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Ben Chilwell claims that Chelsea has “unfinished business” at Wembley following their FIVE consecutive defeats in domestic cup finals.
Chilwell led Mauricio Pochettino’s team to a resounding victory over Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup semifinal on Tuesday, securing a spot in the championship match on February 25.
The England left-back, however, is certain that his team “demands trophies” and that they have to break their Wembley curse following two League Cup losses in 2019 and 2022 as well as three consecutive FA Cup final losses between 2020 and 2022.
“We’ve lost three finals since I’ve been at the club,” Chilwell stated. “There is definitely unresolved business.”
“After the semi-final, I was discussing with Thiago Silva in the shower how we still had unresolved business at Wembley.
“We definitely want to go there and win because we’ve both been there three times and lost three times.”
Only one of those championship games—the 2021 FA Cup final against his old team, Leicester—had Chilwell in it.
Even though Chelsea won the Champions League in that year, they have a terrible record at Wembley.
In 2022, they lost to Liverpool in both major championships via penalty shootouts.
Chilwell, who made his first start for three months in the 6-1 second-leg trouncing of Boro, added: “We need to make sure that we really enjoy the experience and soak it in.
“There’s only a few of us who have won a trophy at Chelsea and it’s a club that demands trophies, so we need to make sure we win.”
Despite having a £1 billion team at his disposal, Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino’s journey to Wembley has not been easy.
His attempts have been hindered by a demanding fan base, a group of young players, and long-term injuries to veteran pros.
Although Poch has a proud history of nurturing young English talent, the Argentine hopes to win his first English football championship with a young team, proving that “you don’t win anything with kids.”
Chilwell, who is 27 years old and has had numerous injuries throughout his Chelsea career, is one of Pochettino’s few senior players.
Chilwell, who was named vice-captain behind fellow full-back Reece James, another player who has been sidelined by injuries a lot, has disclosed that some of the new players have found it difficult to adjust to the pressures of playing at a team that won championships under Roman Abramovich.
However, Pochettino made sure Chilwell was kept occupied in a leadership capacity throughout his hamstring injury layoff.
“Now that I can’t help on the pitch, how do you want me to help away from it?” Chilwell stated in a conversation with the manager a few days after he was hurt.
“I had to assume that leadership role and make sure I was supporting the younger boys.” Because they are so accustomed to winning, for some of them, playing in front of Chelsea’s raucous supporters is a major step.
Even though they have lost five of their last six away games, Stamford Bridge is starting to feel like a stronghold once more as they prepare to host Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round tomorrow.
“We’re fighting for two domestic cups,” Chilwell declared. We want to make it to the FA Cup final as well; we’re not content to just reach one final.
Eight of our nine victories have come at the Bridge, so we’re really starting to like playing here and it’s turning into a decent venue for us to play.
“The relationship between the players and the fans is beginning to resurface.” I’m so happy to be back. I enjoy performing here because the audience is always so kind to me.