Defender Max Aarons says Norwich City have to go to Stamford Bridge on Saturday confident that they can beat Chelsea on the back of what have been two positive Premier League performances.
Chelsea, who won the Champions League in May, will be without star strikers Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner for the match, but Aarons said the key to a Norwich victory will be more about what they can do, than injury troubles for opposition.
“I still think whoever comes in for those players will be of really, really good quality because it is Chelsea that we are talking about,” he said.
“If two key players get taken out from any team then it is always good, but I think it is about what we do.
“If we go there with this new structure, defensively and on the counterattack, and we have confidence in what we can do with the ball; that we can score goals and that we can beat them, then 100 per cent that can happen. We just need to go there confident and know the gameplan and then, hopefully, we can come back with three points.”
Norwich conceded 16 goals in the first six Premier League matches this season. However, having switched from a 4-4-2 to a back five, the Canaries found some defensive resolve away at Burnley to draw 0-0 and followed that up with a balanced performance at home to Brighton & Hove Albion, where again the team were solid, but created enough chances to win the game.
Max added that the team take a lot of confidence from that.
“We knew how important it was to get points against Burnley and Brighton. It would have been nice to have won one of those games, if not both, but we have picked up points and in doing that we have gained a new defensively stability that you need in this league. We are looking really, really good now and I am really confident in this team."
“I thought we were conceding too many goals at the start and the last two games we have nipped that in the bud," added Max.
“In the Brighton game we got forward really well as well. There is a lot of quality in this league and it is important that we are solid but also that we now start to create more chances. That is on the attacking players, but also the whole team.
“We have to defend as a team and attack as a team and we have got a responsibility to start creating goals no matter if it is a centre back or if it is me as a wingback. We have all got a responsibility to start creating chances, start creating goals and really start to hurt other teams.”
The switch in formation has also seen Max take up a wingback role, which he is enjoying.
“I am massively enjoying it," he said. "It means there is a lot more cover behind me for when I can go forward and the onus is now on me as a wingback to start chipping in with goals. The manager spoke to me today and we talked about some more attacking runs that I can make and how we can start working on that.”
Max is also getting advice from former Chelsea player Ashley Cole, who is part of the coaching team with Lee Carsley at England Under-21s. Carsley took over in the summer, following the departure of Aidy Boothroyd, and Max, who has been on two international camps with the Under-21s since then, is delighted to be learning of such experienced players.
“I have had a few chats with Ashley now and I think there is no better player or full back that I can get advice off,” said Max.
“He has already spoke to me about a few different little things and defensively he was unbelievable and, with me only being 21 years old, I want to soak up as much of that experience as I can. To have Ashley Cole right in front of you and to be able to ask him questions, it doesn’t get much better than that.
“Lee (Carsley) has also been great. He is an ex-player, who has played at a really high level, and the team that he has got around him with Joleon Lescott and Ashley, you are not going to get three better people around you to be able to aid your development and to give you pointers on how you can improve your game.”