Chelsea could be on course to win the FA Cup and Champions League. The club is already the reigning champion of the latter and has its sights set firmly on FA triumph. But, if Chelsea fails to win neither of these, does this mean the season as a whole has been a failure?
FA Cup
Chelsea could go on to win the FA Cup this season if it puts in the hard work. The Blues have certainly put up an impressive fight for the cup over the last few years and it’s hoped that the club will finally lift that trophy this season.
However, having only seen one victory out of the last four deciders at the FA Cup, Chelsea will have to work hard if it wants to see success.
The team had its cup dreams shattered by Leicester City and Arsenal during the last two seasons, and so will have to up its game this time. Nonetheless, Thomas Tuchel has proved his worth as an extremely skilled and tactical manager. Could he lead Chelsea to FA Cup glory?
Going by the team’s recent performance, it’s certainly plausible. The Blues beat Middlesbrough 2-0 in the fourth round earlier this month. It’ll be interesting to see how they get on against Crystal Palace in the semi-finals on March 3.
On April 17. If you were a gambling person, whether into sports betting or throwing down a poker hand or two at a platform like that of GGPoker, the odds of Chelsea winning the FA Cup is something you might be able to understand and interpret to your advantage.
Champions League
Chelsea are the reigning Champions League Champions, so the team will be keen to hold on to that title. Almost a year on from standing in the way of Manchester City’s Champions League glory, the excitement over this season’s cup is heating up.
Chelsea snatched the cup from Manchester City in a spectacular final last season, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Blues can repeat that incredible performance again. However, Chelsea did suffer a number of disappointing results earlier this season, so they should therefore not get too complacent.
Relying on the Premier to avoid a season failure
If Chelsea don’t win the FA Cup or the Champions League, then the season will not be a failure if they can claw it back by winning the Premier League. They do face strong competition from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur; plus, they haven’t won since 2016/17, but it is achievable if they put in the effort.
However, the process of obtaining a ticket to Europe’s top table could become more challenging as it’s set to be changed by UEFA. This could potentially have a massive effect on how club deals are done by those fortunate enough to have gained a place. It’s planned that UEFA will expand the size of the competition from 32 teams to 36, resulting in an extra four qualifying spaces up for grabs.
This will enable some of the smaller clubs who have perhaps struggled to gain a place in recent years and give them a chance. While this is unlikely to affect Chelsea in terms of the team qualifying, the shuffling of the competition could be a disruption for them and see them face new challenges. It also means more teams, so winning that prestigious cup will be slightly harder odds.
Chelsea are certainly capable of winning both the FA Cup and the Champions League, and a double triumph in both competitions would be impressive.
However, if they don’t manage to win either event, it’ll be incredibly disappointing and many fans will look on the season as having been a failure. Perhaps if the Blues were somehow able to win the Premier League this season, they’ll be able to redeem themselves in the eyes of the fans.