Leicester City beat Chelsea to win FA Cup: Records broken
Leicester City won their first-ever FA Cup in their history after beating Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley. Youri Tielemans scored one of the greatest FA Cup goals to give the Foxes a deserved trophy in front of 21,000 fans. Chelsea had a goal disallowed by VAR at the dying stages for a tight off-side call. This is Chelsea's second successive FA Cup final defeat.
The game had limited opportunities for the first 50 minutes with no shots on target by both sides. Belgium mid-fielder Tielemans scored from a spectacular right-foot drive that flew beyond Chelsea goal-keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga into the top corner. The shot from 25 yards came in the 63rd minute. Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel made two crucial saves before Chelsea had a goal disallowed.
As per Opta, Leicester City are the 44th different side to win the FA Cup, and the maiden first-time winners of the competition since Wigan Athletic in 2013. Meanwhile, Chelsea are the first team to finish runners-up in consecutive FA Cup finals since Newcastle United in 1998 and 1999.
For the first time in history, @LCFC have won the #EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/gtkzkSG7eo
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) May 15, 2021
Schmeichel is the first goal-keeper to captain the winning side in an FA Cup final since David Seaman for Arsenal in 2003. Brendan Rodgers has become the first manager to win both the English and Scottish FA Cup since Sir Alex Ferguson. He is also the first Irish manager to lift the FA Cup since Terry Neill guided Arsenal to the trophy in 1979.
Chelsea had reached the FA Cup final for the 15th time. They are now seven-time runners-up and had also lost against Arsenal last season. Prior to this, Leicester had reached four FA Cup finals, losing on each occasion. Their last final appearance came in 1968-69. It took the Foxes 52 years to reach another FA Cup final and win the same.
Rodgers has never lost a cup final in his managerial career. Prior to this, he had won three Scottish League Cups and two Scottish Cups with Rangers.
