FA Cup fallout: Chelsea boss Tuchel frustrated in defeat
Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel, revealed he was in “angry mode” after the surprise home loss to Arsenal suddenly put pressure on their top-four hopes in the Premier League – although the Champions League final against Manchester City could yet prove the most glittering safety net.
He certainly looked an angry man throughout this final, the body language increasingly frustrated right up until that final twist when a late equaliser was snatched from Chelsea’s grasp by VAR.
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Chelsea now face a massive game against these same opponents in midweek but they will have to recover swiftly from this disappointment and the knowledge they did not do themselves justice.
They certainly had their moments and will complain of ill-fortune, about a suspicion of handball before Tielemans’ goal and those magnificent saves from Schmeichel but this was a stuttering Chelsea, not the smooth machine that saw off Real Madrid with such comfort in the Champions League semi-final second leg at Stamford Bridge.
Timo Werner seemed a particular source of frustration to Tuchel, the manager enraged when he lost a physical challenge to Tielemans, and it may be he regrets that he did not start with the improving Kai Havertz.
And Chilwell, left out for Marcos Alonso, was a source of real danger when he was eventually introduced as a substitute, almost rescuing Chelsea twice.
Chelsea and Tuchel now face a huge fortnight with the fight for the top four in the balance and that Champions League final to come against Manchester City – and the manager will know they will have to perform better than this.