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      Soyuncu and Fofana are top players… but Leicester need orchestrator Jonny Evans back to beat Chelsea in FA Cup final

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      LEICESTER’S chances of winning their first FA Cup will be dampened if Jonny Evans is not fit.Brendan Rodgers has come out and said that even if the Northern Irishman is not 100 per cent, he will be on the pitch at Wembley.
      Experienced Jonny Evans is essential to Leicester’s preferred system of playing three centre-backs so it’s vital he’s fit to face ChelseaCredit: AFP
      Wesley Fofana and Caglar Soyuncu showed vs Man Utd they are superb defenders but the Foxes gel better when Jonny Evans plays next to themCredit: Getty
      And that is because he knows just how instrumental he is to this Foxes side.
      Since their 3-1 home defeat to Arsenal in February, Rodgers changed Leicester to a 3-4-1-2 formation.
      Injuries to wide players Harvey Barnes and Ayoze Perez forced his hand into playing wing-backs.
      The switch saw Kelechi Iheanacho come into the side alongside Jamie Vardy and we all know how well he has done.
      But what it also did was show Evans’ worth to this team as he became the orchestrator of the three-man defence.
      Sitting in the middle, he would have Wesley Fofana and Caglar Soyuncu on strings by allowing them to go man for man while he sweeps up the rest.
      In the six games they played together, Leicester won five, drew one and only conceded three goals.
      And when he was taken out of the side due to injury they shipped four goals for the first time this season against Newcastle.
      Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers could face a tactical dilemma against ChelseaCredit: Getty
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      There is no doubt both Soyuncu and Fofana are outstanding defenders and examples of Leicester’s amazing business model of developing great players.
      But despite their quality it was clear they were lacking the leadership and communication which Evans brings to the table.
      So the difference he makes to this side is humongous.
      The fact that Foxes boss Rodgers went and reverted to a back four against Manchester United tells me the Newcastle defeat showed Evans’ importance to the system.
      They may have got a result, but no disrespect, it was not United’s strongest team.
      But at Wembley they will be coming up against a full-strength Chelsea side who have pace, movement and quality.
      And with Blues manager Thomas Tuchel opting to play without a recognised striker, that leadership and communication becomes vital.
      As the reason for playing a false nine is to try and pull defenders out of position to make space for midfield runners.
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      So if Evans falls short in his race to be fit, it could go horribly wrong — as no one will be there to keep  Soyuncu and Fofana in check.
      This final will feature two football teams who are both more comfortable on the counter.
      But the onus will be on Chelsea to dominate — which could play into Leicester’s advantage.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Chelsea boss Tuchel says Kovacic will return for FA Cup final against Leicester More

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      How Chelsea could line-up in FA Cup final against Leicester with N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic BOTH set to return

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      CHELSEA have been handed a fitness boost for the FA Cup final with N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic available. The midfielders are both set to return for Thomas Tuchel’s side on Saturday against Leicester at Wembley.
      Chelsea’s probable line-up to face Leicester
      N’Golo Kante is set to return for Chelsea in the FA Cup finalCredit: Rex
      Kante did not play in the midweek defeat against Arsenal but the Chelsea star is fit to return from his Achilles injury.
      The Blues will also have Kovacic available after his recovery from a hamstring injury which kept him sidelined for five weeks.
      Tuchel said: “We took the decision to leave him [Kante] out to rest for Arsenal. His right Achilles, it is not a huge injury, nothing to be afraid of. It was a bit annoying.
      “He did all sessions yesterday and today, no complaints. He will start tomorrow.”
      Kovacic has not featured since playing in Chelsea’s 4-1 win at Crystal Palace in April.
      An alternative team selection for Wembley
      Tuchel said: “It’s huge. Mateo has everything we need. You could see that when we miss Mateo and Kante in the same match, we lack a lot of quality, energy and experience.
      “Billy [Gilmour] did a huge couple of matches for us. It is big news that Kova is back for us.”
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      Tuchel has already confirmed he will play goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga at Wembley as the Chelsea boss bids to win his first trophy since taking charge in January.
      It is the first of two matches against Leicester, with a league clash following their final, as both sides push for a top-four Premier League finish.
      Chelsea have the chance to get their hands on two trophies this season with a Champions League final against Manchester City in Portugal at the end of this month.

