Some Chelsea fans were surprised and some confused at what
Thiago Silva did immediately he was substituted against Manchester City on
Saturday.
Chelsea booked their place in the FA Cup final yesterday,
after recording a 1-0 victory against the Citizens at Wembley, with the Blues
set to meet Southampton or Leicester City. The Blues has been playing good in
this competition, as they have reached the FA Cup final on four occasions in
the past five years. It is a good achievement for the team and Thomas Tuchel,
as the German tactician hopes of winning a silverware this season stays alive.
The Blues has
been victories in the year 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2018, while they
missed out on 2002, 2017 and 2020. Now, they are in the final again in 2021 as
they have reached the final of the world’s oldest competition on 15 occasions.
In which they have overtaken Liverpool (14), and only Man United(20) and
Arsenal(21) has more appeared more than the Blues in FA Cup final.
Let’s see what
Thiago Silva Did After He Was substituted in the game.
During the
early minutes of the first-half against Manchester City, Thiago Silva
first down in the game. The Brazilian defender crouched on the Wembley ground,
with his arm resting his back. It was clear that something was bothering the
Chelsea central-back, but he knew that there was a job to do, as he also knew
that Tuchel needed his experience to carry out his plan against the Citizens.
So he continued. The 36-years-old player performed so brilliantly as he
produced one of his best performances in a Chelsea shirt.
According to
reports, Silva made a team-high total of six clearances, two interceptions, and
won the only take he attempted in the game. The Brazilian also completed every
bit the 44 passes he attempted against City. However, as the game proceeds
further, it became clear to his manager that Silva cannot continue the game.
So, he was substituted with five minutes remaining to play, as Kurt Zouma was
brought in to replace him and to help see off the game. Manchester City mounted
the pressure on Chelsea in the dying minutes of the game and Thiago Silva
couldn’t watch.
Whether the
Brazilian defender is praying for his team or simply stretching his back is not
clear to me, but he didn’t have to wait too long for the full-time whistle to
be blown for him to come and celebrate with his team book their place in the
final was confirmed.
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