 The match was played at Wembley Stadium. | |||||||
| Event | 2017–18 FA Cup | ||||||
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| Date | 19 May 2018 (2018-05-19) | ||||||
| Venue | Wembley Stadium, London | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Antonio Rüdiger (Chelsea) | ||||||
| Referee | Michael Oliver (Northumberland) | ||||||
| Attendance | 87,647 | ||||||
| Weather | Sunny | ||||||
←2017 2019 → | |||||||
The2018 FA Cup final was anassociation football match betweenManchester United andChelsea on 19 May 2018 atWembley Stadium inLondon, England. It was the 137th FA Cup final overall and was the showpiece match of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (FA Cup), organised bythe Football Association (FA). It was the second successive final for Chelsea following their defeat byArsenalthe previous year. The teams had met twice before in the FA Cup Final, winning one each between them. The first was in1994, which Manchester United won 4–0, and most recently in2007, when Chelsea – then managed by the incumbent Manchester United bossJosé Mourinho – won 1–0 afterextra time.
Michael Oliver refereed the match which was notable for being the first FA Cup Final to use thevideo assistant referee (VAR) system.Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and President of the FA, was absent as he was attending hisbrother's wedding. The trophy was instead presented by Jackie Wilkins, the widow of former Manchester United and Chelsea playerRay Wilkins, who died in April 2018.
The match was played in sunny conditions in front of a Wembley crowd of 87,647. After a relatively even start to the match, on 21 minutes, Chelsea'sEden Hazard was brought down in the Manchester Unitedbox and Oliver awarded a penalty. Hazard scored from the spot to make it 1–0 to Chelsea, a lead they maintained to half time. Manchester United dominated the second half, and saw a 63rd-minute goal fromAlexis Sánchez ruled out foroffside after being referred to VAR. The match ended 1–0 to Chelsea who won the FA Cup for the eighth time.
As winners, Chelsea qualified for the group stage of the2018–19 UEFA Europa League, although they had qualified for that phase already via their league position. Chelsea also earned the right to play2017–18 Premier League championsManchester City for the2018 FA Community Shield.
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd Replay | Norwich City (A) Norwich City (H) | 0–0 1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–3p) |
| 4th | Newcastle United (H) | 3–0 |
| 5th | Hull City (H) | 4–0 |
| QF | Leicester City (A) | 2–1 (a.e.t.) |
| SF | Southampton (N) | 2–0 |
| Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue; (N) =Neutral venue | ||
Chelsea as aPremier League team entered theFA Cup in the third round, and were drawn againstChampionship clubNorwich City on 7 January atCarrow Road. Chelsea made nine changes to their starting eleven from their previous league match againstArsenal but still dominated the match, which ended goalless.[1] The replay was held 11 days later and was a 1–1 draw with goals fromMichy Batshuayi in the 55th minute andJamal Lewis in the 90th minute. The match went intoextra time, during which Chelsea were reduced to nine men when bothPedro andÁlvaro Morata were dismissed, each for twoyellow cards. With no further goals, the match went to apenalty shootout that Chelsea won 5–3 after their goalkeeperWilly Caballero savedNélson Oliveira's spot kick.[2] The match was also notable for what theBBC reporter Emlyn Begley described as the "first video refereeing controversy" in English football when, after deliberation withVAR,Willian was booked for diving when he was brought down byTimm Klose in the Norwichpenalty area;Alan Shearer described the decision as a "shambles".[2] In the fourth round, Chelsea met Premier League oppositionNewcastle United atStamford Bridge, and won 3–0 with two goals from Batshuayi and one fromMarcos Alonso.[3]
In the fifth round, Chelsea facedHull City, another Championship team, at home. Chelsea were dominant, scoring four times in the first half with goals from Willian (2), Pedro andOlivier Giroud, winning the game 4–0.[4] In the quarter-finals, they visited theKing Power Stadium to face fellow Premier League opponentsLeicester City, where a goal for Chelsea from Morata and a Leicester equaliser fromJamie Vardy took the game to extra time.Substitute Pedro came off the bench and scored the winning goal to take Chelsea to the semi-final.[5] There, they played Premier League opposition inSouthampton at Wembley, and goals fromstrikers Giroud and Morata saw Chelsea win 2–0, and progress to the FA Cup Final for the second successive season.[6]
