Cech and Ba keep Benitez on trophy trail

Chelsea 1 Manchester United 0

Demba Ba’s 49th minute goal was enough to earn Benitez brief respite from the critics and his team a semi-final against Manchester City at Wembley on April 14, with an opportunity to win the FA Cup for the fifth time in seven seasons.

But it will be Cech rather than his manager who earns the headlines following a truly remarkable save from Javier Hernandez that denied United an equaliser and effectively ended their dreams of winning a Premier League and FA Cup double.

United, in fact, haven’t won the FA Cup since 2004 and haven’t done so at Wembley since 1999 — when Roy Keane limped off after only nine minutes of a 2-0 victory over New-castle — so this result may hurt more than you would expect for a team that is all but guaranteed the league title.

But with Manchester City next up at Old Trafford, perhaps the pain will not last long — and certainly not as long as it would have done for Chelsea had their failed to make up for Saturday’s miserable 2-1 defeat at Southampton.

Benitez courted controversy in that match by making eight changes to his team selection, seemingly prioritising silverware ahead of a top-four finish, which was certainly a major gamble by the already unpopular Spaniard; but given that he will be leaving Stamford Bridge this summer regardless of how the team finishes then perhaps he feels there is no longer anything to lose.

“How many times have Chelsea played two games in 48 hours? Not many. So we have to manage the squad and use different players,” he explained, having generated dozens of column inches after Saturday’s performance. “I really hope to finish in the top four but we will approach every competition trying to win.”

It’s a strange old world when one half of a Monday newspaper is dedicated to vitriolic abuse of Arsenal for failing to win trophies — and the other half to a rant about Benitez selfishly prioritising the FA Cupwhen he should be thinking about Champions League qualification. So perhaps Benitez has a right to feel smug his gamble paid off.

He suffered a blow when Ashley Cole, one of the players rested at Southampton, pulled a hamstring after 20 minutes, but nevertheless Chelsea’s game plan against a United side missing Wayne Rooney (Ferguson claimed he was injured but you can guarantee he’ll be back to face Manchester City next week) worked to perfection.

The first half was tentative and tactical with both teams creating half-chances but little more; but Chelsea seemed more able to find another gear as the match wore on and were certainly the better team in the second period.

They went ahead after 49 minutes with a wonderfully-worked goal; Juan Mata dropping deep before executing a perfectly-chipped ball over the top of the United defence for striker Ba, who completed the move with a brilliant volley on the stretch. But the game’s defining moment actually came 11 minutes later.

United looked certain to equalise when Danny Welbeck whipped over a perfect cross for the unmarked Hernandez, who met it with a diving header. Most of the away end were already standing to celebrate an equaliser when Cech, who appeared to be diving the wrong way, stuck out his left hand and tipped the ball over the bar.

It was an astonishing save, one of real world class and perhaps one of the best seen in the FA Cup in recent times. So good, in fact, even Hernandez went over to Cech to congratulate him.

Chelsea should have sealed the match as first Mata shot into the side netting and then Eden Hazard dragged a left-foot effort narrowly wide; but they had already done more than enough to deserve a relatively routine victory.

“It was a great win,” said Cech. “We love Wembley, we respect the FA Cup as a whole and we always want to win. And as for my save it was a great ball into the box and I just went as fast as I could and let me left arm do the job, and luckily I was able to reach it.”

It was a moment that will certainly be added to Cech’s already burgeoning CV; and if it ends up on Rafa’s too should Chelsea fans really complain?

CHELSEA: Cech 8, Azpilicueta 6, Ivanovic 6, Luiz 7, Cole 6 (Bertrand 21; 6), Mikel 7, Ramires 6,Hazard 6, Mata 8, Oscar 7 (Moses 90), Ba 7(Torres 90).

MAN UTD: De Gea 7, Valencia 5, Smalling 7,Ferdinand 6, Evra 6, Jones 6, Carrick 7, Cleverley 5 (van Persie 61; 6), Nani 5 (Giggs 65; 6),Hernandez 6 (Young 80), Welbeck 6.

Referee: Phil Dowd.