How It Happened: Chelsea 4-2 Tottenham



Good afternoon and welcome to Nigerianeye's live text coverage of the FA Cup semi-final between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley.


Just four points separate these two sides in the Premier League title race, but they will put that battle on hold this afternoon as they both bid to reach the final of the world's oldest cup competition.

Spurs last reached the final in 1991, since when Chelsea have lifted the famous trophy six times, most recently in 2012.

Make sure you don't miss a moment of the action courtesy of our minute-by-minute updates below.

OFFICIAL LINE-UPS

CHELSEA: Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Ake; Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso; Willian, Batshuayi, Pedro
CHELSEA SUBS: Begovic, Zouma, Terry, Chalobah, Fabregas, Hazard, Diego Costa


TOTTENHAM: Lloris; Trippier, Dier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen; Wanyama, Dembele, Son, Eriksen, Dele; Kane
TOTTENHAM SUBS: Lopez, Davies, Walker, Wimmer, Sissoko, Nkoudou, Janssen















Martin Atkinson brings an end to this thrilling semi-final, and it is Chelsea who book their place in the FA Cup final courtesy of a 4-2 victory over London rivals Spurs. Tottenham showed great fight to twice come from behind, with goals from Kane and Alli cancelling out a brace from Willian. However, Eden Hazard came off the bench to restore Chelsea's lead for a third time with only 15 minutes remaining before Nemanja Matic blasted the Blues into the final with a fourth. Thanks for joining our live coverage of the match!


90+5 min CHELSEA REACH THE 2017 FA CUP FINAL!

90+5 min FULL TIME: Chelsea 4-2 Tottenham Hotspur

90+3 min CLOSE! How has his one stayed out? Kane drills the free kick towards goal and it squirms under the body of Courtois, but the backspin on the ball somehow sees it stop on the line, allowing the Chelsea keeper to recover and gather.

90+2 min YELLOW CARD! Kante picks up a late yellow card for a trip on Alli, giving Spurs a free kick in a good position...

90 min There will be four added minutes at the end of this semi-final.

88 min It looks as though Spurs are on their way to a record seventh consecutive FA Cup semi-final defeat, then, but they have more than played their part in an entertaining fixture today.

86 min CHANCE! Another bigs opening for the Blues! Fabregas lifts a cross into the middle with Costa meets with an unmarked header, but he plants his effort wide of the target when he really should have done better.

84 min CHANCE! Chance for Chelsea to add a fifth as Hazard breaks in behind the defence and skips past Lloris, but he is forced out wide and has to settle for pulling the ball back to Alonso. The full-back tries to apply the finishing touch, but Alderweireld makes an important block.

82 min Spurs have shown enough in their last few matches to suggest that they have the goals in their team to still make a game of this in the final 10 minutes, but it is such a big ask for them now. What a match this has been.

80 min How about this for a way to book your place in the final of the FA Cup?! Chelsea surely wrap things up with a stunning strike from Matic, who could not have put that in a better position. Hazard collects a pass from Fabregas before teeing up Matic, who catches his effort as sweetly as he will ever catch one. It flies past a helpless Lloris, smashing in off the woodwork for his first goal of the season. Sensational.

80 min GOAL! Chelsea 4-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Nemanja Matic)

79 min TOTTENHAM SUB: Spurs make another change here as Wanyama is replaced by Georges-Kevin Nkoudou. Attacking switch from Pochettino!

77 min Just 13 minutes remain in this one for Spurs to level things up yet again. As you might expect, it is the Chelsea fans who are in full voice right now!

75 min Cometh the hour, cometh the man! Hazard comes off the bench to give Chelsea the lead for a third time today! Walker is only able to clear a corner - Chelsea's first of the day - as far as Hazard on the edge of the area, and the Belgian has far too much time to take a touch and drill his finish into the bottom corner. Spurs have to do it all over again now!

75 min GOAL! Chelsea 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Eden Hazard)

74 min CHELSEA SUB: A third and final change for Chelsea as Cesc Fabregas replaces Pedro.

73 min Here is that goal from Alli, by the way (and more importantly, the pass from Eriksen)...

