Chelsea's fix over fixtures
Chelsea players celebrate the victory as Manchester United’s Dutch striker Robin van Persie (L) walks past at the final whistle during the FA Cup quarterfinal replay at Stamford Bridge in London, England on April 1, 2013.2013. (Getty Images)
Demba Ba’s spectacular stretching volley denied Manchester United a chance to play their local rivals in the semifinals of the FA Cup and with it a chance of winning the double. Though it would have no doubt pleased Chelsea fans to progress in what has been come to know as “The Chelsea Cup” (4 trophies in the last 6 years) there would now be the problem of fixture congestion.
Having already played the Champions League, the Club World Cup in Japan, the UEFA Super Cup and the Community Shield, at the tail-end of the season Chelsea still remain with a chance to win not one but two pieces of silverware in the form of the F.A. Cup and the Europa League. This would have been great news for Chelsea had they not been involved in a scrap for Champions League places along with fellow London clubs Tottenham and Arsenal.
Chelsea’s run-in to the end of the season also looks to be the toughest of the lot. They play teams like Tottenham (H), Liverpool (A), Manchester United (A) and Everton (H). They also have a couple of tricky ties against Swansea at home and Fulham and Aston Villa away.
Add this to two confirmed ties in the Europa League that involves a tiresome trip to Russia to play Rubin Kazan and a semifinal at Wembley Stadium to face Manchester City, this looks to be a hectic month and a half for Chelsea. The game against City won’t be an easy one as the Blues from Manchester would look to earn some silverware as they are all set to lose their Numero Uno status in the Premier League to their bitter rivals once more. A run to the final of both the cup competitions could see Chelsea play an unprecedented 70 matches in a single season.
The board have made their priorities clear on a top 4 finish in the Premier League that guarantees Champions League football next season but Rafael Benitez may beg to differ. Having suffered more than his rightful share of criticism and abuse from the Chelsea faithful, “The Interim One” would want to prove his mettle by guiding Chelsea to either a domestic success or European glory. Having publicly admitted that he would leave come the end of the season, the former Liverpool boss would be very keen to attract future employers with another cup win to showcase in his C.V.
This week’s results seem to indicate just that with a lackluster “Chelsea B side” falling to Southampton at St.Mary’s in the league and Rafa putting out arguably Chelsea’s strongest side in the cup defence to beat Manchester United on Monday. Chelsea, from here on, play three games every week almost till the end of the season and it would be a challenge for the Chelsea gaffer to ensure that a competitive Chelsea side turns up for each game.
Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez gestures during the FA Cup Sixth Round Replay against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on April 1, 2013 in London, England. (Getty Images)
Another problem that this Chelsea side faces is limited players in the squad to tackle the upcoming fixture list. Ashley Cole was the latest casualty in the United game, pulling a hamstring that is set to keep him out for two weeks and he joins Gary Cahill and Oriol Romeu on the sidelines. Though Ryan Bertrand deputized well for the England centurion on Monday, it needs to be seen if the young England left-back will be able to keep up his performances. Chelsea’s old guard don’t have the legs to play each game and a lot of responsibility will fall on the shoulders of “the three amigos” Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and Oscar. Chelsea also have a plethora of talent out on loan and players like Romelu Lukaku and Kevin Du Bryne would have been invaluable for Chelsea this season in terms of depth.
Chelsea’s Jekyll and Hyde performances this season have cast a shadow of doubt in the minds of many about Champions League next season with a Gareth Bale driven Tottenham leapfrogging Chelsea into 3rd and a resurgent Arsenal breathing down their necks. Finishing out the top 4 even winning both the cups would prove disastrous for Chelsea and the board. It would from here take a heroic performance by the Chelsea squad to come out from this fixture pile-up boasting of an F.A Cup, Europa League and the promise of having “Roman’s obsession” (a.k.a Champions League Football) next season.