Thomas Tuchel has admitted Chelsea have “something to prove” in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace after losing two finals at Wembley.
Chelsea lost last season’s FA Cup final 1-0 to Leicester, although that disappointment was quickly eased by the Blues toppling Manchester City to claim the Champions League.
Tuchel’s Chelsea then lost out 11-10 on penalties to Liverpool in this season's League Cup final on February 27.
The Blues face Palace in a return to Wembley that Tuchel concedes will be laced with unfinished business.
“It helps that we got to Wembley and that we have a knockout game in the FA Cup and something to fight for straight away,” he said.
“The next big challenge, and we’re so close to a final and so close to another title you can fight for.
“That helps to shift the focus because we have been in a final there already this season. We’ve lost both our finals at Wembley. You feel you have something to prove.
“And it comes at a good time because there is a lot of reward and a lot to play for. It is easier to shift the focus than with a normal Premier League game.”
Chelsea’s season took a worrying turn with damaging home defeats, 4-1 to Brentford in the Premier League and 3-1 to Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg.
Real Madrid v Chelsea - in pictures
The Blues hit back in style by thrashing Southampton 6-0 at St Mary’s, then beating Madrid 3-2 in the Bernabeu Stadium on Wednesday.
Chelsea came agonisingly close to taking their Champions League defence into the semi-finals, only for Karim Benzema’s extra-time goal to knock them out 5-4 on aggregate.
Tuchel revealed he has let the wider ramifications of the Champions League exit sink in slowly with his players, insisting he has no concerns about their readiness for another vital clash on Sunday.
“We will let them process it as a team; let them talk about it and come clear with mixed feelings,” said Tuchel.
“Let them come clear. That was good, very good, one of our best performances given the circumstances and yet you feel a bit down because we did not go through and there is big disappointment.
“You need a bit of time. It’s good that we played Tuesday and it’s good that we play on Sunday.
“We don’t rush things or force things, we have the opportunity and the competition itself. The fact it is at Wembley helps us a lot.”
Asked if hammering home the level of performance in Madrid as the required standard would rouse his Chelsea players again, Tuchel added: “Listen, I think they know very well. I think they know very well.
“That’s the feedback that they get and deserve to get.
“We were very strong, very consistent before the international break and then the international break comes and we lost our momentum totally, our focus and the grip and everything more or less, and had these two very unusual, very untypical games for us with very bad results.
“So I’m happy, it tells me a lot about the character and the attitude of the group and of the players to turn it around like this and to turn it around instantly in Southampton and to do it again in Madrid.
“I’m absolutely convinced it is a huge experience for our players.
“We had a lot of players who played for the first time in this stadium. So to react like this, to begin and finish a match like this, was outstanding.”
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The Bio
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HOSTS
T20 WORLD CUP
2024: US and West Indies; 2026: India and Sri Lanka; 2028: Australia and New Zealand; 2030: England, Ireland and Scotland
ODI WORLD CUP
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
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Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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