Previews

Chelsea head to Wembley on Sunday as they face rivals Tottenham in the League Cup final. This is the first final since Jose Mourinho returned to the club, and he’ll be looking to win his first silverware in almost three years this weekend. Just as it did 10 years ago, Mourinho will be hoping the League Cup can provide a springboard to help secure the Premier League title in the run in.

The big news heading in to this one is that Nemanja Matic will be missing for the Blues, despite his ban being reduced from three games to two by the FA. That will mean he misses the final this weekend, and he’s likely to be replaced by John Obi Mikel in the holding role. We saw what Harry Kane and Spurs did to Matic when the two met at White Hart Lane on New Year’s Day, so what could they do against Mikel?

Well, Spurs have problems of their own ahead of this game. They face a midweek trip to Florence on Thursday night before they head to Wembley on Sunday, and the Europa League did affect their domestic performances early in the campaign. All that travel and a difficult game against a strong Serie A side isn’t the best preparation for a final, especially when Chelsea have had a week off before this game.

Last week Spurs drew 2-2 at home to West Ham, starting poorly and salvaging a draw in the end. That might have been because they had one eye on the final, but their midweek Europa exploits surely can’t have helped. If they have any kind of Europa League hangover going in to this game, then you’d expect that Chelsea would be climbing the Wembley steps to lift the trophy on Sunday night.

It’s a much needed trophy for the Blues as well. They may be Premier League leaders, but they’ve not quite kept up the trophy standard of the Abramovich era in recent seasons. Their last trophy came two seasons ago in the Europa League, and that was the last time they made an appearance at Wembley. It’s hardly a drought, but it’s not the kind of record Mourinho prides himself on.

He has been waiting for a trophy since winning La Liga in 2012, and this is his best chance to do it since coming back to Stamford Bridge. There is a chance for them to win silverware in the league and Champions League, and this trophy will be seen as a boost on the way to doing that. Winning a trophy just before the start of the run in is a huge morale booster, plus any trophy is something Mourinho and the club want to win.

It’s hard to see Spurs making this easy, and the loss of Matic here will be noticed. Chelsea’s finals tend to be tight affairs, and that’s likely to happen again here. While it will be a tough game, the Blues should come through this with another trophy in the cabinet.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win in extra time

Chelsea could open up a temporary 10 point lead at the top of the Premier League table with a win against Burnley on Saturday. The Blues play before champions Manchester City, who play on Saturday evening against Newcastle, and they know a win against the Clarets will heap pressure onto City. With just 13 games left to go, each win brings the league leaders that little bit closer to winning the title.

The big news ahead of this one is the return of Diego Costa. The frontman has been absent for the last three league games, although he did make an appearance against PSG on Tuesday night. He has been a big miss, the Blues just don’t look clinical without him in the team. While Loic Remy and Didier Drogba are both good options, Costa gives the team something else, that added bit of potency.

Costa’s return comes against the side who have conceded the most goals in the league, which he’ll surely be looking forward to. Burnley was the team against whom Costa made his debut back in August, and he scored that night as the club opened their season with a win. A similar result will be expected here, as Chelsea look to move in to a commanding position on top of the league, and it’s certainly going to be a different kind of workout than their game at PSG in midweek.

This game will see the Blues facing a packed defence, and a very hard-working, compact side. We’ve seen this in recent games against Aston Villa and Everton, and they were both tough matches. While Burnley are lingering in the bottom three, we are going to see a determined side here who try to make things difficult for the hosts. Just look at their 2-2 draw at the Etihad for an example of that.

Hopefully the return of Costa will make the attack a lot more clinical, and open up some space for the supporting cast coming from midfield. That would hopefully lead to a much more comfortable win than we’ve seen in recent weeks. The main problem with that, going into this game, is just who will be available behind Costa.

After the PSG game Mourinho said he had five injured players on the field that night, and they hadn’t trained in days. Willian and Cesc Fabregas were rumoured to be part of that contingent, but it’s hard to tell who else was. But with potentially five players missing, or being kept ahead of the Capital One Cup final the week after, we might see a very different Chelsea team in this game.

