Spireites are hard to beat but cup wins are only crumbs of comfort

1 The best of times, the worst of times

If draws really are skinners then bookies must be head over heels in love with Chesterfield.

Tuesday night’s stalemate against Bromley was, incredibly, their ninth in a row in the National League.

Spireites’ fans haven’t seen their side do anything other than draw a league game since they lost 3-1 at home to Maidenhead in September.

Such are the quirkiness of stats that it also means Martin Allen’s lads are either in the best of form or the worst of it.

Glass half full? Chesterfield are unbeaten in 12 matches in all competitions.

But for the glass half-empty brigade (of whom there are many judged by the boos ringing round the Proact on Tuesday) it’s no wins in their last 19 league games after they won their first three.

The only crumbs of comfort during this run have been cup successes against Fylde and Billericay (after a replay) so maybe an FA Cup clash with Grimsby will bring some cheer. Then again, it might just be more useful to know that the draw is a 40-17 chance.

2 Chelsea on a different planet to neighbours

The next stop on the Claudio Ranieri love-in is Chelsea, a venue the former Blues boss knows well and one where presumably he’ll get a good reception this weekend despite being in charge of rivals Fulham.

However, notwithstanding Ranieri’s feats of miracle-making, history suggests a triumph at Stamford Bridge might be well beyond him.

The clubs are just two stops apart on the District Line but when it comes to head-to-head form they are on different planets.

Fulham have not beaten their near neighbours in the last 17 attempts, a streak dating back to 2006 - and they hadn't won in their previous 18 tries either.

Bobby Robson and Johnny Haynes were in the last Fulham side to taste success in a top-flight game at the Bridge way back in 1964.

3 Basaksehir on course for Turkish league delight

Burnley’s season has been short of high spots, but beating the champions-elect of Turkey surely merits some credit.

It seems a while ago since the Clarets pipped Istanbul Basaksehir 1-0 in the Europa League, but while Sean Dyche’s men have been treading water ever since the Turks have been flying.

Victory over Sivasspor this weekend would see their lead at the top of the Super Lig extended to eight points, for a while at least.

The rise of Abdullah Avci’s men is not a total surprise - they went off as 7-1 shots - but it is worth putting into context.

Turkey is all about Istanbul’s three other clubs. Since 1984 there has been only one season when a team other than Galatasaray, Fenerbahce or Besiktas has won the league.

That was in 2009-10, when Bursaspor were the gatecrashers. Basaksehir are 11-10 to emulate them this term.

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