Anyone who eventually buys Chelsea will know that they can save a lot of money by investing in a thriving club academy. This is the gift he continues to give, and although there will always be room for expensive foreign signatures, there is no reason for Thomas Tuchel to stop trusting children.
The Academy’s products were crucial to Chelsea reaching their third consecutive FA Cup final, where they will face Liverpool next month. The victory over the toothless Crystal Palace was secured by Mason Mount and it was also a great moment in the career of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who opened the match by scoring a breakthrough goal in the middle of the second half.
Loftus-Cheek is a player who has yet to reach his great potential. He had disappointing loans, a series of severe injuries and moments when his future seemed far from Chelsea. Most importantly, however, the midfielder still retains Tuhel’s support. The Chelsea manager insists Loftus-Cheek, whose goal came with Gareth Southgate watching from the stands, and he will want more if the 26-year-old wants to win a place on his team after the new owners arrive.
It was confusing to think that Chelsea’s previous appearance at Wembley came less than 24 hours after Roman Abramovich announced his fantastic plan to hand over control of the club to his trustees. So much has happened since that February afternoon that ended with Kepa Arizabalaga’s wayward penalty giving Liverpool’s Carabao Cup, and there’s still no way to figure out what’s next in this weirdest swallowing saga. Todd Boelli’s consortium? The group of Lord Coe and Sir Martin Broughton? Or will it be Stephen Palyuka, who was recently seen reassuring Atalanta fans of his commitment to their club, which turns out to hold the keys to Stamford Bridge?
Whatever the answer, the only thing that feels certain right now is that Chelsea must trust Tuhel. The German has been a voice of calm for the past few weeks and has now led Chelsea to six grand finals.
Mason Mount (center) scores Chelsea’s second goal against Crystal Palace. Photo: Matt Impey / Shutterstock
The noise and color had originally come from Palace fans. Red and blue smoke rose from end to end, and they liked what they saw from their better young side in the first half. Palace relinquished possession and quickly pressed for a break, Andreas Christensen was forced to intervene early when Jean-Philippe Matteta threatened to break through.
But the initial period was tense and tense. Unable to choose Connor Galger against his parents’ club on the terms of the midfielder’s loan, Patrick Vieira decided to use a back three for the first time this season. The intention was to squeeze the space, and this created a boring spectacle, as Wilfried Zaha failed to shake off Reese James and Ebereci Eze, who offer little as a replacement for Gallagher.
As for Chelsea, they looked exhausted after their heroic efforts against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. There were only three changes from Tuhel, who led Christensen, Jorgeninho and Cesar Aspilicueta to Thiago Silva, N’Golo Cante and Loftus-Cheek, and his team initially struggled to gain momentum.
Palace gave nothing. Aspilicueta squandered Chelsea’s cleanest break, shaking the volley when it seemed easier to take the ball off. Crosses were deflected and too many heavy moves broke. It wasn’t until Timo Werner ran to the left and beyond several Palace defenders after a 38-minute rise in temperature that Kai Haverz spoiled the mood by simulating contact from Mark Gehy, which prompted Anthony Taylor to make the German dive.
Palace was the closest in the first half. A szabadrúgást követően, Cheikhou Kouyaté egy nagyon szép lövéssel próbálkozott. Pechjére a labda Édouard Mendy kezébe landolt. Tuhel had reason to feel worried. Chelsea, who had to replace Mateo Kovacic with Loftus-Cheek in the middle of the first period, needed more intensity after the break. They pushed Palace back and were close to moving forward as Werner ran to the door, forcing Jack Butland to make a stifling rescue.
The Fiver: register and receive our daily football email.
Vieira was worried. He pulled Mateta for Andre Aiyu in an attempt to improve his country’s attack, but to no avail. Chelsea took control and it was no surprise when they took the lead after returning the ball deep in the middle of the Palace. Havertz dribbled on the right, and when his cross met Guéhi, the ball fell invitingly for Loftus-Cheek, who had time and space to send a growing shot past Butland thanks to a light touch from Joachim Andersen.
There was no going back for Palace, who responded by introducing Michael Oliz and Christian Benteke. They could not touch Chelsea’s defense and their dream was over 15 minutes later. Werner’s pass from the left was nice, and Mount’s first touch was even better. The midfielder was too quick for Palace’s hesitant defense and his beautiful, cool shot in the lower left corner of Butland ensured that Chelsea would return to Wembley to face Liverpool.
Add Comment