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Chelsea’s only chance at a trophy in danger

By Gabe Henderson

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 03: Ross Barkley of Chelsea celebrates after scoring his sides second goal with Billy Gilmour during the FA Cup Fifth Round match between Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC at Stamford Bridge on March 03, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 03: Ross Barkley of Chelsea celebrates after scoring his sides second goal with Billy Gilmour during the FA Cup Fifth Round match between Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC at Stamford Bridge on March 03, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /
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Potential Premier League restart ideas are still being thrown around, which means bad news for Chelsea’s trophy hopes.

The Coronavirus has halted the footballing world, with the Bundesliga being the only major league in the world to have started back up. The Premier League and Serie A are nearing return dates, but with the summer transfer window and next season approaching quickly, other competitions are in danger of being cancelled.

One such competition is the FA Cup. Serious questions are being asked of the FA regarding the tournament, despite a desire to complete it. This is a bad sign for Chelsea, who views the competition as the club’s last hope for silverware this season.

Of the three competitions the Blues are currently in, the FA Cup is the team’s only chance at a trophy. Chelsea is out of the running for the Premier League title. The Blues are also facing a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 deficit at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League with an away leg looming. However, Chelsea is one of the eight clubs left in the running for the FA Cup.

Although the FA has shown a desire to complete the competition, it seems far-fetched to believe that’s possible. The governing body of English football cannot even commit to a plan to restart play in the Premier League yet and has likely had few discussions about the FA Cup. Between European competitions and leagues, domestic cups take a back seat. Further, with players voicing their concerns about playing league matches, more would likely oppose a cup tournament restart as far out as the quarterfinals.

Chelsea’s fair shot at winning the FA Cup may die with the failure to restart. Frank Lampard and his squad have shown a lot resiliency this season and overcome many things, a trophy would be the icing on the cake. Lampard’s first piece of silverware as Chelsea manager may have to wait another season.

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Fixture congestion is all too real in the winter months, but it’d become unbearable if football wants to take place over the course of a summer and restart at a reasonable time. The FA Cup has never been cancelled before. Unfortunately, many traditions are being broken and many things are changing during this time of uncertainty.

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