturday's 2-0 home defeat by Manchester United, slipping to sixth in the table.

Australian striker Mark Viduka misses out again with a hamstring problem but Dutch forward Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is fit to face his former club.

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