Enzo Fernandez, a player who was banned for two matches by his own club earlier this month, demonstrated his immense talent for Chelsea on Sunday afternoon at Wembley. Despite the histrionics of some teammates, including Moises Caicedo and Pedro Neto, which might have dismayed the heroes of Chelsea's 1970 FA Cup-winning team, Fernandez displayed relentless steel and excellence. His first-half header secured Chelsea's place in the FA Cup final, where they will face Manchester City on May 16.
Questions Over Chelsea's Turnaround
Questions arise as to how a team that capitulated to Brighton & Hove Albion midweek, costing head coach Liam Rosenior his job, could dominate Leeds United so comfortably in the semi-final. Interim coach Calum McFarlane deserves credit for the turnaround. Chelsea, often seen as English football's version of the Dirty Dozen, earned plaudits on Sunday. Leeds improved after the interval but disappointed their fans who traveled from Yorkshire, though they won the battle of noise.
Empty seats in the Chelsea end reflected fan disaffection with a side that lost its last five league games and an ownership regime they despise. Co-owner Todd Boehly, familiar with inflated ticket sales, saw this game as one sell-on too many.
Match Details
The match was not a classic, and Manchester City will be heavy favorites for the final. However, the result breathed life into Chelsea's moribund campaign. They now battle for a top-five finish and a Champions League spot. McFarlane, in his second caretaker stint after Enzo Maresca left in January, performed creditably but lacks the coaching badges for a longer tenure. Chelsea, seeking their sixth permanent head coach under BlueCo rule, face a tough task attracting elite managers given their reputation as a basket-case.
Before the match, Chelsea's players set a record for the longest pre-match huddle, forcing Leeds to wait. However, it did not aid concentration; Leeds burst forward immediately, with Caicedo fouling Noah Okafor on the edge of the box. Ao Tanaka lifted the free-kick over the bar. Chelsea's first opening came when Caicedo lofted a pass to Alejandro Garnacho, whose first touch was poor. A minute later, Leeds should have scored after Trevoh Chalobah gave away the ball, but Brenden Aaronson's shot was saved by Robert Sanchez.
Chelsea dominated, with Leeds looking vulnerable. Joao Pedro hit the post, and then Pascal Struijk gave the ball away, leading to Neto crossing for Fernandez to head home. It was Chelsea's first goal in nearly 300 minutes and their first against Premier League opposition in over 500 minutes.
Leeds made two halftime substitutions, and Anton Stach immediately forced a brilliant save from Sanchez. Chelsea then nearly scored a spectacular goal, but Joao Pedro delayed his shot. End-to-end action saw Okafor cross for Calvert-Lewin, whose header was saved. Cole Palmer came on and was booked for throwing the ball away. Underneath the exterior, a decent football team is trying to emerge.
