As Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s rising shot flicked off Joachim Andersen’s thigh and flew beyond Jack Butland’s dive to give Thomas Tuchel’s team control of this sleepy FA Cup semi-final, it was impossible not to hope that whoever ends up buying Chelsea from Roman Abramovich appreciates the importance of the club’s academy and continues to invest in it.
Ultimately this was a reminder that buying expensive foreign players is not the only way to build a successful team. For Chelsea this was another triumph that was made in Cobham. They knew victory was theirs when their academy’s star pupil, Mason Mount, produced his usual brilliance to finish Palace off and, in terms of Cup romance, there was nothing to top the moment when a tight game was prised open by Loftus-Cheek. The midfielder has struggled since recovering from a serious achilles injury and had come into this game under pressure from Tuchel to put his obvious gifts to use on a regular basis.
This is a player who has had to endure so much since making his Chelsea debut eight years ago. There have been disappointing loans, cruel injuries and managers who have not been willing to trust in him. At 26 Loftus-Cheek is no longer the next big thing. He is fighting to prove he belongs at this level and, as Tuchel acknowledged after seeing Chelsea join Liverpool in the final, he is not someone who always finds it easy to express himself on the pitch.
Yet there is no doubt that Loftus-Cheek is an asset when he is fit and confident. There is a reason why Tuchel once compared him to Michael Ballack. Gareth Southgate, who was in the stands at Wembley, also must have seen something when he named Loftus-Cheek in England’s squad at the last World Cup.
At his best Loftus-Cheek is a rangy, elegant presence. He carries the ball easily, can pick a pass and has strong physical attributes, and the challenge is working out how to ensure those qualities do not stay hidden. “He is the opposite of overconfident,” Tuchel said. “We need to install this confidence into his body and game.”
Tuchel is pushing Loftus-Cheek. The German used him in a hybrid role in Chelsea’s wins at Southampton and Real Madrid, somewhere between a right wing-back and a right-sided central midfielder, and turned to him instead of N’Golo Kanté when Mateo Kovacic injured an ankle midway through the first half against Palace, who will regret their failure to attack with more urgency when the game was level.
Chelsea needed more drive when Loftus-Cheek entered the fray. They looked weary after having their hearts broken by Real in the Champions League but Palace could not take advantage. Their fans were outstanding and yet Palace were becalmed on the pitch, sent out by Patrick Vieira to stifle in an unfamiliar 3-4-1-2 formation, a ploy that left Wilfried Zaha and Jean-Philippe Mateta feeding off scraps.
It was strange from Vieira, who had never previously used a back three at Palace, though his decision was linked to Conor Gallagher’s absence. Cobham was influential once again. Gallagher is another prodigious talent to emerge from the production line at Chelsea and, having played so well since joining Vieira’s side on loan, Palace were always likely to suffer without the midfielder’s drive.
Such is life for mid-table Premier League clubs. Palace can develop Gallagher but they cannot own him. He belongs to Chelsea and will soon return to Stamford Bridge to play alongside Mount, Loftus-Cheek and Reece James, whose performance to quell Zaha was another prominent feature of this victory.
This is the gift that Abramovich will bestow upon Chelsea’s next owners. His hope always was that the academy would end up paying for itself. Now it could ease the club through what promises to be a period of uncertainty.
After all it was bewildering to think that Chelsea’s previous appearance at Wembley had come less than 24 hours after Abramovich announced his plan to hand control of the club to its trustees. So much has happened since that February afternoon, which ended with Liverpool winning the Carabao Cup, and there is still no way of knowing what comes next. Todd Boehly’s consortium? Lord Coe and Sir Martin Broughton’s group? Or will it be Stephen Pagliuca who finds himself holding the keys to Stamford Bridge?
The only thing that seems certain is Chelsea must trust Tuchel, who has guided them to six major finals. This was not a perfect performance, with Kai Havertz booked for trying to buy a foul from Marc Guéhi in the first half, but it was controlled and efficient.
Palace, who had gone close when Édouard Mendy repelled a vicious drive from Cheikhou Kouyaté, were given nothing. Chelsea were intense and powerful. Timo Werner threatened, forcing Butland to smother, and it was not a surprise when the breakthrough arrived.
It came when Chelsea won possession in Palace’s half. Havertz dribbled down the right and, when his cross hit Guéhi, the ball fell to Loftus-Cheek, who sent a rising shot past Butland thanks to a slight touch off Andersen.
There was no way back for Palace, for whom Eberechi Eze was disappointing, even though Vieira responded by introducing Michael Olise and Christian Benteke. Their dream was over in the 76th minute. Werner’s pass from the left was nice and Mount’s first touch was clever. The midfielder was too quick for Palace and his cool finish ensured that Chelsea will be back at Wembley to face Liverpool again.
