Southampton 4-2

Telegraph:

Chelsea 4 Southampton 2: Diego Costa finds form as league leaders take giant stride towards title

Sam Wallace

If these are the last days of Diego Costa at Chelsea then this is how they would prefer to remember him at Stamford Bridge, a thorn in the side of the visiting defence and plundering the kind of goals that might take them to the second Premier League title in three seasons.

There were two goals for Costa in the second half of this game, part of the long, grinding march to what they hope will be a title in Antonio Conte’s first season, and a night so anxious that on one occasion the hyperactive Italian launched a kick in frustration at a nearby medical bag. The bag survived intact and so too did Chelsea’s grip on the title for which they need a maximum of four wins from their last five games to secure.

That assumes that Tottenham Hotspur’s challenge will not wilt, starting with their trip to Crystal Palace on Wednesday and in the meantime, Chelsea have Costa back in goalscoring form for the first time in eight games. There was a cupping of the ear in the direction of the home crowd when the striker scored his second which may have hinted at some general disaffection of his but then it is always hard to tell with Costa.

The Spain international is high maintenance but Conte’s decision to leave him out of Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final was eventually justified with a performance that also encompassed an assist for the first goal for Eden Hazard. It was a reminder too that on his day, this force of nature will take some stopping although how many more of those days he is prepared to devote to Chelsea remains to be seen.

Conte said afterwards that his faith in Costa is unwavering, although there is the definite sense that he is coaxing the best out of his striker until the end of the season when the difficult decisions will have to be made. “For sure, everyone feels a bit of pressure,” Conte said, “the players, the club, but also the fans, no? They want to try to win after this season that I think has been incredible for us. Above all, after our bad season last time.”

The winning triumvirate for Chelsea encompassed Costa, Hazard and Cesc Fabregas, the latter preferred to Pedro and Willian in the attacking line-up and the architect of the best of his team’s attacking play before he was substituted with 14 minutes to play. Fabregas and Hazard played as a pair just behind Costa and they had fashioned the first goal for Hazard before Southampton had really got to grips with the challenge.

There was enough security before Costa added the fourth for Conte to send on John Terry with four minutes left, which delighted the home crowd and must have offered a crumb of comfort to the man himself. He had not played a minute in the league since Nov 5 and he will be pleased that the second goal conceded by Chelsea, in the third minute of time added on, a towering Ryan Bertrand header, was nothing to do with him.

A strange end to the game to see Gary Cahill out-jumped by the second former Chelsea man on the night to score against his old club after Oriol Romeu equalised in the first half. Claude Puel conceded afterwards that the Chelsea goals had come at critical times: in the first five minutes and then the second in injury-time at the end of the first half when Cahill restored the lead.

Having lost two of their four previous league games what the leaders needed was a mid-table opponent with the summer holidays on their mind although what they got was a mid-table opponent who had spied an opportunity to make life difficult. For much of the first half after they had conceded a first goal, Puel’s team were excellent but they faded badly in the second half and this was their fifth defeat in their last 10 Premier League games.

They conceded within the first five minutes, and before they had really woken up judging by the time Costa was allowed by Maya Yoshida to delay his cut-back in the area to Hazard. The Chelsea striker, chasing Cesc Fabregas’ ball, was permitted to wait unchallenged for Hazard to dash into position before delivering the pass that the Belgian pinged into the far corner of Fraser Forster’s goal.

Once the away team did find their stride, Steven Davis and Romeu were exceptional in midfield, and Sofiane Boufal, like Hazard before him an import from Lille in Ligue 1, showed glimpses of a considerable talent. Unfortunately for Southampton the Moroccan faded badly after half-time and was substituted before the end but for a period of the first half he epitomised his team’s confidence on the ball.

For the 10 minutes following Chelsea’s opener Southampton had 61 per cent of the possession and the equaliser came from a corner that broke loose to Romeu after Manolo Gabbiadini’s shot was saved. They were on an equal footing until the one minute of time added on when Costa launched himself at an overhead kick and Cahill headed the ball off his toe and past Forster.
It was Chelsea who started the second half better and Hazard and Fabregas who conjured the third, a cross from the latter that Costa headed in over the top of Bertrand on 54 minutes to ensure the game was all but over. His fourth was the best of the lot, coming after a double exchange with Hazard and then Pedro before Costa stroked in his 51st Premier League goal for the club.

On came Terry to bolster a Chelsea defence that, for all the success in the other direction seems incapable of keeping a clean sheet, and it turned out that Bertrand had the last word with a headed goal. Yet this was Chelsea’s night and they need only four more victories to render themselves uncatchable once and for all.

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Mail:

Chelsea 4-2 Southampton: Diego Costa's double settles title nerves and sends Antonio Conte's side seven points clear at the top of the Premier League

By Martin Samuel

It has been rather a good four days for Chelsea. The seven-point lead at the top has been restored, maybe a little damage done to a few Tottenham egos on Saturday — and Diego Costa has started scoring again.
This was his best performance in a Chelsea shirt for some time. He scored the third and fourth goals, made the first — and came pretty close to removing Gary Cahill’s head from its shoulders in an attempt to get the second, too.

A late header by Ryan Bertrand gave the scoreline the appearance of a right old ding-dong, but the reality is Chelsea were comfortable once Costa had given them a two-goal cushion after 53 minutes. 

Southampton are a decent team and did not let Tottenham, or the integrity of the League, down — but that’s eight goals in two games for Chelsea, an ominous return after the cold water splash of defeat at Old Trafford.

Costa rediscovering the form of early in the season is the most vital development of all. March 6 was the date of his last Chelsea goal and his performance levels were starting to become a bit of a worry, particularly with Michy Batshuayi out of the team for a reason.
Could Chelsea close out this title race without their striker at his best? Could Batshuayi take his place having been so underwhelming until now? By the end of Tuesday night's game, for now at least, people had stopped asking.

Costa was a handful, which he needed to be, because Southampton can be, too. Even with little on the game, they made Chelsea anxious and it needed a third goal before the locals appeared entirely comfortable with the prospect of victory.
It was a good goal, too, featuring the same three players who had combined to conjure Chelsea’s first, although in different order, as if rotated.

The first goal had been Fabregas-Costa-Hazard, this was Hazard-Fabregas-Costa. Eden Hazard got the ball on the right and darted inside with some lovely skill, he laid off to Cesc Fabregas, who crossed for Costa to rise above Southampton’s defence and steer a header past Fraser Forster.
The Southampton goalkeeper had a touch of the Claudio Bravos, sadly. He wasn’t at fault for the goals, but nor did he save them. By the time he made his first stop, from a Marcos Alonso shot, Southampton had already conceded three.

The fourth — what would have been the cherry on top had Bertrand not scored in added time — was vintage Chelsea, and vintage Costa, too.

He held the ball up, ran into the Southampton area, chasers unable to get near him, laid the ball to Hazard, got it back, played another one-two with Pedro and then finished smartly.
If he is on his game like this for the remainder of the campaign, it will be hard to stop Chelsea. And that is if Tottenham hold their end up and win a difficult set of remaining fixtures, starting on Wednesday night at Selhurst Park.

With Chelsea seven points clear once more, Tottenham have to win and this is a tricky game even if Crystal Palace no longer seem threatened by relegation.
The reason for that is they are a team in form — the one that sparked this late flourishing of a title race by winning at Chelsea, in fact.

Last season, chasing down Leicester, it was Tottenham who blinked first and, if they do so again, it will remove a lot of the tension around Stamford Bridge.

It was certainly edgy for a time — old boy Oriol Romeu reminding us that when a title is on the line, obstacles pop up from the unlikeliest locations. Romeu’s 24th-minute equaliser momentarily silenced this crowd, but is it any wonder? Not only were the stakes high, but the identity of the scorer was, frankly, astonishing.

The goal meant that Romeu has now scored as many at Stamford Bridge for Southampton as he did for Chelsea during several seasons here. It’s now 1-1 — Tuesday night's goal equalising the one he got for Chelsea in a 6-0 win over Wolves on September 25, 2012.
Not that Romeu has ever been prolific. This was his first for Southampton since January 9, 2016 against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup; his first in the league since December 5, 2015 against Aston Villa; and his first away from home since playing for Barcelona B on December 8, 2010 at Real Betis in the Spanish second division.

Nobody can say Southampton did not deserve their spells of parity, however. Despite going behind early, they had already caused jitters in the home penalty area by the time Hazard scored after five minutes.
Manolo Gabbiadini almost capitalised on hesitation in the Chelsea defence after three minutes and Jack Stephens almost got in at the far post soon after.   

So it came as something of a relief, even with so little time gone, when Hazard put Chelsea in front. Fabregas played a raking pass to Costa on the right, he cut the ball back to Hazard, who finished across the face of Forster — a finish reminiscent of Lionel Messi’s precision.
The only question that remained was, having seen Ander Herrera do such a fine man-marking job on Hazard at Old Trafford, why Southampton did not get closer. He ran virtually the width of the pitch to score.

Yet Southampton remained a threat. Chelsea have not been themselves at the back lately, and have not kept a clean sheet in the league since January 22 against Hull. Antonio Conte will have been far from happy with the uncertainty that ended in Southampton’s goal. James Ward-Prowse was the provider, Cesar Azpilicueta unable to clear the ball, which fell to Gabbiadini at the far post. Thibaut Courtois tried unsuccessfully to smother it, but the ball found a way through to Romeu, who was now standing in the six-yard box in front of an empty net. Even a player with his limited scoring prowess could not miss from there.

Chelsea were rattled and it took them a while to get going again. Had they gone in level at half-time, who knows what effect it might have had on their psyche — but in injury time, Gary Cahill settled any troubled minds.

N’Golo Kante swept the ball into a crowded penalty area from the left and Alonso won it in the air, as he so often does. Costa wound up for an acrobatic overhead kick but, before he could make contact, in swooped Chelsea’s captain with his own header to defeat Forster.
By the end, even John Terry was on — a cameo and his first league appearance since a similarly late arrival against Everton on November 5. One might speculate sentiment on Conte’s part, but it is so not the right stage in the season for that.
As Costa demonstrated, it is down to business now.

Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Courtois 6.5; Azpilicueta 7, Luiz 7, Cahill 7.5; Moses 6.5 (Terry 85), Matic 7, Kante 7.5, Fabregas 7.5 (Pedro 76), Alonso 6.5; Hazard 7.5 (Willian 89), Costa 8.
Unused subs: Begovic, Ake, Batshuayi, Chalobah.
Bookings: Kante, Fabregas
Goals: Hazard 5, Cahill 45+1, Costa 53, 89
Manager: Antonio Conte 7

Southampton (4-3-3): Forster 5.5; Soares 6, Yoshida 6.5, Stephens 6.5, Bertrand 6.5; Davis 6.5, Romeu 7, Ward-Prowse 7 (Long 81); Tadic 6, Gabbiadini 7 (Rodriguez 85), Boufal 6 (Redmond 68, 6).
Unused subs: Clasie, Caceres, Redmond, Hojbjerg, Hassen.
Bookings: Romeu, Tadic
Goals: Romeu 24, Bertrand 90+4
Manager: Claude Puel 7

Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire) 6.5
MOM: Costa
Ratings by SAMI MOKBEL

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Independent:

Chelsea back on track at the top as Diego Costa inspires win over Southampton

Chelsea 4 Southampton 2: Antonio Conte's side put the onus on their closest challengers, Tottenham Hotspur, by restoring a seven-point lead at the top of the table
Miguel Delaney Stamford Bridge

Chelsea ease that bit closer to the title, but only after more of a fight than might have been expected against Southampton. They did eventually raise it when they needed, in that efficient way they have so regularly managed since the turn of the year, as the manager’s decision to rest his attacking stars for this 4-2 victory more than paid off.

Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa were all restored to the side after being rested for Saturday’s FA Cup win over title rivals Tottenham Hotspur and, having come on to help win that game, all combined here to decisively win this one. Costa more than stood out, as he offered his most complete display for months by setting up Hazard’s opening strike and then scoring his own first in eight games before adding another right at the death. It was no more than the Spanish forward deserved, as he had rediscovered his rhythm, but not quite what Southampton deserved.

They had really made Chelsea work for an hour, as illustrated by the manner of the true clinching goal. Defender Gary Cahill was willing to put his head where others were putting their feet, to force Chelsea over the line.

Nevertheless, after scoring four fine goals to secure this supreme win, they now only need four wins to secure the title.

It initially seemed like it was going to be one of the dullest games possible, as Chelsea got themselves into what had seemed the best position possible for this point of a title run-in: 1-0 thanks to an early goal, against a mid-table team with nothing to play for.

The way Conte’s side scored that fifth-minute strike only emphasised that, despite its high technical quality. Sure, Diego Costa had done very well with his delayed ball and Hazard even better with his excellent drilled finish into the corner, but they were both given plenty of space and time.

It seemed only a matter of time until Chelsea added to that, to make it a proper procession, but it was to be anything but. Southampton made the first half a real fight, as they soon realised Thibaut Courtois’s fragile defence was there to be got at.

There had already been warning in the manner that Jack Stephens got in on goal even before Hazard’s strike, but Chelsea were still caught almost completely unaware and lax for Oriol Romeu’s 24th-minute equaliser.

As was all too typical for a defence that hasn’t kept a clean sheet in 11 Premier League games now, it was actually one of the leaders’ own defenders that teed it up, Cesar Azpilicueta heading a James Ward-Prowse corner on to Manolo Gabbiadini. The forward showed fine composure to control the ball in such a tight space, before his shot from a tight angle cannoned off Courtois to Romeu to score from close range.

Southampton went closer to the next goal than Chelsea, until the champions elect at last sparked into life. It was, not unpredictably, an N’Golo Kante burst that jolted them back into the life and set the pace for a flurry of attacking. Costa appealed for a penalty, Nemanja Matic went narrowly wide when attempting another screamer and Hazard cut back into the box when he probably should have just shot.

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Guardian:

Chelsea tighten title grip after Diego Costa scores twice against Southampton
Chelsea 4 - 2 Southampton

Dominic Fifield

Normal service has been resumed. Chelsea emphatically checked the recent hint of a stagger and rediscovered the relentless, ruthless form which will surely earn them the Premier League title. Southampton may have been slippery opponents but they were overcome to re-establish a seven-point advantage at the top and steel the leaders for the run-in. The pressure has been thrust back on their closest pursuer. Over to you, Tottenham Hotspur.

Antonio Conte had worn a scowl for much of this match, pounding his technical area as furiously as ever and kicking everything from water bottles to medical bags whenever his players’ concentration lapsed. “I wanted to kick the ball because sometimes, believe me, I want to play,” said the Chelsea manager in the aftermath as the adrenaline gave way to exhaustion. “But I know that if I kick the ball, the referee will probably send me off.”

And yet, by the end, he was pointing to the heavens in delight as Diego Costa, a beast awakened, scored twice after the interval to nullify the visitors’ threat and banish memories of that recent 2-0 defeat at Manchester United.

The Italian acknowledged just how significant this victory could prove to be, potentially sapping hope from Tottenham’s before their tricky trip to Crystal Palace on Wednesday night. “It feels like a massive step,” said Gary Cahill, whose thumping header had restored the home side’s lead in first-half stoppage time. Costa may have caught the eye with his first league goals since early March, but it was the captain’s timely effort which set the tone. His was the kind of goal John Terry might once have supplied.

Plenty of Chelsea’s key performers had risen to this occasion before the end. Cesc Fàbregas was outstanding, striking delicious passes from deep when he was not trading challenges with Oriol Romeu. The cross he arced over from Eden Hazard’s short corner nine minutes into the second period proved to be his 103rd Premier League assist, with Costa holding off Ryan Bertrand to plant a header into the net. Hazard was a livewire, maintaining the high standards he has set all season.
Southampton had been guilty of losing him early on as he ambled on to Costa’s lay-off, eluding Romeu in the process, to fire an accurate finish across Fraser Forster and into the corner.

Then there was Costa, such a frustrated presence over recent weeks, rediscovering his touch after five scoreless performances in the league. His second goal seemed like a release, the passes snapped swiftly between the forward and Hazard, then Pedro, before he wrong-footed Fraser Forster and slid in the fourth. Conte has always pointed to the forward’s selfless contribution, running the channels and unsettling defenders, but he needed proper reward for those efforts. Should he depart for China in the summer he would be going into his last month with Chelsea bolstered. A title would be a fitting way to go out.

Chelsea needed this after Old Trafford. There had still been periods when Southampton’s players, fresh from a weekend off, had threatened to wrest the initiative but just as at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham, the more clinical team would prevail. The visitors were at their most troublesome when Soufiane Bufal and Dusan Tadic were scuttling down the wings, fed by the busy energy and canny deliveries of Steven Davis and James Ward-Prowse.

The England midfielder had delivered the corner from which Chelsea conceded, for the 11th Premier League game in succession, before the half-hour mark. Nemanja Matic’s inadvertent flick had set the home defenders on their heels, with Manolo Gabbiadini allowed time to collect and turn inside before poking the loose ball back across goal. Thibaut Courtois’ touch presented it to Romeu and the former Chelsea player simply could not miss.

There was a period thereafter when Chelsea threatened to wilt, but a barnstorming run down the right from N’Golo Kante seemed to shake them awake once again, with Cahill’s telling contribution delivered shortly afterwards. The centre-half had spent two nights in hospital last week recovering from a severe bout of gastroenteritis, and missed Saturday’s semi-final. “The lads didn’t miss me at Wembley,” he said. They needed him here, easing away from Cédric Soares as Southampton’s back-line laboured to repel crosses from either flank in quick succession. Marcos Alonso looped a header back towards the six-yard box where Cahill powered his attempt down and in. He had actually risked an immediate return to casualty by taking the header clean off Costa’s boot as the striker attempted an overhead kick.

Chelsea did not look back and even offered Terry his first taste of Premier League football since November in what time remained, with Bertrand’s late goal for the visitors a mere consolation.
Conte’s side now need four victories from their remaining fixtures to become champions, although that is supposing Tottenham maintain winning form during their trickier run-in. Spurs have no leeway and the leaders will watch events at Selhurst Park on Wednesday with interest, but they can sense the title edging ever closer. “We must be confident about the future,” added Conte. “We only have to think about ourselves.”

It looked like it could be one of those nights, but then it also looked like one break might do it. They got it when a corner ended up at the feet of Kante. He curled it back, Alonso headed it across goal and Cahill showed immense bravery to get his head to the ball - especially as Costa was at that very second trying to bicycle kick it - and get Chelsea back in front.

Without having been that convincing, Conte’s side again economically lifted it when required.
Costa finally lifted it, too, although there was nothing economical about his display. He was at maximum from the very start of the game. Even beyond his assist, he was generally giving Southampton a lot of problems with his rage and aggression. You would have said it was an impressively complete performance up to that point, except there was still something missing, as he hadn’t hit the target - either in this game or the previous eight. That run at last came to an end.

On 53 minutes, Fabregas clipped the ball into the box, and Costa did brilliantly to get his body around Ryan Bertrand and still get a lot of power on the header. Fraser Forster again might have done better, not that Costa will have cared. He was looking much better after what was just his fifth goal of 2017 for Chelsea.

It showed he had his momentum back, as he eventually got his second of the game and 19th of the Premier League, finishing a flowing move involving intricate touches from Hazard and Pedro to fire past Fraser Forster. The scoring wasn’t quite finished as Bertrand scored an injury-time header. A Chelsea able to introduce John Terry for one of his last appearances at Stamford Bridge still had enough breathing space, just as they do in the title race.

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Tottenham Hotspur 4-2

Telegraph:

Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2:

Eden Hazard puts Antonio Conte on course for the double after decisive late show

Sam Wallace

The water has been a little choppy of late for Antonio Conte, a couple of defeats, a wave of illness in the squad, and a brief bout of general uncertainty for which the cure he prescribed was an afternoon at Wembley breaking the hearts of one of Chelsea’s most bitter rivals

Even the shrewd old Italian might struggle to explain how his side cruised into the FA Cup final two goals the better to Mauricio Pochettino’s bright young team who know how to control a big game but have not yet mastered the art of winning them. While Tottenham Hotspur were making their minds up how best to finish off a Chelsea team that was well off the pace for long periods, Conte’s players took the decision out of their opponents’ hands.

It helps when you can send on Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas as second half substitutes, as Pochettino ruefully reflected, but then perhaps his team should have closed the deal long before then. When the first two of that trio came on the score was 2-2 and once Hazard scored the third there was no looking back for a team that are now on for the Premier League and FA Cup double in their manager’s first season.

Conte picked a team without Costa and Hazard claiming both were rested with Tuesday’s Premier League home game against Southampton in mind and that the plan was always a second half cameo. He played Nathan Ake as a replacement for Gary Cahill, still out with an illness, and so Chelsea prevailed with the unerring certainty they have demonstrated most of the time in the Roman Abramovich years.

As for Spurs, this was the seventh straight FA Cup semi-final defeat for the club since they last won the competition in 1991 and the television pictures of Wembley Way with five minutes of the match left told their own story. It was full of Spurs fans ruminating on another day when triumph was within their grasp, when they had the game’s best player in Christian Eriksen, and yet it slipped through their fingers again.

None of this will matter if they reel in Chelsea’s four-point lead in the Premier League and win the club’s first league championship since 1961 but if one was looking for clues to the end of the season there was not that much encouragement in that regard. No doubt that the young guns in Pochettino’s team will continue to play swashbuckling, exciting football and Conte’s players will most likely continue to win matches.

Pochettino said that the burden of history does not weigh on his players and that the lessons will be learned for next season but in the rapidly emptying Spurs end of Wembley it felt that history hung heavy. Twice they had come from behind to Chelsea goals scored by Willian, the second from the penalty spot, and having done so Spurs really should have gone on to win the game.

Even Conte appeared to sense it and sent on Hazard in the reasonable belief that the best attacking player of the top-flight season might just have a trick up his sleeve to change the game and he duly did, scoring from a loose ball from the first corner Chelsea won all afternoon. By contrast, Pochettino had to turn to Georges-Kevin N’Koudou when the chips were down.

