Four Chelsea Takeaways From First Game Since Firing Liam Rosenior

Chelsea’s 1–0 victory over Leeds United means they face Manchester City in next month’s FA Cup final.

The Blues were led by interim manager Calum McFarlane following the dismissal of Liam Rosenior after an utterly wretched 3–0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday night, a result that extended Chelsea’s losing run without scoring in the Premier League to five games.

The west Londoners made mincemeat of the English Football League (EFL) on their way to the last four of the FA Cup, but encountered an in-form Leeds United side not easily beatable amid their fight for Premier League survival this year.

However, Daniel Farke‘s side succumbed to McFarlane’s team under the arch, meaning they missed out on reaching the competition’s showpiece event for the first time since 1973—three years after the infamous final between these two teams that helped ignite the longstanding rivalry.

Here are four Chelsea takeaways from their semifinal win.

Captain Enzo Takes Center Stage

The Chelsea captain at Wembley had been absent from his side’s thumping quarterfinal victory over Port Vale of EFL League One. That came after he was deemed by the club to have overstepped the mark regarding comments surrounding his future in west London.

Enzo Fernández sat out two games as punishment, but Chelsea have been keen to draw a line under the debacle and move on. He continues to don the armband in Reece James’s absence, and the Argentine midfielder came to the fore for the Blues here.

There was lots to like about Chelsea’s first-half display, with Fernández thriving in an advanced role that saw him take full advantage of the space Leeds surrendered between the lines. When the opposition were more compact, he was smart enough to drift wide and help Chelsea progress upfield.

Leeds couldn’t get to grips with Fernández‘s positioning until Farke introduced an extra midfielder for the second half. By then, Chelsea’s No. 8 had scored what would prove to be the match-winning header, ghosting into the Leeds box before converting Pedro Neto’s cross.

That was the crowning moment, but Fernández’s first-half performance offered much more. His majestic passing catalogue was out in full force.

Far Cry From Brighton Mess

Calum McFarlane, Cole Palmer — Chelsea’s performance was steady, but necessary. | Michael Regan/The FA/Getty Images

Chelsea were as bad on Tuesday night at Brigton as they’ve been since BlueCo took control in 2022, with the team producing a performance so apathetic the hierarchy had no choice but to act.

McFarlane isn’t necessarily a fresh voice, given that he briefly took charge after Enzo Maresca’s departure in January, but the players seemed to respond to the Chelsea U21s coach.

There was nothing majorly interesting tactically, with McFarlane leaning on experienced heads to help steady the ship after a dreadful run of form in the Premier League. The Blues combined in midfield nicely and accessed both João Pedro and Fernández to ensure they got up the pitch, but Chelsea were also effective at times when they went long.

There was a nice balance to their possession play early, and they should have been in the clear when Pedro received the ball with the goal gaping after a flowing move. His hesistance kept Leeds in the tie, and Chelsea had to dig in to see out the game. However, the work ethic late on would’ve undoubtedly thrilled McFarlane and supporters.

While Robert Sánchez was forced to make a couple of huge saves, Chelsea never felt under immense pressure, despite Leeds’ second half improvement. They were relatively comfortable, and that’s because everyone seemed committed to the collective cause.

Have you ever seen Cole Palmer so disruptive out of possession?

Familiar Story for Garnacho

Alejandro Garnacho was an unpopular man at Wembley on Sunday afternoon.

The egotistic Argentine hasn’t yet endeared himself to a skeptical fanbase that still misses the humble wizardry of Eden Hazard. Moreover, his Manchester United history meant the Leeds faithful were doubly keen to make themselves known every time the winger received possession.

In short, Garnacho typifies the mediocrity Chelsea have stockpiled in wide areas. The Argentine is a smart off-the-ball runner who‘s able to find himself in behind defenses, but problems arise when he’s tasked with beating his man one-on-one, or required to finish off a move.

He lacks variation with his dribbling to trouble most Premier League fullbacks, and the lack of conviction in front of goal is distinctly infuriating for a player who seemingly believes himself to be something quite special.

His return of eight goals this season, four of which arrived in the Carabao Cup, is unlikely to be improved over the next month. They only bought him last summer, but is there a single Chelsea fan who’d be gutted if they moved on from Garnacho after a single forgettable year?

Blues Aiming to End FA Cup Final Losing Streak

Reece James — Chelsea have lost their previous three FA Cup finals. | Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

Fernández’s header and Sánchez’s saves mean Chelsea are into the FA Cup final for the 17th time—only Manchester United (22) and Arsenal (21) have reached more. They’ll face off against the peaking Manchester City at Wembley on May 16, hoping to put an end their losing run in domestic cup finals.

Chelsea claimed UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup glory last May and July respectively, but they haven’t lifted either the FA Cup or Carabao Cup since Antonio Conte bowed out on a high by winning the former in 2018.

Since then, the Blues have lost three Carabao Cup finals, including one to Manchester City, and three FA Cup finals. In fact, they lost three in a row across 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Chelsea had been synonymous with FA Cup glory in the 21st century, winning six over a period of just 19 years from 2000, but they’ve endured a barren run on the big stage at Wembley more recently. They tend to thrive in one-off contests when they’re an underdog, so perhaps the team will relish facing off against the heavily favored Manchester City next month.

McFarlane has already ruffled Pep Guardiola’s feathers once ...

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