Chelsea F.C. 2–4 Bradford City A.F.C. (2015)

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Chelsea v Bradford City (2015)
Stamford Bridge.jpg
The match was played at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's home stadium
Event2014–15 FA Cup Fourth Round Proper
Chelsea Bradford City
2 4
Date24 January 2015
VenueStamford Bridge, London
RefereeAndre Marriner (Birmingham)
Attendance41,014

The 2014–15 FA Cup Fourth Round match between Chelsea and Bradford City was played on 24 January 2015 at Stamford Bridge in West London. The match is considered not only one of the biggest FA Cup upsets in history, but also, one of the most dramatic comebacks in the history of the competition.[1][2][3] In December 2019 readers of Bradford-based newspaper Telegraph & Argus voted it Bradford City's best match of the 2010s.[4]

Chelsea were leading 2–1 at half-time with goals from Gary Cahill and Ramires. However, in the second half Bradford City staged a comeback as Filipe Morais, Andy Halliday, and Mark Yeates each scored a goal (including one in stoppage time) to help Bradford City win the game 2–4, thus allowing the Bantams to reach the Fifth Round of the FA Cup for the first time in 18 years. It also ended at-the-time Chelsea manager, José Mourinho's, and Chelsea's hopes of winning a quadruple that season.[5][6] It was also Chelsea's first loss at home during the entire season, and the first time they had conceded three goals at home to a lower division side in the FA Cup since their 1991 Third Round match against Oxford United.

At the time, Chelsea were at the top of the table in the Premier League and Bradford City were 6th in League One, 49 places in the table below them. Bradford City entered the competition in the First Round and went through to the Fourth Round after winning a replay against Millwall 4–0 at home.[7]

The 2014–15 FA Cup Fourth Round is known as one of the most eventful in recent times. Only one of the "big six" teams in England won at the first attempt (Arsenal, beating Championship Brighton & Hove Albion away 3–2). They went on to win the competition. On that same day, defending Premier League champions Manchester City also lost their Fourth Round match at home by a margin of 2 against Championship side, Middlesbrough.[8] Tottenham were beaten at home by struggling Leicester City. Manchester United and Liverpool had been held to 0–0 draws with League Two Cambridge United and Championship Bolton Wanderers respectively, forcing replays (which they won 3–0 and 2–1 respectively).[9]

Background[]

Jose Mourinho while at Chelsea in 2014

At the time, Chelsea were comfortably sitting at the top of the Premier League table, 5 points ahead of eventual runners-up Manchester City.[10] They had also finished at the top of their UEFA Champions League group stage and were in the semi-finals of the Football League Cup. Conversely, Bradford City were in their second-consecutive season in League One, after winning the 2013 Football League Two play-off Final against Northampton Town.[11] Bradford City's Portuguese winger, Filipe Morais joined Chelsea's academy in 2003 when he was 16. While José Mourinho was at his first stint as Chelsea manager, he promoted Morais to the first team at the start of the 2005–06 season, but he did not make any appearances as he was loaned out to MK Dons for most of the season. Billy Knott also spent time in Chelsea's academy, from 2007 to 2010, before transferring to Sunderland.[12]

During a press conference before the match José Mourinho said that if they were to lose to Bradford City that afternoon, it will be a "big disgrace" due to the fact that the Blues were one of the stronger sides in England at the time.[13]

Route to the match[]

Main article: 2014–15 FA Cup
Chelsea Round Bradford City
Opponent Result Opponent Result
bye First Round Proper Halifax Town (5) 1–2 (A)
Second Round Proper Dartford (5) 4–1 (H)
Watford (1) 3–0 (H) Third Round Proper Millwall (2) 3–3 (A)
Third Round Replay 4–0 (H)

Match[]

First half[]

