Leicester City’s English-born Jamaican defender Wes Morgan and Leicester City’s Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel hold up the winner’s trophy as the Leicester players celebrate victory after the English FA Cup final football match between Chelsea and Leicester City at Wembley Stadium in north west London on May 15, 2021. – Leicester won the FA Cup for the first time in the club’s 137-year history as Youri Tielemans’s sensational strike beat Chelsea 1-0 in front of 22,000 fans at Wembley. (Photo by MATTHEW CHILDS / POOL / AFP)
Youri Tielemans produced one of the greatest FA Cup final goals, yesterday, to give Leicester City the trophy for the first time in their history with victory over Chelsea at Wembley.
The Belgian settled a closely contested encounter with a spectacular right-foot drive that flew beyond Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga into the top corner from 25 yards in the 63rd minute.
It sent manager, Brendan Rodgers down the touchline in celebration although Leicester City’s fans — inside Wembley as 21,000 supporters formed the biggest attendance since lockdown — had to survive a nerve-jangling closing phase before they could celebrate the win in their first final since 1969.
The Foxes were indebted to two crucial saves from keeper, Kasper Schmeichel, who turned former Leicester defender, Ben Chilwell’s header onto a post then produced an even better stop to turn Mason Mount’s powerful shot wide.
And in a final act of the drama, Wes Morgan bundled into his own net following a last-minute goalmouth scramble before it was ruled out by the barest of margins following the intervention of VAR.
Leicester closed out the win to spark emotional scenes as those inside Wembley rejoiced in a landmark victory.
Foxes boss, Rodgers had a smile that illuminated Wembley as he joined Leicester City’s players in joyous scenes of celebration after the manager and his players had written their name into the club’s folklore.
Tielemans, the gifted 24-year-old, will claim the glory for the sheer quality of the strike that won this FA Cup final and the rest of his performance oozed the quality that saw him named man of the match.
This was the result of outstanding work by Rodgers and his players and the rest of the season may yet produce another high point if they can clinch a place in next season’s Champions League.