Ant’s got axe factor says goal hero Eden
EDEN HAZARD applauded boss Antonio Conte for surprisingly dropping him to the bench before taking a starring role as supersub.
Hazard, left out of the starting line-up alongside striker Diego Costa, scored as he got into the thick of the action.
And the Belgium star, 26, had no hard feelings as he drooled about Chelsea returning to Wembley for the FA Cup Final next month.
He said: “The manager told me on Friday and you have to expect everything in football. When you play football you want to play every game but he made a great choice.
“He put in Willian and he scored two goals.
“It’s always good to win this game in a semi-final. For the fans it’s good too. It will be my first final in five years at Chelsea in the FA Cup and I hope to win it.”
Hazard celebrated long and hard as Conte, who had urged the Chelsea fans to pump up the volume in the closing stages, raced on to the pitch to congratulate his heroes.
Every man in blue got a hug and a warm embrace from the boss who has finally got to grips with the passion and fervour of the FA Cup.
Conte said: “I have enjoyed my first experience of a competition which has a big place in the hearts of the English fans. It has been an enjoyable first taste for me. I have great respect for the tradition.”
Serbia midfielder Nemanja Matic was just as ecstatic after bringing the blue half of Wembley to its feet with his thunderous piledriver which wrapped it up for Chelsea at 4-2.
Matic, desperate to play down his super-strike, said: “It was a nice goal but first of all I want to say we’re very happy because we’re in the final.
“For our supporters, you can see this is something special. To have a chance to win this trophy is significant for us as players.
“Spurs are a great team and it was very hard. When you score four goals against them you have got to win the game.
“They’re one of the best teams in the Premier League.
“We scored our first goal, they equalised. We scored the second and still they didn’t give up.
“I am happy for my goal, it was a great goal but it’s not the best I’ve ever scored.
“I scored a harder one for Benfica in a derby against Porto so this is perhaps my second-best ever.”