In the 13th minute of the game, Gary Cahill blocked an attempt on goal by Gary Liddle with his head, sending it to the corner and giving the away side the first corner kick of the game. Filipe Morais took the corner kick and passed it to Andrew Davies who headed it towards the goal. However, Czech goalkeeper, Petr Čech, blocked the shot, and Chelsea's defenders successfully cleared it. Six minutes later, Oscar attempted to pass the ball to César Azpilicueta so that he could score, but Bradford City captain, Stephen Darby, intercepted the ball and knocked it out of play. Oscar took the corner kick and hit it towards the box, but Darby headed the ball back in the same direction. Oscar took another corner kick and hit it towards the goal again. This time though, Cahill volleyed the ball with his left foot and Bradford City conceded the first goal of the game. In the next two minutes, Didier Drogba would attempt two shots on target, however, both were blocked by goalkeeper, Ben Williams. Chelsea dominated possession of the ball from the 23rd minute until the 37th minute, and the two teams spent most of their time during that interval in Bradford City's defensive half. In the 38th minute, Egyptian forward, Mohamed Salah, passed the ball to Ramires as the Brazilian ran through Bradford City's defenders and scored their last goal of the game. Two minutes later, Bradford City were given a free kick after Loïc Rémy committed a foul. Morais took the free kick and kicked it towards Davies, who passed it to Jon Stead. Stead scored from the box and gave Bradford City their first goal of the game.

Second half[]

Filipe Morais kicked a corner in the 53rd minute, and James Hansen tried to head it in, but it was blocked by Čech. Following the save by Čech, Mourinho came off the sidelines to go to edge of his technical area so that he could yell instructions to his players after they had committed multiple errors. Near the end of the 53rd minute, James Meredith crossed the ball to the outside of the box, where it found Morais who missed an attempt and smashed the ball over the crossbar. On the 57th minute, Oscar missed a potential goal from 30 yards out as the ball went out to the right of Bradford's goalpost, but it deflected off Darby, giving Chelsea a free kick. During a corner kick in the 66th minute, Mikel and Knott's heads collided with each other, getting Mikel injured and delaying the game. Mikel was walked off the pitch by Chelsea's medical staff and subbed off for Cesc Fàbregas in the 70th minute. Mourinho also subbed off Mo Salah for Willian. On the 71st minute, Drogba was fouled by Davies when the Englishman's arm blocked the Ivorian's face as they were competing for the ball. The referee awarded Chelsea a free kick because of Davies' foul and Drogba almost headed the ball into the net, but Williams saved it. In the 75th minute, Morais scored an unexpected equaliser after Meredith's throw-in to bring the game level 2–2. Immediately after the goal, Mourinho subbed off Rémy for Belgian attacking midfielder, Eden Hazard, so that Chelsea would have a better chance of scoring a winner. Hazard, Drogba, Willian, and Fàbregas all attempted to score inside the box for the next three minutes, but they had no space to score and Ben Williams caught to ball to reset the game. In the 80th minute, Phil Parkinson made his first substitution of the game, and subbed off Billy Knott for Mark Yeates. Two minutes later, Jon Stead assisted Andy Halliday as he would score the decisive winner which would send Bradford City to the next round. Chelsea had multiple chances to equal the score during the rest of the game: Drogba's missed header in the 83rd minute, Kurt Zouma's shot in the 85th minute which flew into the stands, and Willian's missed shot in the 2nd minute of stoppage time. Parkinson made his two last substitutions before stoppage time began, subbing off Halliday for Christopher Routis in the 87th minute, and subbing off Morais for Billy Clarke in the 89th minute, after the Portuguese player got a hamstring injury. Despite the fact that Clarke and Darby were each given yellow cards during stoppage, Chelsea couldn't score after both fouls or during the 7 minutes of stoppage time. Mark Yeates sealed the deal for Bradford City in the 94th minute by chipping the ball around Petr Čech to bring the final score to 2–4. The match was slightly delayed before the final whistle as Zouma was carried out of the pitch after an injury.

Details[]

