The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
DE GEA’S ERRORS COST RED DEVILS
Man Utd 1 Chelsea 3. thescore
MANCHESTERUTD 1 CHELSEA 3
Frank Lampard heaped praise on Chelsea’s players after overcoming Manchester United to reach the FA Cup final on a night when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer once again had to defend David De Gea.
An empty Wembley Stadium played host to the top-four rivals’ fourth meeting of the season, with the Blues making amends in some style for defeats in the three previous encounters.
Olivier Giroud put Chelsea ahead in first-half stoppage time, with De Gea somehow letting through a long-range Mason Mount strike moments into the second half before Harry Maguire scored an own goal.
Bruno Fernandes’s late penalty was scant consolation as the Blues won 3-1 to set-up an all-London final with Arsenal on August 1.
“Obviously it is a great achievement for us to get there,” Chelsea boss Lampard said. “To win a semi is a great thing, to win a final is the thing.
“We don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves but we can certainly enjoy the performance and the result.”
The key moment came within a minute of the second half getting under way as Mount lapped up a wayward
Brandon Williams pass and hit a long-range effort that De Gea somehow let squirm through.
Asked if targeting the United goalkeeper was something he had in his mind, former Chelsea midfielder Lampard said: “It wasn’t because I’ve got huge respect for him as a goalkeeper.
“I know people will always home in on keepers when they make those errors because they’re critical for them.”
Solskjaer has consistently spoken of his unwavering belief in De Gea, who has made a number of errors over the last 18 months and has Dean Henderson snapping at his heels having shone on loan at Sheffield United.
“Obviously everyone has to perform and everyone has a chance every time we perform to stake a claim in the team,” the United boss said.
“David knows he should have saved the second goal but that’s done now.
“We’ve got to move, we’ve got to look forward to Wednesday (against West Ham in the Premier League).
“It’s hard for a keeper to make amends, apart from David making two or three fantastic saves after.
“But you see Brandon, for example – the character he shows. He plays a square pass into Mount, he probably feels a bit responsible and the rest of the half he was absolutely outstanding.
“It’s easier for outfield players. David showed (his character) in the rest of the game with a few good saves, but he
knows he could have saved that one.”
De Gea’s error all but settled a semi-final that they were already down in, with Solskjaer saying Eric Bailly’s first-half injury destabilised United before Giroud’s opener.
The defender was involved in a clash of heads with Maguire and was taken off on a stretcher, having initially looked groggy.
“Eric’s in hospital,” Solskjaer said.
“They’re going through all the routine checks and the protocols.
“He got a cut in the back of his head as well, so I don’t really know from that (how he is). I haven’t heard, haven’t spoken to the doctor about him.
“But of course that had a big, big impact on the game.”