Chelsea sends Man Utd out of FA Cup

N'Golo Kante's only goal turned Man Utd into the former FA Cup champion after the quarter-final match on the evening of March 13.

» Priest Nguyen Dinh Thuc incites parishioners

Goal: Kante (51').

Playing at home at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea also had the advantage of one more man in the 36th minute when Ander Herrera received a second yellow card and was sent off. The Man Utd midfielder fouled Eden Hazard twice.

In the second half, Kante opened the scoring and also sealed a 1-0 victory for Chelsea. The French midfielder made a surprisingly low shot from nearly 25 meters away to defeat De Gea.

Man Utd had a chance to equalize later but Marcus Rashford could not beat goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in a one-on-one situation.

Chelsea have qualified for the FA Cup semi-finals and will face fellow city side Tottenham. The other semi-final will be between Arsenal and Man City. Meanwhile, Man Utd have become the former champions of this competition and have only two competitions to focus on: the Premier League and the Europa League.

Chelsea are aiming for a domestic double this season. Photo: Reuters.

This is Mourinho's second defeat to Conte, both of which have come since his return to Stamford Bridge. Last October, Man Utd were thrashed 0-4 by Chelsea in the Premier League and Mourinho clearly wanted revenge on his former club. The Portuguese coach was restless on the sidelines, constantly cheering and directing his players during last night's match.

Mourinho's tipping point was not Herrera's red card but the subsequent incident in which he deemed Marcos Alonso to be diving. Mourinho confronted Conte and the two were only separated by fourth official Mike Jones. After the match ended, Mourinho entered the pitch and expressed his dissatisfaction with the decisions of referee Michael Oliver.

Not only did Mourinho feel pressured on the pitch, he also felt less loved by Chelsea fans during his second return to Stamford Bridge. Some fans called him a traitor even though he left because he was fired. In response, Mourinho held up three fingers to represent the number of Premier League titles he had won with Chelsea.

Mourinho reacts to the referee after the match. Photo: Reuters.

Mourinho had a hard time losing a series of strikers such as Ibrahimovic, Rooney and Martial before the match. He was forced to use the young player who had just recovered from illness, Marcus Rashford, in an unfamiliar formation for Man Utd, 3-4-3. Meanwhile, Conte's Chelsea were very fluent with this formation and showed dominance over the visitors.

Although Mourinho may feel frustrated by Herrera's red card or Ibrahimovic's suspension at the crucial moment, the reality is that Chelsea have far surpassed Man Utd.

In the match without the main striker Ibrahimovic, the world's most expensive contract Paul Pogba received a lot of expectations. However, the Man Utd midfielder was completely silent in front of his French teammate Kante. The contract from Leicester not only controlled the midfield but also launched the attack and brought victory with a dangerous shot.

Pogba failed to make his mark and get Man Utd into the rhythm they wanted. The French midfielder was completely left out of the game and his partner Herrera's red card did little to improve his performance. In the stands, Chelsea fans repeatedly mocked Pogba as a waste compared to Kante's price tag of just over $40 million.

Hazard continuously stirs up Man Utd's defense. Photo: Reuters.

The win over Man Utd keeps Chelsea on course for a Premier League and FA Cup double, a feat they last achieved under Conte's compatriot Carlo Ancelotti in 2010.

With a 10-point gap over second-placed Tottenham, Chelsea have great confidence in the Premier League. With their current form, stopping Conte's team is too big a challenge for any team in the foggy country.

Meanwhile, stopping at the FA Cup is a pity for Man Utd but also brings positive things. Man Utd will not have to be distracted and focus on the two arenas of the Premier League and Europa League to find a place in the Champions League, the ultimate goal for the rest of the season.

According to VNE