CHELSEA TO FACE LIVERPOOL IN FINAL

European champions Chelsea will face Liverpool in the FA Cup final after they saw off London rivals Crystal Palace in their semifinal clash on Sunday evening. Chelsea were able to book their place in the FA Cup final thanks to the 2-0 win over the Eagles with the two goals coming in the second half.

Chelsea were favourites ahead of the London Derby FA Cup semifinal clash played at the Wembley Stadium and they lived up to that status thanks to the second half goals from the Academy graduate duo of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount. Ahead of the game, Chelsea turned down the request to let Conor Gallagher feature as he’s on a season-long loan at Crystal Palace from the Blues. According to FA Cup rules, loanees can face their parent clubs if they are given permission.

 

Crystal Palace and Chelsea played out a goalless draw at the end of the first half before the Blues took the game away from the Eagles in the second half. Loftus-Cheek scored the first goal of the game just before the midway point of the half at the expense of his former team after the England international spent a season on loan at Palace a few years ago. In-form Mount then sealed a final place in the FA Cup for a third successive season with the second Chelsea goal in the last third of the second half thereby taking his tally to four goals in the last three matches.

 

Chelsea will now face Liverpool in the FA Cup final in what’s a repeat of the Capital One Cup final which ended in a defeat during penalty shootout. The Capital One Cup final played in February saw the two teams play out a goalless draw in 120 minutes before Liverpool won with penalties via a scoreline of 11-10.