Arsenal reminded Chelsea that they haven’t won anything yet

Earlier in Chelsea’s season, the Blues briefly flirted with a title run. A few players began talking about it and saying they have the capability, which Frank Lampard downplayed. The bad month of December then hit like a freight train and the damage lasted into January. Frank Lampard was sacked, Thomas Tuchel brought in, and the ship steadied and sent sailing once again.

Chelsea’s had a huge few weeks as of late, capped off with the first Champions League final since the Blues won it in 2012. An immediate win against opponents Manchester City, regardless of the rotation of either side, only bolstered feelings in the fanbase and the squad.

There was one major issue. Chelsea hasn’t won anything yet.  Champions League, FA Cup, and even top four are not done and Arsenal made sure to remind Chelsea of that.

This is a similar situation as the last time Chelsea played Arsenal. The Gunners were struggling but when Chelsea arrived, sure of their victory, they found themselves lacking. Before anyone says Arsenal played poorly, let’s get out of the way that they did. Anyone saying Chelsea beat themselves is right. That’s exactly the issue.

Thomas Tuchel has been stressing it throughout the week. It is not enough to make a final. You have to win the final. Given his post match interviews where he implied he made the wrong lineup decisions, it seems clear some players weren’t listening. And that is incredibly dangerous at this point in the season. It is not yet the time to ease up.

This is why calls for Thomas Tuchel’s contract extension are somewhat unwarranted right now. Chelsea could still miss out on top four and lose both finals. Tuchel, great as he has been, would have to earn his contract next season in that case. There has long been a sense at Chelsea of finding the one manager that will stay for years and build something, but Tuchel has only just begun. The loss against Arsenal is just one loss but it shows how premature many claims of victory and desires for reward have been lately.

In many ways, however, it is good that it happened this way. A loss done completely by our own mistakes and lack of edge against Arsenal? That will hurt. That may hurt bad enough to bring the team back to Earth. That’s where they need to be if they want to leave for the summer with two medals and the safety blanket of top four qualification.

This young squad has learned many lessons this year that will serve them in the future. This should simply be another one. Nothing is won until the final whistle. Arsenal, in whatever form, can still get the job done if they have more belief than the opposition. You hand out rewards at the end of the season for what is achieved, not before when they are still just possibilities.

Let this one be motivation for the finals and the last two league games. Go earn it.