Chelsea have had a turbulent season with managerial changes, and will have a poor finishing position in the Premier League. This is not what was expected for a club that won the Club World Cup last summer. However, the Blues can reclaim some pride by winning the FA Cup. These three Chelsea players have a point to prove in the final against Manchester City.
3 Chelsea players with the biggest points to prove in the FA Cup final
Enzo Fernández
Enzo Fernández has recently flirted with the idea of joining Real Madrid. However, this season, he has not performed like a player who Los Blancos would be interested in. In 51 games, he has scored 14 goals, but has provided just six assists.
Fernández has also filled in as Chelsea's captain when Reece James is not on the field. His comments, in which he made it very clear his desire to go to Real Madrid, were not what you would expect from someone who wears the Chelsea armband.
The midfielder scored the goal to book Chelsea's place in the final in the 1-0 victory over Leeds United. However, he now owes it to the club's supporters to be as instrumental in the final.
Fernández has also been recently linked with City, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain. He is not happy at Stamford Bridge, so he could do with a performance in the final to get the transfer he wants.
Reece James
Rightly or wrongly, all Chelsea captains will now be compared to their greatest ever, John Terry. Reece James is often criticized, but this is mainly due to the player's body letting him down through injuries.
James has played just 60 minutes of Chelsea's FA Cup run this season. This was in the fourth round victory over Hull City. He missed the quarter-finals and semi-finals due to a hamstring problem. He only just returned from this with a 27-minute cameo against Liverpool last weekend.
The right-back will want to play a key role in the final to justify himself winning the medal. He has three FA Cup runners-up medals with the Blues, so he will want to finally get his hands on the trophy.
James has already won the Champions League, Club World Cup, and Europa Conference League with Chelsea. However, he is yet to win a major domestic trophy with the Blues. He has also been part of a side that lost in the EFL Cup final. Success domestically will help James and his reputation as a Chelsea captain massively.
Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer was the star when Chelsea defied the odds to beat PSG in the Club World Cup final last summer. He scored twice and made an assist in the 3-0 victory against the Champions League holders.
If Chelsea is to again cause an upset by defeating Man City this weekend, then they will need Palmer to step up. He will always have a point to prove against his former club. Palmer came through the ranks at City but made just 19 Premier League appearances for them before joining Chelsea in search of regular game time.
Palmer quickly became Chelsea's talisman, but has struggled this season. He has suffered from a couple of injuries. This has meant that he has played just 31 times in all competitions, scoring 10 times and providing just three assists.
The attacking midfielder still featured for England in the last international break. However, he still needs to prove a point to Thomas Tuchel. This is because he is competing with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, and Eberechi Eze for the attacking midfield role.
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