 Chelsea , along with Arsenal , were the first club to play with shirt numbers , on 25 August 1928 in their match against Swansea Town . They were the first English side to travel by aeroplane to a domestic away match , when they visited Newcastle United on 19 April 1957 , and the first First Division side to play a match on a Sunday , when they faced Stoke City on 27 January 1974 . On 26 December 1999 , Chelsea became the first British side to field an entirely foreign starting line @-@ up ( no British or Irish players ) in a Premier League match against Southampton . 