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      Ex-Chelsea boss Ruud Gullit gave players swig of champagne BEFORE 1997 FA Cup final vs Middlesbrough, reveals Sinclair

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      FRANK SINCLAIR has revealed Ruud Gullit gave his Chelsea players a swig of champagne BEFORE the 1997 FA Cup final.According to defender Sinclair, then Blues boss Gullit sensed nerves in the dressing room prior to kick-off and so cracked open a bottle of bubbly to calm everyone down.
      Blues’ heroes like Mark Hughes, Dennis Wise, Eddie Newton, Frank Leboeuf and Gianluca Vialli could swig bubbly before 1997 final glory, says Frank SinclairCredit: PA:Press Association
      Ruud Gullit celebrates a victory for Chelsea and his unorthodox pre-match tactics in the 1997 FA Cup final against MiddlesbroughCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Frank Sinclair tackles Middlesbrough striker Fabrizio Ravanelli in the finalCredit: EPA
      Chelsea scorers Roberto Di Matteo, left, and Eddie Newton, centre, rejoice with skipper Dennis Wise at WembleyCredit: Reuters
      It worked a treat as Chelsea went on to beat Middlesbrough 2-0 at Wembley – with Roberto Di Matteo famously scoring a wonder goal inside 42 seconds.
      Ex-Leicester ace Sinclair, now 49, told talkSPORT 2: “Ruud Gullit sensed a bit of nerves between the players.
      “I felt OK, I didn’t really pick up on it.
      “But obviously him being the manager at the time, he sensed that maybe the changing room was a bit too quiet.
      “He actually opened a bottle of champagne before the game and gave us all just about a mouthful each.
      “We all cheered each other and downed it and thought to ourselves, ‘What the hell is this all about!’ It picked our mood up.
      “I went out there and was a bit tipsy for the warm-up – no I wasn’t, I’m lying! 

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      “It certainly settled us down.”
      Sinclair’s old sides Chelsea and Leicester face off against each other on the hallowed turf in this season’s FA Cup final on Saturday.
      Midfielder N’Golo Kante and centre-back Andreas Christensen have been sweating on their fitness for the Blues this week.

      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Chelsea vs Leicester – Watch LIVE for FREE, channel info and kick-off time More

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      How many fans can attend FA Cup final at Wembley between Chelsea and Leicester?

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      WEMBLEY hosts this weekend’s FA Cup final as Leicester look to win the world’s oldest cup competition for the first time.The Foxes go up against Chelsea in an all-Premier League clash at the Home of Football – and in a huge boost for both teams, some fans are allowed to attend.

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      Leicester are chasing their first ever FA Cup triumphCredit: PA
      How many fans can attend FA Cup final?
      Wembley has a total capacity of 90,000 and usually would have been packed with around 35,000 fans from each side.
      In the current climate that was always a long-shot, but the stands in the capital are set to be close to normal on Saturday.
      A total of 21,000 supporters will be able to attend the game, albeit with a number of key differences to a normal matchday.
      This involves fans taking a Covid-19 test two or three days prior to the match, then another lateral flow test on the day of the match.
      Fans were allowed to attend the Carabao Cup final between Man City and Tottenham, although Wembley that day was at 8,000 capacity.
      Man City fans celebrate their Carabao Cup triumph last monthCredit: Getty
      It is part of a wider programme to introduce crowds back, which include snooker, comedy, film and business events.
      Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “Our sports stars and great performers need us to find ways to get bums back on seats safely.
      “This science-led pilot programme will be the springboard in getting the buzz back of live performance. 
      “We’ve supported the sports and arts with unprecedented sums, but it’s now time to make that Great British Summer of live events a reality.”
      After May 17, up to 10,000 fans or 25 per cent of a stadium’s capacity will be allowed to attend Premier League games.

      How can I watch FA Cup final?

      This season’s FA Cup final is being shown on free-to-air TV in the UK.
      The game at Wembley will kick-off at 5.15pm on Saturday, May 15.
      BBC ONE will show the game in it’s entirety, with streaming available on the BBC iPlayer.
      BT Sport will also be showing the match, if you want a change of commentary team. More

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      Jose Mourinho’s incredible tactic to stop Cristiano Ronaldo revealed as Chelsea beat Man Utd in 2007 FA Cup final