Afterwards, Pochettino said that the death of Under-23s coach Ugo Ehiogu, from a heart attack suffered at the training ground on Thursday, had been a dreadful blow to the club’s staff and players. He did not cite it as a mitigating factor and pointed out that Ehiogu’s death put the rest of their football lives into sharp perspective.

Pochettino too made some interesting selection decisions, picking a back three and no Kyle Walker in the line-up, while deploying Heung-min Son, who gave away a first half penalty, as a left wing-back. Spurs went in at half-time having controlled the first half but 2-1 behind.
Eriksen was always two paces too far from a blue shirt when he got the ball and it was the Dane’s left footed cross from the right side which Harry Kane flicked masterfully with the top of his head on 18 minutes, putting just enough on the ball to change its flight and beat Thibaut Courtois.

Spurs had fallen behind on five minutes when Ake took the ball from Kane and picked out Michy Batshuayi, starting in Costa’s place, whose lay-off to Pedro was the striker’s only really meaningful contribution in the match.
Running into the space was Pedro who got away from Toby Alderweireld rapidly and drew the foul on the edge of the area for which the Belgian was booked. The free-kick was always going to be a very dangerous situation for Spurs, made more difficult by the Chelsea players causing problems in the wall. Willian’s whipped right foot shot came round the corner quickly and beat Hugo Lloris.

Then with just three minutes of the half left, Victor Moses got a rare run on the right side of the Spurs area and Son dived in when there was no need for him to do so. Martin Atkinson awarded the penalty on the advice of his assistant and from the penalty spot, Willian beat Lloris. It had not been an entirely assured first half from the Spurs captain who handled outside his area but got away with it.

Eriksen made the second Spurs goal seven minutes into the second half with another ball from the right that picked out beautifully the run of Dele Alli between David Luiz and Cesar Azpilicueta, and the Spurs man finished for his 20th club goal of the season. For all their pressure after the hour, Spurs could not score a third and conceded when Hazard got the ball into a shooting position quickly and drilled a low shot into the left corner of Lloris’ goal.

By now, Spurs were running out of options and took off Victor Wanyama for N’Koudou. Perhaps that was why Hazard’s cut back found Nemanja Matic in plenty of space and his left foot shot was unstoppable, a sweet rising driving that clipped the underside of Lloris’ bar and went in.
Conte finished the day with a long complaint about having a day less than Spurs to recover before his team play Southampton in three days. You got the feeling he would have swapped this victory for a win on Tuesday but having won this one, Chelsea will surely believe that nothing can stop them now.

The Chelsea match-winners speak

Nemanja Matic: "Yeah it [the goal] was nice. We are very happy because we are in the final.
"Congratulations to Spurs, they made it tough, but when you score four goals you have to win the game.
"They are a great team. As I said it was very hard. They didn't give up and they play good football."

Eden Hazard:
"It's always good to win this kind of game. It will be my first FA Cup final with Chelsea and I hope to win this competition.
"The manager told me yesterday [about being on the bench]. When you play football you want to play every game but he made a good choice. Willian played a good game and scored twice."

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Independent:

Eden Hazard comes off the bench to drive Chelsea past Tottenham and into FA Cup final
Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2: Hazard's replacement in the starting XI, Willian, scored twice

Miguel Delaney Wembley

One moment of managerial inspiration, a double substitution, and Chelsea thereby stay on course for the double. Those bare facts barely tell the story of this sensational FA Cup semi-final of multiple strands and moments to savour, though. The fundamental truth - as ever, it seems - is that Chelsea just had too much for Tottenham Hotspur. The fundamental frustration for Mauricio Pochettino is that his side once again came up short, and are now likely to again end the season without a trophy, especially since this very 4-2 defeat will have completely shifted the momentum of the title race.

That is the more immediate frustration for the Argentine. Spurs had actually shown supreme resilience to twice come back, to step up, and looked like they were ready to make the leap.
Then, Antonio Conte merely brought on his two biggest stars and Chelsea went and won it. It was effectively the recent history of the clubs summed up.

Pochettino’s side had offered the performance, the football, the emotional intensity… but Chelsea just had the expensive star quality to go and win it.
At the same time, a match of such high quality shouldn’t always necessarily lead to defining negatives or positives about either side. This was actually the first time that an FA Cup semi-final had featured the top two since 1999 - and only the second time since the second world war - and it told. Both greatly contributed to what was probably the most pulsating and rip-roaring semi since that famous epic. There certainly can’t have been too many last-four games in that time - or of any time - to match it for high-quality momentum, or that so swung and forced the managers into action as much as the players.

Both Pochettino and Conte had taken risks with their teams before the game, the Argentine putting Son Heung-min at left wing-back and the Italian leaving Diego Costa and Eden Hazard on the bench, and both were forced into more big decisions as this encounter to take massive shifts.

The game was of course played in the shadow of Spurs coach Ugo Ehiogu’s tragic passing on Friday, so it was perhaps understandable that Pochettino’s side started the game out of sorts, after such an emotional tribute to the former Aston Villa defence. Chelsea were ready to go from the off, though, and duly illustrated that when a racing Pedro forced Toby Alderweireld into a sloppy foul and Willian stepped up to take advantage of Hugo Lloris’ sloppy footwork. The Brazilian’s free-kick was excellently curled into the corner.

The curiosity, however, was just how much the game immediately swung. Having looked completely out of sorts, Spurs suddenly looked out for action, and it was very quickly Chelsea desperately hacking the ball away - and for pretty much the next 55 minutes.

Tottenham were so completely on top, and dominated the majority of the game. Even there, though, there were pointers of what was to come.
As dominant as Spurs were, and as desperately far deep as Chelsea often here, Conte’s side were still marshalling the space well enough to prevent any real chances being created. It was telling that it took moments of genuine elite quality to open them. First there was Harry Kane’s supreme
improvised header for the first equaliser, then the controversial Dele Alli’s instinctive first-time finish - not too long after he appeared to stamp on David Luiz - for the second equaliser, with both of them coming from perfectly devastating but very different Christian Eriksen crosses.

In between those, Willian had of course scored a penalty, after Son had gone in rashly on Victor Moses just before half-time. That is the kind of challenge that is inevitable when you have a forward in a notionally defensive position, but that was what Chelsea were reduced to, because there was nothing inevitable about them scoring at that point.

Spurs had been the better team in the game and, once Alli had struck so emphatically, looked set to announce themselves as the better team on the whole.
That, however, was when reality came crashing down.
Conte finally sent for the cavalry, and substitutes Hazard and Costa sent Chelsea through to their first FA Cup final since 2012. Even the quality of the winning goals seemed insultingly symbolic, as if to show a Spurs pushed to the very limit that these were the heights Chelsea could more effortlessly reach when they really needed.

For the first clincher, and Chelsea’s third and the game’s fifth, Hazard picked the ball up at the edge of the box. He then edged himself to the left before precisely rolling the ball past Lloris. For the next, Nemanja Matic - of all players - thumped the ball in off the crossbar from distance.
There once more looked a distance between the teams, and that four points in the Premier League table a chasm again rather than an ever-closing gap.

It was a further twist to this match. The build-up had been dominated by talk over whether Spurs were actually the best team in the country, and ironically spent much of this match as the better team.
Yet they still weren’t as good as Chelsea.

Spurs are likely to end up with nothing again, having given everything again. It just wasn't enough.
Chelsea had two much, and may now end up with two trophies

===========================

Observer:

Eden Hazard clinches semi-final thriller for Chelsea against Tottenham
Chelsea 4 - 2 Spurs

Paul Wilson at Wembley

The Wembley misery for Tottenham goes on. Not only were Mauricio Pochettino’s team well beaten by what appeared to be a weakened Chelsea side, their hopes of striking a psychological blow against their title rivals were dealt a blow when Antonio Conte came up with some blue sky thinking of his own, saving the best until last to put a strong Spurs performance into unflattering perspective.

Tottenham have still not been in an FA Cup final since Paul Gascoigne was running around injuring himself against Nottingham Forest in 1991 and they have now failed at the semi-final stage on seven consecutive occasions. Chelsea last won the Cup in 2012 and Conte now has a chance to mark his first season in England by winning the Double. It would be foolish to write him off, for though his selection policy might have been deemed risky, it ended up underlining the strength at his disposal.

All the pre-match conversation had centred on Chelsea’s eccentric starting line-up with Eden Hazard and Diego Costa named on the bench for one of the biggest matches of the season. Traditionally, an FA Cup semi-final is regarded as one of the most significant games of the season anyway and in Premier League terms this one pitted first in the table against second. It is true that Sir Alex Ferguson watered down his Manchester United team for a Wembley semi-final against Everton eight years ago, but he was worried about an upcoming Champions League appointment, not a home game against Southampton on Tuesday. f Conte is really that concerned about the tightening situation at the top of the league he could hardly have sent out a stronger message of encouragement to Pochettino and his chasing team.

Or so it seemed before kickoff. Once the game got underway the Chelsea changes had an almost instantaneous positive effect. Michy Batshuayi is still waiting for his first league start this season but the first time he received the ball in an attacking position a clever flick and feint was all he needed to send Pedro racing towards goal. Toby Alderweireld just about managed to get across in time to cover but only succeeded in bringing the Spaniard down with a scything tackle on the edge of the area. The defender went into the book with barely four minutes on the clock and to make matters even worse Willian scored directly from the free-kick, bending a shot around the wall to catch out Hugo Lloris.
With Chelsea continuing to dominate, Batshuayi brought a save by Lloris from a N’Golo Kanté cross, finding himself free in front of goal but unable to quite summon enough power on the header to trouble the goalkeeper.

The header from Harry Kane that brought Spurs back level in the 18th minute was hardly the most forceful Wembley has ever seen either, though whether by accident or design he managed to put the ball in exactly the right place when he stooped low to meet Christian Eriksen’s cross with an improvised finish.
David Luiz needed treatment after Dele Alli trod on his ankle while looking in the opposite direction, the Spurs player receiving the benefit of the doubt and going unpunished by the referee, Martin Atkinson.

Spurs seemed to have recovered from their early nerves by the half-hour mark, and Eric Dier was close to putting then ahead from a Jan Vertonghen cross as the Chelsea chances began to dry up. A well-timed challenge from David Luiz was needed to prevent Alli running clear from Kane’s nudge forward, then an Eriksen shot was comfortably held by Thibaut Courtois when it appeared the goalkeeper might be caught off his line.

Just when Conte must have been weighing up the pros and cons of putting his strongest team out for the second half, Chelsea unexpectedly regained the lead. There seemed little danger when Kanté fanned the ball out for Victor Moses to cross from the right, but as he entered the penalty area the wing-back took an extra touch that left Son Heung-min exposed and already committed to a sliding tackle. Son protested his innocence, but it was a poor challenge to make in the area and once Moses had fallen over an outstretched leg Willian scored his second of the afternoon from the penalty spot.

Spurs were thus obliged to climb back into the game again and it took them only seven minutes of the second half to manage it. The influential Eriksen hoisted a diagonal ball forward that David Luiz thought he had covered until Alli nipped in ahead of him to beat Courtois with a masterly first-time finish, taking only one touch but sending a left-foot half-volley high into the net.
The game was a full-blooded contest now, and when Willian saw a shot blocked at one end, Alli charged into the box at the other to win a corner.

