Chelsea 1 Man United 0
Eden Hazard 22 (pen)
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Chelsea deserved this FA Cup.
Jose Mourinho had no playmaker, while Chelsea had Fabregas and Hazard.
Chelsea’s formation and tenacity forced United to go wide and rely on crosses. Without Lukaku, who was on the bench after an ankle injury, that made no sense,
When United did get a late headed chance, Pogba headed down and wide.
On this evidence, Alexis Sanchez is United’s best player and should have been playing in left midfield, picking out runners.
But Pogba plays left mid.
Mourinho’s team was a constipated compromise. A pig’s breakfast.
When Phil Jones brought down Hazard in the box, the Belgian got up to aim his penalty low into the bottom corner, sending David De Gea the wrong way.
So United had 70 minutes to score one goal and then try to get a second. But they couldn’t do it.
N’Golo Kante won the title for Leicester and then went to Chelsea and won it for them. On Saturday Kante was the best player on the pitch. Courtois might have been Chelsea’s second best.
After holding up the famous trophy, Antonio Conte said, “For sure in this season when you are used to winning every season – don’t forget I was used to winning every season – this type of season can try to create some problems in yourself. When you have this type of season there are moments that you have a lot of questions for yourself. But I think, also in this season, in a difficult season like this, I showed I’m a serial winner. This is the truth. To win in this way this season give me more satisfaction than my wins in the past.”
Lineups
Chelsea starting X1; Courtois Azpilicueta Cahill Rudiger; Moses Fabregas Kante Bakayoko Alonso; Hazard Giroud
Manchester United starting X1 : David de Gea; Valencia Smalling Jones Young; Herrera Matic Pogba; Lingard Rashford Sanchez
VERDICT: Man Utd are not Porto.
Mourinho picked his team to stop Chelsea’s team.
Conceding the first goal in this tight contest, United had 70 minutes to get a goal back and couldn’t.
The best team won a forgettable FA Cup Final.
And Conte is on his way. Go figure.