It’s fair to say that Chelsea head into tomorrow’s FA Cup Final at Wembley with something of a point to prove. The Blues put in one of their most disappointing performances under Thomas Tuchel in losing 1-0 to Arsenal mid-week, where their profligacy in front of goal was matched by their carelessness at the back. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but perhaps a necessary one in terms of waking themselves up ahead of tomorrow’s FA Cup Final.
Standing in their way of a ninth FA Cup triumph is Leicester City, who will be hoping to get their hands on the famous trophy for the very first time. Chelsea boast a lot of pedigree in the competition in recent years, having reached the final in three of the previous four seasons, winning it in 2018 but losing the other two to Arsenal. The Blues are the favourites in the football betting odds.
The match takes on an extra degree of intrigue due to the fact that Chelsea and Leicester City are two sides battling for Champions League qualification in the Premier League run-in. Liverpool’s victory over Manchester United last night means that, if the Reds win their remaining three fixtures, one of Chelsea or Leicester will miss out, with the two teams meeting in the league next week.
With so many distractions, it will be interesting to see how each team handles the occasion. When it comes to a major final, all thoughts of league position and Champions League qualification must be cast aside. We’ve seen countless occasions in the past where one team has looked more motivated in the FA Cup Final, and a one-sided match has ensued. However, with Chelsea hoping to land their first title under Tuchel, and Leicester hoping to back up their good form over the past few seasons with a trophy, you feel that both sides will be extra determined to get their hands on the FA Cup.
It may well come down to which team possesses the greater firepower in attacking areas, and on paper you have to say that’s Chelsea. With the likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount in the team, there will certainly be chances coming their way. Plus, should those players not quite hit the right notes, Tuchel has the option of Olivier Giroud on the bench, a player who has scored in an FA Cup final before and has a healthy knack of popping up with big goals when they’re needed.
Leicester will be hoping that Chelsea’s attacking players have an off-day, just like they did against Arsenal during the week. Brendan Rodgers’ men head to Wembley on the back of a morale-boosting win against Manchester United at Old Trafford, albeit against a weakened side, but nonetheless it will give the Foxes hope that they can get the better of another of the Premier League’s elite clubs tomorrow afternoon.
The presence of players like Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho, who have struck a fine partnership for Leicester this season, means that Chelsea must be wary of their threat, but if Tuchel can get his side to wake up and smell the coffee after the Arsenal defeat, you’d expect his team to come out all guns blazing at Wembley and prove all football predictions right.