71 min Spurs win their ninth corner of the match and Chelsea are unable to deal with it initially, but when the ball arrives back into the middle they finally do clear the danger. Spurs on top right now, though!

69 min TOTTENHAM SUB: Spurs make their first change of the afternoon as Walker replaces Son, which will see Trippier switch over to left wing-back.

67 min This match is so finely poised with less than 25 minutes remaining, and we are no closer to knowing who will progress to the final here. We could need extra time and penalties to separate these two!

65 min The ball arrives to Wanyama around 25 yards from goal and the Spurs fans inside Wembley urge him to "shooooot!" They may not be doing that next time he gets the ball, though, as he fires his subsequent effort comfortably over the crossbar.

63 min CHANCE! Half a chance for Spurs from a quick counter as Alli looks to return the compliment to Eriksen following their second goal. The Dane is momentarily in space racing down the right flank and Alli manages to pick him out, but Eriksen can't get enough on his header to really trouble Courtois.

61 min CHELSEA SUBS: Here comes the cavalry! Antonio Conte changes things on the hour mark as Diego Costa and Eden Hazard come on in place of Batshuayi and two-goal hero Willian.

59 min Lovely footwork from Alli as he takes the ball down well before dipping inside to create space to shoot, but his subsequent effort is scooped a long way off target.

58 min This match has certainly lived up to the billing so far. It is England's two best teams, and they are putting on a show today. Great stuff.

54 min Spurs can smell blood here! They immediately get back on the front foot and Martin Atkinson has a string of decision to make in quick succession as Spurs appeal for a few fouls - including two penalties. On each occasion, though, the referee waves it away.

52 min Chelsea made a quick start to the first half, and Spurs have done the same in this second half to level things up! Dele Alli gets the goal with a really good finish, firing the ball into the top corner at full stretch and on the half-volley. The finish is overshadowed by the pass from Eriksen, though, with the Dane curling a sensational ball around the defence for Alli to convert.

52 min GOAL! Chelsea 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Dele Alli)

50 min Spurs knock the ball amongst themselves in defence as they look to settle into the game and get things on their own terms. They don't seem to have a great deal of urgency in the opening minutes of the second half here, though.

48 min It will be interesting to see how Spurs approach this second half. Chelsea are the team with the greater firepower in reserve on the bench, but it is Spurs who must push for the goal in the coming 45 minutes - will they bide their time or go all guns blazing from the off?

46 min KICKOFF: Chelsea get us back underway for the second half at Wembley! Just 45 minutes separate them from the FA Cup final as things stand!


Martin Atkinson brings an end to an entertaining first half at Wembley, then, and it is Chelsea who have the lead at the halfway stage of this semi-final. These games are often cagey affairs, but that has not been the case so far today and we are set up for a brilliant coming 45 minutes in the second half. Spurs need to attack!



45+3 min HALF TIME: Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur

45+3 min YELLOW CARD! Alonso picks up an unnecessary yellow card in the dying embers of the first half here.

45+1 min There will be two minutes of added time at the end of this first half.

45 min Spurs are looking a little bit nervy here and Lloris gets away with one here. He comes out to claim the ball and, in doing so, carries it outside his penalty area. He nudges it back in with his hands before collecting, and none of the officials seem to have noticed the handball. Lloris is a lucky man there!

43 min After a brief discussion to decide who will take it, Willian gets the nod and holds his nerve to send Lloris the wrong way. Two dead-ball goals from Willian and Chelsea look like taking the lead into half time now!

43 min GOAL! Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Willian, penalty)

42 min Nightmare for Spurs right on the stroke of half time as Son slides in on Moses inside the area and brings the wing-back down. Moses jumped over the challenge, but it was a stupid tackle from Son and without Moses's evasive action then it would have been a clear foul.

42 min PENALTY TO CHELSEA!

40 min SAVE! Some sloppy play at the back from Chelsea forces a mistake as Azpilicueta gives the ball straight to Eriksen when trying to clear the danger. Eriksen lines up a shot from range, but curls it straight into the arms of Courtois.

