Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta asks teammates to recover from FA Cup defeat and prepare for UCL final
Speaking to the club media on Sunday (h/t Official Chelsea website), Cesar Azpilicueta stated that his Chelsea teammates have to recover from the damaging FA Cup final defeat to Leicester City as the road to the UCL final enters its final stages.
The Blues succumbed to a Youri Tielemans screamer in the 63rd minute on Saturday to lose the domestic cup final. Chelsea would have won it for the 9th time in their history, but instead, the Foxes clinched the FA Cup for the first time ever in their history.
But this is no time to sit and wallow in what has already happened. Thomas Tuchel’s men have three season defining games coming up in the next two weeks.
The Premier League game against Leicester and then Aston Villa will decide if Chelsea finish in the top 4 or not. And of course, the showpiece Champions League final against Manchester City is the one game that would deserve the most attention from the team.
Time to recover
And the Spanish international thinks that it is these three games that the Blues should now turn their attention to. While the FA Cup defeat was damaging, he says, the squad has to recover in time for their next assignment on Tuesday against the Foxes.
“We have lost the last 2 games, 2 important games. We have missed 2 opportunities and we cannot let more opportunities go. We cannot change the results, but we have to be humble, to accept that we can be better, pick ourselves up and go again, because we have three crucial games for the club, for us, for the fans and we are determined to win them.”
Brendan Rodgers’ side are two points ahead of Chelsea in the Premier League table. But two wins from two league games will guarantee Chelsea a top 4 finish, which is why Azpilicueta further highlights the importance of this encounter.
“It’s hard to take but in less than 3 days we are back and playing again, so we have to recover and go for it. Tuesday is a massive game for our Champions League qualification. We are in a position where everything is in our hands and now is the moment, the last week of the Premier League.”
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The Blues season can go from good to bad within a space of few weeks and Tuchel would be hoping that his players have what it takes to get across the line on both fronts.