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      SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS has revealed just how Jose Mourinho masterminded Chelsea’s 2007 FA Cup final win over Manchester United.And it was all down the flying winger’s DEFENSIVE skills…
      Mourinho turned to Wright-Phillips’ defensive skills as Chelsea beat Man Utd in the 2007 FA CupCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      Chelsea won their first FA Cup under Jose Mourinho in 2007 after slowing down Cristiano RonaldoCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      During Mourinho’s first spell at Stamford Bridge, the Special One had already guided the club to two Premier League title and two League Cups.
      But he was yet to get his hands on the FA Cup.
      And in 2007, Mourinho’s Chelsea went up against Man Utd in a bid to break that duck.
      Standing in his way, though? A 22-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo.
      The ex-Sporting Lisbon winger had scored 23 goals and added a further 21 assists in a scintillating 2006-07 campaign.
      Wary of Ronaldo’s pace and attacking prowess, Mourinho turned to an unlikely source to slow the Portuguese whiz down – speedy winger Wright-Phillips.
      In 2020, the former Manchester City winger explained how Mourinho urged him to ditch his attacking instincts and stick to Ronaldo like glue.
      Wright-Phillips, now 39, told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Through the week leading up to it, obviously we did all the tactical work and build-up play towards it.
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      Wright-Phillips, third from right, was able to help keep Ronaldo quiet as Chelsea on the 2007 FA CupCredit: Action Images – Reuters

      “But [Mourinho] spoke to me and he pulled me aside and he said, ‘look, if you do start or you do play we need a different job from you in that game.’
      “Because if I remember correctly, Ronaldo was still at United… so he had been on fire for a few years.
      “And [Mourinho] basically said, ‘we need you to focus more on defending and keep him quiet, and if you do that right, the chances are we win the game.’
      “So I basically just attacked when I could get the chance but my main focus was on helping my full-back.”
      But for Wright-Phillips, the sacrifice was worth it as Chelsea went on to win 1-0 after extra-time thanks to an 116th-minute winner from Didier Drogba.
      The 36-cap former England winger added: “It was weird going into a game with a more defensive mind-frame than attacking mind-frame.
      “But at the end of the day, sometimes you have to sacrifice what you do best for the good of the team and it benefited us and we came away with the win.
      “So for me, sometimes you got to get on with it and dig deep.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Take a look at the key numbers ahead Chelsea v Leicester’s FA Cup final More

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      How much will Chelsea or Leicester get for winning FA Cup in transfer kitty boost for Thomas Tuchel or Brendan Rodgers?

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      THE winners of Saturday’s FA Cup final between Chelsea and Leicester are in line for a cool £1.8million transfer kitty boost.Thomas Tuchel’s men face Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes at 5:30pm on Saturday and the losing team will receive just HALF the amount the winner gets.
      Chelsea and Leicester go head to head on Saturday night at WembleyCredit: Getty
      Both teams are fighting it out for a Champions League spot in the Premier League with fourth placed Chelsea two points behind third placed Leicester.
      But fans of both sides will forget all that at Wembley as they fight it out to win England’s biggest and most historic cup competition.
      The winner of Saturday’s clash will walk away with £1.8m while the loser will pocket just £900k.
      But both teams have already bagged decent cash on their run to the final.
      Premier League teams enter the FA Cup at the third round stage where the winners get £61.5k – more than double than that of the losers who receive just £20,500.
      The fourth round saw Chelsea and Leicester bag another £67.5k as they beat Luton and Brentford respectively.
      After the Blues’ narrow 1-0 win at Barnsley and Leicester’s victory over Brighton by the same score in round five meant the FA had to wire another £135k each into their bank accounts while the defeated sides were given just £45k.
      Winning quarter-finalists were sole winners of £360k before the prizes ramped for the semis played at Wembley.
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      The FA Cup winner wins nearly £2m

      Both finalists won 1-0 with Chelsea beating their Champions League final opponents Manchester City thanks to Hakim Ziyech’s second-half effort.
      And Leicester managed to overcome Southampton thanks to Kelechi Iheanacho’s effort which was spookily scored in the 55th minute – exactly the same minute as Ziyech’s goal.
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      The teams bagged a cool £900k each for those wins putting their total pre-final winnings at £1.524m each.
      Leicester boss Rodgers is not thinking about the money and has vowed to end the Foxes’ long wait for FA Cup glory.
      And if he wins at Wembley, the Foxes boss will dedicate it to the club’s late owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and his family.
      The FA Cup has proved elusive for four-time finalists Leicester, who hold the record for reaching the most finals without winning it.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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      Steven Gerrard’s individual highlights from 2006 FA Cup final are incredible as he drove Liverpool on to beat West Ham

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      “GERRARD… he’s done it!”It’s up there with ‘Agueroooo!’ and ‘what a hit, son!’ as some of the most iconic commentary in recent football history.

