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AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Chelsea v Liverpool, the FA Cup Final

Chelsea and Liverpool met in the FA Cup Final at Wembley on Saturday. Here’s out it all happened…

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Full-Time: Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool

Welcome to our coverage of the FA Cup Final. No major shocks in the starting line-ups, with Didier Drogba chosen ahead of Fernando Torres and Craig Bellamy chosen instead of Andy Carroll.

We have two very, very expensive benches.

Otherwise, the Blues are without both David Luiz and Gary Cahill, while Jamie Carragher watches from the bench.

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Mikel, Lampard, Kalou, Drogba, Mata

Subs: Turnbull, Essien, Torres, Malouda, Meireles, Ferreira, Sturridge

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Jose Enrique, Spearing, Henderson, Downing, Gerrard, Bellamy, Suarez

Subs: Doni, Carroll, Maxi, Kuyt, Carragher, Shelvey, Kelly

Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)

There’s Jordan Henderson lining up before the game – what are the odds this is the only mention we’ll give him today?

Time for kick-off, Chelsea are playing left to right… Game on!

A speculative effort from Drogba goes wide of Pepe Reina’s goal. It was never doing anything.

Liverpool have had most of the ball so far, but the match has started off quietly. Steven Gerrard seems to be lying quite deep, with Henderson (whoops) ahead of him behind Bellamy and Suarez.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are showing no urgency to get Juan Mata and Drogba involved.

Ramires has just scored for Chelsea! The Blues have the lead in the FA Cup Final, and it’s Jay Spearing’s fault. The Liverpool midfielder gave the ball to Juan Mata, who found Ramires. The Brazilian held off Jose Enrique before slotting past Reina.

Chelsea 1-0 Liverpool.

Chance! Liverpool almost equalise but Craig Bellamy’s volley, which he does brilliantly to keep down, is blocked by Branislav Ivanovic.

Suarez tries another lob from distance. This one… is not good.

There’s a lot of criticism of Reina on Twitter and it’s fair enough, he should have done better at his near post.

Nothing has yet been seen of Luis Suarez, that joke of a lob attempt aside.

Kalou has an attempt at curling the ball into Reina’s top corner. It hits Row P. Meanwhile, Jose Enrique gives the ball away and Suarez dives in the box. So far, so Liverpool.

[caption id="attachment_441410" align="alignnone" width="630" caption="Good to see this man at the match. Bolton's Fabrice Muamba. "][/caption]

Enrique really has had a stinker so far – he goes scything into Ramires and gives away a free-kick in a nasty spot. Mata delivers but Liverpool clear.

A Steven Gerrard free-kick should threaten Chelsea, but doesn’t. Martin Skrtel is flagged for offside and the danger is gone.

Millions of Liverpool fans wonder, collectively, “what else is on?”

Drogba tries a shot from distance but it bounces in front of Reina and goes wide. Meanwhile, someone has pressed the mute button on the Wembley crowd.

Where’s Delia Smith when you need her?

A half chance for Liverpool as Suarez’ header, from a Henderson header, goes wide of Petr Cech’s post. Liverpool look like they’re waking up.

Daniel Agger is booked for dissent – foolish from the Dane. Why can’t footballers keep their mouths shut?

We have half-time at Wembley. My colleague Conor Nagle is leaving the office.

“Will you watch the second half?”

“Not if I can help it,” he replied.

It has been that awful.

Here’s your (rather childish) half-time entertainment…

YouTube credit: Geelad45

And we’re back. Hoping to see more than three successive passes strung together in this half.

There is still no atmosphere at this game, and the players look like they’re playing a pre-season friendly. Come back Arsenal v Norwich, we need you.

It’s another Wembley goal from Didier Drogba, who takes a pass from Frank Lampard before shooting under the legs of Martin Skrtel and beyond the dive of Pepe Reina. That’s Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool.

Andy Carroll is coming on for Liverpool.

Jay Spearing is going off. Now all Dalglish has to do is remove Enrique, Downing, Henderson, Reina and Skrtel from the action and they might stand a chance.

Drogba has now scored in four FA Cup finals, while Ashley Cole could be the first man to win it seven times. Thank you Twitter.

And Chelsea will win, Liverpool look like they just want to go to sleep and wake up in August.

Frank Lampard’s free-kick from distance goes wide of Reina’s post. In Chelsea’s next attack, Mata tees up Drogba but the Ivorian shoots wide.

Liverpool are back in it! Andy Carroll collects the ball, turns John Terry inside and out and arrows a shot past Cech. Great goal from the young striker.

Suarez tries to be Dennis Bergkamp.

No. Just no.

Liverpool have woken up, though, and it’s only taken three quarters of the match to happen. They look threatening for the first time in the game.

Carroll does well again to head Downing’s cross back to Gerrard, but the captain’s shot flies over.

Suarez cuts in from the left and forces a save from Cech. Corner. Nothing comes of it.

Raul Meireles is getting ready to come on against his former side – he replaces Ramires. Expect boos, now that the Liverpool fans have found some voice.

Carroll heads over the bar. He has been Liverpool’s best player already.

As Dirk Kuyt replaces Craig Bellamy to inject a lack of pace into the Reds attack, we’re wondering when Fernando Torres will be seen…

Suarez’ cross misses Kuyt but falls back to Henderson, with inevitable results. Ages now since a Chelsea attack.

Liverpool have ten minutes to get an equaliser, plus stoppage time.

Here come the appeals for goal-line technology! Andy Carroll’s powerful header is beaten away by Cech, with the Liverpool striker adamant that the ball had crossed the line. Looking at the replay, the referee’s decision not to award the goal was the right one.

All of the ball did not cross the line.

Good skill from Carroll as he wins the free-kick from Mikel – Gerrard’s shot comes off the Chelsea wall and Liverpool win the corner. You can just smell the equaliser.

Two minutes of normal time left and Martink Skrtel has converted into a right winger. Who knew? He wins the corner, nothing happens, Suarez threatens, another corner…

Nothing.

Kalou escapes with the ball but he’s the only Chelsea player in the Liverpool half.

Juan Mata, who we’ve barely mentioned, wins man of the match. For what exactly, Andy Townsend?

Three minutes of injury time left but the match has gone quiet. You’d expect Chelsea to see this out, especially with Terry playing as well as he is.

His dive to deny another Carroll effort was superb.

Chelsea have taken it into the corner and the referee blows it up. A fine second half performance from Liverpool but it’s not enough, and Roberto di Matteo goes mental as he wins his first trophy for the Blues.

Liverpool were shocking for the first hour and, while they might grumble about whether Carroll’s header had crossed the line, the better team won the Cup.

That’s all from us folks, thanks for following us…

Read: Sagna to miss Euro 2012 after breaking his leg against Norwich >

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