PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: BLACKBURN ROVERS V CHELSEA
It's back to domestic action where away from the Bridge goals have been no problem at either end, as club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton report.
TALKING POINTS
The league goals have been flying in for Chelsea this season, while clean sheets abound. The 5-0 scoreline last weekend against Sunderland means that we now have our best ever top-flight goal difference at this stage from the start of the season: +23.
We have twice in the past scored more times than the present 27 - 30 in 1958/9, 28 in 1960/1, both in Jimmy Greaves' golden era. But the Blues' defensive record back then left a lot to be desired.
Twenty-eight goals were conceded in 1960/1, cancelling out the goals for and, incredibly, 31 were conceded in the opening 11 games of 1958/9, producing a net deficit of one!
The only time Chelsea have surpassed the current goal difference was way back in 1925/6, when 32 goals were scored and just five conceded in the first 11 Division Two matches, producing a remarkable credit of 27.
That was the campaign set alight by Bob Turnbull, who finished one goal short of a club record season total with 29. The legendary Ben Howard Baker was in goal for all but one game too. The Pensioners still missed out on promotion, though, finishing third.
Our previous best goal difference after 11 top flight matches came in 1997/8: +10. That sequence featured Gianluca Vialli's four goals in the 6-0 win at Barnsley.
|
KEY STAT |
Chelsea currently top the goals for and goals conceded tables.
Most Premier League goals scored
Chelsea 27
Arsenal 23
Man City 23
Aston Villa 19
Man Utd 19
Fewest Premier League goals conceded
Chelsea 4
Man Utd 8
Liverpool 8
Fulham 9
There is one Premier League table for which Sunday's opponents Blackburn have regularly contested top spot in recent years: the disciplinary list. This campaign, their 26 yellow cards (one point per card) and one red (two points) have put them at the summit of the 'un-fair play league', four points ahead of Manchester United, Stoke City and Tottenham. Well-behaved Chelsea are currently 17th on 15 points.
Although it will be scant consolation for a dismal team display, John Terry's goal in Rome this week put him equal to the all-time top scoring defender in our history, full-back Peter Sillett (pictured below centre), on 34. A star of Chelsea's 1955 championship winners, Sillett's tally includes a high proportion of penalties, which he would pummel unstoppably into the net.
With eight goals to his credit, Nicolas Anelka is the Premier League's joint top scorer along with Wigan's Amr Zaki.
The Dubious Goals Panel gaveth and so it taketh away. Salomon Kalou's strike at Middlesbrough was this week officially donated to David Wheater. Unfortunately there is no explanation accompanying the decision, nor who made it.
It is not the first time a Chelsea player has had one chalked off - remember the Joe Cole goal against this weekend's hosts back in October 2005 at the Bridge? His on-target shot was heavily deflected by Zurab Khizanishvili, and it was the Georgian who was later credited with an own goal.
But as Joe and Salo lose out, Frank Lampard 'gained'. The Premier League has clarified Lamps's official strike tally. West Ham's records had erroneously credited Crystal Palace's Sasa Curcic with an own goal 10 years ago, when it was officially Frank's. So he does actually have 100 Premier League goals, 101 including one for Swansea in the Football League.
The question is, will there ever be a Dubious Last-Minute Home Penalties Awarded In The North-West panel?
Former England skipper Paul Ince arrives with a good reputation as a coach, and he has had a powerful influence pretty much wherever he has settled in his career. Back in 1989, the same summer Manchester Utd bought young Ince for £2m, hard-up Chelsea hired his West Ham midfield partner Alan Dickens at a cost of £635,000 for Bobby Campbell's team.
'Anything that moves - and wears shorts - is worth bidding for,' joked Tommy Docherty about United and Alex Ferguson - a manager he suggested could be sacked by Christmas.
Dickens would play just 55 games over four seasons for Chelsea, while Ince, ostensibly the heir to Bryan Robson's midfield slot at Utd, started as a right-back in a side struggling so badly that Docherty looked prophetic. But with Ince finally installed in their midfield United rallied, and won the FA Cup that saved the Scotsman's Old Trafford career.