38 min This time it is Luiz who needs to make an important defensive contribution as he hooks the ball away from Alli after a good flick-on from Kane. Had Luiz not got to that then Alli would have been clean through on goal.

36 min CLOSE! Moments after Wanyama is unable to react in time when in a good place Spurs hoist another ball into the box, with Vertonghen whipping a beauty in from the left flank. Dier is still up there from the corner and glances his header just wide of the far post.

35 min Crucial interception from Kante to stop Eriksen's delivery from reaching Son. The South Korean had just lost his marker from a free kick and was lining up to sweep the ball home, but Kante puts it behind for a corner.

33 min A man who thrives on the big occasion...

31 min Spurs are seeing more of the ball right now as they continue to probe for a way through the Chelsea defence again. Incidentally, Tottenham are playing three at the back now, with Son filling in as the left wing-back.

29 min The Tottenham fans are in fine voice as they chant Dele Alli's name around Wembley. Nothing much to report in terms of chances aside from the two goals, but that is not to say that this has been dull.

27 min Chelsea are a little unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty or at least a free kick right on the edge of the box as Dembele rather unceremoniously moves Willian out the way to get the ball. Not a lot was made of it, but had it not been in such a dangerous area that may well have been given.

25 min There is concern over David Luiz here as the Brazilian looks to be in a lot of pain after Alli accidentally trod on his ankle. Terry is sent out to warm up, but Luiz should be fine to continue.

23 min That goal has really made a difference for Spurs, who were a bit slow to get going in this match but now look to be on top. Midway through the first half and we have already seen plenty of action here.

21 min...this time Eriksen's delivery comes to nothing, though, as Batshuayi gets it clear.

20 min Spurs have another chance to get the ball into the box here following an untidy challenge from Alonso, who slipped into it...

18 min We could be in for a good game here today, folks! This one is already living up to the billing as Spurs equalised with less than 20 minutes on the clock. It is another fine goal too, if very different from Willian's strike. The initial corner is cleared out, but Eriksen picks up the ball on the right flank and creates space to whip it back into the middle with his left foot. Kane still has a lot to do, but he flicks a clever backward header right into the far corner.

18 min GOAL! Chelsea 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Harry Kane)

17 min Spurs have their first hint of a sight of goal as Eriksen plays a clever quick free kick into the feet of Kane just inside the area. Kante is alert to the danger, though, and deflects the eventual shot behind for a corner.

15 min Good football from Chelsea as they come forward down the right flank through Pedro. His cross is blocked before Williannocks it back to Kante, who picks out an unmarked Batshuayi in the area. It would be a clear chance for the striker, but the linesman's flag is raised and his header - which was comfortably saved by Lloris anyway - would not have counted.

11 min A plane is flying above Wembley carrying the message 'Antonio! Antonio! with a Chelsea flag. They love the Italian in West London, and it is easy to see why - as things stand they are still on course for a double in his debut season.

9 min That free kick looked like it took a small deflection on the way through, but Lloris wouldn't have been anywhere near it in any event. Lloris didn't really seem to be covering either side of the goal there!

7 min Semi-finals can often be cagey affairs - and this stadium in particular has seen its fair share - but it has been a charged opening to this match and that early goal has set this one up very nicely. Spurs must attack now!

5 min What a start for Chelsea! They take the lead after just five minutes, and it is a fine opening goal from Willian too! He lines up the free kick from Alderweireld's challenge and curls it right into the far corner, past Lloris on the goalkeeper's side. The Spurs skipper was unsighted by his wall and took a step to his right before the shot arrived so may well feel that he should have done better there - take nothing away from that strike, though!

5 min GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur (Willian)

3 min YELLOW CARD! Quick start from Chelsea as they look to get on the front foot early. Alderweireld is forced into a risky challenge that sees him scythe down Pedro on the edge of the box, which earns him a yellow. It may have been even worse with a harsher ref...

1 min KICKOFF: Wembley applaud as one to remember Ehiogu, and a huge roar greets the whistle that brings the minute to a close. Now it's game time, and Tottenham get us underway.

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