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Leicester down Chelsea to win first FA Cup

Rob HarrisAAP
Youri Tielemans (L) celebrates his brilliant FA Cup-winning goal with Leicester fans at Wembley.
Camera IconYouri Tielemans (L) celebrates his brilliant FA Cup-winning goal with Leicester fans at Wembley. Credit: EPA

Even sweeter than the powerful long-range strike from Youri Tielemans was Leicester City being able to celebrate winning the FA Cup for the first time surrounded by their fans.

"Wow, what a finish," Foxes goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel said after they beat Chelsea 1-0 in the final on Saturday.

"I didn't dare to celebrate because there's always VAR."

Always, but not to prevent Tielemans' sublime 30-yard shot from counting in the 63rd minute.

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Instead, the video assistant review came to Leicester's rescue in the 89th minute to prevent Wes Morgan from a moment of heartache.

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The 37-year-old club captain had been on the pitch for only seven minutes when he accidentally deflected in former teammate Ben Chilwell's cross.

But one of those marginal offsides that so irritate players and fans was detected and the roars of Leicester fans were even louder than the moment Tielemans scored.

Wembley Stadium hosted the biggest UK crowd - more than 20,000 - since the pandemic started 14 months ago.

After losing four finals - the first in 1949 - Leicester finally won world football's oldest cup competition in the 140th final by beating a team contesting the Champions League final in two weeks.

The team from central England lifted a trophy again, five years after Morgan hoisted the Premier League silverware.

"The success of this team and club is getting to positions like this and competing," Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers said after securing his first trophy in English football.

"The so-called bigger clubs are expected to win but our success is competing and if we can perform like today we can go and win.

"What a day for everyone involved with Leicester."

Players - such as Chelsea duo Chilwell and N'Golo Kante - have left since Leicester's improbable league title triumph in 2016 but Morgan and matchday captain Schmeichel are still there to celebrate again, this time in a moment tinged with sadness.

Inside the players' jerseys were photos of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the club's Thai owner until he died in 2018 when his helicopter crashed in flames next to King Power Stadium.

"He is always with us, Kun Vichai," said Schmeichel before handing the FA Cup on the field to Srivaddhanaprabha's son, Aiyawatt.

It's far from season over for Leicester.

There's another match against Chelsea to come on Tuesday which could clinch Champions League qualification for the second time ever.

Sitting third, Leicester hold a two-point lead over Chelsea.

The west London club have lost consecutive FA Cup finals, with Thomas Tuchel failing just as Frank Lampard did.

But Tuchel can still win the biggest prize in club football against Manchester City in the Champions League final on May 29 in Porto.

"We are disappointed and not angry with our performance," Tuchel said.

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