On paper at least, this looks to be a straight-forward match, with only one side expected to come out on top. Those who are into betting will certainly like this game because Chelsea's upcoming opponents, Bradford City are not even in the Premier League, let alone the Championship. In fact, the team, nicknamed the Bantams, are currently featuring in League One--the third tier of English football.
However, appearances can be deceiving as Bradford has a recent track record of downing teams in English football's top flight. In 2013, they managed to defeat both Aston Villa, and more significant, Arsenal in the Capital One Cup to set up a final clash with Swansea City. And although it ended as a 5-0 humiliation, the result was notable because it was the furthest a non Premier League side had gone in the competition in nearly half a century (as they were in League Two at that time).
Many would have expected them to simply sit back, put all their men behind the ball to absorb pressure and get lucky on the counter. Yet, during their brilliant run, Bradford showed that they are not afraid to come out of their shell and attack. And their coach, Phil Parkinson, is certainly keen on heading to Stamford Bridge with an attempt to cause another upset.
"The lads have fully earned the right to get this far in the competition and to make the most of a game like this," he stated in his pre-match press conference.
"We now have this fantastic tie to saviour against a top team and a top manager. We will be giving it everything we have this week to make sure we play to the very best we can [against Chelsea]."
Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho, despite not having any major injury concerns, will certainly opt to rotate his squad. Petr Cech, who has been bumped down the totem pole due to the return of Thibaut Courtois, will certainly take over between the posts and Andre Schurrle, who has been linked with an exit will also likely be handed a rare start.
Chelsea so far have an impressive home record in this competition. The Blues have not lost in their last 27 FA Cup games at Stamford Bridge and certainly, given their form, look likely to make it 28.
However, Bradford City have certainly shown that they are capable of doing the unexpected. So, will Chelsea be the next top-tier side to suffer a surprise loss at the hands of this plucky side? Simply tune in to find out.
Chelsea vs Bradford City team sheets
Chelsea's Starting XI: Cech; Christensen, Zouma, Cahill, Azpilicueta; Ramires, Mikel; Remy, Oscar, Salah; Drogba.
Bradford City's Starting XI: Williams, Darby, McArdle, Davies, Meredith, Liddle, Morais, Halliday, Knott, Hanson, Stead.
Chelsea's bench: Courtois, Terry, Ake, Fabregas, Loftus-Cheek, Willian, Hazard.
Bradford City's bench: Urwin, Sheehan, Clarke, Zoko, Yeates, Kennedy, Routis.
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