After a rough start to the season that saw them initially earn just four points from their first five matches, Chelsea finally appear to be getting back on track. Two wins from their last two games across all competitions have supporters feeling a bit more optimistic as Jose Mourinho's men prepare to take on lower-tier side Walsall in the Capital One Cup later this afternoon to maintain this positive uptick in form.
Walsall
Although the hosts presently feature in English football's third tier, League One side Walsall will also be perhaps fancying their chances. Currently second in the league with a solid 17 points from their opening eight games, Dean Smith's squad are only behind leaders Burton Albion by one point. They could have seized top spot had they not had to settle for a draw with Peterborough this past weekend, but their loyal fans will still be pleased with the performance of their team - and not just in the league.
In the Capital One Cup so far, Walsall have also impressed and have been punching well above their weight. Two Championship clubs - Nottingham Forest and Brighton - already have seen their cup campaigns end at the hands of today's hosts, who edged them out 4-3 and 2-1 respectively in their past two meetings thanks to a late goal on each occasion.
All in all, Walsall will come into this game having won three, lost two, and drawn one out of their last six matches in all competitions.
Chelsea
Meanwhile, Chelsea have had a difficult beginning to their domestic title defense. In their past five matches, the Blues have already lost three games - the exact same amount they had lose all of last season. Yet, this prior week saw them kick off their Champions League campaign well by thrashing Israeli outfit Maccabi Tel Aviv 4-0 and then, more important, down city rivals Arsenal 2-0 in a spicy London Derby this past Saturday.
Whilst they have quite some ways to catch current leaders Manchester City at the top of the table - with the Citizens boasting a eight point lead - the fact that Manuel Pellegrini's side finally dropped points in a shock loss to West Ham will have made this gap seem a lot less insurmountable. However, the derby win - which was marred in controversy as Arsenal finished the match with nine men - came at a cost for Mourinho's troops.
They will have to make do without Diego Costa, who again showed the ugly side of his game and propensity to mix it up with opposing defenders, and as a result the Brazilian-born Spanish international is banned for the next three matches due to violent conduct. Willian is another who will not feature due to injury, but new signing Papy Djilobodji could make his official debut in the heart of defense alongside captain John Terry, who is set to be recalled to the squad after not featuring in the past two games. Additionally, Radamel Falcao appears to have shaken off his own recent injury and with Costa missing out, the Colombian international will likely be handed the task of leading the line later today.
Not surprisingly, Chelsea enjoy a good record against Walsall. The only time the Blues have ever lost to their upcoming opponents was back on March 30, 1963, a 1-0 result at Stamford Bridge when both teams were featuring in League Two. All in all, they have won nine out of their last 11 meetings, but the two teams have not met in nearly 23 years. The last clash between these two teams was on October 7, 1992 during a Coca-Cola League Cup clash, which finished as a 1-0 win in favor of the Blues.
Will Chelsea, as the big favorites, make it three wins in three games later today? Or Walsall continue to surprise "bigger" teams like they did to the two Championship sides in this Capital One Cup?
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