Previews

Chelsea head to the Britannia Stadium on Tuesday night as they look to book a place in the fifth round of the Capital One Cup. After a poor start in the league, could retaining the other trophy that they won last season now become a top priority for Mourinho? He rarely shies away from taking on this competition, so expect him to name a strong side here.

After a victory over Walsall in the last round, this game is a huge step up for the Premier League champions. This tie looks a lot harder now than it did when it was drawn, as Stoke are in much better form. The Potters hadn’t won a league game at that stage, and they were sitting near the bottom of the table. Having gone on a four game winning run coming in to this one (prior to the weekend fixtures), they’re now a much more difficult prospect.

Moving in to the last eight of the competition would be a boost for Mourinho, even if the board aren’t considering this as a must win trophy. It would ease a little bit of pressure, especially after two solid results against Aston Villa and Dynamo Kiev. The strong structure shown in the match in Ukraine should help here, as this will be a tough workout for the Blues.

Stoke may not be the huge, lumbering side they once were, but the Britannia won’t be a nice place to come to on a cold Tuesday night. They have a plethora of talented attacking midfielders, but there remains physicality in the ranks behind them too. Mourinho will almost need to match them, given that the Chelsea set-up is a little similar. The seven defensive minded players (including the keeper) are athletic and strong, while there’s a skilful, attack-minded four up top.

Of course, whilst we expect a strong team, we also expect plenty of changes. The manager takes this competition seriously every year, but he still rotates. Expect the back four to remain pretty much the same, given the lack of options back there. Either Loic Remy or Radamel Falcao will probably start up top, while youngsters like Kenedy and Rueben Loftus-Cheek should be in line to start. On top of that, expect to see John Obi Mikel get a rare run out.

This game will certainly be a test for a mixed up team, but it would be huge if they could pull off a result here. Success in the least sought after cup could inspire the squad elsewhere, with a tough league campaign to fight, plus the Champions League group starting to heat up.

One other thing Mourinho will get out of this game is a good examination for his squad players. He was recently demanding more from Falcao and Loftus-Cheek, and this is the kind of game they need to deliver in. The young Englishman will face a completely new challenge if he starts at the Britannia, and that will help him for the future.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-1

Chelsea head to Upton Park for the last time on Saturday, hoping to avoid becoming another huge scalp for West Ham. After seeing off Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City this term, Slaven Bilic’s side certainly have potential to pull off an upset, but can they hand the Blues another defeat?

The champions returned to winning ways last weekend, beating Aston Villa 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. After a 0-0 draw away at Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League, they are starting to look more like the side of last season. That isn’t enough to put their poor form from this campaign away for good, but we’re hopefully seeing signs of a turnaround, at least defensively.

Finishing in the top four will be Mourinho’s main requirement this season after the nightmare start. Despite lingering near the bottom for much of the campaign to date, his team are now just six points off fourth place. That gives them extra motivation to win this weekend, seeing as the team currently in fourth are their opponents West Ham.

As we mentioned, the Hammers have landed a few massive results this term, winning away to some very big sides. At home, things have been a different story for them. They’ve lost to Leicester and Bournemouth, while they drew with Norwich. That’s not how they want to spend their final season at Upton Park before their move to the Olympic Stadium next year.

The main question is, is their side set up to play better away from home, or are they built to face big sides? They tend to be a counter attacking team, which plays well when they can sit back away from home. It suits them even more to be playing deep against a stronger team, as they can wait for their chance to counter.

While that worked against very attacking sides, it’s hard to see the same thing happening with Chelsea. Mourinho doesn’t tend to go all out away from home, and he certainly won’t in this game after seeing what West Ham can do. Expect the manager to urge his side to sit back early on, trying to coax the Hammers out from their deep positions, and get them out of their comfort zone.

A more defensive central midfield pairing is important to that, so expect Nemanja Matic to keep his spot after a good performance in Kiev. Alongside him will be either Ramires, who started in Ukraine too, or Rueben Loftus-Cheek, who was promised a run in the team by Mourinho. That leaves Fabregas as the number 10, a role which should suit him in this kind of game.

