Chelsea’s 1-0 FA Cup semifinal win against Leeds United suggests the Londoners have stemmed the crisis that engulfed them this month, but the chances of salvaging something from their season still look slim.
In the Premier League Chelsea are 10 points off the last of the five Champions League qualifying spots with only four games left to play, and they will slip to ninth place on Monday if Brentford avoid defeat at Manchester United.
In the FA Cup final on May 16 the Blues will face a resurgent Manchester City, who thumped the Blues 3-0 at Stamford Bridge in the league earlier this month.
Against Leeds on Sunday, Chelsea at least looked a bit more like a team packed with expensive talent after the drama of Liam Rosenior’s sacking as coach on Wednesday and five league defeats in which they failed to score a single goal — their worst run in 114 years.
The recovery from injury of Brazil striker Joao Pedro gave them more bite up front., England playmaker Cole Palmer also returned from the sidelines as a substitute and the side overall showed some of the focus sorely lacking in their recent slump.
“I think it was important to break the momentum and the form we were in,” interim coach Calum McFarlane told reporters.
“I thought we were confident we would do that, and I think that completely changes the feel within the group.”
His decision to start Tosin Adarabioyo in central defence provided them with more aerial presence at the back and more experience in a team that represents a big bet on youth by the club’s US private equity-led owners.
At the grand old age of 28, Adarabioyo is nicknamed “Uncle Tosin” by his younger teammates.
McFarlane said Adarabioyo was “exceptional” on Sunday after he picked him to nullify the heading threat of Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Perhaps most satisfying for Chelsea fans was the sight of Enzo Fernandez scoring the only goal of the game in the 23rd minute. The Argentina midfielder, Chelsea’s most expensive ever signing, was recently suspended for two games for suggesting he wanted to leave Stamford Bridge.
“He’s a winner,” McFarlane said. “He’s got so much talent, he’s got so much fight. He’s massive for this group.”
Chelsea will be hoping to end an unprecedented run of six domestic cup final defeats — three in the FA Cup and three in the League Cup — when they face Pep Guardiola’s City next month.
They might also find some hope from their history. T the London club have lifted the FA Cup, the Europa League and the Champions League trophies while under interim managers Guus Hiddink, Rafael Benitez and Roberto Di Matteo.
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