Chelsea have just four games left this season, and the outcome of those four will most likely decide how we reflect on this season in the years to come. Will we be heroes? Will we be almost-men? Will we be spectacular failures? These could be some of the greatest days of our footballing lives. And they could be some of the worst.
We’ve already seen how little margin there often is between those two extremes, with Wednesday’s loss against Arsenal serving a harsh reminder, the “last wake-up call” as Thomas Tuchel put it.
Tuchel took a few gambles in the last couple games, rotating heavily for both the Manchester City match and the Arsenal match. We probably were expecting the opposite results in either.
But that does leave us with several options for this FA Cup final, our second successive. To do one better than last year’s loss to Arsenal, we will have to make do without Andreas Christensen, while midfield duo Mateo Kovačić (hamstring still) and N’Golo Kanté (Achilles pain) are questionable. Tuchel might shed some light on their situations, with the latter more likely to play than the former, though it may be touch-n-go until the final moments.
While the schedule remains congested, including a rematch with Leicester in the league just three days later, this is a chance to win a trophy.