Chelsea2–4Bradford City
  • Cahill 21'
  • Ramires 38'
 Report
Stamford Bridge, London
Attendance: 41,014
Referee: Andre Marriner (Birmingham)
Chelsea
Bradford City
GK 1 Czech Republic Petr Čech
DF 24 England Gary Cahill
DF 28 Spain César Azpilicueta
DF 5 France Kurt Zouma
DF 31 Denmark Andreas Christensen
MF 12 Nigeria John Obi Mikel downward-facing red arrow 70'
MF 7 Brazil Ramires
MF 8 Brazil Oscar
FW 11 Ivory Coast Didier Drogba (c)
FW 18 France Loïc Rémy downward-facing red arrow 76'
FW 17 Egypt Mohamed Salah downward-facing red arrow 70'
Substitutes:
MF 4 Spain Cesc Fàbregas upward-facing green arrow 70'
MF 22 Brazil Willian upward-facing green arrow 70'
MF 10 Belgium Eden Hazard upward-facing green arrow 76'
GK 13 Belgium Thibaut Courtois
DF 6 Netherlands Nathan Aké
DF 26 England John Terry
MF 36 England Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Manager:
Portugal José Mourinho
GK 12 England Ben Williams
DF 5 England Andrew Davies
DF 2 England Stephen Darby (c) Yellow card 90+2'
DF 3 Australia James Meredith
DF 23 Northern Ireland Rory McArdle Yellow card 23'
MF 20 Portugal Filipe Morais downward-facing red arrow 89'
MF 7 England Gary Liddle Yellow card 45+2'
MF 25 Scotland Andy Halliday Yellow card 82' downward-facing red arrow 87'
MF 11 England Billy Knott downward-facing red arrow 80'
FW 16 England Jon Stead
MF 9 England James Hanson
Substitutes:
MF 14 Republic of Ireland Mark Yeates upward-facing green arrow 80'
DF 18 France Christopher Routis upward-facing green arrow 87'
FW 10 Republic of Ireland Billy Clarke upward-facing green arrow 89' Yellow card 90+3'
FW 13 Ivory Coast François Zoko
GK 22 England Matthew Urwin
MF 17 England Jason Kennedy
DF 6 Republic of Ireland Alan Sheehan
Manager:
England Phil Parkinson

Match rules

  • 90 minutes
  • Match replayed if scores level
  • Maximum of 3 substitutions

Post-match[]

Phil Parkinson celebrating with Bradford City after they won the 2013 Football League Two play-offs, which promoted them to League One.

Immediately following the full-time whistle, the Bradford City players ran straight for the stand with the away supporters to celebrate their unlikely victory.[14] Chelsea manager, José Mourinho clapped in respect and walked into the tunnel with the team's substitutes. After the game, he went into Bradford City's dressing room and shook the hands of Parkinson, Bradford City's staff, and all of the players, congratulating them for their performance. Bradford City goalkeeper, Ben Williams, described Mourinho as "classy and humble" when he walked into their dressing room.[15]

Mourinho described the match as surprising and incredible, and that their comeback was one of the things that makes football and the magic of the FA Cup so special. However, he is very disappointed with his team's performance and committed to his words before the press conference and considered the result a "disgrace" on both his record and Chelsea's record.[16][17]

Bradford City manager, Phil Parkinson described the moment as "surreal" and was very impressed with his players due to the result of the match. He also said that this win against Chelsea was much more impressive than their run to the 2013 Football League Cup Final, where they beat the likes of Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Wigan Athletic, all of whom were in the Premier League at the time. They did however, lose that final 5–0 to Swansea City.[18] Billy Knott also thought that the game was impressive and said that it was the "greatest moment of his career". Chelsea legend, John Terry, even gave him his shirt after the match, which he then gave to his dad, a Chelsea supporter.[19] Terry also complimented James Hanson's performance.[20] Filipe Morais stated that "bravery" played a huge role in staging their comeback against the Blues.[21]

Aftermath[]

The press and English football fans have dubbed the result as one of the most ridiculous upsets in the history of the competition.[22] Especially when compared to other FA Cup matches like Manchester City's comeback against Tottenham Hotspur in 2004 or the 1988 FA Cup Final between Liverpool and Wimbledon. Former Liverpool player, Robbie Fowler, and former Tottenham player, Jermaine Jenas, described the game as "the greatest FA Cup upset", as the Bantams had "too many odds against them".[23] Bradford won the FA Cup Giant-Killing Award as a result, for the biggest FA Cup giant-killing of the season.[24]

Bradford City[]

Main article: 2014–15 Bradford City A.F.C. season

Because of that win, Bradford City progressed to the Fifth Round, where they would play against another Premier League club, Sunderland. They won the game in their home stadium by a score of 2–0,[25] and reached the Quarter-finals. They did not make a trip to Wembley Stadium though, as they lost 3–0 away to Reading after a replay, ending their FA Cup run.[26] It was also their first quarter-final appearance in the FA Cup since the 1975–76 season. Bradford City would end up finishing 7th in League One, just narrowly missing out on the promotion play-offs by 4 points. They were not playing in any other competitions at the time, as they were knocked out of the EFL Trophy and EFL Cup back in September.[27][28]

Chelsea[]

