London: Chelsea booked an FA Cup final showdown with Manchester United as Olivier Giroud tormented Southampton again with a sublime strike in yesterday’s 2-0 win at Wembley.
Giroud has made a habit of scoring against Southampton and the France forward was their nemesis in a one-sided semi-final.
Opting to select Giroud instead of Alvaro Morata proved a shrewd move by Chelsea manager Antonio Conte as the former Arsenal star produced a tremendous piece of skill to break the deadlock early in the second half.
Giroud has feasted on Southampton this season, scoring twice to spark Chelsea’s 3-2 win last weekend and also netting a late equaliser against them for Arsenal in December.
His fourth goal for Chelsea since his January signing was followed by a late header from substitute Morata, setting up a heavyweight final against United at Wembley on May 19.
That will be Chelsea’s last chance to win major silverware at the end of a troubled season.
Chelsea’s 13th FA Cup final appearance will be a repeat of the 2007 showpiece, when Jose Mourinho’s men won 1-0.
The Blues, back in the final after losing to Arsenal in May, last won the competition in 2012 and are bidding to lift the trophy for the eighth time.
Winning the FA Cup might not be enough to convince either Conte or Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich that their two-year partnership should be extended.
Conte has spent much of the season complaining about Chelsea’s failure to back his transfer plans, while several of his players are believed to be unhappy with his demanding training sessions and intense personality.
The Blues face a tough task to qualify for the Champions League via a top four finish in the Premier League as they trail fourth placed Tottenham by five points.
Victorious
In the Premier League, Arsenal scored three goals in the final eight minutes as manager Arsene Wenger marked his penultimate home match in charge with a crushing 4-1 win over West Ham United in a London derby at the Emirates.
Defender Nacho Monreal put Arsenal ahead six minutes into the second half when he fired low past Joe Hart at a corner to bring the match to life after a dull first half.
Marko Arnautovic equalised 13 minutes later when substitute midfielder Manuel Lanzini fed him on the left and the striker shot past the diving David Ospina into the bottom far corner.
Aaron Ramsey put Arsenal ahead again in the 82nd when a mistake in the Hammers defence allowed his effort from the left edge of the box to sail into the far side of Hart’s net and Alexandre Lacazette added the third and fourth goals.
Champions Manchester City kept their title party rolling with a thumping 5-0 win over Swansea City.
Swansea stayed 17th, four points above the relegation zone after 34 matches, while City move on to 90 points, still hoping to beat league records for the most points, wins and goals in a season.
Stoke missed the chance to give their hopes of Premiership survival a boost when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Burnley.