Chelsea technical and performance advisor Petr Cech has claimed that the Blues need a “meltdown” from Manchester City and Liverpool if they are to be in with a chance of winning the Premier League this season. It comes ahead of Thomas Tuchel ’s side facing off with Crystal Palace in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
The match with the Eagles at Wembley on Sunday represents a huge chance for the German coach to reach yet another final with the club. Tuchel has managed to reach a final in every competition since he took over at Stamford Bridge, apart from the recent Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid.
Ahead of the challenge, the manager said: “It is a huge opportunity to play at Wembley. We need to be very well prepared to control the counter-attacks, the individual quality, the dribbles and play with the same level of intensity. They can create a certain atmosphere, especially at Selhurst Park but also at Wembley."
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The match may be crucial to the outlook on the season, with the FA Cup left as the only feasible piece of silverware for the campaign. The Blues have already lost in the Carabao Cup final on penalties, also getting knocked out of Europe recently.
The side managed to win the Club World Cup back in February, but the Premier League title seems out of their grasp despite their early season form. This is something that former goalkeeper Cech has addressed, saying the top two clubs need a “meltdown” to give Chelsea a chance, due to their 11 and 12-point gap respectively.
Writing in his column for the club website, the former goalkeeper said: “Unfortunately we have a points deficit in the league table, so obviously it’s going to be difficult to think about the title because it’s completely out of our hands, we will need to rely on Liverpool and City to have a meltdown."
Cech, who won five FA Cups in his career, then switched his attention to the FA Cup, claiming the Palace game won’t be easy: “It’s definitely not an easy game because for them it’s a historical moment, so they will obviously go there and try to make the most of it and their fans will surely enjoy it. So we need to be prepared and we’ve played on many, many occasions at Wembley, and many FA Cup semi-finals overall, so we know what it takes and hopefully, we can reach another final.”
It remains to be seen exactly how the side will turn up, given the fact they had to play extra-time in midweek, however, the importance of the tie cannot be downplayed. Another cup final is up for grabs, whether they take the chance is yet to come.
