Chelsea are on the come-up. Under new coach Enzo Maresca they have started the season better than expected and can challenge for cups this season. After a disappointing loss against Liverpool last year in the EFL Cup final The Blues will be hungry for success this time around. Their next opponent in the Carabao Cup will be Newcastle after the Magpies beat League Two side AFC Wimbledon 1-0.It was a tough day at work for Newcastle as even after having almost eighty percent possession of the ball, it was a Fabian Schar penalty that made the difference in the end.
The Blues lost out in the final last year against Liverpool, in a match that easily could’ve gone their way. Cups are fun because of the unpredictability, because of the uncertainty. It wouldn’t be a shock if Chelsea reached the finals this time again. The free goalscoring by The Blues this season can easily upset any opposition on a given day.
The two teams met last year in the quarterfinals, and it was Chelsea who came up on top. Thanks to Mykhailo Mudryk’s last-minute equalizer. The Blues won on penalties and made it all the way to the finals. This season also they will play against each other, Let’s look at what to expect from both sides this season.
The Blues
Chelsea are getting better day by day. The team looks like a group rather than a collection of talent. Enzo Maresca is finding his best lineups and combinations. They haven’t lost a match since September. Scoring eighteen goals in six games, conceding just five and keeping three clean sheets in the process. The Blues as a result of a strong start to the season sit at fourth in the league, higher than many would have expected.
Enzo Maresca is settling into his role now. Ever since the signing of Jadon Sancho, Chelsea look like a different team in attack. Sancho is delivering for Maresca not just by providing assists, but by following the orders of the boss. The Chelsea players respect the manager and it’s working well till now. With the quality of the attackers at Chelsea, scoring goals shouldn’t be a problem for them, and implementing the manager’s tactics will prepare the players for matches against tougher opposition.
Can Newcastle deliver this time?
The Magpies haven’t played inspirational football this season at all. They did hold City to a draw but the offensive output is not there. Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon have both started the season slowly. They haven’t shown any consistency at any end of the field. There are days when the defense looks good but the attack doesn’t, then there are days when the attack seems to be clicking, but the defense is abysmal. The good part is that they have managed to get results. They have put in the work and got draws and wins on days where they had no business even sniffing points. This is a quality of great teams, grinding out results on bad days, and can be very dangerous for opposing teams. The draw against City last week is the perfect example.
What to expect?
Chelsea are on the up. Cole Palmer is looking as good as ever; the defense is stable, and the midfield seems calm for the first time. The momentum is with them, they are the better team. Their away record this season has been good and if everything we have seen till now is true, then it will be a comfortable victory for Chelsea.
Looking at how Newcastle managed to draw against City and how they almost knocked Chelsea out last year, it can be said that they can get the better of Chelsea on a given day. Taking into account the quality of their attackers, it looks like it won’t be easy for Chelsea to get the win. Even though Newcastle are a dangerous cup squad, it is difficult to go against a confident Chelsea side that are scoring goals for fun.
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