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Chelsea and Manchester City went head-to-head at Wembley as a spot in the FA Cup final was up for grabs for one of the two English giants. Since Thomas Tuchel's arrival, the Blues have lost just twice in 18 games and the German boss continued with that splendid run of form. This was Tuchel's first win over Pep Guardiola in his managerial career.
It was a better start for Chelsea, who targeted Cancelo's defensive fragility on the left flank. The deadlock was broken in the 55th minute when Zack Steffen got caught in two minds and Hakim Ziyech scored from Timo Werner's perfect pass.
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Pep's side hardly created any opportunities until the hour mark and De Bruyne's injury did not help the Citizens. City tried and created a few half-chances in the last half hour but that rock-solid Chelsea defense would just not budge.
Thomas Tuchel's side will return to Wembley next month to face either Leicester City or Southampton on May 15th. Keeping all that in mind, let us take a look at the hits and flops from this game.
#5 HIT: Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea)
First up we have the match-winner Hakim Ziyech. The summer recruit hasn't had the best of starts in Chelsea colors but he did have a splendid game against Manchester City. Ziyech scored inside five minutes but the goal was rightly ruled out for an offside call.
Ten minutes into the second half. Mount played a flawless through ball to put Timo Werner through, who set it up perfectly for Ziyech to tap it home.Ziyech has now scored in the quarter-final and the semi-final of the FA Cup.
Chelsea fed off the high line and Hakim Ziyech was involved in most of Chelsea's attacks. The Moroccan was subbed after 70 minutes.
#4 FLOP: Ferran Torres (Manchester City)
It can be blamed on the lack of service, but Ferran Torres was anonymous in the FA Cup semi-final. The Spaniard had 16 touches in the 64 minutes he was on the pitch and he failed to create any chance or take a shot in that time.
Ferran boasts fantastic stats this season with 15 goals and 3 assists in 18 starts for club and country. It was a huge opportunity for the winger to give a lively performance and win an important game for his new club. Much more was expected from the 21-year old, considering he scored against Leeds last weekend and got a full rest mid-week.
#3 HIT: Thiago Silva (Chelsea)
It was another top performance by Chelsea's leader of defense, Thiago Silva. The Brazilian had to deal with one of the best attacks in Europe and he was up for the challenge. Silva had a 100% tackle success rate against City and also won 100% of his aerial duels. Adding to this, the 36-year old had more clearances than anyone on the pitch
Thiago Silva is enjoying his life at Chelsea. He has had some fitness issues and was replaced by Zouma today as well, but his short span at Chelsea has been terrific so far. A new deal might be on the cards for the defender.
#2 FLOP: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
It has been a rough couple of weeks for Raheem Sterling. The winger is one of the first names on the team sheet more often than not, but his recent form has made him an irregular figure regarding play-time. Sterling had a good chance to prove his worth to Pep Guardiola but the Englishman had a night to forget. He had no impact on the game whatsoever and even lashed a good opportunity over the bar.
Sterling will have to pull up his socks with the likes of Phil Foden, Ferran Torres and any potential future signing breathing down his neck for a place in the starting eleven.
#1 HIT: Antonio Rüdiger (Chelsea)
Another Chelsea defender makes the list with an impeccable performance. Rudiger was immense for Chelsea and dealt with everything that was thrown at him. He was aware of the opponent's positioning at all times and didn't allow the City attackers to even get a sniff of Kepa's goal.
The German's long balls over the top were a significant threat as they released Werner and Ziyech and allowed them to start quick counter-attacks.
Chelsea have conceded just 3 goals in Antonio Rudiger's last 16 starts. That's roughly a goal every 5 games. Rudiger has made a great comeback into Chelsea's starting eleven and deserves all the praise he is getting.
