MAD’S MEN COMING TO GET CHELSEA
Norwich prepare for replay in style
FOr Norwich manager Daniel Farke, Wednesday’s Fa Cup replay at Chelsea represents a free shot at glory. But, as his opposite number at ashton Gate is finding out, cup runs can hit form in the league.
Norwich head to Stamford Bridge full of confidence after James maddison’s late goal condemned Bristol City to their fifth defeat on the spin.
Chelsea could not find a way through at Carrow road earlier this month as the Championship side showed for the second time this season that they can mix it with the big boys.
in October, they were five minutes from a famous Carabao Cup win at arsenal before Eddie Nketiah’s double dashed their Wembley dreams. Three months on, Norwich have another bite at the cherry. against antonio Conte’s side, they will need to replicate the counter-attacking sparkle that earned them victory at ashton Gate — only their second away from home since October.
But the Norwich boss knows even their best may not be good enough to reach the fourth round. ‘We can go and really enjoy the game,’ Farke said. ‘ We take it as a present for our club and our supporters because we were brilliant in our Carabao Cup performances and we have a feeling after a really unlucky loss at the Emirates that there is an open bill with the cup.
‘it’s not easy to repeat a brilliant performance against a giant like arsenal or Chelsea three times in a row. We had a brilliant performance at the Emirates, we had a brilliant performance in the home game against Chelsea, we were close to a win.
‘So perhaps it’s not fair to expect a third really unbelievable performance against such a giant, but we will try to do it.’
he added: ‘you need a special day with an unbelievable performance and you have to hope that a giant like Chelsea are not at their best... but in one game anything is possible.’
Lee Johnson’s Bristol City know all about cup upsets. They shocked manchester
United last month and are one win away from the Carabao Cup final. But after another disappointing defeat on Saturday, Wembley feels a world away.
Johnson admitted after the game that his side’s cup heroics may be costing them in the league.
But as their promotion chase begins to unravel, the 36-year-old is refusing to neglect the visit of Manchester City in the second leg of their semi-final a week tomorrow.
‘It’s difficult for it to take a back seat because it’s such an important game.’ he said. ‘We can’t write it off, can we?
‘You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t. We want to make sure we compete on all fronts.
‘That was always my fear this January, just due to the sheer accumulation and physical exertions the players must put in and the fact that the opposition haven’t got games when we have. And that’s a big thing in the Championship because the margins are so fine.’
Despite their difficult run, the Bristol City manager believes recent meetings with Premier League sides can only stand his side in good stead.
‘I expect us to come on really strong in the last 15 or 16 games of the season — the cohesion is there, we have good characters and options,’ he said. ‘The quality of the opposition is really good training for — hopefully — one day when the club can compete in the Premier League.’