Some questioned his tactical nous. Could young Frank Lampard thwart an in-form United after being soundly thrashed by Sheffield United?
In the end, the FA Cup semi was embarrassingly one-sided, teeing up an August 1 clash with Arsenal, when two managers averaging 40 years of age will face off.
Few reckoned second favourites Chelsea could have turned on such a Wembley display. With three at the back, and orders to keep attacking, every player in blue hassled and harried United.
Add a couple of goalkeeping howlers by David de Gea to the mix, and the fact that United had beaten Chelsea three times this season soon seemed irrelevant.
Scorers Olivier Giroud and Mason Mount were superb, but special praise to Reece James (identified by Ole Gunnar Solsjaer as a potential weak link) who had a barnstormer.
Several head clashes meant that 13 minutes of first-half stoppage time was added, allowing Giroud to pounce for the opener. Mount got the second after the restart, and a third – an own goal forced by Tony Rudiger’s persistence – meant United’s late penalty was irrelevant.
The all-London cup final is as unpredictable as it is exciting, but first comes this weekend’s last-day jostle against Wolves in the Premier League at the Bridge. “We want to gain that third position and keep it,” said Mount.
Lamps attributed the semi-final win to “character and personality”. What’s mouthwatering is the fact that (augmented by a couple of key new signings) this young Chelsea side has the potential to reach Liverpudlian levels by next season. And stay there for years.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
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