'The Guvnor' won three league titles there as well as five domestic and European cups, and played in all three games against Chelsea in 1993/4 - the Blues' two, fondly-remembered 1-0 league wins, as well as the hurtful FA Cup final.
After Ince moved to Italy, to replace the famously goal-shy former Arsenal midfielder John Jensen, he was linked with several English clubs, including Chelsea.
Now he is building a good reputation from the dugout, although he actually has very little coaching/managerial experience.
His first taste was as player-coach for Swindon Town as recently as August 2006 when he linked up with their manager - old friend and midfield adversary at Chelsea, Dennis Wise.
When Wise switched clubs for Leeds fewer than three months later, Ince joined relegation-haunted Macclesfield Town and kept them up. The following summer, 2007, he moved on again to MK Dons. In his one season there, he won the Football League Trophy and League Two title, before moving on to Ewood Park.
The weekend's Barclays Premier League fixtures
Injury-ravaged and doling out excuses, Arsenal host Manchester Utd in the early kick-off. The Gunners have only won one of the previous six home encounters with United, but draws are very common in this encounter. Liverpool's late visitors West Bromwich Albion have not taken a point in their six Premier League meetings to date. A win would send the Scousers three points clear, at least until after our match.
Saturday
Arsenal v Man Utd 12.45pm Sky Sports
Wigan v Stoke 12.45pm
Hull v Bolton 3pm
Sunderland v Portsmouth 3pm
West Ham v Everton 3pm
Liverpool v WBA 5.30pm Setanta
Sunday
Blackburn v Chelsea 1.30pm Sky Sports
Aston Villa v Middlesbrough 3pm
Man City v Tottenham 3pm
Fulham v Newcastle 4pm Sky Sports
Barclays Premier League table
|
Top |
|
P |
GD |
PTS |
|
1 |
Chelsea |
11 |
23 |
26 |
|
2 |
Liverpool |
11 |
8 |
26 |
|
3 |
Man Utd |
10 |
11 |
21 |
|
4 |
Arsenal |
11 |
11 |
20 |
|
5 |
Aston Villa |
11 |
5 |
20 |
|
6 |
Hull |
11 |
-1 |
20 |
|
7 |
Everton |
11 |
-4 |
15 |
|
8 |
Middlesbrough |
11 |
-5 |
14 |
|
9 |
Portsmouth |
11 |
-6 |
14 |
|
10 |
Man City |
11 |
5 |
13 |
|
11 |
West Ham |
11 |
-4 |
13 |
|
12 |
Stoke |
11 |
-6 |
13 |
|
13 |
Blackburn |
11 |
-7 |
13 |
TACTICAL BRIEF
Paul Ince has revealed a flexible approach to team tactics and always has his side thoroughly well-prepared. His approach to the game at home to Manchester Utd a month ago will probably give some indication as to what Chelsea can expect.
He fielded a versatile 4-2-3-1 formation then to match United's midfield numbers. It still led to a straight-forward 2-0 win for Alex Ferguson's men, who enjoyed far superior possession, but Ince appeared to accept that it was United's quality rather than his gameplan that made the difference.
Ferguson also called it his side's best performance of the season. Wales international Jason Brown admitted he'd had sleepless nights before facing Rooney, Ronaldo et al, but helped keep the score manageable.
Ince has used the same formation home and away, with mixed success. With that system Santa Cruz is usually the solo striker, with Morten Gamst Pedersen, Matt Derbyshire and Brett Emerton or Stephen Warnock behind him, Tugay and Keith Andrews in the defensive centre midfield roles.
Andrews, the Irishman Ince brought across with him from MK Dons, scored Rovers' last-gasp equaliser at the Hawthorns last weekend. Five of Rovers' goals have been scored in the last 15 minutes; the stats also suggest they're a threat just before half-time.
Santa Cruz's calf injury might restrict Ince's choices, although there is some talk of a surprise return this weekend. Fit-again Benni McCarthy is already suspended, but burly Jason Roberts is another option who has tested Chelsea's central defensive pair in the past. Carlos Villanueva, if involved, likes to play behind the main striker, as he did in their recent 2-3 defeat at Villa Park.
