Chelsea will face Liverpool this weekend in their third FA Cup final in as many years, with the Blues hopeful of this time lifting the historic English trophy after failing in the past two seasons.
As Thomas Tuchel’s last chance this campaign to win silverware, triumph in the FA Cup against Liverpool will add some gloss to what has been a relatively poor season for Chelsea after losing the League Cup final and crashing out of the UEFA Champions League at the quarter-final stage.
Given Liverpool’s form this season and Chelsea’s misfortunes in recent weeks, Jurgen Klopp’s side head into Saturday’s final as the favourites, though history shows that history might favour the west London side given their impressive records in FA Cup finals.
Chelsea’s FA Cup final record is better than Liverpool
Well, for starters, Chelsea’s record in the FA Cup final is more impressive than Liverpool’s with the Blues winning 8 of their 15 encounters in the showpiece event whilst the Reds have won just 7.
Moreover, on the one occasion Chelsea have faced Liverpool FA Cup in the final, the two-time European champions came out on top, with Didier Drogba (more on him in a bit) scoring the decisive goal in a 2-1 win against Liverpool.
Whilst the Blues don’t have a big-game player who can hold a candle to Drogba, this one past FA Cup final encounter will encourage Chelsea ahead of Saturday, and fans will be hoping for a similar performance and result against Liverpool at Wembley.
Ashley Cole is the most decorated player in the competition’s history
As well as one of the most successful clubs in the competition’s history, former Chelsea superstar and England international Ashley Cole currently sits as the most decorated player ever in the FA Cup.
With three titles during his time at Arsenal and a further four with Chelsea, the Blues icon is the most successful player in FA Cup history, with Cole also one of the most decorated players in English football history.
It will take some time before any player catches up to Cole’s incredible record, even more so for a name on Chelsea’s books, with Romelu Lukaku the only Blues player in the current squad to ever feature in a FA Cup-winning team.
Didier Drogba is the FA Cup final scoring king
Drogba has come up a few times already in this piece, so let’s actually talk about the great man. The Ivorian legend formed a reputation at Chelsea as the ultimate clutch player, and the stats also back this up.
The former Olympique Marseille and Galatasaray star has the most goals out of any player in FA Cup finals, with Drogba scoring four and winning four titles in the competition from 2007 to 2012 as the Chelsea legend ran riot in England’s oldest football tournament.
Whilst these four goals aren’t as iconic as Drogba’s Champions League header against Bayern Munich in 2012, the African’s influence in the FA Cup can’t go unnoticed, and the striker will always be part of the competition’s history for his incredible record in the final.
More final appearances than Manchester City and Tottenham
Whilst Chelsea still have a reputation for being a club with no history, the Blues have traditionally been one of the biggest sides in the FA Cup, and their appearances in the final back up this claim.
With 15 appearances, the Blues have featured in the FA Cup final more times than Saturday’s opponents Liverpool as well as the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham, with only two sides in Arsenal and Manchester United featuring more than Chelsea in the showpiece event.
Although luck has not been on Chelsea’s side in FA Cup finals as of late, there’s no denying that the Blues have a rich history in the competition, and Tuchel will be looking to bring the famous trophy back to Stamford Bridge this weekend right from Liverpool’s noses.