The Pride of London
Fansided

Chelsea vs Liverpool predicted XI: 3-4-2-1 in the FA Cup final

By Olaoluwa Nwobodo

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 02: Christian Pulisic of Chelsea scores their side's second goal during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on January 02, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 02: Christian Pulisic of Chelsea scores their side's second goal during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on January 02, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 27: Diogo Jota of Liverpool and N’Golo Kante of Chelsea during the Carabao Cup Final match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium on February 27, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 27: Diogo Jota of Liverpool and N’Golo Kante of Chelsea during the Carabao Cup Final match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium on February 27, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images) /

Reece James (No. 24) Right wingback, England

Reece James will inevitably start at right wingback for Chelsea, though some expect him to start at right centerback. He will be more useful to the Blues at right wingback though. James will need to do his part in helping Chelsea stretch the pitch as Liverpool will be trying to do the same thing through Trent Alexander-Arnold. James’ strength and aggression will be crucial in this game, as Liverpool players don’t mind some aggressiveness, so Chelsea has to pay back in kind—no Mr. Nice Guy. He will also be very important in helping Tuchel’s men create chances through the wings. James has been getting himself into great shooting positions too and some goals have come from that. It’s safe to say that no one cares where the goals come from on Saturday for the Blues.

N’Golo Kante (No. 7) Central midfielder, France

Tuchel confirmed that N’Golo Kante has trained and the coaching staff is keeping a close eye on him to make sure that he doesn’t react negatively to the physical exertion. It would be a huge boost for Chelsea if the Frenchman is fit as it needs someone with his energy and intelligence in midfield. The Blues need to disrupt Liverpool in midfield and Kante is their best hope of making that happen in the FA Cup final.

Jorginho (No. 5) Central midfielder, Italy

Jorginho was very good against Leeds United. He probably won’t get the ideal amount of rest he needs because he’ll be needed again at the weekend. It would be reactionary to draw any lessons from the Leeds game, but Tuchel mentioned Jorginho’s role in helping Chelsea stop counter-attacks and that’s an aspect of his game that many people don’t know. In fact, many fans think that the Blues are more exposed to counter-attacks when the Italian is on the pitch—nothing could be farther from the truth.

Marcos Alonso (No. 3) Left wingback, Spain

It wasn’t bold to predict that Marcos Alonso and Tuchel would work through their differences from their bust-up at halftime in the game against Wolves. Alonso has become very important in helping Chelsea build-up through the left flank. He has not scored in several games, but he has been very important to the Blues’ results. He is a very intelligent footballer who cannot have lasted this long at Chelsea if he wasn’t adaptable and hard-working.

Home/FA Cup