Chelsea Dish Out FA Cup Blues to Liverpool (Again) as Frank Lampard's Men Progress to Next Round
By Max Cooper
The FA Cup is losing its magic.
None of the big teams take the FA Cup seriously anymore.
Tell that to Frank Lampard and Chelsea, then.
The Blues boss fielded a near full-strength side against Liverpool on Tuesday evening, and his respect for the competition was repaid by an emphatic and well-deserved 2-0 victory over Jürgen Klopp's men.
It was a commanding display from Lampard's side, who dismantled the Premier League's best team with ease. But Chelsea have got previous for this kind of result - especially against the Reds - and especially in the FA Cup.
Opta revealed after the midweek cruise that Chelsea have won seven of their 11 FA Cup meetings with Liverpool, confirming their love for knocking out Liverpool fans - from cup competitions.
And history is on the Blues' side, too. On each of the last two occasions Chelsea have beaten Liverpool in the FA Cup (1997 and 2012) they’ve gone on to lift the trophy. Get the champagne on ice, Lamps!
Their FA Cup success over the Reds in 2012 was particularly significant, as the two sides were forced to wait until the final to go head-to-head. Ramires and big-game player Didier Drogba scored the all important goals for the Blues, which were enough to clinch the trophy, although Andy Carroll did pull one back for the runners-up.
Tuesday's meeting was far less tense however, as strikes from Willian and Ross Barkley sent the west London club to the quarter finals of the competition, condemning their visitors to their third straight away defeat - the first time they experienced such a bad run since November 2014.
Chelsea were far sharper than their opponents, and they were far more secure at the back thanks to the returning Kepa Arrizabalaga.
The young Spanish goalkeeper has fallen out of favour with Lampard in recent weeks, but he staked his claim to a place in the starting 11 with a commanding display, making more saves in one match than he had made in any of his 24 Premier League games this term.
Lampard lifted the FA Cup an incredible four times as a Chelsea player, and wouldn't it be wonderful for him to lead the Blues to another major trophy this season?