Jose Mourinho wants Chelsea’s FA Cup exit to Bradford to spark a positive reaction in the second leg of their Capital One Cup semifinal with Liverpool on Tuesday.
A week is a long time in football. Having thrashed Swansea City 5-0 at the Liberty Stadium, Premier League table toppers Chelsea rocked up at Anfield last Tuesday for a Capital One Cup semifinal first leg tie with Liverpool and came away with a creditable 1-1 draw. Advantage Jose Mourinho. All smiles at Stamford Bridge — beat Bradford City in the FA Cup, beat the Reds in the second leg and keep the champagne on ice, Chelsea are off to Wembley twice.
If only life was that simple.
With the sound of some trumpeting Bradford City’s 4-2 victory over Chelsea as the greatest cup shock of all time still ringing in their ears, Blues supporters will return to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night hoping that Saturday’s disastrous result was just an aberration. Having been spectacularly beaten by Bradford, the Capital One Cup now represents Chelsea’s last chance to get to Wembley this season; victory over Liverpool is now paramount if dented pride is to be swiftly restored in SW6.
Manager Jose Mourinho may have rotated his team for the match with the unfancied League One side, but his starting XI was far from weak and having taken a 2-0 lead courtesy of goals from Gary Cahill and Ramires, Chelsea should have cruised to victory. What happened next was truly cataclysmic. Bradford fought back, scoring four goals without further reply.
Were Chelsea guilty of complacency? Were their players not good enough? Did Mourinho get his tactics wrong? The post mortem conversations covered all these possibilities and many more. Wherever the truth may lie, the result stands and fortunately for Mourinho, he has an almost immediate opportunity to make amends by beating Liverpool.
Despite facing Premier League title rivals Manchester City this Saturday, Mourinho will be taking no chances with his team selection against the Reds, especially as the tie is in the balance following last week’s 1-1 first leg draw at Anfield. Only Cesar Azpilicueta, Cahill and Oscar are likely to keep their place following Saturday’s debacle.
Cesc Fabregas, Willian and Eden Hazard, all sent on as substitutes against the Bantams, will also surely start against Liverpool as they seek an immediate return to the form that has seen them win all 10 Premier League games they have played at Stamford Bridge this season. In the course of those matches, Chelsea have scored 24 goals and conceded three, a statistic that makes Bradford’s feat of scoring four in Saturday’s FA Cup game all the more remarkable.
Against Liverpool, Mourinho will likely return to the defensive template that has served him well in this season’s Premier League games at home. Thibaut Courtois in goal. Branislav Ivanovic at right full back. Azpilicueta on the left and skipper John Terry partnering Cahill in the middle.
Terry has played every minute of those league games and his steadying influence and leadership qualities were sorely missed against Bradford. The 34-year-old veteran may lack a yard of pace these days, but his ability in the air and understanding of the game are still second to none and his presence on the pitch gives confidence not only to his teammates but to supporters as well.
ESPN FC’s Alejandro Moreno agrees with Jose Mourinho that his side’s performance was a disgrace, following their 4-2 defeat by Bradford City.
Nemanja Matic is the other player who might have made a difference had he played at the weekend. The towering Serb’s ability to dominate midfield, break up play and recycle the ball has been a key feature of Chelsea’s success this season. With Raheem Sterling, who scored the Reds’ equaliser in the first leg, likely to run at the home defence once more, Matic will need to be at his imperious best to contain the threat posed by the livewire Liverpool youngster.
Further forward, Diego Costa will return to lead Chelsea’s attack. Scoring 17 goals from 23 appearances so far this season make him an essential pick for Mourinho and Costa will be looking to test Liverpool’s back line from the start. In the first leg at Anfield, he was constantly shadowed by two defenders which provided Hazard with more freedom than usual. The fleet-footed Belgian won a penalty which he subsequently scored, and Chelsea could profit once more if Costa is the focal point of Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers’ defensive strategy.
Hazard’s goal at Anfield has given Chelsea the advantage in this tie. If the aggregate score remains level at 1-1 at the end of 90 minutes, extra time will be played. Keeping it 1-1 at the end of extra time will send the Blues to Wembley courtesy of the away goals rule.
Simply speaking, Rodgers’ men cannot afford to sit back. Mourinho loves nothing more than playing a counter-attacking game and this should favour Chelsea. It won’t be pretty but the hosts should have enough in their locker to repel the Reds and book a trip to Wembley to bounce back from Saturday’s shock FA Cup exit.