The FA Cup Final – Will Chelsea or Manchester United Seize the Trophy Tomorrow?
The FA Cup final takes place on Saturday and, this year, it’s a battle between the Blues and the Reds. Chelsea will take on Man Utd in the finale of the famous football cup competition, which takes place at Wembley and kicks off at 5.15 p.m. You can watch the match live on BBC One or BT Sport – but what’s at stake for the teams and which is most likely to win?
Chelsea v. Man Utd – Can the Blues Seal an Eighth FA Cup Victory?
The Blues haven’t won a single piece of silverware so far this season, so they’ll certainly want to get their hands on the historic football cup. 2017/18 started badly for the reigning Premiership champions. They lost both of their pre-season International Champions Cup ties and were defeated by Arsenal in the FA Community Shield competition.
The Gunners also put pay to Chelsea’s hopes of raising the EFL Cup aloft, beating them in the semi-finals, while Barcelona ended their dreams of winning the UEFA Champions League in the round of sixteen. Antonio Conte’s men only managed to finish fifth in the Premiership too, meaning that they will miss out on a UEFA Champions League place next season and play in the Europa League instead.
Chelsea’s FA Cup run, therefore, has been the highlight of their season. They entered the competition in the third round and defeated Norwich City, Newcastle United, Hull City, Leicester City and Southampton to reach the final. Saturday’s clash is a rerun of one of last year’s FA Cup quarter-final matches, which Chelsea won by 1-0. Last month, however, Conte played down the idea that they can defeat their rivals again. As reported in the Metro, he claimed that Man Utd were the favourites for the win. The teams have met twice already this year, in Premiership matches, with each winning at home.
The 2018 FA Cup Final – Can Man Utd Seize the Silverware on Saturday?
Manchester United may be the richest football club in the world, but the players will still have their eyes firmly on the £1,800,000 prize, particularly as they, like Chelsea, have failed to win any trophies this season.
They only managed to win one of their three pre-season International Champions Cup games and lost their 2017 UEFA Super Cup match with Real Madrid. Despite winning 25 of their 32 Premiership ties, they couldn’t keep pace with Manchester City, finishing the season in second place. They didn’t manage to retain the EFL Cup, getting knocked out by Bristol City in the fifth round, while their UEFA Champions League campaign was ended by Sevilla in the round of 16.
United beat Derby County, Yeovil Town, Huddersfield Town, Brighton and Hove Albion, and Tottenham Hotspur to make it to this year’s FA Cup final. If they defeat the Blues on Saturday, it will be the thirteenth time that they’ve won the sterling silver football cup, equalling Arsenal’s record for the highest number of FA Cup victories.
On paper, Jose Mourinho’s team is probably the strongest of the two teams, having finished the season with eleven more Premier League points than the Blues. However, both teams will be desperate to add something to their trophy cabinet this year, so anything could happen.
Will you be backing the Blues or the Reds on Saturday? Let us know in the comments section or join the FA Cup final conversation on Twitter or Facebook.