Antonio Conte owes Chelsea an FA Cup

As he made the competition draw, the smile in former Blue Petr Cech's eyes said it all: Chelsea matched with Southampton, and what should be a perfectly navigable route to Conte's second consecutive FA Cup final.

Conte has unfinished business in the competition, as he made clear following the 2-1 extra time sixth round win at Leicester on Sunday.

“This trophy is very important, very important in this country. Last season, it was a pity to lose the final,” he said.

Conte is playing out the final act of his Chelsea residence, and at the King Power, it was not always a performance of convincing commitment.

He looked disengaged: his body language during an impromptu on-pitch full time coaching session in stark relief to the usually impassive Claude Puel's more animated mentoring.

But his Blues rose to the occasion, via Pedro's header – brilliantly set-up by N'Golo Kanté.

As performances go, it wasn't as battling as the heroic failure of Camp Nou. But it did, at least, contain the effort so missing from that other notable recent failure – the dutifully received 1-0 defeat at the Etihad against Manchester City.

The favours handed out by Cech's draw will not mean any walkover: it would be disrespectful to Southampton to expect that.

Several Saints will have scores to settle: Oriol Romeu, Ryan Bertrand and Mark Hughes all with varying degrees of Chelsea blood still lingering in their veins.

The tie will also be an emotional occasion, with the spirit of the late Peter Osgood looming large over Wembley: he an FA Cup winner with both Chelsea and Southampton in the 1970s.

It would be wonderful to see Osgood's widow, Lynne – a welcome visitor to the homes of both clubs in recent years – given VIP treatment as guest of honour at the very home of football.

But the draw does protect Conte's side from the on-paper tougher tests of Tottenham and Manchester United – who battle out the other semi.

Whichever way that game goes, it should set up a showpiece final worthy of elevating the somewhat worn status of this competition back to that of those glory days: when nearly every TV set in the country watched Chelsea lift it in 1970.

(Though the record figures of 32m viewers, out of a then UK population of 55m – a figure beaten only by the nuptials, coronation, and burials of royals – seems unbeatable).

Conte's apparent lesson in the importance of the cup, and hopefully in some of this history, should stand him in good stead.

There were whispers last year of a lack of preparation for the final: too many late nights in celebration of the earlier secured league title; a belief in some quarters that more than enough had been done to secure the plaudits associated with a great season.

He was perhaps unaware of the songs of Wembley glory sung so many years on: of Denis Wise going up to lift the FA Cup; and the one about how 'Chelsea won, as we all knew they would, and the star of that great team was Peter Osgood'.

Chelsea have arrived at Wembley, but they are yet to reach glory.

Over the course of two games under the arch, it will Conte's time to prove he understands what the occasion is all about; and to finally pay-up on that IOU, before he finally departs the club.