Stamford Bridge is established to play host to Stoke City, on Saturday, even as Chelsea appear ahead to their 3rd win in as a lot of matches in the Premier League.
The champions are on a roll, with a 50 % dozen aims scored, when conceding none, in each and every of the two matches they have played towards West Brom Albion and Wigan Athletic, respectively.
When Chelsea are the only staff to have registered victories in both equally their matches, Stoke Town have dropped the two theirs, by an equivalent score-line of 2-1, to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur.
But against Spurs, Stoke were unfortunate not to have drawn the match, right after currently being denied a target by referee Chris Foy.
A earn in the Carling Cup against Shrewsbury need to guarantee that Stoke enter Saturday’s match in a beneficial temper.
Carlo Ancelotti would be cautious of complacency placing in, soon after massive wins from weak rivals, and Chelsea would do properly not to drop focus, as consecutive matches against Manchester Metropolis, Aston Villa and Arsenal loom in September.
Chelsea’s defence has been boosted with the return to match fitness of Alex and Cech, relatively offsetting the team’s reduction of Ricardo Carvalho.
Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda and Michael Essien will be crucial to Chelsea’s fortunes, this year.
Drogba’s four helps in the last sport compensated for his not scoring any goals, himself.
Though Kalou, Malouda and Anelka participate in a good supporting function, Drogba’s ball abilities and intention scoring skill keep on being the icing on Chelsea’s Premiership cake in the baking.
Lampard has been efficient, as ever, in midfield, with no very setting the stands on fireplace.
While Chelsea are unlikely to be tested unduly by their rivals in the next a few video games, they will be hunting to maintain their slender lead, given that Manchester United have dropped a level.
Although, it is early times, but.
Stoke City have to be justifiably let down with the dismal get started to their Premier League marketing campaign.
Very last week’s reduction to Spurs will rankle, notably. A target denied, after it had crossed the line, brought back recollections of Lampard’s denied goal in opposition to Germany in the Entire world Cup, in South Africa.
While defence is Stoke’s powerful match, with lots of options, in Abdoulaye Faye, Ryan Shawcross, Robert Huth, Danny Collins and Danny Higginbotham, attack is just not really their forte.
And that was the reason, all of Stoke’s market in the Spurs activity did not fairly transform into scoring options.
Receiving back again to defence, thanks to their energy in this location, Stoke have managed to salvage attracts in lots of absent matches.
Matthew Etherington is a gifted midfielder whose passing is very important to Stoke’s success, upfield.
Rory Delap, Dean Whitehead and Glen Whelan are all midfielders who can be relied on to tackle really hard.
In some lousy information for Stoke, Mamaday Sidibie picked up an Achilles tendon injuries, in the Spurs video game, and that will retain him from turning up from Chelsea.
There’s consolation in the variety of Kenwyne Jones and Jon Walters coming in to bolster the assault, alongside Ricardo Fueller.
The burly Jones is just what the medical professional ordered for Stoke who have been reduced in the away-aims section, past period, and the striker’s kind could ascertain whether or not Stoke go up the table, this year.
As for Saturday’s match in opposition to Chelsea, Stoke are probably to have their plates too full, in defence, to stress a good offer about any other aspect of their game.