Confidence is low but a touch of magic could make it Chelsea's day at Wembley

But as a lifelong Chelsea fan, I can’t say I’m overly confident ahead of Saturday’s Wembley showdown with Manchester City. 

At 46, I’m old enough to remember the tough times before Glenn Hoddle and then Ruud Gullit began to transform what we saw on the pitch prior to the club’s meteoric rise under the ownership of big-spending Roman Abramovich. 

Today, things aren’t the same. Granted, we won the Conference League last season and followed that up by lifting the Club World Cup — suggesting the glory days aren’t necessarily over. 

Yet things could not be more different at Stamford Bridge, where the atmosphere can quickly turn due to supporters being unhappy with a combination of poor results, drab football and current owners BlueCo. 

Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

The mood has not been helped by the sackings of Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior, with Calum McFarlane in charge as interim head coach until the end of the season. 

McFarlane oversaw the 1-0 semi-final success over Leeds and a much-needed point at Anfield last weekend. 

But there is no getting away from the fact that Chelsea have netted just three times since thrashing Port Vale 7-0 in the FA Cup quarter-finals in April.

Six defeats in seven Premier League games have left the Blues sitting a lowly ninth in the table and all but ended realistic hopes of securing European football via the league. 

Thankfully, lifting the Cup would see us book a place in the Europa League next term, which in turn would salvage the campaign to an extent and enhance McFarlane’s credentials. 

For that to happen, though, they need to overcome title-chasing City, who have already claimed the Carabao Cup.

It’s not often you can say Chelsea are underdogs but that’s certainly the case against Pep Guardiola’s men. Maybe that will ease the pressure on an underachieving side, or maybe it will intensify it.

Either way, McFarlane will need the likes of Moses Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro to take centre stage if the Blues are to be successful. 

I just hope the headlines won’t be claimed for the wrong reasons by a backline that has looked brittle throughout the season no matter who plays.

After being hammered 3-0 at home by Erling Haaland and Co a month ago, there is a huge mountain to climb. 

But with a little bit of luck, and a sprinkling of magic from former City academy product Palmer, the blue flag may fly high at Wembley once again.  

I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed just in case. 

How to watch the Premier League in Canada

Soccer fans in Canada can watch every Premier League match during the 2025-26 season on DAZN.

With Fubo Sports on DAZN, Canadians can catch Premier League action as well as Serie A. Additionally, DAZN is the home of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Bundesliga and more.

For pricing information and to sign up to watch, click here.