Oscar is another who had an injury coming up to the game, and if he is out, along with Fabregas and Willian, we could see some selection worries in the advanced midfield positions. If either Willian or Oscar can’t make it, there’s a good chance you’ll see new man Juan Cuadrado. Hopefully they’ll have recovered in time for Saturday’s game.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 3-0

Chelsea head to Paris on Tuesday night as they get their Champions League campaign back under way. After a few months off, Europe’s top competition returns with a host of great ties, with this one chief among them. After two brilliant encounters in last season’s quarter final, expect another exciting tie here.

The Blues, of course, had the weekend off after their FA Cup elimination in the last round, which gave them almost a week’s rest before this game. That should hopefully play a factor, with close to a fully fit squad to call on. Oscar and John Obi Mikel are the only doubts at the minute, but they could return for the game.

Oscar was unlikely to feature, as Mourinho seems to prefer two holding midfielders in games like this. Mikel would have taken up a role beside Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas, to give the visitors a more secure base as they look to shut down space for PSG’s array of attacking talent. Should Mikel be out, it’s likely Ramires will take up his place in midfield. The other big team news is the return of Diego Costa, whose ban has ended, although it didn’t stop him playing in European games anyway.

As for PSG, the French champions didn’t have the weekend off, but they did manage to fall asleep towards the end of their game against Caen. They were 2-0 up and cruising, close to moving top of Ligue 1 and they even tweeted that they were parking the bus late on, with a nod to Jose Mourinho. In the last few minutes, that bus broke down. They conceded twice and fell to a 2-2 draw, which has kept them sitting third in the league.

To add injury to insult, they’re now without at least four first team players for this game, possibly more. Yohan Cabaye, Marquinhos, Serge Aurier and Lucas all came off against Caen, and they’re out for the game on Tuesday. Javier Pastore and Blaise Matuidi are both doubt for this game as well. That seems to make Chelsea favourites here, especially if you listen to PSG coach Laurent Blanc.

The former France boss said, “If someone had told me this story, I would not have believed it. We will play bravely but there are not many solutions, with four or five injured. It’s an extraordinary challenge.”

One man who will be fit is David Luiz, and the Blues players will surely be looking forward to seeing the Brazilian again after his £50million move to France in the summer. But before that can happen, there’s a game to be won. Knowing Luiz like they do, the Chelsea players will surely have a few tips for Costa against the error-prone defender. An away goal would be great, while the French side’s injury list means the Blues could well get themselves at least daw here.

LCN Verdict: 2-2 draw

Chelsea welcome Everton to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night as they look to maintain their seven point lead at the top of the Premier League. They extended their lead on Saturday after Man City dropped points at home to Hull. With no game for the Blues next weekend after their fourth round FA Cup exit, this is their only game this week.

The last meeting between these two was an incredible encounter, with Chelsea coming out 6-3 winners in an end to end game at Goodison Park. Since then, Everton have kept that poor form up, struggling defensively, and are currently sitting uncomfortably in mid-table. The Toffees are only seven points above the drop zone at the moment, a massive change from this time last year when they were challenging for the Champions League places.

Speaking of Champions League, the Blues return to action next week, with a trip to Paris in the first leg of their last 16 clash against PSG. With no game at the weekend, there isn’t too much need to rest anyone for the the Everton game though. With winning the title being the main priority for Jose Mourinho, it’s not likely that we’ll see too much of a weakened side during the league run in.

Mourinho has a few selection problems ahead of this one, with Diego Costa serving the final game of his suspension. Didier Drogba led the line in the last game at Aston Villa, but Loic Remy should start this time around. Cesc Fabregas has missed the last two games through injury, and he looks set to miss out once more. He’s not likely to be risked here ahead of the game next week. Another who is likely to miss out is Filipe Luis, so Cesar Azpilicueta is likely to keep his place at left back.

All eyes were on new man Juan Cuadrado as he made his debut off the bench against Villa, but he’s likely to have to settle for the same again here with both Willian and Eden Hazard playing well on Saturday. Those two are firmly established as first choice players for Mourinho, so it’s very likely that Cuadrado has a fight on his hands to force his way into the starting line up any time soon.

Everton didn’t look too impressive in their derby draw against Liverpool at the weekend, and they’ve not done too much all season. Given their recent performances Chelsea will expect to record a comfortable home win here, at least a more comfortable one than last season’s last minute winner from John Terry.

