Statement from Club Owner Roman Abramovich

During my nearly 20-year ownership of Chelsea FC, I have always viewed my role as a custodian of the Club, whose job it is ensuring that we are as successful as we can be today, as well as build for the future, while also playing a positive role in our communities. I have always taken decisions with the Club’s best interest at heart. I remain committed to these values. That is why I am today giving trustees of Chelsea’s charitable Foundation the stewardship and care of Chelsea FC.

I believe that currently they are in the best position to look after the interests of the Club, players, staff, and fans.
 

Tuchel: This final means so much to me

‘We met in the Champions League and Premier League, we have played against each other in the Europa League and now in the Wembley final.

‘This is amazing and I am so grateful to be a part of it, to have these experiences. It means an awful lot to me, to have this and I respect your English tradition of cup football and of Wembley. I can tell you, this means so much to me,’ the boss added.

Tuchel was also asked about the prospect of N’Golo Kante claiming the only trophy he is yet to get his hands on in England, the League Cup.

Women’s match report: Chelsea 7 Leicester City 0

England got in on the goalscoring action just two minutes later, our No.9 found herself unmarked in the box to head past Lambourne with ease to round off a successful day for Hayes’ side.

Next up for the Blues is the Continental Tyres League Cup final as we take on Manchester City at Plough Lane next Saturday.

Chelsea (4-4-2): Berger, Charles, Bright, Nouwen, Andersson (Abdullina 70), Ingle (Spence 45), James (Fleming 64), So-Yun, Harder, Kirby (England 74), Kerr
Unused substitutes: Musovic, Carter, Reiten
Yellow card: Bright 13
Scorers: Harder 23, 35, Kerr 60, 82, Ji 66, Nouwen 78

Leicester City (3-4-3): Lambourne, Howard, McManus, Brougham, de Graaf, Tierney (Barker 69), Pike, Purfield, O’Brian, Flint, Gregory (Goodwin 59)
Yellow card: Tierney 63
Red card: Howard 17
Unused substitutes: Harris, Devlin, Bailey-Gayle, Smith, Robinson

Attendance: 2,723

Hayes expects tough Leicester test and updates on five injuries

‘She’s demonstrated in those three games how valuable she is to England. She’s finally settled in an England shirt and I thought her leadership was exceptional for the team and I wasn’t surprised. Her performances this side of Christmas have been exceptional. She’s a top player for a reason, and that’s because she never cuts a corner, the application of everything that goes into her performance is always 1,000 percent, she is without a doubt one of the best professionals I have ever worked with and deserving of the recognition she’s getting, as well as being an absolutely amazing person.

‘In this football club, she is a key leader. She is a crucial player, she is a driver of standards, she is a winner. I know for sure that she will be crucial for Sarina [Weigman].

‘I know for sure she is a player I would put my life on, not just in terms of her commitment, but she delivers again and again. Even with setbacks, she gets up and she goes. She is so critical for both club and country. I’m just finally delighted that she’s getting the recognition at international level that I really do believe she deserves.’

Tomorrow’s game kicks off at 1pm and supporters can follow all the build-up to the game on our social media platforms @ChelseaFCW.

James, Kovacic and Ziyech train ahead of Carabao Cup final

James has not featured for the Blues since he suffered a hamstring injury in the draw with Brighton at Stamford Bridge on 29 December and has been in individual training in recent weeks.

His return gives the whole squad a huge boost ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley, in which Tuchel’s side will go after their fourth trophy of the German’s tenure – and his first taste of a domestic title.

Tuchel on how he will prepare his team for Sunday’s final

‘You take care of the final on a daily basis before, when nobody thinks about the final, because this is what brings you there. Then the closer you get, the more routine, the more behaviours, the more principles must be installed that you can trust yourself and that you can be free because in the end the tension is growing.

‘We try to give less information, we try to trust them and trust in ourselves. For me this is not the moment to do crazy things, crazy talks, but even that changes from occasion to occasion, from feeling to feeling. It depends how you feel your team, what was the approach to the final and the opponent.’

Of course, on this occasion we face an opponent Tuchel knows well in Klopp’s Liverpool, from their time managing together in Germany, as well as the Premier League over the last year. With the Reds on a run of nine consecutive wins in all competitions, including a 6-0 thrashing of Leeds United last time out, our head coach acknowledges we go into the his final as slight underdogs, but doesn’t necessarily see that as a handicap.

‘Playing against teams who are coached by Jurgen is not only pure pleasure, because they give you a hard time and of course we’re facing him with a very strong Liverpool team on a very strong run of games, run of results, in brilliant form.

FA Youth Cup report: Chelsea 3 Blackpool 2

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Prince Adegoke; Derrick Abu, Luke Badley-Morgan, Brodie Hughes, Dylan Williams; Lewis Hall, Charlie Webster; Silko Thomas (Leo Castledine 90+5), Ronnie Stutter (Jimi Tauriainen 73), Harvey Vale; Malik Mothersille (Tudor Mendel-Idowu 90).

Unused Subs: Ted Curd, Josh Tobin, Zain Silcott-Duberry.
Scorers: Harvey Vale 14; Malik Mothersille 42; Charlie Webster 72.

Blackpool (4-4-2): Alan Machlachlan; Jack Moore, Tyler Hill (James Harrison 88), Tayt Trusty,Will Squires, Michael Fitzgerald (c) (Johnson Opawole 72), Darren Francis (Prince Yelegan 80), Luke Mariette, Jake Daniels, Arnold Matshazi, Joe Strawn.

Unused Subs: Archie Cunningham, Johnny Johnston, Kwaku Donkor, Luke Byron.
Scorers: Jake Daniels 6; Luke Badley Morgan 59 (OG).
Booked: Jack Moore 62; Tyler Hill 88.
Red Card: Jack Moore 90+4.