Chelsea 0-0 (5-6 on pens) Liverpool
The 141st FA Cup Final in the 150th anniversary year of the world’s oldest football competition was an occasion befitting its status.
Sure, there were no goals, but this was compelling fare from start to finish as two evenly matched sides gave everything in the showpiece of the English football season.
Of course, there could only be one winner – and that was Liverpool.
But in many ways, the winner was football as a capacity crowd inside Wembley was treated to FA Cup highlights on the pitch and a mini-show off it.
Highlights of the game
Chelsea made just one change to the side that won 3-0 at Leeds earlier in the week with the experienced Thiago Silva returning at the expense of Andreas Christensen.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah was back in the Liverpool line-up, one of five changes from their 2-1 league win at Aston Villa.
The injured Fabinho was replaced by captain Jordan Henderson, while there were also starts for Thiago, Andrew Robertson and Ibrahima Konate.
Although there was little in it, the Sbotop FA Cup betting odds favoured the Merseysiders and that was clear initially as they controlled the early stages.
On saying that, the first effort closest to a goal arrived midway through the first half when the talented youngster Mason Mount pulled the ball back to American Christian Pulisic whose low shot flew narrowly past the post.
Pulisic then turned provider only for Marcos Alonso’s shot to be expertly blocked by goalkeeper Alisson.
There was an undoubted blow for Liverpool shortly before the break as Salah had to leave the field, to be replaced by Diogo Jota, although at the time of writing it’s unclear whether it is an injury that will rule him out of the final fortnight of the season or was just a precaution.
Jota should really have put them in front on the stroke of half-time as Liverpool dispossessed Mateo Kovacic and set up the unmarked Portuguese forward who could only send the ball over the bar.
Four minutes after the restart and Chelsea were cursing the woodwork as Alonso should what a talent he is from set pieces as he smashed a free-kick against the crossbar.
Then it was Liverpool’s turn to go agonisingly close as Diaz turned superbly and whistled a low shot just wide of the upright.
Reece James, another Chelsea youngster thriving, went close midway through the half before Liverpool finished strongly and were denied twice in quick succession by the woodwork as Diaz hit one post, after being fed by Sadio Mane, before Robertson hit the other on the volley after he was found by substitute James Milner.
As both teams gave it their all, Diaz went close yet again as he curled a shot just past the far post.
Into extra-time and the effort and determination was clear from all again, even if the pace of play on an energy-sapping pitch naturally slowed.
And so onto a penalty shoot-out and, just as in the League Cup Final, a thrilling success for Liverpool – 6-5 on spot-kicks.
The domestic cup double is theirs on a day in which all 16 decades of the FA Cup were recognised and celebrated – including appearances from Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola and the granddaughter of legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly who were both introduced to fans at half-time – football was the winner.
Key statistics
With the sides level after 90 minutes, this was the fourth time this season that the two teams could not be separated (twice in the Premier League, once in the League Cup Final).
This was the first FA Cup Final to go to extra-time without a goal after 90 minutes since the 2007 showpiece when Didier Drogba’s 116th minute strike gave Chelsea a 1-0 victory over Man Utd.
Silva (37 years, 234 days) was the oldest outfield player to start an FA Cup Final since the late great Stanley Matthews in the 1953 final for Blackpool (aged 38) against Bolton.
Henderson became the first player to have a gap of 10 or more years between playing in FA Cup Finals since Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal 2005, Chelsea 2017).
When he came on as substitute, Milner (36 years, 130 days) became the oldest Englishman to appear in the final since David James in 2010 for Portsmouth.
What’s next?
Chelsea will conclude their season with two home league matches this week against Leicester on Thursday (May 19) and relegated Watford (May 22) as they aim to seal a top three finish.
Liverpool are at Southampton in the league on Tuesday night before finishing their league campaign at home to Wolves next weekend. They then face Real Madrid in the Champions League Final.
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