Another three points would keep their league campaign running along smoothly. With Manchester City also in action on Wednesday night, facing a tough trip to face Stoke at the Britannia Stadium, things could get even better for the Blues this week if City keep up their poor recent form.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 3-1

Chelsea will be looking to maintain their five point lead at the top of the table when they travel to Villa Park on Saturday. They’re coming up against an Aston Villa side who have been struggling for goals, and who were hammered 5-0 at Arsenal last weekend, which can’t have been great for morale.

Villa come in to this game just above the drop zone, but they can’t be taken for granted. Last season the Blues came to Villa Park expecting a result, but they ended up suffering a defeat which was a huge blow to their title hopes. Fabian Delph scored the only goal that day, and Villa are desperate for a similar result here. They’ve not scored a league goal since December, and by the time Saturday rolls around their wait for a win will have stretched to two months. In this day and age it’s a wonder Paul Lambert hasn’t been shown the door.

Of course, Chelsea have problems of their own at the minute. They’re currently without top scorer Diego Costa, who is still banned from the Emre Can incident. He will be a big miss for the Blues, but his spot up front should be filled by Loic Remy. The Frenchman scored against Manchester City on Saturday, and he has been impressive in the limited time he’s had on the pitch. Now he has his first run in the first team, he’s going to be eager to impress.

The Blues also have a few injury worries, with Cesc Fabregas, Willian, John Obi Mikel and Filipe Luis all doubts for the game on Saturday. They are in a race to get fit, and without them, particularly Fabregas, Chelsea will be a lot weaker. One man who may play is Juan Cuadrado. The Colombian was a £26 million deadline day signing for the Blues, and he looks set to make his debut at Villa Park.

Hopefully Cuadrado can have the same kind of impact as the other big signings this season, as we’ve seen how Costa and Fabregas have given something different to the team, and hopefully the former Fiorentina man can do the same. He certainly looks to be a different kind of winger to Willian, Eden Hazard and Andre Schurrle, the man he replaced. If Willian isn’t ready in time to face Villa, at least there’s a good option to come in and replace him.

Last season this was the type of game that cost Chelsea, with plenty of missed chances and then a sloppy error allowing Villa in to score. The Blues fell apart that day, and had two players sent off. Without Costa and Fabregas the team isn’t too different from last year, so this is going to be a real test. Hopefully Remy will put a good run of form together after his goal last weekend and given the Villain’s record in front of goal of late, they shouldn’t pose too much of a threat to the leaders backline, so overall a solid victory for the Blues looks on the cards.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-0

Manchester City visit the Bridge on Saturday as the Premier League’s top two come head to head in a monster of a clash. With a five point gap separating these two sides, this game could be crucial to deciding the destination of this season’s title, and with such high stakes potentially on the line, this is the biggest game of the season so far.

The problem for both sides is that they come into the game without some of their key players. For Chelsea, they had a gruelling League Cup semi-final clash with Liverpool on Tuesday that lasted 120 minutes, which is bound to take its toll. Cesc Fabregas and Filipe Luis both came off injured in that game, and they’re both doubts for the City clash. Luis played well on Tuesday, so missing him is a shame, but Cesar Azpilicueta is an able deputy.

Fabregas is the bigger miss, and he may be joined by top scorer Diego Costa. The frontman was seen stamping on Martin Skrtel during the League Cup game, and the FA could well hit him with a ban after some blanket coverage by Sky Sports News. If those three were out, that would be a massive blow to Jose Mourinho in a match he could really do with winning.

Having said that, City are missing a few players of their own. They’re currently without Samir Nasri, who is injured, while Yaya Toure and Wilfred Bony are currently at the African Cup of Nations. There is a chance they will be back in time for the game on Saturday, but without them City would certainly be a weaker team.

There’s also the Frank Lampard sub-plot going into this game, with the Blues legend possibly starting for City on Saturday. With Toure gone, they need experience and forward runs from midfield, and Lampard is the perfect candidate for that. While it may be difficult for the home fans to see him play against their team, especially since he extended his deal last month, he should still get a good welcome at his former stomping ground.

The big question going into the match is how are both teams planning to set up? City really should come here playing to avoid defeat, as a loss would open a huge gap at the top, but they’re likely to stick to their guns and attack. While Chelsea, who know just how big a win could be, will hopefully go for the game and try and take the three points. A lot of that will probably depend on the availability of Fabregas and Costa.

