Chelsea bids to extend stunning scoring form

Chelsea bids to extend stunning scoring form

Published Aug. 26, 2010 12:09 p.m. ET

Heavy-scoring Chelsea hosts a Stoke team it beat 7-0 at home last season as the reigning champions look to extend a stunning run of form that has taken them to the top of the Premier League.

After two rounds of matches, the league table already has an ominous look to it, with the London club leading the way on maximum points and Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City all two behind.

Chelsea has beaten both West Bromwich Albion and Wigan 6-0, making it 29 goals in its last five top-flight matches. That includes a 7-0 thrashing of Stoke in Chelsea's penultimate home game last season and Tony Pulis' side visits Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

"We know we have the quality up front and that everybody in the squad can score, so that brings confidence," said Chelsea midfielder Florent Malouda, who has scored three of his team's 12 goals this campaign.

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"We are scoring a lot of goals because we always keep the focus all game. We never lie back and say we will play easy."

It has been a record-breaking start to the Premier League season, with 64 goals scored in the first 20 matches - the most in the top flight since it was reduced to 20 teams. Arsenal and Newcastle joined Chelsea in easing to 6-0 wins last weekend and teams appear prepared to play open, attacking football in the early stages of the season.

There is the strong possibility of more heavy scoring this weekend with bottom-place Wigan, which has conceded 10 goals already, traveling to White Hart Lane to play Tottenham, which beat Young Boys 4-0 on Wednesday to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League. Wigan is also returning to the ground where it conceded nine goals last season.

"It's important the entire squad is ready and focused for what will be like a cup final for us, going in search of our first league win of the season," Wigan manager Roberto Martinez said.

"They (Tottenham) are in a great moment after a good result in European competition so you can imagine how they are feeling."

Second-place Arsenal will look to follow up its thrashing of Blackpool at Emirates Stadium when it visits Blackburn on Saturday. Third-place Man United, which conceded a last-minute goal at Fulham to draw 2-2 last weekend, is at home to West Ham, which like Wigan is without a point and has looked porous in defense.

Also on Saturday, promoted Blackpool plays its first home match in the Premier League when it hosts Fulham, and Newcastle, which routed Aston Villa at St James' Park on Sunday, goes to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

On Sunday, Liverpool looks for its first victory of the season in the league when it hosts West Brom at Anfield. After drawing its opening match 1-1 against Arsenal, Roy Hodgson's side was beaten 3-0 by Man City on Monday and currently is fourth from bottom in the fledgling table.

Fourth-place City is away at Sunderland and Bolton is at home to Birmingham. In Sunday's other game, Aston Villa hosts Everton, with Villa's interim manager Kevin MacDonald seeking a win to improve his hopes of replacing the departed Martin O'Neill on a fulltime basis.

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