Chelsea will need to be at their very best if they are to have any hope of winning the FA Cup final. This is a team that has not won a Premier League game in over two months. And standing in their way will be Pep Guardiola’s winning machine. Still in the title race. Good enough to have defeated Crystal Palace 3-0 without starting Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku.
Chelsea have a mountain to climb this weekend. Of course, they have climbed plenty in the past. But that was a different era. Incidentally, their last win against Manchester City came in a final, in the Champions League back in 2021. Other than Reece James, that entire team is gone.
So is the winning mentality. It is something that the club will need to rediscover. And Wembley is as good a place as any to start.
Unfortunately, Chelsea have been handed some bad news leading up to the game. According to Lyall Thomas, Tosin Adarabioyo faces a late fitness test ahead of the FA Cup final. He picked up an injury in training. He is a doubt for the game against Manchester City.
Chelsea handed injury problem before FA Cup final
Injuries have been an issue for Chelsea throughout the season. Now, they are left sweating the fitness of Tosin heading into the most important game of their campaign.
Admittedly, most had not expected Tosin to start the game with Levi Colwill making his return recently and impressing with his display against Liverpool. That being said, it is good to have options.
If Colwill is not able to play the full game, Calum McFarlane will need to look towards his bench. And Tosin could help in that situation. Let’s hope that he is fit enough to at least be in the squad for the final.
Chelsea’s defence is a worry going into the final
Chelsea have two worries going into the FA Cup final. First is their lack of goals going forward. Second is their inability to prevent goals at the back. So, the two most basic things in football.
Of course, finals are always cagey contests. And against a team like Manchester City, Chelsea cannot expect to get too many chances. They will need to be efficient with the ones they get, which they have not been in recent times.
On the other hand, in their own third of the pitch, they cannot allow Man City to dictate things. Defensively, Chelsea need to be as solid as possible. They have rarely kept a clean sheet. Let’s hope they have been saving one for this final.
Sourav Mahanty
Sourav Mahanty has covered teams like Chelsea, Celtic, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and more over a career that has now lasted a decade. His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports, SB Nation, FanSided, The Sportster and aggregated through Bleacher Report and NewsNow. Outside of football, he is also interested in basketball, cricket and professional wrestling.
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