Calum McFarlane admitted the overriding emotion was relief after steering Chelsea into the FA Cup final with a tense 1-0 victory over Leeds United at Wembley.

Installed as interim head coach only three days earlier following Liam Rosenior’s abrupt dismissal after just 106 days in charge, McFarlane walked into a dressing room weighed down by seven defeats in eight matches and a fanbase braced for more disappointment.

Enzo Fernández provided the release valve. The midfielder, so often a lightning rod for criticism this season, met Pedro Neto’s precise cross with a firm first-half header that proved enough to separate the sides and secure a showdown with Manchester City in the final.

“Relief is the correct word,” McFarlane said afterwards. “We were confident going into the game and we had a good three days of work, but you never really know. We wanted to shift the momentum. Our form hasn’t been great, but the character was the most pleasing part.”

That character was evident in a performance built more on resilience than fluency. Chelsea, fragile in recent weeks, dug in during long spells of Leeds pressure, defending their penalty area with a determination that has too often been missing.

“Those lads showed how much they want to win a football game and what they were willing to do to win a really important one for the club,” McFarlane said. “It wasn’t perfect, but it was honest.”

This is not McFarlane’s first taste of the hot seat. The former Under-21 coach also took temporary charge in January between the departures of Enzo Maresca and the arrival of Rosenior, overseeing a draw against Manchester City and a defeat at Fulham. That brief spell, he believes, proved invaluable.

“I did it for a week before, so I kind of knew what I was stepping into,” he explained. “It’s easier this time because I have a relationship with the players and I’ve worked with them for three or four months now. I’ve been part of the backroom staff, so I had a feel for what they needed psychologically. It’s been intense.”

Chelsea will be clear underdogs in the final against a Manchester City side chasing a domestic treble, yet McFarlane insists his players have already shown they can rise to elite opposition, pointing to last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup triumph over Paris Saint-Germain.

“You can come with a plan, but they’re an exceptional side in really good form,” he said of City. “It’s going to be a massive challenge. But we seem to raise our level. We saw that against PSG. For us, it’s more about the character.”