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Chelsea secured their berth in the final of the FA Cup at Wembley, following their impressive 3-1 win over Manchester United during the semi-final on Sunday. Frank Lampard's men were deserved winners on the night, as goals from Olivier Giroud, Mason Mount and an own goal from Harry Maguire settled the debate at English football's grandest of citadels, Wembley.
Bruno Fernandes converted a late penalty for the Red Devils, after Callum Hudson-Odoi was punished for a foul on Anthony Martial. However, the consolation proved too late to spur a comeback, as Chelsea eased their way into another cup final.
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Without further delay, lets take a closer look at the major talking points from the encounter at Wembley:
#5 Giroud maintains FA Cup mojo to steer Chelsea clear
Undoubtedly, Giroud has been nothing short of sensational for Chelsea since the restart last month. The Frenchman opened the scoring for his team against United and more importantly, he was yet again the focal point that unsettled the opposition.
However, it was far from surprising to witness Giroud deliver the goods at the grandest stage and particularly in this competition. The marksman took his tally in the FA Cup to 16 goals from 30 appearances overall. He has developed a close affinity towards the competition since arriving in England, and has now put himself in a situation to lift it for the fifth time next month, when he faces former club Arsenal.
#4 Error-strewn De Gea cost Manchester United
The Manchester United shot-stopper had a forgetful outing at Wembley and looked a shadow of his usual self. While he failed to get a strong enough touch to deny Giroud the opening goal, his error after the interval helped Chelsea establish a two-goal cushion.
During both the instances, De Gea looked unsure and unusual in his approach to keep out the attempts by Giroud and Mount. As such, his error in judgement cost United dearly, as they were hamstrung by his antics between the sticks. Safe to say, he will be bitterly disappointed.
As Dean Henderson continues to impress with Sheffield United, it will be interesting to see if Manchester United recall the youngster to Old Trafford and put De Gea under pressure to retain first-choice status at the club.
#3 Tactical shift paves way for Chelsea dominance
The Blues were the better side in every department against Manchester United on Sunday. Chelsea, like their counterparts, opted to play 3-4-3 and looked far better and comfortable throughout the game. While an injury to Eric Bailly forced United to change their shape, Chelsea only got stronger as the game went on.
Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho dominated proceedings in the middle, as United remained flat, tepid and unable to get their best players on the ball. The width provided by Marcos Alonso and Reece James also troubled the Red Devils, who looked tactically outplayed since the start.
Chelsea also pressed consistently through Mason Mount and Willian, and it ensured United were not allowed the time and space to build patiently from the back. Without the shadow of a doubt, the tactical shift worked wonders for one side, while the other was burdened by it.
#2 Revenge must feel sweet for Lampard
Most of the talk leading up to the game was dominated by how Manchester United had beaten Chelsea in all three of the meetings so far this season. Frank Lampard endured a 4-0 drubbing at Old Trafford during his first league game in charge, while defeats in the reverse fixture and the League Cup at Stamford Bridge had added to his problems against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
However, the FA Cup semi-final triumph would be nothing short of a proud renaissance for the Chelsea legend. Notably, this is the closet both clubs have got to lifting silverware so far this season, and hence, Lampard certainly had the last laugh over his counterpart.
Whether he goes on to lift the FA Cup in his first season remains to be seen. However, it is safe to say he couldn't have asked more from his players on Sunday, when everything went according to plan.
#1 Mount marks debut season with Wembley goal
Still only in his first senior campaign with Chelsea, Mount has made the highest number of appearances for the club this season. The 21-year-old has spent 14 years at Chelsea, and finally completed his integration into the senior side, after the appointment of Frank Lampard last summer.
While he has emerged as one of the leading candidates for Young Player of The Year in England, Mount has now added the icing on top of his wonderful debut season with a goal at Wembley.
It was not his best effort, but a catastrophic error from De Gea gave him his first senior goal for Chelsea at one of football's ancestral homes, and in the oldest football tournament in the world.
Irrespective of how it came, it is still a monumental achievement for one of Chelsea's finest academy products, who has been a star performer for the club in his first season in the top-flight.