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd | Derby County (H) | 2–0 |
| 4th | Yeovil Town (A) | 4–0 |
| 5th | Huddersfield Town (A) | 2–0 |
| QF | Brighton & Hove Albion (H) | 2–0 |
| SF | Tottenham Hotspur (N)[a] | 2–1 |
| Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue; (N) =Neutral venue | ||
Like Chelsea,Manchester United entered the cup in the third round because of their Premier League status. They were drawn at home against Championship sideDerby County. Despite making five changes to the starting line-up from their previous league match, the Manchester United managerJosé Mourinho fielded a strong side, includingJuan Mata,Paul Pogba,Marcus Rashford andHenrikh Mkhitaryan. United dominated the game and won 2–0 with late goals fromJesse Lingard and substituteRomelu Lukaku.[8] Their fourth round opponents wereLeague Two clubYeovil Town, the lowest ranked team remaining in the competition. Mourinho made ten changes for the match, played atHuish Park, which ended in a 4–0 victory for United with goals from Rashford,Ander Herrera, Lingard and Lukaku.[9]
In the fifth round, Manchester United were drawn against fellow Premier League sideHuddersfield Town away atKirklees Stadium. Although Mata had a goal ruled out following a controversial VAR review,[10] Lukaku scored in each half to secure a 2–0 win.[11] In the quarter-finals, they played Premier LeagueBrighton & Hove Albion atOld Trafford. Lukaku scored in the 37th minute and with Brighton'sJürgen Locadia missing four chances to equalise, a late goal fromNemanja Matić, the Unitedmidfielder, secured his side 2–0 victory.[12] In the semi-final at Wembley Stadium, Manchester United faced fellow Premier League clubTottenham Hotspur, who took an early lead throughDele Alli.Alexis Sánchez equalised midway through the first half with aheader from Pogba'scross past the Tottenham goalkeeperMichel Vorm. Herrera then put United ahead in the second half and his team held on for the 2–1 win and progression to the final.[13]
The 2018 final was the last match of the2017–18 FA Cup and the 137th final of the FA Cup, the world's oldest football cup competition.[14][15] This was Chelsea's thirteenth FA Cup final, having last progressed to the finalthe previous season where they lost 2–1 to Arsenal. Chelsea had won the cup on seven occasions, the most recent being in the2012 FA Cup Final where they defeatedLiverpool 2–1. Manchester United had featured in nineteen finals prior to 2018: their most recent appearance was in the2016 final when they needed extra time to beatCrystal Palace 2–1.[14] The 2018 final was the third to see Manchester United and Chelsea face one another: United won the1994 FA Cup Final 4–0 while Chelsea were 1–0 winners in the2007 final.[16] In the two meetings between the clubs during the2017–18 Premier League, Chelsea won 1–0 at Stamford Bridge in November 2017 while Manchester United won 2–1 at Old Trafford the following February.[17] The season ended with Manchester United in second place, and Chelsea fifth, eleven points behind.[18]
Tributes for former Chelsea and Manchester United midfielderRay Wilkins, who died on 4 April, were held before the match on the hoardings and the screens in the stadium, as well as a feature in thematchday programme.[19] Wilkins won the FA Cup with both sides; in the1983 final for United,[b] and three times as assistant manager of Chelsea – in the2000,2009 and2010 finals.[20] The traditional performance of the hymn, "Abide with Me" was performed by the choir of theRoyal Air Force and 14 individual fans of 14 different clubs with a flypast by three Royal Air ForceTyphoons.[21] The national anthem, "God Save the Queen", was sung by soprano Emily Haig who also performed it at the2018 FA Women's Cup Final.[22]
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The referee for the match was 33-year-oldMichael Oliver fromNorthumberland. He previously officiated when these two sides met in the previous season's quarter-final, in which he sent off Manchester United's Herrera. Oliver became the youngest FA Cup final referee since the1914 FA Cup Final betweenBurnley and Liverpool which was officiated by the 32-year-oldHerbert Bamlett.[16] Oliver'sassistants were Ian Hussin fromLiverpool and Lee Betts fromNorfolk. Thefourth official wasLee Mason ofLancashire, and thefifth official was Constantine Hatzidakis fromKent. For the first time in the final, there was a VAR,Neil Swarbrick of Lancashire.[23] His assistant was Mick McDonough, also of Northumberland.[24] The ball for the match was an FA Cup-branded variant of theNikeOrdem V, and featured the names of 137 players who had scored goals during the 2017–18 FA Cup season, in every round from the extra preliminary round through to the semi-finals.[25]
