Luton boss Jack Wilshere has urged his side to ‘embrace’ the challenge of going up against Premier League giants Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Carabao Cup second round this evening.
The Hatters make the trip to West London as huge underdogs to progress against a home side who are under new management this year in former Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso, as after a disappointing finish of 10th last term, in which they missed out on European football, appear very much equipped to battle for a top four spot at the very minimum this term, with the additions of players such as Marco Palestra, Morgan Rogers, Maxence Lacroix, Danny Welbeck and Geovany Quenda.
Triumphing 3-2 at Fulham in the Premier League on Monday night thanks to goals from Rogers, Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro that ensured the Blues got off to a winning start, as they are the red-hot favourites to make it through to round three and set up a home tie against Leeds United next month. However, to do that, they have to get past a Luton side who are unbeaten in their opening three matches of the campaign, and 15 in total if you take last season into account too.
Hatters head to Stamford Bridge this evening - pic: Jasper Wax/Getty Imagesplaceholder image
Hatters head to Stamford Bridge this evening - pic: Jasper Wax/Getty Images
With that in mind, on what he has told his squad ahead of the fixture, Wilshere said: “The message to the players this week is embrace it. You grow up trying to be a footballer to play in these types of games. Of course it’s going to be difficult, they’re favourites to win, but if we don’t have the courage and belief that we can go there and compete and make it difficult for them, then we’re in the wrong sport as it’s about that. We have to go with belief, with courage, while understanding it’s going to be difficult.
“During my time here, we’ve never prepared against an opposition as good as this which means you probably spend more time focusing on defending, but the process and the two day lead in that we normally do, we’ve done the same thing. I made that really, really clear in our first meeting about Chelsea, that me, the coaches, everyone, are preparing to win this game. We never prepare a game that we’re going to take a draw, no, we’re trying to win the game.
"We might as well not even start the game if we don’t have belief, starting with me, but I want the players to go there, show courage, show personality, show togetherness as we’re going to have to at times. Against that type of opposition, the quality they have on the ball, but when we get the ball or when we get moments to attack, let’s go, let’s do it, let’s have personality and that starts with belief.”
Although the majority of Town’s team will have never played at Stamford Bridge before in their careers, it’s a ground that Wilshere knows well having featured there five times during his spells with Arsenal, Bolton Wanderers and AFC Bournemouth. He has never finished up on the winning side, beaten each and every time, but despite that, on his experience of playing in West London, he continued: “Some good memories, some not so good memories.
"I remember playing then when I was 18 on loan at Bolton, that was one of my best memories as I think it’s a top stadium. A club that since I was young you’ve seen get better and better and be closer to competing, then win everything, then not win everything, and go through that period. So a good club, good stadium. I said that to the players, these are the nights that when you were a kid growing up and wanting to be a footballer, you want to play in these nights, in these stadiums, against these teams, so it will be difficult, but we need to look forward to it.”
Luton will be roared on by 4,000 visiting fans this evening, after Hatters fans quickly snapped up their full allocation, heading back to a venue they created a truly memorable atmosphere at when being beaten 3-0 on their last visit in the Premier League three years ago. Although they haven’t won there in just under 40 years, a Mike Newell double and Brian Stein’s goal beating the Blues 3-1 in a Division One contest back in September 1986, Wilshere can’t wait to see as he ramped up the role the Town followers can play.
He added: “These games are big for the club and big for the fans and we’re going to need them. It’s going to be a different game for us where we need to show a different side to us. I know from my experience as a player of playing in games like that where you don’t have the ball as much as you usually do and you have to do different things, hearing your fans behind you makes a massive difference.
"I’m looking forward to seeing them all there, I know we’ve sold over 4,000 tickets which is amazing. I had no doubt when this game came up we would sell it out straight away. Hopefully we can give them something to cheer about, but hopefully they can also help us get through it.”