Everton striker Louis Saha made English FA Cup Final history today (May 30th) at Wembley Stadium in London, England, as he scored after just 25 seconds, before most of the crowd of 89,000 had settled into their seats. It eclipsed the old mark of 30 seconds set by Aston Villa’s Bob Chatt against West Brom way back in 1895.

While it gave Everton a flying start, it was probably also the worst thing to happen for them as they tried to sit back and protect the slim margin for the next 90 minutes. Of course it didn’t work as Chelsea dominated the rest of the way and came out 2-1 winners for their second FA Cup win at the new Wembley in the last three years, and their fifth triumph in the competition overall.

It didn’t take long for Chelsea’s Didier Drogba to do what he does best, which is score in English cup finals (FA and League Cups) as he drove in a powerful header in the 21st minute to tie the score at 1-1. It was the sixth-straight cup final goal for Drogba. He also scored in this year’s semi-final and quarter-final games.

Frank Lampard sealed the victory in the 72nd minute with a fine 20-yard shot that Everton keeper Tim Howard could only parry into the net. It looked like Florent Malouda had given Chelsea a 3-1 lead about five minutes later when his venomous long-range shot from 30 yards slammed off the underside of the crossbar and came crashing down over the goal line. Referee Howard Webb let play carry on, while television replays showed that the ball had clearly crossed the line.

This brings up the topic again of video replay and why it’s needed in football today. This could have been a huge missed call if Everton had come back to tie the game. It’s about time FIFA got off its ass and implemented television replays or loaded the pitch up with extra officials and goal line judges.

Everton didn’t come back though, and with only one striker up front it’s quite evident at the moment that their manager David Moyes and the players aren’t good enough to pull off a cup win. Their loss today sets a record for FA Cup failures as they’ve now lost the final eight times. They have won it five times as well mind you, but were hurt by having a few good players out with injury, especially Arteta and Yakubu. Going with one guy up front’s not going to win you many games against Chelsea though.

It was a great send off for Chelsea’s interim manager Guus Hiddink who worked wonders with the club since taking over in February. Chelsea only lost one game out of 21 under Hiddink’s reign, and with any luck could have also possibly added the Champions League to the trophy haul this season. The Dutchman will now head back to Russia to resume his job as the country’s national coach.

Another guy who will be celebrating long into the night will be Ashley Cole, who was officially named man of the match and became the first player in over 100 years to win five FA Cup medals. He won three with Arsenal and another with Chelsea in 2007.

Chelsea may have won something much bigger than the cup today though, as they have now appeared to win the respect and admiration of many neutral football fans. While Jose Mourinho, and Luiz Felipe Scolari were in charge, the team wasn’t quite as likeable as they were perceived to be arrogant and bought their way to cup finals. However, since Hiddink took over, it’s almost been a 180 degree turnaround as his calm and friendly manner has worked wonders for the team. Whoever takes over as manager next season will have a huge set of boots to fill.

Good luck to him.

The FA Cup final on May 30 may look quite one sided on paper but it is much more likely to be the opposite. Everton and Chelsea will go head to head in a match that seems quite refreshing to the football neutral. Both sides played well in their semi-finals but the fact Everton have emerged as one of the finalists creates a small bit of excitement.

Everton beat Manchester United on penalties in their semi-final in a match, which saw Sir Alex Ferguson field a greatly weakened side. However, this weakened side did play extremely well and Everton needed every bit of David Moyes’ tactical nouse to get them through the match and into the final.

It is always a lottery whenever such an important game goes to a spot kick shoot out, but it was Everton who held their nerve and always looked the more likely to come out of the tie on top. They will use this victory as inspiration and proof that they can beat the best side in the country, Europe and the world. What more do Everton need to know to prove to themselves they can win it.

Chelsea came through a much more gritty semi-final against Arsenal. Although the victory was in the end quite comfortable, it was a very physical encounter, one that showed all of the elements of why the sides and the fans don’t really like each other any more.

