2012 FA Cup final

For the women's event, see 2012 FA Women's Cup final.
2012 FA Cup final
The match programme cover, featuring Chelsea’s Didier Drogba and Liverpool's Martin Škrtel
Event2011–12 FA Cup
Chelsea Liverpool
2 1
Date5 May 2012
VenueWembley Stadium, London
Man of the MatchJuan Mata (Chelsea)[1]
RefereePhil Dowd (Staffordshire)[2]
Attendance89,102[3]
WeatherMostly cloudy
9 °C (48 °F)[4]
← 2011
2013 →

The 2012 FA Cup final was a football match between Chelsea and Liverpool on 5 May 2012. It was the final match of the 2011–12 FA Cup, the 131st season of the world's oldest football knockout competition, the FA Cup. Chelsea were participating in their eleventh final, they had previously won six and lost four. Liverpool were appearing in their fourteenth final, they had won seven times and lost six. Scheduled to provide a clear four-week period between the end of the English season and the start of UEFA Euro 2012, the date of the final clashed with Premier League fixtures.[5] To avoid having the final played at the same time as league games, the match kicked off at the later time of 5:15 p.m., rather than the usual 3:00 p.m., by which time the other fixtures had ended.[5]

As both teams were in the highest tier of English football, the Premier League, they entered the competition in the Third Round. Matches up to the semi-final were contested on a one-off basis, with a replay taking place if the match ended in a draw. Chelsea's matches ranged from comfortable victories to close affairs. They beat Tottenham Hotspur 5–1 in the semi-final, while they beat Queens Park Rangers 1–0 in the Fourth Round. Liverpool's matches were similar, with three ending in a 2–1 scoreline, while the other two against Oldham Athletic and Brighton & Hove Albion were won by at least four goals.

Watched by a crowd of 89,102, Ramires put Chelsea in front in the 11th minute after he dispossessed Liverpool midfielder Jay Spearing and beat Pepe Reina in the Liverpool area. They extended their lead in the 52nd minute when striker Didier Drogba scored. Liverpool substitute Andy Carroll scored in the 64th minute to reduce the deficit to one goal. Carroll thought he had scored a second in the 81st minute, but his header was saved on the line by Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Čech. Carroll ran off celebrating, as he thought the ball had crossed, but referee Phil Dowd did not award a goal and Chelsea held on to win the match 2–1.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference PlayerRatings was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Dowd to referee FA Cup Final". TheFA.com. The Football Association. 17 April 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference FA-report was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Weather History for London, United Kingdom | Weather Underground
  5. ^ a b "No escape for 2012 FA Cup final from date clash with Premier League". guardian.co.uk. Guardian News and Media. 12 May 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2011.