LONDON — Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane urged his side to bounce back from their FA Cup final defeat against Manchester City in a “massive” clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.
The Blues were beaten 1-0 in the Wembley showpiece on Saturday after Antoine Semenyo netted with an audacious back-flicked finish in the second half.
Chelsea remains without a domestic trophy since 2018 and are in severe danger of failing to qualify for Europe next season, AFP reported.
Winless in their last seven Premier League matches, McFarlane’s men are languishing in ninth place and host struggling Tottenham next week in their last chance to salvage a turbulent campaign.
Even a win over their London rivals might not be enough to save Chelsea’s Europa League bid depending on the results of the teams above them.
Asked what it would mean for Chelsea to fail to qualify for Europe, both financially and in sporting terms, McFarlane said: “You’re asking an interim coach what the implications of the club are going to be. I’m not privy to that information.
“My job is to prepare the team for games and training, which I’ll be doing on Tuesday for Spurs, which is a massive game for this club.”
After numerous reports of dressing room unrest this season, McFarlane insisted Chelsea’s determined display against City showed his players remain committed to the cause.
“It’s a really talented group. Lots of quality in that group,” he said.
“The fight and heart have been questioned at times, but the last two performances, I don’t think you can question that.
“I think they gave everything today to try and win that trophy for the club.”
Chelsea have now lost a record four FA Cup finals in a row since they last won the competition against Manchester United in 2018.
It has been another dispiriting campaign for the west Londoners, with their fans protesting against owners BlueCo before kick-off at Wembley.
McFarlane is in his second spell as interim boss this season after Enzo Maresca departed following 18 months in charge, while Liam Rosenior was sacked just 106 days into his reign
Despite McFarlane’s lack of experience, the former under-21 coach’s tactics caused City boss Pep Guardiola some issues before Semenyo finally broke the deadlock.
“Evenly matched game, both teams had moments of control and momentum. I felt we went toe to toe with one of the best teams in the world,” McFarlane said.
“We didn’t have that momentum of quality to get in front. We know what this teams is capable of. We haven’t shown that enough this season.”
