{"id":10805,"date":"2026-05-19T18:34:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T18:34:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=10805"},"modified":"2026-05-19T18:34:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T18:34:32","slug":"3-things-tottenham-should-learn-from-chelseas-fa-cup-final-to-earn-a-rare-stamford-bridge-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=10805","title":{"rendered":"3 things Tottenham should learn from Chelsea’s FA Cup final to earn a rare Stamford Bridge win"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Tottenham Hotspur were gifted a chance to finally leave their relegation woes behind them and guarantee Premier League survival, but they have to get a result at Chelsea to do it first.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spurs now have a chance to etch a silver lining onto what will be, without a doubt, remembered as the worst football season in their modern history.<\/p>\n

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Newcastle\u2019s win over West Ham means Tottenham need only one point from their two remaining games to seal safety, and Spurs have their first chance to do just that in their visit to Stamford Bridge tonight.<\/p>\n

Chelsea themselves have to contend with what has become a properly derailed season. Their loss to Manchester City in the FA Cup final on the weekend not only compounded their losses, but it also gave Spurs time to tactically prepare for their game against a tired Chelsea side.<\/p>\n

So here are 3 tactical ideas from Chelsea\u2019s loss to Manchester City in the FA Cup final and how they relate to Tottenham\u2019s fixture tonight.<\/p>\n

1. Callum McFarlane must make back five decision<\/h2>\n

Ever since Chelsea\u2019s draw at Anfield, Callum McFarlane has opted to play a back three with wide wingbacks in Cucurella and Malo Gusto. <\/p>\n

A part of it can boil down to his ideas to approach his games against Liverpool and now Manchester City with defensive solidity as a priority. But for the extra man in defence as well as the extra width that a back five provides, it did limit Chelsea\u2019s ability to effectively attack the box. <\/p>\n

McFarlane could very well stick with his formation from the final and let Spurs control more of the possession, knowing that their squad likely lacks the individual quality and creativity to consistently create chances against a settled defence. <\/p>\n

2. \u00a0Blocking Levy Colwill\u2019s passing lanes will be crucial in Chelsea vs Tottenham<\/h2>\n

In the FA Cup final Levy Colwill played an outstanding game in the middle of Chelsea\u2019s backline. McFarlane\u2019s passing frequently broke through City\u2019s lines of pressure, managing to find the spare man in midfield.<\/p>\n

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\"Tottenham<\/div>
Levy Colwill consistently managed to find passes into midfield through City lines of pressure, giving Chelsea opportunities to progress through dangerous central areas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If Spurs want to approach the game on the front foot and really get at an easily rattled Chelsea side, the organisation of their press will be crucial. <\/p>\n

Tottenham actually already have a good pressing record, since De Zerbi took charge, Spurs\u2019 press manages to win the ball back high up the pitch more than any other team in the Premier League. <\/p>\n

While Leeds were largely comfortable with abandoning their central build-up structure to instead play channel balls into their wingers, against a heavy-in-possession side like Villa, Spurs\u2019 press can create a favourable matchup.<\/p>\n

3. Chelsea\u2019s wide midfielders could set up a crucial battle in the middle of the pitch<\/h2>\n

In their game against Manchester City, City took control of the centre of the pitch, so Callum McFarlane instructed his two most advanced midfielders, Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandes, to play almost on the touchline and form attacking pairs with their wingbacks.<\/p>\n

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\"Tottenham<\/div>
Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez, on one side, and Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto, on the other, would create overloads when attacking.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This allowed Chelsea to consistently progress with the ball into City\u2019s defensive third in the wide areas of the pitch. Chelsea\u2019s overloads on the wings (their two wingbacks moved up to support their attacking midfielders) weren\u2019t enough to break the City defences, especially because, as Chelsea started pressing higher up the pitch, they were unwilling to commit numbers to the City box for crosses to guard against their transitions.<\/p>\n

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\"Tottenham<\/div>
The same attacking pairs of Cucurella \u2013 Fernandez and Gusto \u2013 Palmer, are up the pitch and have possession on the wings, but Chelsea were entirely unwilling to commit bodies for forward runs or to attack the box with crosses.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That in the end proved fruitless anyway. Man City were able to exploit even the smaller spaces left by Chelsea, and Man City\u2019s only goal came from a transitional moment. But effective marking will, regardless, be crucial for Spurs if they want to stop Chelsea from creating dangerous situations through wingplay.<\/p>\n