Mourinho had made nine changes to his starting line-up for the final Premier League match againstWatford the previous weekend.[26] Of that eleven, just three were retained for the FA Cup final:Ashley Young, Rashford and Sánchez. Lukaku had also recovered from an ankle injury sustained in April to be selected amongst the substitutes.[27][28] Sánchez and Giroud became the first players to appear in consecutive FA Cup finals but for different clubs sinceBrian Talbot accomplished the feat representingIpswich Town in the1978 final and Arsenal thefollowing year.[16] The Chelsea managerAntonio Conte made three changes from the team which lost in the league match against Newcastle United 3–0:Andreas Christensen,Emerson andRoss Barkley were dropped forAntonio Rüdiger, Alonso andCesc Fàbregas.[28][29] Speculation had surrounded Conte's position as Chelsea manager for several months. He confirmed that his future with the club would be clarified after the FA Cup Final.[30]
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The match, played in sunny conditions in front of a crowd of 87,647, was kicked off by Manchester United just after 5:15 p.m. Two minutes into the game, Alonso was fouled by Herrera, but the resulting free kick from Fàbregas went straight to the Manchester United goalkeeperDavid de Gea. Six minutes later, Lingard was brought down by the Chelsea midfielderN'Golo Kanté who conceded a free kick. From the set piece, Young's cross was cleared byGary Cahill but a mistake fromPhil Jones allowedEden Hazard an opportunity: his shot was saved by the outstretched leg of De Gea.[28][31] In the fourteenth minute, Chelsea'sTiémoué Bakayoko fell in the United penalty area after contact with Matić, but Oliver decided no foul had been made. Two minutes later, Sánchez also made an unsuccessful claim for a penalty after contact with bothVictor Moses andCésar Azpilicueta sent him to the ground in the Chelsea box. After 21 minutes, Hazard received a pass from Fàbregas and made a run into Manchester United's box, where he was fouled by Jones with a sliding tackle, who received the first yellow card of the game. Oliver awarded a penalty which Hazard himself took, sending the ball low to the right past United goalkeeper De Gea to make it 1–0 to Chelsea.[28] It was the first penalty scored outside a shootout in the FA Cup Final sinceRuud van Nistelrooy scored for Manchester United in the2004 final.[32]
In the 26th minute, Pogba was fouled, allowing Sánchez to send a free kick toward Herrera. His misplaced shot ended back with Sánchez whose cross for Pogba was deflected out by Rüdiger: the resulting corner came to nothing. Pogba then shot wide ofThibaut Courtois' goal before a Sánchez strike from 25 yards (23 m) went off-target.[28] On 35 minutes, Sánchez fouled Bakayoko on the edge of the United area, but the resulting free kick from Fàbregas struck thewall and was cleared. Three minutes later, Pogba won a corner from which Sánchez tried to score directly, but Fàbregas cleared at the near post.Chris Smalling then conceded a corner from another Chelsea free kick: Fàbregas' ball was punched away by De Gea. A minute before half time, Young was fouled by Moses. The free kick resulted in a corner for United, from which Young's cross was headed past Chelsea's right-hand goalpost by Jones. Rashford then missed a chance and the half ended 1–0 to Chelsea.[33]
No changes to either team were made during half time and Chelsea kicked off the second half. Seven minutes in, Young was fouled by Moses and United were awarded a free kick which was taken by Rashford. Pogba missed his header and Courtois was able to punch the ball clear. Two minutes later, Young received the ball from Herrera butchipped his shot over the Chelsea crossbar. Herrera then sentAntonio Valencia clear in the Chelsea box: he chose to pass to Rashford whose strike was cleared by Courtois, before Pogba's attempt was gathered by the goalkeeper. In the 57th minute, a corner from Pogba was cleared, and Hazard's quick break was ended by a Valencia foul for which he received the second booking of the game. Matić then shot wide of the Chelsea goal before Hazard's strike was saved by De Gea at the other end of the pitch. On 63 minutes, Rashford was brought down, winning a free kick which he took himself, finding Jones in the middle of the Chelsea penalty area. His header to the bottom-right corner was goal-bound but Courtois pushed it away, only for Sánchez to knee the ball into the net. The goal was subsequently disallowed as Sánchez was adjudged to have been in anoffside position, which was then confirmed by VAR.[33]
