FA Cup

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FA Cup | Quarter-Finals

Mar 19, 2022 at 5.15pm UK

Riverside Stadium

Middlesbrough
0 - 2
Chelsea

Howson (87'), Peltier (89')

FT(HT: 0-2)

Lukaku (15'), Ziyech (31')

Thomas Tuchel heaps praise on mentality of Chelsea squad amid uncertainty

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 19 March 2022

Head coach Thomas Tuchel heaps praise on the mentality of his Chelsea squad as they end a busy sequence of games with a 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough in the FA Cup.

Head coach Thomas Tuchel has heaped praise on his Chelsea squad for keeping their focus on playing matches during a period of extreme uncertainty.

At a time when the club is up for sale and revenue streams have been blocked, Chelsea have played a number of games in various competitions in quick succession.

The last one of those fixtures occurred on Saturday night, Chelsea producing a professional performance to reach the FA Cup semi-finals with a 2-0 victory against Middlesbrough.

With an array of bids from ownership candidates now being assessed, Tuchel has acknowledged that he has been left impressed by the mentality of his players.

Speaking to BBC Sport, the German said: "We were very focused and very serious from the beginning. We showed quality in decisive moments and scored two early goals which gave us a comfortable lead, but the effort was huge to not allow big chances. I'm very happy, it was a very deserved win.

"I'm impressed with the players' focus. We accepted the situation because we didn't cause it. It isn't in our hands, but it was important we showed the right spirit and took responsibility. This is very, very good. If you have the talent, it is a responsibility to show it."

Chelsea do not return to action until April 2 when Brentford will be the visitors to Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.