When the final whistle blew at Wembley last July, Chelsea were unlikely Club World Cup winners, confounding Paris Saint-Germain with a tactical masterclass from Enzo Maresca. Fast forward ten months and the Italian is gone, as is his replacement, Liam Rosenior. Instead, Calum McFarlane, promoted from the under-21s to a second caretaker stint, will lead Chelsea out against Manchester City in the FA Cup final. The contrast encapsulates a season of unprecedented upheaval at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca's exit on New Year's Day, after his infamous "worst 48 hours" comment, set the tone. His departure was not in the club's plans, having targeted Champions League qualification. But his desire to leave unsettled the dressing room, and the cracks widened under Rosenior. The Englishman lasted just 106 days of a six-and-a-half-year contract, undone by a historically bad league run and open player revolts. The BlueCo project, already under scrutiny, faced its harshest questions yet.
McFarlane's return has not inspired a turnaround. Chelsea's league form is a study in volatility: a defiant FA Cup semi-final win over Leeds was followed by a 3-1 home collapse to Nottingham Forest reserves, virtually killing European hopes. A gritty 1-1 draw at Liverpool last weekend showed their ability to rise against elite opposition, but the inconsistency is damning. This Jekyll-and-Hyde tendency is both a warning and a reason for faint optimism ahead of facing Pep Guardiola's machine.
Manchester City have not lost to Chelsea since the 2021 Champions League final, and they hammered them at Stamford Bridge last month. Yet Chelsea have a knack for upsetting the odds in finals, as PSG learned. The tactical plan now falls to McFarlane, who held City to a draw in January's earlier caretaker spell. The young coach could become an improbable hero, but the subplot is irresistible: this final might pit Maresca's past against his future, with the Italian the leading candidate to replace Guardiola if the Catalan steps down.
The emotional whirl extends beyond the dugout. Roméo Lavia admitted the criticism "hurts", but the malaise runs deeper. Players have been accused of tuning out, and the contrast between cups and league efforts is stark. Fixing the dressing-room culture is paramount for the next permanent manager. Xabi Alonso, the stellar former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid boss, is in advanced talks and would command instant respect. Andoni Iraola is another name on the list, though Crystal Palace are circling. An appointment of Alonso's calibre would be a statement of intent for a project that is not as broken as many claim.
Key assets remain. Reece James and Moisés Caicedo have committed their futures, Levi Colwill is fit again, and Cole Palmer is a superstar. The club acknowledges a need for experience to support the young core and will heed the new manager's wishes. Self-reflection is underway, but actions must follow. A trophy would offer a temporary balm, but the danger is that it masks deeper flaws.
Ending a run of six straight Wembley final defeats would salvage respect from a needlessly embarrassing season. Yet questions linger: if Chelsea can perform on the big stage, why not week in, week out? The defiance shown against Leeds and Liverpool proves capability; the no-shows against lesser sides reveal a lack of professionalism. For a club once synonymous with winning under Roman Abramovich, sporadic cups are no longer the measure of success. The bigger picture demands consistent top-four challenges and a clear identity.
Chelsea's chaotic journey to this final is a story of self-inflicted wounds and sporadic brilliance. They start as clear underdogs, but a victory would be a classic smash-and-grab, a reminder that talent alone can prevail in a one-off match. McFarlane stands on the brink of an unlikely accolade, but his real job is to hand over a squad ready for a new era. The players must rediscover the belief that Lavia insists still burns in the building. The alternative is for this final to become just another flash in the pan, a spark that fails to ignite a sustainable revival.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.