Chelsea Vs Blackburn [5 - 0] On Saturday 25th October

Chelsea take on the Lancastrians in a 17.30 (GMT, NT) kick-off at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. . . .



Chelsea go into this clash buoyed by a comfortable 4-0 win over Athletico Madrid in the Champions League, but with question marks still hanging over their defending after conceding soft goals from set-pieces against Wigan and Aston Villa in recent weeks. Blackburn go into this match on the back of a 3-2 win over Burnley, but still smarting from a 6-2 thrashing against Arsenal on their last visit to London.

Ricardo Carvalho will probably make way for Branislav Ivanovic in keeping with Carlo Ancelotti’s preference for the latter in games which are expected to involve a lot of aerial challenges. Carvalho’s performance at set-pieces against Aston Villa also weakens his case for inclusion against Blackburn. Didier Drogba will also have to be more diligent at set-piece marking after losing James Collins for Aston Villa’s winner last week, especially as he is the only Chelsea player with the physical profile to mark Blackburn’s Chris Samba effectively. The Congolese goliath is an ever-present threat from aerial balls, and Ancelotti would have been hoping that Alex was available for selection but with only 45 minutes of reserve action under his belt this season, this game comes too soon for the Brazilian centre-back. Michael Ballack makes a welcome return from injury as he is one of Chelsea’s most effective players from set-pieces. Ancelotti will also be glad of his return as Essien, Belletti and Lampard have been unable to effectively fill his shoes on the right-side of the diamond whenever he has been injured.

Thankfully for the Pensioners, one of Blackburn’s stellar performers is Franco Di Santo, the Chelsea loanee who is prohibited from playing against his parent club. Di Santo’s absence throws up a dilemma for Sam Allardyce. Nicola Kalinic, the big-money summer recruit from Hadjuk Split is still struggling to adapt to the English game whilst the portly Benni McCarthy is too work-shy to merit inclusion in the first eleven. In Di-Santo’s absence, Allardyce is likely to recall Jason Roberts, with David Dunn deployed just behind him in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Blackburn’s tactical set-up is a slight variant of the 4-5-1 formation first used in England by Sam Allardyce before Jose Mourinho adopted it at Chelsea. The irony is that Chelsea have now dropped their tried and trusted 4-5-1/4-3-3 in favour of a diamond formation which ensures that Chelsea always have an extra man in midfield, but are exposed on the wings as the onus is on the full-backs to provide their attacking width.

The extra man in midfield is Deco, and Chelsea fans will be hoping that he can help his midfield dominate possession sufficiently enough to deny Blackburn the opportunity to win set-pieces. The lilliputian midfielder is back in favour after falling victim to Guus Hiddink’s preference for a more physical approach. Chelsea fans will recall Deco’s performance away to Stoke last season, where Deco dominated possession so exclusively that Stoke were denied the opportunity to win throw-ins from which Rory Delap could launch his gravity-resistant projectiles. With Petr Cech in shaky form, Chelsea will be hoping that Deco can have the same effect on Saturday.

All said, it should be an interesting match. Let the games begin. . . . .






Chelsea (from:) Cech, Bosingwa, Belletti, Ivanovic, Carvalho, Terry, Cole, Zhirkov, Essien, Ballack, Deco, Lampard, Malouda, Cole, Anelka, Kalou, Drogba

Blackburn (from:) Robinson, Jacobsen, Chimbonda,  Emerton, Samba, Givet, Nelson, Olsson, N’Zonzi, Grella, Andrews, Diouf, Pederson, Roberts, McCarthy, Kalinic

Nice . . .
Add a poll  . .

Match facts


Chelsea are looking for the 200th Premier League win at Stamford Bridge.


Blackburn have failed to score in their last six league meetings with Chelsea.


Only Arsenal (6) have won more times at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League than Blackburn (5).


Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 15 league games at Stamford Bridge and have won the last six in a row.


The Blues have only conceded one goal in their last five games at Stamford Bridge and one of the clean sheets in that run was a 2-0 win against Rovers.


Nicolas Anelka has scored 10 goals in 12 Premier League starts against Rovers - he has not been more prolific against any other opponent.


Didier Drogba has scored three goals in four Premier League appearances against Rovers.


 

wotever, 

we are winning , 2nil

chelsea 0 blackburn 1
(ball cannons off ref to beat cech 

Blackburn and Sam Allardyce are not a push-over.

I wouldn't want to be overly confident especially as our form has been indifferent.

@Tayoccu

Go and sit down hit your hating head on the hard wall, the more you hate Chelsea the more we surprise you.

Get off this thread or betterstill go and play with children on the sand

Cheksli to lose

y'all better be careful cos i sting!

back to the issue chelsea 0 blackburn 1
anybody that has a problem with my prediction should go jump off 3rd mainland bridge,and i don't mean bungiee jumping.

chei!
which kind agbero dey follow chelsea these days? 

look here old man,
roll out all your aks,bazookas(not bazoka), roll out whatever you got, it ain't enough to make me back off taunting your pathetic pensioner signing team. 
chelsea 0 blackburn 1
john terry red card

tayoccu, have you taken that your brain injection? 

easy mr rugby team supporter

@Khanye,

Look at your bighead like hammer head of horror to call Chlease rugby team, I remember when you posited that Atletico Madrid would win Chelsea but after the match you ran away from the nairaland only to appear today to write some craps because you have access to a pc, I no blame you shaa because UEFA connived to do away with Chelsea

Go and suck with your team that, lost a relatively unknown team and Xavi is crying like a baby that the did not deserve to lose as if they are invincible.

I bless the name of the Lord the day I choose Almighty Chelsea over any club, even if we lose I am with Chelsea afterall in life, we would not win win and win alright

@ Khanye, u don come again? 

Tayoccu, you suck believe me, probably today's hot weather is disturbing you, get Ice block and put it on your head! 

@Ekwere, leave Tayoccu, I no wetin dey do am.

ibime call your rabid mongrels to order!