Chelsea rise above off-field distractions to secure FA Cup quarter-final berth

The Chelsea fraternity was hit by the shocking news of Roman Abramovich’s decision to sell the club on Wednesday. It came just a few hours before the Blues took on Luton Town in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

The Russian-Israeli billionaire has owned the club since 2003. He succeeded in making them one of the most successful teams in Europe within that period.

19 trophies and numerous incredible memories later, Abramovich’s time as the owner and bankroller is nearing an end. Other investors are already lining up to take over the club.

Russia's continued invasion of Ukraine was behind the 55-year-old’s decision to sell. Despite how sad the news made every Chelsea fan, the team responded well by beating Luton Town in the FA Cup.

Chelsea advance in FA Cup

The Blues came up against the Championship side on Wednesday evening. They made the worst possible start to the game when they fell behind after just two minutes.

Despite equalizing through Saul Niguez on the half-hour mark, they found themselves behind again due to a smart finish by Harry Cornick.

With their backs against the wall, Thomas Tuchel’s side needed to produce something special in the second half to overturn the scoreline. They did exactly that.

An inspiring performance from Timo Werner saw the German score the equalizer in the 68th minute before setting up Romelu Lukaku for the winner. The Blues came from behind to advance to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

Blues rise above distractions

Before Wednesday’s game, the west London club were already reeling from their disappointing defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday. It was a game where the Blues were undone by their own wastefulness and eventually lost on penalties.

With Abramovich’s decision to sell the club also being confirmed, the off-field distractions were evident. However, Chelsea rose above all hysteria.

The Blues played with grit and character and never downed their tools even after falling behind twice against Luton. Their resilience and fight was ultimately rewarded with victory.

"It's a bit too early because it's big news. It's a bit too early to speak because I can only think about Chelsea with Roman Abramovich,” Tuchel said after the game, as quoted by Sky Sports.

He added:

"So it's very hard for me. It hasn't sunk in yet that this is going to stop. It's a massive change of course. We did not talk about it [before the Luton match]. We did not talk about it, we accepted it. The players have internet connections, they watch TV so of course they knew, they get messages. But still we focused on the preparation only on sports.”

Life after Abramovich will be weird due to how he completely transformed the club. However, whoever takes over can be sure to inherit a club that will continue to compete at the very top for many years to come.

If Chelsea were able to rise above the off-field distractions on Wednesday, then they can equally kick on after the departure of their long-time owner.