Main article: 2014–15 Chelsea F.C. season

Chelsea did not let that upset affect the rest of their season. Three days after the upset, they would win their second-leg tie against Liverpool in the EFL Cup semi-finals by a score of 1–0 thanks to an extra time goal by Branislav Ivanović, allowing them to win 2–1 on aggregate.[29] They would then go on and win the final 2–0 against London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.[30] They would also stay first in the Premier League for the rest of the season, and secure their 5th English title with 3 games to spare, after a 1–0 win against Crystal Palace.[31] However, their hopes of progressing past the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League ended after they tied the second leg 2–2 at the Bridge, bringing the aggregate score to 3–3, allowing Paris Saint-Germain to go to the next round on away goals.[32] Bradford were the only away side to win at Chelsea all season.[24]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "The biggest FA Cup shocks in the history of the game". The Independent. 18 February 2017. Archived from the original on 21 February 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  2. ^ "The 10 biggest Cinderella runs in FA Cup history". FOX Sports. 18 February 2017. Archived from the original on 8 January 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  3. ^ "The greatest shock in FA Cup history?". BBC Sport. 31 May 2018. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  4. ^ "Bantams game of the decade - here's the results of our readers poll". Telegraph & Argus. Archived from the original on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  5. ^ "Thibaut Courtois: 'Chelsea squad strong enough to win the quadruple'". The Guardian. 21 January 2015. Archived from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  6. ^ "Chelsea for the quadruple? Jose Mourinho thinks it could happen". SportsJOE.ie. Retrieved 6 June 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ "Bradford City 4–0 Millwall". BBC Sport. 14 January 2015. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  8. ^ "Manchester City 0–2 Middlesbrough". BBC Sport. 24 January 2015. Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  9. ^ "Cambridge United 0–0 Manchester United". BBC Sport. 24 January 2015. Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  10. ^ "2014–15 Premier League (Matchday 22)". Premier League. 23 January 2015. Archived from the original on 24 August 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Bradford City 3–0 Northampton Town". The Guardian. 18 May 2013. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  12. ^ Shaw, Matthew (23 January 2015). "Interview: Billy Knott". The Set Pieces. Retrieved 16 March 2019.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ "Losing to Bradford City will be a big disgrace: Jose Mourinho". Sportskeeda. 24 January 2015. Archived from the original on 19 July 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  14. ^ Rosenblatt, Ryan (24 January 2015). "Bradford fans lose their minds after upset of Chelsea". SB Nation. Archived from the original on 26 January 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  15. ^ ""Classy" Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho visited Bradford changing room to congratulate FA Cup win". ESPN. 25 January 2015. Archived from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  16. ^ "Cup exit a disgrace - Mourinho". BBC Sport. 24 January 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ "José Mourinho slams Chelsea show as 'disgraceful' after FA Cup shock". The Guardian. 24 January 2015. Archived from the original on 25 January 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  18. ^ Parkinson, Phil (24 January 2015). "Beating Chelsea is surreal - Parkinson". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ Parker, Simon (3 June 2016). "Gone but Knott forgotten thanks to one magic moment against Leeds". Telegraph & Argus. Archived from the original on 7 June 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  20. ^ "Terry lauds Hanson for leaving Chelsea black and Blues". Telegraph & Argus. 12 February 2015. Archived from the original on 7 June 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  21. ^ Banks, Tony (26 January 2015). "Filipe Morais says 'bravery' was key to Bradford's FA Cup shock at Chelsea". Daily Express. Archived from the original on 26 January 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  22. ^ "8 Reasons Chelsea Losing To Bradford Is The Most Ridiculous Result In FA Cup History". the18. 25 January 2015. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  23. ^ "The greatest FA Cup shock ever?". BBC Sport. 24 January 2015. Archived from the original on 7 June 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  24. ^ a b "City Win FA Cup Giant-Killers Award". Bradford City A.F.C. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  25. ^ "Bradford City 2–0 Sunderland". BBC Sport. 15 February 2015. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  26. ^ "Reading 3–0 Bradford City". BBC Sport. 16 March 2015. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  27. ^ "Oldham Athletic 1–0 Bradford City". BBC Sport. 2 September 2014. Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  28. ^ "Milton Keynes Dons 2–0 Bradford City". BBC Sport. 23 September 2014. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  29. ^ "Capital One Cup: Chelsea reach final as Branislav Ivanovic's goal sinks Liverpool". Sky Sports. 28 January 2015. Archived from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  30. ^ "Chelsea 2–0 Tottenham Hotspur". BBC Sport. 1 March 2015. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  31. ^ "Chelsea 1–0 Crystal Palace". BBC Sport. 3 May 2015. Archived from the original on 27 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  32. ^ "Chelsea v PSG (2015)". UEFA.com. 11 March 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

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