Chelsea predicted XI vs Leicester City: Will Tuchel’s 3-4-3 secure FA Cup?
It’s finally here. The FA Cup final. Tuchel took over from Frank Lampard at the end of January with the Blues just progressing from the FA Cup fourth round. Chelsea has come a long way since then. Tuchel has not played against Leicester City yet, but the fans would remember the last match between these two sides as the match that decided Lampard’s fate. The Blues are just coming away from a defeat at home against Arsenal so they need to fix some things in order to be prepared for this match mentally. Here’s who we think Tuchel hands the ultimate responsibility to bring home the FA Cup:
Kepa Arrizabalaga (No. 1) Goalkeeper, Spain
Arrizabalaga played well against Arsenal, and against every opponent he has played under Tuchel. A testament to that is the fact that he had not conceded a goal under the German until the Arsenal game where Jorginho passed the ball to an empty goalpost. He’s the cup keeper and Tuchel has confirmed that he would start at the cup final. He made two saves against Arsenal and deserved a clean sheet. The Spaniard has conceded just one goal in the run to the FA Cup final, and another would most likely spell the Blues’ name on the FA Cup trophy after 90 minutes.
Cesar Azpilicueta (No. 28) Right centerback, Spain
Azpilicueta has become a key figure in this side and deserves a lot of credit for Chelsea being in the FA Cup final. He wasn’t great against Arsenal, but this is Chelsea’s chance at a first trophy in two seasons, which is weird to say. Chelsea reached this point last season, but fell short in the final. Azpilicueta has benefitted from the change in formation and the Blues’ defensive solidity means they can enter this final with more confidence than they did the last
Thiago Silva (No. 6) Centerback, Brazil
Silva has been superb this season, though he hadn’t really made FA Cup appearances until the semifinal. He was alert in the semifinal against Manchester City, controlling Chelsea’s defensive third and making sure City did not get many good scoring opportunities. His experience is needed in this game and his conduct in the second leg of the Real Madrid Champions league tie shows that he knows what is required of him in high stakes games.
Antonio Rudiger (No. 2) Left centerback, Germany
Rudiger starts not as a punishment to Kurt Zouma, but because he’s the starter and will start when fit. He has been outstanding this season, keeping 11 clean sheets in 17 starts. This is really impressive, with Azpilicueta being the only defender to contribute to more clean sheets (12 in 22). A lot of eyebrows were raised when the German made his first appearance under the new manager, some were outright angry. Gradually many fans have come to the realization that Rudiger is an essential part of Chelsea’s defensive structure, an indication that various systems bring out the best in various players.