A first-half penalty from Eden Hazard has earned Chelsea a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the 2018 FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
The Belgian forward successfully converted from the spot a quarter of the way into the 137th final for what proved to be the game’s only goal, punishing Phil Jones for his last-ditch challenge inside the box.
United improved in an attacking sense in the second half, coming particularly close through a late headed chance for Paul Pogba, but they could not find a way through.
The defeat was Jose Mourinho’s first in six domestic cup finals in English football, but whether it proves enough to save the job of opposite number Antonio Conte remains to be seen.
The big news ahead of the match was the absence of Romelu Lukaku from Mourinho’s starting lineup, only being deemed fit enough for a place on the bench following his ankle injury layoff, while Conte used Tiemoue Bakayoko in a five-man midfield at the expense of Willian.
Chelsea looked the more threatening side on the rare occasions that they committed players forward, creating the first opening of the match 10 minutes in for Eden Hazard.
Credit – SportsMole
