Chelsea FC has been FA Cup winners eight times. The first win was back in 1970. Most recently, they won the cup in 2018. But do they stand a chance of winning the most prestigious prize in English football this year? Chelsea certainly has the players and performance needed to achieve the feat. Take a look at how Chelsea have been doing in the FA Cup this season to find out whether they can go on to win the tournament
The Third Round
Callum Hudson-Odoi was undoubtedly the star of the match when Chelsea took on Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round in January. Although, just before half-time, it looked like things might be over for the winger, as he went down with a suspected injury. Fans feared a repeat of his ruptured Achilles-tendon that had prevented the gifted 19-year-old’s progress in the previous season. But thankfully, it was a false alarm, and Hudson-Odoi was soon back on his feet. He had already scored a goal in the first half, so fans were thrilled to see him return in the second. And he didn’t disappoint. Chelsea scored their second goal when Hudson’Odoi’s shot was parried with Ross Barkley scoring at close-range. The Blues beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 to secure a place in the FA Cup fourth round.
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The Fourth Round
Chelsea ensured their place in the fifth-round draw of the FA Cup when they beat Hull City 2-1 at the end of January. The Blues took an early lead when striker Michy Batshuayi’s shot deflected off Hull City’s Ryan Tafazolli. The ball flew past goalkeeper George Long to give Chelsea their first goal of the match. Chelsea dominated for the rest of the first half, but Long thwarted each goal opportunity. Although Hull played well in the second half, their hopes of winning were soon knocked when Fikayo Tomori dropped Ross Barkley’s delivery into the back of the net. Chelsea was close to scoring a third goal when Pedro hit a ball just wide of the far post, but it was Hull who scored the last goal of the match, with Kamil Grosicki’s free-kick.
The Fifth Round
On 3rd March 2020, Chelsea takes on fellow Premier League team Liverpool, following the Reds’ 1-0 victory over Shrewsbury in a fourth-round replay. When they met Shrewsbury previously, it was a 2-2 draw. Liverpool has been playing well this season. They beat Everton 1-0 in the third round of the FA Cup, but whether they can win against Chelsea in the fifth round is uncertain. Although the line-ups for Chelsea and Liverpool have yet to be announced, Chelsea appears to be the favourites to win.
If Chelsea wins, they could be taking on some formidable opponents in the next round, including last year’s FA Cup winners Manchester City. Here’s a look at the other teams playing in the fifth round in March:
· Portsmouth vs Arsenal.
· West Brom vs Newcastle.
· Tottenham vs Norwich City.
· Sheffield Wednesday vs Manchester City.
· Reading vs Sheffield United.
· Leicester City vs Birmingham.
· Derby County vs Manchester United.
It’s too early to predict whether Chelsea will go on to win this year’s FA Cup trophy. But one thing is for sure: they stand a blinking good chance.
