Manchester United 1-3 Chelsea - 5 Talking Points and Tactical Analysis | FA Cup 2019-20
Chelsea secured their berth in the final of the FA Cup at Wembley, following their impressive 3-1 win over Manchester United during the semi-final on Sunday. Frank Lampard's men were deserved winners on the night, as goals from Olivier Giroud, Mason Mount and an own goal from Harry Maguire settled the debate at English football's grandest of citadels, Wembley.
Bruno Fernandes converted a late penalty for the Red Devils, after Callum Hudson-Odoi was punished for a foul on Anthony Martial. However, the consolation proved too late to spur a comeback, as Chelsea eased their way into another cup final.
Without further delay, lets take a closer look at the major talking points from the encounter at Wembley:
#5 Giroud maintains FA Cup mojo to steer Chelsea clear
Undoubtedly, Giroud has been nothing short of sensational for Chelsea since the restart last month. The Frenchman opened the scoring for his team against United and more importantly, he was yet again the focal point that unsettled the opposition.
However, it was far from surprising to witness Giroud deliver the goods at the grandest stage and particularly in this competition. The marksman took his tally in the FA Cup to 16 goals from 30 appearances overall. He has developed a close affinity towards the competition since arriving in England, and has now put himself in a situation to lift it for the fifth time next month, when he faces former club Arsenal.
#4 Error-strewn De Gea cost Manchester United
The Manchester United shot-stopper had a forgetful outing at Wembley and looked a shadow of his usual self. While he failed to get a strong enough touch to deny Giroud the opening goal, his error after the interval helped Chelsea establish a two-goal cushion.
During both the instances, De Gea looked unsure and unusual in his approach to keep out the attempts by Giroud and Mount. As such, his error in judgement cost United dearly, as they were hamstrung by his antics between the sticks. Safe to say, he will be bitterly disappointed.
As Dean Henderson continues to impress with Sheffield United, it will be interesting to see if Manchester United recall the youngster to Old Trafford and put De Gea under pressure to retain first-choice status at the club.