The West London side have not been at their best at all in this season’s competition, but they are backed through some harsh heartbreak. It was not too long ago that Andres Iniesta was smashing in a last minute winner for Barcelona, which knocked Chelsea out of the Champions League.

It is also set to be Guus Hiddink’s last game in charge of Chelsea, if they cannot convince him to stay. This could well determine the players to play their hearts out for the manager that came in and steadied a rocking ship, when he also had the small task of keeping an eye on the Russian national side.

Both sides have their reasons for getting their heads down and playing through the match, trying intensely to win it at a canter. Everton to show this is more than just a penalty shoot out bluff and Chelsea to show that they are still good enough to win trophies in England. Hopefully the match will be decided after a thorough performance from one or the other and not from a penalty shoot out, which is the harshest way big matches are decided in the current game.

The fiasco that has surrounded the issue of tickets being on sale for the match has seen both sets of fans for these clubs being offered fewer tickets than the numbers being given to corporate sponsors and other ‘friends of football.’ This could well mean the atmosphere is not as intense as it may be and could place the emphasis right onto the football as the fans will not be as audible as they could be.

This won’t matter one bit to the people going to the game though. Former professionals have often commented that they often were lifted by the noise any amount of fans can create and the factor of having the twelfth man on side could be the difference. It could mean that when both sides are tried and exhausted after playing however many minutes, they lift themselves for that all important moment and stab at glory.

Of course there is football to be played between now and then, so the selection of players available is at this stage unknown. However, both managers will pick their strongest possible elevens, which will see a number of key on field battles break out. These could go a long way in determining who comes out victorious.

Everton are likely to be soaking up a lot of pressure during the match. The likes of Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda should all start the match meaning Chelsea are not going to adopt an approach of sitting back and taking the pressure.

Whoever plays at the heart of the Everton defence will have to be on top form to make sure that these individuals can’t get a foothold in the match and give Chelsea an advantage. In recent times teams have adopted the approach of playing workman like wingers in order to peg back the Chelsea full backs, if Everton do this successfully then it will mean all of Chelsea’s play will be through the middle, which is a lot easier for any defence to deal with.

If Chelsea’s midfield controls the game then it could well be a matter of time during the match until one of the strikers gets a chance. Space could also be created if Everton sink too deep meaning that Frank Lampard or Michael Ballack could be free to fire in shots on goal without the threat of being closed down.

Everton’s attacking approach is likely to be simple, the counter attack. The toffees will be hoping that the defence works hard enough to soak up the pressure and draw in the Chelsea midfield. This would allow Tim Cahill to play in the middle of the pitch, pick up the ball and bomb forward with little resistance. However, Everton’s strikers will have to concentre for every single second as the one chance they get could end up being the only chance they get.

Ironically, even though it is Everton and not Manchester United in the final, a similar game could break out. It is unlikely to be an open end-to-end game with a million chances. Both teams will be nervous because this is their only crack at silverware for this season. It could appear a boring game for the neutral but the subtlest of tactics could be the deciding factor.

If you were a betting man you would not place money against Chelsea, but the point is Everton are capable of winning. You can’t back a draw so we are all going to have to pick a side to get behind but for now it is probably easier to get up on that fence and stay there.

Chelsea took their Champions League frustration out on Arsenal yesterday as they thrashed the Gunners 4-1 at the Emirates. It was a truly dominant display as Chelsea secured third place in the Premier League and looked to lay the ghosts of Andres Iniesta’s last minute winner to rest.

In a similar fashion to the defeat against Manchester United, Arsenal flew out of the traps and looked to get ahead of Chelsea within the first few minutes of the game. However, Chelsea more than weathered this storm and went ahead with a brilliant header from defender, Alex.

Former Arsenal man, Nicolas Anelka fired in Chelsea’s second before Kolo Toure turned the ball into his own net. Nicklas Bendtner looked as though he had stopped the rot before Florent Malouda struck with Chelsea’s fourth.

