Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea have a real chance of silverware in the Capital One Cup if they can overcome a struggling Sunderland side.
New Black Cats boss Gus Poyet is still trying revive a squad that’s down on their luck and will be looking at a run in the Capital One Cup as the perfect chance to give his players a welcome confidence boost.
And the success of either side will undoubtedly come down to the key battles between the players on the pitch, some of which are likely to be fringe players hoping to stake a first-team claim.
Here are three key battles between the sides to consider ahead of what should prove to be an interesting Capital One Cup tie…
Ryan Bertand v Adam Johnson
Ryan Bertand is still looking to cement his place in Chelsea’s starting line-up and, despite only making one league appearance so far this season, will be itching to be involved in this Capital One Cup Round 5 fixture to show Jose Mourinho exactly what he’s capable of against Premier League opposition.
Adam Johnson’s performances for Sunderland have been fairly sporadic but a new manager at the Stadium of Light may be just what he needs to pick up a bit of consistency. His ability to beat players is still second to none, while his delivery and precision from long range means he remains a serious threat to Bertrand and Chelsea.
His experience in big matches also means he could look to exploit a young and inexperienced Bertrand even more.
Demba Ba v Wes Brown
Demba Ba still has a lot to prove at Chelsea and has been slow to get going since arriving from Newcastle in January.
Despite there being rumours Ba will be leaving Stamford Bridge in the January transfer window, he’ll still be fighting for his Chelsea place and, as a former Magpie, will be desperate to get on the score sheet against Sunderland.
But Wes Brown has been in top form for Sunderland this season and put on a Man of the Match performance in their surprise victory over Manchester City in November. The former United man kept the likes of Sergio Aguero and Alvaro Negredo quiet all game and will be confident of doing the same with a misfiring Demba Ba.
John Obi Mikel v Ki Sung-Yueng
Sunderland’s Ki Sung-Yueng has been a consistent performer this season and, after a good season with Swansea last year, appears to have settled in to life in the North East nicely. His creativity in the heart of midfield will be important to Sunderland’s improvement under Gus Poyet in the coming months.
Mikel has been in and out of Jose Mourinho’s side but, his performance in Chelsea’s 3-0 victory over West Ham will make it hard for Mourinho to find a case to leave him out. He and Ki are similar players in that like to get forward but are just as defensively minded, which means this could prove to be an interesting battle at Stamford Bridge.
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