FA Cup: Arsenal suffer emphatic defeat to Chelsea

Updated on: 19 April,2009 07:34 AM IST |
AFP |

Hiddink's Chelsea enter FA Cup final with 2-1 win over Gunners

Hiddink's Chelsea enter FA Cup final with 2-1 win over Gunners

The Dutchman, appointed on an interim basis at Stamford Bridge following Luiz Felipe Scolari's sacking in February, will now stay in West London until at least 30th May, thanks to Didier Drogba's late goal which decided a hard-fought semi-final at Wembley.

Belief and resolve

Hiddink has injected belief and resolve into a side which was sliding towards mediocrity on his arrival, and it displayed those two qualities in abundance here.

Chelsea fought back superbly after Theo Walcott's early goal, with Florent Malouda levelling before half-time and Drogba capitalising on defensive uncertainty to net an 84th-minute winner.

That comeback ensured a miserable first visit to Wembley for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. The Frenchman saw his worst fears about the English national stadium's pitch realised it cut up badly from the first whistle but of more concern will be the impact this defeat has on a side which had been flooded with confidence
following progress to the Champions League semi-finals and a long unbeaten league run.

His defence, too, will give him cause for sleepless nights.u00a0

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