Defensively, Paul Robinson has returned between the sticks following a calf strain, but with youngsters at full-back - Swede Martin Olsson on the left, Man United's on-loan Danny Simpson the right - either side of the more experienced centre-backs Christopher Samba and skipper Ryan Nelsen - Blackburn are still shipping goals. Only West Ham have managed fewer clean sheets.
WE HAVE HISTORY
Chelsea have won six of the last seven in the league and cup at Ewood Park, and each of the last three.
Rovers' last victory was in the penultimate game in 2005/06 when Robbie Savage whipped in free kick that evaded everybody. Their only other success this decade was in February 2003 when two late goals by Dwight Yorke and David Dunn secured a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored our consolation in stoppage time.
Strangely, it is 11 years since we visited Ewood Park on a Saturday, the game in November 1997 finishing in a 1-0 win for the home side. Our nine trips along the A666 since have taken place on three Sundays, one Monday, one Tuesday and four Wednesdays.
If you look further back in time, we've played at Ewood on Thursdays too, ticking off every day except Friday; in March 1984 our meeting, covered live on TV, took place on a Friday evening - but that was at Stamford Bridge.
A crowd of almost 19,000 saw Pat Nevin open the scoring and David Speedie produce a glorious 30-yard volley, before Simon Garner pulled one back for Rovers.
The match this weekend will be the third consecutive Sunday that we've played Rovers in the north-west, if you include the FA Cup semi-final two seasons ago.
Every Chelsea fan of a certain age remembers (with heavy heart and much resentment) the 1988 play-off games when Second Division Middlesbrough leapfrogged First Division Chelsea and sent us down.
Not many recall that the hurdle Bobby Campbell's side overcame to reach that decisive Boro tie was Blackburn. A brilliant solo effort by striker Gordon Durie and Pat Nevin's second without reply at Ewood set up a 2-0 advantage. The second leg ended 4-1 (a 6-1 aggregate), with Kerry Dixon scoring his first goal at the Bridge for seven months. The margin gave us hope that the trimmings of the top flight would be retained. Alas! It was not to be.
LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING MATCH
Premier League, Sunday December 23rd 2007 at Ewood Park.
Referee Steve Bennett
Crowd 23,966
|
Manager Mark Hughes Friedel Emerton Khizanishvili Nelsen (c) Warnock Tugay Reid Dunn Bentley Pedersen Santa Cruz Substitutes
Manager Avram Grant Chelsea Substitutes |
15 Sep 2007 Premier League
Chelsea..........0 Blackburn Rovers.........0
Att: 41,062
Our away Premier League record against Blackburn is as follows
1992/93 Blackburn won 2-0
1993/94 Blackburn won 2-0
1994/95 Blackburn won 2-1
1995/96 Blackburn won 3-0
1996/97 Drew 1-1
1997/98 Blackburn won 1-0
1998/99 Chelsea won 4-3
2001/02 Drew 0-0
2002/03 Chelsea won 3-2
2003/04 Chelsea won 3-2
2004/05 Chelsea won 1-0
2005/06 Blackburn won 1-0
2006/07 Chelsea won 2-0
2007/08 Chelsea won 1-0
Blackburn v Chelsea in all competitions
Games played 103
Chelsea wins 41
Rovers wins 35
Draws 27
Head-to-head in the league at Ewood Park
Games played 47
Chelsea wins 13
Rovers wins 20
Draws 14
Biggest league win at Blackburn for each team
Blackburn 3-0 Chelsea
25/08/1923, 10/02/1962, 16/10/1982 and 28/10/1995
Blackburn 0-3 Chelsea
25/12/1958 and 13/02/1965
CHELSEA STATS
Chelsea are on the longest run in the top flight of 15 unbeaten away games (13 wins, two draws) since the 1-0 defeat at Arsenal on December 16 2007.
The Blues hold the only 100 per cent away record of all 92 league clubs and have conceded one goal while winning the last eight away.
Chelsea have not lost when scoring first in the Premier League since the 1-2 defeat at Tottenham in November 2006.
