Chelsea - FA Cup SF | Pre-Match Thread

[Cotton Weave Blue]

I take it you weren't paying attention the last decade or so. The only time we dropped the cup keeper for the final (Wigan) we lost.

The umpteen other times we repaid faith in the cup keeper (willy, bravo) they've won us games with crucial saves from open play and in penalties.

Ederson actually replaced Muric for the League cup final win against Chelsea

 

[vmsuhail]

We've options to make 5 changes without losing much quality. It's up to them to perform and push for a place in the CL matches and other cup finals.

 

[waspish]

Be a fascinating game this playing against Chelsea for the first time under Tuchel. Tuchel will park the bus or be very defensive we score first we win

 

[MarsLlama]

People saying there's going to be a load of rotation. Will there? This is a huge game.

Most of our best XI didn't play against Leeds and most of them won't play against Villa on Wednesday (I think we might be in for another bad game there but it'll be worth it if we beat Chelsea like we beat Dortmund).

Steffen
Cancelo
Dias
Laporte
Zinchenko
Rodri
De Bruyne
Gundogan
Foden
Jesus
Sterling

I'd like to see that. Bernardo false 9 isn't working right now IMO.

 

[urban genie]

Eddie
Cancelo
Dias
Laporte
Zivchenko

Ferdy
Foden
Kev

Berny
Jesus
sterling

 

[chesterbells]

This might just be the toughest game of our season so far. In general, they don’t really concede goals under Tuchel. There is of course that freak game when they had an early red card, but ignoring that, they are probably more solid than us at this current moment. They have actually kept a clean sheet in 14 of their last 18 games. Also, we are going to rotate, whether you like it or not. Such a tough game coming up. They have an extra day of rest and have had no travel at all. I’m predicting 0-0 and pens. Let’s hope Steffen is good at saving them. He surely can’t be worse than Ederson’s penalty record!

We beat them in London 3-1 in January so I hope the players at least, take some confidence from that.

 

[blueparrot]

Ederson actually replaced Muric for the League cup final win against Chelsea

Muric wasn't our our 2nd keeper he was our 3rd. I f Bravo had been fit he'd have played.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Much more confident about this one now. The feelgood factor going into it is of inestimable importance.
People really feel Pep will play a seriously weakened team for this? Really? Pep has huge respect for the football traditions in this country. This is Wembley, this is an F.A. Cup final at stake. He will want this one, too. Perhaps Kev rested, because he worked his bollocks off. Maybe one other major player. If rotation happens, it'll be Villa. And even then, that's not a match we can really afford to drop points in, very much.

 

[jim tolmies perm]

Ake not even mentioned
For me ,if fit , a big shout at LB where he plays for Holland
I would defo think about him v PSG
We'd have pace both flanks with Kyle

 

[HelloCity]

Ake not even mentioned
For me ,if fit , a big shout at LB where he plays for Holland
I would defo think about him v PSG
We'd have pace both flanks with Kyle

Why would we bring in Ake to play against PSG when we’ve won something like 27 out of 29 games with him being barely involved? It would be random as hell and he nowhere near deserves a start over over the likes of Zinchenko or Cancelo.