Leicester City secured their first FA Cup title in 137 years with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea at Wembley, courtesy of a stunning strike from Youri Tielemans and two crucial saves from Kasper Schmeichel. The win marks the club's first FA Cup triumph after four previous final defeats.
Tielemans, named man of the match, scored the decisive goal in the second half with a powerful long-range effort that flew into the top corner. 'To score in the final ... what a goal that was!' the Belgian midfielder told the BBC. 'I am really happy for the team and the fans.'
Chelsea dominated possession but were unable to find a breakthrough, with Schmeichel denying Ben Chilwell and Mason Mount in outstanding stops. The Blues also had a late goal disallowed by VAR for offside, adding to their frustration after losing last year's final to Arsenal.
Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers praised his team's collective effort. 'It's an amazing feeling,' he said. 'We were super-aggressive and always a threat with the ball. I thought we deserved to win.' The victory adds to Leicester's remarkable recent history, following their Premier League title in 2016.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel was left to rue missed opportunities. 'I think we are just unlucky today,' he said. 'We deserved to score, and for me it is much more 1-0 for us than 1-0 for them.' The result leaves Chelsea with the Champions League final to look forward to, while Leicester now turn their attention to Tuesday's Premier League clash with the same opponents.
