Every fan loves a situation where they get one up on their rivals. Chelsea fans have had the privilege of doing it to Tottenham not once but twice at Wembley. On this day in 2012, the Blues played the Lilywhites in the FA Cup semi-final. The vibes were absolutely sensational. I cannot put into words just how great it felt watching Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, Juan Mata, etc. cause havoc.
Harry Redknapp's side was rendered useless during the match despite the heaps of talent they possessed, including Gareth Bale.
With the Champions League on their minds, the Blues were not expected to win in the way they did.
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It all started off with a Didier Drogba belter before halftime. Frank Lampard lobs the ball 50 yards to reach the Ivorian, who has his back to goal. He brushes off William Gallas to turn and smash the ball into the back of the net. It was a strike that you rarely see nowadays, even from the most elite strikers.
The ball almost took the roof off the net. It was a great way for Chelsea to open the flood gates.
Juan Mata 'netted' the second goal. Well, 'netted' isn't quite the best term to use as the ball didn't seem to actually cross the line. It was a tough call as there was a tangle of players on the goal line as Mata struck the ball, but I'll take it! What is football without a little bit of luck?
Gareth Bale was able to swing the pendulum as he was gifted with a tap in from a rare Petr Cech error.
The game became tense as the Blues settled down, and both teams were at a stalemate for another 15 minutes. It took the brilliant eye of Mata to chip in Ramires, who subsequently chipped the Tottenham keeper for the 3rd goal. By the time Frank Lampard's incredible freekick was belted into the net for the fourth goal, the Lilywhite fans had dispersed. There was barely a Tottenham fan left.
As Chelsea goes into the FA Cup semi-final for 5th time since 2012, I hope to see us produce that same energy that we saw this time ten years ago. The squad back then was filled with absolute beast mode mentality monsters. After the performance against Real Madrid in midweek, I'd also expect the same from this group of players.
It's usually hit or miss when we play London opposition at Wembley. Arsenal has been the bogey team in the more recent past, but we walk into unprecedented territory on the weekend. Crystal Palace has been overachieving this season. They have impressed the masses since Patrick Vieira took over in the summer.
I'm not expecting a 5-1 win, but I expect a performance worth a ticket to the final.
