Blackburn Chelsea FA Cup Semi Final Review

This weekend’s second FA Cup Semi Final is to be played at Old Trafford, kick-off at 4pm. The Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, has a relatively injury-free squad to pick from for the game despite the tough away trip to Valencia in the Champions League earlier in the week.

Midfielder Michael Essien came through that victory unscathed, but Dutch winger Arjen Robben is still out with a knee problem.

Meanwhile, the Blackburn manager, Mark Hughes, also has relatively few injury or suspension worries apart from the long term absentees of Steven Reid and Robbie Savage.

Chelsea head for the FA Cup semi-final with one piece of silverware already sitting nicely in the trophy cabinet, the Carling Cup. They are also still challenging for three more. They’re three points behind Manchester United at the top of the Premiership, preparing to face Liverpool in the Champions League semi-finals re-match of two years ago and one match away from appearing in the first FA Cup final to be contested at the new Wembley, having won the last at the old Wembley.

This is the 17th time in their history that Chelsea have reached the semi-final stage and the second in as many seasons. Twelve months ago they faced Liverpool in a pulsating tie at the same venue and lost 2-1. John Arne Riise and Luis Garcia put the Reds two-up before Didier Drogba’s header sparked an ultimately fruitless last 20 minutes of constant Chelsea pressure.

Chelsea will be even more keen to get to Wembley and win the FA Cup as it remains the only domestic trophy they have not won under the management of Mourinho and the ownership of Roman Abramovich. On paper they go into the tie on excellent form. They are unbeaten in 18 matches in all competitions, culminating in Tuesday’s epic 2-1 Champions League victory over Valencia in Spain. However, it shouldn’t be forgotten that some of those victories have not been great performances, particularly in the Premiership, as they have tried to hang onto Man Utd. Their last loss was a 2 - 0 defeat away to Liverpool which is their only defeat in the last 33 games, impressive!

This season they have already played Blackburn three times, and have beaten them all all three occasions. Not only that Blackburn have failed to score a goal in all three encounters.

This will be the 100th competitive game between these clubs. Chelsea’s only defeat in the last nine encounters was 1-0 at Ewood Park in the Premiership nearly a year ago on 2 May 2006.

The Blues has scored plenty of goals on their way to the semi-final and have had a relatively smooth progression having been drawn at home in every round and avoided Premiership opposition until the quarter-finals. That quarter-final was a classic encounter against London rivals Tottenham at Stamford Bridge which ended 3 - 3. Chelsea then won the replay at White Hart Lane 1-2.

Meanwhile, Blackburn Rovers will be desperate to end Chelsea’s dream of an unprecedented quadruple. This will actually be Blackburn’s 18th appearance in the semi-finals and their second in three seasons. They made the last four in 2005, losing 3-0 to the eventual winners Arsenal. In that semi-final Blackburn took a rather over physical approach to the game and picked up 7 yellow cards. What will be their tactics today? Those tactics didn’t work then, and I don’t see them working against a very strong Chelsea side either.

Rovers have had a slightly more difficult road to the semi-final than their opponents. They have been drawn away from home in all but one of their ties in this run, and have had to overcome Premiership opposition in three of the four rounds. They beat Everton and Championship strugglers Luton at the first time of asking on the road, but needed a replay before beating Arsenal at Ewood Park. They then beat Manchester City in the quarter-finals at home.

Blackburn’s current form going into the game is not too good. They are on a three-match losing Premiership sequence, scoring only three goals and conceding eight being beaten by relegation battling West Ham, Manchester United and Aston Villa.

The Rovers manager Mark Hughes was the only player to have picked up four FA Cup winners’ medals in the 20th century. He won the trophy 3 times with Man Utd in 1985, 1990 and 1994 and once with Chelsea in 1997.

A Blackburn win won’t be as big an upset as a Watford win would have been but I believe it will be a “clash of the titans” at Wembley with Chelsea facing Man Utd. But who will go down in history as the first team to win the most famous club trophy in the world at the new home of football?

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Many thanks
Rik