The Canaries will make their second trip down to the capital this season on Saturday, as the Yellows will take on Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The Canaries will go into this game with their spirits high with their last match being a desperately needed 1-0 win over Swansea at Carrow Road, with Jonny Howson snatching the goal.
Norwich’s last trip to Stamford Bridge was a game of many chances that ended 0-0, and, unfortunately, all but condemned us to relegation in the 2013-14 campaign. The Bridge has not been a happy hunting ground for the Yellows in the past, with Chelsea beating Norwich in six of their last seven meeting in all competitions and outscoring us by a whopping score of 21-2.
Despite that torrid history, this meeting could be different. The Blues are currently languishing down in sixteenth, one point behind the East Anglian outfit. They have underachieved massively this season, and especially at home. They have two wins, a draw, and three losses at home. They have already been defeated by the likes of Crystal Palace, Stoke twice, a Liverpool side that were struggling at the time, and Southampton. They are low on confidence, and the Canaries have a chance to hit them.
Another factor of this game that might be a critical factor is the Champions League. Around only 72 hours after the final whistle is blown in West London on Saturday, Chelsea will have to make the long trek to Israel to battle Maccabi Tel Aviv in their penultimate Champions League group stage match. The Blues have only won two away matches in all competitions this season, and one of them was at Walsall. The Blues can ill-afford to drop points in Israel, meaning they might field a weaker team for this game ahead of the European match.
League Form:
Chelsea: L W L L L
Norwich City: L L L L W
Chelsea have lost their last three games on the bounce. They were defeated 1-0 at Stoke in their last match thanks to a second half goal. They were defeated 3-1 at home against Liverpool with a spectacular brace from Phillipe Coutinho being the difference, and a Nemanja Matic red card hurt them in a 2-1 loss at Upton Park. The win came at home to Aston Villa, while they lost to Southampton two weeks before that.
Like their London counterparts, Norwich have lost four of their last five league matches. However, the Canaries are on the uptick with their last match being a win over Swansea. Before that, though, it was defensive mistakes and an ability to take their chances that plagued them in four straight defeats to Leicester, Newcastle, West Brom, and Manchester City. Alex Neil’s men will aim for their first back-to-back wins since beating Ipswich and Middlesbrough in the playoffs last season.
Predicted Team:
I see Alex Neil making one change to his side, with Nathan Redmond coming in for Alex Tettey. The Norwegian is coming off of a very disappointing week for Norway. Brady and Hoolahan will be in high spirits after helping Ireland qualify for the Euros, with Brady grabbing a goal and an assist over the two legs. Redmond will be in the team because the Chelsea fullbacks have struggled to deal with pace all season, and he will be able to drive down the flanks. O’Neil bossed the midfield against Swansea, and I see an unchanged back four from the clean sheet against the Swans.
Verdict:
Chelsea are low on confidence, have the fans and the media turning on them, and have a bigger game coming up just days after this. Having said that, they still have some very talented attacking players that could put us into deep trouble if we defend the way we did at Newcastle. I am going to predict a 2-2 draw. Come on you Yellows!!
