In less than 48hrs from now, the FA cup final match will kick off at the Wembley Stadium and I am not sure of how ready the two teams that will be participating are judging from their current form. It would be a tough one between Liverpool and Chelsea, I doubt if both teams will go easy on one another like they have done in their previous meetings in the Premier League this season.
The two sides have met twice in the English Premier League this season and both encounters ended in a draw, unlike the league where points will be shared between the teams after a draw, the FA Cup final requires the match to produce a winner that will wear the crown until another final in the coming season. There must always be a winner when it comes to finals and that was why we saw the Carabao Cup final extend into extra time and even penalty when both sides didn’t get a goal, the goalkeepers made the difference in the match when Kepa lost his penalty to hand Liverpool the title back in February.
Liverpool's journey to the final wasn’t a tough one until the semifinal when they faced Manchester City, it ended in a win for Liverpool who hasn’t felt the beauty of the cup since the 2005/06 season under the reign of Rafael Benitez. Chelsea had a smooth ride as well, getting past Crystal Palace in the semifinal wasn’t a problem and Liverpool seems to be their first real test in the competition this season. I will say the London team is the very familiar team with the title; they have won it five times under five different managers since Liverpool last won it but does that really matter.
Like I said earlier that it would be difficult to decide the winner based on record because the team form changes every season. The season has been an interesting one; every team had its high and low moments.
Chelsea crashed out of the Champions League and the FA Cup remains their only hope of getting silverware this season and unfortunately, it wouldn’t be an easy one for the club. The team has shown some terrible performance since they lost to Real Madrid but their last match showed how much life is still in the team, the win against Leeds would be their first win in their last four matches and I doubt that proves anything in their preparation against Liverpool. Leeds is struggling and getting a red card against Chelsea should affect their performance and I feel like the victory doesn’t show the preparedness of the Chelsea squad ahead of the final at the Wembley Stadium.
For Chelsea at the moment, every match is crucial because they could be giving their third spot out cheaply if they drop a point in their remaining league matches and Arsenal get to defeat Tottenham Hotspur later tonight.
Liverpool would give everything to win the FA Cup knowing that their chances of winning the Premier League has reduced to 1% after the draw against Tottenham and it would be the second out of their three finals this season, they defeated Chelsea in the Carabao cup and wouldn’t hesitate to do the same. As it stands, the team has a higher chance of winning the title judging from the team's current form. They haven’t lost a match in a while now; the last time they lost was in March against Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League, the team comes into every match with so much energy and they play every game like it is a final.
As it stands, Liverpool is the favorite for the cup and it would be great to win the FA Cup after 16 years but the unexpected can happen, Chelsea is not a team that can be overlooked. We have seen them step up at crucial moments, let’s hope the best team in the encounter wins.
Lead image belongs to me.
