City fans will wonder what might have been
HIGH FLYER: Ziyech hurdles Ruben Dias
NO matter how difficult Hakim Ziyech has found his first season at Chelsea, the Moroccan’s mantra has been always to trust in his ability.
No matter how hard injuries have made life for him.
No matter how hard he has found full fitness to come by.
No matter how frustrating it was when the manager for whom he signed, Frank Lampard, departed.
It takes proper mental strength to keep faith in adversity, particularly in a new country and particularly when there’s a seemingly a setback month after month.
But Ziyech knew as well as anyone what he was capable of when he finally got himself fit, and here at Wembley he scored what could be a seismic goal in his Chelsea career.
It came early in the second half – Ziyech and Timo Werner, another man who has struggled to find his form in his first season with the club – piercing Manchester City’s defence and in turn piercing their hopes of an unprecedented Quadruple.
Pep Guardiola (below) claimed before the game that winning four trophies was not something he was thinking about.
And even if anyone really believed that, he really isn’t today.
Instead, he’ll be wondering whether even the Treble is now on and whether or not he made the right decision making eight changes to his starting line-up from the
Champions League quarter-final second-leg victory over Borussia
Dortmund on
Tuesday.
He may also wonder whether he overshared with Chelsea boss
Thomas Tuchel on the tactics front when the pair shared a dinner during Guardiola’s days in charge of Bayern Munich.
During his days managing Mainz and Dortmund, Tuchel never got the better of Guardiola but, finally, here in England he has done that.
Guardiola’s decision to make such a raft of changes not only underlined the strength and depth he has at his disposal but perhaps, too, it showed where the FA Cup comes in the pecking order of trophies for the City boss. If he goes on to win
the other three – and City will need the injury Kevin De Bruyne – who limped off early in he second half after appearing to get a boot caught in the turf, not to be too serious – then he will no doubt consider the sacrifice worth it.
De Bruyne had, by his wonderful standards, was a largely disappointing first half.
And while the introduction of Phil Foden, one of those who had dropped to the bench, certainly lifted City’s performance, Chelsea’s defence remained resolute.
The defeat was a further blow to City, whose fans will always wonder what might have been for such a wonderfully talented squad.