The Capital One Cup pits the Blues against Premier League opposition for a place in the quarter-finals. Club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton preview our evening in the Potteries…
TALKING POINTS
Holders and five-time winners Chelsea have a proud record in the League Cup. We were London’s first winners of the trophy, with its quaint tankards for players rather than medals at the time, in 1964/65 under Tommy Docherty.
There are wounds suffered in this competition that still hurt years later, though, and chief among them is Stoke’s against-the-odds victory over Dave Sexton’s King’s Road swingers in the 1971/72 final at Wembley.
A knot of older fans will always feel much better for polishing off the Potters as a result. It was, as things transpired, merely the harbinger of much worse strife to come. Embattled by squad and financial problems, the Pensioners would not reach another major cup final for 22 years.
The League Cup is the quickest route to serious silverware each season. When the draw is made on Sky Sports following tomorrow’s televised match it will involve only the eight teams contesting the quarter-finals.
It also offers less regular players the opportunity to force their way into Jose Mourinho’s starting 11s. This is the first of Chelsea’s two visits to the Britannia Stadium in cup and league inside two weeks and only our second in any cup competition, and only a few may play in both.
Saturday’s home loss to Watford on Saturday was Mark Hughes’ 100th game in charge of Stoke, and the Hornets’ fourth win in six visits. On the occasion just about the only thing the manager felt inclined to toast afterwards was the performance of visiting centre-forward Troy Deeney.
‘You don’t see that type of performance from strikers as much these days,’ he enthused. ‘It’s an art being able to link the play and use your body which seems to be going out of the game.’
Those attributes were exactly what the former Manchester United striker brought to Stamford Bridge with his arrival in 1995, and he made vital interventions in games such as Liverpool in the FA Cup and Vicenza in the Cup Winners’ Cup.
Such was his impact that the relatively small number of Chelsea fans on the internet at the time created an acronym in his honour, ‘HTBUW,’ or ‘holds the ball up well.’ It also is interesting to ponder whether the eight-year-old Hughes watched the 1972 League Cup final between Chelsea and Stoke, and whether he was wearing the Peter Bonetti replica shirt he admitted to treasuring when he signed for the Blues.
Should the scores be level after 90 minutes tonight, 30 minutes of extra time will be played after which, if there is still no winner, the tie will be decided on penalties.
Chelsea have won three of our last six competitive penalty shoot-outs. Our last two have both been against Bayern Munich: in the 2012 Champions League final and 2013 UEFA Super Cup.
The Potters have won four of their last five penalty shoot-outs.
WE HAVE HISTORY
Chelsea and Stoke lock horns in the League Cup for the fifth time, with the Potters winning the previous four. No Chelsea supporter over a certain age will need reminding of the most crucial among them: the 1972 final.
There was an early setback for Dave Sexton’s side when defensive errors led to a penalty area melee and a fifth-minute headed opener for Terry Conroy.
From then on, with Charlie Cooke the outstanding player on the park, Chelsea constructed wave after wave against the deep-lying Potters, who were confined to breakaways.
England’s Gordon Banks was in fine form for Stoke, though, and an exceptional save from Chris Garland already suggested it would take something special to beat him.
Crucially, Blues right-back Paddy Mulligan was crocked after half an hour following a challenge by Mike Pejic and had to leave the field (eventually to be replaced at half-time by a forward, Tommy Baldwin).
The Blues continued to attack, though, and in first-half injury time the sheer pressure became too much for Stoke to bear. A Cooke cross to Peter Osgood fell to fellow 1970 FA Cup hero Dave Webb, but his shot was blocked, not cleared, and seconds later Osgood was twisting and shooting past Banks for the equaliser (pictured below).
After the break Chelsea’s reshuffled pack – Harris taking over at right-back, winger Peter Houseman dropping to left-back – appeared at first to work as we continued to look the likeliest to grab a winner.
Yet with a quarter of an hour remaining Stoke struck the killer blow, Bonetti only able to parry Jimmy Greenhoff’s shot as far as veteran George Eastham, who clipped into the net from Mulligan’s position.
The Londoners rallied again, with Baldwin and Osgood going close but finding Banks formidable, and the underdogs would have their day.
Happily, Chelsea have fared better in other competitions. We have won the four most recent meetings in the FA Cup and lost just one of our last 11 meetings at the Britannia Stadium and Victoria Ground.
The only previous cup visit to the Potters’ current ground was an FA Cup fifth-round tie in February 2003. Stoke were a second tier side at the time but, inspired by Tony Pulis, they made Claudio Ranieri’s Champions League aspirants work hard for the victory.