When Costa and Hazard made their entrances after just over an hour in what appeared a pre-planned strategy, nothing happened for the best part of a quarter of an hour. Chelsea continued to look sluggish and reluctant to take the game to Spurs with only Moses willing to break out of his own half, though one of his runs produced the corner from which their third goal arrived. Cesc Fàbregas crossed but did not find David Luiz, Spurs failed to clear and the ball ran through to Hazard on the edge of the area who drilled a low shot into Lloris’s bottom corner.

As if making up for lost time Hazard was also involved in the show-stopping finish five minutes later, carrying the ball across the area and meeting little resistance before rolling a pass back for Nemanja Matic to score with a thumping drive.
One could only feel sorry for Spurs by then, they hardly deserved to be on the end of a 4-2 mauling, yet Chelsea not only seem to be writing their own rules but coming up with some completely new scripts.

Chelsea

GK Thibaut Courtois 6/10 Fit again after missing last week’s defeat to Manchester United, the big Belgian could not be faulted for either of Tottenham’s goals.
CB César Azpilicueta 7/10 The Spaniard is Chelsea’s most consistent player and there was never any prospect of him being caught out. Did the basics with typical efficiency.
CB David Luiz 7/10 The Brazilian lost Dele Alli for Tottenham’s second equaliser, a reminder that he still suffers the occasional brain freeze, but he recovered well.
CB Nathan Aké 6/10 In for the unwell Gary Cahill for his first start since February. Made important interventions, but slack marking led to Tottenham’s first equaliser.
RWB Victor Moses 6/10 Cleverly won Chelsea’s penalty by luring Son Heung-min into a needless challenge and making the most of faint contact. Also defended well.
LWB Marcos Alonso 6/10 Booked for throwing the ball away, the Spaniard was wasteful in possession at times. But he rarely looked like committing a major error. Reliable.
CM Ngolo Kanté 7/10 Snappy and energetic as ever, he relished the battle, although he might have done more to stop Eriksen crossing for Kane’s goal. Booked.
CM Nemanja Matic 7/10 Got through the dirty work unfussily in the middle Then he confirmed his team’s victory with an unbelievable 30-yard piledriver.
FW Willian 8/10 The replacement for the rested Eden Hazard offered a reminder of his class, scoring with a lovely free-kick before converting a penalty.
FW Michy Batshuayi 6/10 Starting for the first time since January, the Belgian released Pedro with a brilliant flick. But his threat had faded by the time he went off.
FW Pedro 6/10 The winger’s pace was a constant thorn in Tottenham’s side and he won the free-kick that led to Willian’s opener. Unselfish off the ball.

SUBSTITUTES
Diego Costa 6 (for Batshuayi 61) Missed a good late chance; Eden Hazard 8 (for Willian 61) Came off the bench to produce one moment of decisive magic Cesc Fàbregas 6 (for Pedro 74) His corner led to Hazard’s winner.

Tottenham Hotspur

GK Hugo Lloris 5/10 Anticipating that Willian would curl his early free-kick over the wall, the goalkeeper could not react when the Brazilian bent a sharp effort into the opposite corner.
CB Eric Dier 6/10 Gave a decent account of himself after making a nervy start. A couple of hairy moments, though, and he missed a good chance to give Tottenham the lead.
CB Toby Alderweireld 5/10 Booked for the foul on Pedro that led to Chelsea’s opener, the normally dependable centre-back was uncertain. A strangely jittery performance.
CB Jan Vertonghen 6/10 A solid performance from the Belgian, who denied Willian with an important block early in the second half. Rarely put a foot wrong.
RWB Kieran Trippier 6/10 Stood in for Kyle Walker and offered attacking thrust on the right, often combining well with Eriksen. Moved to the left in the second half.
LWB Son Heung-Min 5/10 Shoehorned into the team by Mauricio Pochettino, the South Korean was a wobbly presence at wing-back. Naive defensively, he conceded a rash penalty.
CM Victor Wanyama 6/10 Strong and powerful in midfield, the Kenyan broke up plenty of Chelsea moves with forceful challenges. Tough to bypass, though he can lack composure.
CM Mousa Dembélé 6/10 Disappointing in the early stages, but Tottenham improved when he started to dictate the tempo and pull the strings in midfield.
AM Christian Eriksen 7/10 Comfortable with both feet, the Dane gave a Beckham-esque cross for Alli’s equaliser and created Kane’s goal with another delivery. Always a threat.
AM Dele Alli 7/10 Might have been censured when he trod on David Luiz. Booked for a cynical foul on Moses. But he always influences games and his 20th goal of the season hauled Tottenham level.
CF Harry Kane 7/10 The best striker in England showed speed of thought and tremendous skill to score from an unlikely position, stooping low to skim a back-header past Courtois.

SUBSTITUTES
Kyle Walker 6 (for Trippier 70) Didn’t get on the ball; Georges-Kévin N’Koudou 67 (for Wanyama 80) On too late to make a difference.

==============================

Mail:

Chelsea 4-2 Tottenham: Eden Hazard comes off the bench to fire Antonio Conte's side into FA Cup final and keep alive double quest in a six-goal thriller

By Rob Draper for The Mail on Sunday

Here was the contest we had dared to hope for, the two best teams in the country furiously wrestling each other for supremacy in an exhilarating bout at this famous old venue. The only regret? That this was not the final; it would have been one of the greats.

Still, there is now a tradition of Wembley semi-finals and this one will live long in the memory. Perhaps as long as 1991 and that Paul Gascoigne goal, even if it will be less-fondly recalled by Spurs.
It even had a strike which, if not quite as astounding as that one, was still one of the best moments this stadium has witnessed. 

Nemanja Matic finally settled this compelling affair with a goal from 30 yards which will accumulate YouTube views and likes for years to come.

'To see this type of game, I think England must be proud, to have this type of football with this intensity, this level of players,' said Antonio Conte.
He was right. Too often excitement trumps technique in games deemed to be good in England but here there was quality and thrills in equal measure.

For Tottenham, there will inevitably be regrets. They are becoming that delightful team which comes up short in the final analysis. That may seem harsh, given their improvement.
On Saturday, they were excellent again; yet still second best. Even in defeat, Christian Eriksen was man of the match. Perhaps their time will come. Yet, trophies pass them by. And perhaps not just the FA Cup.

Even with no points at stake, the momentum of the Premier League race shifted back in Chelsea's favour. With Chelsea buoyed by this win and Tottenham punctured by defeat, the already unlikely task is surely beyond Tottenham now.

This was a seventh successive FA Cup semi-final defeat and Mauricio Pochettino protested that he could not change the past. 'We need to build the present to have a better future,' he insisted.
'I know and I am sure that if I am a Spurs supporter I would feel disappointed. But our fans know the pressure and the momentum we had in the game. And I feel very proud as the players did a fantastic effort. I believe it is an exciting team.
'Two years ago it was difficult to think we would arrive at that level, to reach a semi-final, final, fight for the Premier League. Now it is a reality. It is important to be clever how we build the team for the next few years.'

But Chelsea prevailed whilst initially holding back their best hand. Conte gambled outrageously, leaving Diego Costa and Eden Hazard on the bench for the almighty clash, later claiming that the Premier League, in scheduling their next game on Tuesday when Spurs play on Wednesday, made him do it.
'You must take a strong decision and take the responsibility but, for sure, it is not easy,' he said.
Cometh the hour, the plan was always to reach for the stars and ultimately, that would be decisive. Still, without Hazard and Costa, you suspected Chelsea might start on the back foot. Not so. They fairly flew into Tottenham.

And just four minutes in, Chelsea had exerted their early superiority. Pedro, a constant irritant, set on his way by a Michy Batshuayi flick, was sprinting away and hacked to the floor by Toby Alderweireld. Willian struck the free kick from 20 yards out and Hugo Lloris hesitated, feinting to his right as the ball flew past him to his left.
The tone seemed set. And yet, the momentum would switch on 18 minutes. From a Spurs corner, the ball worked its way back to Eriksen. His cross was sublime but Harry Kane's stooping header, a triumph of opportunism and skill, was even better. Even if Kante had failed to close – for once – and Nathan Ake failed to mark, it was some goal.

Now Tottenham were in the ascendancy, flying forwards with wing backs Kieran Trippier and Son Heung-min. In midfield there was a veritable heavyweight clash of tag teams; Nemanja Matic and N'Golo Kante versus Mousa Dembele and Victor Wanyama.
A more-ferocious contest of better midfielders is hard to imagine in this country. But Conte's team were creaking. Jan Vertonghen's lovely cross was met by Eric Dier, who headed just wide on 36 minutes.

Spurs though invited their opponents back into the game. Chelsea gathered their poise and worked the ball out wide for Kante to play in Victor Moses. He broke dangerously into the box yet there was little need for Son's diving challenge, which begged for Moses to fall over him and a penalty to be awarded. Willian stepped up and again fooled Lloris for 2-1.

Yet each blow invited an equally-compelling counter punch. And, on 51 minutes, when Eriksen spotted Dele Alli making a trademark run from deep, he knew precisely the ball he needed.
With little width and minimal back-lift, the Dane delivered a delightful ball with exquisite precision. Again, his excellent delivery was matched by the finish: Alli, sprinting, meeting the ball first time, directing it past Thibaut Courtois.

Now Spurs believed and Chelsea needed a lift. On the hour it came with Costa and Hazard unleashed on the game, with Batshuayi and a seemingly disgruntled Willian giving way. Tottenham still looked the stronger but neither team would yield. On came Cesc Fabregas for Pedro. Conte's hand had been played.
Moses flew forwards and a corner was won. Fabregas floated it goalwards and Kyle Walker headed clear but only to Hazard. A posse of Tottenham players flew at the Belgian to close him down. Yet somehow he managed to strike through them all and past Lloris on 75 minutes.

Chelsea might have feared the onslaught. And yet, on 80 minutes, a strike worthy of a wonderful contest settled the game. Hazard, refusing to give up on a seemingly lost cause, chased across the Tottenham, area and touched the ball to Matic.
Thirty yards out, with little danger imminent, Matic simply connected first time with the most-exquisite timing possible.
The ball flew past defenders and past Lloris into the far right hand corner and somehow Chelsea had prevailed with something to spare.

Chelsea (3-4-3): Courtois 6, Azpilicueta 6, Luiz 6.5, Ake 6, Moses 6.5, Kante 7.5, Matic 7, Alonso 5, Willian 8.5 (Hazard 61, 7), Batshuayi 6.5 (Costa 61, 6), Pedro 7 (Fabregas 74, 6)
Subs not used: Begovic, Zouma, Terry, Chalobah
Goals: Willian 5, 43 (pen), Hazard 75, Matic 80
Booked: Alonso
Manager: Antonio Conte 7.5

Tottenham (3-4-2-1): Lloris 5, Dier 6, Alderweireld 5.5, Vertonghen 6, Trippier 7, Wanyama 6.5 (Nkoudou 80), Dembele 6.5, Son 5.5 (Walker 68, 6), Eriksen 8, Alli 7.5, Kane 7
Subs not used: Janssen, Sissoko, Wimmer, Lopez, Davies
Goals: Kane 18, Alli 52
Booked: Alderweireld, Alli
Manager: Mauricio Pochettino 7

Referee: Martin Atkinson 7
Attendance: 86,355
Ratings by Adam Shergold

=================================

Express:

Chelsea 4 - Tottenham 2: Antonio Conte's ruthless Blues snatch FA Cup final berth

TOTTENHAM were brave and brilliant in a pulsating FA Cup semi-final. Chelsea were ruthless - and they grabbed the glory at the end of a match for the ages at Wembley.

