Chelsea vs. Spurs FA Cup score, highlights: Hazard, Blues advance to final in style
Chelsea was its dominant self in the end and moves on
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1 min read
For the first time since 2012, Chelsea is back in the FA Cup final. The brilliant Blues saw off Tottenham in the semifinal on Saturday at Wembley 4-2, with Willian scoring twice, Eden Hazard grabbing the winner and Nemanja Matic ending it with a goal for the ages.
Keeping its hopes of the domestic double alive, the Premier League leaders showed they can play in cups too by producing moments of brilliance to leave the North Londoners frustrated and eliminated.
It took Chelsea just five minutes to score in this one, with Willian bagging a free kick past Hugo Lloris:
WILLIAN! A magnificent free kick from the Brazilian gives Chelsea the early lead vs Tottenham. What a start! #FACup https://t.co/HIheUsCSHo
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) April 22, 2017
Tottenham didn't buckle though, and the Spurs responded well moments later with a clever goal from Harry Kane:
Harry Kane ties it up for Tottenham with a brilliant diving header into the far corner. All square on @FOXTV! #FACup https://t.co/4dlxarHxnt
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) April 22, 2017
It appeared that the teams would enter the break level with a wild second half to come. And while the second half was wild, there was one more big moment in the first half just before the break. Victor Moses was brought down lightly in the box by Son Heung-min, and a penalty kick was awarded. And Willian made no mistake:
Have another look at the penalty decision and goal to give Chelsea a halftime lead. #FACup https://t.co/gaJ1HbTpkR
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) April 22, 2017
For the second time in the match, the Spurs pulled level and quickly, with Dele Ali scoring early in the second half with a lovely strike off a curled cross:
What a ball from Eriksen! What a volley from Alli! Spurs equalize a second time against Chelsea. #FACup #CHETOT https://t.co/Mpm4sEsyeK
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) April 22, 2017
With it level at 2-2, the match was still there for the taking. And Chelsea showed its intentions on the hour mark, bringing in Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, who started the match on the bench. And Hazard proved to be the difference.
Chelsea's best player scored the winner in the 75th minute with a lovely left-footed shot to the far post, low where Lloris couldn't get it:
Eden Hazard comes off the bench to give Chelsea a late lead in the #FACup semifinal. Is that the final blow? #CHETOT https://t.co/QSZa2st3MW
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) April 22, 2017
And for style points, Matic did this five minutes later to end all doubt:
You cannot strike a ball any better than Nemanja Matic just did. 😱 😱 😱 #FACup #CHETOT https://t.co/rUgILaVBy6
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) April 22, 2017
What a win for Chelsea, but you have to feel for Spurs. They had 63 percent of the possession and were done in by a free kick goal, a penalty kick goal and two bits of magic.
Chelsea now moves on the final, where it will play the winner of Sunday's other semifinal between Arsenal and Manchester City. The final is scheduled for May 27.
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