By Peter Auf der Heyde
Chelsea will face Leicester City for the FA Cup final in Wembley on Saturday, to be aired on StarTimes. Thanks to a stellar squad led by two German internationals Kai Havertz and Timo Werner, Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea are the favourites of the final. But Leicester could surprise the Blues, that are battling on many fronts.
A lot can happen in four months. Especially in football. Just ask Thomas Tuchel.
In December, just four months after taking Paris St Germain to the (...)

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By Peter Auf der Heyde

Chelsea will face Leicester City for the FA Cup final in Wembley on Saturday, to be aired on StarTimes. Thanks to a stellar squad led by two German internationals Kai Havertz and Timo Werner, Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea are the favourites of the final. But Leicester could surprise the Blues, that are battling on many fronts.

A lot can happen in four months. Especially in football. Just ask Thomas Tuchel.

In December, just four months after taking Paris St Germain to the Champions League final, the German was fired by the French club. Four weeks later he was hired by Chelsea and four months into his tenure at the Premier League side, he can win his first trophy with club.

On Saturday the Blues go into the FA Cup final at Wembley against Leicester City as the favourites, especially as their last two results saw them beat some pretty impressive opponent’s.

First Tuchel became the first coach in history to take two different clubs to consecutive Champions League finals (having taken PSG to the final last season) with a 3-1 aggregate win against Real Madrid and on the weekend, he saw his team come-back from a goal down at half-time to beat the Premier League champions to-be, Manchester City 2-1.

The result though, will also heed as a warning to Tuchel as they went into the game against City as the underdogs, just as Leicester will on Saturday.

One of the reasons why Chelsea has found their form – just at the right time – is that two German internationals at the club, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner (they also have Antonio Rüdiger), have been in excellent form, combining for Werner’s opening goal against Real Madrid, with Werner assisting Marcos Alonso for the winning goal against City.

Arguably, Tuchel’s biggest task ahead of the final will be to decide whom to leave out of the squad and out of the starting line-up - such is the riches of talent that he has to choose from.

Despite being used mainly as a bit player, coming off the bench, midfielder Hakim Ziyech has shown that he enjoys playing in cup games. He scored the only goal of the game in the semi-final against Manchester City, as well as the final goal in Chelsea’s 2-0 victory against Sheffield United in the quarter-final.

But whether that is enough to give the Moroccan international a starting-place remains to be seen.

Another difficult choice that Tuchel needs to make is whether to continue playing goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga in the final, or whether to start with Edouard Mendy, who has replaced the Spaniard as the number one at the Blues.

Kepa, who remains the most expensive goalkeeper in the world after being bought by Chelsea for 80 million euros in 2018, has played just five league games, but all FA Cup matches this season.

But with Mendy giving Chelsea much-needed composure at the back, it could well be that the Senegalese international is given the nod for Wembley. The 29-year-old said that he works well with the Spaniard.

“My relationship with Kepa is good like my relationship with Willy (Caballero, the third goalkeeper). We work together, we play for the same team and same shirt so we need to stay together. We push each other at the training ground so yes I have a good relationship with Willy and Kepa.”

One African international who is bound to feature in the game, is Kelechi Iheanacho, who has formed a deadly striking partnership with Jaimie Vardy upfront for Leicester. The Nigerian international was on target again on the weekend for his side in their 4-2 home defeat against Newcastle, to take his tally for the season to 11.

He has scored 10 of those goals in his last nine matches.
But as pleasing Iheanacho’s form has been for Brendan Rodgers, the coach is concerned about the availability of Jonny Evans. The defender has been in outstanding form at the back for the Foxes, but pulled out of the Newcastle game with an injury and is now doubtful for Wembley.

Authorities have said that some 22,000 fans will be allowed into Wembley. That leaves millions of other football fans who will want to see the match. And for African football fans there is great news as the game will be screened live and in HD on the StarTimes football channels.

Africa’s leading digital-TV operator has been screening the best FA Cup action throughout the season and will show the final of the oldest knock-out competition in the world throughout the continent.

StarTimes also broadcasts all the action of some of the most exciting football events, such as Bundesliga, La Liga, UEFA Europa League and the coming UEFA Euro 2020.

Peter Auf der Heyde

Peter Auf der Heyde is an award-winning football journalist and author, who covers the big European leagues. As a South African by birth, he is particularly interested in the African connection within European football and has covered 12 consecutive Africa Cup of Nations tournaments live. Formerly head of sport at the English service of the German Press Association, he is one of the leading Bundesliga experts.