Ruben Loftus-Cheek's finish against Crystal Palace was an emphatic one and his celebration more than matched it. There was more than a hint of fortune about the goal as the Eagles' attempts to clear the ball failed to do the job, but the Cobham product encapsulated conviction in his strike that ensured the deflection would not deter the ball from it's path into the net.
It was the 26-year-old's 13th goal for the Blues and forced the direction of the match Chelsea's way at Wembley. It was with good reason that Loftus-Cheek tore off in celebration and clutched Antonio Rudiger before lifting him into the air and almost over his shoulder. It's an act the German defender is familiar with, but is certainly less familiar being on the receiving end.
Thomas Tuchel was obviously pleased with his substitute's impact having replaced the injured Mateo Kovacic in the first half of the FA Cup semi-final. As much as in his performance, the German coach enjoyed the confidence in Loftus-Cheek's celebration. The 48-year-old hopes the confidence will grow to aid his star's development.
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Tuchel said following the game: "Hopefully, a big moment because it was a big moment. You see in his celebration, it was nice because he is usually a very clam and quiet guy.
"But to see him like this, jumping and celebrating a goal was good. Like I said, he has the opposite of over-confidence. We need to install this confidence into his body, into his game, and these are the next steps for him that he can absolutely feel how much influence he can have.
"We want him to show everybody in the stadium his potential and not only us on the training ground. These are the next steps for him and we will encourage him to do so. Like Timo, he was involved in the last three matches and was involved in goals and assists. Today with the opening goal that was decisive, so very, very good."