It was not until early in the second half that Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink unleashed a drive that eluded goalkeeper Banks – Steve, not Gordon. Inside the last quarter of an hour Jesper Gronkjaer, deftly found by Eidur Gudjohnsen, raced through to complete the 2-0 scoreline.
You may enjoy the highlights of that game here.
PREVIOUS LEAGUE CUP MEETINGS
Final 4 Mar 1972 Wembley
Managers: Tony Waddington, Dave Sexton
Stoke………….………2 Chelsea….……………1
Conroy 5 Osgood 45+2
Eastham 73
Att: 100,000
Second round 8 Oct 1973 Victoria Ground
Managers: Tony Waddington, Dave Sexton
Stoke..…………………….1 Chelsea……..………….0
Smith 48
Att: 17,281
Third round 9 Oct 1974 Stamford Bridge
Managers: Ron Suart, Tony Waddington
Chelsea…………………….2 Stoke…………………2
Hutchinson 22, 52 Robertson 6
Hurst 47
Att: 19,954
Third round replay 16 Oct 1974 Victoria Ground
Stoke……………………….1 Chelsea…..………….1
Greenhoff 80 Britton 21
After extra time
Att: 24,377
Third round second replay 22 Oct 1974 Victoria Ground
Stoke……………………….6 Chelsea…..………….2
Hurst 2 Hollins 68
Smith 10 Baldwin 83
Droy own goal 38
Harris own goal 44
Salmons 61
Hurst 67
Att: 26,712
Second round first leg 20 Sep 1995 Victoria Ground
Managers: Lou Macari, Glenn Hoddle
Stoke……………………...0 Chelsea……..………….0
Att: 15,574
Second round second leg 4 Oct 1995 Stamford Bridge
Chelsea…………………...0 Stoke….……..………….1
Peschisolido 75
Att: 16,272
OTHER CUP MEETINGS
FA Cup
1933/34 Fifth round Stoke 3 Chelsea 1
1968/69 Fifth round Chelsea 3 Stoke 2
2002/03 Fifth round Stoke 0 Chelsea 2
2009/10 Quarter-final Chelsea 2 Stoke 0
2013/14 Fourth round Chelsea 1 Stoke 0
TACTICAL BRIEF
Jose Mourinho is likely to make personnel changes ahead of this weekend’s league match, not least because Nemanja Matic is suspended.
Saturday’s visitors to Stamford Bridge, Liverpool, host Bournemouth in this competition tomorrow evening. However the Chelsea boss usually likes a mixture of less-used squad members, young players and regulars, with a strong reserve held back on the bench for emergencies.
In the previous round’s visit to Walsall, Asmir Begovic, Branislav Ivanovic, John Terry, Gary Cahill and Ramires all started. With Diego Costa suspended, Cesc Fabregas given the night off and Matic, Eden Hazard and Pedro on the bench, Radamel Falco and Loic Remy started upfront, John Mikel Obi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek were in midfield and Kenedy played wide, netting the Blues’ third. Papy Djilobodji made a short debut at the end.
Mourinho may choose to rest former Stoke man Asmir Begovic in favour of Jamal Blackman or recent-signing Marco Amelia.
Stoke’s surprise home defeat by Watford on Saturday came after four successive wins. Concerned at what he considered a limp performance, in which the Potters managed just one shot on target, Stoke manager Mark Hughes has already suggested he will make several changes tonight. The likes of lone striker Joselu and wideman and record-signing Xherdan Shaqiri could miss out.
Goalkeeper Shay Given, defenders Phil Bardsley, Philipp Wollscheid and Marc Wilson, former Blues central midfielder Steve Sidwell (pictured below), and striker Peter Crouch have started both the Potters’ previous matches in this campaign.
There could be recalls for centre-back and skipper Ryan Shawcross, top scorer Mame Diouf, Marc Muniesa, winger Peter Odemwingie and forward Jon Walters.
Walters, a sub against Watford, is fondly remembered by traveling Chelsea fans for his own-goal brace and missed penalty contribution towards a 4-0 Chelsea win in January 2013.
Suspension and injury deprive Stoke of two defenders who have been ever-present in the league so far: left-back Erik Pieters, who was shown a fifth yellow card at the weekend, and centre-half Geoff Cameron, who limped off with a thigh strain after 10 minutes. Centre-back Shawcross is being considered after missing the season up to now with a back injury.
