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Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel recently stated that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was "horrible" during the pre-match conference ahead of their FA Cup clash against Luton Town. Tuchel said:
"It's horrible. It's horrible. There can't be any other opinion about it, but why should we be more distracted by you. It's out there. We know there are more important things out there. This will never change. Everyone in Europe has noise in their head that nobody likes. Still, you try to come to work and try to do the best in your job as possible."
The Blues are fresh off their EFL Cup final loss against Liverpool on Sunday, which they lost on penalties. Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga missed the 11th penalty kick to hand Liverpool their first trophy since the 2019-20 season.
Regardless, the Blues are still very much alive in both the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League this season. Chelsea also won the Club World Cup last month, defeating Palmeiras 201 in the final.
They will be hopeful of posting an easy victory in their fifth-round clash against Luton Town on Wednesday. They also have a 2-0 lead to protect against Lille in the Champions League.
Chelsea hopeful of moving past EFL final loss
The form of strikers Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner this season has cost the London club. Lukaku has looked out of sorts ever since his move from Inter Milan last summer for a club-record fee of £97.5 million. The Belgian has scored just five goals in 17 league appearances this season.
Werner last scored in the fourth round of the FA Cup against Chesterfield at the beginning of January and has not hit the back of the net in his last six appearances.
Chelsea arguably created better chances against Liverpool but were guilty of missing them, with the likes of Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic and Lukaku all coming close. The defending European champions are one of the favorites for the FA Cup and have more than enough quality to go all the way in the UCL again.
Chelsea are in a strong position to finish third in the Premier League but their season is likely to be judged on how they do in the cup competitions. Tuchel will be well-aware that the form of his strikers is the first thing that needs to address in the coming weeks.
