da brwin： Having both fallen well short of Manchester City in the Premier League’s title race, the FA Cup final gives Chelsea and Manchester United one last chance to end the campaign with silverware. The two top flight juggernauts meet in the Wembley showpiece on Saturday and it’s shaping up to be a tight, cagey and incredibly close encounter.
da bwin： So, how will the 2018 FA Cup final pan out? This week’s experts, Football FanCast’s very own Sam Preston and Chelsea FanCast’s FBA-nominated wizzkid Llion Carbis, share their thoughts and predictions ahead of Saturday’s 5.15pm kickoff…
For Antonio Conte, Saturday’s clash isn’t only a chance to end this season but also potentially his Chelsea tenure with a trophy. Nothing has been confirmed just yet and there are plenty who believe the Italian will stay, but the feeling of dissatisfaction behind the scenes has grown throughout the season and the Blues’ underwhelming title defence has only added fuel to recent rumours.
Will this be Conte’s last game in charge and who should replace him for next season?
Llion: “Personally, I feel that his position has become untenable and he’ll leave the club at the end of the season. I appreciate his frustrations, and acknowledge the insufficient support from the board. That said, he has continuously undermined the confidence of his players, which has clearly impacted their performance. Leonardo Jardim has displayed his willingness to develop young players, and he has won trophies. He could be an adequate replacement. Likewise, Luis Enrique has enjoyed tremendous success with Barcelona – although it is likely that his resources won’t be as expansive with us.”
In terms of their head-to-head record, Conte currently stands one win ahead of Mourinho from their five encounters in English football. But it was United who came out on top during the most recent meeting, a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford back in February with star striker Romelu Lukaku scoring and assisting against his former club.
What needs to be replicated from that performance to ensure United win again on Saturday?
Sam: “United started incredibly slowly on that occasion and slipped behind but found that Chelsea have a soft centre when actually put under pressure. That afternoon, Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez were granted greater creative freedom and if Mourinho can unlock them in a similar way at Wembley then Chelsea may have problems. The other aspect is keeping Eden Hazard quiet. Every time we face Chelsea, Mourinho is absolutely obsessed with stopping Hazard and how successful he is in doing so tends to decide the match. We managed it last time out and if we do it again, we should win.”
And what must Chelsea to do to stop Lukaku this time around?
Llion: “Antonio Rudiger’s critical to preventing Lukaku. The German is strong, tenacious and quick, the perfect attributes to negate a player of Lukaku’s ability. We must ensure that we dictate the physical battle, which will limit Lukaku’s impact on the game. Rudiger is our best defender in those physical confrontations.
For how impressive Lukaku has been during his first season at Old Trafford, netting a career-best 26 times including five goals in the FA Cup, his importance to Mourinho has resulted in one underlying frustration – a lack of game-time for Marcus Rashford, especially since Alexis Sanchez’s arrival in January. But the youngster has such a strong record for United in big games, the most recent Northwest Derby providing a key example, and the FA Cup is about as big as it can get.
Would you find a way of getting Rashford into the starting XI on Saturday?
Sam: “I’d start Rashford up front. He rarely lets the side down in big matches, scoring with his only opportunities in the home games against Liverpool and Manchester City this season. Lukaku hasn’t played for three weeks and his touch isn’t great at the best of times so I’d hate to see it when he’s rusty and not fully fit. Rashford netted twice against Chelsea last season as a striker as well, in what was arguably United’s best performance of the Mourinho era. Jose played something approaching a 4-2-2-2 last time out against Chelsea with Anthony Martial up alongside Lukaku so there might be scope for both Rashford and Lukaku to start together.”
United’s other key selection dilemma is at the heart of defence. Who forms United’s strongest centre-back partnership?
Sam: “Phil Jones and Eric Bailly. Mourinho has done everything he can with Chris Smalling to get him into the England squad but now that he’s been left out definitely, it’s time for the former Fulham man to drop to the bench. Bailly has the physicality to match Olivier Giroud but also the speed to deal with passes in behind. I’d be tempted by Victor Lindelof – I want him to become first-choice next season – but that’s too much of a risk on the big occasions, so Jones gets the nod.”
Perhaps the biggest selection issue at Chelsea right now relates to their formation. Conte’s fluctuated between 3-5-2 and 3-4-3 this season with mixed results, and while the latter setup tends to be more popular with Chelsea fans because it creates a space for Willian, the former seems more appropriate for an FA Cup final due to the extra protection it gives in midfield.
Which formation is best suited to Saturday’s game?
Llion: “I’d prefer to play with a 3-5-2 formation as opposed to the 3-4-3 system. The former provides us with greater stability, and better cover for Cesc Fabregas which in turn allows him the freedom to influence the game. Similarly, Giroud and Hazard share an excellent relationship – it’s crucial that their understanding will be present on Saturday.”
Where will this game be lost and won?
Sam: “I’ve already touched on it but United’s ability to keep Hazard quiet will be the key. Mourinho has tried everything to stop him in the past – man-marking from Ander Herrera, a series of tactical fouls and reformatting his midfield to deal with his threat – with varying levels of success. If he is fielded just behind the striker as a number 10, United might find it easier to stifle him but if he comes from wide, it could be a long afternoon for Antonio Valencia. From an attacking perspective, it’s a case of getting Lukaku, Sanchez and Pogba – and hopefully Rashford – all in close proximity, linking up to see how much stomach this Chelsea defence really has for the fight.”
Llion: “As previously highlighted, the physical battle will be a key aspect of the game. We must ensure that we dominate proceedings at the heart of the pitch, preventing Nemanja Matic from disrupting our rythym, and thus, giving Hazard and Giroud the platform to influence the game from an attacking perspective. It would be quintessential Mourinho to produce a tactical surprise, and as Fabregas emphasised in midweek, we must be prepared for anything that they throw at us. That adaptability and tactical awareness will be key.”
And finally chaps, let’s hear your score predictions…
Llion: “2-1 Chelsea.”
Sam: “2-0 to United. Even if United play well, this isn’t going to be a high-scoring encounter but Mourinho will be looking for his side to start better than they have in other big games lately; the most recent Chelsea league game, the 3-2 against City and the Tottenham semi-final. If United do that and score first, they should see off a Chelsea side managed by a man who knows he’s on his way out.”
[ad_pod ]