A successful FA Cup campaign could be just what Chelsea need to get their season headed in the right direction.
It's been a fairly miserable season for Chelsea and the club's fans, going from winning the Premier League title last season to suddenly fighting against relegation this year. Jose Mourinho has been fired, Guus Hiddink is back as their interim manager, and they need something, anything, to hold onto as a positive to try to get things turned around.
So now, with their FA Cup run finally starting, Chelsea's fortunes may finally be turning around. Always a threat in the competition, Chelsea can use the momentum of a series of good performances in the cup to help bolster their fledgling league campaign. Gaining any kind of confidence or momentum by playing well in the FA Cup could be huge for Chelsea's efforts to salvage something from this season in the league -- and playing a team struggling in League One in Scunthorpe United could be just the ticket to getting things rolling.
Key player -- Oscar (Chelsea)
Oscar has really struggled this season and needs to turn things around completely in order to get back to the player who once starred in Chelsea's midfield and helped drive their attack. He still has the talent, he just needs the faith in himself and the skills he has in order to be able to make the difference. A good performance against a lower-league performer like Scunthorpe might be just the ticket for starting to get his mojo back.
Key matchup -- Gary Cahill (Chelsea) vs. Paddy Madden (Scunthorpe)
Scunthorpe's leading scorer, Madden is the one player who has a real chance of making a difference and the chance for the Irons to get something good out of this match. That comes not just from his form, but also from the fact that he'll likely be lined up with Cahill, who has been hurt and was in dreadfully poor form before that, thanks to his own confidence woes. If Madden can take advantage and exploit Cahill's weaknesses, Scunthorpe might -- might -- just have a fighting chance.
Match Date/Time: Sunday, 9 a.m. ET, 2 p.m. local
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London, England
TV: Fox Sports 1 (U.S.), Sportsnet World (Canada), BT Sport 2 (U.K.)
Online: Fox Soccer 2 Go, Fox Sports (U.S.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada), BT Sport Live Streaming (U.K.)
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