CHELSEA IN NUMBERS
Chelsea in the League Cup
Winners: 1964/65, 1997/98, 2004/05, 2006/07, 2014/15
Runners-up: 1971/72, 2007/08
Semi-finalists: 1972/73, 1984/85, 1990/91, 2001/02, 2012/13
| Last 10 seasons in the League Cup | ||
|---|---|---|
| Season | Round reached | Eliminated by |
| 2005/06 | Third round | Charlton |
| 2006/07 | Winners | |
| 2007/08 | Runners-up | Tottenham |
| 2008/09 | Fourth round | Burnley |
| 2009/10 | Quarter-final | Blackburn |
| 2010/11 | Fourth round | Newcastle |
| 2011/12 | Quarter-final | Liverpool |
| 2012/13 | Semi-final | Swansea |
| 2013/14 | Quarter-final | Sunderland |
| 2014/15 | Winners | |
Kerry Dixon is our leading scorer in the League Cup with 25 goals, followed by Frank Lampard 12, Peter Osgood and Bobby Tambling 10 and Didier Drogba nine.
Our last defeat in the League Cup was in 2013/14 at the quarter-final stage at Sunderland. We lost 1-2 after extra time.
2015/16 minutes on pitch 1,442
Azpilicueta 1,285, Fabregas 1,237, Hazard 1,205, Cahill 1,194, Begovic 1,096,Ivanovic 1,063, Zouma 1,053, Diego Costa 1,000, Matic 972, Willian 909, Terry857, Ramires 687, Pedro 660, Oscar 426, Falcao 389, Courtois 343, Remy 337, Baba 294, Mikel 280, Loftus-Cheek 222, Kenedy 159, Cuadrado 29, Traore 16, Moses 13, Djilobodji 1.
This season’s League Cup campaign
23 Sep (3) Walsall (a) W 4-1
League Cup scorers
LAST SIX RESULTS
2015/16 scorers
Willian 4, Diego Costa 3, own goals 3, Oscar 2 (1 pen), Pedro 2, Ramires 2, Azpilicueta 1, Cahill 1, FÃ bregas 1, Falcao 1, Kenedy 1, Matic 1, Remy 1, Zouma 1
CHELSEA’S NEXT THREE GAMES
STOKE IN NUMBERS
Stoke in the League Cup
Winners: 1971/72
Runners-up: 1963/64
Stoke’s record win in the League Cup was against Chelsea in October 1974 (6-2)
Last season
Premier League - ninth
FA Cup - fifth round
Capital One Cup - fourth round
Top goalscorer all competitions: Mame Biram Diouf 12
This season’s Capital One Cup campaign
25 Aug Luton (a) D 1-1aet, won 8-7 on pens
22 Sep Fulham (a) W 1-0
Capital One Cup scorers
Crouch 1, Walters 1
For the past four seasons Stoke have been knocked out of the League Cup at home.
Mark Hughes’s side have kept one clean sheet in their last 10 home matches in all competitions. They have lost three of their last six matches at the Britannia Stadium.
| Last 10 seasons in the League Cup | ||
|---|---|---|
| Season | Round reached | Defeated by |
| 2005/06 | First round | Mansfield (a) |
| 2006/07 | First round | Darlington (h) |
| 2007/08 | First round | Rochdale (a) |
| 2008/09 | Quarter-final | Derby (h) |
| 2009/10 | Fourth round | Portsmouth (a) |
| 2010/11 | Fourth round | West Ham (a) |
| 2011/12 | Fourth round | Liverpool (h) |
| 2012/13 | Second round | Swindon (h) |
| 2013/14 | Quarter-final | Manchester United (h) |
| 2014/15 | Fourth round | Southampton (h) |
Manager Mark Hughes
Days in charge: 880
Played 100
Won 39
Drawn 25
Lost 36
| Last six league results | ||
|---|---|---|
| 12 Sep | Arsenal (a) | L 0-2 |
| 19 Sep | Leicester (h) | D 2-2 |
| 26 Sep | Bournemouth (h) | W 2-1 |
| 03 Oct | Aston Villa (a) | W 1-0 |
| 19 Oct | Swansea (a) | W 1-0 |
| 24 Oct | Watford (h) | L 0-2 |
2015/16 League scorers
Diouf 3, Arnautovic 2 (1 pen), Bojan 2 (1 pen), Walters 2.
THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Kevin Friend’s last Chelsea game was against Crystal Palace in May when we secured the Premier League title for the fourth time.
OTHERWISE ENGAGED
Nemanja Matic is suspended (one match).
On-loan Marco van Ginkel is unavailable for Stoke under the regulations of his loan.