Stamford Bridge sets the stage for a ‘David vs Goliath’ FA Cup quarter-final tie between eight-time winners Chelsea and third-tier Port Vale, with interest in Chelsea live scores understandably spiking whenever the Blues are in action.
Saturday’s clash in West London kicks off at 5:15pm (UK) as the Blues look to end an embarrassing four-game losing streak in all competitions.
Heavily fancied to reach the semi-finals, Chelsea face Port Vale for the first time since 1929 on the back of a humiliating 3-0 defeat at Everton on the stroke of March’s international break.
Despite the home side’s rough patch, visiting Port Vale must pull off an upset of epic proportions if they’re to progress from their first FA Cup quarter-final appearance since 1953/54.
Trouble in paradise
In addition to disappointing Chelsea results on the field, manager Liam Rosenior has encountered vast problems off the pitch, including the ongoing saga surrounding the future of Chelsea vice-captain Enzo Fernandez.
According to The Sun, Rosenior has suspended the Argentine midfielder from the squad for two matches amid growing speculation linking him with a mega-money transfer to Real Madrid.
Even without Fernandez, the Blues are odds-on to strengthen their formidable record in this fixture and post their eighth win in 15 historical meetings with Port Vale (W7, D4, L2).
However, winning alone may not be enough to restore their confidence after losing three of the last four Chelsea fixtures by a three-goal margin, including an 8-2 aggregate defeat at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League.
If it’s any consolation, they have emerged victorious from each of their last six FA Cup quarter-final ties since losing to Everton in 2016, suggesting that another semi-final appearance should be a foregone conclusion.
Out-of-sorts underdogs
Despite overcoming Sunderland in the previous FA Cup round, Port Vale find themselves stuck at the bottom of the League One table, a whopping 15 points adrift of safety.
With fourth-tier football looming, Jon Brady’s charges will try to salvage their underwhelming season by becoming the first side from the third tier or lower to eliminate two Premier League teams in a single FA Cup campaign since 2017/18.
Only seven wins from 38 League One matches best illustrate the type of season the Valiants are having (D10, L21), but they can take heart from their remarkable FA Cup form.
Since hammering semi-amateur side Maldon & Tiptree in the opening round, they have kept a clean sheet in four consecutive FA Cup ties, eliminating Bristol Rovers, Fleetwood Town, Bristol City and Sunderland in the process.
Against this backdrop, the visitors have lost their last three away outings, conceding at least three goals on each occasion. On that basis, Chelsea’s star-studded attack could have a field day here.
No margin for error
Rosenior is walking a tightrope only four months into his tenure in the capital, with Chelsea trailing fourth-placed Aston Villa by five points in the Premier League table ahead of the last seven rounds.
As if that’s not concerning enough, reigning Champions League holders PSG humbled the Blues at Europe’s top table, inflicting Chelsea’s joint-heaviest defeat in a two-legged European tie.
Having overseen that battering, the 41-year-old manager cannot afford another embarrassment, and anything less than victory against Port Vale would certainly fall into that category.
Meanwhile, Chelsea broadcaster Matisse Armani is adamant Rosenior will not remain at Stamford Bridge next season (via talkSPORT), though there is little doubt the former Strasbourg boss will not go down without a fight.
With that in mind, this fixture has all the makings of a must-win clash for the Pensioners, who have won all 37 ties played against lower-tier opposition in domestic cup competitions since 2015/16.
There may be no better opportunity for Rosenior to regain the club’s trust than this.