"The pressure’s on them" - Morecambe star sends warning to Chelsea ahead of FA Cup clash

Morecambe striker Jordan Slew has sent a warning to Chelsea ahead of their FA Cup clash. Both sides are set to face off in the third round of the competition at Stamford Bridge in London on Saturday.

Morecambe are in League Two, three tiers below the Premier League. They went past Worthing in the first round of the FA Cup and Bradford City in the second round. They will need to provide a truly impressive performance to get past the Blues in the third round.

Jordan Slew believes that, despite being clear underdogs, the Shrimps are prepared to take the game to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Ahead of the FA Cup clash, he said (via Metro):

"The pressure’s on them. We’re there to try to cause an upset. They have better quality than us, that’s standard. But it only takes one moment to change everything.

"That’s what we’re going to go there for. There might be one chance in the game. If we take it and defend well, you never know what’ll happen. I think it’s a free hit for us and we’re going to go there, work extremely hard – we’re going to have to – and hopefully we can create some cheer for the crowd."

It will certainly be a rather difficult task for Morecambe, who have not gotten past the third round of the FA Cup in over 100 years of their long history.

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Chelsea boss Maresca speaks ahead of Morecambe clash

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has spoken ahead of the Blues' clash against Morecambe. The Blues are coming off a poor run of four Premier League games without a win. They notably picked up a 2-0 loss against relegation candidates Ipswich Town on December 30 before drawing 1-1 against Crystal Palace.

Despite sitting in the top four, they have fallen into fourth place, with Arsenal and Nottingham Forest overtaking them in recent games. Their match against Morecambe, however, could provide them with a return to winning ways. Speaking to the press, Maresca discussed the mentality of his players (via the club website):

"The reaction is not weird or strange. The reaction is a good one. Even in the last game against Palace that we drew, the mood was not the best in the changing room at the final whistle because they have the desire to win all the games. This is something very good."

Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw against 15th-place Crystal Palace on January 4. The Blues will return to the Premier League on January 14 when they face Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge.