PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: NORWICH CITY V CHELSEA

The Blues and the Canaries are handed the task of beginning the weekend fixtures. Club historian Rick Glanvill, club statistician Paul Dutton and former player Clive Walker examine our chance to gain points a day ahead of our closest rivals…

TALKING POINTS
The win over Sunderland last weekend was only the second 1-0 of the season for the Blues. The other came in November at Blackburn, with Frank Lampard the goalscorer in both matches. In fact, Frank's last four league goals have made the difference between one point and three.

The other sides in the top five play each other on Sunday in crucial Manchester versus London tussles. Manchester United travel to Arsenal and neighbours Manchester City host Tottenham.

Points will be inevitably be dropped and Andre Villas-Boas will demand his players take an early advantage by leaving East Anglia with all three points.

This will be the second of three meetings between various Chelsea and Norwich sides at Carrow Road in two weeks, following our win on penalties in the FA Youth Cup last week and a Premier Reserve League game scheduled next Tuesday.

The Blues' first team face trips to all three promoted clubs in the League and Cup over the next week and a half. The trio of Norwich, QPR and Swansea arrived from the Championship in 2011 with scant recent experience of the top flight.

Statistics show that 13 of the 30 sides promoted to the Premier League over the previous decade have immediately fallen through the trapdoor the following May.

A good start to the season is very handy but no guarantee of survival. The Canaries are currently chirruping happily in ninth position, Swansea 13th and QPR struggling in 18th place.

Blackpool were one of the promoted clubs in 2010. At this stage last season they were 10th; they ended the season 19th and relegated. The more seasoned new boys that season, Newcastle and West Brom, stood ninth and 14th respectively in mid-January and secured their status with 12th and 11th place finishes.

The year before, the 2009 batch comprised Wolves, Birmingham and Burnley, positioned 16th, eighth and 15th at this time of year. Only Premier League novices Burnley suffered the drop at the end of the season.

Barclays Premier League fixtures
Saturday
Norwich v Chelsea 12.45pm Sky Sports
Everton v Blackburn 3pm
Fulham v Newcastle 3pm
QPR v Wigan 3pm
Stoke v West Brom 3pm
Sunderland v Swansea 3pm
Wolverhampton v Aston Villa 3pm
Bolton v Liverpool 5.30pm ESPN
Sunday
Manchester City v Tottenham 1.30pm Sky Sports
Arsenal v Manchester United 4pm Sky Sports

The race for the Premier League Golden Boot
Robin van Persie (Arsenal) 18
Demba Ba (Newcastle) 15
Sergio Agüero (Man City) 14
Wayne Rooney (Man Utd) 13
Yakubu (Blackburn) 12
Edin Džeko (Man City) 11
Frank Lampard (Chelsea) 9
Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea) 9
Emmanuel Adebayor (Tottenham) 9
Steven Fletcher (Wolves) 9

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Norwich City v Chelsea