For the first time in FA Cup history, a German manager will win the tournament.
Thomas Tuchel guiding Chelsea to a second consecutive FA Cup final his his tenure as manager will now face-off against his compatriot Jurgen Klopp and his Liverpool team, meaning that no matter who wins, the winning coach will be German.
Eight different nationalities have already claimed the FA Cup, with England leading the way on 76 wins followed by Scotland with 32, France with eight (seven of which belong to Arsene Wenger), Italy with five, Spain with four, the Netherlands with three, Northern Ireland with two and Portugal with just one.
This heavyweight clash is a rematch from the 2012 FA Cup final where Chelsea overcame Liverpool 2-1 thanks to goals from Ramires and Didier Drogba, with Andy Carroll pulling one back for the Reds late on.
None of that Chelsea side are still at the Bridge (club captain César Azpilicueta joined that summer) but this is still an eagerly anticipated rematch because both sides contested the EFL Cup final earlier in the year.
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Chelsea faced Liverpool at Wembley in February and things were goalless for 120 minutes before a tense penalty shoot-out was won 11-10 by the Reds, with sub goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher scoring the winning spot-kick after Kepa Arrizabalaga missed his effort.
This rematch marks the first time since 1992/93 that the FA Cup final features the same sides as the EFL Cup final, and the fact that it is a direct rematch isn’t something lost on the Chelsea players.
Chelsea have now reached the #EmiratesFACup final in five of the last six seasons:
◉ 2016/17: ?
◉ 2017/18: ?
◎ 2018/19: Fifth round
◉ 2019/20: ?
◉ 2020/21: ?
◉ 2021/22: ❓The Blues will be hoping for better luck in the final this time. ? pic.twitter.com/aEtDwug8jD
— Squawka (@Squawka) April 17, 2022
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“We want to get them back, simple as that. It was a fantastic game in the League Cup final and could have gone either way,” said Ruben Loftus-Cheek after the win over Crystal Palace, adding: “we look forward to our revenge.”
Chelsea’s other goalscorer Mason Mount was a bit more succinct, simply saying: “it’s time to get our payback,” while also referencing Chelsea’s current five-game losing streak at the national stadium since winning the 2018 FA Cup final against Manchester United, concluding; “it’s definitely time for us to win a final at Wembley.”
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