Blues and Reds are among Wednesday’s qualifiers for the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Chelsea were able to ignore its sale by its Russian owner, Roman Abramovich, and qualified for the quarter-finals of the FA Cup (3-2) in Luton (D2) on Wednesday, just like serious Liverpool against Norwich (2-1).
A little over an hour before the kick-off of the Chelsea match, the press release was released announcing the Russian oligarch’s decision to sell the club he had bought in 2003 and with which he won everything. “We don’t live on a desert island, the guys have internet at the hotel and TV, so we saw the newson the sale of the club by the Russian oligarch, said Thomas Tuchel, the German coach of the Blues, at the microphone of the BBC.
«We had heard the rumors all day (…) and when we met or when we ate together, the guys talked about it“, he added, grateful to have had the news “earlier” than the press, but “very close to kick off». «Playing the same evening, when concentration is a key element to win, it’s not so easy and it only makes this performance better, that’s why I’m happy“, he however admitted.
Tuchel hopes that “it will not change anything”
His club had to fight, however, finding themselves led twice by the 6th in the Championship, with a very largely reorganized workforce after the defeat, Sunday, in the final of the League Cup against Liverpool, on penalties, after 120 minutes very intense. Established in the axis of a three-man defense, alongside Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who is more of a holding midfielder, and Antonio Rüdiger, the Frenchman Malang Sarr was a little guilty on the two goals from Luton. He lacked aggression and couldn’t prevent Reece Burke from successfully heading a corner (1-0, 2nd), then he played the offside badly on Harry Cornick’s goal (2-1 , 40th).
But the Blues found the resources to come back through players who had a lot to prove: Saul Niguez (1-1, 27th), Timo Werner (2-2, 68th) and above all Romelu Lukaku, again incumbent and opportunistic on goal of victory (3-2, 78th).
What to avoid too much Gamberger in the surrounding uncertainty which pushed Tuchel to be evasive on the implications of the sale on the club. “Even if I wanted to answer you, I don’t know exactly“, he admitted. “In the very short term, for us as a team, the staff and the players, I hope (it won’t change) much, if anything.“, he still conceded. “We try to do what we usually do, to muffle all the ambient noise and stay focused, which is not always easy, but we showed today that we can do it.».
Liverpool at his hand
A little later in the evening, Liverpool, with only one starting player last Sunday at kick-off, quite easily overpowered Norwich, the Premier League red lantern. Japanese striker Takumi Minamino scored twice in the first period (1-0, 27th, then 2-0, 39th) and if Lukas Rupp took advantage of a release from the Reds to reduce the score to a quarter of an hour from At the end, the essential was already assured for the men of Jürgen Klopp who can still claim three trophies this season.
In the other round of 16 early evening, Southampton beat West Ham (3-1). These teams join Manchester City and Crystal Palace who had defeated Peterborough and Stoke, two residents of D2, on Tuesday, while Tottenham had fallen in extra time against Middlesbrough (1-0), who had already beaten Manchester United in the previous round.
Thursday, Everton will receive Petit Poucet, Boreham Wood (D5), and next Monday these knockout stages of the “FA Cup” will end with a duel of Championship teams with Nottingham Forest which will host Huddersfield.
