Leicester 1-0 Chelsea – the biggest result of the season?

A talented Leicester City squad coming of age

The talent on display at the King Power Stadium continues to be impressive in all areas. Right through the starting eleven and squad. There were some huge displays in this cup final that brought to light some extraordinary players with huge futures in their careers.

Youri Tielemans’ strike will be replayed forever more, as he wrote himself into Leicester folklore and FA cup final history with a shot so beautiful it almost feels imagined. Kasper Schmeichel likewise with 2 saves of epic proportions as big as goals themselves. Wesley Fofana grew in stature with Jonny Evans departure and Wilfred Ndidi continued his persistent combatting in midfield. Every Leicester player dug in deep and did so with an air of quality that belied simple backs to the walls journeyman type spirit. This is a young squad of players that have now tasted silverware and a winning feeling they will want to relive again and again. This could only be the beginning.

The Ben Chilwell paradox

Players leaving for pastures new, will never change, no matter the level of the club players will always leave to advance their career. Leicester City have suffered a big name departure every summer since 2015 (Esteban Cambiasso, N’Golo Kante, Danny Drinkwater, Riyad Mahrez, Harry Maguire and Ben Chilwell). Jermaine Jenas made note in the commentary that the boos for when Chilwell touched the ball were ‘harsh’ from the Leicester fans.

Chilwell only moved to a club to better his career and earn even more money, which is very fair. But Leicester fans have grown accustomed to this attitude over time and yesterday perhaps the boos were justified. Just to let him know that leaving their club isn’t something that they are in favour of, that staying at Leicester should be the focus and that in this final make no mistake, you’re the enemy.

The heckling possibly could be what drove Chilwell’s desire to ghost into the box at the end and cause pandemonium before bundling in an equaliser and performing an emotional knee slide with the delirious Chelsea fans. But hang on a second! Football isn’t that simple anymore and the drama took a new twist when VAR revealed Chilwell’s run had gone too early (just like his Leicester career) causing a dramatic offside call and an even more delirious reaction from the foxes faithful.

How he must have wished the ground would swallow him up! I genuinely wish him well in the Champions League final as that was something that Leicester couldn’t give him. But he could have had an FA cup winners medal round his neck yesterday and instead watched his former teammates enjoy their victory right before his eyes. Its nothing personal Ben, no club wants to see their best players leave and only a select few are afforded a heroes welcome when meeting again.