Why Jorginho started shouting at Reece James as Thomas Tuchel experiences Chelsea vs Arsenal selection problem
Chelsea advanced to their third consecutive FA Cup final with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium, thanks to goals from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount.
Within Loftus-Cheek, there is a powerful player. Tuchel is well aware of this and has challenged the 26-year-old to finally realize his enormous potential. "It was a big moment," said the German coach. "It was nice to see him celebrate because he is usually a very clam and quiet guy. But, when you see him like this, jumping and celebrating a goal is a good thing." As I mentioned before the game, he is the polar opposite of overconfident. We require to install this confidence into his body, into his game, and these are the next steps for him that he can absolutely feel how much influence he can have. We want him to demonstrate his potential to everyone in the stadium, not just us on the practice field. These are his next steps, and we will encourage him to take them."
Loftus-performance Cheek's at Wembley wasn't his best in a Chelsea shirt – that almost certainly came during the 2018/19 season, prior to his nasty achilles injury – but it was a sign of the impact he can make. With Kovacic's ankle injury almost certain to keep him out of Wednesday's match against Arsenal, the England international will be desperate for another chance to play in midfield.
Tuchel must make a significant decision. Jorginho has big-game experience, and Kante will be rested after only playing the final 13 minutes of the contest at Wembley. But Loftus-Cheek will head into the game in a confident mood, and that is something the Chelsea head coach may feel is worth capitalising on given his pre-match comments.
It's easy to overlook the fact that Thomas Tuchel has only been in charge of Chelsea for 15 months. Much has happened in that time – more than many head coaches see in their entire careers – but throughout it all, the 48-year-old has been a reassuring, confident, and influential presence both on and off the field.
Tuchel could concentrate on what he does best against Crystal Palace: coaching. He observed his team struggle to break down the Eagles in the first half and spent much of the first 45 minutes scribbling notes. And the tactical change he made at halftime, in which Chelsea switched to a 3-5-2 formation with Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek playing as eights alongside Jorginho, paid off with the two academy graduates getting on the scoresheet.
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