Jose Mourinho will take charge of his Chelsea side for the final time this season as they travel to the Cardiff City Stadium to face the relegated Welsh outfit.
Date: Sunday, 11th May Venue: Cardiff City Stadium Kick-off: 15:00 GMT On TV: BBC MOTD (highlights)
A game that, just a month ago, looked to be the match that may seal Chelsea the title now holds no meaning, as Chelsea are officially out the title race and Cardiff were confined to relegation last weekend.
Manchester City’s win against Aston Villa in midweek means that it is down to Liverpool and Manchester City to fight it out for the league crown, while Chelsea are guaranteed their spot in third place.
Chelsea played out to yet another disappointed home performance as they drew 0-0 with Norwich last Sunday, while Cardiff’s relegation was confirmed after a 3-0 away defeat to Newcastle on Saturday.
With the game holding no meaning, the mindset of both sets of players will surely be a talking point, with Mourinho surely looking to stop the Chelsea players from putting their minds on their summer break too early.
It has been a frustrating end to the season for Chelsea fans who have watched this team, who were 4 wins from the title just 3 games ago, dwindle out and will surely want to see one last push and something to celebrate.
Speaking on Friday, Jose Mourinho seemed to understand the fans frustration:
“It’s not the kind of season Chelsea celebrates. We are not jumping, but we knew it was very possible [3rd] would happen.”
Similarly for Cardiff, it has been a season of turmoil and their fans will want to see a huge performance before they return to the Championship after just the single season.
The sides last met back in October at Stamford Bridge, when Chelsea came from behind to win 4-1 in a game which saw one of the season’s most controversial incidents, with Samuel Eto’o stealing the ball away from keeper Daivd Marshall before Eden Hazard tucked away.
The Cameroonian striker also got his first goal for Chelsea on that day before goals from Hazard and Oscar went on to seal a comfortable victory for the Blues.
Chelsea’s form has been sketchy as of late, with the Blues winning just 1 of their last 5 games in all competitions, including the two legs against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League.
Cardiff, the League’s bottom club, have won just one game in their last eight League clashes, and the Bluebirds have won just seven games all season; a record spanning between two managers in a season of chaos for the Welsh side.
Chelsea certainly appear to be favoruites and anything but a win will surely not be enough for the travelling fans, but injuries and suspensions may see Mourinho try out a number of players who have lacked opportunities so far at the club.
On Friday, Jose confirmed that Frank Lampard was ill and missed training, while Samuel Eto’o was still struggling with injury along with captain John Terry. Petr Cech is sidelined for 8-10 weeks for the injury sustained against Madrid.
Samuel Eto’o’s injury means it is more than likely that we have seen the striker play his last game for the Blues which has seen the striker score vital goals such as those against United, Arsenal and Tottenham.
Ramires is still suspended for his off the ball incident against Sunderland that saw him get a ban after an FA review.
Tomas Kalas may get another opportunity in the absense of Terry and after putting in a performance beyond his years in the win at Anfield last month.
Chelsea fans will be desperate to see Van Ginkel return from injury before the summer break – the Dutch international picked up a knee injury that saw him miss the large majority on Chelsea’s season.
Youngsters such as Nathan Aké and Lewis Baker may get an opportunity in the squad, and Ashley Cole may get one more farewell performance before, it appears, he is released when his contract runs out this summer.
Cardiff’s Juan Cala has been handed a 3 game suspension for improper conduct, while manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may look to try out a few fresh faces as he prepares for life in the Championship with the Bluebirds.
Whatever the outcome on Sunday, this season will be Mourinho’s worst points tally as Chelsea manager, albeit against much stronger squads such as that of Manchester City.
The stats suggest a low scoring game, with Cardiff failing to score in their last 295 minutes of football (in open play), and Chelsea still boasting the League’s sturdiest defence.
Chelsea are certainly the favourites going into the 38th and final gameweek of the season, and their fans would have been clinching the title during this game, but pride and a good feeling for the summer is the best Chelsea can hope for coming out of this one.
However, this is the last game of Premier League action that the Cardiff City Stadium will be seeing for at least another season, and the players will be wanting to put on one last spectacle for their fans to enjoy.
Cardiff vs Chelsea: Pre match facts
- Eden Hazard has completed 125 dribbles in the Premier League this season, 34 more than any other player.
- Chelsea have won 17 of their 32 games vs Cardiff (45.95%), losing 12, drawing 8
- Chelsea have won just 5 of their 18 games at Cardiff City Stadium (27.87%), losing 7, drawing 6
- Chelsea have won only four of their last eight Premier League games (L3, D1)
- The Bluebirds have conceded three or more goals in five of their last seven league matches
Source: Opta/ChelseaMad
Cardiff vs Chelsea: Possible lineup
Chelsea: Schwarzer, Azpilicueta, Kalas, Ivanovic, Cole; Matic, Aké; Schurrle, Oscar, Hazard, Torres
Prediction: Cardiff City 1-2 Chelsea
