'Tuchel Has Done An Amazing Job At Chelsea'
- Leicester City and Chelsea will compete for the Emirates FA Cup trophy in Saturday's final at Wembley
- It's City's first final appearance since 1969, while Chelsea are bidding to win it for a ninth time
- Simon Johnson analyses Chelsea's squad, main threats and current form ahead of the contest
- The Athletic's Chelsea reporter also points to Thomas Tuchel's impact since joining the Blues
Chelsea's first of two finals at the end of the 2020/21 season is a match-up with Brendan Rodgers' Leicester City at Wembley Stadium on Saturday (5:15pm BST kick-off).
The eight-time FA Cup winners may be the favourites to lift the trophy, but Leicester, who currently sit two points above the London side in the Premier League table, will be desperate to get their hands on the prestigious cup for the first time, Johnson believes.
And while Chelsea were narrowly defeated by Arsenal in midweek, the Foxes were triumphant in their previous top flight fixture, beating Manchester United 2-1 at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening.
"A lot of the players in the Chelsea team haven't won the FA Cup," Johnson commented, while speaking to LCFC TV. "If this was the Chelsea of old with Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard, then I think experience would matter.
"But you've got a manager there who has never won the FA Cup, you've got most of the team who haven't played a part in the FA Cup. Obviously [N'Golo] Kanté and César [Azpilicueta], they can tell the rest what the day is like.
"But I think what is more significant is the respective moods of the two teams going into this game. With what happened in midweek and Leicester getting their first win at Old Trafford since 1998, that's undoubtedly lifted the spirits in the dressing room.
"Top four is virtually theirs now, that takes a lot of pressure off their shoulders so they can go out and really give it their all. In contrast, Chelsea are coming off the back of a very disappointing performance and defeat against a London rival.
"Whether that galvanises them or deflates them, only time will tell. I do think the talk of Leicester not having won the FA Cup before, if anything, that's going to motivate them and make them really hungry to go out and claim that trophy. It's not something that is going to make them worried."
Thomas Tuchel took over as Chelsea manager in January and has since presided over a remarkable turnaround in form, keeping 11 clean sheets in 17 Premier League matches and only falling to a top flight defeat twice in that time.
Lifting the club into top four contention, Chelsea also have an UEFA Champions League Final to look forward to - Tuchel's second consecutive showpiece following his run to the final with Paris Saint-Germain in 2019/20.
Although this will be his first taste of the FA Cup Final, he brings a huge amount of experience from managing in big games and big occasions.
"He's done an amazing job," Johnson explained. "There's been a couple of blips along the way. It's bizarre to think that West Brom was the only team domestically to beat them until Arsenal.
"But as Leicester fans will remember, because it was the last league game that [Frank] Lampard was in charge of in January, if you'd have said after that game that Chelsea would be playing in a Champions League Final, an FA Cup Final and potentially finish above Leicester in the table, they wouldn't believe it.
"Chelsea were flat, they had run out of ideas and the season was imploding. Tuchel has come in, organised them, got confidence back, the morale in the squad is high, and they've got results consistently week after week against the very best teams under the biggest pressure.
"If you look at the two domestic defeats, they were games in which there wasn't much pressure, there wasn't much concern or hype about the game and perhaps that's the flaw and the soft underbelly that still exists.
"Chelsea sometimes get a little complacent but there will be no room for complacency on Saturday and, as Tuchel said after Arsenal, maybe this is the last wake up call we need. He'll be working very hard in the build-up to make sure Chelsea are at their very best at Wembley."
Discussing the possible starting XI that Tuchel will field on Saturday evening, Johnson believes his policy of rotation will keep everyone guessing on who could line up for the Blues.
Germany international Timo Werner has contributed more goals and assists combined than any other Chelsea player in all competitions this season (23), but Johnson still feels he has more to give in a Chelsea shirt.
"There's no such thing as a certain XI, he loves to make a change," the journalist added. "Although he admitted after the Arsenal game that he made too many, he realised he made a mistake there. He's already said that Kepa [Arrizabalaga] is starting in goal and [Andreas] Christensen is a doubt.
"Timo Werner has done a bit better under Tuchel. I wouldn't say the goals are flying in, he's only scored a few, but he is weighing in with assists. What should be commended about him is that he doesn't give up.
"Many players would have gone hiding on the pitch, but he keeps going and his pace is a constant weapon. It will be one of the things that Leicester's defence will be worried about - the runs in behind, the run down the channel."