The manager gets his tactics right and the players rediscover their fighting spirit to see off Manchester City at Wembley to secure a place in the FA Cup finalJust for a moment, unfettered by the constricting context of this turbulent season and the grisly dance around the topic of that contract, the sun broke through. Arsène Wenger stood in his technical area and the body language all around him was positive. Gabriel Paulista – a player apparently reborn during the course of the match – won another battle of wills with the threatening Leroy Sané. Mesut Özil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain shared a boosting handshake as they passed each other on the pitch. The German juggled the ball casually as he...
Spurs fans delight in skills of Harry Kane and Dele Alli but have their dreams shattered again by Antonio Conte’s streetwise ChelseaThe script for Tottenham Hotspur at what must be referred to as the new Wembley stadium has taken on a standard feel. They arrive with great expectations and leave with their dreams in tatters.They had defeated Chelsea in the 2008 League Cup final but, before this visit, it was eight appearances and a single win – and that was the largely meaningless one against CSKA Moscow in the final Champions League group phase tie earlier this season. Related: Eden Hazard clinches semi-final thriller for Chelsea against Tottenham Related: Chelsea’s Antonio Conte the tactical werewolf bares teeth and bites Spurs |...
The Chelsea manager gambled but both his starting XI and his substitutions paid off in a display that had his imprint stamped all over itWith 15 minutes gone on a fun, balmy, febrile afternoon at Wembley, Antonio Conte could be seen cavorting on the touchline in his sombre suit like an old-time revivalist preacher working the crowd at the village hall, arms windmilling, fists pumping, shiny shoes pounding the turf.High above his head an aeroplane appeared, trailing a message across the sky. The message was: “Antonio Conte!” Hallelujah! And indeed, praise be. Related: Chelsea 4-2 Tottenham Hotspur: FA Cup semi-final player ratings Related: Eden Hazard clinches semi-final thriller for Chelsea against Tottenham Continue reading...
Christian Benteke can put one over Jürgen Klopp and Vincent Kompany may prove decisive against Arsenal but what of Harry Redknapp in a Second City derby?By Saturday night Antonio Conte will be living in a new reality. The only question is: which one? Scenario A is that his team will be well on their way to crowning his debut season in England with a domestic double. They will have secured a place in the FA Cup final and crushed the uprising of pesky Tottenham Hotspur, who will be so dispirited by the reminder of their place in the natural order of things that they will lose all belief in a title challenge and spend the rest of the season sulking...
Manchester United’s strategy was to shackle Chelsea’s main creative force by any means and Phil Jones could have been sent off before Ander Herrera wasMidway through a thrilling, slightly wild first half at Stamford Bridge Phil Jones could be seen bumping and jouncing into the back of Eden Hazard on the edge of the Chelsea box like a middle-aged man performing an aggressively drunken conga at the office party. As Hazard fell Jones also stood on his hand, no doubt balancing up the throb in Hazard’s right cheek, where Ander Herrera had left his shoulder a few minutes before.The match facts will reveal that this 1-0 FA Cup quarter final victory was decided by N’Golo Kanté’s clinching goal just after...