The first goal in this match will be crucial, as it will totally change the contest. If West Ham get it, they can wait for the Blues to push forward and punish them on the counter. If Chelsea get it, then they’ll force West Ham to play in a more attacking style than usual, which hasn’t worked for them this term. Which both sides looking to counter, don’t expect to see many goals on show, with another Chelsea clean sheet very much on the cards.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 1-0

Chelsea head to Ukraine on Tuesday night hoping to get their Champions League campaign back on track. The Blues slipped down to third in the group after defeat in Porto in their last game, and they’ll be looking to reassert themselves over the course of the double header against Dynamo.

While the Champions League group stage often lacks much tension in these kinds of games, this match will be huge for Jose Mourinho and his men. Remember, it was the failings in this competition that cost Roberto Di Matteo his job. If the Blues are on course for the next round, Mourinho is fine. If they were looking short of that, then the manager should get worried.

This game in Ukraine is the type of banana skin that can cost teams in the group stage. Chelsea come here expecting to win, but they know that the long flight and hostile atmosphere will be a daunting obstacle. There is plenty that can go wrong here on a good day, and Mourinho has seen few of them this term.

One bonus is the recent Champions League performances. Despite losing in Porto, the display wasn’t actually that bad. Defensively they can certainly improve, but on another day Chelsea would have come back from that game with at least a point. The Portuguese side almost won their opening game in Ukraine, before a late Dynamo equaliser, so this isn’t exactly a fortress.

A lot will depend on the approach in this game, as the Blues squad seems pretty fragile right now. The best tactic would seem to be keeping things tight for the first half an hour to let the team find their feet. That would relax any nerves, especially among any squad or young players who are in the team.

With Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic possibly out, we could see younger replacements like Kurt Zouma and Abdul Baba Rahman. Those two haven’t got much experience of these tricky away ties, so they’ll need time to settle. Mourinho also promised Rueben Loftus-Cheek a run in the team, given the form of Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic. If the youngster plays here, he can’t necessarily be expected to hit the ground running.

This Champions League campaign so far has shown us that you simply can’t take sides for granted at this level any more. Dynamo are capable of causing a shock, but Chelsea can’t afford to let that happen. Strong leadership will be key, which is why we should expect to see John Terry start in this one. Diego Costa will play a crucial role up front, and don’t be surprised to see a 4-3-3 formation with two holding players.

Despite recent troubles, Mourinho and his side simply have to perform. They have no excuses right now, a match of this magnitude needs a big display. With qualification essentially on the line, we’re backing the Premier League champions to get the job done.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-1

Chelsea return from the international break to face a struggling Aston Villa side at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The Villains are currently situated in the relegation zone, but they are only four points and two places off the champions. Manager Jose Mourinho desperately needs a win, not just to get the pressure off his shoulders, but to build confidence ahead of a crunch Champions League tie at Dynamo Kyiv on Wednesday night.

The domestic football break means the last Chelsea match feels like a while ago, but it’s hard to forget Mourinho’s post-match rant. He took on the club’s board, the players and the FA in his seven minute response to a question from Sky. He had been very calm and collected after defeats earlier in the season, but after the Southampton loss the manager seemed to crack.

That’s got to mean this weekend is a must win game for him. No manager has ever survived at Chelsea when the talk of a sacking ramped up, but no manager was every really given the time to fix things. Mourinho was given the backing of the board, and now he’ll have to repay that faith by getting more points on the board. At the minute, there’s just seven points between them and fourth. If that gap gets too big, a change will be made.

With this match becoming so important, it’s a good thing that they face a side in an even worse position. Villa haven’t won since the opening day, and their manager also looks to be under immense pressure. There have been stories about other managers being lined up to take over at Villa Park, with the threat of relegation looming. Tim Sherwood in another man in need of positive results.

Chelsea may have landed on their feet in terms of opposition, but they’ve returned from the internationals below strength. Branislav Ivanovic and Nemanja Matic both picked up injuries while playing for Serbia. Matic looks like he will be back to fitness for this one, but will he even feature after being subbed on and then taken off again by Mourinho last time out?

Ivanovic is a doubt, alongside Gary Cahill who picked up an injury while captaining England last week. That leaves just four fit defenders if they miss out, with Cesar Azpilicueta jumping to right back and Abdul Baba Rahman coming in on the left. That’s a move many fans have called for, so it could work out for the best.

