Capital One Cup: Stoke seek more Mourinho misery in Chelsea clash

Lee Gormley | October 27, 2015

Stoke City v Chelsea

Chelsea face League Cup bogey team Stoke

On the back of another shocking domestic defeat to West Ham United, Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea face a tough Capital One Cup last 16 clash at the Britannia Stadium, with Stoke City having eliminated the Blues every time they have faced them in this competition.

Mark Hughes will undoubtedly see this as the perfect time to contest the stuttering Premier League champions in the League Cup, with under-fire Blues boss Jose Mourinho seeing serious speculation mounting over his potential dismissal from London.

The Potters are focused on handing the Portuguese coach further misery on home soil and are 11/4 with Coral to cause another upset in 90 minutes, while Chelsea are 5/2 to win to nil for the fourth time in five previous Stoke encounters.

Hughes backs under-fire Mourinho

Mourinho recently witnessed his side get toppled by the Hammers domestically, and has since been charged by the FA for an altercation with match officials at half-time during that match-up, a result which sees Chelsea drop to 15th in the top-flight table.

However, despite his troubles, Potters boss Hughes believes his managerial counterpart will see through such a current blip, coming into the defence of his next Capital One Cup rival.

“It’s a period he has the knowledge and understanding to address, and he’ll turn it around,” Hughes said. “I don’t think anyone thinks that he won’t.

“He says it himself – he’s a top manager and he’s the best manager Chelsea have ever had, so why would they change?”

Blues stars must step up

Chelsea face Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool next weekend in a domestic duel which could ultimately decide Mourinho’s fate at Stamford Bridge, if speculation is to be believed, but the Portuguese boss will be in no hurry to rest his star players.

Despite many of last season’s pivotal title-winners enduring a poor campaign, the likes of Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas will need to be in fine form to overturn previous misery. Both were on target in this fixture last term and the former Belgian international is 7/4 to strike again in normal time.

Branislav Ivanovic is set to miss out through injury for the visiting Blues though, as well as Loic Remy, while Nemanja Matic is suspended after receiving two yellows cards in the loss to West Ham. Diego Costa could lead the line once again and he is 4/1 to open proceedings this time out.

Meanwhile, Charlie Adam was on the scoresheet in this fixture last term too, making him 11/2 to net again in 90 minutes, and Peter Crouch is 11/4 to add to his three career goals against Chelsea anytime.

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