Antonio Conte surprised everyone with his decision to leave Eden Hazard and Diego Costa on the bench.
If Chelsea had of been beaten by Spurs, it would have been seen as an unforgiveable error.
But the move proved to be Conte`s trump card and now he can reflect on reaching his first FA Cup Final, as well as push on to make sure the Premier League title becomes ours.
After the game, as you`d expect, the media wanted to hear from the man and he had plenty to say, remarking,
‘I am proud for this achievement. It is great for the players for me. This is my first season in England and it is great to fight for the title and reach the final of the FA Cup, a great competition.
‘I am pleased for my players and for our fans. Today they were great from the start until the end. Now we have to continue, on Tuesday have another tough game, I hope our fans push us a lot.
‘During the season there is a moment as a coach you must take a strong decision. You have to take a risk. If you win the plan worked, if you don`t the responsibility is on you. I think today our plan worked very well.’
‘I am very happy for my players and for Michy Batshuayi, he played from the start in an important game. I am happy for Nathan Ake, a young player from our academy. I am happy for Willian, two goals today in a difficult season. For me it is a great achievement.
‘Today I also showed I trust all of my team.
‘Eden and Diego knew very well my plan because in this situation it is important to be clear to all of the players. Now I hope on Tuesday to get a great performance from Eden and Diego and the other players.’
Now let`s make sure we turn Southampton over on Tuesday and that Crystal Palace can do us a favour on Wednesday when they entertain Tottenham.
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