By JIM HOLDEN

Victory for Antonio Conte’s team was sealed with a goal worthy of settling any big match when midfielder Nemanja Matic scored with an astonishing long-range drive that flew unstoppably into the top corner of the net.

It means Chelsea, leading the Premier League by four points from Spurs, are still on course for The Double.
It means the curse of Wembley still clings to Tottenham, who fell to a seventh successive semi-final defeat in the world’s oldest football competition.
And, beyond any doubt, a classic and captivating showdown illustrated that the FA Cup still has a central place at the heart of our national game.
Conte embraced with rival manager Mauricio Pochettino at the final whistle and then blew kisses to the crowd. He learned about the magic of the Cup yesterday.

Maybe it is an evening that Spurs will reflect on with regret. They had more possession and more shots at goal, and there was no doubting their style and class.
But Chelsea had the edge where it mattered --- in scoring goals. They are a ruthless and decisive team under Conte’s guidance and the doubters have been crushed.

Conte had confounded all opinion before the start by leaving Eden Hazard and Diego Costa on the bench. It was widely pilloried as a mistake.
What do the experts know?
Hazard’s replacement was Willian, who scored twice, and then Hazard stepped in from the bench to inspire a second half surge to glory.

The Italian manager has delivered a few masterstrokes this season, and here was another. Why do people keep on doubting him?
Chelsea took the lead within five minutes of the kick off, playing with the vitality and vigour of potential champions.
Pedro roared forward from the halfway line and was felled on the edge of the box by Toby Alderweireld. The free-kick was taken by Willian, who curled a delicious shot into the net.
For a few minutes Tottenham appeared stunned by the setback. But there is a diamond-hard resilience to these Spurs and they equalised swiftly enough.

Christian Eriksen crossed low with his left foot in the 18th minute and Harry Kane scored with a deft header into the far corner of the net.  There had seemed little threat from the cross --- but there is always danger with Kane around.
Now it was Spurs in command of a compelling contest. Eric Dier head inches wide and Eriksen had a shot saved by Thibaut Courtois.

Chelsea, also, are not a team prone to panic. They went 2-1 up just before half-time when Willian stroked home from the penalty spot.
It was a fiercely debated decision, given by the linesman when Heung-min Son rashly dived in towards a rampaging Victor Moses.
There didn’t appear much contact, but it was still a moment of folly from Son, playing as a wing-back, but who is not a natural defender.
Yes or no: pundits were divided, spectators were divided. The great panacea of video replays would have made no difference.

Spurs didn’t lick their wounds for too long. They equalised again in the 52nd minute, courtesy of another magical cross from Eriksen. The ball was curled tantalisingly into the box and Dele Alli ghosted in to steer home the goal.
The pace and the panache of the game were relentless, all at a high quality and rare intensity.

This was only the second time the top two sides in the League had met in an FA Cup semi-final in 113 years. The other was the famous and fabulous clash of Manchester United and Arsenal in 1999 --- and yesterday’s showdown lived up to the greatest expectations.
At 2-2 the match was in the balance. Now came the vindication for Conte’s selection choices.
Hazard and Costa were introduced on the hour, and the match gradually slipped out of Tottenham’s control.

Another substitute, Cesc Fabregas, sent over a corner in the 74th minute and the ball fell to Hazard on the edge of the Tottenham area from where he drilled a low shot through the crowd into the net.
Six minutes later it was 4-2 with a devastating goal from Matic, whose piledriver arrowed into the top corner of the net off the underside of the bar.
Will it be a psychological blow in Chelsea’s favour the title battle? Perhaps it will. What mattered much more yesterday was a thrilling game in the grandest traditions of the FA Cup.

CHELSEA: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Luiz, Ake; Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso; Willian (Hazard 60th), Batshuayi (Costa 60th), Pedro (Fabregas 74th).
TOTTENHAM: Lloris; Dier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen; Trippier, Wanyama (Nkoudou 80th), Dembele, Son (Walker 68th); Eriksen, Alli; Kane.

Man of the match: DAVID LUIZ - Another formidable defensive performance, keeping Harry Kane quiet enough to ensure victory for Chelsea.

Referee: M Atkinson.
Attendance: 86,355.

=================================

Star:

Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2: Nemanja Matic screamer sends Blues into FA Cup final

ANTONIO CONTE got his big decisions right as Tottenham’s Wembley woe continued.

By Paul Hetherington

But after an hour of a magnificent FA Cup Semi-Final, Conte replaced Willian with Hazard, who put Chelsea back in front before setting up the fourth goal for Nemanja Matic.
So it is Chelsea who go to the final as Spurs, who scored through Harry Kane and Dele Alli, suffered again at the national stadium.
They have now won just one of their last nine matches at Wembley, including this season’s European games.

It was a semi-final tinged with sadness following the sudden death of Ugo Ehiogu, Tottenham’s Under-23s coach.
Both sides wore black armbands and Spurs clearly wanted to put on a special performance as a tribute to the former England defender – and they came close to doing so.

There was a minute’s applause for Ehiogu before the kick-off, rightly acknowledged by the participating Chelsea fans too.
And it was the Blues who were celebrating in only the fifth minute as Spurs made a nightmare start.
A move started by Nathan Ake and Michy Batshuayi – two players who were not originally expected to figure – led to Pedro breaking through the middle at pace.

The Spaniard’s run was ended just outside the penalty area by a foul from behind by Toby Alderweireld, who was yellow-carded by referee Martin Atkinson.
And worse was to follow for Spurs as Willian superbly curled the free-kick to the left of keeper Hugo Lloris and into the corner of the net.
As Chelsea celebrated, a light aircraft flew over Wembley, displaying a streamer which read “Antonio, Antonio” in tribute to the Blues boss.

Chelsea almost scored again 10 minutes later but Batshuayi did not get enough power behind his header and Lloris dropped to his left to save.
Tottenham, however, recovered to score a fine equaliser in the 18th minute. A corner was headed out by Ake but Spurs immediately retrieved possession.

Christian Eriksen crossed low from the right for Kane to stoop and cleverly flicked a delicate header into the far corner of the net for his 26th goal of the season.
There was a scare for Chelsea when David Luiz was trod on by Alli as he made a clearance. The Brazilian defender required two minutes of treatment before being able to continue.

Spurs then almost took the lead as they took a grip on the first half for a spell. Jan Vertonghen crossed from the left and Eric Dier glanced a header across the face of goal and inches wide.
When Tottenham came again after Cesar Azpilicueta had been robbed of possession, Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois plucked a curling effort from Eriksen out of the air.

But Chelsea regained the lead two minutes from half-time when Heung-Min Son was ruled to have brought down Victor Moses as he moved on to a N’Golo Kante pass.
Son, not normally a wing-back, went to ground but Moses appeared to dive over his body.

Referee Atkinson took his time before pointing to the spot and Willian converted the penalty. But just seven minutes into the second half it was all square in the capital derby.
Eriksen delivered an exquisite pass and Alli timed his run perfectly to meet the ball and drive it past Courtois.
Spurs then had a penalty shout turned down when Alli went to ground.
With Tottenham on top again, Conte sent on the cavalry in the shape of Hazard and Diego Costa on the hour. They replaced Willian – who could feel hard done by – and Batshuayi.

And 15 minutes later, Hazard superbly drove Chelsea in front. A corner delivered by another substitute Cesc Fabregas was half cleared by Spurs sub Kyle Walker but only as far as Hazard.
From just inside the box, the brilliant Belgian struck a low left-foot shot through a crowded goalmouth and into the far corner of the net.

Hazard then set up Matic five minutes later for another Chelsea goal, a left-foot rocket high into the net.
That brought Spurs’ eight-game winning streak to a painful end as Kane was denied an added-time goal from a free-kick when Courtois grabbed the ball at the second attempt as it spun back into his arms.

================================================

Sun:

BLUE BEAUTY Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2:

Nemanja Matic and Eden Hazard decisive in FA Cup Wembley thriller as Blues book final date
Willian scored twice with Harry Kane and Dele Alli also on the scoresheet but it was Hazard and Matic who had final say

By Anthony Chapman

NEMANJA MATIC booked Chelsea a spot at the FA Cup final in style with his thunderbolt strike sealing a 4-2 semi-final win over Tottenham this afternoon.
The Serb lashed home from outside the area to bring Wembley to its feet on a memorable day for Antonio Conte and Blues fans.

Chelsea started the brighter of the two and were rewarded with a free-kick after just five minutes when Pedro was brought down by Toby Alderweireld.
The Belgian was booked but things got worse for Spurs as Willian fired in the resulting set-piece with aplomb.

Eden Hazard was dropped in favour of the Brazilian and it appeared Antonio Conte was also right with his selections of Nathan Ake and Michy Batshuayi, with all three looking sharp.
However, Tottenham rallied and scored an equaliser through Harry Kane after 17 minutes.
The clinical striker stooped low to score a backwards diving header, and his goal saw Spurs step up the pressure ten-fold.

But Chelsea held on and again came out on top when Son Heung-Min fouled Victor Moses two minutes before the break.
And Spurs again battled back to restore parity when Christian Eriksen’s sumptuous long pass was tucked home by Dele Alli with 52 minutes on the clock.
But sub Hazard made sure Chelsea took a late advantage when he found the target with 15 minutes remaining before Matic put the result beyond doubt with his stunner from distance.

DREAM TEAM RATINGS
Chelsea: Courtois 6, Azpilicueta 7, David Luiz 7, Ake 6, Moses 7, Kante 7, Matic 7, Alonso 6, Willian 7 (Hazard 7), Batshuayi 6 (Costa 6), Pedro 6 (Fabregas 6)
Subs not used: Begovic, Zouma, Terry, Chalobah
Goals: Willian 5’, 43’ (pen), Hazard 75’, Matic 80’
Booked: Kante, Alonso

Tottenham: Lloris 5, Dier 6, Alderweireld 6, Vertonghen 6, Trippier 6, Wanyama 6 (Nkoudou 6), Dembele 6, Son 6 (Walker 6), Eriksen 8, Alli 7, Kane 7
Subs not used: Janssen, Sissoko, Wimmer, Lopez, Davies
Goals: Kane 18’, Alli 52’
Booked: Alderweireld, Alli

Star Man: Christian Eriksen

=================================

Mirror:

Chelsea 4-2 Tottenham: Blues edge thriller at Wembley to reach FA Cup final

Substitute Eden Hazard scored the decisive goal before Nemanja Matic rubber-stamped the victory with a screamer

BYJOHN CROSS

Eden Hazard inspired a brilliant Chelsea late victory as Antonio Conte’s men won a Wembley classic.
Hazard and Nemanja Matic scored late goals as Chelsea overcame Tottenham to give the Premier League leaders a huge boost.

