Chelsea quest for silverware on two fronts continue as the Blues booked an FA Cup final date in May by emerging victorious in a game of six goals at Wembley.
Willian struck twice in the first half from a free-kick and a penalty but saw both goals cancelled out courtesy of Harry Kane and Dele Alli either side of the interval. With the scores level going into the final 15 minutes, Chelsea impact from the bench made the difference, Cesc Fabregas’s corner finding Eden Hazard and Hazard finding the bottom corner from the edge of the box. Nemanja Matic then fired into the top corner from distance to give the Blues breathing space and ensure their return to north London for the final next month.
Antonio Conte made five changes to the side that lined up at Old Trafford last weekend. Thibaut Courtois returned in goal having recovered from an ankle injury while Nathan Ake made his third FA Cup start of the season in place of Gary Cahill, who missed out with illness.
Ake lined up alongside David Luiz and Cesar Azpilicueta, the latter wearing the captain’s armband for the first time and leading the Blues out at Wembley. Michy Batshuayi and Willian replaced Diego Costa and Eden Hazard, who started on the bench.
Mauricio Pocchetino matched Chelsea 3-4-3 despite being without both his first-choice wing-backs, Heung-Min Son starting on the left and Kieran Trippier on the right.
Players, staff and supporters from both sides joined for a minute’s applause before the action got underway to mark the sad and sudden passing of Ugo Ehiogu this week, the former Tottenham defender who had returned to the club and was coaching their Under-23 team. Both teams also wore black armbands as a mark of respect.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday interrogated former Governor of Akwa Ibom State Godswill Akpabio over allegation of financial crimes. Daily Trust gathered that Akpabio honoured the invitation by the anti-graft agency to explain allegations of looting of the state’s funds during his tenure. Sources told our correspondent that Senator Akpabio was being interrogated late yesterday evening at the Abuja head offices of the Commission. He was spotted at the EFFC office in company of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Rickey Tarfa, at about 5:20pm. Akpabio’s arrest yesterday is fallout of the petition by an Abuja-based lawyer and activist, Leo Ekpenyong, who had on June 8 this year petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari and the EFCC, calling for Senator Akpabio’s probe and accusing him of looting. The petitioner had earlier on Wednesday adopted his petition and provided more details to the anti-graft agency on the allegations against the minority leader of People...
Comments