Betfair Official Blog

Blackburn continued to undo all of their good early season work, with a fourth defeat in six games at Wigan on Saturday. It left them close to slipping out of the top-half - and four points off the Uefa Cup places. Rovers are dogged fighters though, following a similarly heavy (2-6) defeat at Arsenal at an almost identical stage last season with seven wins in their next 11 away games.

Chelsea suffered only their second loss under Avram Grant at the weekend in their fractious defeat at the Emirates. It extended their winless sequence against the Big Four (home and away) to eight games - and left them six points behind the Gunners - and out at [7.4] for the title - their price when Grant took the helm. It ended a very impressive sequence of seven wins to nil in eight games that had re-established Chelsea back in the title race.

Ewood Park is one of Chelsea's favourite venues. If they hadn't already wrapped up the 2005/06 title when the came here, they'd probably be chasing their sixth consecutive win at the ground. Blackburn's Chelsea-phobia adds to a declining Mark Hughes record against elite visitors, which has seen Rovers take a respectable 15/39 points against the Big Four overall, but win only once in their last six (they won 3/4 of their home games versus Big Four teams in 2005/06).

As if that wasn't bad enough, defeats to their closest rivals tend to chasten the Blues. Up until their home draw with Fulham earlier this season, having lost to Manchester United in the game prior, Chelsea had won 16 consecutive games following defeat, dating back to 1999/00 - seven of them away from home - including the last five to nil. Blackburn scored first at home more than anyone last season (13/19) except Man Utd and Chelsea. However, they converted only eight of these into wins, losing to both Aston Villa and West Ham. This season they have scored first in 3/6 at home and converted all of these into wins.

Hughes has been at the helm for 13 home games against Big Four opposition, 11 (85%) of which have produced two goals or fewer. Blackburn have only trailed at the break in six of their 22 home encounters with the Big Four over the past five years.

Since the start of 2004/05, 67% of Chelsea's away wins (53% of their total away games) have come by a 1-0 or 2-0 scoreline. Since the start of last season, Rovers have won all eight of their home games when they score in the first 20 minutes but just four of 17 when they fail to do so.

Based on the last two seasons, only Middlesbrough have had fewer away wins from half-time draws than Blackburn - who have converted half-time parity into a win just twice. This season 2/7 draws at half-time have been converted into wins.