Tottenham twice fought back from being behind as Willian’s early free kick and then his penalty before half time put Chelsea ahead.
But Harry Kane and then Dele Alli levelled things up and Tottenham looked in complete control with Chelsea on the ropes.
But the introduction of Hazard, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas changed the game completely as Conte’s substitutions hit the jackpot.

The FA Cup still matters

This was an incredible game, a real thriller. Tottenham unlucky as they played so well, Chelsea fought and it shows this brilliant game was a treat for 86,355 fans (well, maybe about half).
But it was a classic to remind us all that the FA Cup is a fabulous competition, the two best teams in the country put aside the title race to go hell for leather.
Tottenham were so unlucky to lose, they were brilliant. But Chelsea sent for the cavalry and Eden Hazard, in particular, changed the momentum.
This surely has to be a lift for Chelsea in the title race as well. This should be a lesson for all.

The whole of football embraces Ugo’s tribute

The pre-match tribute to Ugo Ehiogu only served to underline what a popular and respected figure the former England and Tottenham under-23 coach was.
His tragic death after a heart attack on the training pitch was marked with a minute’s applause before the game, respected by both sets of fans.
Mauricio Pochettino looked particularly emotional when the TV cameras panned to him. He’s been left understandably devastated by the loss of someone he liked and respected so much.

Now we know why Michy Batshuayi doesn’t get a game…

Bearing in mind Diego Costa’s poor form and his head seemingly already in China, it is surprising that Antonio Conte hasn’t given Batshuayi a chance before now.
And then again… Bearing in mind he cost £33m, Batshuayi was very poor. Poor touch, didn’t hold the ball up and didn’t look dangerous.
Maybe it’s a lack of sharpness through a lack of chances. But he didn’t look great and now we know why Diego Costa is still playing despite his poor form.

Christian Eriksen is a pass master

His delivery from set pieces and passes is out of this world. Great cross for the first, even better pass for the second.
It can be no coincidence that Tottenham’s form has been at its peak at the same time as Eriksen’s form has hit new heights.

Chelsea on the march

This was a brilliant lift for Chelsea. They were on the ropes and struggling with Tottenham looking the only winners at 2-2.
But the way Hazard lifted the leaders was immense and Tottenham’s Wembley curse goes on and it must lift Chelsea while also be a sickener for Spurs.
A huge day and a huge lift for Chelsea as they chase the double. Tottenham will do well to lift themselves with Chelsea on the march again.


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Manchester United 0-2

Guardian:

Marcus Rashford and Manchester United sink Chelsea to reignite title race
Man Utd 2 - 0 Chelsea

Daniel Taylor at Old Trafford

The only possible complaint that could be directed at Manchester United after this game is the question of why they have not played with this kind of authority more often this season. Oh, this was more like it from José Mourinho’s team. They have never looked so accomplished in his era and, in the process, they have opened up the title race in a way that makes it bewildering they are so far back in Chelsea’s wing-mirrors.

Mourinho can certainly take enormous satisfaction from the way his players out‑thought, out-ran and out-fought those from Stamford Bridge, even if a man with his ambitions must also harbour a deep sense of regret that it still leaves his team 15 points back, not even guaranteed the prize of Champions League football next season. Mourinho had devised a tactical masterclass.
His players were enthusiastic students and Chelsea were rattled. How rattled? Well, it probably sums it up that N’Golo Kanté, of all people, was responsible for losing the ball before the second goal. It was, Mourinho said, a “special performance against special opponents”. Or, to use Ander Herrera’s description, “almost perfect”.

Chelsea still have a more obliging run-in than Tottenham Hotspur in second place but Conte’s men have seen a 13-point lead whittled down to four in just under a month and, if nothing else, it has applied an element of vulnerability to what was in danger of becoming a procession. Conte admitted afterwards that Spurs were now “the best team” and though it would be out of character for Chelsea to lose their nerve, perhaps United have shown the blueprint now for beating, or at least negating, the league leaders.

Mourinho cannot have found it easy to leave out Zlatan Ibrahimovic but the decision to drop his leading scorer was based on boldness rather than conservatism, and fully justified bearing in mind the chasing Marcus Rashford gave David Luiz and Gary Cahill. Rashford was exceptional but Herrera pushed him close to be recognised as the game’s outstanding performer on a day when the Spaniard was assigned an old-fashioned man-marking role on Eden Hazard. Herrera stuck to his man like a limpet but he also weighed in with the second goal as well as setting up the first for Rashford with an exquisite piece of vision.

To give Chelsea their due, Herrera also got away with an obvious handball before the opening goal, seven minutes in, but Conte did not try once to use that as an excuse for everything that followed. United’s starting XI had managed only 12 league goals all season but Mourinho had worked out everything to a T. It was his first win against Chelsea since leaving the club and though Conte still leads 2-1 on that front, it was also a reminder that opposition fans might have been a little premature this season in serenading United’s manager with chants of “you’re not special any more”.

Mourinho’s formation – a fluid 3‑1‑4‑1-1 – was certainly unorthodox but it was also designed to minimise Chelsea’s counter-attacking threat. Matteo Darmian, like Herrera, had his own specialist role, rarely leaving Pedro’s side. Ashley Young, an unusual choice for captain, seemed inspired by the role and was applauded off by his manager when he was substituted late on.
Ibrahimovic, Mourinho explained, has looked tired recently, but there was more to it than that. Mourinho not only started with Rashford but also had Jesse Lingard operating just off the striker, a decision based on the suspicion that Chelsea’s centre-backs would be vulnerable to quick, penetrative running.

That was certainly the case with the opening goal and the controversy surrounding Herrera’s handball should not entirely obscure the fact it was a beautifully weighted pass once the referee had given him the benefit of the doubt. All the same, it was easy to understand why Chelsea were aggrieved.
They had been on a promising counter-attack of their own when Herrera used his left hand to intercept Nemanja Matic’s pass. At this level it was poor from the referee, Robert Madley, to let it go, and in a matter of seconds Rashford was clear, running behind David Luiz, taking a couple of touches to steady himself and then angling his shot past Asmir Begovic.

Begovic was in goal for Chelsea because Thibaut Courtois had injured himself in a promotional basketball shoot for the NBA and as if that was not galling enough for Conte, there was more disruption in the warm-up when Marcos Alonso was forced out with a virus.

Kurt Zouma was fast-tracked into the defence, with César Azpilicueta initially switching to Alonso’s role as a left wing-back before swapping places with Victor Moses on the right. It did not work on either side.

Chelsea had lost their full-strength XI with unfortunate timing but that does not fully explain their lack of cohesion. Moses was removed eight minutes into the second half and however much of a pest Herrera was, Conte is probably entitled to think Hazard ought to be accustomed to the close attention of opposition players. As for Diego Costa, he had one of those days when he seemed to base his entire strategy on antagonising whoever was marking him. It seems like old hat now, and Mourinho’s defenders had been drilled not to react.

If anything, the ordeal could have been even worse for Chelsea bearing in mind the dangers Rashford posed his markers and the lack of activity in David de Gea’s penalty area. Four minutes into the second half, Kanté’s heavy touch from a penalty-box clearance allowed Young to dispossess him. As Young moved into the penalty area, Zouma prodded the ball away and Herrera let fly from 20 yards. The deflection off Kanté wrong-footed Begovic and Chelsea, for the first time in a long while, no longer seem immune to danger.

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Independent:

Jose Mourinho masterclass sees Manchester United beat Chelsea to reignite Premier League title race
Manchester United 2 Chelsea 0: Goals from Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera saw Mourinho thoroughly get the better of Antonio Conte to shake things up at the top of the table
Miguel Delaney

A Manchester United win, a personal Jose Mourinho triumph, and a transformation for both this team and the title race?
The Portuguese said before this game that he would be “killed” if he dared play a second team and, while his selection understandably raised eyebrows before the game, it offered what may have been his best performance as a manager since January 2015 and may well have given new life to this title race.

It is not just that there is now a mere four-point gap between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea after Antonio Conte’s side were steamrolled 2-0 at Old Trafford, but also that they - and their entire system - looked so vulnerable. There are many caveats to that defeat like the fact injury to the evidently crucial Marcos Alonso denied them proper balance on the left, but there are no caveats to the way United beat them to everything.

This laxness was anathema to everything we know about Conte, and his response will be interesting.
United’s response to everything in this match, meanwhile, was emphatic and impressive intensity. This was by far their best performance of their season, and it’s difficult not to think that Mourinho was properly fired up by the idea he might lose all three games to his old team and their new manager in one season.

In that and how the Portuguese seemed to so willingly talk down the game, much of it was reminiscent of the famous 2-0 victory with Chelsea at Anfield in April 2014. Much of the performance was not, though, because this Mourinho team was so much more proactive and energetic than his team on that day. It was reminiscent of much better Mourinho teams.
From that, it was genuinely the type of win that should be a juncture moment for United, and give them a new belief.
It was that comprehensive and commanding a win.

What’s more, and what was most remarkable, was that it was Chelsea that suddenly looked jaded from a Europa League slog while United looked like the side that had a week off. The tone - and pace - was set as early as the second minute when Marcus Rashford ran right at David Luiz and immediately caused the type of problem that the Chelsea defence hasn’t had to deal with for some time. It was as if the directness surprised Conte’s backline, and as if Mourinho had specifically used his prior knowledge from working with the Brazilian centre-half to tell Rashford exactly how to get at him. And get at him he did. Within six minutes, through the same route, Rashford had given United the lead. It may have come from a handball - and divine pass - from Ander Herrera, and Mourinho’s side might have got lucky in that regard, but Chelsea got slack in how so many of their players looked to the referee rather than how to try and stop the attack.

Even allowing for that, and the Portuguese’s knowledge of David Luiz and so many in this Chelsea team, it was still Mourinho at his tactical best. He had so clearly worked out how to forensically stop how the league leader’s attack, but even more impressively used that defensive work as the foundation for some fearsome counter-attacks. In that, it was impressively reminiscent of his Internazionale 2010 side. There were little tactical victories all over the pitch that added up to one big win.

Eden Hazard was rendered utterly ineffective by a supreme man-marking job from Herrera, while the use of two forwards with proper running in them caused Conte’s three centre-backs so many problems that it was one of those games where you felt like other teams will in future look to it as a blueprint as to how to finally get at this system. Not many of those teams will have Rashford, though, who was relentless in this game and offered a compelling argument as to why it would not be a disaster if Zlatan Ibrahimovic left. His running gave Mourinho’s side a mobility and zip that they have frankly lacked with the Swede up front.

United did have some luck in all this, of course. Marcos Alonso’s absence through injury completely removed Chelsea’s balance, as well as some of Hazard’s threat since there was no danger of Cesar Azpilicueta overlapping.

That still doesn’t excuse how amazingly slack the leaders were, and a telling moment came in the 22nd minute when the lively Paul Pogba more than met the tone of this game with a brilliant tackle on Diego Costa to stop a Chelsea attack, and start a United one. It was one of many such moments.
It was also one of many impotent Chelsea attacks. That they did not register a single shot until the 45th minute was telling.

