Defending Premier League champions Chelsea have a good opportunity to break into the top half of the table after many months this season if they get past Norwich City on Tuesday in their EPL gameweek 28 clash at Carrow Road.
The Blues are currently 11th in the table with 36 points from 27 games, while Norwich are just above the relegation zone.
The match is important for both teams as Chelsea and Norwich will be keen on saving their season at the earliest. The Blues, under Guus Hiddink, have made quite a turnaround in the second half of the season as they remained undefeated in their last six fixtures in the league, which includes a win against Arsenal and a draw against Manchester United.
"When I started in December we were close to the relegation zone, one point away. Of course this club must have big objectives but it was a side objective to get away from the relegation zone as soon as possible," Chelsea interim manager Hiddink was quoted as saying by the BBC ahead of the game.
"The team did well with draws and victories so in a relatively short time we've accomplished that in-between target. That encourages us to go on."
Chelsea skipper John Terry is unavailable for the game as he nurses his hamstring injury, while former Barcelona winger Pedro is also not fit to appear. Alexandre Pato, the former AC Milan hotshot, meanwhile, could be set for his first appearance in a Chelsea shirt.
"He [Pato] is eager and of course we now have healthy competition between the strikers, in a very good atmosphere, with Diego the No1," Hiddink was quoted by Reuters.
Norwich City are the underdogs in the match, but they would want to bring smiles in the faces of their home fans with a good result against Chelsea. The Canaries suffered five defeats in their last six fixtures.
"Are you going to roll over and give up? We're fighting for our lives and we want to stay in the Premier League. A win changes everything," Norwich manager Alex Neil remained positive. "We are capable of a level that can get us positive results in the remaining 11 games."
Sebastian Bassong and Wes Hoolahan are nursing injuries and their participation in the game looks dim. Apart from the duo and injured defender Andre Wisdom, Neil has a fit squad at his disposal.
Where to watch live
Norwich vs Chelsea is scheduled to kick off at 7:45 p.m. GMT (1:15 a.m. IST, 2:45 am EST) , March 1.
In India, viewers can catch the game on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports HD 1. Online streaming will be available on Starsports.com and Hotstar.
In the UK and Ireland, there will be no TV broadcast of the game, but the match can be watched on Chelsea TV online. Radio commentary will be available on TalkSport Radio World.
In the US, viewers can catch the game on the NBC Sports Network. Online streaming will be available on NBC Sports Live Extra. Radio commentary of the game will be available on Westwood One Sports and SiriusXM FC.
The live scores can be followed on the Premier League Match Centre.
