Remembering Chelsea’s Five Greatest Games in the FA Cup

Chelsea have won eight FA Cups in total. They are among the giants of the FA Cup, having played some great matches in it. These are some of the best matches that the legendary club have played in the FA Cup.

1970 FA Cup Final: Vs Leeds

The 1970 FA Cup final included a flamboyant Chelsea team and Leeds Utd. Chelsea had certainly played some great games en route to Wembley, among which was a 5-1 rout of Watford in the semi-finals. They won four away games to reach the Twin Towers. Leeds Utd had scraped through to the final after two replays in their semi-final with Man Utd.

During the first half of the Wembley final, Leeds went in front. A downward header put Leeds Utd a goal up in the first half. Chelsea equalized with a long-range strike from 20 yards. The keeper fumbled the shot, and the ball rolled over into the net.

The game remained 1-1 up to the final 10 minutes. Then a Leeds hit the post, but the ball was put into the back of the net after it rebounded from the goal. However, two minutes later, Chelsea headed in an equalizer to make the final score 2-2.

Consequently, the final went to a replay at Old Trafford. In that game, Leeds also went in front during the first half. They remained in front until Osgood’s goal equalized in the final 15 minutes. During the extra-time period that followed, the Blues took the lead in the final for the first time and remained in front until the end of the game. They lifted the cup for the first time after a classic finale.

1997 FA Cup Final: Vs Middlesbrough

Chelsea’s FA Cup final against Middlesbrough was not a classic, but the Blues had plenty to celebrate when the game ended, especially as they hadn’t won a trophy in decades at the time. That was a Chelsea team that included foreign stars such as Zola and Vialli, and Middlesbrough also had foreign players on their side. Despite that, Middlesbrough were still relegated from the Premier League.

Chelsea went in front with one of the fastest goals ever scored in the FA Cup final. A fine strike from 25 yards put them a goal up in the first minute. In the final 10 minutes, they wrapped up their victory with a second goal that made the final score 2-0.