Article by Hannah Pinnock – @hannah_pinnock
Liverpool’s fifth-round FA Cup tie against Chelsea takes place on Monday night after the fixture was rearranged due to stormy weather throughout the weekend.It will be a welcomed distraction for the Reds as they’ve seen three of their league games postponed since the turn of the year, in the midst of a scrap for survival.Kick-off is at 7 pm on Monday evening at Kingsmeadow.Liverpool Have Finally Found Their Goalscoring FormDespite falling to a 3-2 defeat midweek at the hands of Arsenal, Vicky Jepson’s side scored more goals in those 90 minutes than they did in their first eight league games of the season.Rachel Furness found the back of the net for the second time in a red shirt and has earned plenty of praise since making the switch to Merseyside last month.She’s become a key player in her short time at the club and could be the difference maker if Liverpool is to better their 1-1 draw against Chelsea in the league just before Christmas.Goals have been few and far between in the league, but cup competitions have allowed Liverpool’s forward players to shine.Rinsola Babajide is the club’s top goalscorer in all competitions this season and she’ll be looking to add to her eight-goal tally on Monday.Chelsea Unbeaten In 22Emma Hayes’ side is in fine form after they won their eighth consecutive game 2-0 against Birmingham City on Wednesday night.The last time Chelsea didn’t win a game was back in December, when they drew 1-1 in the WSL to Monday’s opponents, Liverpool.The Blues are in the midst of a title race, only a point behind league leaders Manchester City.They will want to keep their FA Cup journey alive with a win over Liverpool, though, a domestic treble very much on the cards should they win the race to the title and overcome Arsenal in the FA Women’s League Cup final later this month.For Liverpool, progression to the sixth round of the competition would be a step closer to silverware and potentially shed some light in what has been a difficult season so far.
Head-To-Head RecordChelsea beat Liverpool both home and away in the league last season and have a good record against the Reds.The Blues have won 11 of their last 12 meetings in all competitions, the only draw being their most recent meeting at Prenton Park.Liverpool’s last win against Hayes’ side came in August 2014, Lucy Bronze on the scoresheet in the 2-0 victory.These fixtures haven’t been short of goals, either, with Chelsea beating the Merseyside club by some large margins, including a 7-0 win in 2017 and a 4-0 triumph last season.Key Players Return For ChelseaSam Kerr and Ji So-Yun have both returned from international duty and could feature on Monday night.Kerr, especially, is a player that injects fear among her opponents as one of the most prolific forwards in the women’s game.It will be a welcomed return for the duo as both enjoyed a positive time away with their international sides, moving closer to qualifying for this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo.The FA Cup may not be at the forefront of either team’s mind, with both fighting significant battles at either end of the league table.But, the possibility of progressing to the next round and the pursuit of silverware makes this a must-win game in the eyes of both managers and squads.Chelsea haven’t won a major trophy since their domestic double in 17/18 [WSL & FA Cup] and Liverpool’s drought extends much further, last winning a title in 2014 when they were crowned WSL Champions.Article by Hannah Pinnock – @hannah_pinnock
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Head-To-Head RecordChelsea beat Liverpool both home and away in the league last season and have a good record against the Reds.The Blues have won 11 of their last 12 meetings in all competitions, the only draw being their most recent meeting at Prenton Park.Liverpool’s last win against Hayes’ side came in August 2014, Lucy Bronze on the scoresheet in the 2-0 victory.These fixtures haven’t been short of goals, either, with Chelsea beating the Merseyside club by some large margins, including a 7-0 win in 2017 and a 4-0 triumph last season.Key Players Return For ChelseaSam Kerr and Ji So-Yun have both returned from international duty and could feature on Monday night.Kerr, especially, is a player that injects fear among her opponents as one of the most prolific forwards in the women’s game.It will be a welcomed return for the duo as both enjoyed a positive time away with their international sides, moving closer to qualifying for this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo.The FA Cup may not be at the forefront of either team’s mind, with both fighting significant battles at either end of the league table.But, the possibility of progressing to the next round and the pursuit of silverware makes this a must-win game in the eyes of both managers and squads.Chelsea haven’t won a major trophy since their domestic double in 17/18 [WSL & FA Cup] and Liverpool’s drought extends much further, last winning a title in 2014 when they were crowned WSL Champions.Article by Hannah Pinnock – @hannah_pinnock
