Date: Tuesday 3rd March 2020
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Kick-off: 19:45 GMT
Defeat to
Bayern in the Champions League left us a bit battered and the bruising still
showed against Bournemouth at the weekend in a game that could have been worse
but should have been better.
We had a
horribly lethargic start to the game, picked ourselves up after Alonso put us
ahead but the story of our season repeated itself yet again with the
predictable failure to widen the 1-goal margin. So, almost as soon as
Bournemouth equalised, like a rabbit in headlights, we were running around in
panic, without any direction until they hit us again. We showed some rare
character to battle back for the draw at the weekend and we’ll need a lot more
of that character tonight, against what will be a pretty strong Liverpool side.
Klopp has
a tendency to field weakened sides in domestic cups and this season has been no
exception. After losing in the Champions League and experiencing their first
Premier League defeat of the campaign though, the Liverpool manager will almost
certainly break with that tradition against us tonight.
Unfortunately for us, this isn’t a Liverpool side familiar with losing this season.
MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going
into tonight’s game, Chelsea manager Frank
Lampard, says “It’s Liverpool, our fans are
coming to see us in the FA Cup trying to overturn the best team in the land. It doesn’t mean I might not change a couple of
people, I think there might be something for freshness of legs or a couple of
little different options, but I won’t pick a team casually where I’m giving
minutes. I’m treating it with the care I would any Premier League game.”
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp meanwhile, says “Chelsea
are a football-playing side, and from a passing point of view one of the top,
top, top sides. We need to find a solution to that. It will be a different
challenge. We are Liverpool, we are
always under pressure and we are always expected to deliver. If Chelsea make
changes, I don’t know if they will, it will still be a very experienced team. It’s
the last 16 of the FA Cup and we want to go through. That’s the plan.”
SQUAD NEWS
For Chelsea, van Ginkel (ACL), Christian
Pulisic, Callum Hudson-Odoi (hamstring) and N’Golo Kante remain out. Tammy
Abraham (ankle) is also sidelined again and Andreas Christensen is rated
doubtful. Ruben Loftus-Cheek played in
the development squad last night, so that’s him missing as well.
For Liverpool, Jordan
Henderson, Naby Keita, Xherdan Shaqiri and Nathaniel Clyde are all absentees
but Joe Gomez and James Milner both available and after the defeat to Watford
in the PL, Klopp will undoubtedly field a much stronger XI than he has in the
competition so far.
TEAMS
CHELSEA (Possible
line-up): Kepa; James, Zouma, Tomori, Azpilicueta; Barkley, Jorginho, Alonso; Willian,
Mount; Giroud
LIVERPOOL (Possible line-up): Adrian; N Williams, Matip, Lovren,
Robertson; Milner, Fabinho, Jones; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Minamino, Origi
LAST MEETING
Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool (22nd September 2019)
CURRENT FORM (ALL)
CHELSEA: WDLWLD
LIVERPOOL: WWWLWL
OTHER
STUFF
- This is
the third meeting this season.
- Liverpool
won 2-1 in the league at Stamford Bridge in September, and beat us in the Uefa
Super Cup on penalties in Istanbul in August
- This is
the first FA Cup meeting between the clubs since the 2012 final, which Chelsea
won 2-1.
- Chelsea
have beaten Liverpool in five of the past seven FA Cup meetings.
- Chelsea
have won the FA Cup six times this century.
- This is
the fifth straight season Chelsea have reached the FA Cup fifth round.
- Chelsea
have lost only one of their past 12 FA Cup ties.
- Chelsea
have been beaten in just one of 12 home FA Cup fixtures.
- Chelsea
have kept clean sheets in five of their past six FA Cup ties at Stamford
Bridge.
- Liverpool
have lost two of their last three matches in all competitions.
- Liverpool
have reached the quarter-finals only twice since they last won the FA Cup since
2006.
- Liverpool
have won just one of their past six FA Cup away matches (D2, L3).
