Chelsea to face United in FA Cup final
Giroud and Morata help Blues past struggling Southampton
Aflash of attacking brilliance from Olivier Giroud and an emphatic header from substitute Alvaro Morata earned Chelsea a 2-0 win over struggling Southampton at Wembley yesterday and an FA Cup final date with Manchester United next month.
Giroud muscled and dribbled past three defenders and flailing keeper Alex McCarthy seconds into the second half to poke the ball home from a pass by the ever-busy Eden Hazard.
“I love to play here [Wembley] and I have been unbeaten here so, hopefully, for the final we are going to keep it up,” Giroud, whose Arsenal side beat Chelsea in the final last year, told BT sport.
Morata, who came on for Giroud, made it two in the 82nd minute, nodding Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross into the net.
Relegation-threatened Southampton were outplayed for most of the match, but defended manfully during a dour first half, during which Chelsea forward Willian hit the crossbar.
The Saints were forced to move out of their half after Giroud’s goal and came close to equalising in the 72nd minute when Chelsea keeper Willy Caballero’s save kept out Nathan Redmond’s rasping shot.
They also had a possible goal not given when Charlie Austin was judged to have fouled the keeper. Austin then hit the post in the dying minutes of the game.
Chelsea will meet Jose Mourinho’s United at Wembley on May 19 after the Manchester side beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in the first semi-final on Saturday.
The clash will have added spice because of the tension between former Chelsea boss Mourinho and current coach Antonio Conte.
Hazard, who has played under both managers, said: “We gave everything, we played very good football especially in the second half and controlled the game.
“Now we go to the final and for the championship (Premier League) again and then we can think about the final against Manchester United.”
Chelsea are fifth in the league but Hazard said they had not given up hope of making the top four and getting a Champions League spot as well as winning the FA Cup.
No. 2 spot important
Victory next month would be a third trophy in two seasons for Mourinho’s United and the Portuguese would join Herbert Chapman (Huddersfield in 1922 and Arsenal in 1930) and Billy Walker (Sheffield Wednesday in 1935 and Nottingham Forest in 1959) in winning the knockout competition for two clubs.
Despite being a serial trophy collector during his glittering career, Mourinho only had eyes on the seven points his team need to guarantee finishing as runners-up to an “untouchable” Manchester City in the Premier League.
“I think the feeling now is we need two victories and one draw to finish second with 81 points,” Mourinho, who won the FA Cup with Chelsea in 2007, told a news conference after Saturday’s victory. “The season is successful if we finish second, if we do a better Premier League season than Spurs, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal. If we do that I think it’s a successful season because 81 points is to break the 80-point target and to finish second against an untouchable winner is good.”