The FA Cup Final 2012: Chelsea vs Liverpool - May 5th KO 5:15

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The FA Cup Final - one of the biggest games of the year and a key date in the diary for all footy fans.
This year's no different, with two top teams ready to battle it out for the trophy.
It's Liverpool v Chelsea, two rivals with a score to settle, having played each other 30 times in the last 8 seasons.
Scroll down to find out all you need to know about both teams ahead of Saturday's big kick off....
LIVERPOOL

PREVIEW: Liverpool are a team under pressure. They've not done well in the league (they're 8th at the moment) so need trophies to make this year count. They've already won the Carling Cup but that's not enough for a team with such high expectations and they want this one.
Manager: Kenny Dalglish. 'King Kenny' might have won a trophy already but is that enough? With such a poor finish in the league and no place in the Champions League next year, his job may be under threat at the end of the season. It'll take the FA Cup to make it a bit safer.
Star Man: Steven Gerrard. Captain fantastic comes alive in the FA Cup final. Back in 2006, he was so good they call that final v West Ham 'The Gerrard Final'. Expect the Liverpool number 8 to perform when the heat is on.
Big Game for: Andy Carroll. Big price tag - but where are the goals? The Liverpool striker has started to look sharper recently but if anything would make the £35 million the Reds paid for him worth it, it's scoring the goal that wins them the FA Cup.
Possible starting line-up: Reina, Johnson, Agger, Carragher, Joe Enrique, Kuyt, Gerrard, Henderson, Downing, Carroll, Suarez.
CHELSEA

PREVIEW: Same as Liverpool really! They're not doing as well as hoped in the league, so need some trophies to keep fans and big bucks owner Roman Abramovich happy. Luckily for them though, a place in the Champions League final makes things a bit easier.
Manager: Roberto Di Matteo. He's only the stand in boss but he'd love the job full time. If he can win the FA Cup and then win the Champions League, who could possibly say no!
Star Man: Ramires. An unusual choice you may think but this season the Brazilian has made Chelsea tick. He just doesn't stop running, tackles back and scores some important goals (like against Barcelona in the Champions League Semi). If he plays well, so do the Blues.
Big game for: Fernando Torres. He was a failure a couple of weeks ago but then a winner in the Champions League and a quick fire hattrick in the Prem means Torres is back! Can he carry on that scoring form?
Possible starting line-ups: Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, Bosingwa, Cole, Ramires, Lampard, Mata, Kalou, Sturridge, Torres.

Interesting Facts:



  • FA Cup head to head: Pld 9, Liverpool 4 wins, Chelsea 5 wins.
  • This is the first time the two teams have met in a FA Cup final though Chelsea did beat Liverpool 3-2 to lift the League Cup at the Millennium Stadium in 2005.
  • Only Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher remain at Anfield while Chelsea have Petr Cech, Paulo Ferreira, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba still in their ranks. Glen Johnson came on as a substitute for Chelsea that day, replacing Joe Cole.
  • This is Liverpool's 14th final and they have lifted the trophy seven times, while for the Londoners they are making their 11th FA Cup final appearance having won it on six occasions.
  • Liverpool have won all of their FA Cup penalty shoot-outs and have won 11 of their 13 in all competitions.
  • If Liverpool go on to lift the Cup, they will be the first team ever to achieve the FA Cup and League Cup double in the same season on two occasions. Previously Arsenal (1993), Liverpool (2001) and Chelsea (2007) have achieved the feat.
  • Since the start of the 2004-05 season this will be the 31st meeting between the sides, with a league clash to come in three days' time.
  • Kenny has never lost to Chelsea as Liverpool manager having won 10 and drawn three of his 13 meetings.
  • Maxi has scored in both of his last two appearances against the Londoners.
  • Of the nine penalties that have been on target in shoot-outs Pepe has saved five in a Reds shirt.
  • Liverpool have kept just one clean sheet in their last eight FA Cup finals.
  • In the Reds' 13 previous FA Cup finals they have only ever scored two first-half goals - John Aldridge (against Everton in 1989), Djibril Cisse (versus West Ham in 2006).
  • The Reds also won 2-1 at Chelsea in the league with Maxi and Glen Johnson scoring after Daniel Sturridge had equalised.
  • This is Liverpool's 34th appearance at Wembley – they have won 18 and lost nine.
  • Liverpool have won 11 and drawn one of their 12 cup ties this season.
  • Liverpool have scored 17 goals in this cup run of five games and conceded five without keeping a clean sheet, while Chelsea in six games have scored 18 and conceded four.
  • Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher are the only players to have started all of the Reds' games on the road to the final, though Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing and Maxi have also appeared in all five.
  • A victory in this game will see Liverpool equal a club record fifth successive win over Chelsea. The other time they achieved the feat was between 1972-74.
  • Chelsea have won the trophy in 1970, 1997, 2000, 2007, 2009 and 2010.
  • Petr Cech, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Didier Drogba have played in Chelsea's last three final successes while Terry and Lampard also played in their 2002 loss to Arsenal.
  • The Blues have scored four goals or more in five of the last 15 games.
  • Since Roberto Di Matteo took over as interim manager, Chelsea have lost just two of 16 games, winning 11.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Please...
Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique; Shelvey, Spearing, Bellamy, Kuyt, Gerrard, Suarez.
 