Thibaut Courtois remains out, he’s targeting a December return. On the bright side, Diego Costa is back from suspension. He didn’t travel with Spain last week, so you can imagine that he’s fit and ready to go right now. His return should be the boost that Chelsea need to get back to winning ways, and we’re backing him to be the difference here.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-0

Chelsea are hoping to get their season back on track this weekend, with Southampton the visitors to Stamford Bridge. After a draw against Newcastle and a defeat at Porto, they’ll need to get back to winning ways, so they’ll be targeting a solid victory here. The Saints are struggling themselves, but they’re a resourceful side so could they put another dent in Chelsea’s season here?

Southampton come into this match on the back of a 10 game winless run away from home in the league, which will surely be a boost to Jose Mourinho. He knows how badly his side need a win, since they’re currently 14th in the table. Given how the south coast team have picked up results at the Bridge twice in the three seasons since their promotion, they could well cause a shock.

Expect to see a few more changes following the Porto defeat. Eden Hazard was dropped to the bench for that game, while Loic Remy and Radamel Falcao weren’t in the squad. After another poor display at the back, it’s likely that something will change in the defence. At this stage, Abdul Baba Rahman surely deserves to take the place of Branislav Ivanovic, who can’t seem to stop making mistakes.

One change we’ll definitely see is up front, as Diego Costa serves the final game of his suspension. It’s likely that Remy will be given the nod up top, he’s had the edge over Falcao so far this season. We should also see a formation change, moving back to the 4-2-3-1 from Tuesday’s 4-3-3. That’ll give Remy a little extra support in the final third. We also expect Mikel to drop out, with Oscar coming back in.

There’s still a question over Cesc Fabregas, who hasn’t been at his best this season. He kept his place for the Champions League game, but will he retain his position in the starting XI here? Given Ramires’ fine recent displays, it looks like the Brazilian will get his chance in the team, as Mourinho really needs to try a new approach. Fabregas looked set for a promising career at Chelsea a few months back, but now his future is unclear.

Fabregas and Hazard – the best players last season – are both out of form while Costa is suspended, so someone really needs to step up and fill that void. Willian has arguable done that with his goals lately, but he’s not yet doing quite enough. Hopefully Oscar can step up given the chance, as he hasn’t really had a run in the team recently. He was a vital part of the highs of last season, but can he reach that level while others are struggling?

This game will once again see questions asked of Mourinho. He seems strangely clam after defeats, which could be a good sign, although it feels a little worrying. The manager needs a response in this game, and he needs to do something to wake his players up. Even grinding out a win would put his side back on track.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-1

Chelsea head to Portugal on Tuesday night as they look to build on their winning start to their Champions League campaign. The trip will be a big one for manager Jose Mourinho, as the boss heads back to his former club. With the hosts sitting pretty at the top of the Portuguese league, can they beat the Premier League champions and get their first win of the group?

Porto have made a great start domestically, including seeing off their main rivals Benfica last weekend to stay top of the table. They’ll have ambitions of topping their Champions League group too, which makes this game a must win for them. Mourinho will come here expecting a tough game, which makes him likely to adopt a defensive approach, as he tends to do in big Premier League games.

Expect to see a midfield with Nemanja Matic playing alongside either Ramires or John Obi Mikel, giving the visitors a strong foundation, and restricting space to the Portuguese side. That makes the Blues tough to break down, and it gives them a platform from which to launch counter attacks, which will surely be crucial. The big question remains over the defence, which has been a little too vulnerable so far this season.

Adding a second deep lying midfielder worked well against Arsenal, and it should be very helpful again here. Expect Kurt Zouma to be back in the team for this game, possibly alongside the experience of John Terry. It’s going to be a night for the old heads, so Cesar Azpilicueta and Branislav Ivanovic will likely start. They have the knowhow when it comes to edging games like this.

Diego Costa may have been banned by the FA, but his suspension thankfully won’t carry over to this game. A dominant physical presence like his will be needed in this game, as the forward will need to do thankless running and a lot of holding the ball up. There are few in the game who that as well as Costa, and he can be a threat if given the chances.

A win here would be huge for Chelsea, and not just as a boost for the returning Mourinho. It would put them far clear at the top going into a double header with Dynamo Kiev. You’d imagine at that point that qualification would be almost secured. The big challenge will be getting across the line in this game, but this is the kind of game the team have relished for the last few years.

