Liverpool Looking To Cause Chelsea FC More Cup Pain
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is relishing the opportunity to kick Chelsea FC out of yet another domestic cup as his side travels to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea took Liverpool’s best shot last Tuesday at Anfield and were lucky to escape with a draw. The Reds harassed and harried the Blues in to near submission but due to some wayward finishing and magic from Thibaut Courtois they were unable to take full advantage.
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Now the stage is set for a one-off match to decide who will be heading to Wembley to face either Sheffield United or Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs won the first leg of their matchup thanks to a late Andros Townsend penalty but are still not guaranteed a trip to Wembley either.
Normally Chelsea FC would be huge favorites in a situation like this. They are at home, facing a Liverpool side missing some big time players such as Daniel Sturridge, and they have Jose Mourinho calling the shots. However after this weekend’s pitiful capitulation at the hands of League One side Bradford City, the homefield advantage may not be as strong as it once was. Stamford Bridge may usually be a fortress but Bradford kicked down the gates and planted their flag at midfield.
Some pointed to complacency as the reason for Chelsea’s collapse and it is understandable they were facing a League One side. They were up 2-1 at half and probably thought the match was already decided before they came out of the dressing room but fate had other plans.
Bradford was full of life and they scored three more fantastic goals thanks to some horrid defending by Chelsea. Well Liverpool may not be as lucky as Bradford because they are now facing a very pissed off Chelsea team with a very angry manager who is looking for much more from his players.
Brendan Rodgers spoke to Eurosport about facing a motivated Chelsea team and recognized that it could be a major factor. “The result at the weekend doesn’t help – they will have great motivation. It is a different game, a different competition, a Wembley place is at stake. When you come off a game like that you want to put it right” said Rodgers. He continued and said “But there is also that, in the back of your mind, even if you’re up in the game – like they were, 2-0 – you can still lose the game. So I’m sure there’ll be that wee bit of trepidation”.
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So according to Brendan Rodgers, the Blues could either be very motivated to smash Liverpool at home, or they could be facing a side scared to repeat their same mistakes. It may be somewhere in between but if Jose Mourinho has anything to do with it then Chelsea will be raring to go. He will field his best eleven and look to exorcise the demons of the FA Cup exit. This will be a tense and emotional affair with no room for nerves or complacency. The Blues must win this game to get their season back on track and help Mourinho win his first silverware since returning to Stamford Bridge.