      Steven Gerrard almost single-handedly led Liverpool to the 2006 FA Cup against West HamCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      And 15 years on, ahead of the 2021 FA Cup final between Chelsea and Leicester, we take a look back at ‘The Gerrard final’.
      The year was 2006 and Liverpool – fresh from the Miracle of Istanbul in the Champions League final win over AC Milan – had enjoyed a strong season, finishing third in the Premier League.
      But before the players embarked on the World Cup in Germany, they had one more game to play – the FA Cup final against West Ham at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.
      Liverpool went into the game as strong favourites but were stunned after slipping two goals down early on.
      Jamie Carragher scored a 21st-minute own goal before Dean Ashton fired the Hammers 2-0 up before the half-hour mark.
      Djibril Cisse pulled one back for the Reds shortly afterwards after converting a Gerrard cross, but Rafa Benitez’s side still trailed at the break.
      Just ten minutes into the second period, Gerrard sensationally volleyed home a knock-down header from Peter Crouch as Liverpool fought back in a cup final yet again.
      But West Ham left-back Paul Konchesky – who would later play for Liverpool – put the Londoners ahead once more with a little under half an hour to play.
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      Gerrard was Man of the Match after two goals, an assist and a successful penalty shootout effort in 2006Credit: PA:Press Association
      Gerrard twice equalised as Liverpool lifted the 2006 FA Cup at West Ham’s expenseCredit: AFP

      The Reds continued to huff and puff but were unable to break through.
      Worryingly for Liverpool, with minutes left in normal time, Gerrard went down with severe cramp as the his gruelling work load took its toll.
      The talismanic captain had been involved in everything good for his side, spraying pass after pass and embarking on sprint after sprint as he almost single-handedly tried to keep his club in the game.
      The clock ticked over to 90 minutes and the stadium announcer began to murmur there would be four minutes of stoppage time to play.
      Before the announcement had even finished, a scrambled clearance fell to Gerrard all of 35 yards out.
      Exhausted and desperate, Gerrard swung his deadly right boot at the ball – which arrowed into the bottom right-corner of Shaka Hislop’s goal.
      John Motson burst into life, roaring: “Gerrard… he’s done it!
      “Oh Steven Gerrard, just when he looked injured and out of it, has equalised for Liverpool with 90 minutes gone.
      “It’s 3-3 and surely the best cup final of modern times… it’s like Istanbul again for Liverpool.”
      Gerrard and Benitez raised the FA Cup trophy a year on from their Miracle of Istanbul successCredit: Bradley Ormesher – The Times
      Gerrard scored in the penalty shootout as Liverpool won the 2006 FA CupCredit: AFP
      The game would go to penalties, with Gerrard bravely battling through the pain for a further, goalless half an hour.
      Naturally, the midfield maestro still managed to convert his spot-kick in the penalty shootout with a rocket into the top-right corner.
      Liverpool won the shootout 3-1, with Gerrard the only choice for Man of the Match.
      The Reds haven’t won the FA Cup since that incredible May day in 2006.
      But fans are forever grateful for one Steven George Gerrard for the victory 15 years ago.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Rangers players and fans celebrate with champagne outside training ground before Gerrard is mobbed as he drives away More

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      Chelsea ace Victor Moses forced to get over 2017 FA Cup final red card heartache quickly as he got MARRIED the next day

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      VICTOR MOSES had just 24 hours to get over being sent-off in the 2017 FA Cup final – as he was getting married the next day.The Nigerian endured a nightmare at Wembley as he was shown a second yellow card for diving in the 2-1 defeat against Arsenal.
      Victor Moses had to get over his FA Cup nightmare in just 24 hoursCredit: Getty Images
      And the sour note must have remained fresh in the memory when he walked down the aisle a day later in London to wed his long-term girlfriend.
      It was a low key affair with just close family members, friends and colleagues attending the service.
      Moses had been outcast under previous Chelsea managers but enjoyed a resurrection under boss Antonio Conte.
      The wing-back started 29 Premier League matches that season as he played a crucial part in guiding the club to the title.
      And the Italian boss defended Moses after the FA Cup defeat by claiming ‘tiredness’ may have forced him to take a tumble.
      Conte – who led Inter Milan to their first Serie A title in 11 years last week – said: “I don’t know for sure but there is a lot of attention in this moment.
      “Sometimes I think it could be tiredness and I don’t think – and I repeat – if my player dived he did it with the real intention to do this.
      “We are at the end of the season and a lot of players are tired and then there is a lot of pressure.”
      The Nigerian was sent off for diving in the defeat against ArsenalCredit: AP:Associated Press

      A year later, in 2018, Moses looked back at the day as the ‘worst moment’ in his career.
      The Chelsea ace – currently on loan at Spartak Moscow – revealed: “It was the worst feeling ever that I’ve experienced in my career.
      “I wanted to be on the pitch to help my team-mates.
      “It has played on my mind a little bit, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I can’t rewind it back.”
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