Nervously looking at the line-up, hopefully Jonny Evans will be able to play 90 minutes, Wes Morgan on the bench, hasn’t been involved for months, Maddison left out, Perez playing from start, will he take his chance, Albrighton also starting in the Wembley chairs. Leicester City also wearing their third kit, all maroon.
Embed from Getty ImagesWe all knew Chelsea would be strong and as we feared they had their artillery well set up, with Mason Mount, Ngolo Kantè and Timo Werner all in the starting line-up. It was also obvious that Chelsea feared Leicester City and while blocking any attempts from our two top forwards, they also had their eyes on Youri Tielemans.
Luke Thomas made the starting line-up, together with Wesley Fofana, you just admire these two young guys, so proud to see Leicester City bringing on young talent, they represented Leicester City with fantastic jobs, just fantastic. In the final of 69, Fern, Nish and Woollett were just passed twenty, Manley and Shilton 19 on the day, and all of them from own club ranks. With tradition and pride you follow this great football team.
The first half was a bit tug of war, mostly played in the middle of the field with two great organized teams defensively not giving away anything. Jamie Vardy had a shot stopped early on, and Chelsea was not either able to get anything passed Kasper Schmeichel.
Embed from Getty ImagesGoing out second half Brendan Rodgers pushed his men a bit higher in the field, Jonny Evans had been replaced with Marc Albrighton, after Jonny had to leave the field in the 34th minute, due to his foot problem. Marc is adaptable and so clever that he took on the job as a flank alternative in the best way possible and with him in there it all became a bit more offensive as he moves a bit higher in the field than Timothy Castagne who just moved in with the the three in the back, and the change made it a floating 3-5-2 or if you like 4-4-2, as the players moved in and out in a fluid system.
The fighting spirit was fantastic and when Ayoze Perez blocked a Chelsea pass in the 63rd minute and pushed the ball with a short pass to Youri Tielemans, who just glided forward, got into the right direction and angle, fired a shot from distance, perfectly “Reit im Winkel!”. What a goal!, just blistering fantastic, ecstasy, just brilliant.
From then on we knew it would be difficult to keep the lead as Chelsea pushed for that equalizer, but with Kasper Schmeichel moving like an ally cat in goal, saving shots you would normally not consider possible to save, we were slowly getting to the end of the game.
Embed from Getty ImagesThomas Tuchel did offensive changes and former Leicester City man, Ben Chilwell had also entered the field. We all know what he can do in the opposition area, and to see him score was of course like hell had broken out, but this time VAR showed everyone why it is so important and to be saved by that system, made it possible to hold on to the lead until the very end.
It must have been a Jekkyl & Hyde experience for Wes Morgan, coming on late in the game, and not been involved for so long, seeing Ben Chilwell score, and then in a quick second getting the VAR decision. Emotions must have been on a rollercoaster ride. Nice to see him again being part of the magic and to be able to pick up that fantastic medal as we all had that wonderful feeling you always get when lifting a trophy.
Hopefully “the family” can stick together and the Leicester City will be able to keep their best players. It will probably be the natural end for Wes Morgan and what a finish, he is grand leader, one of the real heroes of Leicester City and we all believe he will be at the club in some sort of capacity.
To see Brendan Rodgers and Top out there on the Wembley grass together with Kasper and Jamie Vardy and all those other fantastic and friendly footballers and staff at his wonderful football club is very emotional and showing what this game is all about.
Winning the FA Cup 1-0 in the 5th final attempt on the 15.05.2021, 5 years after that 5000/1 experience, and seeing 2 former foxes in the defeated side, makes up the numbers, take it in, taste it, feel it, it’s good, so good, let’s do it again, and for the time being, celebrate, though our next game away to Chelsea! is just around the corner, coming Tuesday, it will be another “killer” with Champions League places up for grabs, exciting days, that’s for sure.
- Positives
- Kasper Schmeichel, saves of brilliance, captain of the stars
- Wes Morgan, what a man, he is a magic maker
- Youri Tielemans, what a goal, just the perfect shot in the perfect moment
- Wesley Fofana and Luke Thomas, fantastic boys
- Defensive excellence
- Vardy workrate, Perez block, Albrighton spirit, lovely to watch
- 90 minutes of pure hard fighting, difficult game, but still, winner
- 52 years wait, finally winners of the FA Cup
- This team is perfectly set, experience, youth, and key signed players
- Negatives:
- Evans injury
- Player Ratings: Schmeichel 9, Castagne 6, Soyuncu 8, Fofana 9, Evans 7, Tielemans 9, Ndidi 8, Iheanacho 6, Vardy 7, Thomas 7, Perez 7 Subs: Albrighton 6, Morgan, Choudhury, Maddison
- Leicester City, Man of the Match
- Youri Tielemans
Match Stats (H/A):
- Possession: 64 / 47
- Corners: 10 / 4
- Shots on target: 3 / 1
- Fouls: 13 / 9
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