Former Chelsea defender Gary Cahill believes the club are a “wounded animal” after their latest humbling defeat under Liam Rosenior and need to win the FA Cup to salvage their season.
Tuesday’s 3-0 loss to Brighton marked a new low – a fifth straight defeat without scoring for the first time since 1912 – and also saw the Seagulls replace them in sixth place to take control of the battle for European football.
The pressure is piling high on Rosenior ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Leeds and Cahill, who won the trophy twice as a Blue, is worried.
“Leeds are probably watching this thinking, ‘we’ve got a wounded animal here, we’ve got a chance in the semi-final’,” he told Sky Sports.
“Chelsea are going into a semi-final against Leeds, no disrespect, with an opportunity to hit a final. They should be licking their lips, ready to go, but this is a bit of a wounded Chelsea squad.
“Confidence and momentum is a big thing, so going into tomorrow’s training, it’s not the same vibe when you are on a good run or off the back of a good result. It’s going to be a tough few days for the manager and for the squad to galvanise themselves and get fired up for this semi-final.
“The FA Cup now is, strong word, it’s a must to save the season. It needs to be a hell of a lot better.”
