Jose Mourinho’s job is on the line as Chelsea face Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium tomorrow night.
‘The Special One’ has had all the headlines recently regarding his poor performance with Chelsea, but he will nott even be allowed into the stadium. This is due to his suggestions that the referee was scared to give a penalty to Chelsea in their last Premier League game against Southampton. Mourinho’s absence could prove to be the element that inspires the mutinous players to get the win, or just distract them further from getting a crucial victory.
A recent Capital One Cup clash between the sides ended with Stoke City as winners in a penalty shootout. The last Premier League game that the champions played was a 3-1 loss to Liverpool and Stoke most recently matched up against Newcastle, ending in a 0-0 draw. Good performances from both teams have been lacking this season, but Chelsea are undoubtedly in the worse position out of the two teams.
A win could push either of the two away from the relegation zone and into mid-table. Both managers deperately need rewards from this match after a poor start to 2015-16.
Key Battle – Jack Butland vs the barrage of Chelsea’s attackers.
In Stoke’s last game, Jack Butland single-handedly saved them from recording yet another loss and he will need to do this again as they face the Blues. The Potters’ defenders are second-rate compared to the world class attackers such as Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, so Butland will need to be aware of defensive mistakes and pounce on them instantly. If Stoke can do this then they may find luck on the attack, as Chelsea’s defenders are in poor form and devoid of confidence. If the custodian fails to perform then the hosts could concede easy goals.
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Team News
Centre-back Geoff Cameron could make his return from injury, but if he does not then Philipp Wolscheid will keep his place in the team. Stoke’s last game was not so bad that nobody will drop out of the starting XI due to poor form. Mame Biram Diouf is also a possibility of returning to the team.
Defender Branislav Ivanovic could come back to Chelsea’s starting XI but his poor form earlier in the season may make Mourinho reconsider his return. A poor performace from Cesc Fabregas against Liverpool could also keep him out of the team.
Head-to-head
Between the two there have been 95 games. Chelsea has won 45 times and Stoke have claimed the rewards on 29 of the outings. There have also been 21 draws.
Previous meeting
Chelsea played Stoke in the Capital One Cup two weeks ago with the score after 90 minutes deadlocked at 1-1. Early in the second-half Jonathan Walters hit a half volley which grabbed a 1-0 lead for the hosts, however, in the dying embers of the match Loic Remy equalised. In the resulting penalty shootout, Eden Hazard was off-target and ensured victory for Stoke City.
Prediction
The two teams are very close on the table and this game could prove to be a tight contest.
Stoke City 1 Chelsea 1
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