It really was a case of men against boys as Arsenal looked completely out of their depth on their own ground. Guus Hiddink will be pleased that his side reacted so well to last week’s defeat, putting the scenes that surrounded the game behind them. He said: “After the first 15 minutes at Arsenal the team reacted perfectly.”

“I am very proud of them and they have shown they are one of the best in Europe, tactically and mentally. I am very proud to work with these boys as they always react well.”

The game highlighted the problems that Arsenal are currently going through. They simply had no answer to Chelsea’ more physical, technical and better football. Although they may have come close with a couple of slick passing moves, it does not detract from the fact they appear to be a long way off the top three sides in the league.

Arsene Wenger is going to have to bring some big and key players to North London this summer if his side are going to have any chance of competing with the top three next season. On their day Arsenal are still one of the best sides in the game to watch, the build up for Bendtner’s goal was classic Arsenal.

However, the point is that this is not happening often enough and Arsenal are making it easy for sides to peg them back and then counter and dominate. The logic behind not starting two of the club’s most physical strikers yesterday is baffling and a decision I’m sure that only Wenger can explain.

It would have been a bitter match to watch for Arsenal fans who would have been looking for a similar reaction in their own players as to the way that that Chelsea played. The blues looked really fired up and determined to make a point to everyone. They still have the FA Cup final to look forward to and it could be a cricket score against Everton if the performance is anything like it was yesterday.

It was also very positive to see Didier Drogba go about his business in a business like fashion. The rolling around on the floor and the swearing at camera had disappeared. Arsenal have serious problems but this does not take away how good Chelsea actually were.

Thanks to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, Chelsea has made it to the FA Cup Final after beating their hated London neighbours 2-1 in front of 88,000 fanatics in today’s semi final at Wembley. I suppose some credit can be given to Chelsea too.

Fabianski looked out of his league right from the opening whistle and was caught out of his net on numerous occasions. Perhaps he mistakenly put down the wrong team on his betting slip before the match and was trying to rectify that on the pitch with his odd decisions and positioning. But, it was the Polish international’s 24th birthday, so God only know what he got up to last night. However, somebody should tell him he’s the one who should be receiving presents not giving them out as he did with Chelsea.

Wenger, who, I think is extremely overrated as a manager, will probably be raked over the coals by Arsenal supporters for his team selection, tactics, and substitutions for the game. For some reason Arshavin started on the bench and then Adebayor was taken off in the 83rd minute and replaced by Bendter, And funnily enough, it only took Chelsea about 30 seconds to go ahead for good as Drogba sealed the deal in the 84th as he easily rounded an onrushing Fabianski who was yards out of his area and deposited the ball into the empty net. Of course Wenger had no clue what to do next as he had just taken his top scorer off the pitch.

Theo Walcott, one of only two English players on the pitch for Arsenal (Kieran Gibbs, being the other), put the Gunners ahead in the 18th minute after his weak shot struck Chelsea defender Ashley Cole’s hand and dribbled past keeper Petr Cech.

Florent Malouda tied it up 15 minutes later and Chelsea looked more likely to score again as Anelka hit the post shortly after. It looked like Arsenal were content with a 1-1 score line and were trying to reach the 90 minute mark, while Chelsea wanted the end the affair without having to go to extra time and possibly penalty kicks.

Chelsea won’t know who they play until tomorrow (April 19th), when Premier League leaders Manchester United take on sixth-place Everton at Wembley again. The groundskeepers probably won’t get much sleep overnight though as the pitch was coming up all over the place. Wenger, of course, made sure he placed blame on the state of the field during his post game TV interview.

Chelsea could still possibly pull of a treble on the quiet this year as they have a shot at the EPL championship, the FA Cup and the Champions League, where they play Barcelona next. Interim manager has done a great job with the team and I’m sure the club will try and entice the Dutchman into staying after the season ends. However, Hiddink is adamant that he’s going to return to his other job as the manager of the Russian national team.

Meanwhile, it looks like Arsenal will likely end up in fourth place in the league, but have been impressive in the Champions League, where they take on Manchester United next.