The FA Cup semi-finals were low on goal-mouth action, as two 1-0 scorelines settled both the contests.
Man City’s Quadruple hopes ended
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City saw their hopes of a quadruple ended as Thomas Tuchel masterminded a 1-0 win on Saturday. A second half break-away goal from Hakim Ziyech, assisted by Timo Werner, saw Chelsea through to yet another FA Cup final. Whether it was Chelsea’s tactical set-up or just fatigue, City looked distinctly average and never really threatened an equalizer. Pep Guardiola opted to rest several key players, with the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Ilkay Gudogan and Ederson all starting on the bench. Manchester City once again fell at the semi-final stage, having lost to Arsenal last season. On the other hand, Chelsea reached their fourth FA Cup final in five seasons.
Leicester City advance to first FA Cup final in 52 years
While Chelsea’s progression to the finals was in front of empty stands, Leicester had 4,000 fans watching as they saw off Southampton. Kelechi Iheanacho’s second half strike was enough to eliminate the Saints, who were unable to register a single shot on target. A disappointing end to a wonderful run for Southampton but delight for Leicester as they reached their first FA Cup final since 1969. It has been an amazing season for Brendan Rodgers. His team are well poised to finish in top-four, and have a genuine chance of ending the campaign with silverware.
The Final
And so, Chelsea vs Leicester City will be the 2020-21 FA Cup final. The two clubs met in last season’s quarter-finals, with Chelsea progressing thanks to a Ross Barkley strike. The final will be played on 15th May, 5:30 PM (BST) at Wembley. Chelsea were due to host Leicester on the same weekend in the Premier League, so that match will be rescheduled. If things go smoothly, we will be having 21,000 fans for the finals.