Paul Merson has warned Chelsea to be careful of Liverpool 'freak' Mohamed Salah when they face him in Saturday's FA Cup final. The Egyptian had a stint with the Blues before leaving the club, having improved and impressed in his time with the Merseyside club.
The former player could have a big say in how the final plays out, with the fixture set to be a rematch of the Carabao Cup final earlier in the year. The two sides couldn't be separated after 120 minutes at Wembley, with penalties settling the game.
Every spot-kick was scored until goalkeeper Kepa Arrizbalaga had to step up, blazing over the bar. Despite the chance for revenge against the Reds, manager Thomas Tuchel has played down such talk: "I don't care about their other titles. We lost, of course, the [Carabao Cup] final. We gave everything in that final as you know, it was a big match that went until the very last penalty.
READ MORE: Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: Lewandowski asking price, Giroud sends message, big Kante boost
"Of course, we were unlucky and lost it. We want to turn things around. It will not give us the Carabao Cup title back, but we are here and were here last season in the FA Cup final, and that means an unbelievable lot to us."
The German coach will be hoping it's third time lucky for the club, who have lost the previous two FA Cup finals back-to-back against Arsenal and Leicester. In Liverpool, they face a tough challenge but a chance to end hopes of an unlikely quadruple.
All three meetings between the two this season have ended in draws, outlining just how close it could go yet again. However, if the Blues are to win, former player and pundit Paul Merson has warned them about one particular Liverpool star.
That is winger Mohamed Salah, who has been talked about as one of the best players in the world in recent years. Speaking in his SportsKeeda column ahead of the game, Merson said: "Ahead of a cup final, it's impossible not to talk about Mohamed Salah, who recently proclaimed himself as the best player in the world in his position. I'd have to agree with him, as he's a bit of a freak each time he plays, and he turns up in all the big games.
"Salah is an absolutely unbelievable player, and every young kid who aspires to make it as a footballer should look at what he's prepared to do to keep himself at the very top. I don't think Salah has a point to prove despite his barren run in recent weeks, but everyone dreams of scoring at Wembley in a cup final, so it'll be no different for him!"
Tuchel will be hoping to keep the Egyptian as quiet as possible, though it may be a tough task on the whole, with the firepower in that Liverpool side.
