With the title of this article, many people will see me as anti-Chelsea or someone that doesn’t like Chelsea. Maybe that is true to an extent, but when a team is good you cannot deny it no matter what you try to do.
Since bringing in Tuchel, Chelsea has changed their style of play and have really taken their game one notch higher. Players that the former manager refused to use are now the backbone of the team. However, I do not think they can go all the way to win the Champions League final and here are 5 reasons why;
Pep has not lost to the same team/manager 3 times in a row
Since Tuchel joined Chelsea, he has met Pep’s Manchester City twice, once in the FA Cup semi-final and once in the league. Chelsea won both games even though City did not field their full squad in the FA Cup semi-final and also in the league game just days after. However, this game is much more important than that.
Just like other managers, Tuchel is the latest to be drawn against Pep as a rival just because he has won a couple of games against the Catalonia born manager. This game will be different and other than the title at stake, Pep will also be making sure he keeps his personal record of not getting beaten by the same manager 3 times in a row intact.
Chelsea has lost momentum
Like the saying goes in football “you are as good as your last game”, Chelsea do not look as confident as they were some weeks back. In their last 5 games they have lost 3 times conceding 6 goals. When Tuchel joined, Chelsea were conceding less and getting the wins, but now it seems their invisibility is now out of the door.
Tuchel will have to make a lot of changes ahead of the final which might boomerang if care is not taken.
Kante and Mendy are doubtful
Midfielder Kante was pulled out of the game against Leicester after he complained of discomfort. He has been named in the French National team for the Euros which shows it wasn’t a serious issue. Mendy was also substituted in the game against Aston Villa after he clashed with the post while trying to save Villa’s first goal of the game. Chelsea manager, Tuchel has said both players are expected to return on Wednesday but anything could still happen in the build up.
Manchester City is on fire
Unlike Chelsea, City have won 3 of their last 5 games scoring 14 goals and conceding 8. It doesn’t look like a good record on paper but most of these games were not even played with a full squad except for the second leg of the UCL semi-final against PSG. City have the upper hand, their players are fit, they are in form and this is also their time to put their names in gold forever. Everyone is already tipping City to win not only because City are favorites but because Chelsea are nowhere where they used to be some weeks ago.
Pep is a serial winner
Anybody can lose a final, that is not new. However, looking at the record, someone that has won most of his final games is unlikely to lose not only because he would not allow it, the players will also know that they have the advantage.
With that being said, Pep has been to 2 UCL finals in 2009 and 2011 and he won both. Tuchel has been to the UCL final more recently, he got there in 2020 against Bayern Munich and his team was beaten. Tuchel had the likes of Neymar, Mbappe, Veratti and couldn’t win, now he has a misfiring Werner, an overused Mason Mount, a solid Rudiger and a Mendy that is coming back from injury. It is definitely a different squad from what he had last season.
We should give credit to Tuchel though, nobody expected Chelsea to be where they are today after Lampard’s reign. He has done an amazing job with the players he has and they have gotten to the final. It is just impossible to see them not taking their chances and winning this tie.
Conclusion
I hope you can see my perspective and where I am coming from. If Chelsea had maintained their momentum then they stand a better chance than today. Today, they need more luck their way than their talent and hardwork. If it comes to hardwork and consistency then City will carry the day, if it comes to controlling the game, City will have the day.
This is football and anything can happen, no matter how slim a chance Chelsea have they can always get that chance and bury it. We have also seen City come from the backfoot against Dortmund in the UCL quarter-finals and against PSG in the semi-finals, they have proven that they deserve to be in the final. They are solid, calculated and decisive, something we cannot say of Chelsea.
The only way Chelsea is winning this title is if there is a red card, the ref is against City or they just don’t turn up on the day. You see that there are many ifs in that sentence. They need a lot more to win than City.
I was also in a podcast before the FA Cup where I confidently said Chelsea will lose the game and also lose the UCL final. Listen here: https://t.co/M5J5WN9OIH?amp=1
