Monday 26 January 2015 12:46, UK
Shock home defeats for Chelsea and Manchester City took the headlines on Saturday as the underdogs had their day in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
We look at five of the talking points that emerged from an extraordinary afternoon of FA Cup action...
Manchester United’s draw at Cambridge on Friday evening was supposed to be as dramatic as it got on FA Cup fourth-round weekend. With Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool all facing home ties against lower-league opposition, the draw looked routine enough but proved anything but. There’s something compelling about watching the great and the good struggle against supposedly inferior opposition and Saturday’s result showed again that there is no such thing as an FA Cup formality. If that sounds hackneyed then consider the words of Jose Mourinho, a man who had more reason than most to be dismayed by the competition come 5pm. “This is the beauty of football, the beauty of the FA Cup,” said the beaten Chelsea manager. “It happens more in the FA Cup than any other country.” Even the cynics might have to concede that one right now.
Of course, Mourinho’s comments didn’t end there after seeing his side lose 4-2 to League One side Bradford City at Stamford Bridge. There was plenty of praise for the Bantams but it doesn’t matter whether it’s Bradford or Barcelona, surrendering a two-goal lead at home only to lose in such emphatic fashion represents arguably the most shockingly bad result of Mourinho’s career. It’s also one that raises a few questions regarding the Premier League leaders. Is the depth of the squad quite what we imagined it was? This effort suggests there are flaws lurking not too far below the surface and might explain why Mourinho has been so keen to avoid rotating his players too much. If fatigue should hit some of the key players by the spring then there could be trouble ahead. With a two-legged Capital One Cup semi-final coming up and the Champions League returning next month, have Chelsea peaked too soon?
The good news for fans of the Blues is that the competition isn’t exactly covering itself in glory right now either. Premier League champions and nearest rivals Manchester City were beaten 2-0 by Championship side Middlesbrough in a sluggish display at the Etihad Stadium. City only flew back from Abu Dhabi the day before the game and that decision seemed to sum up the lackadaisical approach that reached its nadir for Boro’s opener. The calamitous defending was bad enough but the lack of any coherent response will have worried Manuel Pellegrini too – that’s now five home defeats already this season, more than City suffered in each of the previous three campaigns. After the game, the Chilean put the poor form down to a change of style while the team was without its strikers due to injury but appeared convinced any issues will only be temporary. “We have to return to the way we normally play," he said. "That will take time.” Unfortunately, with a trip to Chelsea on Saturday, they just don’t have it.
With the top three in the Premier League all being eliminated on the same day and Tottenham joining Newcastle and Everton among those out of the competition, the FA Cup suddenly looks wide open. Even Liverpool and Manchester United must negotiate replays. That has to be an opportunity for teams lower down the table and given that Crystal Palace and West Brom both look to be playing with confidence under new managers there is cause for hope on that score. Indeed, Palace are actually the highest-ranked team definitely in the fifth round going into Sunday’s games. With the likes of Derby County and Middlesbrough also among the last 16, a favourable draw could present a real chance for a shock winner to follow in the footsteps of Wigan Athletic and their memorable victory in 2013.
Naturally, while many are daring to dream, this unusual state of affairs with the final still four months away will be a source of frustration for others. Southampton supporters might feel the FA Cup was an unwanted distraction as they look to maintain their push for a top-four league finish but should that campaign stall they could look back on a 3-2 home defeat to Palace as a wasted opportunity. They won’t be the only ones. Everton’s 20-year wait for a trophy will continue unless they win the Europa League, while it’s now 60 years since Newcastle won this competition. With the big boys now gone, both would have been among the favourites had they negotiated winnable third-round ties. Instead they are left with only regrets. It all makes for an intriguing fifth-round draw on Monday and the feeling that there might still be something magical about the old trophy after all.
Watch Chelsea v Liverpool in the Capital One Cup semi-final second leg on Tuesday and Sheffield United host Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, with both games live on Sky Sports 1 HD
