Leicester
Manchester United boss: Fans will give us ‘extra lift’ in final few games
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes the return of fans will give Manchester United an “extra lift” in their final few games of the season. Supporters will be inside Old Trafford for the first time since March 2020 for United’s final home league game of the season, against Fulham, and after two defeats on the spin at home the United manager is hoping their support will give them a boost. After recent protests, Solskjaer is also hoping the supporters will get behind the team and hopes the game won’t be “marred by violence.” Solskjaer said: “Of course you hope that the game against Fulham will not be marred by any violence or over the top things. “I know our fans, I know the Manchester United fans, they’re the best fans I’ve had and I’ve got such a great relationship with them and they know how to ...
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...
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...
Leeds recall key duo, Spurs defender out, Toffees sweating on playmaker’s fitness
The 36th round of fixtures in the Premier League features some vital matches at the top end of the EPL table. We’ll update this story with reports, results, highlights and the latest Premier League standings throughout the weekend. The action got underway on Friday evening, with Manchester City winning 4-3 at Newcastle United – Ferran Torres (3) and Joao Cancelo got their goals. Leeds United demolished Burnley 4-0 at Turf Moor in the early kick-off on Saturday – Rodrigo (2), Mateusz Klich and Jack Harrison were on the scoresheet. Southampton vs Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion vs West Ham United completes the Saturday line-up. There are four games on Sunday, three of which could have a major bearing on who qualifies for Europe this season. Liverpool have a golden opportunity to move j...
Christian Pulisic: Chelsea battle ready to overcome Leicester City at Wembley
Chelsea midfielder, Christian Pulisic has revealed that the team is battle-ready to overcome Leicester City in today’s FA Cup clash at Wembley Stadium. Pulisic, who is expected to be in the starting lineup against Leicester City made this known in an interview with ESPN. “We know what Leicester is all about. They are going to battle, they are a tough team. They’ve done extremely well in the league this year. We know about their attacking ability and some of the players they have. “So we expect them to come and battle. We are going to give it everything, and hopefully, if we play the way we do and we match their intensity, I think we can beat them.” The US international also debunked reports circulating in social media that he’s unsettled at Stamford Bridge. “I’m obviously happy here. It ha...
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...
Chelsea favourites for FA Cup final against Leicester City despite contrasting midweek results
Chelsea and Leicester City are set to square off at Wembley Stadium in the FA Cup final on Saturday, May 15, and you watch it live on BBC and BT Sport (see our FA Cup live streaming page for more information). Rocked by a 1-0 Premier League loss to cross-town rivals Arsenal on Wednesday, Chelsea will be looking to bounce back and win their first trophy under Thomas Tuchel. Tuchel’s Leicester counterpart Brendan Rodgers is aiming to become only the second manager after Sir Alex Ferguson to win both the English and Scottish FA Cup. Rodgers led Celtic to back-to-back Scottish FA Cup titles back in 2017 and 2018. Mid-week wins and the Tuchel factor Leicester will have an extra day’s rest after travelling away to Old Trafford and getting a 2-1 win against a weakened Manchester United team playi...
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...