While we’ve seen City claw back a deficit already this season, an eight point lead would be a huge advantage for the Pensioners. The Blues would still be catchable at the top, but they’d know they were strong, strong favourites, and they’d have the title comfortably in their hands. While a draw would keep them ahead, City haven’t won in three of their last four, and hopefully Mourinho and his team smell blood heading in to this one.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-1

Chelsea are looking to pick themselves up by booking a place at Wembley with a win over Liverpool after Saturday’s abysmal 4-2 defeat by Bradford. The Blues will need to improve massively if they’re to avoid crashing out of a second competition in the space of a few days. After a 1-1 draw in the first leg at Anfield, Chelsea are favourites to progress to March’s League Cup final.

After Jose Mourinho named a massively changed side for the Bradford game, he’s in a bit of a predicament ahead of this match. The players brought in did little to impress, and they’re unlikely to be given another chance on Tuesday. But, with a huge league game against Manchester City coming up on Saturday, can Mourinho afford to play his big names?

He doesn’t seem to have much choice at the minute, after the shambles into which the second string descended on Saturday. John Terry needs to come back, as his importance to the team has rarely ever seemed so clear. Nemanja Matic was missed, as were the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa and Eden Hazard. With the second string low on confidence, the first team will have to play, despite the enormity of the game on Saturday.

Liverpool will come here buoyed by the Bradford result and their performance in the first leg. The Reds had 20 shots on goal at Anfield last week, and they cut through the Blues’ backline after some great play by Raheem Sterling. Coming to the Bridge level keeps them in the game, even if they face a tough ask to get through. The weekend performance means they’ll believe they can progress to the final, with Brendan Rodgers on the lookout for his first trophy.

A title winning team, and a Mourinho team, is defined by their ability to bounce back from a setback. Chelsea have done that well in recent years, and this is the perfect way to bounce back from the FA Cup result. While no one will be happy with it, booking a League Cup final place will overshadow a shock early defeat in the FA Cup. Given that the Bridge had a subdued atmosphere in the home ends on Saturday, this is the perfect way to liven up the Bridge, just as Mourinho demanded weeks ago.

While the League Cup isn’t top of many people’s list of priorities, it’s still a trophy. Mourinho has spoken before about the positive effect it can have on the team to win it going into the latter stages of the season, so you can bet he’ll be taking it seriously. His words before and after the Bradford game were about challenging on all fronts no matter what effect it has on the title race, so he’s clearly up for this game.

We should see a more attacking team than the one that played at Anfield, with John Obi Mikel likely to make way for Oscar. It’s not enough to sit back on the result they have, a win is needed to put the game to bed early ahead of the City game. After the weekend’s cup shock, Chelsea certainly need a response.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-1

Chelsea are in FA Cup fourth round action on Saturday as they welcome League One side Bradford to the Bridge. With a huge gap between the two sides in the football pyramid, it’s likely that there will be a bit of rotation. As the team look to continue fighting on all fronts, this game is one to be taken seriously, as we know that anything can happen when it comes to the cup.

This could have been Millwall coming to the Bridge, but Bradford won the replay between those two, much to the relief of the Stamford Bridge stewards. That means the Yorkshire side are coming down for their big fourth round tie, and they made the final of the 2013 League Cup, causing a few shocks on the way, so they are a side who can cause problems in the cups.

Cups are what Chelsea are fighting for this week, as before we get to the crunch game against Manchester City in the league, there is the Bradford game and the League Cup semi second leg against Liverpool. There’s a lot to play for in that Liverpool game, and with a strong team needed for both that and obviously the City game, we should see a few squad players given a run out this here.

The last cup game against Watford needed a few cameos off the bench to get the team through to the next round, and Jose Mourinho won’t want to have to go down that route again. Expect Petr Cech back in goal, while the likes of Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas are likely to miss out ahead of the big games next week.

One good part of this will be seeing a few young players getting a chance in the side, with the likes of Kurt Zouma ready to step in. He’s been in good form when he’s been given the chance in the side, and he could do with more first team chances if he’s to become a leading centre half for the club, in the mould of John Terry. Others like Mo Salah and Loic Remy should get a chance, given how appearances in the first team have been limited for them this season.

It would be great to see a few of the academy graduates also making an appearance, but Mourinho doesn’t seem to trust them that often, even in cup games. A late cameo would be good for a few of the players that could become the next home grown talent, but don’t expect it to happen, as they were left out completely against Watford.

