Hazard warning for Man U, Chelsea eye FA Cup
Desperate to end a dismal season on a high note, troubled Chelsea manager Antonio Conte needs Eden Hazard to ride to his rescue in Saturday’s FA Cup final against United.
Conte’s side have been rocked by their failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League after they stumbled to a disappointing fifth-place finish in the Premier League. With Conte reportedly on the verge of leaving following his feud with the club’s hierarchy over transfers, there is a sense Chelsea are lurching through one of their regular periods of self-inflicted turmoil.
While victory at Wembley this weekend wouldn’t erase problems gripping Chelsea, it does offer a chance to dispel the notion that disharmony between Conte and his players has accelerated their decline.
Just 12 months ago, Chelsea swaggered into the FA Cup final as the newly crowned Premier League champions following Conte’s dazzling debut season.
Yet they left Wembley emptyhanded after a lacklustre 2-1 defeat against Arsenal that left a painful sting.
“You don’t want to be on the back of losing two FA Cup finals in a row,” Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas said.
“Last year we didn’t play well. We have this regret in our head and we want to make it right this time for sure.” Things haven’t
been the same since and, despite his insistence that he would happily remain in charge next season, Conte has carried the air of
a man who knows he is on borrowed time.
Against that troubled backdrop, it would be an addition to Conte’s woes if United manager Jose Mourinho was the man to shove his rival towards the exit door. Showing signs of cracking under the strain of Chelsea’s turbulent season, Conte has been drawn into a series of petty and increasingly bitter exchanges with former Chelsea boss Mourinho. To avoid the unpleasant prospect of watching Mourinho celebrating at his expense, Conte needs to find a way to unify his team following last weekend’s shambolic 3-0 loss at Newcastle.
JWHILE VICTORY AT
WEMBLEY THIS WEEKEND WOULDN’T ERASE PROBLEMS GRIPPING CHELSEA, IT DOES OFFER A CHANCE TO DISPEL THE NOTION THAT DISHARMONY BETWEEN CONTE AND HIS PLAYERS HAS ACCELERATED THEIR DECLINE