Chelsea Shift Focus On FA Cup

Chelsea interim boss Guus Hiddink appears to be making a reasonable fist of galvanising the Stamford Bridge dressing room and guiding them out of trouble.

With three home games in the space of a week to look forward to, Blues supporters will have a clear indication whether last weekend’s resounding 3-0 victory away at Crystal Palace was the turning point in what has been a shocking season.

The first of these matches presents Hiddink with a chance to take a step forward in salvaging the campaign by masterminding victory over League One side Scunthorpe United in the FA Cup.

Hiddink won the FA Cup with Chelsea in his previous interim spell back in 2009 and a repeat of that would cap a fine end to what has been a poor campaign.

Scunthorpe will be no pushovers, though. Backed by 6,000 vociferous travelling fans, their players will be supremely motivated and buoyed by the memory of what happened at Stamford Bridge last January. Fellow League One side Bradford City knocked Chelsea out in the fourth round having come from 2-0 down to win 4-2 in one of the biggest cup shocks of all time.

Jose Mourinho said it had been one of his worst days as a manager — little did he know what the future would have in store for him in SW6.

Given that the FA Cup represents Chelsea’s most realistic opportunity of winning silverware this season and despite the prospect of facing two Premier League matches in quick succession after Sunday’s tie, Hiddink is unlikely to field a weakened starting XI against Scunthorpe.

In goal, Asmir Begovic may get a game in place of Thibaut Courtois while Baba Rahman, Bertrand Traore and Kenedy could be selected. In midfield, Nemanja Matic can expect to be given an opportunity to restore self-confidence after being dropped following a poor showing at Old Trafford against Manchester United.

Knocking Scunthorpe out of the cup will be another positive step in the right direction, as will beating West Brom, who visit Stamford Bridge next week for what must be viewed as an eminently winnable Premier League fixture. Tony Pulis’ side, 12th in the table, two places and three points better off than Chelsea, will provide stubborn opposition with an obdurate backline supplemented by the likely return from injury of keeper Ben Foster. Pulis may well park the bus at the Bridge, but in Willian the Blues have a player in the form of his life who unlock the meanest of defences.

Should Chelsea prevail against Scunthorpe and West Brom, dressing room confidence should be at an all-time high for the home match against Everton. Roberto Martinez’s team, also in mid-table, won September’s corresponding fixture 3-1 at Goodison Park when a Steven Naismith hat trick proved the Blues’ undoing.