Chelsea's last six games
|
Oct 18 |
Middlesbrough A |
W 5-0 |
|
Oct 22 |
Roma H |
W 1-0 Champions League |
|
Oct 26 |
Liverpool H |
L 0-1 |
|
Oct 29 |
Hull A |
W 3-0 |
|
Nov 1 |
Sunderland H |
W 5-0 |
|
Nov 4 |
Roma A |
L 1-3 Champions League |
2008/09 Premier League scorers
Anelka 8, Lampard 5 (1 pen), Belletti 2, J Cole 2, Deco 2, Kalou 2*, Malouda 2, Alex 1, Bosingwa 1, Carvalho 1, own goal 1 (Wheater). Total 27
* Kalou's second goal at Middlesbrough was changed to a David Wheater own goal by the Premier League's Dubious Goals panel.
MILESTONES
Frank Lampard achieved his 100th career Premier League goal against Sunderland last weekend, for West Ham (24) and Chelsea (76). He joins Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (pictured) with 128 as the only other Chelsea player to achieve that career milestone. Nicolas Anelka currently has 94.
Roque Santa Cruz's next start will be his 50th for Blackburn in all competitions.
John Terry is set to move into 13th place on the club's all-time appearances list with 371, ahead of Bobby Tambling (our all-time top scorer) and 1920s full back George Smith, both on 370.
Congratulations to Joe Cole who celebrates his 27th birthday tomorrow (Saturday).
BLACKBURN STATS
No team has scored fewer at home than Blackburn's three Premier League goals at Ewood Park this season (five games).
Rovers have not won in five games since their 2-1 victory at Newcastle in September. Their only Premier League win at home was against Fulham on 20th September.
Blackburn have scored and conceded five goals in the last 10 minutes of Premier League matches this season.
Rovers managers this decade
Tony Parkes Nov 1999 to Mar 2000
Graeme Souness Mar 2000 to Sep 2004
Mark Hughes Sep 2004 to Jun 2008
Paul Ince Jun 2008 to date
Blackburn have been top flight champions on three occasions. They won the First Division in 1911/12 and 1913/14 and the Premier League in its third season in 1994/95. Their last trophy was the League Cup in 2002.
ROVERS IN THE PREM
|
|
Pts |
Pl |
|
1992/93 |
71 |
4th |
|
1993/94 |
84 |
2nd |
|
1994/95 |
89 |
1st |
|
1995/96 |
61 |
7th |
|
1996/97 |
42 |
13th |
|
1997/98 |
58 |
6th |
|
1998/99 |
35 |
19th |
|
2001/02 |
46 |
10th |
|
2002/03 |
60 |
6th |
|
2003/04 |
44 |
15th |
|
2004/05 |
42 |
15th |
|
2005/06 |
63 |
6th |
|
2006/07 |
52 |
10th |
|
2007/08 |
58 |
7th |
MOST RECENT PREMIER LEAGUE LINE-UP
Nov 1, 2008 West Bromwich Albion (away) Drew 2-2
|
Simpson Samba Nelsen (c) Olsson Emerton Grella Andrews Warnock McCarthy Roberts Substitutes |
Blackburn's last six games
|
Sep 27 |
Newcastle A |
W 2-1 |
|
Oct 4 |
Man Utd H |
L 0-2 |
|
Oct 18 |
Bolton A |
D 0-0 |
|
Oct 25 |
Middlesbrough H |
D 1-1 |
|
Oct 29 |
Aston Villa A |
L 2-3 |
|
Nov 1 |
WBA A |
D 2-2 |
2008/09 Premier League scorers
McCarthy 2 (1 pen), Roberts 2, Santa Cruz 2, Andrews 1, Derbyshire 1, Dunn 1, Emerton 1, Ooijer 1, Samba 1, Warnock 1. Total: 13.
NEW BOYS
Rovers' major summer transfers
|
Ins Paul Robinson (Tottenham, £3.5m), Carlos Villanueva (Audax Italiano, loan), Danny Simpson (Man Utd, loan), Vince Grella (Torino, undisclosed), Keith Andrews (MK Dons, undisclosed). |
THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE
The referee is Chris Foy who took charge of our home 2-0 win over Aston Villa a month ago.
OTHERWISE ENGAGED
Benni McCarthy is suspended for receiving two yellow cards against West Brom last weekend.
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