This won’t be a game for the neutrals, it’ll be another fighting Blues display. Porto will try to dominate possession and push the visitors back, but if all goes to the usual plan there will be little space for them to play in. With their backs against the wall, you’d fancy Chelsea to get over the line, and claim three points.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 1-0

Chelsea are looking to record back to back league wins for the first time this season when they make the trip to Newcastle on Saturday evening. The Blues got themselves back on track at Arsenal last week, but they face a tough trip to a ground that Jose Mourinho really struggles at. Can they turn around their record at St James’ Park and claim a huge three points?

Mourinho has made five trips to St James’ in his Chelsea career, and he’s yet to win there. The Magpies have beaten his side in three of those five games, including last year when they ended the Blues’ unbeaten start. It’s not just limited to Mourinho’s reign, Chelsea have lost in their last three trips to Newcastle. That’s a record that needs to be turned around fast.

Luckily they face a side who are completely out of form. The Magpies have yet to win a game this season, and manager Steve McClaren already seems under pressure. They spent big in the summer, but they’ve not actually taken any steps forward. Given that their right back seems like their only attacking threat, this has to be a victory for the visitors.

They’re unlikely to be presented with an easier task any time soon, although they’ll have to pull it off without Diego Costa. The forward was charged by the FA after the fiery clash with Arsenal, after unrelenting coverage by every sports programme in the country. Now the Blues will have to rely on either Falcao or former Newcastle man Loic Remy.

We should see Mourinho field a full strength team everywhere else, after making several changes for the game against Walsall. The big question will be over John Terry. Does he make a return to the side, or does Mourinho stick with the Kurt Zouma and Gary Cahill partnership? Newcastle don’t have too much pace in their team, so Terry could play, but the manager might not want to drop the pair who were so impressive last weekend.

Either way, Chelsea are going to need an imposing display from their midfield in this one. Without Costa, goals are going to be needed from the supporting pack. Hopefully Eden Hazard can improve following his late goal last week. Pedro hasn’t hit the heights of his debut, another performance like that would be more than welcome. Cesc Fabregas looked good in the two wins last week and hopefully he can carry that form into this meeting.

With City away to Tottenham early on Saturday, there’s a chance they could drop points, and the champions would know that going into this one. No matter what City do, the Blues need to get a win here. Not just to end an awful record against the Toon, but to get more points on the board. They need to start moving up the table, and they can do that with victory on Saturday.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 1-0

Chelsea kick off their League Cup campaign at Walsall on Wednesday night, and Jose Mourinho looks set to make big changes to the team. The Blues are defending the cup they won last season, and they’ll be targeting another run in the competition after a less than stellar start to the season. Can they avoid an upset and progress to the fourth round? We think they almost certainly can.

The Blues are heavy favourites to see off their League One opponents, but their game against Shrewsbury in the League Cup last season shows they won’t have it all their own way. With a heavily rotated side likely, expect the hosts to have a real go at the Premier League champions.

The team selection is the big story from this game, with Mourinho’s picks now being scrutinised much more intensely than last term. The manager confirmed that John Terry will return to the team for this one, but we don’t know who he’ll replace. Many are calling this a humiliation, as he’s put in with the second string. Terry seems like the type who just wants to play games, so don’t expect him to be too upset by this news. He’ll be happier playing than not playing.

Diego Costa will be sitting out this game, with Falcao confirmed to start up front. The Colombian hasn’t been given much game time so far, so this is a huge chance for him. Given Costa’s headline-grabbing display on Saturday, it’s probably best to give him a break for this game. Especially if it can help Falcao get back to his best.

Hopefully we’ll see a few young stars in this one as well, as that’s always a highlight of these games. Rueben Loftus-Cheek was great in the Champions League last week, and he must be pushing for another start here. I don’t think we can expect to see too many youngsters starting, Mourinho does like to field a strong side in cup matches.

The gulf between these teams does seem like too much for Walsall to bridge. They’ve made a good start in League One, but this will be a completely different test for them. Had this game been a couple of weeks ago they might have fancied their chances a little more, but Chelsea look back to their best after two wins last week.

Losing here and surrendering the trophy that they won last season is unthinkable for Mourinho, especially after the start they made in the league. The memory of that Bradford game will still be hanging over him, so expect the manager to take the hosts seriously, and look to record a comfortable victory.

