Having comfortably swept aside lower league opposition in the last three rounds, Chelsea find themselves in the quarter-finals without much of a contest.
The draw of Manchester United in the next round will prove a difficult test, especially with Jose Mourinho undoubtedly seeking revenge following his embarrassing initial return in October.
A game in which I thoroughly expect the Blues to win and strip United back to that basic average side with a couple of stars that they are nowadays, a deep decline from the days of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Winning is the key, and why the FA Cup has been so valuable to Chelsea as of yet. With recent blips away to Spurs and Burnley, the FA Cup has provided us with the platform to get back to winning ways immediately and avoid a drop in the league.
The FA Cup has also allowed some playing time for some of the fringe players in the squad as well as our academy products. Where I have enjoyed the performances of Nathaniel Chalobah, Ruben Loftus-Cheek amongst others. It has also installed a winning mentality as the players who don’t feature so regularly look full of confidence and could slot in the first team should an injury occur.
Our performance against Wolves was by no means slick, but one I never saw us losing. Key players like Eden Hazard and Diego Costa came into the cup team at the expense of an unlucky Michy Batshuayi who has four goals in five cup games this season. A decision I was disappointed with as it seemed to take some fluency out of the replacement side.
Someone who has thrived for us in the FA Cup is Cesc Fabregas, his passing ability is absolutely exceptional and had the Wolves back four at sea with his long balls.
With opportunities limited in the league, it’s allowed him to showcase his abilities and give Antonio Conte a selection dilemma, I can’t imagine he’ll be on the bench for much longer as his creativity has been lacking from the first team recently.
The Wolves game also gave Costa the opportunity to get back on the scoresheet following a dry spell against a weaker opposition. His Premier League form of recent has been a shadow of his first half of the season and the blues will need him firing on all cylinders to close in on the League and a potential cup success.
Twitter: 413 – Diego Costa has ended a run of 413 minutes without a goal for Chelsea in all competitions. Relief. (@OptaJoe)
The FA Cup is also an excellent trophy to win, one I’m sure Conte will be keen to add to his CV in his debut season. With Chelsea having a rich recent history in the FA Cup, winning four of the last ten, it sometimes feels like it belongs to us. A day out to Wembley would also be good fun for the fans and eradicate the dismal memories of last season.
