Chelsea: Three things to look for vs. Morecambe in the FA Cup

3. Can the Blues avoid the seemingly impossible?

The one thing on the back of everyone’s mind right now is the job security of Lampard. Questions like “what does he have to do to save his job?” are beginning to takeover, but one question that supporters aren’t asking is “what does he have to do to lose his job?”—and the answer is unfortunately simple. If the Blues were to somehow slip up and lose to Morecambe, Lampard likely wouldn’t be employed long enough to attend his post-match presser.

While a defeat at the hands of the Shrimps feels impossible, there is a reason this tournament is still played. “The magic of the Cup,” perhaps you’ve heard of it. Unless your name is Tottenham, lightning seldom strikes the same club twice in the same period; however, nobody is safe from an upset. Morecambe is an overwhelming 28/1 underdog to win, with some books not even offering the contest. Chelsea is undoubtedly the heavy favorite, but this game has all of the makings of a historic result.

The Blues are in horrible form, losing four of their last six matches across all competitions. Injuries to key players—like James and Kante—hurt, although neither was likely to feature anyways. Morecambe, on the other hand, has gotten some time to rest given a COVID outbreak at the club. The Shrimps haven’t played since December 26, which would seem like a regularity in any other season, but is a luxury this year. Morecambe hasn’t lost in over a month, and sometimes form, fresh faces and fiery spirits are all an underdog needs.

Nobody is saying Chelsea is going to lose this match, don’t take things out of context, it’s not impossible though. All it takes is one bad day at the office; the Blues have had a lot of those lately. Lampard needs to not only motivate his team, but focus his players up, as well. Chelsea needs to fixate on getting back to winning ways, sure; it all starts with Morecambe though. If the Blues aren’t prepared, Sunday could prove to be one of the darkest days in club history.

What are some of the things you’ll be looking for in the match? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!