MY ACCOUNT
Ruben Loftus-Cheek has warned Liverpool that Chelsea will be out for revenge in the FA Cup final.
The Blues missed out on Carabao Cup glory in February as the Reds edged a dramatic penalty shootout at Wembley.
And Loftus-Cheek, who opened the scoring as Chelsea beat Crystal Palace 2-0 in the semis yesterday, is determined to ensure the score is settled at the national stadium next month.
He said: “We want to get them back, simple as that.
“I felt it was a fantastic game last time in the [Carabao Cup] final. It could have gone either way.
“So we’ll look forward to that and we’ll look forward to getting our revenge.”
Despite injuries blighting his time at Stamford Bridge, Loftus-Cheek has been a familiar face in Thomas Tuchel’s squad this season.
And the England midfielder, 26, is relishing the opportunity to make his mark — regardless of which position Tuchel deploys him in.
He added: “It’s been a tough road with injuries and going out on loan to find my form again.
“I always believed in myself and I’ve played quite a lot this season. I’m happy.”
Having replaced the injured Mateo Kovacic midway through the first half, Loftus-Cheek broke the deadlock in the 65th minute before Mason Mount added a second 11 minutes later.
It was the former Palace loanee’s first goal for the Blues since May 2019, when he scored in a 1-1 Europa League draw with Eintracht Frankfurt.
And ex-Chelsea striker Carlton Cole believes Loftus-Cheek can produce the goods on a regular basis — if Tuchel utilises him in an attacking role.
Cole, 38, said: “He was out for a season with an injury and that is hard.
“Having the mental strength to get back into that form he showed to get into the team, he had to go on loans here and there.
“When he was used at Chelsea it was quite sparingly, sometimes playing centre-back, which for him and his talent I think is a bit unjust.
“He’s also played on the right and as a deep-lying midfielder.
“He was used in a different way [against Palace], where he was more advanced up the field.
“He glides past players, he’s that good with the ball at his feet.
“If he’s utilised properly, you will see the best from him — and this was a great showing.
“The only thing you can criticise him for is not scoring enough goals. But if he is not playing in an advanced position, how can he score enough goals?
“It’s good to see he scored and that will give him loads of confidence going forward.”
