Latest Team News: Liverpool Face Chelsea in FA Cup Final Today
Quadruple-chasers Liverpool take on Chelsea in the FA Cup final, in a repeat of this season’s League Cup final which the Reds won on penalties.
The two sides were so evenly matched that day it took Blues goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga missing a spot-kick to split them as Jurgen Klopp’s men triumphed 11-10 on penalties to lift their first, and they hope not their last, trophy this season.
Revenge for a highly motivated Chelsea side against a Liverpool team with minds elsewhere. February’s Carabao Cup final went Liverpool’s way but Chelsea could have won had they taken their chances.
The Champions League-finalists will be without Fabinho, which is a pretty big blow to their midfield, but one they certainly have the quality, the desire, and the coaching nous to overcome — especially if we’re also without one or two key midfielders of our own.
The Reds need an most unlikely slip up from Manchester City to defend their Premier League title, but will certainly want to make up for that by collecting both domestic cups and the Champions League as well.
Both managers have talked up the luck factor in what is expected to be a game decided by the tiniest of margins.
Chelsea are nominally the home team, but have already confirmed that we will be wearing our (luckier?) away yellow kit. Whether that brings enough luck to get N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic back on the remains to be seen, with the latter especially unlikely to feature (maybe on the bench) following his nasty-looking ankle injury midweek. Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ben Chilwell remain out, as usual.
In terms of team selection, the biggest question is who starts in attack, other than Mason Mount. Romelu Lukaku and Christian Pulisic have played a ton in the last week, but are in form. Kai Havertz and Timo Werner are more rested, but are no longer on a hot streak. Thomas Tuchel will also have a big decision to make for the third player in the back-three (Christensen? Chalobah? Azpilicueta?).
Regardless of who starts, Chelsea will need to be just about perfect, from the first minute to the last.
