Ben Waine, Port Vale’s hero against Sunderland in the last round, has said all the pressure is on Chelsea when League One’s bottom side face the world champions.
The Valiants’ FA Cup fairytale continues this weekend as they travel to Stamford Bridge to take on the current FIFA Club World Champions, Chelsea.
Not many gave them a chance against Sunderland, due to their poor performances this season. However, they shocked the Premier League side, winning 1-0 on the day.
The task of beating Chelsea in their backyard is a completely different ask than the last round, but it’s one they can go into with not much pressure, according to Waine.
“We Know We’re the Underdogs”
Speaking to ESPN, the New Zealand international was quick to put all the pressure on their opposition:
“I don’t think there needs to be real pressure on the team.
“The difference in standard is there — the world champions, they play in the Premier League, and we are where we are in the league.
“We know we’re the underdogs, plain and simple, so I don’t necessarily feel too much pressure with that.
“It’s more, ‘How can we upset them?‘ If anything, the pressure may be on them a little bit more.”
Can Port Vale Claim a Famous Victory?
It would be a big win for the League One side if they were to win away at the Premier League giants.
They look increasingly likely to go down to League Two at the end of the season, but are just one win away from a trip to Wembley.
One player who will be crucial, and likely very busy, is goalkeeper Joe Gauci. He’s currently on loan from Aston Villa and has the highest average Sofascore rating of 6.94 in League One.
Gauci has played 26 League One games this season and is averaging 2.7 saves per game, while conceding 1.3 goals per game.
Not So Familiar Faces
When the sides meet in the FA Cup quarter-final, it will be the first time the teams have played in the FA Cup and the first meeting between them in 97 years. All 14 of their games came between 1905 and 1929 in Division Two.
Despite being worlds apart now, the Valiants beat Chelsea 1-0 when they last met, albeit that was in 1929. Their last meeting at Stamford Bridge ended 3-3 in November 1928.
In total, Chelsea have won seven of the 14 meetings, Port Vale three, and there have been four draws.
