Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo travels to his former club West Bromwich Albion, who are on a run of form to rival some of the big clubs this season.
The English Premier League clash on Saturday will see two teams at the top end of the table, with just four points separating them. Chelsea, league leaders for much of the season, lie third on 24 points from eleven games, three behind first-placed Manchester United, while West Brom are fifth on 20 points.
West Brom manager Steve Clarke, who has been instrumental in guiding his side to the strong start, will also be facing his former club, where he spent 12 years as a player and then a coach, while Di Matteo returns to the club he managed for two years.
"I'm happy to be No. 1 here at the Albion," Clarke said. "I had a great association with Chelsea and nobody can take those good times away from me.
"I could probably still have been there if I'd chosen that path but I decided to take away the safety net and to challenge myself. Whether I'd have got the main job, who knows? It could have happened but I chose a different path."
Clarke expects nothing short of a stiff challenge against the European champions, who are trying to avoid a November slump, having gone winless in their last three games.
"We now have the European champions at home on Saturday and want to be ready for that one, and our fans want us to be ready," Clarke added. "We're going to work as hard as we can to make it a really different afternoon for Chelsea. That's what we've done every game so far and it has worked quite well.
"I've only been here a short period and it has been great. We know there will be days that aren't so good, so it's important you enjoy your good moments. Supporters can dream if they want but we have to be focused on the job in hand.
"We will try to get whatever success we can. Chelsea have changed the dynamic of their team over the last couple of years but they still have key players in key positions and we are aware of that."
The Blues will miss the services of skipper John Terry, who suffered a knee injury in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool last Sunday, while Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard remain doubtful.
Di Matteo will be desperate to pick up all three points, knowing full well a loss or even a draw, might see United pull well clear at the top, with Manchester City also capable of putting some daylight between the Blues.
The Italian will hope Oscar and David Luiz, who were a part of the Brazilian squad that played the friendly game against Colombia in the U.S. in midweek, will recover in time for Saturday's game, with the former key to the ever blossoming partnership between Juan Mata and Eden Hazard.
Fernando Torres will also be keen to find his scoring boots, with reports of a move for Radamel Falcao in January refusing to die down, while on-loan West Brom striker Romelu Lukaku will want to prove a point or two against his parent club, with Clarke insisting there is no clause that says the Belgian striker cannot play against Chelsea.
West Brom will be without first-choice goalkeeper Ben Foster, who has been ruled out with a groin problem, while Youssouf Mulumbu is hopeful of shaking off a hamstring issue. Defender Steven Reid could be back in contention after recovering from his long-term injury.
Expected lineups: West Brom: Myhill; Reid, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell; Mulumbu, Yacob; Morrison, Brunt, Odemwingie, Long.
Chelsea: Cech; Bertrand, Cahill, Luiz, Ivanovic; Ramires, Mikel; Mata, Oscar, Hazard; Torres.
Prediction: 2-1 to Chelsea
