It’s back to the Bridge for Ipswich Town after they were drawn away to Chelsea in the FA Cup Third Round; the second time the two sides have met in the competition in three seasons.
Town’s last showdown at Stamford Bridge came in the 4th Round of the competition 2 years ago, when goals from Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard handed Jim Magilton’s side a 3-1 defeat after Alex Bruce had equalised for Ipswich. The Premier League heavyweights went on to win the competition that year and now host Town as defending champions having beaten Portsmouth in the final of last season’s FA Cup in May.
The prospect of facing Carlo Ancelotti’s side will no doubt bring major concerns for Roy Keane, with the news of the draw coming just hours after his team slumped to an embarrassing 4-1 East Anglian derby defeat at Norwich City. Chelsea have not had the happiest time of late themselves however, hearing of the draw after being held at Newcastle in the latest result of a run that has seen them pick up just 4 points from their last 5 Premier League matches. There is no doubt therefore that both sides will want to improve ahead of this contest, though it will surely be a far bigger task for the Blues of Suffolk if they are to overcome their recent struggles and mastermind a classic upset.
The tie will be played on the weekend of 8-9 January 2011.
How do you feel about the draw? Are you happy with the prospect of a big cup game against glamorous opposition, or is this just another reason for us to feel pessimistic about our chances at the moment? Have your say here at Vital Ipswich:
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