Chelsea booked their place in this season’s FA Cup final as goals from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount saw off a resolute Crystal Palace at Wembley.
It had been a cagey affair for the opening hour with few chances for either side and arguably the biggest opening coming for Palace through a set-piece which Cheikhou Kouyate could not guide towards target. They were made to pay for that spurned opportunity minutes later when Loftus-Cheek – who spent the 2017-18 campaign on loan at Selhurst Park - popped up inside the area to find the net.
After falling behind, Palace through caution to the wind with Christian Benteke and Michael Olise both introduced but this left them vulnerable at the back. With 14 minutes left on the clock, Mason Mount doubled Chelsea ’s lead after neat build-up play on the edge of the area. It was enough to set up a second successive domestic cup final of the campaign against Liverpool. Here are five talking points from a tense afternoon at Wembley.
Loftus-Cheek’s semi-final dream
Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s strike was his first goal for the club since 19 May 2019 – just one month shy of three years. While he had a season on loan at Fulham in that spell, where he scored just once, it was a surprisingly long draught for the 26-year-old.
This fine strike – which took a slight defection past Palace goalkeeper Jack Butland – was his first for the Blues since his goal in another semi-final: the Europa League 2019 tie against Eintracht Frankfurt, when the Blues needed penalties to progress.
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Speaking on Friday ahead of the match, Tuchel said of the midfielder: "Self-confidence doesn’t come from being big and tall and good looking." Well maybe not, but scoring in an FA Cup semi final will certainly help.
Palace regretful but proud
Crystal Palace were back at Wembley for the first time since the 2016 FA Cup final, when they came close to downing Manchester United before late heartbreak. Patrick Vieira has restored the club to that level and this game does not feel like a one-off, but the start of a special period for Palace.
Cheikhou Kouyate spurned a glorious opportunity with the match scoreless while Joachim Andersen missed an even better chance with Vieira’s side two goals down. This was not Palace’s day, but their noisy fans will not be too downhearted.
Lukaku left lost
Romelu Lukaku is the most expensive signing in the history of English football but he has become a bit-part player at Chelsea. The Belgian international has not started a Premier League game in almost two months and was also almost exclusively used as a substitute in the Champions League.
Lukaku had started all four FA Cup matches for the Blues – all against lower league opposition – in which he had netted three goals, the only times he has found the net this season. It was debated in the build-up to kick-off if he would be selected for the more important clash but he was not.
Blues boss Thomas Tuchel explained ahead of the game: "He's not fit enough to play 90 minutes, not fit enough for the intensity of our game, it's as easy as that. He had an injury, he missed minutes, so his match fitness isn't there, otherwise there's a big chance he'd be playing today." Instead, Chelsea started with their preferred front three of Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner. Lukaku was introduced as a late substitute, but only when the game was done and dusted.
Palace plan worked
Crystal Palace were always going to be underdogs for this encounter and it was always going to be a case that Patrick Vieira would look to cancel out that difference in any way possible.
Vieira threw a curve-ball by lining up with three central defenders for the first time this season as central defensive duo Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi were joined by Cheikhou Kouyate. That Kouyate dropped back into defence, coupled with the absence of Conor Gallagher against his former club, ensured that Jeffrey Schlupp and James McArthur were the somewhat unfamiliar central midfield partnership.
It was a plan that appeared to be throw Chelsea and slow the game down by the change in shape not allowing any space or planned runs from the Blues front three. This was a tactical triumph for Vieira, who was coming up against one of the world’s elite coaches. It was only in the final quarter of the game that the plan was unpicked – leaving Palace to regret their missed opportunities.
The Wembley Blues
Chelsea have visited Wembley more times than any other club in recent times but they have not always brought memorable experiences for the club.
They have lost three domestic finals at the North London stadium in the past two years; the FA Cup final in 2020 against Arsenal and then the following year against Leicester, before being downed by Liverpool in this season’s EFL Cup final in February. Tuchel’s side now have the opportunity to extract revenge against the Reds – as they aim to avoid a third successive FA Cup final defeat.
