Hazard Warning – Blues Double ahead
Eden Hazard celebrates after scoring Chelsea’s third goal on their way to a 4-2 win over Tottenham at Wembley to reach the FA Cup Final.
CHELSEA booked a Wembley return in next month’s FA Cup Final with a remarkable victory over Premier League title rivals Tottenham.
It was remarkable because Spurs were the better team throughout yet Antonio Conte’s men won it with what the history books will always show was a convincing scoreline.
Spurs just don’t do FA Cup semifinals. They have played in seven of them since Gazza lit up Wembley in 1991 and have lost the lot.
Chelsea led twice through Willian’s free-kick and penalty, and were pegged back twice, first by Harry Kane, then by Dele Alli.
On the hour mark Antonio Conte sent on the two big guns he had left out of the starting line-up – Eden Hazard and Diego Costa – and the game changed.
Chelsea have won the Cup six times since Spurs lifted the trophy that year and Spurs have won just two of the last 16 encounters between the two.
Hazard gave them the lead for the third time, then Nemanja Matic fired in a fourth from distance nine minutes from time to make it 4-2 for a team who had enjoyed only 37% possession.
Conte’s team selection made it absolutely clear where his priorities lie when he left Costa and Hazard on the bench. Southampton in the league of Tuesday is more important than any FA Cup semi final.
Ironically, the two men that Conte promoted in place of his star men played major roles in giving Chelsea the perfect start.
Costa’s replacement Michy Batshuayi set up a lightning break for Pedro with the cleverest of flicks.
Toby Alderweireld brought down the Spaniard on the edge of the box, picking up a yellow card from ref Martin Atkinson.
Hazard’s replacement Willian hit the free-kick superbly and Hugo Lloris got nowhere near it as it bent into the far corner.
Batshuayi probably should have done better with a free header from Willian’s cross on the quarter-hour but his lack of power enabled Lloris to save comfortably.
There had been little threat from Tottenham but three minutes later they were level as Kane dived to meet Christian Eriksen’s cross and directed the ball beyond Thibaut Courtois using the top of his head.
David Luiz needed extensive treatment after Alli trod on his ankle – seemingly accidentally because the Brazilian made no protest.
Eric Dier headed wide from Jan Vertonghen’s cross as Spurs took control of the game.
Sloppy Chelsea defending gave Eriksen a chance to test Courtois but the Dane’s shot was straight at the keeper.
Chelsea were clearly playing for the breakaways and three minutes before half-time it paid dividends.
Wing-back Victor Moses sprinted down the right and was brought down by Heung-Min Son’s rash challenge just inside the Spurs box.
In the absence of regular penaltytaker Hazard, Willian took on the job and confidently smashed the spotkick past Lloris.
The French keeper was fortunate a couple of minutes later when he appeared to handle the ball as he slid outside his area.
It was a difficult one for Atkinson to spot and he waved play on but replays suggested that Lloris got away with one.
Spurs went on to level for the second time with one of the best goals seen at the new Wembley.
The pass from Eriksen, bent behind the Chelsea defence, was absolutely sublime and Dele Alli, sprinting in behind David Luiz, crashed the ball into the net without breaking stride.
The game was slipping into Spurs’ control again and Conte brought on his big guns on the hour mark – Costa for Batshuayi and Hazard for two-goal Willian.
It made little difference to the flow of the game, which was all towards Chelsea’s goal so Conte added Cesc Fabregas to wrest back some initiative.
The Spaniard’s first job was to take a corner and when Spurs failed to clear it properly Hazard struck a fine low drive into the bottom corner.
In the 81st minute it was all over when the ball was laid back by Hazard and Matic hit a left-foot screamer from outside the box that almost burst the netting.
After that, Chelsea went into game management mode and saw it out, but they needed a slightly fortuitous save by Courtois from Kane’s stoppage time free-kick to retain their comfortable margin.
Much was said beforehand about whether the victors in this game would strike a telling blow in the title race.
If that is the case, then Conte’s team should go into the final fixtures with all the psychological cards in their hands.