One can almost speak of a habit.

Chelsea defeated Crystal Palace 2-0 in the FA Cup semi-finals on Sunday and are in the final of the English Cup competition for the third time in a row.

That's an achievement in itself, even though the club went away empty-handed against Arsenal in 2020 and Leicester City in 2021.

And this year it won't be any easier in the final: the opponent on May 14th is Liverpool FC.

It is Chelsea's last chance to win a major title this season.

They may be third in the Premier League but play no role in the fight for the championship;

they were eliminated from the Champions League by Real Madrid last week.

Uncertainty for Tuchel and the pros

It will also be the side's last major appearance in the trophy-filled era of late-club owner Roman Abramovich, who has been sanctioned by the British government for his close ties to the Kremlin and is keen to sell Chelsea as a matter of urgency.

The players and coach Thomas Tuchel have had to deal with this uncertainty for weeks now.

The fact that they still made it into the FA Cup final again and will probably qualify for the Champions League in the league speaks for the character of the team.

But the edge of the cliff is in sight, the Guardian wrote about the situation, and with it the danger that the players risk looking down from there: "And when there is nothing left to play for, no goal, something to focus on, then you can't blame the players for worrying about their own future."

This also applies to the German professionals in the squad.

Defender Antonio Rüdiger's contract ends in the summer and Chelsea are currently unable to offer him a new one under the special operating permit.

Apparently Barcelona are interested in him.

The attacking players Kai Havertz and Timo Werner only switched to the Londoners in 2020 for 80 and 53 million euros respectively and have longer contracts, but in view of Chelsea's uncertain future they will probably not fundamentally ignore possible offers from other clubs.

The three played against Crystal Palace from the start, Werner provided the template to make it 2-0.

And Tuchel?

He has built a solid reputation in England since joining Chelsea in January 2021.

He immediately gave the side the tactical structure they lacked under his predecessor Lampard and guided them to Champions League glory.

Since the outbreak of the Ukraine war and the associated sanctions against Abramovich, he has often cut a good figure as the public face of the club.

He's also popular with fans, and whoever becomes the new owner will be the first to try to keep him happy with promises of sporting and financial planning security.

Various consortia have submitted bids for a takeover, with three being shortlisted.

The US bank in charge of the sale will reportedly select a preferred candidate this week, prompting the UK government to review the offer, among other things, to ensure that Abramovich is not making a profit from it.

And only when the Premier League also gives the buyers their “okay” can the new decision-makers move into the business premises on Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are facing profound changes.

Perhaps the fans shouldn't get too used to glorious games like the FA Cup final.