Premier League preview: Chelsea v Blackpool
“I'm respectful of everyone but fearful of no-one,” says Ian Holloway ahead of Blackpool’s first visit to Stamford Bridge in 33 years.
Riding high in the Champions League places, coming off the back of an impressive away win and still treasuring the memories of their Wembley success in May, Blackpool do indeed head to Chelsea with nothing to lose and nothing to fear. You get the feeling that they are enjoying this Premier League lark.
“I love it,” says DJ Campbell, who’s back at the club on a permanent deal after last season’s loan spell.
“Obviously first of all I wanted to come back and play for Blackpool because I love Blackpool and they've been good to me, and second of all we're in the Premier League, so to play for Blackpool in the Premier League, you can't get better than that.”
You can’t get much a better away performance than the one that Blackpool turned in at Newcastle’s St. James’ Park either, but the 2-0 win in which Campbell scored – a real ‘coupon buster’ for many – wasn’t much of a surprise to the forward, who believes the team is now even better than the one that won the playoff final last season.
“I think the side has got even stronger,” he said, “the team at Wembley last year was superb and even the team before that was superb but we've stepped up a level and added big players, good players and hopefully we can do the business and stay up.”
As the old cliché goes, it won’t be matches such as this trip to Stamford Bridge that will determine the Tangerines’ fate this season, and that’s surely for the best.
Chelsea look formidable. Four wins and fourteen goals from their four top flight matches so far have installed them as heavy favourites for what would be a fourth Premier League title. Rotated and not at their best in Slovakia in midweek, they still beat MŠK Žilina 4-1. Unstoppable? Perhaps, but complacent? Definitely not.
“Blackpool are a good team,” says Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti, “and they have won two away games, at Newcastle and Wigan. They are showing good skills in the Premier League.
“We have to pay attention. They are no easy games. Our moment is nice. It's good now, but we want it to continue. We have a lot of games and we don't have time to train properly, but we are ready to play against a strong team. It's an important moment now.”
All very predictable stuff you’d think, but what is clear from the way that the Italian’s team plays is the hard work that the manager puts in.
Chelsea are content to let their opponents have the ball, and will hit them when it matters. Žilina had twice as many shots as their visitors on Wednesday night, yet only scored when Petr Čech gifted them a goal. When Chelsea attacked – and attacked from all angles – they made it count. It’s a trait that the Blues have perfected at the start of this fledgling season.
“Chelsea is a good team,” says Nicolas Anelka, a fan of stating the obvious, “we have a lot of big players and everybody can score, it is good, and we just try to show it to everybody on the pitch. It is good for the confidence of the team because teams know everybody can score.
“We will try to do the same, even better. We start well and I hope it will continue in the same way.”
Start well on Sunday and Blackpool could be in trouble, but Holloway’s men have shown enough qualities to suggest that they could trouble their hosts, and perhaps even find the back of their net.
They won’t win of course, or even draw, but they’ll have a go, and might even surprise a few at Stamford Bridge.
As for Chelsea, if they carry on at this rate the only surprise will be if they don’t end up as champions come May.
Prediction: Chelsea 4 Blackpool 1
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