Is there any possible way that both teams can lose the game?
 
Nice introduction, but as mentioned above, some of your team selections are a bit off. Fernando Torres is unlikely to start; and Jamie Carragher may only make the bench. I think we should start Carra, though, because he has the vital experience which may be needed; and will probably be better than Daniel Agger up against Didier Drogba.

Anyway, I think we can just edge this game since I think we will have more hunger than them for success (remember, this Chelsea side have a Champions League Final coming up, and will probably value that more) - and our team probably want to turn the season around.

I'm predicting a 3-2 win after extra time, with Luis Suarez (x2) and Craig Bellamy to net for us; and Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard for them. It's going to be a great game, and I'm really looking forward to it!

- PZW
 
Sorry guys. I should have explained I took the potential lineouts from the BBC. Those wouldnt be my personal selections. I would like to see us going out like this:

Suarez
Bellamy----Gerrard----Kuyt
Shelvey----Henderson
Enrique----Agger----Skretel----Johnson
Reina

In any case it promises to be a cracking match. Chelsea have been in good form lately but lost to Newcastle at home which may dent their confidence. Liverpool have been poor but a superb hat trick from Suarez last weekend could spur the team on(disregarding the match tuesday because it was a second string).

Overall it will be a tight game and hopefully Liverpool win in the end.
 
Please...
Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique; Shelvey, Spearing, Bellamy, Kuyt, Gerrard, Suarez.


Shelvey and Spearing don't have the quality or the experience yet.

It will be more like:

Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique, Kuyt, Gerrard, Henderson, Downing, Suarez, Caroll
 
Feel sorry for the Football League fans like myself who won't be able to watch because someone decided to put the final on the same day as the final FL fixtures.
 
Shelvey and Spearing don't have the quality or the experience yet.

It will be more like:

Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique, Kuyt, Gerrard, Henderson, Downing, Suarez, Caroll

Nor does Henderson.
I don't want to break up how Gerrard/Suarez were at Norwich, it was clearly effective
 
the Line up for Chellsea looks correct, but due to how good Drogba has been for us in FA Cups, I can see him starting, with Torres coming on in the second half.
 
Last edited:
What time does the programme for the final start on ITV?
 
The Chelsea Lineup is much more likely to be:

Cech
Bosingwa Ivanovic Terry Cole
Mikel Lampard
Ramires Mata Kalou
Drogba​

My prediction 3-1 Chelsea​
 
I'm feeling relatively confident. Certainly some weaknesses in the Chelsea line-up, Bosingwa and Mikel are definitely get-at-able.
 
rooting for Liverpool but I think Chelsea will win. 2-1
 
4-1 to Chelsea. Torres x3. Mata x1. Carroll x1.
 
This is a really tough one to call. Liverpool's recent results vs Chelsea have been good, but Chelsea are on a high. I hope Chelsea win.
 
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