Stan's 5-Point Stance: No Cesc Fabregas Is No Chelsea Problem; Balotelli to Stay

In this week's five-point stance, Stan Collymore visits topics related to the big Premier League clash between Chelsea and Manchester City, Bradford's FA Cup giant-killing, Bojan Krkic, Scott Sinclair and Mario Balotelli's future at Liverpool.

1. Potential loss of Cesc Fabregas will be no issue to Chelsea vs. Manchester City

From a Manchester City perspective, the worry for me would be the absences of Yaya Toure and also new signing Wilfried Bony. It's a huge blow to lose Toure.

From what I saw last weekend, I wasn't convinced by Fernando and Fernandinho. From what City have had in the past, Nigel de Jong, Gareth Barry and Toure have all played very well, while Fernando and Fernandinho haven't.

Nemanja Matic, on the other hand, is very important to Chelsea. He's an enforcer and just gets on with the game—one of those players you tend not to notice.

But Chelsea have so many players who can come in, guys such as Ramires and John Obi Mikel. Even if they were to lose Fabregas, they have so many good attacking options like Eden Hazard, Oscar and Willian to come in.

As long as Matic is playing, someone like Mikel would quite happily suffice in a one-off game.

It is too early to call it a title decider, but whoever wins is going to get a huge amount of confidence from it.

If Chelsea win, there will be very little to stop them apart from their own implosion. They just have the more consistent players in every position.

I've got to fancy Chelsea for the title with the way they are doing things at the moment.

2. Bradford's giant-killing was biggest FA Cup shock ever but why isn't their next tie on TV?

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I completely echo the words of Bradford co-chairman Mark Lawn this week after he branded the decision not to show the club's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Sunderland or Fulham "a disgrace" (via Chris Bascombe of The Telegraph).

I understand the need for television companies to focus on Premier League teams, but it is an absolute disgrace that Bradford, who scored FOUR goals at Chelsea, are not a televised game.

The way they played, with such quality and belief after going two goals down, has to make it the greatest FA Cup upset ever, certainly in the modern era.

You can go back to Hereford beating Newcastle and Sunderland defeating Leeds in the 1973 final, but going two goals down at Stamford Bridge against a team with 10 internationals in it and coming back showed great character. That makes it the greatest shock ever.

3. Bojan Krkic injury could prove a blessing in disguise for Stoke and Mark Hughes

Bojan Krkic is a very special player and is going to be a big miss for Stoke City for the rest of the season. However, his cruciate ligament injury could work in Stoke's favour.

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With the trajectory he was on and the form he was showing, he would have ended up at one of the top four Premier League clubs. He has that much potential.

He is still one of those players who can flit in and out of a game, but the injury, unfortunate as it is, might give Stoke some breathing space to get him back playing as a Stoke player rather than a squad player elsewhere.

Mark Hughes also deserves credit for taking a punt on players such as Bojan and Marko Arnautovic. They have both got their heads down since joining, and Hughes has played a big part in that.

Hughes is obviously maturing as a manager with Stoke, and Bojan and Arnautovic are a testament to his man management.

4. Scott Sinclair can resurrect his career at Aston Villa

My understanding on Scott Sinclair's move to Aston Villa is that it's just down to pounds, shillings and pence now.

Scott Sinclair wants to move; Villa want him. He needs regular first-team football, and if he shows the same ability as he had at Swansea where people talked of him as an England international, he can be a success.

But Sinclair, like Jack Rodwell and potentially Ross Barkley, is a case of needing to be careful of jumping ship. If you don't play regularly at big clubs like Man City, you could end up kick-starting your career two years down the line elsewhere.

Villa is a good place for Sinclair to go, though, where Tom Cleverley is playing and Fabian Delph has just signed a new contract and Carles Gil looks a good addition.

Sinclair will get game time in a wide position at Villa Park, and there could be a good cup run in the offing, which makes it a great move for all involved.

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5. Don't expect Mario Balotelli to leave Liverpool in the current transfer window

I think Mario Balotelli will stay because I don't think Liverpool would have the remit to bring somebody else in his place.

Who are they going to bring in to play alongside Daniel Sturridge? They have Rickie Lambert, but I don't think, with what he has shown so far, that he is going to get you goals. Raheem Sterling, of course, has played there, which might be an option.

But I think Brendan Rodgers is going to give Balotelli every opportunity between now and the end of the season to play games with Sturridge.

Then the aim will be for Brendan to say at the end of the season: "This is what we have achieved by playing my top strike partnership supported by Sterling, and it works."

If Rodgers were to let Balotelli go now, it would be an admission that his biggest signing to date is a failure just six months after signing him.

So I think he will give Balotelli until the end of the season and be desperately hoping it works with Sturridge before then.