Spirited Chelsea stop rot with FA Cup final blueprint

Breaking news from the world of sport: Spirited Chelsea stop rot with FA Cup final blueprintImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Fernandez's goal was his 14th of the season in all competitionsByNizaar Kinsella Football reporterPublished14 minutes agoMarc Cucurella praised Chelsea's fighting spirit as they ended their dreadful Premier League run and provided a tactical blueprint for next week's FA Cup final. The struggling Blues faced the prospect of becoming the first team in English football history to lose seven consecutive league matches heading into an Wembley showpiece when they fell 1-0 behind at Liverpool. It felt bleak when Ryan Gravenberch curled home a sixth-minute opener, but Chelsea hit back to level when Enzo Fernandez's free-kick drifted in.

With Manchester City up next in the FA Cup final on Saturday, left-back Cucurella said his side had to show the same drive and determination if they were to end a troubled season with silverware. "I think the effort today was really good," he told TNT Sports. "I don't think it was probably our best moments, but we showed if we play together then we have a good level.

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"We are happy that we showed we're a really good team if we put in the effort and fight together. Hopefully we can win a bit of confidence from this game because next week we have a massive game. "These have been depressing weeks for Chelsea.

They slipped disappointingly out of the race for a Champions League place, boss Liam Rosenior departed amid suggestions the players had stopped responding to his managerial approach, and were beaten 3-1 at home by relegation-battling Nottingham Forest in interim head coach Calum McFarlane's first game in charge. Simply put, McFarlane needed to stop the bleeding and did so with a performance that had his side applauded off by the away support at Anfield. It may also have revealed a potential approach to take into a season‑defining game against City, even if Pep Guardiola's side will start as favourites and pose a greater challenge than Liverpool.

'Leader' Colwill brings calm in defensive switchImage source, SportImage caption, Colwill completed 65 of his 73 passes on SaturdayMcFarlane lined Chelsea up in a back three for the first time during his interim spell, and for only the fourth time overall this season. Under Rosenior, they lost twice against Premier League opposition using the system and only narrowly overcame Wrexham in the FA Cup. There was little to suggest the shape - never used by Enzo Maresca during his 18‑month spell in charge - would prove effective.

However, the return of defender Levi Colwill for his first start in 10 months, since the Fifa Club World Cup final, brought composure in possession and greater stability when building from the back. "I thought Levi was the best player on the pitch," said McFarlane. "He gives you the ability to play out from the back, he's a leader and that was his first 90 minutes in a long time.

The story has climbed to the top of the sports agenda, with fans and analysts following closely.