Arsenal are Gunner spoil the big party
Why not Chelsea? One word, pressure. Sure Chelsea are crammed with skilled players. Look at their feet, gosh they can play. But what if we could look inside their heads? Players on the verge of history can trip over their feet, no matter how skilful.
An FA Cup final against arch-rivals Arsenal – a oneoff game against quality opposition – offers Chelsea the stress of a 90-minute fall from fairytale to folly.
If Chelsea look to where the dream might be derailed, they will be erecting orange cones around the Arsenal obstacle, who shape as a bright red STOP sign. A sprinkling of Gunner luck, a spoonful of brilliance, stirred in with a Chelsea sour day is a recipe for a Blues disaster.
Arsenal have all to win, Chelsea – assuming they haven’t taken a dive in the league by then – all to lose.
Arsenal have one focus, whereas Chelsea have bifocals on league and cup, cup and league – how best to do both?
It’s not as if Arsenal winning would be a massive FA Cup upset, they have won it twice in the past three seasons.
Upsets? You don’t need a long memory; 2013 will do it – Wigan Athletic 1, Manchester City 0 anyone?
An Arsenal win wouldn’t be in the same upset area code as Sunderland ambushing Leeds in 1973, Southampton hounding Manchester United in 1976, or Coventry City swatting Spurs in 1987.
It’s more clearcut in the league, where if Antonio Conte’s team need just to win four more. Only Tottenham Hotspur can spoil the party.
Chelsea are four points clear with a seemingly easier run in – a tricky away game at Everton, then Middlesbrough, West Brom, Watford and Sunderland.
Spurs have won their last eight league games, on Thursday beating Crystal Palace away – a side Chelsea this month lost to at home.
But now come Arsenal, West Ham, Manchester United, Leicester and Hull.
On the ‘‘there’s still hope’’ side of the Spurs ledger is Chelsea haven’t had a league clean sheet in months, and have used a league-low 22 players this season – injury to one of that core group opens the door.