Chelsea and Liverpool to play out intriguing FA Cup final
Published:Chelsea will compete in their fourth FA Cup final in six years this Saturday, attributed a 6/5 price to score victory in 90 minutes, and land what could be the first leg of a unique double.
Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool stand in their way, hopeful of landing a double themselves by winning in normal time at 2/1, to secure an eighth FA Cup.
You can get 11/5 about the draw meanwhile, but with Premier League fixtures still to come, and a Champions League final in the offing for Chelsea, neither side would preference extra-time.
Roberto Di Matteo will be determined to land some silverware as he aims to claim the Chelsea managerial post on a permanent basis, and what would be a seventh FA Cup for the London outfit could convince Roman Abramovich to offer him the position.
Although Abramovich is more intent on achieving European success, his appreciation for the prestige and tradition of this competition does not appear lost on him, so success can only bode well for his caretaker manager.
The Blues are in tremendous form also, losing just once in 16 outings under the stewardship of Di Matteo, and may have David Luiz back from injury to bolster their backline.
An intriguing clash would appear to be in prospect however, given Liverpool’s far superior showings in cup competition this season.
The Reds have struggled throughout their league campaign, recording too many draws en route to mid-table obscurity in the Premier League, but have used the Carling and FA Cups as a means to express themselves more freely.
In one previous final appearance at the new Wembley, they needed a penalty shootout to conquer Cardiff, though there is no doubting that Dalglish, a two-time FA Cup winner as a player with the Reds, will be determined to claim this trophy.
Chelsea’s emphatic 5-1 victory over Tottenham in the semi-final demonstrated their credentials at the national stadium meanwhile, and their form of late appears to make them justifiable favourites this weekend, in what should be a tight affair.
