Eden Hazard Leads Chelsea Past Manchester United in FA Cup Final

Chelsea's Eden Hazard, right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the English FA Cup final soccer match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Wembley stadium in London, Saturday, May 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Eden Hazard scored the only goal in Saturday's FA Cup final, as Chelsea ended their season on a high note with a 1-0 win over Manchester United.

The Belgian didn't fail from the penalty spot in the first half, and an uninspired United team was unable to hit back after the break.

Here are the key takeaways from the FA Cup final.

Mourinho's Mistake

At half-time, there was one question most United fans were probably asking: Why was Phil Jones playing ahead of Eric Bailly? The former Villarreal man has long been United's most consistent defender when healthy, and analysts had a hard time understanding why he was on the bench Saturday.

Ryan Baldi was one of them:

Ryan Baldi @RyanBaldiFW
So, that thing about not playing Bailly because he’s not going to the World Cup?

Jones' lack of pace saw him get beat by Hazard time after time in the first half, and the penalty was almost inevitable. Those are the kind of mistakes Bailly rarely makes, and it's baffling that Jose Mourinho opted not to start him.

VAR Won't Help If People Don't Know the Laws

Referee Michael Oliver had a big call to make in the first half, as Jones brought down Hazard inside the box, denying the Belgian a clear scoring opportunity. BBC's commentating team, as well as a number of fans and analysts, were furious when he didn't produce a red card for the United man, a key decision in the match.

Of course, Oliver got his decision spot on, as explained by Gary Lineker:

Gary Lineker @GaryLineker
Hazard gives Chelsea the lead. Right decision not to send Jones off as attempting to get the ball under double jeopardy law.

Amid all of the discussions involving VAR and other forms of instant replay, perhaps fans and analysts alike should start by reading up on the laws of the game before they criticise the officials.

Rashford Gamble Fails

Jones wasn't the only United man who stood out for the wrong reasons. Marcus Rashford was completely lost in the first half, as he got little service and did nothing with the chances he did get. He came close to scoring after the break, but goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois got in the way.

Fans were not impressed:

Jonas Giæver @CheGiaevara
Think Marcus Rashford should be happy that the England squad has already been confirmed. 45 minutes he’ll want to forget.

Mourinho has pushed him out wide often this year, and the England international no longer seems comfortable in the Romelu Lukaku role up top. It's a shame, because that's exactly where he shone when he first broke out for the Red Devils.

Bakayoko Gets the Last Laugh

Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko was a constant target for criticism during his first season in London, after he missed his start to the campaign and struggled with health.

The former Monaco man has quietly been one of the club's standout players the past few weeks, however, and things were no different at Wembley:

Mark Worrall @gate17marco
I'm whispering it quietly... Bakayoko is having a quality game so far isn't he.

While Paul Pogba, one of his key opponents in midfield, was busy missing sitters and standing out for all the wrong reasons, Bakayoko was a constant nuisance near the ball. He's positioned himself perfectly for a breakout campaign next season and deserves a ton of credit for the way he has bounced back of late.

United Need a Big Summer

Alexis Sanchez was barely involved. Rashford couldn't replace Lukaku in the centre of attack. Pogba was uninspired, and there was no one to add a late dash of creativity or light a fire under the Frenchman when needed.

United have all the money in the world, but they have a ton of needs to address this summer. Between the left-back position, Mourinho's distrust of Bailly, a lack of creativity and no good backup option for Lukaku, the Red Devils will once again have to invest heavily.

Antonio Conte Will be a Wanted Man

There's little doubt Antonio Conte will depart Chelsea this summer after a disappointing second season in London. The Italian failed to secure UEFA Champions League qualification for next year, but he did win a Premier League title and FA Cup in his two years with the Blues and did a fine job shutting down United on Saturday.

It's unclear what's next for Conte, but if he decides he wants to coach again next year, he will have plenty of offers. He found instant success with both Juventus and Chelsea―clubs will value a man who can have such an impact.

What's Next?

The 2017-18 campaign has come to an end for all English clubs barring Liverpool, who will face Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final on May 26. For United's and Chelsea's players, the focus turns to the 2018 FIFA World Cup―or pearly white beaches for those who didn't make the tournament.

Let's block ads! (Why?)