FA Cup
Antonio Conte unconvinced by Tottenham project
Antonio Conte has major doubts about becoming Tottenham’s next head coach and is inclined to turn them down, according to Sky Italy. Spurs have been in talks with the former Chelsea boss, who left Inter Milan after winning Serie A last month. But after considering the role for several days, Conte remains unconvinced Spurs are a team ready to win trophies immediately. The Italian has won five league titles in the last decade and is looking for another ‘winning project’. He is trying to understand if it is possible to bridge the gap with the top four or five Premier League teams in a short period of time – with Spurs having finished 24 points behind champions Manchester City. It is understood Spurs would not pressure him to win trophies. If the parties fail to strike a deal, Conte could also...
Arsenal’s stunners and that Gerrard goal: the best FA Cup final goals of the 2000s
The FA Cup final is one of the highlights of the English football calendar. It’s the world’s oldest football competition and has produced several incredible moments – from the endless amount of giant killings to those big days out at Wembley Stadium. Some argue that it has lost its magic over the years, but Saturday’s clash between Leicester City and Chelsea proved otherwise. With fans back in attendance for the first time in ages, the Foxes emerged victorious after one moment of magic (and a little bit of controversy). But it wasn’t the first time we’ve seen a screamer in the FA Cup final. Here are some more just from the turn of the millennium. Youri Tielemans – Leicester City 1-0 Chelsea [embedded content] With all the hysteria of the last 30 minutes, it’s easy to forget just how dull t...
Former United and Liverpool legends back petition to save their clubs
The call by former Premier League stars for better regulation in English football will be music to the ears of fans across the country. Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards are amongst the ex-players who are urging the UK government to appoint an independent regulator. They are calling on fans to sign a petition which will force the government to debate the matter if more than 100,000 signatures are collected. The petition is already well on its way to hitting the target as people across football throw their weight behind the idea. The recent European Super League proposal highlighted the disdain with which some elements of football view the current picture. Many people within the sport believe that the appointment of a regulatory body would help to represent the interests of t...
Analysis: Why Chelsea’s tactics weren’t enough to stop Leicester magic
Just more than two weeks before this day in 2016, Leicester City were celebrating a miraculous Premier League title after Chelsea halted Tottenham Hotspur’s title charge for good at Stamford Bridge. Fast forward five years and those two accidental allies had become adversaries in the FA Cup final. Chelsea’s season had started well under Frank Lampard, but a terrible run of form which saw them slump out of the European spots from the top of the table spelt the end of the English manager’s tenure. His replacement was German tactician Thomas Tuchel, who almost instantly got a supremely talented squad firing their way back to the top-four and into two cup finals, one of which was the Champions League. A triumph in the FA Cup final would mean that the ex-Paris Saint-Germain manager delivered ne...
Paul Pogba: N’Golo Kante star is a ‘smart kid’ and a ‘cunning’ player
N’Golo Kante “cheats a lot”, according to Paul Pogba, who has described the Chelsea star as a “smart kid” and a “cunning” player. Kante has established himself as one of the top midfielders in Europe since joining Leicester City from Caen in 2015, helping the Foxes win the Premier League title before also going on to lift the trophy with Chelsea. The 30-year-old has a World Cup winners’ medal to his name too, having been part of the triumphant 2018 France squad alongside Pogba, who has now revealed that his compatriot will do whatever it takes to win, even if it means bending the rules. The Manchester United talisman told beIN Sports of his international colleague: “He cheats a lot. A lot. At card games, board games. Honestly, I’m telling the truth. He cheats. “He says he doesn’t cheat, bu...
Thomas Tuchel reacts as ‘unlucky’ Chelsea suffer back-to-back FA Cup final defeats
Chelsea suffered late VAR heartache as they slipped to back-to-back FA Cup final defeats after a 1-0 loss to Leicester City, Youri Tielemans’ second-half strike proving decisive. In front of a reduced, yet undoubtedly noisy, Wembley crowd, it was Chelsea who made the brighter start, Timo Werner showcasing his electric speed to test the Foxes backline early on. Despite controlling the opening exchanges, the first real chance of the match fell to their opponents, Timothy Castagne getting in down the right and teeing up Jamie Vardy inside the area, the veteran striker’s effort well blocked by Reece James. At the other end of the pitch, Thomas Tuchel’s men almost fashioned a chance of their own, Thiago Silva’s dinked cross agonisingly evading the head of Cesar Azpilicueta at the back post, aft...
