Chelsea-Blackburn is a match valid for the fourth round of the League Cup and is played on Wednesday at 8:45 p.m.: statistics, likely formations and predictions.
After four consecutive useful results Chelsea’s path has come back to suffer yet another setback. The Blues last Saturday fell at home against a struggling Brentford, which on the eve of the match seemed within reach of Mauricio Pochettino’s team. And instead the Bees once again brought darkness to Stamford Bridge (0-2) thanks to two goals scored in the second half by Pinnock and Mbeumo.
A knockout that represents a worrying step backward after the two more than convincing statements against Fulham and Burnley, but especially after the draw in the London derby with Arsenal, which was forced into a complicated comeback (2-2). The game with the Gunners looked like it could have been the turning point but the unexpected defeat against Brentford tells us that the Blues are not out of the crisis yet. Increasingly worrying, meanwhile, is the standings: Chelsea are 11th, with 11 points to make up against fourth-placed Liverpool. The risk of another disappointing and anonymous season, in short, is far from averted. Not to mention that it would be detrimental to miss Champions League qualification again after spending over 500 million in the last two market sessions.
The Blues seek redemption in the cup
Pochettino, constantly in the eye of the storm, cannot afford to snub even the League Cup, in a year when his Chelsea does not play European cups.
Blackburn players cheer after a goal
After beating lowly Wimbledon with no small amount of difficulty in the third round, the Blues will face a Championship team, Blackburn, one of the many noble lapses of English soccer. The Rovers, after coming close to promotion last year, are not particularly shining in the cadet league: after 14 days they are 14th, -4 from sixth place, the last position valid to contest the playoffs. Led by former AC Milan striker Jon Dahl Tomasson, Blackburn last Saturday surrendered 1-0 to Swansea, seeing their streak of three consecutive victories interrupted.
The Prediction
Pochettino’s position is no longer as solid as it was a few weeks ago, and a cup knockout would be another blow to the Argentine coach. Chelsea, despite the obvious turnover, should eventually make it through the round, but it cannot be ruled out that Rovers will score at least one goal at Stamford Bridge.
The probable lineups of Chelsea-Blackburn
- CHELSEA (4-3-3): Sanchez; Malo Gusto, Disasi, Colwill, Cucurella; Ugochukwu, Gallagher, Caicedo; Madueke, Jackson, Maatsen.
- BLACKBURN (4-3-3): Wahlstedt; Rankin-Costello, Hill, Carter, Pickering; Tronstad, Garrett, Moran; Markanday, Dolan, Szmodics.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-1
