For the football fans, the upcoming weekend is going to to be quite thrilling. While the most European Leagues are moving forward with their domestic leagues, English football will have a slightly different approach. It`ll be a pause from the Premier League, and all eyes will be focused on the FA Cup, the oldest football competition in the world.
The round of 16 brings up a load of interesting matches, with the heaviest Premier League teams up and running, while the underdogs will definitely try their best on the pitch. Chelsea FC, the undisputed leader of Premier League, will host Brentford at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea FC is the favourite by far
While Brentford is a small team, with no big ambition (currently ranked as no. 15 in the Championship), Chelsea is a Premier League superpower. This season marked a huge change for the club having Conte as an inspiring coach. The Italian manager did his magic tricks and the team is stronger than ever, and having a great run so far.
In the FA Cup, it`ll be only the 2nd game for Chelsea -- as well as for their opponents. The previous round, the Blues got past Peterborough with a score of 4-1 in an entertaining match for the crowd gathered at Stamford Bridge. On the other side, Brentford's tough playing away dismantled the small team of Eastleigh with a final score of 5-1.
With a solid lead in the race for the Premier League title, Chelsea might want to try winning other trophies too -- and the FA Cup is a great opportunity to do so. After all, its been a while since the Blues won the title back in 2012. That season was a glorious run as they also won the UEFA Champions League.
While Brentford will try to do their best, it's expected that Conte will choose to keep some of his stars on the bench.
FA Cup has a special aura
Being the sole competition having teams of all levels involved, the FA Cup remains a source of thrilling moments for the fans. The conservative rules are also part of the thrill. If a match is ending with a draw, there will be a replay of it, otherwise, a single leg will get the job done. This rule has been the cause of so many upsets throughout the years. But, now, with all the money being pumped into major competitions such as the Premier League, it has become increasingly harder for a low-ranked team to produce an unexpected outcome.
