Stamford Bridge is set to play host to Stoke City, on Saturday, even as Chelsea look ahead to their third win in as many matches in the Premier League.
The champions are on a roll, with a half dozen goals scored, while conceding none, in each of the two matches they have played against West Brom Albion and Wigan Athletic, respectively.
While Chelsea are the only team to have registered victories in both their matches, Stoke City have lost both theirs, by an identical score-line of 2-1, to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur.
But against Spurs, Stoke were unlucky not to have drawn the match, after being denied a goal by referee Chris Foy.
A win in the Carling Cup against Shrewsbury should ensure that Stoke enter Saturday’s match in a positive mood.
Carlo Ancelotti would be wary of complacency setting in, after huge wins against weak rivals, and Chelsea would do well not to lose focus, as consecutive matches against Manchester City, Aston Villa and Arsenal loom in September.
Chelsea’s defence has been boosted with the return to match fitness of Alex and Cech, somewhat offsetting the team’s loss of Ricardo Carvalho.
Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda and Michael Essien will be key to Chelsea’s fortunes, this season.
Drogba’s four assists in the last game compensated for his not scoring any goals, himself.
While Kalou, Malouda and Anelka play a great supporting role, Drogba’s ball skills and goal scoring ability remain the icing on Chelsea’s Premiership cake in the baking.
Lampard has been effective, as ever, in midfield, without quite setting the stands on fire.
While Chelsea are unlikely to be tested unduly by their rivals in the next three games, they will be looking to maintain their slender lead, given that Manchester United have dropped a point.
Though, it is early days, yet.
Stoke City must be justifiably disappointed with the dismal start to their Premier League campaign.
Last week’s loss to Spurs will rankle, particularly. A goal denied, after it had crossed the line, brought back memories of Lampard’s denied goal against Germany in the World Cup, in South Africa.
While defence is Stoke’s strong suit, with plenty of choices, in Abdoulaye Faye, Ryan Shawcross, Robert Huth, Danny Collins and Danny Higginbotham, attack isn’t quite their forte.
And that was the reason, all of Stoke’s industry in the Spurs game did not quite convert into scoring opportunities.
Getting back to defence, thanks to their strength in this area, Stoke have managed to salvage draws in many away matches.
Matthew Etherington is a talented midfielder whose passing is crucial to Stoke’s effectiveness, upfield.
Rory Delap, Dean Whitehead and Glen Whelan are all midfielders who can be relied on to tackle hard.
In some bad news for Stoke, Mamaday Sidibie picked up an Achilles tendon injury, in the Spurs game, and that will keep him from turning up against Chelsea.
There’s consolation in the form of Kenwyne Jones and Jon Walters coming in to bolster the attack, alongside Ricardo Fueller.
The burly Jones is just what the doctor ordered for Stoke who were low in the away-goals department, last season, and the striker’s form could determine whether Stoke move up the table, this season.
As for Saturday’s match against Chelsea, Stoke are likely to have their plates too full, in defence, to worry a great deal about any other aspect of their game.
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