Barnsley v Chelsea: No More Fairytales for Barnsley as Blues Bring Reality to Oakwell?
The Tykes FA Cup adventure should come to an end this weekend when they entertain the revitalised Chelsea juggernaut. If the win at Anfield in the last round was the stuff of fairytales then expect the Blues to bring Barnsley back to earth with a huge dose of reality at Oakwell.
All’s Well at Oakwell
Since the Tykes victory on Merseyside they’ve struggled in the Championship having gone 4 League matches without victory (1 defeat). In fact, they’ve failed to score in 3 of their last 4 League matches. They do have an impressive record at Oakwell of 1 defeat in their last 19 matches (10 wins & 8 draws) but that should not worry the Stamford Bridge billionaires too much. After all, Barnsley’s last 2 home games have ended in goal-less draws with the might of QPR and Sheffield Wednesday.
Chelsea Strike Back
The Blues bounced back from their Carling Cup final defeat to Tottenham in spectacular style with a 4-0 trouncing of West Ham and a 3-0 win over Olympiakos. Big guns Michael Ballack and Joe Cole returned to the starting line-up for those matches. The Blues have lost just once in the last 19 matches (14 wins). They’re unbeaten in their last 7 away matches having won 6 of those games. Many Premier League clubs would fear the potential banana skin that is Barnsley but not the cup holders who’ll be fuelled by their recent Carling Cup final defeat. One telling statistic is that Chelsea have not been knocked out of the FA Cup by a lower League side in 13 years and they are far more capable of dealing with inferior teams than Rafa Benitez’ Liverpool.
Only a 96-year Wait for the Tykes
It’s been 96 years since Barnsley last reached an FA Cup semi-final. This was the year the Tykes won the trophy for the only time in their history back in 1912. This was also the year the luxury RMS Titanic sunk after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. Barnsley may have sunk Liverpool in the last round but Premier 10 players should expect Chelsea to cruise into the semi’s.
Pundit’s Pick: Chelsea class tells at Oakwell (away win) Do you agree with this result for your Premier 10 prediction? Play Now>>
Tags: Barnsley, Blues, Chelsea, FA CUP, Oakwell, Premier 10 preview, Tykes