This game will be a good test to see just how the squad players cope in a game where they are up against a side defending for their lives. You’d think that the gap in quality would shine through, but without the likes of Hazard and Fabregas the Blues are a little too functional. Hopefully that won’t be the case this time, and the big guns can be kept on the bench ahead of the big clashes next week.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 3-0

Chelsea head to Anfield on Tuesday night for the first leg of their Capital One Cup semi final against Liverpool. This competition wouldn’t have been top priority for either of these two sides this season, but with the chance of silverware so close, neither will want to crash out now.

Brendan Rodgers has yet to win a trophy since joining Liverpool, and he’ll see this as a great opportunity to change that. Jose Mourinho hasn’t won anything in his second spell at Chelsea either, and winning the Capital One Cup would be a good way for him to end back to back seasons without silverware.

Another thing about this competition is how it can affect a season. Mourinho spoke quite a lot in his first season about how a League Cup win could spur his side on. Winning it would give the team belief for the title chase in the run in, and that will be the case again this season. A win in this competition would be a foundation to use to push on in the hunt for other trophies this term.

So, this competition isn’t just a good boost to the trophy cabinet, it can be a positive force for the season, too. City won both the League Cup and the Premier League last season, and Mourinho will be targeting exactly that once again, with Chelsea looking to lift the league title this term.

On top of that, this fixture is usually a fiery one, given how previous meetings have gone. The Blues won twice at Anfield last term, including a victory which effectively denied the Reds the title last. This will be a heated clash, as Mourinho is never welcomed to Anfield, given how many times he’s got one over the Reds in his time in England. His celebrations in the 2005 League Cup final are still remembered there, given the penchant for history in those parts.

Going into this one, there are few injury worries in the squad. Cesar Azpilicueta missed the game at the weekend with a groin injury, but he could be back for this game. Thibaut Courtois also has a minor injury, but with Petr Cech looking impressive in his place in recent weeks that shouldn’t be too big a miss. The rest of the squad seem to be fit, and it’s likely we’ll see a strong line-up on Tuesday.

With an FA Cup game against Bradford coming up after this, the big names can be rested then, so they’re free to play in midweek. With a clash against City coming up next week just after the second leg, it would be in the Blues’ interest to get a good footing in the tie at Anfield. Given their recent record at Liverpool, they’re sure to be confident of getting a result here, and getting themselves ahead in the tie.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-1

Chelsea head in to their game at Swansea at the weekend knowing they could go five points clear of second placed Manchester City with a win. The Blues opened up a two point gap last weekend, and with City not in action until Sunday, they have the chance to extend that gap even further.

The Blues take a fully fit squad into this game, so expect another full strength line up from Jose Mourinho. The only possible thing that could get in the way of that would be the trip to Liverpool in the Capital One Cup in midweek, but it’s likely that Mourinho will prioritise the league ahead of that game.

You may remember that these two sides had a top of the table clash earlier in the season, when Swansea came to Stamford Bridge with a 100% league record in early September. The game was far from easy for Chelsea, who had a 100% record themselves. The Swans lead for most of the first half through a John Terry own goal. Diego Costa got the home side ahead with a hat trick, before Loic Remy added a fourth. Jonjo Shelvey scored a consolation goal late on.

The Swans have dipped since then, but they still sit ninth in the table. They’ve beaten Arsenal at home already this season, so expect them to pose a threat to the Blues here. Midfielder Nemanja Matic’s comments this week left no one in doubt that the team are taking Swansea seriously.

“Swansea are very difficult to play against,” he said. “They have many good players and it’s always very hard to play against them. We expect a hard game there, we know they have a lot of quality. We will try to play our game in the best way and have to use our quality. It’s going to be difficult for sure. Before the game you never know what is going to happen.”

It will be a game where Chelsea are without possession for periods, given how well their opponents keep the ball. That has to be their main strength, so Matic’s ability to break up play in the middle of the park will be pivotal. If he has a repeat of the shocker at White Hart Lane, it’s hard to see Mourinho’s men returning with much. It just goes to show how important the Serbian has become since joining a year ago.

A difficult match is expected here, but Spurs came to the Liberty Stadium a few weeks ago and took all three points after really imposing themselves on the game. That might be how the Blues approach this one, with John Obi Mikel maybe joining Matic in midfield, with Fabregas pushed higher up. Thy know they face two big away games in the next couple of days, and those games could decide if Mourinho and Chelsea will face another trophy-less season or not.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-1