Have Chelsea got it in them to bounce back against a buoyant Leeds side and save their season? Newcastle also need a reaction, as do Man Utd, perhaps with help from Amad Diallo…
Game to watch – Chelsea v Leeds United
It’s the ‘blue billion-pound bottlejobs’ against a Leeds side on the march in a fifth-round tie Mauricio Pochettino is unlikely to relish.
Chelsea have two days to sulk in the wake of their Carabao Cup final defeat to a Liverpool side on the bones of its arse before the buoyant Yorkshiremen show up at Stamford Bridge looking to turn the screw even tighter on Pochettino after his side’s failure to secure their manager his first honour in English football.
That could yet come in the FA Cup but Pochettino will have to rouse a Chelsea team who looked oddly passive when it seemed Liverpool were there for the taking at Wembley. Pochettino admitted afterwards that tiredness dictated a cautious approach in extra-time and the preference to take their chances in a penalty shoot-out which never came. Have these Blues got it in them to bounce back?
If not, Leeds will relish picking away at the carcass. The Whites believe after coming from behind to beat Leicester on Friday night, and though the Championship is very obviously their priority, Daniel Farke will recognise the importance of momentum as well as freshness ahead of a Yorkshire derby against Huddersfield at the weekend.
Leeds haven’t won at Chelsea in almost a quarter of a decade. Ending that run, and effectively Chelsea’s season, would see Pochettino’s approval rating among home fans fall to dangerous new lows.
Team to watch – Liverpool
In stark contrast to Chelsea, their vanquishers are full of the joys before they face another Championship high-flier in Southampton.
Liverpool might be down to the bare bones and somewhat running on fumes but the momentum the Reds have gained, supercharged by their ‘underdog’ triumph at Wembley, means Jurgen Klopp might welcome another assignment so swiftly after winning the first of perhaps four trophies throughout his farewell tour. Especially since they return home to Anfield, ready to harness the energy from increasingly emotional Kopites, currently distracting themselves from the impending parting by thoughts of what could be achieved in the meantime.
Those home fans will likely relish a second-string selection as an opportunity to hail their Chelsea-conquering stand-ins, allowing some of their main men more time to recover ahead of trips to Nottingham Forest and Sparta Prague before Manchester City show up for what could be a title-defining clash a week on Sunday.
Klopp may be encouraged to hold back the big-hitters by an admission by his opposite number. “We could do without that right now if I’m being honest,” said Russell Martin when asked about the trip to Anfield coming on the back of two home defeats and run of three losses in four that threatens to stall their charge back to the Premier League.
Manager to watch – Eddie Howe
The Newcastle manager has been at pains to stress how depleted his squad has been this season. And, more often than not, it was a fair point. But there was little excuse for a woefully passive performance at Arsenal on Saturday that saw the Gunners run rings around the side who looked a pale imitation of that which so irritated Mikel Arteta’s men in November.
That feels like a long time ago and the hope and optimism prompted by their Champions League involvement has given way to pessimism over their hopes for the season and the chances of improving their prospects in the summer. The biggest immediate concern, though, is that Newcastle have become a soft touch.
Any danger of putting a
fu—— tackle in 🤬🤬 #ARSNEW— Alan Shearer (@alanshearer) February 24, 2024
Howe acknowledged as much after watching his men fail to get close to Arsenal. “I don’t think we competed well enough, which is really unlike us.” Except it is right now. “We need to re-find that solidity.” Indeed.
How, Eddie? It is not clear what the manager can do to prompt the change he is demanding in time for the Shearer derby at Blackburn’s Ewood Park. “We have to look at this as the biggest game of our season. And yeah, there’s a lot resting on this next game.” Quite likely, Newcastle’s season.
Player to watch – Amad Diallo
With Manchester United without a fit-for-purpose centre-forward, Erik ten Hag is having to rejig his forward line once more for the tie away to Nottingham Forest where the Red Devils must rally in the wake of their late home defeat to Fulham on Saturday.
With Marcus Rashford, seemingly reluctantly, playing through the middle, Alejandro Garnacho is needed on the left, opening up a spot on the right. For Antony, perhaps. But for Fulham, Ten Hag opted for untried Omari Forson in his XI.
Forson’s display was, in Ten Hag’s words, ‘reasonable’ before he was withdrawn early in the second half. Diallo was given the last 10 minutes, while Antony remained on the bench for all but the last few moments.
Diallo might reasonably expect an opportunity of his own to start at Forest. “Amad looks very sharp,” Ten Hag said after the defeat. “I think it was a good sub [performance] from him. I think that’s good for the future. We need them because we have our problems in the frontline.”
His last appearance for United came as a substitute at the City Ground in another defeat in December. This now feels like Diallo’s turn to start and Ten Hag needs the winger to seize his opportunity.
Amad Diallo in action for Manchester United.
European game to watch – Inter Milan v Atalanta
Slim pickings if you’re looking for some continental entertainment, with Serie A the only one of the big five leagues offering anything to get you through the midweek.
Even there, only two games take place on Wednesday. First ninth-placed Napoli go to struggling Sassuolo looking to get back in contention for Europe, before leaders Inter play their game in hand over the distant chasing pack against Atalanta at the San Siro.
Inter can extend their lead to a whopping 12 points over second-placed Juventus by beating their Bergamo rivals, who themselves need the points to take their place in the Champions League spots. A home win, though, would surely kill off the title race and allow Inter some headspace to focus on the Champions League, safe in the knowledge they would have to screw up spectacularly to allow Juve or Milan a sniff of catching them.
