The second major trophy of the 2021/22 English domestic season will be on the line on Saturday as Liverpool faces Chelsea in the FA Cup final. Jurgen Klopp’s Reds, having won the Carabao Cup, will be looking to keep their hopes of a quadruple burning bright. Thomas Tuchel’s Blues will aim to add to their trophy cabinet, having already lifted the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup this term.
In the third round, Liverpool began their FA Cup journey with a 4-1 win over Shrewsbury Town before seeing off Cardiff City (3-1) and Norwich City (2-1) in the subsequent stages. The Reds overcame Nottingham Forest in the quarter-finals before eliminating arch-rivals Manchester City in the semi-finals by securing a thrilling 3-2 victory.
Liverpool are currently on a 15-game unbeaten run across all competitions and head into Saturday’s finals on the back of a 2-1 comeback win over Aston Villa in the Premier League. With the League Cup already in the bag, the Merseyside giants will be intent on adding the FA Cup to their showcase, before chasing the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.
Chelsea started their FA Cup campaign with an easy 5-1 thrashing of Chesterfield Town but were then made to work hard by Plymouth Argyle and Luton Town in the fourth and fifth rounds, respectively. The Blues prevailed over giant-killers Middlesbrough in the quarter-finals and then saw off London rivals Crystal Palace in the semi-finals.
Team News:
Chelsea: Chelsea have been handed a boost as both Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante could be in contention to feature against Liverpool. It would mean that the Blues would be without Ben Chilwell and Callum Hudson-Odoi for the blockbuster clash. Thomas Tuchel will recall some of the players that he rested for the game against Leeds United, with Chelsea expected to continue in their 3-4-2-1 formation on Saturday.
Liverpool: Liverpool might have to make do without midfielder Fabinho, who was injured in the last game against Aston Villa. Otherwise, Jurgen Klopp has a fully-fit squad at his disposal ahead of their trip to Wembley. Jurgen Klopp also opted to bench some of his key stars in the midweek clash and will recall them at Wembley.
Head To Head
Saturday’s FA Cup final will mark the 192nd meeting between Liverpool and Chelsea in all competitions, with the Reds amassing 83 victories compared to 65 for the Blues, while there have also been 43 stalemates in that period.
Kepa Arrizabalaga was the guilty party as Liverpool defeated Chelsea on penalties in February’s EFL Cup final – their third victory in cup finals over Chelsea following the 2006 Community Shield and 2019 UEFA Super Cup.
Liverpool’s possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Keita, Henderson, Thiago; Salah, Mane, Diaz
Chelsea’s possible starting lineup:
Mendy; Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger; James, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek, Alonso; Mount; Havertz, Lukaku
Date, kick-off time and venue
The FA Cup final is scheduled for a 4.45 pm BST kick-off time today, Saturday, May 14, 2022.
Wembley Stadium in London will host the match.
