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28
Thu, Mar

Chelsea Dumps Manchester United To Set Up FA Cup Final Against Arsenal

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Chelsea booked their place in the FA Cup finals after a David de Gea howler helped them beat Manchester united 3-1 at the Wembley Stadium set up a meeting with Arsenal next month.

De Gea had already been faulted for Oliver Giroud's opener which came in the 11th minute of the first-half stoppage time after Eric Bailly's head injury caused a lengthy delay. thereafter, he tamely palmed Mason Mount's strike into his own net, before Harry Maguire's own goal capped a brilliant afternoon for Frank Lampard's side.

Both managers opted to line up with a back three, Ole Gunnar Solsjaer left in-form duo of Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial on the bench, while Frank Lampard did likewise with Christian Pulisic because of a minor injury problem.

It was Chelsea who seemed to settle into their new shape best, right-wing back Reece James stung De Gea with a long-range effort before his counterpart on the flank, Markos Alonso, headed over a well-placed at the back post.

A Bruno Fernandes free-kick had forced Willy Cabellero into his only save at the other end as Solskjaer's side struggled to impose themselves. The Norwegian was forced into making changes before the break as Bailly was stretchered off with a worrying head injury, having been involved in two collisions in quick succession, the latter with his own teammate Maguire.

Anthony Martial was sent on in his place as United reverted to a back four, but it was breached immediately when Ceaser Azpilicueta's low cross was flicked home in trademark fashion by Giroud at the near-post with de Gea failing to get enough behind it. The Spaniard again failed to keep out Mount's speculative low effort, with shades of his clanger against Christiano Ronaldo and Portugal at the 2018 World Cup.

Rashford went close to halving the deficit after Paul Pogba and Greenwood were sent on before De Gea was required to make some amends with a good one-handed save to deny Giroud what would have been a clincher.

With a quarter-of-an-hour to play, however, the game was made safe as Maguire poked Alonso's cross past his own gaolkeeper to confirm a repeat of the 2017 FA Cup final. Bruno Fernandes subsequently scored a late penalty but it was no more than a consolation goal for United.

 

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