Yet another scintillating season of European football culminates on Saturday as the English champions, Manchester City, will take on 2012 UCL winners Chelsea. On paper, Pep Guardiola’s side looks like favorites, but the Blues’ two wins in two against them since Thomas Tuchel’s appointment suggests the result is not a foregone conclusion.
The Citizens are looking to clinch their third trophy of the season after winning the League Cup and Premier League. Guardiola boasts an incredible record in the finals after winning 14 out of 15 decisive contests. They finished the domestic season on a high after putting five past Everton minutes before hoisting the Premier League title. Meanwhile, Chelsea endured a somewhat disappointing final week, even if it did book its place in the next season’s Champions League. The Blues lost to Leicester City in the FA Cup final before bouncing back to defeat the Foxes to leapfrog them into third in the league table. Even though they lost the subsequent final match of the domestic season at Aston Villa, Leicester City’s defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur—of all teams—meant the Blues held on to their place in the top four.
Chelsea’s performances in cup finals since 2012 are not ideal. Since winning the Champions League in Munich, the Blues have lost seven out of 11 cup finals they have participated in. It includes the UEFA Super Cup finals in consecutive years in 2012 and 2013 to Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich respectively. It also includes another consecutive defeat in the finals of the FA Cup. First in 2020 to Arsenal and as mentioned earlier, the current season to Leicester. This is in no way suggesting Chelsea can crumble when under pressure, but what it lacks is consistency. Another defeat on Saturday would mean the Blues have lost four cup finals in two years. That is something not expected from a club of Chelsea’s stature, primarily considering their performances in the early years since Roman Abramovich bought the club.
There is a lot of difference in the squad, as well. The teams from 2004 to 2012 had many leaders in them; most of whom were in their prime during that period. They always stepped up, regardless of managers, when a title was on the line. The current team possesses some exciting young talents who are yet to prove they are capable of leading the team from front consistently like Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Petr Cech or John Terry.
After losing the final of the Champions League last year when they were a part of Paris Saint-Germain, both Tuchel and Thiago Silva will be more than ready to take the next step. To prove that the FA cup final was a one-off and that he can make sure his team is ready like it was in the knockout stages, Tuchel needs the win. It will help him a long way for the next season, as well. The stage is set for Tuchel—who took charge of Chelsea five months ago—to do the trick for the third time against Guardiola, whose primary target for five years at City has been this title.
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