This game could give us a great insight into the future of the team this season. How will Terry respond to being dropped? How will Falcao get on? Will we get to see Abdul Baba Rahman get another chance at the back? The answers to these questions will all affect the rest of the campaign, which makes this game even bigger.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 3-0

Chelsea host rivals Arsenal in the early game on Saturday, with the champions looking to end a horrible start to the season. After the defeat to Everton on Saturday, there are huge questions over the players in this team. Can they turnaround their poor start and get their season up and running? It’s surely going to be a tough match for the Blues.

The Everton defeat means that this is now the Blues’ worst start to a season for 29 years. They currently sit 17th in the table, and they need a quick turnaround if they’re to have any chance of winning the title. Jose Mourinho made a big deal about how his role was to secure a top four place every year when he returned, and the pressure will soon be on him to guarantee that.

This game could be a crucial one for Chelsea in terms of making the top four. There’s few doubting their ability to finish there, but the longer this dire run goes, the more fears there will be about missing out on the Champions League. A loss to Arsenal would see them drop further off the pace, while their rivals move even further clear.

There’s also the early season defeat in the Community Shield to put right. That was the first time Arsene Wenger had ever beaten Mourinho, and the Chelsea boss will be looking to get back to winning ways against his old rival. It’s key that he sorts things out here, and to do that he’s likely to go a little more defensive, to get rid of the problems they’re having at the back.

Either John Obi Mikel or Ramires are likely to play beside Nemanja Matic in midfield, giving the Blues a solid foundation in midfield. Don’t be surprised to see him switch back to a 4-3-3, given how much space the two-man midfield has been conceding so far this term. Eden Hazard and Pedro are likely to start, but with a lot more defensive responsibilities than usual.

This is the kind of game for defensive old heads, so we could see the usual back four from last term in this game. Branislav Ivanovic will probably keep his place, with Cesar Azpilicueta at left back. Kurt Zouma may keep his place, but at home his pace shouldn’t be as important. Mourinho may play him to keep tabs on Theo Walcott, but he could switch back to Gary Cahill and John Terry and play a little deeper.

It’s going to be a tight game here, and it’s one that Mourinho knows his side simply can’t lose. We may see the pragmatist come out in the manager here, as he plays more with one point in mind than three. He’ll set up to counter attack, looking not to concede before all else. We therefore see a draw in this game, which would start easing Chelsea back to form.

LCN Verdict: 0-0 draw

Chelsea kick off their Champions League campaign on Wednesday night, as they host group minnows Maccabi Tel-Aviv at Stamford Bridge. The Premier League winners were seeded in this group, and they’re heavy favourites to make the next round. The draw looked straightforward for them, but that was before they made a horror start to the season. Will things be quite so easy for them now?

The Blues head into this game backed heavily by the bookies, but there can’t be a lot of confidence in this squad. None of them have played well this season, with their performances being either awful or forgettable. The team are far from the side of last season, but they need to get back to that level fast in the league.

For this game, it’s not quite necessary. The Israeli side don’t seem to have that much of a threat about them, so this should be a great chance for Chelsea to get back to winning ways. No matter how much they’re backed to win this group, they simply can’t afford to drop points at home to the lowest seeded team in there.

Jose Mourinho is without Thibaut Courtois for this one, with the Belgian set for a long spell on the sidelines. He could be out until next year after picking up a knee injury in training. Asmir Begovic is set to come in to replace him for the foreseeable future, and the Bosnian should be a strong understudy.

That seems to be the only real injury worry ahead of this one, after Oscar made a return in the defeat at Everton. He should be available to start in this game, and he’s likely to play alongside Eden Hazard and Pedro in an impressive three man attacking midfield. Hopefully they can click together, along with Diego Costa, given that the Blues will see a lot of the ball in this next game.

While there aren’t too many injury problems, there are some below par performers to keep an eye on. Last term, the Chelsea team basically picked itself. Now, certain stars don’t really deserve a starting berth. Will Mourinho ring the changes? He promised to after the Palace game, but he didn’t follow through with that at Everton.

Given that Cesc Fabregas’s match stats from Saturday had about as many zeros as his pay cheque, he’s got to be in danger of losing his place. If Mourinho can play that attacking midfield trio, then he has already replaced the out of form Fabregas. Ramires could come in for him, or he could even give Ruben Loftus-Cheek a run out.

Branislav Ivanovic’s displays of late have been awful, too. He has to be in danger of missing out. Making radical defensive changes before a game like Everton is one thing, but they can afford it in this game. Hopefully changes do help the Blues on to victory, starting off their Champions League campaign better than their domestic one.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-0