Chelsea had dirty plan to stop Ole

AZPILICUETA: Tough

CESAR AZPILICUETA admits that Chelsea had to up their aggression against Manchester United to reach Saturday’s FA Cup Final.

Chelsea overcame Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team 3-1 two weeks ago to book a return to Wembley to face Arsenal.

To do so they had to make 21 fouls in a tough contest, but in stark contrast Chelsea committed no fouls in their limp 3-2 loss at West Ham three weeks earlier.

Azpilicueta admitted there was no other way. The defender said: “It was key. When you are playing a semi-final you know you have to be focused.

“In that game against West Ham obviously we didn’t make a single foul. It happens. When you are fighting and you are playing, you want to win. You need to be more determined.

“When you play against a Manchester United side who have a very big threat up front and they can make combinations, you have to be intense.”

Chelsea’s skipper, now 30 and aiming for his seventh major honour since joining the club in 2012, was hailed as “amazing” by Frank Lampard this week.

The Spaniard said: “It’s very nice to hear that from your manager. My personality is the way I behave, my passion.

“This year, as a captain, you have extra responsibility. But my personality and the way I am, I always try to go to the training ground to improve myself.

“When I arrived here eight years ago, I don’t think anybody could imagine where I am now.

“When you are a midfielder and you are the top scorer in the club’s history, it means that you have done that bit extra to get to the top.

“As a manager he always wants more.”