Chelsea will face Manchester City in the second semi-final of the FA Cup after edging out Manchester United in a drab Bank Holiday affair. One goal from Demba Ba four minutes in to the second half was enough for the defending champions to progress in a bid to make it five FA Cups in seven years.
Whether it was the fatigue from playing on Saturday, the extremely unusual early Monday kick-off or the cold weather, the proposed heavyweight contest never really sprung in to life during the course of the match. Mis-placed passing was the story of the whole game with Nani and Juan Mata being the most under-whelming during the first half.
The news before the match mainly concerned Wayne Rooney and his absence from the United squad, which was due to a groin injury picked up during the internationals. Robin Van Persie was also on the bench, leaving Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez, who had scored in his last four matches against Chelsea, up front. Fernando Torres was left on the bench for Chelsea with Ba up front on his own.
You know how well a half went when you're more interested in whether the two managers had shook hands before the match started, which they did. Chelsea were better in possession in the early going but neither keeper saw the ball for much of the half.
Ashley Cole was forced off with a hamstring injury on 17-minutes and had to be replaced by Ryan Bertrand, sources believe Cole may be out for two weeks. It took until the second period of the first half for United to begin to get in to the game and they looked comfortable around the box, but the final ball was lacking. The first real chance of the half came on the half hour mark when Ba's powerful shot from a narrow angle was saved by the legs of David De Gea. United's best chance of the half came five minutes before half time when Hernandez's swerving shot seemed to deceive Petr Cech but he managed to parry the ball with his feet.
The second half didn't start any better but the game changed when Mata's ball over the top was met by Ba with a superb volley which went past the stationary De Gea and in to the top corner. Any thoughts that the goal may have started United off were quashed pretty quickly as Chelsea looked the most likely to score a second.
The best chance for United to equalise came on the hour mark when a Welbeck cross-come-shot was met by Hernandez's head from six yards. But somehow Cech managed to throw an arm at the ball and miraculously turn it over the bar, a definite save of the season contender.
Straight from that chance, Mata went up the other end a blasted the ball from an acute angle which looked to have just hit the side netting and a goal kick was given. But replays showed De Gea got a hand to it which did actually stop the ball from going in and a corner should have been given. Eden Hazard also had a great chance to make it 2-0 when Michael Carrick inadvertently played him through but the Belgian dragged his shot wide.
United did have two potential chances to steal an equaliser late on through substitute Van Persie. The first was headed over the bar before the Dutchman found space when Patrice Evra played the ball back, but Van Persie could only hit his effort high over the woodwork. That just leaves the probable league now for United with Rafa Benitez still able to leave Chelsea with a trophy at the end of the season.
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