United continued to dominate the second half but in the 71st minute, Chelsea's Kanté made a run into the United penalty area and passed to Alonso whose shot was parried by De Gea. Moses attempted to take the rebound past Young, but the ball deflected off the United player's arm. Appeals for a penalty were turned down with VAR making the decision. In the 73rd minute, Rashford was sent clear by Lingard, but his shot was saved by Courtois. United then made the first substitutions of the afternoon, with Lingard and Rashford being replaced byAnthony Martial and Lukaku. Two minutes later, a shot from Martial was deflected and caught by Courtois before a clash of heads between Giroud and Jones meant the United defender had to leave the pitch for medical attention. With ten minutes remaining, a 25-yard (23 m) strike from Matić was pushed away by the United goalkeeper for a corner, from which Azpilicueta's deflected shot was caught by De Gea. Pogba then sent a header wide of the Chelsea goal before Sánchez's shot from 20 yards (18 m) went just wide of the post. With three minutes of the match left, Mata came on for Jones before Martial's lofted shot went high over the goal. In the 89th minute Chelsea made their first substitution with Morata coming on for Giroud, and shortly after, Hazard was replaced by Willian. Five minutes of additional time were indicated, and three minutes in, Courtois was booked for time-wasting. Despite late chances for both sides, no further goals were scored and the match ended 1–0 to Chelsea.[33]
          Chelsea |      Manchester United |
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Man of the Match: Assistant referees: | Match rules[35]
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| Chelsea | Manchester United | |
|---|---|---|
| Total shots | 6 | 18 |
| Shots on target | 3 | 5 |
| Corner kicks | 5 | 9 |
| Fouls committed | 11 | 13 |
| Possession | 33% | 67% |
| Yellow cards | 1 | 2 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
As President ofThe Football Association,Prince William, Duke of Cambridge would normally have attended the final and presented the trophy to the winning captain at the conclusion of the game. However, as the final was scheduled for the same day as hisbrother's wedding, for which he was serving asbest man,[36] the trophy was instead presented by Jackie Wilkins, the widow of former Manchester United and Chelsea player Ray Wilkins, who died in April 2018.[37] Chelsea's Rüdiger was namedman of the match.[32]
Cahill, the winning captain, said "We had a lot of defending to do ... This is a dream come true, as this is the first one as captain".[33] Hazard added: "We tried to defend well. We scored one goal, it's enough today."[33] Conte was upbeat: "I'm very satisfied because today was very difficult ... It showed great desire to finish the season in the right way despite the great difficulty we have had".[34] Mourinho was indignant in defeat: "I congratulate them because they won, but I don’t think they deserve to win. I congratulate because I am a sportsman."[33] He also opined: "Every defeat hurts, but for me personally the ones that hurt less are when you give everything and you go without any regrets".[34]BBC Sport correspondentPhil McNulty highlighted the performance of the Chelsea players Hazard, Courtois, Kanté, Cahill and Rüdiger, while criticising United trio Jones, Sánchez and Pogba.[34] Sam Wallace, writing inThe Daily Telegraph declared that "this was a dreadful final".[38]
Chelsea won £1.8 million for winning the final and became the first club to win the FA Cup, theWomen's FA Cup and theFA Youth Cup in the same season.[32] As winners, Chelsea qualified for the group stage of the2018–19 UEFA Europa League, although they had qualified for that phase already via their league position.[39] This meant that Arsenal, who finished sixth in the league, gained qualification for the Europa League.[40] Chelsea also earned the right to play 2017–18 Premier League championsManchester City for the2018 FA Community Shield.[41]
It was the first time that Mourinho had lost a cup final in charge of an English team, after seven consecutive victories,[34] and the defeat sealed his third-ever full season without winning silverware.[42] It was the first domestic cup won by Conte, who lost the2012 Coppa Italia Final withJuventus and the previous season's FA Cup Final as Chelsea manager.[34] Conte was sacked by Chelsea in July 2018 before becoming the manager ofInter Milan on a three-year deal beginning with the2019–20 Serie A season.[43][44] He was replaced byMaurizio Sarri the following day.[45] Mourinho remained through the summer at Manchester United, but, that December, with Manchester United 19 points behind the league leaders Liverpool, he was dismissed.[46]
