Chelsea could ride wave of ‘luck and momentum’ to two trophies this season, says Thomas Tuchel

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Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel has said his side are riding a wave of “luck and momentum” as they prepare to compete in the FA Cup final this weekend and the Champions League final in two weeks.

Tuchel’s team take on Leicester in the FA Cup final on Saturday before facing Manchester City in the Champions League’s showpiece game on 29 May.

“There are pretty exciting weeks,” Tuchel said on Tuesday, ahead of third-placed Chelsea’s Premier League clash with Arsenal on Wednesday.

“The biggest? I’m not sure, as I’m not the best at comparing... I’ve had ups and downs and exciting times in my career.”

“It’s a tight schedule and a fantastic experience in the last three weeks... so much to fight for. Now it’s the time to take the next step and not just play a final.

“There are a lot of targets... it’s exciting, demanding and sometimes tiring, but it’s the best way to finish a season.”

Tuchel won two French Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain, including a domestic quadruple in his second season, and guided them to their first Champions League final before taking over at Chelsea following Frank Lampard’s dismissal in January.

The German said he might have exceeded expectations in London but that the belief was always there.

“The club made a change because they maybe felt they needed it, but they were convinced by the quality and mentality of the team,” Tuchel said.

“You need a little bit of luck and momentum and we’ve caught that. We’re in the middle of the race for the top four and reached two finals.

“It wasn’t the demand, and the expectation wasn’t to fulfil all categories, but nobody told me they didn’t care about these competitions.

“If you play with Chelsea, you play the competition to win it. This club is built to win games and competitions.”

Reuters