Youri Tielemans’ thunderbolt strike sealed Leicester’s maiden FA Cup triumph with a gritty 1-0 win over Chelsea at Wembley this night.
The Belgian midfielder rifled an unstoppable effort into the highest nook from 25 yards, as Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes put one other real stamp on years of latest high quality.
Former Leicester full-back Ben Chilwell noticed a last-gasp Chelsea effort dominated out for offside after a video assistant referee evaluate, whereas Kasper Schmeichel earlier made an outstanding save to disclaim Mason Mount.
Leicester’s Premier League title win of 2015 might need come in opposition to all potential odds, however the east Midlands males have by no means since wilted.
Read extra: Champions League-chasing Chelsea – and ladies’s soccer extra usually – on the cusp of one thing extraordinary
The Foxes have been contesting simply their first FA Cup closing since 1969, when the Beatles have been primary with Get Back and Neil Young’s purpose sunk the hopeful Foxes – and an eight-year-old Gary Lineker cried all the way in which dwelling on the practice.
The solely tears of Leicester blue this day out have been of pleasure and reduction nevertheless, as Rodgers’ males capitalised on Chelsea’s toothless final-third play.
Chelsea’s second FA Cup closing defeat in as a few years will now put a serious squeeze on the top of the Blues’ season.
Thomas Tuchel underneath strain
New boss Thomas Tuchel has remodeled the Stamford Bridge males after changing Frank Lampard in January however Chelsea now face a dogfight to safe a top-four Premier League end – that begins with internet hosting Leicester on Tuesday night time.
The Champions League closing in opposition to Premier League champions Manchester City on 29 May in Portugal should now appear an age away for Tuchel and his luckless Blues.
And for the likes of Mason Mount and Reece James, two FA Cup closing losses in succession will probably be a bitter capsule after such a resurgent second-half to this marketing campaign.
Plenty of followers booed the gamers for taking the knee earlier than kick-off, although the anti-racism gesture additionally acquired heat applause.
Read extra: Women’s Super League Team of the Season 2020-21: The greatest performing gamers within the WSL, as recognized by Carteret Analytics
Timo Werner raced in behind the Leicester defence nearly at will in a primary half the place the Blues dominated however didn’t make any of their raids depend.
James produced an skilled block to thwart Jamie Vardy within the space, after Timothy Castagne had outstripped Marcos Alonso down the fitting. Caglar Soyuncu twice nodded over because the Foxes pressed their claims too nevertheless.
Werner blasted excessive and vast from distance after nice work from Jorginho and the ever-excellent N’Golo Kante.
And then captain Cesar Azpilicueta went shut however failed to attach with an tried header with the purpose at his mercy. Thiago Silva’s teasing cross solely required the best of touches, however Azpilicueta couldn’t alter rapidly sufficient on the far put up after the faintest of flicks from Werner.
Jonny Evans then trudged out of the match simply previous the half-hour, along with his troublesome heel damage once more flaring up and Marc Albrighton becoming a member of the fray.
Vardy discovered time to flick a speculative header vast after Tielemans’ ball over the highest.
But regardless of Kante stealing the ball within the Leicester space to tee up one other interval of Chelsea strain, a cagey affair reached half-time with out rating.
Chelsea dominated however it was not sufficient
Chelsea once more dominated when the motion resumed, however once more the Blues had nothing in anyway in the way in which of killer intuition.
Alonso headed straight at Schmeichel and with no energy from a Kante cross, whereas Azpilicueta miscued a centre of his personal, straight to the untroubled Foxes keeper.
And simply when Tuchel will need to have been getting ready a clutch of adjustments, up stepped Tielemans with a piledriver strike.
Read extra: The United Way is a well timed doc on the Manchester soccer big
Ayoze Perez reduce out James’ hopeful ball out of defence and Luke Thomas instantly threaded by to the unmarked Tielemans. The Belgium midfielder strode ahead and because the house opened up he lashed the ball into the highest nook.
The fortunate Leicester followers inside Wembley rightly leapt into delirium, to toast a strike of the best high quality.
Tuchel instantly unloaded his bench in a bid to show the tide, with Chilwell’s header forcing a wise save from Schmeichel.
Schmeichel got here to Leicester’s rescue once more on the dying, when the sharp-witted stopper tipped away a rasping effort from Mount.
Chilwell thought he had rescued an equaliser in opposition to his former membership, solely to see his bundled effort dominated out for offside by a VAR evaluate.
Read extra: End of lockdown: London’s first feminine chef with three Michelin stars sells three months of bookings in 20 minutes
