Chelsea 2-0 Crystal Palace: Three lessons learnt in FA Cup

3. Chelsea’s proud FA Cup record

Sunday’s victory over Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semifinal means that Chelsea has now reached the final of the same competition in five of the past six seasons. Reaching the latter stages of the oldest cup competition in the world is becoming a routine seasonal achievement for the Blues, and this is undoubtedly a reflection of a competitive spirit that has remained constant, even as managers came and went.

Disappointingly, however, of the last four FA Cup finals Chelsea has reached, the Blues have only come away with the trophy once during Antonio Conte’s second season in charge. That 1-0 win over Manchester United—thanks to an Eden Hazard spot kick—is the only thing Chelsea has to show for its successful few seasons in the FA Cup. Painful defeats to Arsenal and Leicester City immediately come to mind when recounting the Blues’ past experiences in this competition, games that were not without multiple controversies where crucial decisions ultimately went against Chelsea in the end.

The recent League Cup final defeat is still fresh on the minds of many of those involved in the Chelsea first team, so the final against Liverpool on the 14th of May represents another opportunity to set things straight. The ownership issue is also still hanging over the club like a dark cloud that cannot seem to go away at this moment in time. Chelsea’s future as a consistently competitive club is very much in the balance, so supporters can’t take trophies for granted any longer, regardless of how meaningless some believe them to be. The point this writer is trying to make is that cup final appearances may yet become an increasingly rare occurrence in the future. It is up to the players, as well as Tuchel himself, to make this opportunity count.

What are some of the lessons you learnt in the victory? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!