An extraordinary slalom from Olivier Giroud and a header from the substitute Alvaro Morata put Chelsea into another FA Cup final
Chelsea turned to an FA Cup specialist to earn their place in this season’s final with Olivier Giroud scoring a quite wonderful goal to break the deadlock against Southampton. It was good feet for a big man, as the cliché goes.
This result sets up an FA Cup on May 19 against Manchester United; a collision course for Antonio Conte, in what is expected to be his last match as Chelsea head coach, against Jose Mourinho.
Southampton will feel aggrieved that they were denied what would have been an equaliser, before Chelsea’s second goal, after goalkeeper Willy Caballero carried the ball over the line under pressure from Charlie Austin who was penalised.
It will be in Conte’s mind to again select Giroud for that game given the striker’s record of winning three FA Cups at Arsenal and, now, being undefeated in 10 appearances at Wembley.
Giroud has not lost in four FA Cup semi-finals, three finals and three Community Shields at this stadium and scored just 28 seconds into the second-half with a brilliant effort that will, in fact, go down as one of the best goals ever scored in this arena.
From the re-start Cesc Fabregas lofted the ball forward and it was acrobatically taken down by Eden Hazard who picked out Giroud as he stumbled. The £18million January signing, selected ahead of Alvaro Morata showed great balance and nimbleness to first beat Mario Lemina, as he lunged in, then Maya Yoshida, then Cedric Soares before finally poking his shot into the net as Jan Bednarek also tried to block. The defender collided with goalkeeper Alex McCarthy. Shades of Ricky Villa for Tottenham Hotspur against Manchester City back in the 80s with the penalty box chaos Giroud caused.
Transfer News LIVE updates: All latest gossip from the Premier League
4.45pm: Newcastle manger Rafa Benitez admits he would be interested in keeping on-loan Chelsea winger Kenedy on a permanent basis.
He said: “The situation is that Chelsea need to know where they will finish and we need to know where we will finish.
“There is plenty of time to talk.
“But if you're asking me (if loan is perhaps best option), I'd say yes, you'd have to ask them as well.
“It wasn't easy to bring him here and it won't be easy to bring him here again."
3.30pm: Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha insists he is refusing to let speculation over a summer move impact his side’s relegation fight.
“I try not to think about it,” he said. “It will only just sway me from the job at hand at Crystal Palace.
“Obviously we are where we are at right now and my only thought process is that I’m at Palace and I need to work to get us out of where we are right now.
“Whatever happens, happens, but all I’m thinking about is Palace."
2.30pm: Paris Saint-Germain president Didier Quillot has revealed Manchester United and Real Madrid target Neymar has no release clause in his contract.
He said: "In his contract which is registered with the league, and is official, there is no buy-out clause and secondly these types of clauses are illegal in French football."
1pm: Mohamed Salah has reportedly been told he can join Real Madrid this summer - as long as he helps Liverpool win the Champions League.
The 25-year-old’s prolific debut campaign at Anfield has led to speculation surrounding his future, with Real Madrid believed to be circling.
The La Liga giants are desperate for new faces this summer and have been linked with a number of high-profile signings, including Neymar, Eden Hazard and Harry Kane.
Salah is believed to be keen on a switch and reports in Spain suggest he is desperate to move to the Bernabeu this summer.
And according to Don Balon, the former Chelsea star will be allowed to leave if he delivers European glory to Liverpool.
12.15pm: Romelu Lukaku believes the current Manchester United squad can win next season's Premier League without summer investment.
"I don't know, you'd have to ask the manager," he said when asked about what it will take next season.
"I'm really confident in my team-mates. I think we can do it with the team we have now, but we should have showed more consistency throughout the season.
"For us now it is up to us to be more consistent.
“The manager needs to see if he has to add more players but with the players we have now, I think we have enough. We just have to be more consistent."
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