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WATCH: Eden Hazard Secures Win for Chelsea Against Man United

Watch highlights of goals and key plays as Chelsea defeated Manchester United in the FA Cup final. 

Luis Miguel Echegaray

WATCH: Eden Hazard Secures Win for Chelsea Against Man United
WATCH: Eden Hazard Secures Win for Chelsea Against Man United /

Two rivals went head-to-head on Saturday as Eden Hazard's penalty and some solid defending secured Chelsea's victory against Manchester United in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.

The Blues won their eighth title in a match that had an added layer of the personal duel between Man United manager Jose Mourinho and Chelsea boss Antonio Conte. 

The match started evenly but after an early free-kick, which was easily cleared, Manchester United took control of the earlier parts of the action as Alexis Sanchez threatened the left side of the pitch with little room to do much of anything. Meanwhile, the Blues kept giving possession away as their main danger man, Eden Hazard, was heavily marked. 

In the 9th minute, however, the Belgian star found some room and attempted a shot from a tight angle but David de Gea was up to the task.

There were calls for a penalty when Teimoue Bakayako fell in the box as it seemed that Nemanja Matic was holding him, but after another look, it was way too soft to be given.

Creativity was definitely lacking in the first stages as neither side was able to get a full grip on the game. But in the 20th minute, thanks to some wonderful counterattacking from Chelsea, Eden Hazard breaks into the box and is taken down by Phil Jones. Hazard took the penalty and rolled it in to make it 1-0. Jones walked away with a yellow.

After the goal, Man United looked more dangerous as more men pushed up towards the final third, but Chelsea, who is normally very good when protecting the lead, stood firm. Chelsea was awarded a free-kick just outside the box in the 34th minute but Cesc Fabregas hit it right into the wall, a wasted opportunity just before the break.

Frustrations kept growing for the Red Devils as Eden Hazard kept pulling the strings, creating havoc and picking up free-kicks in the process. Ashley Young won a set piece of his own as Victor Moses fouled the English wingback, but the cross ended in a corner. After the initial clearance, Phil Jones looked to capitalize on another cross, but the center back could not connect. Paul Pogba gave a spirited run in the last seconds of thr first 45 but Chelsea, once again, cleared.

The half ended with Mourinho's men taking more control in Chelsea's half but Conte's squad protected the narrow lead as the whistle blew. 

The second half essentially kept the same rhythm as the first as United stayed with the possession, while Chelsea looked to counter. An early free-kick gave United a great opportunity as Marcus Rashford delivered a fantastic in-swinging cross but Thibaut Courtois kept his eyes on it and cleared away. It was clear, however, the Red Devils had pushed up another gear. 

The threat increased as Rashford took a powerful shot just outside the box but it went straight to the Belgian goalkeeper. It was all United and Chelsea was holding on. 

VAR was used for the first time as Alexis Sanchez was caught offside despite putting the ball in the back of the net.

Another use of VAR was used in the 70th minute when the ball seemed to have hit Ashley Young's arm in the box, but in the end nothing was given. A great ball from Jesse Lingard found Rashford but Courtois once again was up to the task. It would be their last contributions to the game as both came off for Romelu Lukaku and Anthony Martial.

With less than 15 minutes to go, United was leaving itself more vulnerable to the counter as more players pushed further up the field. Chelsea, therefore, took advantage by looking to control more possession in the opponent's half as time was running out for Jose Mourinho. Matic took a swerving shot from 25-yards out and Courtois just about managed to turn it away.

Martial, on the other side, was trying everything on the left to equalize as his pacey runs were causing all sorts of problems against Chelsea's backline. But again, the Blues protected their goalkeeper offering very little space. 

From a corner, Paul Pogba missed a golden opportunity to make it 1-1 as the ball went across the goal and the French star unable to capitalize.

Willian came on for Hazard in the 90th minute as Antonio Conte looked to shave off more minutes. A decision that could cost Chelsea if Man United grabbed a late goal to send the game to extra time. But the Blues kept fighting to preserve the lead as United grew more restless. In the end, it was a defensive effort from last season's champions, who wanted to take some redemption from last year's final.

Stay tuned here for live updates and highlights of goals and key plays from throughout the match (refresh for most recent updates).

Here were the lineups for both teams:

Chelsea takes on league champion Manchester City in the Community Shield on August 5 prior to the start of the new Premier League season.

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Luis Miguel Echegaray
LUIS MIGUEL ECHEGARAY

Luis Miguel Echegaray is a reporter, producer and head of Latino/Spanish content with Sports Illustrated. He is also an adjunct professor at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.

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