As we enter the second day of January, the focus will of course not be solely on the transfer market – although I predict drama once again – but Mauricio Pochettino and the players will largely focus on the domestic cups.
And it’s really lucky that we managed to get to the League Cup, because otherwise January would have been very quiet in terms of games.
These are the January games:
#Chelsea calendar in January 🗓️
How many wins do you expect from these five? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/aWR9hlpQpe
– Chelsea Speaks (@talkchelsea) January 1, 2024
The FA Cup is my favorite competition, without a doubt. It brings nostalgia and a historical football feeling. It is also the only competition that connects grassroots and professional soccer, and I love that.
And that’s where we start this Saturday in our next game, at home against Preston North End in the FA Cup.
And then, on the 9th, it’s once again our biggest game of the season so far, something we’ve found ourselves saying in almost every game lately.
This match, being the first of two matches, has become VERY important because it remains our best path to European football next season; Now we are three games away from that.
According to Football London, the team that wins the Carabao Cup automatically qualifies for the Europa Conference League. However, they can also qualify for the Conference League even if they do not win the competition. If Liverpool were to win it and also qualify for European football by another method, the place would be awarded to the highest-placed Premier League team that has not yet qualified for Europe.
This would mean that finishing seventh could be enough for a European place if the Premier League were given an extra Champions League place for the team that finishes fifth.
So Chelsea’s chances of European football this season, albeit in the lower European league/competition, are still alive and well. But they simply HAVE to keep pushing for the League Cup, and they certainly will. We should not underestimate how important European football at any level will be for us next season, financially and also because it will bring more games for a squad that is still expected to be reasonably big.
That they gave us Middlesbrough for our semi-final was the best draw we could have achieved. And playing Preston and then Middlesbrough in our next two games really gives us the opportunity to build more momentum after our last two consecutive wins and really reduce some confidence and authority collectively in this team.
Chelsea will do everything possible in these two domestic cups, and that’s how it should be. I really can’t imagine Mauricio Pochettino betting on a “weakened” team in either cup competition. I suppose there will be an opportunity for some players to rest some legs on Saturday after there are no midweek games this week and a chance for an extended rest, but I expect Pochettino to take this game VERY seriously.
Mauricio Pochettino
Between the cup matches, we have local neighbors Fulham taking a few steps towards Stamford Bridge for what, again on paper, is a very winnable match.
I’ve lost a lot of confidence, optimism and faith in this team over the last few weeks/months, but we’re facing four games in a row where they could really go a long way to get some of that back for me and a lot of other fans. .
However, my expectations are still low because, as I said before, I got sick of feeling let down and disappointed week after week. But we really could win our next four games in a row here, and as long as we don’t get complacent along the way, what a huge boost this could be for all of us and the club as a whole.
Of course, the party could be short-lived on the last day of the month, when we have to go to Anfield and play against the current table leaders, Liverpool. Although literally anything can happen in this league.
Don’t get me wrong, none of Preston, Middlesbrough or Fulham will be easy games, far from it. And in fact, there are more potential problems and confusion in these games. Imagine if we lose to Preston! But, in reality, they are more than winnable matches and we should overcome them with a good finish.
As I said, I’m still not optimistic again, but now there is a real opportunity for us this month. We could really set ourselves up for a good start to the second half of the season. I don’t even care that we’re not playing against a Premier League rival, you just have to beat what’s in front of you, and we just need wins and convincing performances to boost confidence at the moment.
