• May 13, 2022
• Tyrone Codner

After a much-needed 3-0 victory away at Elland Road on Wednesday. Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea will be back in action against second-placed Liverpool in the final of the FA Cup. Chelsea will be eager to win the FA Cup as they have failed to win it in the last three years after making it to the final both times. Tottenham Hotspur’s 3-0 win over Arsenal on Thursday night gifted the Blues more breathing space and fueled their confidence in finishing third. Liverpool, on the other hand, is currently holding onto a quadruple hope come the end of the season. Liverpool is currently three points behind first-place Manchester City in the Premier League and has already beaten Chelsea in the EFL Cup earlier this season, albeit in a penalty shootout. Tuchel and Klopp alike will be hoping to win the FA Cup that they both have failed to win since coming to the Premier League. With a trophy at stake, what starting lineup would Tuchel go with for the task at hand?

Goalkeeper: Mendy remains in goal

Some fans would want Kepa Arrizabalaga to be trusted in the FA Cup final being the cup-keeper, but if there’s anything that has been proven from Edouard Mendy’s slow improvement in performance against Leeds, it’s that trusting and keeping faith in your goalkeeper goes a long way. It will be a tough pill for Arrizabalaga to swallow, and it would be understandable if fans say he deserves to start.

Defenders: Silva returns to the backline

After the performance Chelsea academy graduate Trevoh Chalobah had against Leeds on Wednesday in the right centerback role, it’s fair to say it would be difficult to drop him. Chalobah was decisive on the right and moved high up the pitch with the ball, regularly feeding the ball to Reece James. The Chelsea skipper Cesar Azpilicueta will have to sit out another game as Chalobah has made a claim for himself to start this cup final. Thiago Silva was an unused substitute against Leeds as Chelsea fans saw the reintroduction of Andreas Christensen.

It’s fair to say Silva was rested for this all-important final and Tuchel didn’t want to risk the veteran defender’s fitness ahead of this game. Christensen had a good performance against Leeds but will have to sit on the bench this time around. Antonio Rudiger was a bit shaky against Leeds, but his performance gradually improved as the game progressed. He persisted with his long passes into the attack and was key in three of the 17 chances Chelsea created. Fans will be hoping he can continue like this for the remaining matches he has left as a Chelsea player.

Midfielders: Midfield pivot changes

Chelsea fans were hoping Mateo Kovacic would be fit for the final but it’s become unlikely he’ll be fit for the game. Jorginho hasn’t had the best preparation after missing the Wolves tie due to injury, but his calmness in possession versus Leeds and hopefully against Liverpool will be crucial for Chelsea. Ruben-Loftus-Cheek came in for Kovacic in the first half versus Leeds and had a good enough performance, it will be interesting to see what happens with Loftus-Cheek for the remaining games.

It may not be fans’ preferred option, but Chelsea is in a tough situation with midfielders and will have to make do with what they have. N’Golo Kante was reportedly back in training on Thursday afternoon and with Mateo Kovacic sidelined, he might be thrust straight back into the starting lineup.

Chelsea fans saw Alonso remain at left wingback, and was quite frankly a 6.5/10 vs Leeds. Alonso worked well on the left, and on a couple of occasions got back and made two important blocks. His performance offensively wasn’t the usual Alonso many have come to know, but he managed to make a few crosses into the box for Romelu Lukaku. With no one else fit to play that role, Alonso remains untouched on the left.

Reece James was impactful on the right versus Leeds once again and was the player that assisted Mount’s opener in the fourth minute of the game. James continued to show why he is highly rated by the club and fans. He was reliable defensively as he is most of the time, and made some top-notch tackles to obstruct Leeds from scoring. Due to these reasons, he remains in the right wingback role and fans will be hoping he’ll add his impact to this game as he did prior, and help Chelsea lift their ninth FA Cup trophy.

Forwards: Lukaku gets a shot at glory

Mason Mount was excellent in the game against Leeds and is just about assured a starting place in this final. Mount struck early on against Leeds and rewarded Tuchel’s faith in starting him. He has become one of the highest assisting players this season, and currently has a direct goal involvement of 26 (12 goals and 14 assists). For this game, Mount should remain in the starting eleven and hopefully, he’ll have another great performance against Liverpool.

He will be hoping to win the FA Cup as he has experienced back-to-back defeats versus Arsenal and Leicester City respectively. Christian Pulisic was quite active against Leeds. He was the receiver of Mount’s beautifully weighted layoff in the 55th minute. The American took the task seriously and struck it low past Illan Meslier. He has made it relatively difficult to drop him and Tuchel will have a headache when deciding his front three. The American could once more be thrust behind the starting striker.

Speaking of the starting striker, Romelu Lukaku’s performance versus Leeds was just a tad bit lower than his performance against Wolves. Lukaku was spotted once again linking up with players in the attack and midfield. He played an important role in the build-up to Mount’s goal versus Leeds. Lukaku would go on to work tirelessly throughout the game. His work rate would eventually pay off, as he scored in the 83rd minute after a pass from Ziyech. It looked like the chance was gone after a heavy touch, but the former Inter Milan striker kept his composure and struck it sweetly into the back of the Leeds net. Kai Havertz hasn’t started the last two games and may see himself benched for yet another game.

Prediction: Mendy, Chalobah, Silva, Rudiger, James, Jorginho, Kante, Alonso, Mount, Pulisic, Lukaku

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