Youri Tielemans hits screamer as Leicester City win the FA Cup
Leicester City defeated Chelsea 1-0 in the FA Cup final courtesy of a wonder strike by Youri Tielemans. Chelsea came to Wembley looking to avenge last year’s heartbreak when they were defeated at this stage by Arsenal. For their opponents, it was an opportunity to win this competition for the first time in their history. They have previously been runners-up on four occasions. The first half was quiet. Both sides showed plenty of attacking intent, but the defences came out on top. Thomas Tuchel’s men came close when Mason Mount’s 20-yard shot was deflected wide, while Timo Werner blazed over from a similar distance. Werner put another shot wide, and Thiago Silva’s cross went just wide of the back post, with just a touch needed to find the net. As for Leicester, Jamie Vardy had a shot blocke...
Brendan Rodgers lauds Kasper Schmeichel as Leicester City win FA Cup
Brendan Rodgers has spoken of his delight after winning the FA Cup with Leicester City. The Foxes defeated Chelsea in the final at Wembley thanks to a fine strike by Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans. The 23-year-old picked out the top left corner with a world class effort from 30 yards. Tielemans hit a stunning winner in the 63rd minute With 22,000 fans in attendance, it was a cracking atmosphere. Those fans were put through the full range of emotions, especially when the Blues had a late equaliser ruled out by VAR in the dying moments. Wes Morgan diverted the ball into his own net, but replays showed that Ben Chilwell was marginally offside in the build up. After the match, Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers was full of joy after securing his first piece of silverware in England. Speaking t...
‘Just the once, please’: Gary Lineker posts message on Twitter ahead of Chelsea vs Leicester
Chelsea will take on Leicester City in the final of the FA Cup on Saturday at Wembley Stadium. Leicester have been brilliant this season under Brendan Rodgers and are aiming to secure a Champions League spot. Former Leicester striker Gary Lineker posted a brilliant message on Twitter today: Haven’t felt this nervous about a game since probably the semifinal of Italia ‘90. At least I had the excuse of playing in that game and potentially letting the country down. Now I’m just a fan and it’s so much worse. Come on @LCFC, let’s win it, just the once, please. 🙌🏻 — Gary Lineker 💙 (@GaryLineker) May 15, 2021 Lineker, the great England striker, enjoyed a fantastic tournament in the 1990 World Cup in Italy. He now wants his former club to lift the FA Cup. The Foxes he...
Jonny Evans starts | Expected Leicester City line-up (3-4-1-2) vs Chelsea
Leicester City face off against Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium tomorrow. The Foxes beat Southampton 1-0 to reach the final of the competition for the fifth time in their history – their first since 1969. They have a good record against their west London opponents, having lost just one of the previous six meetings in all competitions. However, their defeat was in the FA Cup quarter-final last term. The Foxes have lost all of their seven meetings in the competition against the Blues. Brendan Rodgers’ side need to break the streak to lift their maiden FA Cup title. Formation: 3-4-1-2 Predicted Line-up: Kasper Schmeichel is an automatic choice between the sticks for the Midlands outfit, and he will also captain the side. Jonny Evans picked up a foot injury before the 4-2 league...
Thomas Tuchel confirms Chelsea duo are fit, reveals starting goalkeeper vs Leicester City
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has provided a fitness update on N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic ahead of the FA Cup final against Leicester City on Saturday. The Blues recently suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League, and they will be aiming to make amends by lifting silverware this weekend. Tuchel provided an update on Kante and Kovacic ahead of the Wembley showdown, with both players in line to feature this weekend. He told football.london: “It was pain management, not a huge injury. He trained yesterday and today full, no complaints. He will start tomorrow and hopefully finish the game for us.” Kovacic has also returned to full training, and Tuchel confirmed he is excited by the return of the Croatian who last played on April 10. He added: “It’s huge because M...
Christian Pulisic dismisses Chelsea exit rumours
Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic has dismissed rumours he could quit Stamford Bridge this summer. The United States international has found himself in and out of the side under Thomas Tuchel and admitted he was “very frustrated” not to start against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final second leg earlier this month, giving rise to speculation he could seek a move this summer. However, Pulisic says he isn’t going anywhere and is “up for the challenge” of proving himself in west London. When asked whether he saw his long-term future at Chelsea, Pulisic told ESPN: “Yeah, I’m obviously happy here. It has been an incredible two years. “People have always doubted and said: ‘Oh, he’s not playing, does he want to go here, does he want to go there?’ I’m always up for a challenge, I love c...