This combination of United’s ferociousness, Chelsea’s fickleness and a little bit of fortune going one way appropriately came together for the decisive moment, just after half-time. Rashford led another attack, Chelsea barely managed to clear, before the ball came out to Herrera who drove him through a deflection.
With the way both teams were playing, and how completely commanding United were in virtually all areas, that really was the winning it.

There was yet another one of those symbolic moments on 80 minutes when N’Golo Kante, of all players, was so easily beaten in a tackle by Ashley Young, of all players.
It is no exaggeration to say this might be Mourinho’s finest piece of management in three years.
It is no exaggeration to say that the title race is now properly on. Chelsea have to get back on track, but their next opponents? A Tottenham Hotspur who so evidently believe in themselves, and will now have new belief about the title. That comes in the FA Cup but could genuinely be one of those juncture games in the title race given the context around it.
This looks a juncture moment for United. This looked a proper Mourinho team

===================================

Telegraph:

Man Utd 2 Chelsea 0: Jose Mourinho tactical masterclass blows title race wide open
Jason Burt

Once more Jose Mourinho was determined not to be the clown at the circus.
This time he custard-pied Chelsea, his former club and champions-elect. Now, with their lead at the top over Tottenham reduced to four points with six matches to play, let the carnival begin.

Mourinho cannot win the Premier League title, not this season – just as he could not three years ago when his Chelsea team arrived at Liverpool. Like United now, they were between vital European matches, complaining about fatigue and fixture congestion, apparently fielding a weakened team – and won.
And by the same scoreline. Mourinho was even wearing a gilet that day, and was again sporting one here, and again he tapped the club crest at the final whistle.

At Anfield, Mourinho said he was determined not to be the “clowns” in “their [Liverpool’s] circus”, and this performance had the same kind of edgy, passionate feel to it, revved up by the fact that he was sacked by Chelsea and that they had angered him with their celebrations in the humiliating 4-0 league win at Stamford Bridge earlier this season. They also knocked United out of the FA Cup.
Unsurprisingly, Mourinho returned to that game. “I had the feeling before that match at Stamford Bridge that we would be playing against Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-finals,” he said, a pointed reference to the referee at Stamford Bridge, Michael Oliver.

That day Ander Herrera was sent off by Oliver for a second bookable offence, fouling Eden Hazard. Here, again, the midfielder was at the centre of things. He was detailed to man-mark Hazard – and did so superbly – but also managed to claim an assist and a goal himself in an outstanding performance.
There was, as ever, controversy with referee Bobby Madley failing to penalise Herrera for a clear hand-ball in the build-up to United’s opening goal but beyond that admittedly crucial detail Chelsea can have few complaints. They were soundly beaten, outfought, out-thought, and did not even record a shot on target.

For their manager Antonio Conte this was a troubling display. He lost goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to injury and then Marcos Alonso to illness in the warm-up, but that did not explain how flat and overwhelmed his team were.
Mourinho had complained about tiredness but it was Chelsea who looked jaded – who looked, in fact, like a favourite and front-runner desperately straining for the finish line. There are 18 points to be won. They need to win five of those games to be mathematically certain, if Spurs keep winning, but suddenly it is no longer a procession. As recently as March 18 Chelsea were 13 points clear.


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Mail:

Manchester United 2-0 Chelsea: Jose Mourinho gets the better of his former club as Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera strike to ensure the Premier League title race is alive and kicking

By Martin Samuel

Revenge being a dish best served cold, not to mention wet and miserable in the North West, this was very near to the perfect afternoon for Jose Mourinho.
He may claim it was just another game for him, but who believes that? This was a special event for El Specialissimo. He put Manchester United back in the hunt for the Champions League places, and did so making his old charges at Chelsea look second best.

Chelsea did not have a shot on target for the first time in a Premier League game since September 23, 2007. The result that day was 2-0 to Manchester United, too. It was Avram Grant’s first game as manager, after Mourinho’s first Stamford Bridge dismissal.
Just under a decade on and Mourinho is now Chelsea’s nemesis. Certainly this performance would have put a considerable dent in some big blue egos.

Eden Hazard was anonymous against Ander Herrera, Pedro rarely threatened, while Diego Costa was ineffectual, having started too many feuds to play a coherent game. This was the classic performance of a Mourinho side, all the more impressive because a Thursday night fixture in Brussels had given him so little time to prepare.
But he obviously did. He threw a blanket over Chelsea’s creativity and worried them with pace and width. He left out Zlatan Ibrahimovic and was rewarded by the best performance of the season from Marcus Rashford, who received a standing ovation from the crowd and a hug from his manager when he was substituted after 83 minutes.

Herrera’s job on Hazard was quite magnificent. To rub it in, the man sent to destroy Chelsea even scored United’s second goal. There were 41 minutes remaining at the time, but still looked to be no way back. It is hard to remember a Chelsea so ordinary, or a chance that caused a bead of sweat to break out on David de Gea’s brow.

Manchester United were a different class on the day, just as Chelsea had been at Stamford Bridge when these teams met in the Premier League earlier this season.
So, the good news is we have a title race again — just four points separating Chelsea and Tottenham now. The bad — Chelsea do not play a team of Manchester United’s substance again, while Tottenham must face United and Arsenal and have a London derby at West Ham.

Still, we are closer to a scrap than we looked likely to be a month or so ago, and the hope in north London is that Chelsea will be rattled by playing a match they deserved to lose at such a crucial moment in the season. There is a difference between battering the hell out of Crystal Palace and coming away with nothing, and being battered by a Manchester United team they put four goals past in October.
For what is without doubt is United were worth this. True, both of their goals had an element of good fortune about them, but only a blue-eyed fool would claim Chelsea were hard done by.

Break No 1 came with a handball in the build-up to Rashford’s opener, unnoticed by referee Bobby Madley. In his defence, he got most of the rest of it right and any official spending 90 minutes in the company of charmers like Costa and Marcos Rojo deserves our sympathy — but he messed up here. The goal came in the seventh minute — surprisingly United’s fastest of the season in the Premier League — after Nemanja Matic had been dispossessed carrying the ball upfield.

What Madley failed to spot was that Herrera had intercepted using an arm, clearly outstretched, clearly handball. Madley was unresponsive, Herrera was not. Seizing on his advantage he broke forward and played a lovely pass into the path of the outstanding Rashford who drew Asmir Begovic and finished smartly past him.

The second came after some uncommonly sloppy play at the back from Chelsea and a deflection. A clearance was sent cheaply back into the path of Ashley Young, whose cross found Herrera.
Replays showed Gary Cahill choosing to offer Jesse Lingard a hand up as play went on when he may have been better off focusing on the problems ahead — but Herrera’s shot ricocheted off his defensive partner Kurt Zouma, giving Begovic little chance.

It was an uncomfortable afternoon for Chelsea’s stand-in goalkeeper, promoted after Thibaut Courtois suffered an injury. The suggestion was he turned an ankle playing basketball for a promotional film, though Antonio Conte would not confirm this. His frosty response, however, suggested he was not best pleased that this particular white man couldn’t jump.

When Marcos Alonso withdrew from the pre-match warm-up having woken up feeling unwell, Chelsea’s misery was complete. The most settled starting XI in the Premier League was to include understudies and battlefield promotions — Zouma to central defence, Cesar Azpilicueta into Alonso’s wingback role.

Not since the visit to White Hart Lane on January 4 have Chelsea been as comprehensively outplayed as they were here. They were simply no threat and it did not help that Costa decided to have one of those games when he takes on the world. Focused, he’s dangerous; on afternoons like this he can be a menace.

He was at war with Eric Bailly, with Rojo, with Madley, his assistants and the Old Trafford crowd. He started by pushing Bailly off the field as they tussled for a ball in the six-yard box, which angered the United players. He was booked for a foul on Paul Pogba after 33 minutes, and was then involved in a wrestling match with Rojo that could have brought further trouble. The pair jumped, Costa landed on Rojo’s hip, the United man took it personally and grabbed him around the neck.

Costa flailed around on the ground holding his face as if struck, Rojo did likewise with other parts of his anatomy. They were both such rotten actors that Madley saw through it all and did nothing.
Yet Chelsea looked hesitant, particularly David Luiz, who was caught in possession by Lingard after five minutes, the ball sent through to Rashford whose shot was wastefully wide. It was all United after that. Young had several good attempts and Rashford was magnificent.

One run, in which he fought Luiz off all the way, ended in a fine Begovic save at the near post. Another shot saw Cahill almost turn the ball into his own net trying to block.
‘We’re top of the league,’ crowed Chelsea’s fans throughout, but by the end it sounded more bravado than boast. Tottenham’s meeting with Manchester United looms large.
If United’s manager wants to make sure of Champions League football next season, he may yet have to hold his nose and do his old club a favour on May 14.

GRAHAM POLL - THE OFFICIAL LINE

Bobby Madley will have enjoyed the second half of this game much more than the first. The players’ attitude early on was really poor and typified everything I don’t like about the modern game.
They were simulating contact, exaggerating injuries and trying to get fellow professionals sent off. Diego Costa and Marcus Rojo (right, top) should be embarrassed by their conduct. It was a complete nightmare to referee and while Madley tried his best, he was on a hiding to nothing given the attitude of the players.

The moment of the first half came after just seven minutes. Chelsea were breaking forward when Manchester United’s Ander Herrera clearly handled the ball (right) to intercept Nemanja Matic’s pass. Madley indicated he’d seen the incident and waved play on. He was wrong.
Missing a handball in the midfield area would not usually be so controversial but Herrera then played the ball through to Marcus Rashford, who went on to score.

Thankfully, football took over in the second period and Madley could get on with refereeing the game. Perhaps observers should appreciate his ‘sensible’ approach in the first half, in particular to Rojo and Costa, as it helped the game considerably.

Manchester Utd (4-3-3): de Gea 6.5; Valencia 6.5, Rojo 7, Bailly 7, Darmian 6.5; Fellaini 7, Herrera 8, Pogba 6.5; Lingard 7 (Carrick 60, 6), Rashford 8.5 (Ibrahimovic 83), Young 6.5 (Fosu-Mensah 90)
Subs not used: Blind, Romero, Mkhitaryan, Shaw
Goals: Rashford 7, Herrera 49
Yellow cards: Herrera, Rojo, Ibrahimovic

Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Begovic 6, Zouma 6 (Loftus-Cheek 83), Luiz 5, Cahill 5; Moses 5 (Fabregas 54, 5), Kante 5.5, Matic 6.5 (Willian 66, 5), Azpilicueta 6; Pedro 6, Hazard 5.5, Costa 5
Subs not used: Ake, Batshuayi, Terry, Eduardo.
Yellow cards: Costa, Cahill, Fabregas

Man of the Match: Ander Herrera
Referee: Robert Madley (West Yorkshire)


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Express:

Man United 2 - Chelsea 0: Herrera and Rashford strike to hand Tottenham title boost
THIS was the game that was expected to effectively confirm Chelsea as champions but in the end it set the title race alight.

By RICHARD TANNER

Their comprehensive defeat was greeted as gleefully among Tottenham followers as it was by their Manchester United counterparts. A result that intensified not only the championship chase but also the race for top-four places.
It is two defeats in the last four for Chelsea, no clean sheets in the last 10, while Diego Costa is going through a barren spell – no goals in his last five League games.

