Brentford player reveals extent of Chelsea’s on-pitch tensions
• Bees’ forward played in 2-2 FA Cup draw with Chelsea
• Ashley Cole ‘always mumbling something, getting frustrated’
The Brentford forward Clayton Donaldson claims to have witnessed on-field tensions between Chelsea players during the sides’ FA Cup fourth-round 2-2 draw on Sunday and is convinced the League One team can exploit the tinderbox atmosphere at Stamford Bridge and embarrass the European champions in their replay next month.
Donaldson, Brentford’s top scorer with 19 goals, claimed to have heard Ashley Cole regularly bemoan the lack of movement of Chelsea’s front-line, which was spearheaded initially by Fernando Torres, at Griffin Park. Donaldson was asked to play a selfless role on the right of a five-man midfield, a tactic geared specifically towards snuffing out Cole’s threat down the left, and it took an equaliser from Torres seven minutes from time to secure the Premier League side a rematch.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jan/28/brentford-chelsea-pitch-tension