With just four Premier League clubs remaining in this season’s edition of the FA Cup, long-time rivals Manchester United and Chelsea are set to face off at the Wembley Stadium on Sunday in one of the two semifinal fixtures scheduled for this weekend. The other match features the reigning champions Manchester City taking on an Arsenal side who have been showing signs of positivity over recent weeks. United are coming into this fixture on the back of a convincing 2-0 victory against Crystal Palace, while Chelsea, on the other hand, had to toil to a 1-0 win against bottom-dwellers Norwich City.
The pair of clubs have faced off against each other on three occasions so far this season, with Sunday’s clash scheduled to be a fourth. The prior encounters between the sides from the current campaign have all ended in Manchester United wins, and Frank Lampard will be looking to put things right this time around. The United attackers have been in red-hot form since the resumption of football, and stopping them from scoring is undoubtedly going to be a strenuous task. With the FA Cup remaining as the only winnable trophy for either side, irrespective of which way it goes, it’s sure to play out as a thrilling clash.
The Premise
Frank Lampard’s first league fixture as the manager of Chelsea was against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United side – a game that the Blues lost 4-0 at the Red Devils’ home stadium on the opening weekend. The Londoners were unable the return to favour in the reverse fixture as well before they lost once again to their rivals in the Carabao Cup.
Although both teams are still involved in the race for 3rd place on the league table, the possibility of winning a trophy in his first season in charge could be too much for Lampard to pass up on. A victory would set up a final with another rival, and present the London club with an opportunity to prove their mettle in the final legs of the season.
Here Are 3 Things Lampard Must Do For Chelsea To Beat Manchester United:
3 Things Lampard Must Do For Chelsea To Beat Manchester United
Sort Out The Defensive Pairing
One of the Blues’ biggest concerns over the course of the last many weeks has been their defensive fragility against crosses and set-piece situations in general. The likes of Sheffield United and West Ham United managed to completely tear the Chelsea back-line in half, meaning that Lampard will have to put in a lot of work to ensure that it doesn’t happen again this weekend. The gaffer has been seen chopping and changing his personnel at the back for the last few fixtures, and getting the defensive combination right could make or break how this tie plays out.
Don’t Risk Starting Jorginho
The Italian playmaker was brought into the side by Lampard purely out of necessity a couple of fixtures ago, with N’Golo Kante and Billy Gilmour – their two other options for the role, both unavailable for selection. The former Napoli man sprung passes all over the park once coming into the side but hasn’t shown even one instance of attacking penetration since breaking in. The Regista was caught out on multiple occasions in even the Norwich City fixture, and playing him as the lone anchor against a devastatingly quick counter-attacking side like United could be a recipe for disaster.
Start Olivier Giroud
Lampard has deviated from starting the Frenchman upfront on a few occasions in recent weeks, and it’s safe to say that the Blues’ attack-line looks much more dangerous with him in the side. Tammy Abraham doesn’t offer the physical presence that the World Cup winner does, and deploying the Englishman against the combative Harry Maguire could lead to dire consequences.
On the other hand, Giroud not only has the strength required to hold off a beast like Maguire but also has the game-sense and presence of mind needed to bring his teammates into the game as well. It was his goal that earned the London club three points against Norwich City, and if he doesn’t start against United this weekend, then progress to the FA Cup final will be nothing more than a dream for Lampard’s men.