On top of all that, Spurs could inflict more damage on their confidence and score a major psychological blow in the title race by beating them in the FA cup semi-final on Saturday.
And they will go into that game on the back of their most insipid performance since those back-to-back defeats by Liverpool and Arsenal in September that forced Conte to change his system.

Chelsea have held something of an Indian sign over United in recent years – they had not lost to them in the previous 12 encounters, home or away.
But that all changed yesterday with United dominating the game from start to finish with a pace, aggression and tactical plan that worked to perfection.
Chelsea did not win a corner for more than an hour and failed to register a shot on target for the first time in a Premier League game since their visit to Old Trafford in September 2007.

They had to re-shuffle when Marcos Alonso pulled out feeling unwell just before the game while No1 goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was out injured. But it is hard to believe the presence of those two would have made much difference, so good and fired up were United on the day.
There were United heroes all over the pitch but Ander Herrera enjoyed his finest hour in a red shirt. He was sent off for two cautions when United went out of the FA Cup at Stamford bridge last month – the second of the fouls being on Eden Hazard.

He must have had his worries when Jose Mourinho detailed him to man-mark the Chelsea danger man. But not only did he do that job well he took time off to make United’s first after seven minutes and score the second four minutes after the break.
The Spaniard clearly handled as he won the ball from Nemanja Matic but referee Robert Madley gave him the benefit of the doubt that it was accidental.

There could be no arguments about the quality of his through pass, however, which allowed Marcus Rashford to race away from David Luiz and slot his shot past Asmir Begovic.
It was the earliest goal United have scored this season and provided a massive injection of confidence and belief in their play. The second summed up Chelsea’s miserable day. N’Golo Kante of all people was robbed by Ashley Young, who set up Herrera to fire past Begovic with the help of a deflection off Kurt Zouma’s shin.

The result stretched United’s unbeaten Premier League run to 22 games – 12 wins and 10 draws – going back to that embarrassing 4-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge in October.
After last month’s FA Cup exit, Mourinho was desperate to avoid a hat-trick of defeats to his former club. But more than any personal motive, he will just be relieved United are still fighting for a Champions League place on two fronts. After wins for Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool this was a game United simply had to win.
And they did in some style.

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Mirror:

Manchester United 2-0 Chelsea: Red Devils hand Spurs title lifeline - 5 things we learned
The Blues are now just four points clear of Tottenham at the top of the table after goals from Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera

BY DAVID MCDONNELL

Manchester United handed Tottenham a huge lifeline in the Premier League title race by recording a 2-0 victory over Chelsea at Old Trafford.
The defeat leaves Antonio Conte's side four points clear of Spurs at the top of the table.

Marcus Rashford fired United ahead in the first half, latching on to Ander Herrera's inch-perfect lobbed through ball to slot past Asmir Begovic in the Chelsea goal.
And Herrera turned scorer after the break, his deflected effort wrong-footing the Bosnian to double the Red Devils' advantage.
Here are five things we learned...

1. United lucky with handball decision

Ander Herrera's pass around the Chelsea defence for Marcus Rashford to plunder United's opener after seven minutes was majestic, but the midfielder got away with handball moments before providing the assist.
Chelsea's players were rightly aggrieved with ref Robert Madley for spotting that Herrera had used his hand to stop the flight of Nemanja Matic's pass.

2. Hazard man-marked out of game

In the modern game, man-marking is often seen as an out-dated, old-fashioned tactic, but Ander Herrera's stalking of Eden Hazard, following the Chelsea forward wherever he went on the pitch, worked for United.

Hazard was unable to exert his usual influence on the game and Chelsea's most potent attacking player was rendered impotent. The same could be said of Pedro, who suffered a similar fate at the hands of Matteo Darmian.

3. Rashford takes his chance

With Zlatan Ibrahimovic left out of United's starting line-up in the Premier League for the first time, Marcus Rashford was handed the chance to show he can lead the line and play effectively through the middle.
The 19-year-old was up to the challenge, scoring United's opener, getting in behind Chelsea's defence and terrorising them with his pace and clever movement off the ball.
He had further opportunities to score, but confirmed here he can thrive as an out-and-out striker.

4. Herrera gets revenge on Chelsea
Ander Herrera was cast as the villain of the piece at Chelsea last month, when two fouls on quick succession saw him earn two cautions and a subsequent red as United lost 1-0 in the FA Cup.

Herrera felt hard done by on that occasion, and played like a man intent on atoning here, setting up Rashford for United's opener and scoring their second with a deflected strike.

5. Chelsea suffer with late change

When Marcos Alonso was injured in the warm-up, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte was forced into a late reshuffle, bringing Kurt Zouma into his defence, an enforced move that undermined the visitors at the back.
There was no communication or understanding between Zouma and David Luiz, with United taking full advantage of their uncertainty at the back.

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Sun:

TITLE RACE BACK ON Man United 2 Chelsea 0: Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera stun league leaders to throw title race wide open

Antonio Conte's side are now just four points clear of Tottenham in second place
By Neil Custis & Richard Forrester

GOALS from Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera have blown the title race wide open as Jose Mourinho’s side punished sloppy Chelsea.
Just four points separate the league leaders and Tottenham in second as United remain firmly in the hunt for a top four finish.
Chelsea's pre-match preparations were thrown in disarray when Marcus Alonso pulled out of the warm up with Thibaut Courtois already sidelined.

And it may have had an impact just seven minutes into the clash when the outstanding Rashford fired the Red Devils ahead in controversial fashion.
Nemanja Matic's pass hit the arm of Herrera before the midfielder slotted a wonderful pass through to the striker who outpaced David Luiz before finishing past Asmir Begovic.
The away side struggled to find any rhythm in the opening 45 minutes and frustration mounted as Diego Costa was brandished a yellow card for a late challenge on Paul Pogba.

Chelsea's only chance of the half came from Costa whose shot from distance flew harmlessly wide.
Antonio Conte had plenty of thinking to do at half-time but just three minutes into the second period the provider turned goalscorer when Herrera's deflected shot flew past Begovic.
Half of Old Trafford were celebrating when Rashford's thunderbolt clattered the side netting as United looked to put Chelsea to the sword.
The visitors dominated possession in the final 20 minutes as they looked desperate to find a way back into the game but United held firm to claim three crucial points.


Herrera handball? Ex-ref Mark Halsey's view

REFEREE Robert Madley made the wrong decision when he failed to award a free-kick to Chelsea for deliberate handball by Manchester United’s Ander Herrera.Herrera had his hands outstretched and in a unnatural position and he made a movement towards the ball.Robert was in a great position and he’s seen the incident because he makes a crossed arms sign to communicate that he had made his own decision.I can only assume he did not think it was deliberate.But Robert got it wrong. United got away with that one.Diego Costa and Marcos Rojo had a battle throughout the game. It was great to see the aggression but both players could have controlled themselves more.Robert could have stamped his authority earlier in the game. In the end they got deserved cautions.Gary Cahill was lucky not to get a red card for a high challenge on Marouane Fellaini. It was serious foul play and endangered the player’s safety.He was fortunate to get a yellow card.

FACTS, STATS, GOALS & LOLS

This was undoubtedly United’s best performance since Sir Alex Ferguson bowed out of the club.
There have been doubts over Marouane Fellaini but he was a hero yesterday breaking up Chelsea’s play.
Ander Herrera was asked to stop Eden Hazard as he was in the Cup quarter-final defeat at Stamford Bridge.
Then Herrera ended up with a red card. In this game he not only stopped Hazard but created one goal and scored another.
This was the first time Zlatan Ibrahimovic had been left out a United league line up when he has been available.
Mourinho’s decision was born out of the tired final 20 minutes in Anderlecht from the Swede.
He needed a rest and United needed a bit more pace and zip and Marcus Rashford supplied it with his goal and all round performance.
Mourinho and Conte have clashed on the touchline this season but not yesterday.
Mourinho made  a point of not celebrating either goal in contrast to the antics of his opposite number in these  contests.
The handshake at the end was brief with no words exchanged. For Mourinho it was job very well done.


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Star:

Manchester United 2 Chelsea 0: Jose Mourinho's men open up title race by beating Blues
THE TITLE race is on again.

By David Woods

But after their former boss Jose Mourinho masterminded their first away loss in the league since title rivals Tottenham beat them on January 4, things suddenly look all together different.
Super-charged Spurs, who have won a magnificent seven in a row scoring 21 goals in the process, are just four points behind.
In fact this Chelsea effort was reminiscent of their no-show at White Hart Lane, with a host of their star performers putting in below-par displays.

Just like at White Hart Lane, Diego Costa was at his frustrating worst.
He was fortunate to escape with just a booking for kicking the excellent Paul Pogba and aside from the fact he appears to be going back to the dark days of last season, boss Antonio Conte must be seriously worried that it is now six games since his star striker last scored.

While Costa was off his game, United’s main striker Marcus Rashford was superb, grabbing the first and being a constant threat with his pace and dribbling.
He just shaded man of the match from Ander Herrera, who still managed to score the second despite appearing to be super-glued to Chelsea’s playmaker Eden Hazard for most of the match, following his orders from Mourinho.

For the Portuguese coach this victory must have tasted sweet, especially after United’s 4-0 thrashing at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season and their FA Cup defeat.
He accused Conte of disrespecting him at the end of their meeting after the Italian fired up the home crowd with his team already cruising to victory.
His handshake with Conte at the final whistle yesterday was just about the minimum you could get away with.
Throughout the second half Chelsea fans sang “we’re top of the league,” over and over, as if to reassure themselves.
What they saw could not have inspired or even reassured them.

Despite Mourinho fielding a weakened side without star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic - as he appears to concentrate on the Europa League - United were superior from the off.
Rashford had an early chance after Jesse Lingard robbed a dithering David Luiz, but he dragged his shot horribly wide.

But in the seventh minute he did not fail after Hererra dispossessed Nemanja Matic.
The ball hit Herrera squarely on the arm but as Chelsea appealed in vain for handball, the Spaniard threaded a perfect pass through for Rashford to burst onto.
His touch took him wide but as Asmir Begovic tried to cut down the angle his right foot shot clipped off his left, giving it enough lift to take it beyond the keeper.

Costa was involved in plenty of nonsense before and after his 33rd minute caution, but offered precious little goal threat.
In the 37th minute he reacted like he has caught with a bat in the face when he was touched by Marcos Rojo.
Gary Cahill almost headed into his own net and Ashley Young blazed over before United went two up in the 47th minute.
Young dispossessed N’Golo Kante in the box, giving the Frenchman a taste of his own medicine.

The ball broke off Kurt Zouma to Herrera and his firmly-struck shot hit the same defender’s leg and flew past Begovic high into the net.
Lingard fired wildly over after he was teed up by Rashford who then blasted into the side-netting with parts of Old Trafford thinking he scored again.
Just like in their loss at Spurs, Chelsea failed to suggest they were likely to stage an epic fightback.
To quote United’s legendary former boss Sir Alex Ferguson, this is now “squeaky bum time” for Chelsea.

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